Chris and Jimmy

Dear Birth Parent,

Thank you for taking the time to consider adoption and get to know us. We hope in these few pages, you’ll get an idea about our lives, our passions and why we’d love to be fathers to your child.

We both grew up in small towns in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I (Chris) am
the youngest of three and I (Jimmy) am the eldest of two. We both have strong connections back to our hometowns, and love visiting our families whenever we get a chance. Now we’re ready to raise a family and share amazing adventures and beautiful memories with them.

Ironically, both of our moms decided to raise us as a single parent. Their choice, and the sacrifices our mothers made to provide us with everything they could, have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration to us our whole life. The way they raised us, and all the things they’ve taught us, have given us the confidence to start our own family. We firmly believe in the strength and happiness derived from the bond between people, and that’s why our biggest desire is to build an incredible family of our own.

Chris:

• I ENJOY MAKING OTHERS LAUGH. Every year I go all-out to win my company’s lip sync contest. My send-up of the Genie from Aladdin (complete with the beard and fake abs) earned me first place! (You ain’t never had a friend like me!)
• I ENJOY TEACHING AND HELPING OTHERS. I’m like Mrs. Frizzle, but without the magic school bus. I learned early on
that it’s not about who’s the smartest, but sharing your knowledge with others, and both growing from the experiences you have.
• BY DAY, I’M A USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER. That means I am a problem solver. My career is all about understanding people and how they interact with each other. With that knowledge, I create websites and apps to help people solve their problems.
• BY NIGHT, I’M A STARGAZER. (See what I did there?) I love staring into the night sky, inspired and humbled by understanding our place in the galaxy. I can’t wait to see our future child’s reaction when they take their first peek through our telescope.

Jimmy:

• I’M A GRAPHIC DESIGNER BY TRADE and an artist by heart. Art has been a major part of my life, from childhood with crayons to adulthood with a computer mouse. I love taking an idea and bringing it to life.
• 
I enjoy COOKING and have a fondness for baking. I wouldn’t say that I am Top Chef status (yet!), but I do like to experiment and explore different flavors and spices. Everything is nice with a touch of sweetness. (My favorite go-to is red velvet cupcakes!)
• I am a CHILD AT HEART. I think it’s important to not lose the spirit of curiosity and wonderment for the world around us. I love to learn new things, and can’t wait to teach our future child to turn over every rock and learn what’s underneath.
• When it comes to doing stuff around the house, I’M NOT AFRAID TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY. You could say I’m all for the DIY (Do It Yourself) lifestyle. Painting? Plumbing? Planting? I can assemble anything from IKEA blindfolded!

Family and friends are incredibly important to us. We also strive to put our relationships first, in everything that we do.

As I (Chris) grew up, I helped raise my nieces and nephews, and I spoiled them rotten. I was known as “the smart uncle” who was always there to help them with their science fair projects or explain complex concepts in algebra and geometry. It was inspiring to see them draw connections as they learned new things, just as I had done years before.

Growing up in a single parent house, I (Jimmy) played both the role of the older brother, and the man of the house. I was largely responsible for raising my little brother, helping him with homework or pushing him to work hard towards his goals. Now that he’s starting down the path of his own family, and the journey of fatherhood, he’s told me how he wants to be the inspiring, positive influence to his family as I was to him.

For both of us, spending time together with our families is something we hold very close to our hearts.

Every major holiday, we all share a huge meal and spend time with each other. At Christmas, it’s no surprise to see our extended families, several cousins and their families, and an equal number of friends and their own families joining together for delicious food, and excellent stories and laughs. I (Chris) wish you could have seen the joy in my mom’s eyes when she excitedly realized that we could celebrate Christmas the way we did when I was younger, with tons of gifts and the opportunity to spoil a new grandkid.

For over twenty years, I (Chris) have been an uncle to four wonderful nephews and four beautiful nieces. Though they’re excited about having a new cousin, they’re also excited for me to become a dad. But you don’t have to take my word for it — here are their thoughts.

