Brook and Deanna

We are Brook & Deanna from Southern California. We are humbled by your courage and strength in choosing adoption for your child. Because Brook’s parents placed a child for adoption before she was born, we know how hard that decision is and how important it is to find the right family for your child. We want your child to know how brave you are and how deep your love is for them. And we want you to know that we are so excited to give your child a hopeful future, full of deep love, security, adventure, and meaning. Thank you for considering us as parents for your child.

We have long considered adoption even before meeting each other. We are blessed with our two boys, Brook’s biological children from a previous marriage, William (17) and Jeremy (15), and are also excited to grow our family through adoption. Now that we are settled into our new home, and each have well established careers, we are ready to add another child to our family.

About Us: We first met at one of Deanna’s best friends’ houses, but neither of us was looking for love at that time. A couple years later our paths crossed again. This time we were excited to get to know each other better. Our first date was lunch at one of our favorite Mexican Food restaurants, followed by a beach walk. Deanna patiently got to know Brook’s young sons, and Deanna’s parents lovingly opened their home to the three. Before we all knew it, we were a family.

After eight years together, we finally decided to get married.  With only four days’ notice, the event had the perfect amount of intimacy. Deanna’s Mom, a minister, agreed to marry us under the oak trees at one of our favorite places. Our sons were our witnesses and a few of our best friends were there.  Our open heartedness, loyalty & sense of adventure has kept us all together through thick and thin.

Things We Love Doing Together:

Our family loves food. Any one of us can be seen cooking a healthy dinner for the family on any given night. We all love being creative with local and nutritious ingredients, and cooking foods from different cultures.

Our Top 5 Dishes We Love to Make as a Family:

1. Lasagna
2. Enchiladas
3. Tacos
4. Sushi
5. Indian Saag

We also LOVE to travel. Whether it’s road tripping around the state or flying across an ocean, scrambling over boulders, or jumping in rivers and lakes, we are happy exploring together! We look forward to including your child on our adventures!

Our Top 5 Favorite Traveling Adventures:

1. Snorkeling in Hawaii
2. Rock climbing in Joshua Tree
3. Exploring food, culture, and beaches in Oaxaca
4. Wildlife conservation in Australia with wombats
5. Swimming in natural Lakes and Rivers at Mount Shasta

Our Favorite Things to Do When we Camp:

• Hike
• S’mores (of course!)
• Craft with natural materials
• Build a fire
• Hang out with our friends

I grew up in Southern California with an older sister who tragically passed away when I was 12. Because of this loss, I cultivated several very close friendships, which have formed our extended family. I attended college in Oregon, Hawaii, California and Arizona where I earned my Master’s Degree in Ecology. A highlight of my education was studying abroad in Southern Africa and working with endangered cheetah populations.

I ran my own chocolate company for 10 years until last year when I sold it. I now develop products for a food and wellness company which allows for a flexible schedule working only 3 days a week.

Deanna by Brook: When I met Deanna, I was intrigued by all of the amazing work she had done in the world to educate people about how to care for the earth and their bodies.  I felt like I had met my match and was so excited to have a friend who had dreams and ambitions to inspire me with mine.

Deanna is creative, adventurous, playful and loving. Deanna keeps us on our toes and reminds us to smile and have fun no matter how serious life gets. Deanna can make a delicious meal or treat out of anything, and continues to guide us on making healthy choices. Deanna is a tremendous athlete, whether it’s surfing, snowboarding, playing soccer, or backpacking. Her art and music inspire us and those around her to be creative. Our friends and family rely on her wisdom and advice when they need help making decisions. Deanna is fiercely loyal to her friends and family, and for that reason I have inherited some of the most amazing relationships of my life.

I grew up in Los Angeles as the oldest of three.  I excelled at academics and athletics in school.  I played softball and swam competitively in high school, and played Water Polo in college. During college, I studied abroad in Australia for a year and had many amazing adventures. I double majored in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics.  After college, I traveled to Asia as an Engineer.

I started my own business installing rainwater tanks and advocating for water conservation in our community. Owning my own business has allowed me the flexibility needed to raise Will and Jeremy, as well as our future child.

Curiosity is one of the things I have never lost. I find joy in new experiences, big things and tiny things. I can be found outside looking under rocks, admiring the raptors in the sky, or finding little treasures like a plant or animal in an unexpected place. Sharing this wonder in the world around me is something I most look forward to sharing with your child.  I love reading books and I cannot wait to share my love of reading with your child.

Brook by Deanna: When I first met Brook, I was in awe of her caring nature, generosity and sense of adventure. After meeting her two boys, I was inspired by her as a parent and I did not want to be apart from her or the boys! I definitely met my perfect partner!

Brook is always willing to show up and help her friends and people in the community. She has an optimistic, can-do attitude, and is always willing to try something new. Brook loves the wilderness, birds, exploring waterfalls, going to the zoo and wild animal park, crafts, camping, appreciating other cultures and learning about history.

The Amazing Community We Call Home: We are fortunate to live in Southern California where we have easy access to beaches, mountains, and deserts. A quick trip into San Diego gives us access to museums, the World Famous San Diego Zoo, and Sea World.

We have spent the last three years designing and building two houses, which we recently finished. We have shared this dream with our friends who have a 6-year-old daughter, Zoe. We now live next door to each other on our 17-acre farm, where we are planting fruit trees and vegetable gardens. In addition to our two cats, Shasta and Milo, we have nine quail and two tortoises. We are looking forward to adding sheep, chickens and a llama.

The houses have been a labor of love with our community, with so many of our friends contributing their hands and their hearts to construction.  We are truly grateful to have such an amazing community and look forward to sharing in the joys of raising our future child with this incredible support network.

Will (17) is one of the most caring and intelligent people you will meet. He melts into a puddle around babies and kittens. He excels in school, loves playing baseball, and building Lego sets, and has amazing skills with woodworking and art. He is looking forward to beginning a degree in Mechanical Engineering in the Fall.

Jeremy (15) is a sensitive and creative soul. He’s not afraid to speak up for the underdog and calls people out when they say and do things that are cruel or unfair. He is exceedingly gentle and patient with his cousins and the little friends in our life. Jeremy can be found bicycling around the neighborhood or jumping on his trampoline.

Our Family & Friends: We have a very close relationship to Deanna’s parents who live about an hour away from us. Besides celebrating holidays together, they are a couple of our favorite travel companions.

Brook’s family is more spread out. We love camping with Ashley, Brook’s sister and our nephew Teague. We love taking road trips up to Oregon to visit Brook’s parents at “Camp Road’s End,” as we refer to their log cabin in the woods.

From beach days to camping trips to celebrations, your child will be surrounded by loving family

and friends. We have such great support from friends and family, and have so many young children in our lives, we know your child will be welcomed with joy and love!

One Last Thank You: We are filled with deep gratitude at the opportunity to expand our family and our hearts through this brave choice you are making. We are excited to share the love, adventure, and community we have created with our future child. We look forward to seeing the world through their eyes as we all grow together as a family.  We promise to give your child the tools and self-confidence to explore the richness and beauty of the world. With unconditional love we will nurture your child’s individuality, curiosity, and compassion.

• Brook & Deanna