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Married Since: 2025

Pets: Yes

Stay at Home Parent: No

Other Adopted Children at Home: No

Other Biological Children at Home: No

We are a kind, adventurous couple who love to have fun. As educators, we believe deeply in curiosity, compassion, joy and growth. We come from a large close-knit family that is excited to welcome another child to the “cousin crew” with open arms.

Lauren and Ray

from California

 

Lauren

Ancestry: European

Religion: Not Religious

Occupation: Summer Camp Director

Education: BA in Education

Hobbies: Cooking, playing board games, hiking, camping

Ray

Ancestry: Irish, English

Religion: Not Religious

Occupation: Nonprofit Management

Education: Masters in Education

Hobbies: Gardening, board games, camping, reading, art

Baby

Preferred Ethnicity of Baby: All Races / Ethnicities

Preferred Gender of Baby: Either

Religion Child To Be Raised: Not Religious

Favorites

Lauren

My favorite vacation spot is a family vacation home called "The Home House" that overlooks the sound on the Washington coast.
I can't live without music! I love to have music on in the background when I'm working, cooking, working out. Some of my favorite artists are Billie Eilish, Courtney Barnett, Clairo, Harry Styles and Olivia Dean.
My favorite hobby is cooking. Each year I give myself a new focus area to practice, and this year it's baking.
I'm lucky enough to have my dream job as a Camp Director at a residential summer camp. I get to plan all year to pull off a magical camp experience for around 2,000 kids each summer. I can't wait to share my love of summer camp and all it has to offer with my future kids.

Ray

My favorite hobby is gardening. I love to grow vegetables for Lauren to cook for us, as well as flowers and unique plants.
I can't wait to take our future child to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - an amusement park on the beach that I grew up going to all the time.
We have a family house off the coast of Seattle, where we often vacation and can see harbor seals from the front porch!
When I was a teacher, my favorite part of the day was storytime. I already have a huge collection of my favorite children's books and I can't wait to spend time reading to our future kid.
My favorite season activity is decorating the house for Christmas, especially cutting down the tree and watching Christmas movies.
Two friends or partners smile for a photo, arms around each other, outdoors near water on a sunny day.
Two friends smiling for a selfie along the Seine River with boats, a bridge, and trees in the background (Paris).
Two people smile and hug in a lush greenhouse surrounded by potted plants and a water feature.
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From Us to You

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We know you’re making an important decision, and we deeply appreciate the care and thought you’re putting into it. It means a lot to us to have the chance to share who we are and the kind of life we hope to offer a child.

We are a kind, adventurous pair who believe deeply in creating a home full of joy, curiosity, and safety. As educators, we’ve built our lives around nurturing growth, celebrating individuality, and showing up with patience and compassion for the kids in our lives. Our family reflects these same values and any child growing up in our home will be welcomed into a large, close-knit family, including eight cousins and two loving grandparents who are already looking forward to a new little one!

Most importantly, your child would be cherished every single day. We would make sure they feel secure, encouraged, and surrounded by warmth. Our home is a place where kids are free to be themselves, full of games and joy, and a lot of time exploring outdoors.

We are looking forward to getting to know you better and are open to creating a relationship and communication flow that feels best for you. Whether you prefer ongoing updates, occasional check‑ins, or a more open connection, we will honor your comfort level and support the kind of relationship you want. You will always be spoken of with respect, gratitude, and love.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. No matter what you decide, we hope you feel peace and confidence in your choice. We recognize how personal this journey is, and we hold that with deep respect.

Two smiling women sit on wooden steps outside a light-blue door with a small gray dog on one woman's lap, holding orange cups.
Two friends smiling for a selfie on a sunny beach boardwalk, with a white roller coaster and ocean behind them.
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Why We Are Choosing to Adopt

As a queer couple, we knew we had multiple routes to choose from to become parents. After thinking through all of our options, it just felt right to choose adoption. We have both always dreamed of being parents and look forward to the possibility of welcoming a child into our home. Ray’s youngest sister was “adopted” into the family when she was 16. Ray’s oldest sister has also been a foster mom. The definition of family has never been restricted to biology for us, so it feels very natural for adoption to be how we are choosing to start our family.

