Welcome! Meet:

Matt + Wayne

K - 6 Elementary School Teacher / Operations Associate

Hawaii

Asian

Catholic / Christian

All About Matt & Wayne
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Matt & Wayne

Aloha! Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us! We hope to paint a better picture of the family and upbringing we can raise your child in. And, if you so choose, we will be honored to be a part of this journey with you.

We are Matt and Wayne from Oahu, Hawaii, and we've been together since 2011, married since 2017, and we have been looking forward to being parents since the early years of our relationship. Matt was born in Taiwan and, very fortunately, was adopted by his loving adoptive parents from Hawaii. He has an older sister who is also adopted (from Korea). Matt and his sister are very close, and have many open conversations about their lives as adoptees and enjoy discussing their experiences. Wayne was born and raised in Oahu and his parents are Issei, both immigrants from Japan. From them, he has learned the value of hard work and family. He is also the middle child of three - he has two sisters both are married and live in California. Each of our siblings have young children of their own and we have loved watching them grow. Our family is very important to us and we love spending as much time with them as possible.

Why Adoption?

Being fathers is a shared life-goal between us. We love children and have always wanted those of our own. It wasn't until 2017, when we started our conversations about having children specifically through adoption. For Wayne, Matt served as testament to a successful adoption and so we always naturally gravitated towards it.

Family & Home

We are both very close with our families. Matt's sister and her family live on Oahu so we are able to see them quite often. His parents have both passed away. Although Matthew and his sister are 8 years apart, they are each other's best friends and support systems. We are lucky to be able to spend a lot of time with our nephew because we live close to each other. We love to explore and build things with him.

Wayne's parents live on Oahu, but his sisters and their families live in California. Luckily they come home to Hawaii often so we are able to see them annually. Whenever we have an opportunity to spend time with our nieces, we take it! We love playing and creating projects with them.

We surround ourselves with friends who we’ve known for years - most of our friends are from our college years and childhood. We’re at an age where many of our friends have children of their own and we have loved being a part of their growing families. We enjoy spending time with our friends and family as often as we can and enjoy bonding with our little nieces and nephews.

How others describe me

About Wayne by Matt: Wayne’s personality is very infectious - he just has a way of making those around him feel welcomed and happy. I was initially attracted to Wayne because of this as well as his confidence and ability to make me laugh. Those still hold true but having been together since 2011, I’ve also learned how loyal and loving he is as a partner, and that his love for his family holds priority above everything else. He ensures that his parents are cared for and healthy and he is the best friend to our nephew and nieces. He is my rock whom I depend on for advice and support.

About Matt by Wayne: Matthew’s child-like personality is what drew me in. He is always making me laugh and reminding me to just have fun. Although he can be playful, he also knows how to work hard and focus on the important things. When I become overwhelmed with different things, he helps me to ground myself and guides me through. And most of all he is family focused; Matthew is always thinking about his family and mine. He understands that family is important and we should continuously keep them close. He puts his loved ones first, including his friends and me, showing me how selfless he can be.

How We Met

We first met in 2004 during our early years of college. Our friends were dating so we saw each other quite often. We fell out of touch when Wayne graduated in 2008 and began his teaching career. It wasn't until we reconnected in December 2010 when Matt was going through the education program and reached out to Wayne for teaching advice. In the beginning of 2011, we started dating.

Prior to us dating, Wayne had already made plans to move to Seattle to have the experience of living on the mainland. Wayne left and moved to Seattle at the end of that summer so we spent most of 2011 and 2012 apart. We knew our relationship was special, so we decided to commit to a long distance relationship. Although we were physically apart for a year, we prioritized one another and stayed in close communication, which helped us become a strong unit very quickly. Wayne moved back in the fall of 2012 where we were finally able to grow together without the distance. Four years later Wayne proposed!

Advice to Future Child

We will love you unconditionally. Be excited with your wonders, grow from your mistakes, and love yourself and others with all of your heart. We will always pick you up when you fall, love you at your worst, and celebrate you at your best. We will provide for you and support you throughout your life as you face hurdles and accomplish your goals.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We have an open and honest relationship with one another and it’s important that we have one with our children as well. After learning more about open adoptions and having many discussions about it, we understand how important it is for our child to know their roots in order to build a healthy identity. Matt also holds his biological mother with great esteem and respect, and it is important for us that our child shares the same sentiments toward their biological mother. Whether it be through answering our child’s questions, sharing pictures and letters, or meeting together with their biological mother, our child will always know their story.

Favorites

Matt

Favorite Movie: Moulin Rouge - I wish I could see it again for the first time!
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: I love Christmas, so nothing’s better than decorating our home, setting up the tree, spending time with family, and opening presents on Christmas Day.
Hobbies/Interests: I love trying new foods, traveling, watching movies, and listening to music. I enjoy spending time with my family doing pretty much anything - watching a movie or even doing yard work.
Dream Vacation: I’ve never been to Japan so taking a trip there with my husband and his family would be an experience. They would definitely know which places to eat at, how to navigate the busy cities, etc. Also, Disney Sea is there and it’s known as one of the best Disney theme parks!
If I Could Choose a Superpower: telekinesis - Who wouldn’t want to simply move things with their mind?

Wayne

Favorite Movie: Can't choose one
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas
Hobbies/Interests: gardening, cooking, watching TV/movies, traveling
Dream Vacation: European Cruise
If I Could Choose a Superpower: teleportation