Hello, we are Jen and Ian – it’s nice to meet you! Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We really respect and admire that you are making such challenging decisions, and we appreciate your strength and courage in exploring adoption. We hope that our letter gives you an idea of the happy, loving, and secure family that we would provide for your child.

​

Our adventures together started in Santa Barbara 15 years ago, and we have been married for 11 years. We instantly connected over our shared roots in Pennsylvania, as well as our love for food. We can’t wait to be parents and have wanted to grow our family for some time, but were unable to become pregnant. Our current family includes our two cherished dogs, Winston and Millie. Winston is a goofy and gentle basset hound who loves to explore (especially at the beach) and is quick to find stray veggies in the kitchen. Millie is a very affectionate beagle who never passes up the chance to cuddle with you and always finds the softest spots to curl up in.

​

We share a love of the outdoors and traveling, whether that is going for a run around our neighborhood or trekking through the jungle in Vietnam. We often go camping and backpacking, almost always with our trusty canine sidekicks, and have recently added paddleboarding and kayaking to the activities we do with them. We want to share our passions with our child, letting them explore and experience nature’s beauty and all the wonderful cultures in our world.

Both of us work as scientists at the same biotechnology company. Jen volunteers her time sharing her love of science with young people and has mentored a high school student as she explored colleges to study robotics, tutored middle school girls in math, and guided kids through experiments at the Exploratorium. She spends her free time reading, knitting, crafting, and playing the ukulele. Jen can’t wait to be a mom and is excited to sing songs, play games, and go on family walks with our child.

​

Ian loves to cook and feed others, and you will usually find him in the kitchen trying out new recipes, roasting coffee, or tending to a loaf of homemade sourdough bread. Many of his favorite childhood memories revolve around cooking with his mom, and he can’t wait to share the kitchen with our child making holiday cookies and breakfast in bed for Jen.

We live in a historic Victorian condo that we enjoy fixing up in our spare time. Our walkable neighborhood has many parks and playgrounds, and we also have a backyard that we share with two families in our building that both have kids. We love living in San Francisco because of the museums, unique neighborhoods, and amazing bakeries. Ian’s mom lives close by and is eager to welcome her first grandchild into the family. Most of our family lives in Pennsylvania and every year we visit them or meet up on family trips. We have many friends with young children who are dedicated to building a supportive, diverse, and vibrant community for our child. Between the two of us, we will be able to stay home with our baby for their first year.

​

We are committed to an open adoption and promoting their connection to you. Thank you for taking the time to read our letter, and we wish you all the best in whatever decision you make. If you think we might be the right family for your baby, we would be honored to speak with you. Please call us anytime at 800-484-7957. If you prefer, you are welcome to speak with our adoption counselor Lisa Clark at 800-969-6665.

​