We met at a New Year’s Eve party Art was hosting. Colin was visiting town for the holidays and came to the party as a friend’s plus one. We struck up a conversation waiting in line for the only bathroom in the apartment and Colin didn’t even realize in the moment he was talking to the person whose house he was in! We only briefly chatted that evening, but a few days later we met up again with a big group of friends and this time we actually got to know each other.

We talked for hours and the spark between us was undeniable. The only problem was, Colin lived in Ohio at the time! He went back home, but about a month later, unable to stop thinking about each other, we became friends on Facebook and started writing letters back and forth. For months we wrote to each other – sharing silly random thoughts and deep, personal truths – sometimes several messages a day.

Finally it was clear that something special was happening and we agreed to meet up again in person and planned a trip to New York. It was the most magical weekend imaginable, and we’ve been together ever since. That was 15 years ago, and to this day we still throw a big New Year’s Eve party every year for friends and family as a celebration of the day we met.

During the pandemic, when we were both working from home full-time and doing our best to self-quarantine, we causally started looking at puppy profiles on local pet adoption websites. One night we came across a picture of the tiniest little 6-week old pup with the biggest, sweetest eyes and instantly we knew he was the one. Gus is now 4 and a half years old and he’s the softest, cuddliest, sweetest animal either of us has ever met and a huge part of our lives. Not only does he bring us so much joy, he’s also deeply knit into the fabric of our daily routines. We get up together in the morning and have breakfast to start our day and then we exercise together in the evening, going for long walks around the neighborhood. When we sit on the floor in the living room at night and play card games he curls up in our laps and looks at the cards like he’s playing too. He’s also a great travel buddy and road trip companion, happily jumping into the backseat for a weekend at our vacation home or camping at a national park or going up to San Francisco to visit friends. He’s a member of our family and has made our lives so full – and he’s great with kids, so he will LOVE having a new member of the family to play with.

We feel strongly that when we are blessed with a child, the story of how we became a family will be the most important and beautiful story ever told, and we plan to treat it as exactly that – as something to be celebrated! A story to joyously recount often, with respect and love. Which is to say, we’ll be very open and transparent from the beginning about how we all came together and became a family. We want this child to always know who they are, where they came from, and that they are loved. Loved by their birth parents, who wanted what was best for them. Loved by us, who were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to raise them.

We promise to guide them with clarity, stability and love. It’s also important to us that the child have the opportunity to get to know you as they grow up, and stay in communication with you as much as you're comfortable with. With us, your child will always know who you are and you’ll always be treated with respect. We know that choosing adoption is the ultimate act of love and we want to be additive to that. Through this process we strongly believe they’ll gain even more people who love and support them, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Art is from a large Cuban family originally from Florida, while Colin is from an Irish-Catholic family from the mid-west, but one thing both sides have in common is that they are very tight-knit. So even though our families live in different states from us we’re incredibly close and see them a ton.

Our parents are retired, which allows them the time to visit frequently – especially during the winter, when the Southern California sun is a welcome escape from the cold weather! But we also have siblings and nieces and nephews who are so important to us and we travel to see them a bunch throughout the year, whether it’s spending a week together in the Outer Banks of North Carolina or celebrating Christmas in South Florida with Art’s giant family, dancing to merengue music and chowing down on his grandmother’s incredible home cooking. His Abuela is 92 years old and the most loving human being alive – she can’t wait to shower a new great-grandchild with love and sing them Cuban lullabies.

We also do a big family trip every year to see a football game – college football is huge in Colin’s family – and it’s always a great weekend filled with grilling, tailgating, playing cornhole and spending quality time together. We’re so excited for our child to grow up with so many cousins to play with and so many family members to surround them with love.

We live in sunny Southern California in a vibrant, diverse and family-friendly community. What we love so much about our city is that it’s multi-cultural and bustling, with so many things to do and experience at all times – we’re close to Disneyland, the beach, skiing, hiking – but our area still has a very suburban, neighborhood-y feel to it, with block parties in the summer and a quaint little main street with shops and restaurants that we can walk to, and the sounds of the neighbor kids playing in the yard floating in through the open windows in the evenings.

Our home is a turn-of-the-century Craftsman built in 1907 -- almost 120 years ago! We knew as soon as we saw it it was the perfect house to raise a family in – like something out of a movie -- and bought it with that in mind. We’ve lovingly renovated and restored it and are proud of what an ideal home it will be for a child to grow up in.

There are a bunch of great parks near our house with huge jungle gyms and playgrounds and a great elementary school less than a 10-minute walk away. There’s also a great community pool we love to go to. Colin is an avid water polo player and swimmer and can’t wait to share his love of the water with a little one!

Hello! It should feel strange to write a letter to someone we’ve never met. This should be weird! But honestly, it doesn’t feel weird at all. Our hearts are so overflowing with gratitude toward you that it’s exciting to get the chance to say thank you for even considering us. And while we may not truly know you yet or fully understand everything you may be feeling, we want you to know that we see your love for this baby. We know it takes real courage to choose this path -- to have a vision for your baby’s future and the strength to make it happen -- and it speaks to what an incredible mother you already are.

And we are hopeful that we will get to know you one day. And that you’ll get to know us! We want to share our story with you, not just to describe who we are, but to show you the kind of life, love, and stability we hope to offer your baby. Facing the selfless decision you are considering, you deserve to feel peace and trust in the family you choose for your child.

We are a fun loving and deeply committed married couple who’ve been together for 15 years. We’ve always known that building a family through adoption was something that we wanted to do, and we’ve worked hard over these years to set ourselves up to provide a child with the best possible life that we could. We believe that a child’s life is shaped by the people who show up for them, lift them up, and surround them with encouragement and unconditional love. That is the home we promise to create for your baby. A home full of joy. A home full of laughter. A home full of possibilities.

As a couple we value kindness, respect and honesty. And as parents we promise to encourage curiosity, imagination and empathy. We can’t wait to help a child discover their passions and surround them with happiness. But we know the world can be a dark place sometimes too, and we’re ready to guide a child through growing pains and difficult times. To be the light -- support them through everything with open arms and listening hearts.

Family is the most important thing in the world to us. We both come from large, tight-knit families. On top of both sets of parents, between us we have 5 siblings and 11 nieces and nephews, all excited to shower this child with love and a sense of belonging. Your child will always know that they matter, that they were wanted beyond measure and that they are deeply loved, not only by us, but by you. We want your child to grow up knowing their story, knowing the strength and love it took for you to make this decision, and knowing how proud we are to be part of that story with you.

And it’s important to us that you have the relationship with us that you want. We believe that love doesn’t have to be separated -- it can grow, expand, and connect families in beautiful ways. While we will gladly send updates via letters and pictures, we are also open to exchanging emails, phone calls, video chats, and possibly even future in-person visits if that’s something you would be interested in. We want you to feel connected to your child’s life in the way that feels right for you. This is your story too, and your place in your child’s life will always be held with honor and respect.

We can only imagine how overwhelming and emotional the decision you are facing is. We don’t expect you to choose us because of any perfect words we might write here. But hopefully this gives you a sense of who we are. We would be humbled and grateful to walk this journey with you. But no matter what decision you make, please know that we wish you strength, comfort, and healing. You deserve to be surrounded by people who support you, and we hope you feel that here as you get to know us.

With love and gratitude,

Art & Colin