Two women pose together in front of a large tree, smiling; one wears a dark green top with sunglasses, the other a blue floral dress, outdoors.
Two people in a backyard handle a blue water container and coiled hose near a wooden fence and a purple shed in daylight.
Two people pose on a wooden deck beside a colossal tree labeled 'Big Tree' with an informational plaque nearby showing its size and age.
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Our Life At Camp

We met as camp directors and both feel very passionate about the role of camp in childhood. Lauren’s job as a camp director for the YMCA has gifted us an incredible community and a beautiful place to live in the Santa Cruz mountains. Our child will grow up not just attending summer camp, but living at one! We hope this will mean a childhood of adventure, so many friends, and so many mentors in the rich community we have built for ourselves here.

Two people in a kitchen: a seated woman points at a magazine while a standing person with a notebook looks on.
Two people smiling in a close-up selfie outdoors, with trees and a colorful floral curtain in the background.
Two friends smiling for a beach selfie at sunset with a large rock formation in the distance on the left side of the frame.
A group of people posing together in a field of bright sunflowers, smiling and enjoying themselves.
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Lifestyle

We live in a small forest town just twenty minutes from the beach, surrounded by the family we moved here to be close to. Our eight nieces and nephews, ranging in age from newborn to 8 years old, fill our days with fun and excitement and so much laughter. As lifelong educators, kids have always been an important part of our lives. We met as summer camp directors and camp has always been a central part of our lives. We currently live just down the road from the YMCA camp Lauren directs, in a close‑knit community of friends and colleagues who feel like extended family. Our future child will grow up in a summer camp world — swimming in the river, climbing the rock wall, and sharing daily adventures with the five other families who live on site.

As a couple, we love to cook, play games, go camping, travel whenever we can, and make the most of every day in this beautiful place we call home. Our home is full of games, music, books, a big yard to explore, and lots of love.

Smiling couple posing in a Paris park with the Eiffel Tower in the background and green trees around them.
Two friends sitting close together on a ferry, smiling at the camera with a body of water and distant shoreline visible outside the windows.
Smiling woman wearing glasses holds a black-and-white cat outdoors, beside a wooden fence and red house with string lights.
Woman in a blue fleece jacket holding a small Schnauzer on a ferry deck with water in the background and railing nearby.
Close-up of a gray cat with green eyes, indoors, looking to the side and showcasing whiskers and ear details.
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Fun Facts About Us

  • Some of our favorite things to do together are cook, play games, and go camping.
  • We have 8 nieces and nephews.
  • We have a mini schnauzer named Cozmo and two kitties named Avery and Atticus.
  • We love to play Mario Kart together.
  • We traveled to Paris for our honeymoon.
  • We’ve road-tripped across Ireland together.
  • We love music, and it’s rare that our house doesn’t have some playing in the background.
Smiling woman in a rust-colored shirt stands by the riverfront in Paris, with boats and a bridge in the background.
Two smiling people, a woman and a young girl, stand together outdoors near a wooden railing and log cabin with trees in the background.
Smiling woman in a navy sweater and jeans stands against a bright abstract mural with blues, pinks, and yellows.
Woman smiles at camera while holding a yellow bowl of blackberries outdoors by a lake, wearing a cap and striped shirt.
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About Lauren by Ray

Lauren and I fell in love at summer camp, where I was immediately drawn to her compassion, dedication, and care for kids. When she first met my family, it felt like an instant click, especially between her and our nieces and nephews, who have without a doubt named her the favorite aunt. For the past four years, I’ve gotten to watch Lauren develop sweet and trusting relationships with the kids in our family. Lauren is the type of aunt who goes to every soccer game, shows up for every birthday, and is always ready to join in a game of pretend. Watching the way she connects with them with such intention assures me more and more about what a great mom she’s going to be. Lauren is endlessly generous and full of love for everyone around her. She sees the best in people and always brings out the best in me. She is patient, hardworking, and determined, but also knows how to play, relax, and be spontaneous. She is my best friend and greatest support in this world. I know she will be that and so much more for our child.

