We just got back from a 5-night trip to Seattle, WA. We really enjoy being tourists and took full advantage ofall the fun things to do, including rising the big ferris wheel, going up the space needle, and taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island. We also drove a couple hours out of the city to go up a Godula on Mount Crystal to see a spectacular view of Mount Raineir - a 14,000+ foot mountain that you can see from the city! While we were there we saw some of our close friends who are expecting their first baby in the fall.

Despite all the things we did, one of our favorite things about the trip was the mid-70's degree/ not humid weather, and long sunny days. 

Exploring downtown Seattle

Blueberry picking (they were delicious!) and a lovely waterfall we saw!

Journey up Mount Crystal 

Hi, Chris here. I recognize that I’ve taken my time chiming in (Brittany is definitely the more outspoken one), but rest assured, I eagerly await to expand our family. This has been a long journey for us. We started talking about adoption in 2020 soon after we bought our home and it's hard to believe that was 5 years ago. On that, I realized it may be helpful for you to know a little bit more about who I am. 

First off - I can't wait to be a dad! 

I think it's important for children to know they are their parent’s priority. I am a person who works to live, not lives to work and I have structured my life so I can be a present parent. I want to be there everyday - not just when it fits into my schedule. I recognize that kids can be stressful, but to me that's what life is all about - the chaos between the mundane tasks at work and day to day chores, the seeing life through a young person's eyes who is experiencing everything for the very first time. 

When we chose our home and neighborhood we did so looking forward to our life as a family and that hasn't changed. I thoroughly enjoy it when my nephew visits because I can take him to play with his dinosaur stomp rockets at the school field around the corner and to the National Zoo - next time we’ll be able to see the new pandas. Just this week we were watching our honorary niece who is almost two. We brought her to two of our neighborhood parks and I couldn't help but think about how much fun it will be to do these things more often with my own future daughter or son.

Next - some more about me and my hobbies 

I’m a car guy. I enjoy the freedom they represent. I enjoy the thrill of a tight-handling ride. I enjoy learning about the heritage of the car industry. Basically all cars, from classic cars, to quirky cars, muscle cars, sports cars, electric cars, and ordinary family cars. You may be able to find me attending a local Cars and Coffee meetup from time to time. Right now I actually have a Mazda Miata - a small two seater convertible. Brittany and I enjoy long rides with the top down on the weekends but I have already looked into bigger convertible options that can accomodate a carseat. Our weekend outings will look different when we’re parents but I look forward to exploring more zoos, parks, and playgrounds. 

I value my friendships. I am fortunate to have a close knit friend group in our area. We make sure catch up a few times a month and have spent holidays and vacations together. I know having a community I can rely on will be really important as I navigate fatherhood, 

As you may have seen in our video, I also play Chess. It may be nerdy, but hey. I enjoy the strategy, the misdirection, and the pressure to race against the clock. It's a good way to relax and to interact with others. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get Brittany to learn how to play (we tried during COVID lock-down) so I play on my phone and sometimes I go to area chess meet-ups. 

I love investing and following the stock market. For me, it's not just about financial gain but understanding larger trends in our country and globally. I find it to be a concise expression of multiple interesting topics, including technology trends, current events, domestic and international politics, public sentiment, tax policy, and others.

Lastly - some thoughts on our wait 

Life stories typically hinge around transformational events, like the beginning of a new relationship, weddings, jobs changes, and moving. These moments don’t often capture the regular day-to-day routine.  But that is the bulk of our lives and really the most important parts that keep us going. Dinners when Brittany and I catch up about our days, watching an episode of a new TV series, FaceTiming with our families, and planning our next trip.  As we await parenthood, we are continuing to live each of our days to the fullest with the greatest of expectations. This journey may be longer than we expected, but it is part of our story and if you want to know more about who we are please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. 

Wishing you all the best on your own journey. I hope you have the support and information you need to make a decision that is best for you and your baby. 

