Hello!

We are Michael and Grace, thank you for taking time to look at our profile! We are excited to start our family as first-time parents! We live in Portland, where we have a cozy home with cats and dogs. Michael is a skills trainer helping kids in a treatment program manage their day and also a graduate student studying to become a marriage and family therapist. Grace is a high school social studies and Spanish teacher. We are both 29 years old and have been married for 5 years. Our story began when we met in 2015 as graduate students of teaching. We fell in love over a shared sense of fun, adventure and close family values.

Outside of work, we enjoy quality time together with our dogs, friends and family. On weekends we love to explore the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. Some of our favorite memories as a couple include long walks while playing fetch on the Oregon coast, hiking in the Columbia River Gorge and snowshoeing on Mt Hood to find a Christmas tree. At home we love to enjoy warm cups of tea while reading fiction, cooking together, painting or watching shows that make us laugh. We value intentional time with family, having meals together and making the effort to see our siblings and parents.

Grace is a fiercely intelligent advocate and loyal friend. She does not hesitate to stand up for what is right or speak up when she sees something wrong. She is an avid athlete and runs every day with our two dogs who need lots of exercise. Grace believes it’s important to stay informed and engaged in the community and hopes to pass these values onto our future children. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she also believes in the importance of being bilingual and wants all our future children to be so as well. Grace wants our children to grow up in a home knowing quality vegetarian cooking, classic country music and warm cuddles with pets.

Michael is a steady presence who looks for the good in others. Growing up and in his work, he has always been a peacemaker trying to resolve conflict. He loves to play and have fun and can get lost in all manner of games with friends and family. Michael values being able to pursue passions and hobbies and wants our children to have the time and resources to pursue the parts of life that interest them. Coming from a blended family, he understands the value in being able to hold different and complicated relationships. He wants our children to grow up in a home knowing barbecue, 90s hip-hop and family game nights.

Adoption is something we have been excited about since we were first engaged. Grace’s younger brother was adopted, so adoption has always been a part of our family story. We value open adoption because we believe the most important thing a child can have is as many loved ones as possible in their life. In our community, we want our child to be around adults who care about each other and can work together through the challenges and unpredictability in life. We hope our future birth family shares these values with us and we are excited to work alongside them to provide the best life for our child.