Family & Home

Our home in Chandler, Arizona, is a calm and cozy place where friends and family feel welcome and where we hope a child will feel safe and completely loved. It’s filled with sunlight, laughter, and (usually) the smell of something good baking in the kitchen. We share it with our two dogs, Nikki and Bo, who bring fun and affection to our everyday life. They’re gentle, playful, and always close by, usually following us from room to room or waiting by the door for their next walk.

We love spending time in our backyard, whether we’re swimming, gardening, or sitting under the string lights at night, talking about our day. It’s a space that already feels full of love, and we can easily imagine it echoing with a child’s laughter (and the dogs happily joining in).

Our neighborhood is safe, diverse, and full of life, with nearby parks, bike trails, and a library we visit often. We walk or ride our bikes to the farmers' market and know many of our neighbors by name. It’s the kind of community where people wave from their driveways and stop to chat on evening walks.

Family plays a big role in our lives. John’s mom, sister, and brother all live nearby, and Sunday dinners with them have become a cherished weekly tradition. Sam’s parents and sister’s family live out of state, but we stay close through frequent visits, video calls, and shared traditions, such as baking cookies at Christmas and seeing the holiday lights together. Our friends and their children are like extended family, too, and we can’t wait for our child to grow up surrounded by so much love and support.