With care,
Chris 

You have learned a lot about us from our perspective. We thought it may be helpful for you to hear a bit more about us from the people who know us best. We hope this is helpful! 

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From our close friends, Chris and Karishma. Brittany met Karishma soon after she moved to DC in 2017. Since then, the four of us have celebrated each other’s weddings, bought our homes at the same time, and welcomed Chris and Karishma’s first child, our honorary niece Eliza, into this world. 

“Chris and Brittany’s relationship with our daughter, Eliza, is a beautiful example of their loving and attentive nature. They are always our first choice to watch her because we know she’ll be in safe, caring hands, and that peace of mind is invaluable to us. Eliza lights up whenever she sees them, and the feeling is mutual—she runs to them with open arms, and they greet her with the same enthusiasm. They treat her as if she were their own, playing with her, making sure she’s well-fed, safe, and happy. Over the years we’ve witnessed their unwavering love and commitment, and it’s clear to us that they would be incredible parents. We wholeheartedly believe that Chris and Brittany have the love, patience, and nurturing qualities that will make them fantastic parents, and we feel so fortunate to have them in Eliza’s life.”

—

From Chris’s sister Marielle and brother-in-law Devin. We have spent a lot of time with our nephew Aster and are so excited he is turning 5 this month! 

“I can’t wait to see Chris and Brittany as parents. They are beloved aunt and uncle to our child Aster, who loves spending time with them. Squeals of laughter sound down the hall when Aster is with them and we always look forward to our next visit with Uncle Chris and Aunt B.”

—

From one of Brittany’s best friends (more like sisters), Sarah. We are very close to Sarah and her husband Nick and count them as family, including celebrating some holidays and traveling together.

“Brittany has been one of my best friends since childhood, regardless of distance and different seasons of life. She is loyal, thoughtful, and has a huge heart. She and Chris as a parenting team would be collaborative, calm, and caring. They have been hoping and praying to be parents for years, and they are beyond prepared and eager for the challenge. There is no doubt in my mind that their future child will be loved beyond measure and have exceptional opportunities in life. Brittany and Chris’s love for one another and their shared dreams of making their house a home for a child, as well as a network of supportive friends and family, is the perfect scenario to start the next chapter of life as parents. I could list numerous qualifications such as both of them being hardworking, successful, and educated, but I think most importantly, they have been patient and steadfast through this adoption process. They have not wavered from believing their time will come when it is right. Brittany and Chris will be fantastic parents to a very lucky child, and they are ready to start that journey as a family, and I can’t wait to see them become “mom” and “dad”.”

—

From one of Chris’s best friends, Erik. Erik lives with his family a short 10 minute drive from us. We love being part of Erik and his entire family’s life!

“Chris and Brittany are the best friends you could ever hope for. Chris took an entire day off work to take me to and pick me up from surgery. I have four kids and Chris and Brittany have been there for all or it: graduation, a family trip the Outer Banks and showing Ky (our 3rd) that piano is cool. Chris helped Ky prep to play piano at my wedding. We got married at our home and only invited 25 people, and Chris and Brittany were invited.

Chris and Brittany are kind, responsible, and two of my tight circle or friends. I trust them with everything in my life. And they’re also fun. They will be the best parents ever.”

_

From Brittany's other "like" sister, Danielle. We spend a lot of time with Danielle and her husband Brandon who we both in our wedding. 

"I can say without a doubt that Brittany and Chris have so much love to provide and any child that has them as their parents will be the luckiest child in the world. Not only will they get love, attention, support, and stability from Chris and Brittany, they will also get the bonus of large network of close family and friends to love and support them as they grow up as well. I am very much looking forward to Brittany and Chris growing their family and I can't wait to have a niece or nephew to love and spoil!" 

From left to right- Brandon, Danielle, Chris & Brittany, Sarah, and Jeff (Chris's childhood friend)

I know you’ve already read a lot about me but I thought it may be helpful to get to know me a bit more- like how I spend my days and what brings me joy. 

