What we love most about being parents to a two-year-old is pretty mundane. It's answering the same question eight times before 8am, taking 10 extra minutes to tie shoes. It's the walk to daycare where she insists on holding hands the whole way as she and dad are happy to be outside to greet neighbors, hear birds and watch gardens grow. It's watching her try something new, fail at it, and then decide to try again anyway.

We also didn't expect to love the routine in the day-to-day and the time we get to spend just "doing life together" as much as we do. On some nights, everyone might be a little tired, dinner isn't ready, someone might be crying — and that crying may even be coming from the two-year-old every once in a while — and yet the world seems right.

The thing that currently speaks to us most right now is that when she's tired, startled by something or just worn out, she comes to us. She'll grab whichever dad is closest and just hold tight. We know that won't always be the case, so we're trying to be present for it while it is.

We love watching her figure out who she is — her opinions, her humor, the things that light her up. We ask her lots of questions because we're curious about how she thinks. Parenting has made us both more patient and more honest, and we think she's had a lot to do with that.

Our traditions are a mix of the intentional and the accidentally-became-mandatory. Some come from our extended families, some from the chosen family we've built in Chicago, and some just stuck because we kept doing them. The recurring ones matter most to us. Friday night is pizza/movie/games — non-negotiable. Sunday mornings usually mean the bakery or a treat after the farmer's market. In the summer we make a point of getting to the Lake often and celebrating Pride Month with parades and community events. We also spend time in nature and in quieter environments with family; we often go to our family's old farmstead in northern Wisconsin, which has become one of our favorite ways to slow down and get out of the city for a bit. We host Easter every spring with Mike's family in town. Thanksgiving tradition includes Bowling on Black Friday with all the cousins. There's an annual extended family summer camp reunion — lots of swimming, biking, campfires and being outside. And we spend a week each summer at the cottage with our family, which grows in meaning to us every year. Smaller traditions mean just as much. Supporting Uncle Eddie's races and celebrating with a meal after. Uncle Josh's art shows. We grill with neighbors and friends on nice days. None of it is elaborate — we just keep showing up, and that's kind of the point. We want our kids to grow up knowing that's what you do for the people you love.

Michael comes from adoptive parents—his mom was adopted by her mother's second husband and his dad was adopted from an orphanage. When we started discussing how to grow our family, adoption was a natural first option for us because of Michael's own family story. Although we considered other ways to grow our family, it was ultimately important to us to explore adoption as our first step.

Simply put, we see no greater honor, responsibility and opportunity for our family than to be a safe, secure, inclusive, loving space for a child.

We live in a walkable, friendly and activity-filled community in Chicago where we've raised our daughter Flora for the last few years. We love the restaurants, coffee shops, parks and activities that surround us, being a short walk or bike ride away, or close enough to push Flora on her little toddler training bike. We love our neighborhood; chock-full of families out at parks, the farmer's markets, family-friendly events and outings, concerts and other happenings in neighborhood. Our favorite memories are of warm late summer nights when neighbors are out walking their dogs, visiting with each other on porches and front steps, getting ice cream (our favorite, Black Dog Gelato, is just a few blocks away) and running, playing and biking around. The sense of joy and easy community is what we love and value.

Although we value the family-friendly sensibility of where we live, we also love being enmeshed in the culture across the city of Chicago. We can walk or bike to events in the parks, and easily go to shows and concerts. Holiday and seasonal events are just a bike or train ride away. Getting to the beach on Lake Michigan is easy, and we love spending summer mornings there or at parks as a family.

Our home is where there's warmth and calm. We have a big, open kitchen, a family room for hanging out, a den/office for reading and calm evenings, a big kitchen table for meals and family games and plants everywhere.

Mike's family is small but close — tight-knit, loving, and fiercely devoted. Though most live in Michigan, we travel often and make sure we foster close, real relationships there. They are curious, adventurous people who love deeply and show up without hesitation. Your child would be welcomed not just warmly, but wholly. Protected, celebrated, and cherished as an irreplaceable part of the family.

Luke's family is larger and just as warm. Cousins of all ages, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and an extended family honestly too big to count — all of them loving, loyal, and always ready to gather. Traditions matter deeply to them. Showing up for each other is simply what they do. A new addition would be welcomed and swept up into the traditions, connections, relationships and love that fuels a big family— full of laughter, a history built together, and unconditional love.

We also deeply value the community we've built around us here in Chicago. Over the years, close friends have become true family — people who already love our two-year-old daughter, Flora, as their own and would embrace another child with that same openness and joy. They are present, caring, and genuinely invested in our kids' lives. Together, they create a world around our family that is rich with togetherness, belonging, and the kind of love that shows up — not just on the big days, but every day.

To You,

We want you to know, first and foremost, how much it means to us that you're taking the time to get to know our family. We understand what it takes - the courage, the openness, the love - to be on this path, and we hold what you're experiencing with so much respect and care. We are truly grateful to be thought of, and we don't take it lightly for even a moment.

Eleven years ago, we went on our first date and our lives crashed into each other. And we started building a life together with a simple idea at the heart of it: show up fully, love hard, and make the most of every day (whether that's an all-out adventure or quietly spent on the couch with a book or a movie). That's still how we try to live. Over the years, we've put down deep roots with our loving Chicago community, in our neighborhood and through our friendships. We've also been lucky to stay very close to two big, warm, extended families. Some of whom live hours away, but with whom we still get together often and who are always close in all the ways that count. That village surrounds us every day, and it would surround your child too.

Nearly three years ago, our daughter Flora came into our lives and cracked our hearts open in ways we didn't know were possible. She is funny and curious and already has strong opinions about which playground activities are best, whether Dad or Papa wins the funny face contest, and how awesome it is to make new friends everywhere she goes. Watching her grow has been the greatest joy. We talk about how lucky we are, how big life becomes with a child. And we know deeply that the sense of fullness would only grow if we were lucky enough to welcome your child into our family.

Most days, you'll find us out in the world with Flora (and our dog) in tow. Biking through the neighborhoods, exploring the Chicago lakeshore, or lingering over juice and pastries on Sunday mornings, which has very quickly become one of our family's favorite rituals. We love the big moments and the quiet ones equally. Playground meetups with friends. Neighborhood festivals in the summer. Beach weekends and long lake days with family. The sweet, beautiful chaos of getting everyone out the door in the morning and the slow wind-down at night, full of books and songs, recaps of the day and family cleanups so we can do it all again tomorrow. These are the moments that make up a life, and we want to share all of them. What we value most, and what we try to live by every day: showing up for the people you love. Helping your neighbor. Not taking yourself too seriously. Kindness and silliness in equal measure. Good food. Art. Adventures big and small. Loving any music you can dance to. Books. An open door and an open heart. We want our children to grow up knowing that the world is wide and generous and full of people worth knowing, and that they are worth being seen and known by their world. And that home is always the place they can come back to.

We know how much it matters for a child to feel, deep to their core, that they belong. That they are loved and seen and held by people who would do anything for them. If you were to choose us, we would make sure your child always knew that the story of how they came to us began with love. Your love, first. We would honor that by keeping you connected through letters, photos, videos, and whatever ongoing relationship feels right and good for everyone, most of all your child.

We are two dads, married six years and together eleven years, who feel genuinely lucky every single day to get to do this. We don't take your decision lightly. We know how much is carried in it, and we hold that with care. Thank you for considering us.

Luke & Michael