Ben and Jeffrey
We are so excited to be writing this letter! It has been quite a journey for us up to this point, as we’re sure it has been for you. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us.
We are Ben (left) and Jeffrey. We live in a major Pacific Northwest city. For almost 7 years we have made a life together. We met when we were both singing in a large community chorus. Jeffrey had admired Ben from a distance at rehearsals. Then one day, he saw Ben walking around his place of work. He had his icebreaker! It turned out Ben worked at the same software company. We soon had lunch at the cafeteria, and it just took off from there.
Family is super important to us. Ben grew up in a big Filipino family and was always surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and anyone even remotely related. He was the oldest of 4 children, and much older than his youngest brother and sister. As a result, he grew up helping his mom and dad care for them by changing diapers, reading to and playing with them, babysitting them and their friends, and basically taking them wherever he went. He loved it all, and always thought that one day he would be a parent. Although Jeffrey’s family life wasn’t quite as big and boisterous, it is just as important a part of who he is.
Our combined family is wonderful and diverse. We have really enjoyed finding ways to combine the many family traditions from our respective childhoods, as well as starting a few of our own with family and friends. With Jeffrey’s parents, we buy season tickets to our favorite local theater and see several plays a year. We also attend plenty of baseball games with them and Jeffrey’s brothers throughout the season. Ben’s family get-togethers are a little less formal, and louder. When Ben’s siblings and their families are at our house, we cook, eat, watch movies, and just hang out. Ben’s little nephew and niece have become the stars at these gatherings. Ben has always been very close to his brothers and sister, and their relationship has even deepened over the last 10 years, during which time their mother and father passed away.
We have 3 pets that we adore: Casper, Peanut, and Mitri. We love just watching them do silly things around the house. And the daily walks with Casper are always an adventure!
We both have great careers in the software industry, but really we are just two guys who are down-to-earth, goofy, and curious about the world. We pursue many interests outside of work. Ben is into music, art, cooking, and anything related to home design. Jeffrey still sings in the chorus, plays softball, and works towards his helicopter pilot’s license. We are into great TV and movies. And we love to travel. Already, we have so many wonderful memories from our many road and international trips.
When we decided that we wanted to raise a child together, we were in total agreement that adoption was the way to go. To us, having a child is not about carrying on our own family biology, but simply about being parents. It is all about our role in raising a wonderful human being, and of experiencing the joy and challenges that come with being a family. We also knew that we wanted an open adoption because we believe that it’s so important for an adopted child to know his or her biological parents. We know that having a relationship with our child’s birthparents will be a wonderful journey for all of us, and are looking forward to the many good times we’ll have together.
Ben and Jeffrey