Hello! We are Damien & Dan from sunny California. Your courage and trust in choosing adoption inspires us. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for considering us. We are so excited to share our love and home as parents. We will always have you to thank for making our dream of becoming a family come true. We know this is a tough decision, but we are grateful and look forward to learning about you as well.
Dear Birth Mother...
Our Story
After meeting online, our first date was at a Cuban restaurant in Orange, California, and we hit it off right away! We got along so well that we talked for several hours after dinner—even sitting on a park bench because the restaurant had closed! Our second date was on Valentine’s Day 2011, and since then we have been each other’s Valentines each year. We were married in September 2019 and can’t wait to be parents.
Over the years, we’ve discovered that we both enjoy traveling to different countries, entertaining our friends and family, working towards our goal of creating a family. Our favorite trip so far was to Vietnam where we ate spicy foods in busy Saigon, toured palaces in Hue, and saw stunning mountains and natural beauty in Sappa. Each week we grab dinner with our family and chill with friends to stay connected to our community. We are excited for a child to join our lives.
About Us
We value our time together and with our families, so on Friday night date nights we create new adventures to keep us connected and having fun. Sometimes it’s a new restaurant, movies in the park, cooking classes, or a road trip. We make time for family and friends by hanging out with our nieces and nephews and going on double dates with our sisters and friends. Also, we’re passionate about community work, so we volunteer and join movements to advocate for social justice.
We also value the importance of education and living a healthy lifestyle to nurture and support a growing child. We will provide your baby with many opportunities for school and social supports to encourage their growth and spectacular talents. With the loving support of our friends and family, we commit to providing your baby a loving, safe, and happy home.
Things That Make Us Happy
Dan
- Reading
- Coffee (anytime, not just in the morning!)
- Running (at least five miles)
- Travel Abroad
- Training our Dogs
- Barbeque for Friends and Family!
Damien
- Spending time with family and friends
- Traveling and visiting new places
- Trying new restaurants and cuisines
- Getting involved in community work
- Learning new things
- Gardening
Fun and Interesting Facts
- Our favorite cuisines are Italian, Peruvian, and Vietnamese, but we’ll eat anything!
- Dan owns over 900 books and reads all the time
- Damien loves Adele and reading celebrity gossip!
- We like traveling and enjoy the cultures, people, and food wherever we go
- We love the arts and enjoy going to plays and shows
- We do community work for our jobs
- We hit the gym and go running each week
- We both speak a couple of languages! Damien speaks Spanish and Vietnamese; Dan speaks Italian, French and German
Things We’d Love to Do With Our Future Child
- Read to them in different languages
- Cooking, painting, and pottery classes
- Play games from different cultures
- BBQ cookouts with family and friends
- Road trip across the country
- Building sand castles at the beach
Meet Damien, by Damien
I was born in Vietnam and lived there until the age of seven. My family immigrated to the United States in 1993, and we have lived in California ever since. I have seven siblings, so family has always been important. I loved babysitting my younger sisters growing up and creating memories together.
Growing up in the welfare system inspired me to become a counselor to give back and serve communities in need. I’ve worked in the mental health and wellness field for the last fifteen years.
Being a father has always been my dream. I’m excited to start this next chapter with Dan. We feel ready and fortunate for the opportunity to become parents.
Why Damien Inspires Me, by Dan
- His smile and humor brighten everyone’s day
- Damien’s commitment to social justice and community work brings people joy
- He surprises me with cute gifts and makes me laugh after a tough day
- Damien is artistic & creative with fashion
Damien Through Dan’s Eyes
I’m the luckiest man in the world because Damien is the kindest, gentlest, and sweetest husband anyone could ask for. I know he will be an excellent father because I watch him be a role model for our nieces and nephews. He encourages our nephews to explore their talents in cooking and martial arts, while he inspires our older niece to tour colleges and make her own decisions about what to study.
Damien also mentors youth and guides them in applying for college. Damien is deeply committed to helping others do well, and I cannot wait to raise our future child together.