My Favorite People:

• I believe love is to be multiplied and not divided. My family and friends are everything and I will never be inconvenienced to take the extra mile in order to help them or just spend time with them. Near and far, good relationships are what make life worth it most days ❤️. 
• Chris and my wedding was in a field at the home my grandmother grew up. We had 200 friends and family who lived nearby and traveled. Starting our marriages surrounded by that much love and care strengthened our partnership. We know we are stronger together than we are apart and I am so grateful that we found each other. 
• Our friends are growing their families too! We have a network of people with young children and more to come. Our friends have given us so much joy over the years and we look forward to the next stage of raising our children together. 

My Favorite Things: 

• Traveling is important to me - I love seeing new places, meeting people from different places and background, and trying new things. My life is fuller when I’m branching outside of my comfort zone and traveling is a great way to do that. Chris and my favorite trip together was for our honeymoon to Thailand. We dream of trips with our future child and know those experiences will be further enriched through a child’s eyes. When we are not traveling we try to find new cultures near home like the annual Embassy open houses (a DC perk for sure!). 
• I am more of the cook in the family - Chris and I like to eat almost everything so it’s fun to find new recipes to try. Some of my best are baked macaroni and cheese, shrimp scampi, and enchiladas. We also like trying new things out - the DC-area has so many food options and we take advantage of everything from the Thai food market to the seafood on the Wharf. 
• I love to read. I read 100 books last year which is crazy….. my favorite genres are romance and historical fiction but I’ve recently been reading more romantasy - dragons, fairies, vampires (sometimes it’s a fun escape :)) 
• I grew up listening to country music and still love it! Chris and I love going to concerts and I’m so happy he’s learned to enjoy country music too! 
• We have a workout space in the basement where I spin, do yoga, and other workouts - I use the BODI program and apple fitness. I’ve been really into it since COVID but honestly it’s more about my head space and staying heart healthy than any high stakes fitness goals. 

My Job: 

• I work on policy and advocacy at a large college and my schedule is pretty flexible and not super stressful. The schedule is one reason I applied for the job nearly 3 years ago because I knew it would allow me to stay connected to work I care about but give me the time and space I needed to become a parent when the time came. 
• Every March, I help host a group of students visiting Washington, DC to learn about advocacy and go to Capitol Hill to talk to Congress about their experiences. I had such a great time getting to know the students this year - they navigated a lot of barriers before enrolling in college, including parenting, struggling to pay, and trying to be in school while working. A large part of my job is working to reduce these kinds of barriers and spending time with students is one of the highest points of my job each year because it reminds me why I work in higher education to begin with. 

My Dreams as a Future Mom 

When I picture my life as a mom i know that my world will be bigger and brighter because I am experiencing and driven by the life and dreams of my child. As an adoptive mom, i picture a world enriched by my child’s biological family and roots. If my life was a garden, i know these pieces will be the brightest flowers. 

On the day to day, I look forward to the little joys. I love to read so I look forward to collecting children’s books and reading them together each night. It’s one of my favorite things to do with our nephew Aster and our honorary niece Eliza. Eventually, I want to get one of the kitchen helper towers so our little one can help me cook. When Chris and I walk around the neighborhood, I can’t wait to have more company - from stroller to the eventual scooter… We walk past a playground on our regular loop and now we’ll need to stop 😀. 

As for the bigger stand-out things, we love traveling and can’t wait to bring a third along for the ride. We have done a lot of traveling with just the two of us and we’re ready to add a third. We know our trips will look different and will require earlier nights and midday naps but it’s also seeing the world through a child’s perspective - reminding us that even when you are far from home some of the simplest things are the most exciting. 

I hope these things about me are helpful as you navigate an impossible process. I am truly an open book - if you have questions about me, us, our home please don’t hesitate to ask! 

We just got back from spending a week in Playa del Carmen, Mexcio. Nine years ago we visited Mexico for the first time - it was our first international vacation together. The great thing about Mexco is that there is amazing food, unique cultural experiences, and wonderful natural and historical landmarks to explore. Its also a short nonstop flight from DC! We will for sure be back! 

