Corbin and Matthew

Hello – we are Corbin (pictured right) and Matthew (pictured left) and we appreciate you taking the time to get to know us a bit.

We have lived in Seattle since 2013 and have made our home in a neighborhood at the south end of the city. Corbin is an assistant principal at a dual language elementary school where he is able to speak Spanish each day, and Matthew teaches Kindergarten at a school just around the corner from our home. We met eight years ago in Texas when Corbin saw a video online of Matthew teaching and reached out. We soon became pen pals—as did our students . We connected over the shared belief that all children have a voice that can change the world but not all are encouraged to use it. After many pieces of mail were exchanged and a brief stint as friends, we realized our relationship was bound for more and began dating. Two years later, we were married in the company of the people we love most .

When we’re not teaching (or talking about teaching or reading about teaching), we enjoy individual and shared hobbies. A typical free day brings Corbin (probably) to a spin class, (definitely) to a good book, and (repeatedly) to a cup of coffee. Matthew’s free day starts with a morning yoga flow. He follows it with a project in the kitchen, perhaps experimenting with a new biscuit recipe, or a project around the house, like re-alphabetizing his children’s literature collection . We enjoy doing puzzles together and preparing for our next themed party, as hosting is one way that we show love to our community. Our most recent party was our 3rd Annual Blush and Bashful: Summer Kickoff, an afternoon that included a bubble machine, some elusive Seattle sunshine, and a winking tribute to Steel Magnolias, one of our favorite movies. We look forward to building new traditions and annual parties and celebrations with our children and their birth family. When we imagine raising a child, we are excited to share our passion of reading books, co-writing a family cookbook, and learning new skills and ideas from the family and community that surrounds us and putting those to work to change the world.

As we have reflected on what family means to us, we realize we have found family in so many ways and in so many people – in our brothers and in friends, our parents and peers, mentors and students, people with whom we agree on practically everything and people with whom we have profound and substantial differences . We value that openness in adoption offers everyone involved the opportunity to share all of the relationships and stories that form their family. It also challenges the world to expand its understanding of what family is and what it can look like. As queer people, this idea of chosen family is a part of our story and the story of the queer people who came before us. A chosen family provides the opportunity to have a wider network of individuals that love you and take care of you. We are enthusiastic to raise a child who will be loved and taken care of by a wide community of people. We will carry this belief into our open adoption. With our child’s birth family, we will expand our community and write our next chapter. We look forward to braiding together the stories of our child, their birth family, and the growth that can come from new relationships and journeys .

With joy,
Corbin and Matthew