Meet Dan, by Dan
I was born and raised in Colorado, and I moved to California to help my sister raise my niece, Lizzie. My parents were public school teachers, so it’s no surprise that I ended up as a teacher. My best memories of childhood were spent camping in the mountains and road trips in our VW Van during the summers. I’m excited to have similar adventures with my family.
Since a young age, the arts have been deeply important to me. Now I teach English, literature and art history as a college professor, which gives me summers and winters off with a flexible schedule during the school year. I chose this job to have time for a family while also lifting up my community.
I’m also a foodie, always inventing new and (mostly) healthy recipes! I’m very excited to become a parent, and I can’t wait to share my love of art, nature, storytelling, and food as a family.
Why Dan Inspires Me, by Damien
- Dan always has a good “dad joke”
- His deep generosity extends to everyone
- Dan accepts people with an open heart
- He never forgets to celebrate the small things
- Dan cooks the best Italian food you’ll ever eat!
Dan Through Damien’s Eyes
I’ve been lucky to have Dan as a husband and partner. His kind nature attends to the needs of those he loves. Every night, Dan gets me a glass of water even without me asking (maybe it’s because he hates me drinking his?!). During times of high stress, he is incredibly patient and always offers help, support, and words of encouragement.
Dan is guaranteed to be a terrific Dad! More than anything, Dan treats everyone with respect and without judgment. I cherish these qualities and can’t wait to have our future child embody them.
List of Favorites!
Favorite Hobby
Damien: Photography
Dan: Cooking/Baking
Favorite Food
Damien: Vietnames
Dan: Italian
Favorite Holiday
Damien: Christmas and Lunar New Year
Dan: New Year’s Eve
Favorite Movie
Damien: I Am Sam
Dan: Roman Holiday
Favorite Animal
Damien: Dogs
Dan: Dogs
Favorite Vacation
Damien: Australia, Vietnam
Dan: Italy, Vietnam
Favorite Actor
Damien: Sean Penn
Dan: Betty Davis
Favorite TV Show
Damien: Schitt’s Creek
Dan: Jack Ryan
Favorite Band/Singer
Damien: Coldplay
Dan: Joni Mitchell
Our Family and Friends
We are blessed with large families. Damien’s family lives down the street (a five-minute walk), and Dan’s sister and niece are a short drive away. Damien has seven siblings, while Dan has seven uncles and aunts. Family reunions get a bit wild!
Our community of friends come over for game nights and dinner together every week, so we can spend time hanging out and having a good time. We are excited to share our love and our community as a family!
Top Five Places to Be with Our Families
- Colorado: Skiing in the Rocky Mountains!
- San Francisco: Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge during sunset!
- Wisconsin: Gorgeous summers on the lake! Cheese galore!
- Viet Nam: Eating exotic fruits in Saigon!
- Southern California: Where the sun shines and the beaches sparkle! No place like home.
Our Pets
Meet Einstein. He’s a “Teddy Bear” breed with bright eyes and a sense of humor and mischief. He’s a master of cuteness and loves to play fetch.
Meet Lilly. She’s the most loyal, sweetest dog you will ever meet. She’s so loyal that she barely needs a leash.
Home Sweet Home
Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, has award-winning schools with bilingual programs and enriching experiences. The city is diverse and welcoming. Our three-bedroom home has a cute succulent garden with vegetable patches and herb gardens in the backyard. Across the street is an elementary school with junior high and high schools in walking distance.
Within a short drive we can be at the beach, parked at Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood, or headed to mountain ski resorts. We often enjoy a short run in the park where we hold community events and gatherings. We are excited to raise our future child in this supportive and loving community.
Our Promises to You and Your Child
- To fill their life with love and joy within our family and community
- To support their dreams through education and guidance
- To care for and respect their beautiful talents and awesome abilities
- We will love your child with every fiber of our beings and always talk about you and their adoption story
Thank You!
Thank you for considering us as adoptive parents to your child! We admire you for taking these steps with adoption!