“Uncle Chris has always been a role model to me. He always encouraged me in school, and was a trusted friend while I dealt with my stressful teenage years. I think he would be an amazing dad!”

– TANNER, AGE 22

“My uncle Chris always makes me laugh. Even when I’m having a bad day. His hugs are the best. He’s definitely the smartest one in our family. I love him so much, and really want him to become a dad!”

– BRETNEY, AGE 16

“Uncle Chris has always been there for me. When my mom went through her divorce, he was by her side to help support her. Usually that meant helping pick me up after school and taking me to my soccer games. He’s definitely the kind of dad I wish I had. He tells corny jokes, but we still love him.”

– LONDON, AGE 11

“Chris is going to be an incredible father. I remember growing up how we’d always play video games together, and how when I turned 16, he taught me how to drive. He’s got a great heart, and a good head on his shoulders. His child is going to be very lucky to have Chris for his dad.”

– DYLAN, AGE 22

STORYTELLING — Whether it was hearing a fairy tale while being tucked in at night, or gathering around to watch the latest episode of a favorite TV show (usually Star Trek), we grew up with an appreciation of the power of stories. One of the things about becoming fathers that we look forward to the most is a chance to put our future child to bed every night with a story.

MOVIES & TV — We both appreciate great movies and TV. This year, we have embarked on watching every single Disney film, from the very beginning. We’ve only watched a handful so far, but each one is memorable for its exciting story or its impact on history or our culture.

FOOD — We’re both quite the connoisseurs of Texas’ own flavor — Mexican food that we affectionately affectionally call “texmex”. It’s incredible how you can make such wildly different dishes with the same basic ingredients. My (Chris’s) speciality are some delicious enchiladas!

SCIENCE FICTION — We’re both total science fiction nerds. The incredible stories and characters are such an inspiration for a creative imagination. Sci-fi is important to us because it is just different enough different from today’s world to give you the freedom to discuss complex issues and tackle problems we face today.

ADULTING — I (Chris) never really thought this was something I’d call “a passion,” but so many of my friends tell me how good I am at adulting — or just being an adult. I find joy in the basic things, like doing laundry, or filing my taxes, or cleaning my house. My all time favorite thing? Organizing. Crazy, I know.

CREATIVE — We’re also very creative individuals. Whether it’s designing a mobile app, or building with LEGO, we enjoy creating things. It’s rewarding to imagine something in your head, design it, and bring it to life. We’re definitely looking forward to play time with our future child.

Our Home and Community

The Plano/Frisco area where we live is a beautiful and vibrant community. There are countless great schools, both public and private, and they are all highly rated. The community is very safe, and even has the lowest crime rate of any city in Texas!

Fortunately, I (Chris) also have the flexibility to work from home, which will be great for raising a little one. We love living in the suburbs, and being so close to friends and family, with all the conveniences of shopping, food and work just blocks away.

We love to host friends and family at our house, whether it’s for a movie night, game night or just to catch up and enjoy each other’s company. And when the holidays come around, we love to decorate. It’s a habit in our family. Almost every room has a Christmas tree!

We promise…

• that your child will always be loved and supported.
• that we will provide a stable, safe and financially secure home.
• to teach your child how to shake every gift under the Christmas tree.
• to make corny dad jokes (and with two dads, that’s like double the jokes! See. That was one right there.)
• that we will ignite your child’s imagination, and encourage them to explore and discover the beauty of the world around them.
• to give your child boundaries, so they feel safe and secure, but also have the space and freedom they need to grow.
• that your child will always know how much love when into their adoption and the incredibly courageous and selfless decision that you chose for them.
• to check for monsters under the bed.

Our Final Thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and considering us to be the fathers to your child. You’re an incredibly brave individual, and we admire your courage to help your child have the best possible future. This is an exciting journey and we’re truly thrilled to begin the next chapter of our lives. Our final promise to you is to be the best possible dads that we can be.

Chris & Ryan