Hello! We are Taylor, Mathew, Jackson & Zachary from Northern Virginia. Ohana means family. This motto is embedded in the fabric of our lives.

We’d like to sincerely thank you for considering us. We want you to know that we respect your bravery and courage in this process and are deeply humbled by the prospect of meeting you.

Taylor’s extended family is made up of both biological and adopted members, so adoption has always had a special place in her heart. Following the birth of Jackson and the adoption of Zachary, we both knew that pursuing this path was the right choice for our family and would allow us to fulfill our dream of a full house.

Matthew, a Canadian, and Taylor, an American, first met in the summer before our senior year of high school and began dating after being introduced through Taylor’s cousin. We often discuss the fact that although we were born in two different countries, we ended up finding each other.

Our love story flourished and our commitment to each other was evident during a long distance phase. Taylor was accepted to her dream college, but that meant living apart. Throughout that time, it became clear we were made for each other.

After graduating from college, Matthew proposed to Taylor on the sandy shores of Kauai. Kauai is famous for having wild chickens everywhere, so among the crashing of the waves and clucking of chickens, we were engaged. The following year we were married on a golf course overlooking a vineyard (no chickens were present). We have been together for 12 years.

I grew up in the same city my parents were born, surrounded by three generations of family. My brother is a year younger than me, so we naturally became best friends and often had the same mutual friends and interests. My childhood was happy, healthy, and filled with adventure and experiences. I graduated from the University of California, Davis with my degree in Communications, and have worked in marketing for the last 7 years. I moved to a part-time position where I work from home, which is key in having flexibility for a family. I do plan on becoming a full-time stay-at-home mother once we welcome another baby into our home.

I’ve always had a love for animals, and even volunteered at a local shelter through college. They bring me joy, and it lights up my life to see our children building care and empathy towards animals. Disney is a huge part of my life as well. Aside from visiting the parks annually, I enjoy watching the movies and listening to the music. The boys are starting to fall in love with Disney, and we look forward to their future sibling getting to experience that as well.

I was born in Toronto, Canada as the youngest of 4, my next closest sibling is 9 years older than me. Often referred to as a ‘special surprise’, I’m truly the baby of the family. I spent each summer at our family summer home with my grandparents. There I would engage in water sports, hiking, biking, roasting marshmallows, and living life at a slower pace. I started playing hockey at 3 years old and have played many years of high competition hockey. One of my favorite memories growing up is the conversations shared around the family dinner table. At 12 years old, my mom, dad, and I packed everything up and moved to California for my Dad’s job.

I received my degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, East Bay. Today, I work at a tech company as a Regional Manager on the Physical Security team. Unlimited paid time off allows me to be flexible and have plenty of time for vacations with the family. In my free time I like to watch sports, play hockey, golf with friends, play video games, and travel with my family. I’m looking forward to sharing with my children my love for sports and outdoor activities.

We live in a single-family home in an extremely family oriented neighborhood about an hour away from Washington D.C. Our street has over 20 children under the age of 5, and we know every neighbor by name. We love popping into D.C. to explore the museums, eat delicious food, and stroll through the Zoo. Our town was founded back in 1810, and it’s incredible to see all the historic charm beautifully preserved. The lush, rolling fields of green welcome us home, and sometimes we are even greeted by adorable deer and bunnies in the backyard!

We have four furry friends in our home. Oliver (toy poodle), Pluto (golden retriever), and Kida & Ella (cats). All four are best friends! The dogs enjoy sitting underneath Zachary's chair during meals because they know a treat will be dropped their way.

Jackson was born in 2018 and is a creative and active big boy! He enjoys making art projects, building towers, and riding his bike. Jackson loves being a big brother, and cannot wait to meet his newest sibling!

Zachary was born in 2020 and is the happiest bundle of joy anyone has ever met! He greets everyone with a hug, and loves to race cars and make music. Zachary was adopted through AdoptHelp in 2020, and we have an open, loving and respectful relationship with his birth family.

Taylor’s family consists of an extremely large extended family (made up of biological and adopted members) that has grown up in the same town for three generations. They get together at least once a month for large gatherings called “gigs” filled with potluck style food and good company. Holiday traditions are especially important to her family. The most prominent ones are giant Hershey bars on Easter, performing family skits on Christmas, and a “shiny shirt” which has been passed around as a white elephant gift for over 20 years. The person who receives the “shiny shirt” must put it on and strut their stuff on a pretend catwalk.

Matthew’s extended family is geographically spread out in Canada and the United States. His father, Bob, and his siblings Ben, Becky, and Jordan, live in Virginia with their families. Bob is looking forward to welcoming his 14th grandchild into the family. Family get-togethers are often spent running jokes into the ground, telling the same stories over and over again (they’re always funny), and watching/playing hockey. Summers are often spent together at our family summer home in Canada. The lakefront property is a perfect gathering destination for water sports and other fun in the sun. Among our ‘family’ are many close family friends that often join us at the dinner table on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We also get together with a group of other couples monthly for a night of board games and shared food. These close friends are treated as family, and are excited for Jackson & Zachary to have another teammate enter the game.

We are so excited to have our dreams of a larger family come true and look forward to bringing you and your child into our ohana. We’d love to hear from you.