Hi! We are Brent & Mark. We live in San Francisco, California with our daughter, Olivia. We're honored that you decided to learn more about us. Our journey began when we met after college, and we realized we both cherish the same things like good food, traveling to new places, and most of all, being in a loving family. As we got to know each other, we've both thought: "My husband would make a great dad," and in 2021 we were so lucky to adopt Olivia! Now, all of us are very excited to continue growing our family. We hope that this is the start of a great journey for us to meet you and your child, and we are so grateful for your consideration.

When we first thought of how to grow our family as a gay couple, we felt adoption was the right path. We learned a lot from Mark’s brother, who adopted his daughter Maia. We really admired how everyone came together for Maia’s sake in an open adoption. Ever since we met Olivia through our first adoption journey, we knew we had made the right choice. She has brought so much joy, fun, and meaning into our lives. Now that Olivia has grown a bit, we have all thought how amazing for her to meet a baby brother or sister. Our own siblings have played such a core part in our lives, and we would love for Olivia to have a relationship like that. And given how much she talks about it, Olivia certainly agrees!

Our first date was the kind of night that we still enjoy – eating good food, sharing stories, and dreaming about the future. Early on, we found that we shared a lot of interests – traveling, hiking, board games, cooking and gardening. We love exploring new places on far away trips, and even after living together in San Francisco for many years, we have learned that there are still a lot of surprises near our own backyard. Of course, Olivia has been the biggest change in our lives recently, and can’t believe how much she’s already grown up. We still love to travel and explore (Olivia’s already flown across two oceans), and being with Olivia has given us a new sense of discovery for us as individuals and as a couple.

We love to travel. Our first big trip together was a backpacking trip to Sequoia/King’s Canyon National Park which was both exhausting and very rewarding. We now try to take one extended vacation every year. We’ve seen some amazing things, like the Taj Mahal and the fjords of Norway. The most memorable experiences have been with family, like the vacation with all four of our parents (!) to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. It was incredible to see our parents, who come from different backgrounds, hike through the forest and stare in amazement at the geysers. With Olivia we have traveled to Europe and Asia, and have done a road trip on the Oregon coast. She already has her favorite car songs (“Wait a minute, we’re fish!”) and favorite things to do (beach). When we're at home, we try to see the outdoors, and when it’s a cloudy day, we like to play board games, sometimes with friends, sometimes just the three of us. It’s fun to push cardboard chits around the board, chat, and share a meal. Over the years, we’ve collected more board games than we can count.

I grew up in Southern California, where my sister and parents still live. I have always been very close with my sister; she’s helped and supported me over and over again. After college, I met Mark when I was a medical student and he was in graduate school. He and my sister saw me through medical residency. I’m now a primary care doctor in San Francisco and work within walking distance of Olivia’s day care. I’m constantly amazed at how much Olivia has changed and changed me since we first met her. She is constantly reminding me to be in the moment, to enjoy everyday things (you should see the look she gets when she gives you a hug) and appreciate that life can be unpredictable but almost always is more fun with others. Because of good fortune, one of my closest friends from college has a son who is almost the same age as Olivia and they have become close. Because I am so close with my sister and family, I am really looking forward to Olivia having a sibling too. She is really excited to be a big sis.

When I met Brent, I was just starting to date, and his friendliness and good nature helped me draw out of my shell. I'm grateful that he helps me grow and push my own boundaries. As a kid, Brent grew up with his parents and sister in the LA area. He often tells stories about singing along to Motown (his parents’ favorite) in the car going to the next family camping trip, and he still carries a love of music and the outdoors with him. He has always had an independent streak, which in high school meant that he dyed his hair. He also has always had a deep seated sense for helping others, and that’s developed into his passion and career as a doctor. Of course, I love it when he spoils me and Olivia with his baking, which is just one of the many ways he shows his generous spirit. He’s always there to support the people important to him. And as a dad, I’ve only seen this side of him grow, whether when he sews Olivia a Halloween costume or goes swimming with her for hours.