We went to Xcaret which people call Mexico's Disney World. Its a natural waterpark with an underground river we swam down, snorkeling, dolphins, and a beach. We also saw a bunch of birds and butterflies! There were so many families there enjoying themselves and we couldnt help but think about bringing our own family back one day. 

We also visted Tulum national park where there are Mayan ruins right on the ocean. Our guide Gabriel also brought us to the beach there. Later that day, we went to a cenote park and swam in an underground cenote. Cenotes are natural underground fresh water ponds connected by rivers. 

On our last day we took a ferry to Cozumel and drove around the island.

We were invited to Chris' uncle's wedding the day after Thanksgiving in Savannah, Georgia this year. We ended up flying down on Thanksgiving Day and spending 5 nights. We had a lovely few days with Chris' parents and more extended family and welcoming a new aunt through marriage. 

While in Savannah we did the trolley tour around the city to see the different parks, checked out a few art museums, and spent quality time with family. Brittany had never been to Savannah so we enjoyed exploring. 

We did an escape room - what we call force family fun :). 

Here is a sneak peak to our 2024 Christmas card - featuring pictures from our trip.  

We have been having a wonderful family-filled summer this year. We started off in Vermont with Chris’s family. We were able to spend time with our nephew who is now 4! He loves dinosaurs right now and everything Land Before Time. Later in June, Brittany’s mom, brother, uncle, and cousin came to visit us. Brittany’s brother ended up staying with us for 3 more weeks. He is 15 and a half now so it was really fun to get to know him more as becomes more and more of a young man. It was also good practice in parenting a teenager - we’re saving our notes! 

We spent the 4th of July in Pennsylvania with some of our best friends. They hosted a pool party and we were able to catch up with a bunch of people we hadn’t seen in awhile. Next week we head out for our annual beach vacation with friends. This year we’re off to the Outer Banks for a laid back, fun week! 

All of this quality time with the people we care about make us so excited for whats to come s we grow our family. 

One of the best times of year in DC is when the cherry blossoms bloom! This year we made it to the tidal basin on the first day of peak bloom. Brittany was leaving for NH to help out her mom after a knee replacerment the next day so we were happy we made it to see them together this year. There were a lot of families at the basin when we were there and it made us both look forward to when we'll do this as a family of three! Here are some pictures from our day! Happy Spring! 

We just got back from a long weekend away with friends in the Finger Lakes in New York. While we were there we celebrated Brittany's birthday and our friend Sarah made a delicious chocolate cake. We stayed at an airbnb with a great view of the sunset and visited Lake Seneca. On our way back to Virginia we stopped at the Corning glass museum.

Being away from home always gives us some time to pause and think about the wait to grow our family. While we wait, we're trying to enjoy each day together and hope and plan with our future family in mind.  We know things will be different with a little onw but we are llooking forward to all of the little and big moments ahead.

Here are some pictures from our trip. 

This summer, we were so excited to have Chris’s sister and our three-and-a-half-year-old nephew visit. It was our nephew’s first flight, so in preparation we send him a book about being on an airplane for the first time and some new toys for him to have on the plane.

The trip was filled with a set of new construction toys, scooting around our neighborhood (with a helmet of course!) and going to the natural history museum in DC. Some of the most fun was on the bus and metro – he really liked the escalator!

We also made waffles and cookies!

When we moved into our home, we could picture our life here with a child. Having our nephew here running through a sprinkler in the backyard and going to the nearby playground made us even more excited about having experiences like that with our own child.

The most special times with kids are often the simplest – a bus ride to a new park and reading together before bed. Those little moments brought us so much joy during our nephew’s visit and we look forward to so many more moments like that in our future.

Each summer we go to the beach to make new memories together. 

