Many of our family traditions revolve around celebrating holidays together. Christmas is especially meaningful to us because it is our favorite holiday, and many of our traditions come from Jennifer's childhood. Jennifer loves having a real Christmas tree because that was a tradition in her family growing up, while Nick prefers an artificial tree. We found a compromise by alternating between a real and an artificial tree each year. When it's a real-tree year, we enjoy visiting a local tree farm to pick out one together.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we decorate our tree and home while watching one of our favorite Christmas movies: A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, or Elf. Throughout the season, we enjoy visiting Christmas light displays and attending our community's annual holiday parade. When we were foster parents, one of our favorite traditions was taking the children to visit Santa, and we look forward to continuing that with our child.

On Christmas Eve, we attend the service at our church. Afterwards, the children wear Christmas pajamas, open one gift, and we end the day by reading a children's version of the Christmas story together before bed. We also celebrate other holidays throughout the year. At Easter, we attend a community egg hunt and enjoy Easter baskets. On the Fourth of July, we watch the local parade and celebrate with sparklers and small fireworks. We also enjoy attending local Lunar New Year celebrations to honor and share Nick's cultural heritage and traditions with our family.

We plan to homeschool our child because we believe it will allow us to provide the best education for their individual needs. Jennifer is a former teacher with experience in public schools, giving her the knowledge and skills to provide a high-quality education at home. During our time as foster parents, we also gained firsthand experience with children in the public school system. While we know public schools can be a great fit for many families, we have seen that they are not always able to meet the unique needs of every child. Homeschooling will give us the flexibility to tailor our child's education, learning style, and pace to help them thrive.

We are also fortunate to know many homeschooling families, including Jennifer's sister and brother. Their experience and support will be a valuable resource as we begin our own homeschooling journey. We plan to participate in a homeschool co-op, where our child will have opportunities to build friendships, participate in group classes and activities, and enjoy a rich social life. We will carefully research and choose the curriculum that best fits our child's needs so we can provide them with the strongest education and learning experience possible.

In our leisure time, we love getting out and trying new activities together. On weekends, one of our favorite things to do is eat out. We especially enjoy brunch or breakfast, ramen, pho, sushi, Chinese food, Korean barbecue, and American barbecue. We are excited to share our love of trying different foods with our child and create fun family memories around meals together.

We also enjoy spending time outdoors. We often take walks along the beach and waterfront, visit the farmers market at the park near our home, and attend the many summer festivals in our area. We can't wait to include our child in these adventures. Many of the festivals have activities designed especially for kids, making them even more fun for families. Another favorite outing is visiting our local zoo and aquarium. We have taken former foster children there and loved seeing their excitement as they explored and discovered new animals.

We also enjoy relaxing together at home. Nick likes reading the news and watching soccer, while Jennifer enjoys reading and working on projects from her craft subscription box. In the evenings, we often end the day by watching a show or movie together after dinner.

Although neither of us has a large extended family, we are incredibly close to the family we do have. Since most of Nick's family lives outside of the United States, we spend the most time staying connected with Jennifer's family. While our families live in different states and we don't get to see them in person as often as we'd like, we stay in touch regularly through phone calls, texts, and FaceTime. We typically visit every couple of years, and once we welcome a child into our family, we hope to make those trips even more often.

One of our favorite times to visit is during Christmas with Jennifer's family. We were fortunate to spend this past Christmas together and truly cherished the time with everyone, especially our seven nephews and nieces. It brings us so much joy knowing our future child will grow up with cousins of all ages to laugh, play, and make memories with. Our family Christmas traditions include decorating together, visiting the local Festival of Lights, opening gifts, and having everyone contribute a favorite dish to Christmas dinner.

Our entire family is excited about our adoption journey. They know how deeply we have longed to become parents, and they have supported us every step of the way. They can't wait to welcome a new grandchild, niece or nephew, and cousin into the family with open arms and lots of love.

We live in Washington near the beautiful Puget Sound, where small beaches and scenic waterfronts are just minutes from our home. Our neighborhood is a quiet, family-friendly residential community with a community college, several small parks, a historical landmark, and a large community park nearby. The park is one of our favorite places, with a large playground, sports fields, picnic areas, walking trails, and a lake to enjoy. During the summer, it also hosts weekly farmers markets, and throughout the year there are many family-friendly events. Just five minutes away is our closest beach, which also has a playground, making it another wonderful place to spend time outdoors. We also enjoy the nearby waterfront town, where annual traditions like the Fourth of July festival and parade bring the community together. With so many children and families in our neighborhood, it is a wonderful place to raise a child.

Our home is a two-story, three-bedroom house that has plenty of space for a growing family. Upstairs are the three bedrooms and two bathrooms, while downstairs is the living room, kitchen, dining room, playroom, and an additional bathroom. The playroom has always been the favorite space for the foster children who have stayed with us. It is a large, open room with plenty of space for toys, games, and imaginative play. It also opens directly to our spacious, fenced backyard, where trees provide lots of shade. The backyard is filled with outdoor toys, including balls, tricycles, swings, and a playhouse.

Thank you for taking the time to look at our profile and learn about our family. We know that this is a deeply personal and emotional time for you, and we are truly honored that you would consider us as potential parents for your child. While words can never fully express who we are, we hope this letter gives you a glimpse into our hearts and the loving home we hope to share.

We have been married for nine years, and throughout our marriage we have built our relationship on love, trust, laughter, and unwavering support for one another. While our marriage has not been perfect, we have learned from our ups and downs, and our relationship has only grown stronger through the years. We enjoy spending time together, celebrating life's little moments, and facing challenges as a team. Our relationship has taught us the importance of patience, kindness, and open communication and qualities we know are essential in raising a child.

We have been foster parents for the last eight years, and while we have loved every child that has come through our home, we want to be a child's forever family. More than anything, we want to provide a child with a life filled with unconditional love, encouragement, security, and endless opportunities to grow into the person they are meant to be. We promise to celebrate every milestone, comfort them through difficult moments, cheer them on in their interests, and remind them every day how deeply they are loved.

If you choose us, your child will grow up in a home where family comes first. They will be surrounded by warmth, laughter, traditions, and people who will cherish them completely. We believe in creating lasting memories through everyday moments as much as special occasions, and we look forward to sharing adventures and traditions, reading bedtime stories, celebrating birthdays, exploring new places, and simply enjoying life together.

We also want you to know how much we respect the incredible decision you are making. We believe your child's adoption story is one of love, courage, and hope. We will always speak about you with honesty, gratitude, and respect, ensuring your child understands how deeply they were loved from the very beginning. Maintaining a connection is important to us as well. We are committed to sending letters and pictures so you can watch your child grow and celebrate important milestones. We are also open to communicating through email and text messages, depending on what feels comfortable for everyone involved. If time allows, we would love to get to know you more before the birth of the baby. We understand that every adoption relationship is unique, and we are committed to building one based on trust, openness, and mutual respect.

Choosing an adoptive family is an incredibly personal decision, and we know there are many wonderful families to consider. While we cannot promise a perfect life, we can promise a home filled with unconditional love, stability, encouragement, and acceptance. We promise to love your child with all our hearts, to support their dreams, to help them navigate life's challenges, and to always honor the incredible gift you have entrusted to us.

Thank you for considering us and for taking the time to read our story. We admire your strength, courage, and selfless love more than words can express. Whatever path you choose, we wish you peace and comfort in the days ahead. If you decide we are the right family for your child, we would be forever grateful for the privilege of loving and raising them while honoring the special place you will always hold in their story.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Nick & Jennifer