We hope this brief letter and our photos will provide you with a snapshot look into our lives. We hope to meet you in person soon.

We fell in love in early 2002 and we knew soon after that we would spend the rest of our lives together. We were married July 9, 2005 in the presence of 200 wonderful friends and family members who shared in our joy and celebration. That day lives on in our memories as a constant reminder of how blessed we are to share such supportive and loving families.

Our home is simple, cozy and warm. We live in Seattle, Washington in a friendly neighborhood with lots of young families, a nearby park, play ground, swimming pool, community center, schools, and a public library. We look forward to participating in many local activities and adventures with our child. We have a beautiful nursery ready for the baby—including some special treasures like Jon’s own baby blanket and books and toys from Amy’s childhood.

Jon is 33 years old and works as an architect. He received a degree in architecture from the University of Washington in 1996. He specializes in designing environmentally sound buildings and apartment housing for lower-income families and individuals. He is a big sports fan and he enjoys reading, gardening, building anything and everything, and playing with our 8-year old niece, Tess. Oh, and in his spare time, he’s been known to run a few marathons too! Jon was raised in Yakima, Washington, where his parents still live. He has strong family values and wants nothing more than to be a father. Fortunately, Jon’s employer is very flexible with his schedule and Jon will be able to stay home 2-3 weekdays to care for our child.

Amy is 34 years old and works as a director and coach in a local high school. She has a degree in environmental science and a master’s in library science from the University of Washington. She loves to cook, sew, watch baseball, volunteer, and take care of our niece and the children of our friends. Her parents still live in the house she and her sister, Chris, grew up in—ironically less than a mile from our home today.

We delight in our time together outside of work. We frequently take day trips on the weekends—sometimes a simple picnic at the park, other times a snowshoe adventure in the mountains. We attend summer baseball games, enjoy the symphony, regularly attend plays, and we recently joined a bowling league with some friends. Amy’s bowling skills leave something to be desired (!) but we sure have fun trying! Whatever we are doing, we relish each other’s company and fall deeper in love every day. We dream about sharing our memories and activities with our child and creating new ones as a family.

We know you would enjoy getting to know our extended families too. Amy’s parents, Morrie & Diane, have been married over 40 years and are very active, loving grandparents. Diane will help us with childcare 2-3 days a week while we work outside the home. Although Jon’s parents, Lisa & Earl, live over 2 hours away, we see them often and they are overjoyed with the idea of becoming grandparents for the first time. We each have one married sibling, so we also have four anxious aunties and uncles who look forward to frequent visits with the little one!

Holidays are a particularly special time for us. We have family gatherings and traditions at birthdays and special occasions. The opportunity to share these with a little one is truly magical.

We recognize that you have a very difficult decision ahead and we respect that time that you are taking to make it. We too made a very challenging decision not to have biological children to avoid medical risk. We are sure the emotional pressure you face is great. We will keep you in our thoughts. You will hold a special place in our heart and home forever. Please know that your child will always know and understand the love and care you put into his or her adoption plan.

Our home is filled with love, joy and support and we cannot wait to fill it with the magic of a new beautiful life. Thank you for considering us to be the parents of your baby. We look forward to meeting you soon.

If you would like more information about our family or would like to visit further, please use this link to send us email.

Love & blessings,

Jon and Amy