Brittany grew up 20 minutes from the coast. As a kid, Brittany loved beach days with her family and friends. Her mom would pack the car with beach towels, boogie boards, and sandwiches – ready for a day in the waves and building sandcastles. In high school and college, Brittany worked at the beach, waitressing at an oceanfront restaurant. The beach was always a place for guaranteed fun. Living outside of DC now, the coast is too far for quick day trips, making our beach vacation a highlight of the summer.

This summer we went to Myrtle Beach, a place Chris visited with his family growing up. We stayed at a beach-side condo with a group of our friends. Myrtle Beach has a lot going on which we took advantage of. To break up our time on the sand, we went mini golfing, did an escape room, rode the Ferris wheel, went to the aquarium, and toured a sculpture garden nearby. We know our vacations will look very different with a little one, but some things, like mini golf and the Ferris Wheel will be the same and we look forward to thiose trips. 

While we didn’t spend that much time at the family pool at our resort, we talked about how convenient it would be for a future family trip. There was a lazy river and shallow kids pool buzzing with activity. On the beach families ran in the waves with boogie boards and playing in the sand with small shovels and turned over buckets. We walked together along the beach and talked about what our own family beach days would be like and how much we are looking forward to those moments together as a family.

We both have memories from our childhoods at the beach with our families and we can’t wait to give our future child those kinds of moments and make new memories of our own.   

Each summer we try to visit Chris's sister in Burlington, Vermont. This year Chris's parents were staying in Burlington for the month of June, so we spent quality time with the whole family. 

 

 

 

Burlington is a great small city to explore. When we were there, we took a lot of walks on the lake and downtown. We also visited a local museum and cooked a lot for family meals together. There are some great local food choices, so we went out for Italian one night and had a great brunch downtown. One of our most favorite things to eat when we visit Burlington is the Jalapeno Cheddar bread from August First, one of the many delicious bakeries downtown. 

 

On the last day of our trip, we took a sailboat ride on Lake Champlain. We were able to bring our own snacks and we brought desserts from another bakery that were delicious. Even though there wasn't a lot of wind that day, we learned a little bit about sailing. After a lot of rain that week, it was great to get out on the water in the sun together. We had a wonderful time!

 

Another cool thing about Burlington is that it is the home of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We didn't visit this trip ut we can't wait to bring our future child (when they're old enough) to the Ben & Jerry's factory to learn all about ice cream. Another fun fact as you get to know us is our favorite Ben & Jerry's flavors - Brittany's is Chunky Monkey and Chris's is Americone Dream. 

 

Here is a picture of Chris with his dad and sister at Burlington's annual Jazz Fest!

 

This year's trip to the Outer Banks was our third time visiting the area together. The first time we visited, it rained all week and we watched a lot of Netflix and made hommade nachos. Our second visit was in June 2021, when we were starting to travel again after a year of uncertainly because of COVID-19. That trip was an absolute joy to have some time at the beach with good friends. This year, we were so excited to be able to visit with some of our closest friends in a big group house right on the ocean in Nags Head, North Carolina. This was the first time we stayed somewhere that we could walk right from the house on to the sand which made beach days more convenient and stress-free. 

The best part about beach vacations is that you don't have to make a lot of plans to have a fun vacation. We spent our days at the beach and by the pool. Brittany read a couple books and did yoga in the mornings in the sand - one morning watching the sunrise. We also ate a lot of seafood - including 20 cent shrimp at a local resturaunt on the peir. At night, everyone staying at the house gathered for dinner and card games, and one night we had a fire on the beach, complete with a sing along to the music. Living near Washington, DC, we miss seeing the stars so clearly - so we spent time looking up and admiring the sky too.

When we walked on the beach together, we saw so many families gathered with kids running through the surf and buidling sand castles. Seeing the joy of these families made us look forward to the future moments that our own family will have together. 

It was so nice to spend a week surrounded by some of our closest firends. We know that this community will be there for us when we grow our family. We are fortunate to have friends who are family planning right now too and while these beach vacations will look different with our family additions, we know there will be more to come. We can't wait for our first beach vacation together as a family unit!