Hello! We are Erin & Andy from Sherman Oaks, California. We are so grateful for the opportunity to introduce ourselves and for considering us as adoptive parents.

We both come from loving, supportive families and we can’t wait to start a family of our own. We’re both committed to creating a safe and stable home for a child to grow up in, where they can feel loved and supported and live a happy, healthy life. We would be honored to provide that for your child. We understand that this is a very difficult time, but we hope that getting to know us will provide some comfort.

We’ve dreamed of having kids since we first met. We talked about adoption before we ever started trying to conceive. After more than a year of trying to conceive without success, we decided that adoption was the best choice for us. Erin has a special place in her heart for adoption because she grew up with many close friends who were. We’re excited to see what the future holds for our family now that we’ve officially started the adoption process.

We met six years ago at a Memorial Day BBQ in Venice Beach, California. Many people don’t believe in love at first sight, but for us, it was. Erin walked in to the party just as Andy was leaving, our eyes immediately locked, and the rest, as they say, is history. We were married in Erin’s parent’s backyard a year later – the perfect setting as both of our parents were also wed in their parent’s backyards. Since that time, our love and respect for each other has only grown deeper.

One thing you should know about us is that we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Whether we’re out with friends, running errands, exploring a new country, or lounging at home in sweatpants, we always have a good time together. Most mornings, we start our day by going to a yoga class together, and most evenings, we end our day making dinner together.

Some of our favorite activities together include going for drives up the coast, attending baseball games and live concerts, bowling (then laughing at how bad we are), doing karaoke (again, not well), and most of all, playing with our sweet and silly dog, Nia.

We also love to travel. We got engaged in Cartagena, Colombia, then traveled to Portugal, Morocco, Spain, and Italy for our honeymoon. We’ve also traveled to Berlin and Mexico City together. We enjoy spending long weekends in our home state of California, including excursions to the beaches in Ventura, Mammoth Mountain for skiing, and the desert in Joshua Tree National Park. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to live in a location that enables us to go at any time. We want to instill in our child the same sense of adventure that our parents gave us.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and have also lived in England and Australia. I’ve always been drawn to the creative arts - especially drawing and painting. After college, I channeled my love of art and design into a career as a graphic designer. I am so grateful to be able to do something I love every day. I come from a small but loving family who all live within a few miles of our home. When I think about the future, I’m filled with excitement about growing our family - Andy is going to be a seriously amazing dad!

Erin’s kindness, love, and support for everyone around her shine through.

Combined with her life in the arts, keeping up with the nicest and coolest person in the room is hard. There isn’t a day that I don’t consider myself the luckiest man alive.

Her compassion and patience are remarkable. Her undivided support for myself and our families is unparalleled. When my family met her, they thought of her as their own. She’s taken my nieces and nephew under her wing, and they look to her for advice on everything from diet (no red meat), to doing puzzles, to talking about music. They also enjoy going bowling together.

If there’s one indicator of how Erin will be as a mother, it’s her love for our dog, Nia. There’s nothing that Nia can do that will upset her. She always understands and thoughtfully explains why she thinks Nia might have done something terrible. And sure enough, she’s typically spot on. I can't imagine anyone being more loving and nurturing than Erin, and I can't wait to raise a child with her.

I was born and raised outside of Seattle, Washington. I’m the third of three children, with two older sisters who have inspired me my entire life. Like both of their parents before them, my parents have been married for over 50 years. My family has always been supportive, especially when I moved to Los Angeles to chase my dream of a career in the film industry. I’m now the Head of Production for a film studio and love the opportunities my job has provided - traveling the world, working with amazing people, and doing something that I’m truly passionate about is a dream come true.

I can’t wait to be a father and raise our child with the same love and compassion our families have given us.

One of the many qualities I love about Andy is his thoughtfulness.

He’ll often surprise me with flowers for no reason at all or leave me a sweet message on the foggy shower door. He’s incredibly supportive and appreciates me for who I am - quirks and all. He encourages me when I’m feeling unsure, laughs with me when I’m being goofy, and comforts me when I’m feeling down. I know he always has my back.

I really admire his ability to communicate with people. He’s warm, personable, funny, and not afraid to have difficult conversations when needed. He’s the first to admit when he’s wrong and he’s always eager to learn.

I know he’s going to be an amazing dad because he’s already an amazing uncle to his nieces and nephew. He adores them and understands the importance of setting a good example for them to follow. Andy is going to be an incredible father and I'm so lucky to be able to share this experience with him.

Our neighborhood in Sherman Oaks, CA is ideal for raising a family. It’s safe and filled with lots of kids and dogs. You’ll find plenty of families out and about, enjoying the beautiful weather and friendly atmosphere. Most of the streets are cul-de-sacs so there is plenty of space to walk, run, play, and ride bikes. Each year our neighborhood throws a block party for the kids to enjoy. This year’s party included a bounce house, a petting zoo, batting cages, and a snow-cone truck. We live in a three bedroom house with a fenced-in yard and pool on a beautiful tree-lined street. We love hosting Thanksgiving at our house, and celebrating Christmas up in Washington with Andy’s family.

We love dogs, especially our sweet and silly dog, Nia. We rescued her 4 years ago and couldn’t imagine life without her.

We gave her the nickname “Fancy Tail” because of her big, beautiful tail. She’s a fun, free-spirited lady with a heart of gold (and a sense of humor). She’s quite the social butterfly so she tends to make friends wherever she goes. She loves people (especially kids!) and all animals, and is very excited to help us welcome another member to our family.

Andy’s Family: Andy is the youngest of three, with two older sisters. The oldest is a school principal in Barcelona, Spain. His middle sister is a nurse and, with her husband, has three children (well, teenagers), whom we love spending time with.

Fun Fact: Andy’s nephew was the best man in our wedding (he was 8!) and stole the show with a surprise speech during the wedding dinner. This past June, we went to Hawaii to celebrate Andy’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary with his immediate family.

Erin’s Family: Erin’s parents are not far behind, and will celebrate their 50th in a few years time. Erin has one younger sister who is a nurse practitioner at UCLA. Like everyone in Erin’s family, she has a passion for her two doggies. Erin’s family all live within a few miles of our home. It’s been a tradition for many years that we have dinner every Sunday night. It’s a time when we can all catch up with each other.

As we look to the future, what we’ve learned from our parents and how they raised their children while enduring their long, loving, and lasting marriages will be invaluable in raising our children.

When it comes to parenting, raising a good human is more important to us than genetics. As parents, we want to encourage our child’s curiosity about the world around them, and help them to find the answers to their questions. We can do this by taking them on trips to different places, or by reading books and stories together. We also want to encourage them to be independent and creative thinkers - to make their own choices, and help them to see that there are many different ways to approach a problem. It’s also important for us to instill a sense of empathy and compassion - to see things from other people’s perspectives, and to always be kind. We can do this by setting a good example ourselves, and by talking to them about how their actions affect others.

Above all, we promise to provide a life of love, support, and opportunities. We believe the greatest way for us to start our new lives together is through an open adoption.

We know that this is a difficult time, and we are honored that you are considering us as part of your child’s future.

We want you to know that we will love your child with all of our hearts. We will provide a safe, stable, and loving home for them to grow up in. We will do everything we can to help them reach their full potential. We promise to keep you updated on their progress and to always keep you in our thoughts and prayers. We will always be grateful to you for giving us the opportunity to be parents.

Thank you for considering us. We wish you all the best!