I grew up in Texas with my parents, older brother and older sister. I eventually moved to California for school, where I met Brent. Then, I got a position at San Francisco State University, and I’ve loved teaching there with students who really appreciate the chance to grow and learn. Throughout my life, my friends and family would probably say I’m steady and dependable. I like the little things in life, and that’s been so true after adopting Olivia. It’s amazing how much we can share in her joy at discovering something new, like learning to draw a circle or keeping her balance on her scooter. It’s also great to see her find joy with friends and family, who she bonds with really quickly. I find myself looking fondly at the days when Olivia was just starting to say her words. My hope for adopting again is to be able to share the joy we've experienced with a new member of our family.

Mark grew up near Houston, Texas in a family of scientists. As a kid, he did lots of normal kids’ activities like music, hanging out, and Boy Scouts. He also did some less common activities like spending summers interning in research labs. After going to college in Boston and then spending a year in Germany, he started graduate school in California. When we met, I knew from the beginning that he was a keeper – humble, talented, and with a wry humor that I kept thinking about. He is now a biology professor at SF State, and comes home taking about how exciting it is to teach students about the wonders of science. Mark’s lucky that his career gives him a customizable work schedule with the flexibility to concentrate on his education and research goals while providing time to spend with our family. I’m so excited to see Mark teach our little one the strategy for our favorite board games, or explain how the asparagus grows during our garden’s latest harvest.

Olivia is now 3 years old and is extremely excited about having a sibling. She was adopted when she was an infant; we continue to enjoy our relationship with her birth parents, who care a lot about her. Olivia loves her cousins and friends, and particularly likes being in the water even if it feels very cold to us.

San Francisco, where we live and work, is an amazing place to have a family. We live in an extremely kid-friendly neighborhood which is walking distance to a great playground, what will be our local elementary school, and some great restaurants and shops. Olivia likes riding the bus and subway, so we’ve taken these all over San Francisco. Our backyard has a small space for gardening and a gazebo; this year, we are going to plant garlic, asparagus, and start a blueberry bush. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge are the ocean bluffs of the Marin Headlands, where Olivia has taken a few hikes and met a friendly working horse (via her really nice park ranger-handler). We’re already planning on more exploration— the redwood groves at Big Basin, and mountains of Lassen National Park are all a short drive away.

Both our families are as excited as we are that we're looking to expand our family through adoption. Though we are somewhat far apart (Brent’s family is in Los Angeles; Mark’s in Houston, Boston and Taiwan) we work hard to stay close – by phone, by internet chatting, and by trying to visit frequently. We have both been incredibly thankful to have family that have supported us, nurtured us and demonstrated by example the importance of togetherness, integrity and a positive environment. Our parents have been vocal about their interest in having more grandkids and have already told us they want to come over to babysit. We’re also really lucky to have a great group of friends locally. They have been inspiring examples of work-life balance, demonstrated the joys of parenthood, and have supplied lots of helpful advice. We can’t wait to introduce our new child to his or her cousins and friends and watch them play tag and get in trouble with each other.

When we think forward to our future family, we definitely think of some amazing highlights – travel adventures, a gigantic New Year's family celebration. But we’re most excited about the everyday things: Eating waffles on a Sunday morning; reading a book together; walking to our neighborhood park; riding bikes around town; playing cards; working on homework; planting peas. We’ve done these things so many times, and yet each is still joyful moment we want to share. We believe strongly in an open adoption. We know Olivia is stronger having connections with her birth parents. We also believe strongly in generosity towards each other and extending to our friends, families, and communities. Our promise is to show our child how important it is to be kind, to ourselves and to others.

We are entering this process so excited to expand our family. We strongly want our child to have an ongoing connection to his or her birth family, as we've seen how important this has been for Olivia. We hope to provide a nurturing, supportive environment that brings together our incredible extended families and our friends. As we continue building our family, we are filled with gratitude that you are making this possible for us. We promise to do our all to honor the choice you make, and to raise our child with love, kindness, and some fresh-baked treats, too. We hope you won’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything else we can share about us and our adoption journey.