The arts have always been an important part of our lives and we feel fortunate to have found work that is meaningful and uses our creative skills.

Eddie works remotely for a toy company, as a sculptor and modeler. Growing up, he was taught by his dad traditional methods of sculpture with wire armatures and clay. These days, Eddie's work is done with computer programs. It's a lot less messy but still a lot of fun. He works on toy projects from companies like Marvel, DC Comics, and other entertainment studios. If you catch a glimpse of his computer screen, you might see characters such as Batman, Superman, or other comic book heroes.

Heather also enjoys her daily work. She assists in the construction of bags and clutches for her mom's online business, as well as designing, cutting, and sewing for her own online shop. After working in the childhood education field for 11 years, she yearned to be able to have a more flexible, artistic career. Heather's current job gives her the contentment of being creative and working from home.

For both of us, what we do for a living is part of a legacy from our families. We are grateful that we like what we do, have no commute, and can be together throughout the work day.

During the week, we tend to stay close to home. We cook all of our meals and like the challenge and gratification of making dishes that are tasty and healthy. It can be fun to experiment a little with old familiar recipes, but we also try to introduce new things into rotation. Most weeknights, we dine while watching a movie or TV show, before taking a little walk around the neighborhood. We are always listening to music around the house and enjoy making our own art. Eddie is a musician and plays the guitar and drums. Heather loves to sew and craft.

On the weekends, we're likely to venture out and explore different parts of the greater LA area. Living in Southern California, we value that we can enjoy the outdoors year round. Frequently, we'll pack a picnic and hang out at a local park. We also have a few favorite hiking spots. We love the beach and try to have a beach day once a month. Weekends are also for treating ourselves to a special meal at a restaurant. It's nice to try new places, but a lot of the time we end up back at one of our favorite spots for tacos and burritos. Visiting museums and galleries have been another staple in our weekend outings. Before the pandemic, we would also go to concerts when our favorite bands were in town.

Whether we are going out or staying in, we like to spend quality time with each other.

A few months before graduating from college, Heather's brother Scott invited her to a birthday party for one of his friends. Eddie was there, and in those days, he was bringing around a sketch book wherever he went so he could practice drawing people. At one point that evening he and Heather were sitting at the same table, and as they started talking, Eddie started drawing a sketch of Heather. Even though he tried to be discreet about it, Heather knew what was happening right away but pretended to not notice. We laughed about it and soon hit it off, discovering a mutual love for art, music, and the outdoors. In the following months we hung out more and more frequently, realizing we had many similar traits and outlooks on life. It wasn't long before our friendship became romantic. We got engaged after a year of dating and were married six months later.

We live in an apartment in a suburb of Los Angeles. Even though we live in a sprawling urban area, our city has a small town feel. It has a population of about 25,000 people and is home to some historical landmarks that are over 100 years old. There is an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants, and parks all easily accessible on foot. We enjoy long walks along the tree-lined streets most every weekend and admire the beautiful old homes. There is a farmers market every week and other community events like a downtown art crawl, Fourth of July parade, and concerts in the park. Our town also has an excellent school district.

We are a short drive away from many different cities and communities that offer more cultural and diverse activities. We can visit a museum, go for a hike, listen to live music, or go to the beach!

Much of Heather's family live close by. Her parents reside about 20 minutes away, in the house she grew up in. Heather's dad was a general contractor for most of his career and is now focusing on creating custom projects in his woodworking shop, while her mom is an artist who designs personalized clutches for her online gift shop. Since Heather works with her, they talk almost every day. Heather has one younger brother, who is married with two children. We all enjoy cheering on our nephew at his baseball games and watching our niece perform at her dance recitals. Other family time includes celebrating birthdays, Heather's dad cooking barbecue, and fun Christmas traditions.

Most of Eddie's family also lives in the greater Los Angeles area. Eddie's parents are divorced and remarried. His father is a sculptor and loves to play drums, and his mom is a retired Cosmetology teacher who enjoys quilting, traveling, going to church, and spending time with her grandchildren. Eddie has two older sisters, who are married with older children. His nieces and nephew are high school and college age.

We have friends nearby that we like to see on a regular basis. Eddie meets with a group of good friends every other weekend and Heather has a close childhood friend whom she meets with regularly.

All of our family and friends are supportive of our decision to adopt and have been encouraging throughout the process.

We met at the end of our college years, and were married in 2005. For many years we have wanted to be parents but we were unable to have biological children. Grieving our infertility has been very difficult but we have grown both as individuals and as a couple throughout the healing process. We are now in a place where we are ready to welcome a baby into our life through adoption, and to love and care for them as if they were are own. We appreciate your time in reading this letter.

As you contemplate whether or not to move forward with adoption, we are here to listen and answer any questions you may have for us. While we don't know what your situation might be, we have the utmost respect for you as you navigate this hard and brave decision. We believe adoption is a profound gift, and your consideration of us as adoptive parents is something we don't take for granted. It's very likely you have apprehensions and reservations, and so we want to do what we can to provide you with some reassurance about choosing us to become parents through adoption.

First and foremost, we desire for this child to have a safe and loving home. Maintaining a peaceful, stable environment is essential to us. Heather would most likely stay home to care for the baby full time in the first few years, picking up work here and there. And if all goes as planned, Eddie will still be working full-time from home, so he'll be easily accessible to jump in and parent when needed. In addition, we surround ourselves with good reliable family and friends, who've expressed their willingness to lend helping hands.

We are looking forward to watching this child grow, and ultimately, have a life of fulfillment and joy. There are so many experiences we want to share with them. It is important to us to create a home environment that allows childhood magic to thrive. We want to encourage creativity, curiosity, and a sense of wonder to the world around them. It is our belief that a good education is crucial and we want to be involved in their school community. When the regular school day is over, we would love to have interactive activities at home that allow them to continue to learn with us. Making art, cooking with us, going for nature walks, and imaginative play are all activities that we look forward to sharing with this child. Diversity also matters to us and we will be intentional about teaching and experiencing different cultures and traditions with them. We hope to pass down our values, including kindness and compassion for others and our love for the arts. We also want to encourage the development of their own interests and to have opportunities to express themselves in whatever ways that might be.

We would like to approach adoption in an open and honest way. Throughout their life, we want to celebrate the child's adoption and share with them that the choice you made was with the deepest love and care. We will always work hard to make sure they feel that they can share their thoughts with us, express themselves, and ask questions. We would also like to have an open relationship and communication with you going forward. We hope to send pictures, write letters, and possibly set up a private, shared social media account where we can regularly share updates. We can also talk about an in-person visit. It is understandable that contact between us might look different from time to time, and so we want to be flexible and adjust to each other's preferences as needed.

Thank you for your time in reading this. We wish you peace in whichever path you take.

Eddie & Heather