One of our favorite vacation spots is Santa Fe, New Mexico. There’s something about it that instantly feels like home. Living in Dallas now, we love the energy of a big city but both of us grew up in smaller cities where life moved at a slower pace, where you could walk through charming downtown streets and everyone knew the local shop owners. Santa Fe brings all of that back to us. Its desert landscape reminds us of the terrain where we grew up, and the air feels so clean and crisp. At night, the sky is filled with stars, it is peaceful and breathtaking.

We love that Santa Fe invites you to slow down and truly enjoy life’s simple pleasures. You can walk everywhere, through art galleries, historic plazas, and local markets and always discover something new. When we’re there, we take painting or cooking classes, visit our favorite local wine producers, and spend long afternoons just exploring. It’s a relaxed, creative, and inspiring place that allows us to reconnect with ourselves and each other.

For us, Santa Fe isn’t just a vacation destination, it’s a reminder of where we came from and the kind of grounded, joyful life we want to give our child.

We each bring unique strengths that balance and enrich our relationship. Luisa is naturally empathetic and optimistic, with an incredible gift for connecting with others. She has a big heart and an intuitive sense for making people feel seen, valued, and understood. Whether she’s working, networking, or simply spending time with friends and family, she brings warmth and joy to every interaction. She truly loves being around people and has a way of brightening any room she walks into.

Ricardo tends to approach the world with reflection and curiosity. As an engineer, he's thoughtful and analytical, but also deeply compassionate. He enjoys meaningful conversations, new ideas, and understanding how things and people work beneath the surface. Though more reserved by nature, he cares deeply about others and always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. He finds purpose in helping others and in creating stability for those he loves. Together, our different strengths make us better: Luisa’s warmth draws people in, and Ricardo's steadiness helps ground us. We both share a genuine desire to serve others and to create a loving, thoughtful home where a child can feel secure, supported, and cherished.

Our 13-year-old German Shepherd has become an irreplaceable part of our family and an unexpected teacher in our lives. We adopted her when she was five because we wanted a new family member, not realizing how profoundly she would change us. Before she came into our home, we both appreciated animals but our dog made us understand a deeper kind of love. That changed completely once we got to know her gentle spirit, loyalty, and intelligence. Through her, we discovered how deeply animals can love, trust, and communicate in their own quiet ways. She opened our eyes and hearts, making us far more compassionate and sensitive, not just toward animals, but toward people as well.

Caring for her as she’s grown older has been one of the most meaningful experiences of our life together. She has taught us patience, empathy, and the importance of being present for another living being. She reminds us every day that love takes many forms and that kindness truly transcends species. Our bond with her has brought us closer as a couple and strengthened our belief that every creature deserves care, respect, and affection.

We both come from very loving, close-knit families who mean the world to us. While not everyone lives nearby, we stay connected through constant calls, visits, and traditions that keep us close no matter the distance. Our favorite time of year is Christmas, when both of our families travel to Dallas and fill our home with joy, laughter, and food! We gather around a big table overflowing with dishes our moms insist on making—because they can never stop cooking—and we listen as our dads tell endless stories about family history and old memories.

Ricardo is the eldest son in his family, and Luisa is the baby of hers, which means there’s always plenty of love and attention coming our way from both sides. Two of our sisters live nearby in Dallas, and we see them often for cookouts, birthdays, and spontaneous get-togethers. These are some of our happiest moments: talking, laughing, sharing stories, and enjoying each other’s company.

Our families are incredibly supportive of us and are so excited for the day we welcome a child into our home. We know this baby will be surrounded by love, not just from us, but from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who will adore them completely. Family is truly at the center of our lives, and we can’t wait to share that warmth and togetherness with the little one who joins our story.

We love our home, it is our happy place. We built it in 2021 with family in mind. It has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, plenty of space to grow and make memories. Ricardo’s favorite room is our cozy library, where he can unwind with a good book, while Luisa loves our pool and outdoor patio, the perfect spot for sunny afternoons and painting under the pergola. Our kitchen and family room are the heart of our home, warm and open space, always filled with the smell of Ricardo’s delicious cooking. We’ve already prepared a playroom, ready to be filled with toys, laughter, and a child’s imagination.

Our neighborhood is full of families, dogs and huge Oak trees that create the most gorgeous canopy. It is a lively and friendly place where everyone knows each other. Several parks are just a short walk away, perfect for strolls and playtime. Every Halloween, all the neighbors gather for a big front-yard party to greet trick-or-treaters, and in December, there is a holiday brunch potluck, rotating homes and favorite family recipes each year. It’s a community that celebrates together, and is there for one another, we know everyone and truly feels like family. We can already picture our child growing up here, knowing our neighbors, playing with the kids and running down our tree-lined street, and being surrounded by so much love and belonging.

We want to begin by saying thank you, truly, from the bottom of our hearts. We can only imagine the weight of what you’re carrying as you consider this decision, and we want you to know that we approach you and this moment with the deepest respect and gratitude. We will never pretend to understand exactly what you’re feeling, but we hope you can feel the love in our hearts as we write these words.

We’ve been lovingly married for 17 years and together for 19. We’ve built a life filled with laughter, learning, adventure, and unwavering love. We knew early in our relationship that adoption would be part of our journey, it is something that has always felt meant to be for us. To us, becoming parents through adoption is not just about growing our family, but about building a lifelong connection with you. We know our child’s story will begin with you and continue with us and together, we will forever be part of this child’s whole story.

Becoming parents means completing our little family. The idea of being mom and dad fills us with joy and excitement. To see the world again through a child’s eyes, to guide them, teach them, and watch them grow into a kind, happy and curious person. We can’t wait to make memories, it feels like our hearts will explode when we think of the experiences we will share with our child.

We live in Dallas in a home we built in 2021, designed with family in mind. Our house has four bedrooms, a big kitchen that’s the heart of our home, a cozy library, and a backyard with a pool and patio where we love to spend time with family and friends. Our neighborhood is filled with families, kids, and dogs. It’s lively and feels like a true community. Every Halloween, everyone gathers in the front yards to greet trick-or-treaters, and in December, we share a big brunch potluck together. It’s the kind of place where children grow up surrounded by joy and care. This is the place that awaits our child, and we count down the days for when we get the chance to be all here together.

We promise that your child will be deeply loved, cherished, and supported every single day. We will dedicate ourselves to helping them flourish, to discover their passions, to feel safe, and to know, without a doubt, how loved they are by both you and us. We will always honor your role in their life and ensure they grow up knowing their story begins with an act of immense love and courage from you.

We are committed to sending letters and pictures and are open to yearly visits if that’s something you feel comfortable with. We believe that the more love a child has, the better, and the more the child knows where they come from, the more connected the child will feel with the world. It is key for us that our child knows the love all of its parents have for them.

We live life fully, we travel, have tons of adventures, family, friends, hobbies and we can’t wait to share those adventures with a little one. We know that words will never be enough to express how thankful we are for you even reading this letter, but we hope you can feel the sincerity behind every word and that one day we get a chance to show you our love. We pray for the chance to meet you and learn all about you, and to be part of this shared journey built on love and hope.

With love and deepest respect,

Ricardo & Luisa