To us being parents means being protectors, providers, teachers, mentors, and compassionate caregivers. Being parents has been one of the greatest joys of our lives, a role we continue to hold with deep gratitude.

Our three children, Audrey, Lily and Travis are now grown and building their own futures, yet they remain a constant source of pride and connection.

Watching them become thoughtful, caring adults has been one of life's sweetest blessings. Though our home is quieter now, the love and sense of family they helped create still shape our life.

Their influence fills our lives with purpose, warmth, and lasting joy. We continue to cherish the traditions, values and memories we built together, carrying them forward with hope and excitement. As we look towards the future, our hearts remain open to welcoming more love and exploring our families’ future as we are hoping one day to be grandparents and look forward to our family growing.

Paul has a Caucasian, Latin, and Afro-Caribbean background, while Deena has a Caucasian background, making us a mixed-ethnicity blended family. Because of this, we feel well equipped to welcome and support a child with a diverse background.

We celebrate Paul's diversity by cooking a variety of different foods, including recipes his sisters learned from their mother when he was a child. Paul's Spanish language comprehension is good and we have both been diligently working on getting fluent in Spanish to better communicate with family that he has in the Dominican Republic.

We live near a large metropolitan area that is culturally diverse and there are many activities and learning opportunities that celebrate and reflect a wide range of cultures. We try to never miss an opportunity to learn about different cultures when we are traveling or vacationing.

Paul and I feel like our normal life has equipped us to love a child from any ethnicity or cultural background, and we understand the importance of it.

Paul and I have always loved exploring new places and experiencing the world together. Traveling has become one of our favorite ways to connect, learn, and make memories. Whether we are trying new foods or taking in the local history and beauty, every trip brings us closer.

2025 was an especially fun year for us. We visited dear friends in Palm Coast, Florida, and spent a week exploring the historical charm of Saint Augustine. We also traveled to Orlando for a conference Paul attended, making the most of the trip by exploring Universal Studios. In July, we spent two wonderful weeks in New York with Paul’s sister. Since I had never been to New York, we also visited his other sister in Boston. We embraced every tourist moment—from Times Square and Central Park to the museums and skyline views—though my favorite part was actually riding the subway.

Every November, we take a yearly two-week trip to Mazatlán, Mexico, with my parents to enjoy the culture and family time. Throughout the year, we also visit Idaho to see lifelong family friends who are like a second family to Paul. When we are closer to home, we love visiting coastal towns and taking full advantage of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Paul’s family is from the Dominican Republic, and we place a high priority on honoring those roots. We enjoy making authentic Dominican food, celebrating Dominican holidays, and watching baseball together. We are very close with our extended family and visit them as often as possible. We frequently travel to see Paul’s sisters in New York and Boston, his brother in California, and his best friend’s mother in Idaho. We also visit the Dominican Republic to see his seven aunts and uncles, his godfather, and other relatives.

At home on our farm, life is busy and rewarding. We stay active maintaining the land, gardening, and spending time outdoors with our animals. Family remains at the center of everything we do. Our children come over at least once a month for family dinner, and my parents live nearby and visit often. We host all the major holidays at our home, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Year’s, and the Fourth of July. We are a very tight-knit family and are incredibly eager to welcome a new addition to our home.

We love our life in Molalla, Oregon. Living on our 20-acre farm in a 4,000-square-foot home with our ducks, chickens, and our beloved Doberman, Roxxy, has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Our community is very supportive of family life. We enjoy local parks and green spaces like Fox Park, which has a playground and splash pad perfect for children. We also love the outdoor freedom of the Molalla River recreation corridor, which offers hiking, swimming, and picnic areas.

The town itself has a cozy, small-town charm with plenty to offer, including movie theaters, a bowling alley, and community centers. Molalla also hosts wonderful annual events like the Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo and other family-friendly celebrations. Between farm life, the nearby wilderness, and our welcoming community, Molalla gives us the perfect balance of peace, nature, and connection.

We’ve read and rewritten this letter several times, mostly because we want it to feel real - not polished, not perfect, just honest. More than anything, we want you to know how much respect we have for you and for the place you’re in right now. We can’t imagine how heavy and emotional this season must feel, but we do see the love behind the choices you’re making, and that matters to us.

We have been together since 2011 and married since 2018. Over the years, we’ve built a life rooted in faith, commitment, laughter, and perseverance. Together, we raised three children who are now grown, and being their parents has been the greatest gifts of our lives. Our house is quieter these days, but our hearts aren’t. We still feel such a strong desire to love, nurture, and raise another child, which is what led us to adoption.

We live in a small rural town on 20 acres, and life here is simple in the best way. We grow a garden, can our food, raise chickens, and spend a lot of time outside together. Paul enjoys woodworking and staying busy with projects around the house, and Deena loves sewing, quilting, and baking. Our home is the kind where people take their shoes off, sit at the kitchen table, and stay longer than they planned.

Paul works for the local electric utility and truly enjoys serving the community through steady, dependable work. Deena will be a stay-at-home mom and is grateful to be able to focus her time and energy on raising another child. She also has a background in nursing, which has shaped her heart for caregiving, patience, and attentiveness. Together, we value being present for the everyday moments, not just the big ones and creating a home where a child feels safe, secure, and loved.

Family is very important to us. We gather with Deena’s side of the family at least once a month for meals, celebrations, and time together, and we take family vacations often. Paul’s parents are both in heaven, so staying close to extended family means even more to us. Our child would grow up surrounded by people who show up, who care, and who would love them from the very beginning.

We are also a multicultural couple, and honoring Paul’s Dominican roots is a meaningful part of our lives. It’s in the food we cook, the traditions we celebrate, the music in our home, and the way we value strong family connection. We stay closely connected with Paul’s sisters and extended family and travel to the Dominican Republic to visit them. We believe it’s important for a child to grow up knowing their story, their culture, and their heritage and to feel proud of all of it.

Our faith is central to who we are. We try to live our lives with kindness, humility, forgiveness, and grace, knowing we don’t get it right all the time, but always striving to love and live well. We believe it’s important to raise a child with faith, strong values, compassion, and a solid moral foundation, and to model what it looks like to walk through life with integrity and hope.

Adoption is something we feel truly called to do. We believe we still have so much love to give, and our deepest hope is to provide a child with a home filled with safety, joy, laughter, and unconditional love. We want them to feel seen, heard, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

If you were to choose us, your child would grow up knowing their story began with courage, love, and sacrifice. We would always speak of you with respect and gratitude, and your place in their story would never be hidden or minimized. You matter, and you always would.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering us in such a meaningful decision. We want peace and clarity for you, and we hope you feel supported no matter what path you choose.

With warmth and sincerity,

Paul & Deena