There are a lot of things we admire about one another. We are both rooted in social justice and public service. We both approach life with humor and honesty.

One of the things that drew Cathleen to Fraser and helped her to fall in love with him is his outgoing nature and ability to make friends with anyone and everyone. He is truly the kindest, most open-minded and open-hearted people. He is the rock of the family, always calm in the chaos and able to ground Cathleen in the most stressful times.

Fraser loves that Cathleen is passionate about a variety of subjects; she is always curious and wants to learn more. She’s level-headed and kind even when it’s hard.

Adoption is always something we thought about, both individually before we met and then when we decided we wanted to get married and start a family. We have both always felt that adoption was the right way for us to grow our family.

We have so much love to share and feel that doing so with a child would be a great experience for all. Fraser has had personal exposure to adoption, having several family members who were adopted and close childhood friends who have adopted.

In so many ways, we feel that the right child will find us. We hope that we can provide them with as much love and happiness as they will surely provide us.

We both have more hobbies than any two people should, and we’re always looking for more!

Our curiosity and love of learning is constantly driving us to explore. We love hiking, running, mountain biking, and camping together. We also love spending time in the kitchen cooking together. One of our favorite things to do is put on some music on Saturday morning and cook a big breakfast together. Fraser loves tinkering with bikes and working in the garden. He can’t wait to build a bike for a kiddo. He also dabbles in woodworking and loves spending time on the couch reading and watching a good movie. Cathleen loves baking, especially bread and desserts. She spends a good amount of time knitting and especially loves knitting sweaters for others. We love playing cards and board games, especially when we get together with friends and family.

We are very much looking forward to spending time in the woods with a child, helping them to explore the world around them. We also can’t wait to bake and have some kitchen adventures with them!

We feel so lucky to have a warm and loving community surrounding us. Cathleen spent the majority of her formative years in the Seattle area and still has family here. Her parents live just a few miles away. We love having dinners with them regularly. Cathleen's brother and his family live just north of Seattle. They have a young daughter who we adore with another babe on the way. Though Cathleen's sister lives in Phoenix with her husband and two kids (Annie "Pants" and Izzy), we get to see them frequently and talk to them often. We love taking trips with them. Fraser is especially fond of bonding with their kids over their mutual love of books. When Cathleen's family is together it is wonderful, joyful chaos. We love playing board games together and having loud family meals. Our nieces lovingly call us Tia and Pickle.

Fraser's family is more physically spread out, but still emotionally close. His brother currently lives in Nepal. He spends several weeks with us every year when he comes back to the states. Fraser's mom lives in Pennsylvania and is working on moving out to Washington to be near us. His dad still lives in Tennessee where Fraser grew up. When we are able to visit with them, we love taking them for hikes in Washington and exploring the great outdoors as well as cooking family meals to be shared by all.

We are fortunate to have a house in the quiet Seattle suburb of Maple Valley. We live on a couple open acres sandwiched between forested land on the west and east and wonderful neighbors on the north and south. Our land has given us the opportunity to grow our own fruits and veggies while also being able to enjoy the trees and flowers that make Washington so amazing. We frequently have elk and deer come through the yard. Our dog loves watching the neighborhood goats and running free in the field. We are nearby several parks and forest land, allowing for plenty of outdoor adventures and exploring. We frequently go to trail for walks, runs, and bike rides. Maple Valley is very family friendly with lots of playgrounds and parks nearby as well as a great school system. Just north of us is a wonderful zoo and salmon hatchery.There are free concerts in the summer and events held year-round. We have family friends with several kids that live nearby who we see often.

We like to think of our house as a Swiss Chalet--cozy and warm, allowing for a great basecamp for adventure. We have three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a large loft upstairs that we plan to use for a playroom. The living room is where we can be cozy by the fire while reading or listening to music.

We are writing this letter to you from our favorite spot: our beautiful log home nestled in the foothills of the mountains in Washington State. When we look out our window, we see the life we've built, and the one we are so deeply excited to share with a child. We go to bed in the evening listening to the elk bugle and wake up in the morning to the sounds of birds in the trees. We find our home to be peaceful and cozy, with easy access to the activities and community we love.

Every morning, our white, goofy, high-energy dog, Finn?"who is truly 90% ears and 100% devotion?"trots out to greet our neighbors' goats and chickens with a playful bark and a wagging tail. Finn is just waiting for a child to be his running buddy and the official ball-thrower! Finn is loving and gentle with every child he meets. He was initially raised in a household with kids and seeks them out every time we hear giggles at the park.

We, Cathleen and Fraser, have been blissfully married since 2019, and building this life has been our greatest joy. We love the outdoors, and we are happiest when we're working on projects around the house and spending time in nature. We can already picture the excitement of having a little helper to hand over a hex wrench when we're tinkering in the shop and a tiny explorer to help find salamanders in the yard.

Not only will our home be a caring environment, but it is also an emotionally and financially stable home. Serving our community is a value highly regarded in our household. Fraser has had the opportunity to be a public servant for over 20 years spending the last 8 years training folks in non-profit health care. Cathleen has been a nurse practitioner for the past 4 years, and as a Registered Nurse for 12 years prior. Cathleen has been lucky to work at the same hospital system throughout that time.

We can’t wait to share our traditions, like camping in our handmade teardrop trailer, eating homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, knitting a matching cozy sweater for our baby, and taking them to the stadium so they can join us in cheering on our family's favorite soccer team, the Seattle Sounders.

This child will be welcomed into a home overflowing with unconditional love, and they will be instantly embraced by a wonderfully large and active family. They will have cousins of all ages ready to play epic games of hide and seek in the woods, join wiffle ball tournaments at family gatherings, and offer endless snuggles, playtime, and homemade cookies at the Grandparents’ house only 10 minutes down the road.

For both of us, adopting a child has been a lifelong dream - a heartfelt wish to watch our family grow and to share the warmth and security of our lives with a little one. Our hearts are prepared, our home is ready, and we promise your child will be loved, cared for, and cheered on every single day of their life. We would love to stay in touch in a way that feels right to you. We can share photos, stories, or even meet in person. You are a large part of this child's story and we want to foster that relationship.

We hope you consider us to care for your child.

Fraser & Cathleen