The two of us definitely did not decide to become parents overnight. The desire developed very organically as our relationship grew and our careers and financed became more settled over the years. One particular event that really started the conversation was a Christmas we had that just felt like something was missing. We realized that we had reached a point in our lives that celebrations would be better if shared with a child. We both started imagining all the events that we could guide a child through: holidays, first days of school, help with homework, vacations, trips to the zoo, and quiet nights at home watching movies and playing games.

Being a parent means being able to guide a child through all the events in life and share wisdom learned in your own life. As much as we would love to completely shield our child from all the bad things in life, that just isn't possible. So, we want to teach our child how to be a good and responsible person. We want to love and share in all the good things, while shouldering the weight of the burdens our child will definitely encounter. What I think we will like most is to see the new events in life through the eyes of our child and to witness all the special moments that make life worth living.

Travel has been an integral part of our lives, both before and after we met each other. Wil's family worked hard to take him to as many historic locations from the American Revolution and Civil War as possible with his extended family. Later in childhood, the family discovered Formula One and have tried to make as many local races as possible, experiencing an international event at home amongst like-minded fans in the US and abroad. These trips are foundational to who he is as a person and he can't wait to do the same with a future child together with Scott.

Scott also has had the opportunity to travel extensively both with family and solo. He has been able to experience international travel in the US, Europe and Asia with his family. His biggest adventure was moving to Japan and teaching English for two years. This allowed him to make new friends abroad and see the world. 

Together, we travel as much as possible. We love road-tripping to national parks like Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, the Rocky Mountains and historic sites and towns. We enjoy going abroad and to races as often as we can. Living in California, we get to hike at the coast and in the mountains at any time, we can also explore the big tourist centers on the west coast while also looking forward to long road-trips to see as much of the country as possible with our future child and extended family!

Pets are essential to the happiness in our lives. As we write this, we are taking turns throwing a tennis ball for our very excitable husky. Wil has grown up with dogs and can't imagine life without one. He had a miniature dachshund for 16 years that was his best friend growing up. Scott never had dogs, but always wanted them. After we moved into our first place together in Albuquerque, getting a dog became a top priority for both of us. We adopted our Australian Shepherd mix, Riley towards the beginning of 2020. He is the smartest dog either of us have ever met and has filled our lives with trips to the dog parks, hikes, and jumping on the couch to roll over on our hands so we can scratch his back while he wiggles around. A year later we adopted Ellie, a German Shepherd and Pyrenees mix who quickly became our living teddy bear, who prefers to lounge on the couch and be snuggled all day. After buying our home and having the space for our dogs to run around, we decided to adopt a husky puppy, Milo. Milo has been a learning and bonding experience for us, teaching us patience and kindness through all of the phases of potty training, destructiveness, energy, and dramatic husky antics. Dogs are an integral part of our family that we can't wait to share with our future child. 

We are truly excited to introduce our child to our extended families. We are lucky enough to have Wil's Mom moving out to California to live by us and help us take care of a child. It will be really nice to get out and do some day trips with our child, Grandma, and the dogs. Scott's parents always visit California for the week of Thanksgiving, so that should be a great time for them to interact with their Grandchild.

Scott would really love to go on some camping or cabin trips with his siblings families and four nieces and nephews. This is something his family sometimes gets together to do. Occasionally, we will be taking our child back to the Midwest to show them Illinois, where we grew up, and to meet our families. Wil would like to introduce our child to his cousins, which are like siblings to him. Wil has very fond memories of big family Christmases that he would like to share with his child. 

We live in a small rural community in a mountain valley northeast of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Its near enough to take advantage of amenities in those cities, but far enough for a quiet life. The area is predominantly single family homes arranged around shared community amenities such as a golf course, a large lake with beaches and marina for swimming and kayaking, a pool, hiking trails and more. An elementary school is adjacent to our neighborhood and is near a store, coffee shop, pizza restaurant and ice cream parlor. The community is very active and safe and the neighborhood has many children of all ages who spend their time at the lake or biking around. The neighborhood gets very excited for the holidays and has home decorating contests for Christmas and our street is the epicenter of Halloween trick or treating for the entire county, nearly 1000 children attend every year.

We live in a comfortable three bedroom house which we have been upgrading over time. Our pride and joy is the backyard which started out as a dirt pit but is becoming a lush oasis. We can't wait to play with our future child back there with the dogs. We have a cozy family room with a big fireplace that is great for movie nights. The heart of our house is the kitchen, where Scott is often cooking and Wil is baking. We are into the holiday spirit of our neighborhood and decorate for Halloween and Christmas.

We'd like to start by saying that we cannot even imagine the difficult position that you find yourself in. The dilemma and decisions you face will surely be some of, if not the most, impossible moments of your life. We are empathetic people and try to put ourselves in your shoes to respect this moment in your life. We understand this is a difficult decision to make, it is our hope that by choosing us to raise your child, you will be comforted and not regret the decision later in your life. So, thank you for at least taking the time to read this, hear us out, and hopefully, consider us.

We certainly like to think that we are good people. We are a same-sex couple that has been together for 11 years and married for two. We have both worked hard in our lives and both come a long way. We live a quiet life together in a rural, hilly region of California, where we live with three loving dogs. We have reached a point in our lives that we agree is the right time to raise a child. We have often said that same-sex couples are in the unique and special position to provide a home for a child that needs one. As much as we provide something that a child needs, the child provides us with something we need: a family. What we are able to provide your child with is a lifetime guarantee of unconditional love with no strings attached. We are prepared to go all in on being the best parents possible for your child from the very first moment.

We both dream about all the moments in the future that we might share with a child: from Christmas mornings, road trips, helping with homework, teaching them how to cook, how to ride a bike, to how to drive, to their graduation and adult life. It's a special kind of longing that we just haven't experienced until this point in our lives. We won't lie to you and say that we are completely prepared; we're terrified! But I think that any prospective parent that isn't terrified is one that doesn't respect or understand the sacred duty of parenthood. There are no do-overs, no resets, and no takebacks. What we would say to reassure you is that we are a strong couple. We have our disagreements, but we never go to bed angry. We always talk through our issues to try to understand each other better. By doing that, our love has grown stronger over time, rather than pulling us apart. That empathy and willingness to work is the mindset we want to bring to parenting. We don't want to force our views on a child, we want to give a child the space and comfort to grow and become themselves, with our guidance to help that growth.

We have both loved gardening in our backyard. We don't always know what plants will thrive and which will fail, but the joy is in watching it develop and grow over time in unexpected ways. We like to think that is a good metaphor for parenting. Our promise to you is that we will love your child no matter what and we will give them the strength to become themselves. We also know that by parting with your child, you will always want to know how they are doing and what kind of person they are becoming. That is why we are committed to providing you with updates, photos, etc. by email or text (however you prefer). We are also prepared to have periodic in-person visits over the years, so the child knows who their birth mother is and you always feel included in their life and their identity.

If you have made it this far, thank you for considering us.

Scott & William