Hello! We are Michael and Amber from Southern California! We want to acknowledge your thoughtfulness in taking time to explore your options and educate yourself on the process of adoption. For that, we are incredibly humbled and grateful that you have chosen to learn more about us.

When we learned we would not be able to conceive naturally, we knew that adoption was the right path for us to grow our family. We have built a loving and happy life together and cannot wait to share our love with our future little one. We envision endless games of hide and seek, dancing in the halls, family adventures, kissing “boo-boo’s” and story time at night. We look forward to growing our family and hope to paint a vivid picture of the love (and silliness) we have to offer.

I remember the first time I saw Amber, it was May 2006 and her first day of work with our software company. I was standing with my friend and coworker Jose and I looked at him in all seriousness and said, “dibs!” I spent all my free time in the break room hoping Amber would come in to get a cup of coffee so I could “by chance” run into her. When she did, I would strike up a conversation and we would laugh together. We started having lunch together and would send instant messages to each other all day.

Amber: Growing up, I would play with my grandmother’s jewelry and there was one ring in particular that I loved. For years, I asked her if I could have it and every time she said no.
Michael: I heard this story several times over the years, little did she know, but I went to her grandparents’ house one afternoon and asked them if I could have the ring to propose to Amber. They quickly and happily said yes!

Amber: On a trip to Disney CA Adventure with some friends, Michael popped the question during the World of Color show. He quietly turned to me, held up the ring and asked me to marry him.
Michael: After processing what was happening, the first words out of her mouth were, “Is that my grandmother’s ring? How did you get that?” The rest is history!

I was born in Detroit, Michigan and grew up surrounded by a large family. My mother has 6 siblings, and my father has 2, so our family holidays were pure joy getting to play with my 12 cousins! I joined the Air Force after high school and was a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After completing a tour in the military I moved to Los Angeles, California to continue my education and graduated with a B.S. in Information Technology. I have a great job with a lot of flexibility where I create my own work schedule, including working from home a few days a week, which will be very helpful when we bring a new baby home.

Michael is hard-working, thoughtful and a great listener. He is my favorite person to come home and talk to at the end of a work day. What I love most is how supportive he is of my thoughts and ideas; whether it be planning a bucket list vacation or looking ahead to our future.
He is selfless with his time, values family and the connection he creates with each person. One of my favorite things is seeing him sit in the backyard each week laughing and sharing stories via FaceTime with his childhood friends. When we are with our nieces and nephews, he always has endless energy to throw the ball around or patiently seek out the monsters under the bed. I can’t wait to see him embrace his new role as a father!

I was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, CA with my younger brother, Nick, and lived within a few blocks of my two cousins, Jimmy and Johnny. I have fond memories of us spending summers together at our grandparent’s house swimming, playing Nintendo games and drinking tons of delicious milkshakes.

During college my passions ranged from dance and theatre to science. I graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies which I turned into a career in event planning. I am very fortunate that my company is family focused and provides a flexible schedule to those with children. I’m looking forward to singing and dancing around the house, crafting, and reading bedtime stories with our future child.

Amber has a big heart and is a very passionate, loving, and caring person. After 13 years together, she never ceases to amaze me with her thoughtfulness for others. Whether she’s late for dinner because she rescued a stray dog, crocheting newborn and preemie hats to donate to hospitals, or buying school supplies for children in need, she always does something that makes me appreciate her more. I know without a doubt she will be an amazing mother that will build memories of joy, laughter, and love and one day our future child will get her a coffee cup that says, “World’s Best Mom!”

We are lucky to live in a community where we are surrounded by our closest friends and family. Amber’s parents live close by and we see them weekly. Her extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces are within an hour’s drive. We see them regularly for weekend dinners, trips to the beach and holiday gatherings.

Our friends, Alex and Jenna, are an important part of our extended family too. They are wonderful parents to our godson, Gabriel, and live very close to us. We spend weekends together taking Gabriel swimming in our community pool, trips to Disneyland and museums.

Jack (5) and Roxie Rey (1) are the well-mannered four-legged members of our house. We rescued each of them as puppies and found them through postings on Facebook. They are each other's best friend and can often be found playing tug or chasing lizards in the backyard. They enjoy evening walks but their ultimate favorite activity is snuggling on the couch. They are extremely friendly with big (and small) humans. If you let them, they will shower you with love and licks!

We live in a 3-bedroom one-story house in Valencia, California, a safe neighborhood just north of Los Angeles. We are within driving distance of more than 30 local parks, highly-rated schools and a short walk to a large park with a swing set and jungle gym. We have beautiful weather almost year round so we spend as much time outside as possible, whether it be having dinner in the backyard, gardening or going for a hike in the local mountains.

What’s nearby?
Over 30 local parks, aquatic center, skate park, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Museums, Zoo, Castaic Lake, Beaches, Hiking trails, Dodger Stadium, LA Memorial Coliseum, The Staples Center, Universal Studios, and Disneyland!

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and catch a glimpse into our everyday lives. We appreciate your openness to discover our hopes for our growing family. We are excited to become parents and we promise to love, support and provide the best future possible. It is our priority to teach our future child good values and provide a great education. We look forward to guiding imagination and discovery by creating opportunities to experience music, art, and sports and travel the world. We want to celebrate his or her cultural background and unique interests and goals.

We promise to honor you and your story while providing a nurturing, caring and most importantly a loving environment to thrive and achieve the highest potential.

~ Michael and Amber