Early in our relationship we talked about our dreams to become parents and what that might look like as a same-sex couple. With every conversation, it was clear that sharing a biological connection to our child wasn't a priority for us – we would love them unconditionally. As a result, our dreams for parenthood always centered around adoption and what it would take to make that a reality.

As we've learned more about adoption, our dreams about parenthood have evolved too. We are excited about the possibilities of open adoption and not only sharing the child's big moments with our families and friends, but also sharing them with the child's biological families. We dream about what it might look like to travel with them, exploring their roots and visiting their biological family – however big or small that might be. Most importantly, we dream of raising our child to know that they are truly and deeply loved by all their parents (us and you!). We hope you will keep us in your thoughts, no matter where you are in your journey.

In our free time, we enjoy staying active, being involved in our community, and traveling. Our weekly routine includes going to the gym, rock climbing, or doing yoga, and we usually like to go on weekend hikes a couple times a month at the nearby trails. We both have a love of nature, and that's something we're looking forward to sharing with a child. There are so many spectacular trails in Arizona – it's hard to choose a favorite between the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon, the red rocks of Sedona, the forests of Flagstaff, and the unique biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert.

As far as indoor activities, we both like to be involved in our communities through volunteering. Brandon D regularly volunteers with an organization that sorts and ships medical equipment to countries in need, while Brandon A volunteers with local STEM outreach organizations as an engineering mentor. Outside of volunteering, we really enjoy hanging out with friends and family, playing board games, or going out to see a local show or musical.

We also love to travel and experience new cultures. We've been all over the United States and have traveled abroad to Japan, Costa Rica, and Canada. Our favorite thing to do when we travel is to try new food! We hope to share our sense of adventure with our child, but ultimately, we want to help them grow into whatever they love most, whether it's athletics, the arts, academics, or something else.

As an interracial couple, celebrating cultural diversity is very important to us. We love meeting people from different backgrounds, traveling to new places, and especially trying unique food from various cultures! We enjoy cooking and eating at restaurants that represent a wide range of cultures: Indian, Italian, Ethiopian, American, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and more. We recognize how important it is for children to feel connected to communities that reflect their culture and ethnicity. We are committed to providing them that connection, particularly if they have a different ethnicity than our own.

One of the benefits of living in a large metropolitan area is having the opportunity to attend various cultural festivals and events, and most importantly the chance to connect with people from all sorts of backgrounds. If we were to have a child of a different ethnicity than our own, we would seek out daycares, sports teams or other groups with children from similar cultural backgrounds so that they could feel connected. In the future, we could also travel to their ethnic native country when they're older to give them an opportunity to explore their roots firsthand.

We are fortunate to have a diverse group of friends, and we promise to raise your child with open minds and open hearts that celebrate cultural diversity.

We live in a suburb near the metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. Our three-bedroom house is only about a five- minute walk from local elementary and middle schools, so naturally, there are a lot of families with children who live nearby. We'll often see kids playing in the nearby parks, playgrounds, and greenspaces. Our neighborhood has wide sidewalks and several trees and grassy areas, so there's plenty of room for families walking their pets, going on jogs, playing catch, or just letting their kids run around. It's an incredibly safe neighborhood, as we often see kids walking themselves to and from the nearby schools with crossing guards at the major crosswalks and intersections.

We are lucky to live in a very diverse area, with nearby restaurants serving cuisines from around the world, several Asian/Middle Eastern grocery stores within a 10-minute drive, and the community hosting large multicultural events year round. Living in a big city comes with other nice perks, such as access to LEGOLAND, several children's museums, butterfly exhibits, ice skating, zoos, botanical gardens, Broadway musicals/plays, aquariums, farms, water parks and more.

Brandon A grew up in Hawaii with his 2 siblings, parents, and grandma who all still live there. We visit them at least once a year and get to do all sorts of fun activities such as surfing/boogie boarding at the beach or hiking in the rainforest. On more relaxed days, we work on puzzles together or play board games. One of the games we really enjoy playing as a family is Hanafuda, a traditional Japanese card game that has been played in Brandon A's family for generations. It's really fun to hear the banter between his younger cousins and grandma over the game. Spending the holidays in Hawaii is especially magical with parties hosting dozens of extended family members and friends, traditional homemade Japanese New Year foods (like Ozoni, Nishime, and Mochi), and watching the spectacular fireworks displays light up the sky at midnight.

Brandon D has 2 siblings and parents that live throughout the United States in California, Illinois and North Carolina, although his family is originally from Michigan where he grew up. We drive to California 3-4 times a year to visit parts of both of our families or extended families that live there. Usually anytime we get together we will either play board games or go to escape rooms, and of course, eat lots of good food. Both of us also enjoy just catching up with our families, and often chat over video calls if we haven't seen them in a while.

Hello! We are Brandon A and Brandon D, but most of our friends and family just call us "the Brandons." Thank you so much for visiting our profile! We can't even begin to imagine how difficult and stressful this decision must be for you. Even though we haven't met yet, please know that we are rooting for you and wish to support you no matter what happens in the future. We are incredibly grateful that you're even taking the time to read this letter and learn a little about us! We hope that as you explore our profile, you'll see that we can provide a peaceful and loving home filled with opportunities for a child to have fun and reach their full potential.

We are married and have been together for over 6 years. We met each other through work and quickly became friends through our shared love for adventure (hiking, rock climbing, camping, and more). As we got to know each other better, we were drawn to the kindness and empathy we saw in one another, and it didn't take long for us to start dating. Since the beginning of our relationship, we've always been able to resolve disagreements through respectful communication, compassion, and occasionally some light-hearted silliness. We believe this approach is the key to building strong and lasting relationships - whether in friendship, marriage, or parenthood.

Within a few months of dating, we talked about having children and what that might look like for us. As a gay couple, we didn't have many options to begin with, but as we talked more, it became clear that adoption would be our preferred path for building a family. We are both excited to raise a child and look forward to many aspects of the journey, such as reading bedtime stories, helping them with homework, and supporting their interests and hobbies.

Our priorities as parents are to love our child unconditionally and provide a stable, supportive environment where they can grow up to be the best version of themselves. Brandon A has a nurturing personality and loves to play with the kids in his extended family. He is very open about his emotions and firmly believes that teaching a child to talk about their feelings is key to raising an emotionally intelligent person. Brandon D is kind, responsible, and a great listener. He is generous with his time and always willing to help a friend in need. Both of us believe it's important to raise a child to be considerate of others and always strive to do the right thing.

We believe that celebrating cultural diversity is one of the best ways to build an open-minded family. If we are placed with a child whose ethnicity is different from our own, we promise to raise them in an environment where they feel connected to their roots and can form relationships with peers and role models who share their cultural identity. And if we are placed with a child who shares one of our own cultural backgrounds, we will still expose them to a variety of cultures to broaden their perspectives and develop a stronger sense of empathy.

If you choose us to raise your child, we promise to respect whatever level of communication you are most comfortable with. We will send letters with pictures throughout their life, so you never have to worry about them or wonder how they are doing. We can also make sure they have the opportunity to see you at least once a year. We're very flexible and would be happy to commit to regular phone or video calls, or email updates, if those are things you might be interested in.

Thank you again for reading our profile! If there's anything more you'd like to know, feel free to reach out! We'd love the opportunity to get to know you and listen to whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

Brandon A & Brandon D