We would describe our lifestyle as stable with a side of adventure. We both enjoy our jobs and our home, and life a relatively calm life for most of the week. On the weekends, we want to be outside in nature and with people we love.

We are often the hosts of our friend group. Weekday dinners or weekend dinner parties are a common occurrence, with nothing fancy needed, just good food and time around the table. On the weekends in particular, we explore the mountains around us. There are plenty of places to bike, ski, and hike that are very close to our house. Our dog Switchback joins us for lots of these days. Like him, we are generally ready for a nap when the day is done.

Connection is a big theme of our life. Connecting with the world around us and the people in it. We strive to foster this in our daily life by maintaining close relationship with our friend groups and family members. Many of our close friends are also transitioning into parenthood, and we are excited to see how life changes and evolves with this new phase.

Dakota About Ruthie: Ruthie is one of the most compassionate people you will ever meet. Her ability to empathize with anyone is unmatched and makes her a very powerful friend. She is always the first to see when someone is hurt and comfort them, but she is also the first person to recognize your success or happiness and celebrate that with you. She is witty and intelligent which makes her a great conversationalist and an excellent entertainer. It is no wonder that she chose a life of service to children in the field of medicine, it suits her well. Her friends, coworkers, and family would all say that Ruthie is approachable, lovely, funny, and hard-working. She keeps our family focused on the big picture and focused on our goals.

Ruthie About Dakota: Dakota is incredibly kind. He treats those around him with respect and love. When you are in his presence it is hard not to get caught up in his infectious joy. He has an ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and make them feel seen. Most of all he is a lover of all things fun. He is constantly seeking joy and adventure in his everyday life. He is committed to his goals and has built a successful career of service. Those around him will tell you that he is genuine above all else, displaying his true self always.

Our future child's heritage and background are extremely precious to us. It is an integral part of who they are and who they will become. We want our child to live their heritage not only as a piece of their past, but truly as their present also.

We are committed to doing work ourselves for our child's entire life. This includes educating ourselves, our family members, and those who will come in contact with our child. Community mentors will be an important part of our child's life in providing wisdom and experience that we don't have. It is our responsibility to create opportunities for our child to meet these mentors.

We have purposely situated ourselves in a community that is full of people from different backgrounds. Our child will see people who look like them every day.

We live in a three bedroom two story house in a beautiful area just North of Seattle. We have large windows in the living area that look into the trees, making you feel like you're in a cozy treehouse. Our bedroom and the nursery are on the top floor, and on the bottom floor there is a large room perfect for playing and relaxing.

Our neighborhood is mostly residential with lots of trees and parks. There are at least four parks within walking distance of our house. The public library is right across the street. They hold many reading hours and community events for families. The schools are also walking distance from our house for elementary, middle, and high school. Our community is full of families who care about our schools, so they well maintained and supported. We are a very short drive from the ocean, where we love to take our dog to the beach dog park. Lots of families are always there playing on the adjoining playground.

We are both lucky in that we have a large amount of our extended family within driving distance. Both our families get together often and we love participating in lots of activities with them.

Ruthie's extended family's biggest tradition is a large thanksgiving get-together that takes place over four days. Everyone stays in a big house together and cooks, plays cards and games, play a large game of street hockey, and most of all just spend time together. This is a strong tradition that each generation has held on to, with now more than 30 people in attendance! These days there are a lot of small kids running around which has added lots of joy and fun to the gathering. This large family is made up of all different types of people and yet we all love each other fiercely, which is unique.

Dakota's family loves to be out on the water in their boats! The Seattle area offers amazing island adventures where we can hike and explore once we dock. We also head up to Alaska frequently and enjoy taking the boat for several days out into the wilderness. This is a powerful experience that brings us closer as a family. Many times aunts, uncles, and cousins join us in doing this.

Our families are wildly supportive of our adoption journey, and have proved at every step that they are here for us and our future child.

We want to start this letter with a bold expression of love for you. You have made this decision from love, and we hope to take that and carry it on for this child. We understand that with the overwhelming joy of a baby joining our family, there is also the presence of grief. We hope you know that we will never be able to put into words what your decision means to us and our family. All we can say is thank you for your brave choice, and hope that together we can give this child the brightest future possible.

Our story is full of joy, obstacles, and immense love. We met in high school as friends and began dating later in college in 2013. We fell in love very quickly, with years of friendship creating a wonderful foundation that made it easy to know that this was it. Our first adventure was getting married young and moving across the country to a place we had never been for graduate school. Those years were defined by our resilience and reliance on each other. We were both pursuing our dream careers and being each other's number one support systems. After six years away from our family we finally secured the jobs we always wanted and were able to move back home to the Pacific Northwest.

We are above all in pursuit of connection and adventure. Our love of the outdoors is reflected in our hobbies such as hiking, biking, skiing, and walking our adorable dog Switchback. Keeping up friendships and relationships with family is of the utmost importance. We often host our friends and family for dinners or game nights. Our home has a wonderful space for sitting around a table and enjoying the company of others. This has expanded as our friends have children and we grow our community here in Seattle. We know our future child is coming into a space filled with love and support, and people who are rooting for us. This is just a snapshot of who we are. We are so excited to learn about you and your story.

Your child will be loved fiercely. We have prepared ourselves for this adoption, but also understand that this will require a lifetime of work and education to provide the best home for this child. Our goal is to give this child the opportunity to find their true selves. They will not be limited in passions they want to pursue. They will have full knowledge of where they come from and what that means for the person they are becoming. Your story is an integral part of their story. Communication between you and the child is important to us, at a level that feels right to you. This includes letters, pictures, and emails that will help foster this connection.

Soon we will get to meet you, and we are so excited. We are feeling nervous and at the same time, thrilled to be able to see a reflection of our future child through getting to know you. We strive to be open and honest, and want you to know that we are here for you. No one but you knows your journey, but we are here to walk with you as much as you would like. We love you because we love your child.

With love,

Dakota & Ruthie