Smiling person in a black jacket with a crossbody bag posing in a park near a historic cathedral façade and a crowd in the background
Two kids, a boy and a girl, pruning pink flowers in a sunlit garden with pruning shears nearby.
Person with short hair and a nose ring smiling at the camera while seated at a dining table in a restaurant, wearing a black button-up shirt; striped wall backdrop in black and white behind them.
Three people—two children and a smiling adult—pose on giant colorful balls outdoors beside a red shack, with palm trees in the background.
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About Ray by Lauren

Ray is the kindest person I’ve ever met, and often a person our friends call on when they need an empathetic ear. They love their community and the people in their life fiercely and unconditionally, keeping strong ties even with long distance friends and family members. They have a love for nature, creative hobbies, and know how to make the most of a day out in Santa Cruz, or a cozy day at home in the Redwoods. I can’t wait to see them build the parent/child garden of their dreams in our backyard with our future child. Having a background in both summer camp and environmental education, their passion is strong for encouraging outdoor learning and play, and I’m excited to see them introduce our child to the redwood forest they grew up in and love so much. Their love of community will also show up in their parenting journey, and they already can’t wait to join the PTA at our future child’s school. I have no doubt that they will create a strong bond with our child full of love, care and support.

Two women smiling and holding mugs while standing on a wooden deck in front of a red cabin.
Two people smiling for a selfie on a sunny beach, with the sea and many beachgoers in the background.
Cozy living room scene with a couple reading on a gray sectional, a small dog on the rug, and candles and pumpkins on a wooden coffee table.
Man crouched beside two girls as they wade through a shallow river by a rocky shore.
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Our Home

We live in a quiet little mountain town surrounded by beautiful redwood trees. But just twenty minutes away is the lively beach town of Santa Cruz, where we spend a lot of our time. We are so lucky to live in a beautiful place surrounded by incredible family and friends. We get to spend our time hiking in the forest, eating burritos on the beach, and playing in the river with our nieces and nephews. We’re an easy drive into San Francisco, where we love to go to museums, see live shows, and eat delicious food!

Smiling family of four sitting at a checkered table outdoors, eating with bowls and cans in front of them.
Group of four adults smiling for a selfie in a warm, rustic venue with wooden cabinets and brick walls in the background.
Group of adults and children posing together outdoors in a park on a cloudy day, wearing jackets and hats.
Group of four friends taking a sunny selfie by a lake with trees in the background, all smiling at the camera.
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Our Family

Our extended family is full of love, laughter, and a LOT of kids! Ray’s parents are active and engaged grandparents with a house full of toys, bikes, books, and games. The whole family gathers there often for birthdays, holidays, and family dinners. There are 8 grandkids in the family, ranging from newborn to 8 years old. They are a close-knit group of kids who love to play together and even have sleepovers a lot. The older kids that can understand know that we are planning to adopt, and they can’t wait to add another cousin to the group!

Our family is all really supportive of each other, often pitching in on projects around the house, swapping babysitting and pet sitting, and always showing up to the important events like birthdays, holidays, and the kids’ sports games.

Racial & Cultural Diversity

We believe that every child deserves to grow up surrounded by people who reflect and celebrate their full identity, and we are committed to honoring our future child’s racial and cultural family of origin with intention, respect, and joy. We live close to the bustling Silicon Valley, a community rich with diversity of all kinds and access to many different cultural communities and events. We plan to intentionally seek out mentors, friends, and community groups that reflect our future child back to themselves. We will seek out cultural events, books, music, traditions, and community spaces that help them feel rooted and proud of where they come from. Most importantly, we will listen, learn, and grow alongside them, creating a home where their whole self is always celebrated and accepted.

Three children share a cozy indoor tea party at a small wooden table, eating pizza and sipping from pink teacups with a pink teapot on the table.
Woman with glasses hugs a laughing young girl on a wooden deck, a Coleman cooler visible in the background.
Couple holding hands and smiling in a fall park with colorful autumn leaves around them.
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Our Hopes As Parents

As people who have dedicated our careers to working with youth, we hope the skills we have gained will help us to be the best parents we can be. We hope to be a source of support and stability for our child, and also be the people to give them the push they may need to try new things, knowing we will always stand behind them. We hope to raise them with unconditional love in an environment filled with art, music, books, healthy communication and a whole lot of play.

Two friends share a warm hug and smile at the camera in a black‑and‑white indoor setting.
Two friends take a cheerful selfie inside a yellow-roofed amusement ride, with a crowd visible through the windows behind them.
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Our Promises

We have always dreamed of being parents, and feel so ready to commit our whole lives to caring for and loving a child. We are committed to being the best we can be for our kid, always showing up when it matters most and accepting them fully for whoever they become. We value honesty, kindness, curiosity, and joy and will model those qualities to our child the best we can. We don’t know who our kid will be or what they’ll need, but we are ready to show up for them every day, no matter what.

Two people smiling for a selfie indoors, arms around each other, white brick wall and warm string lights in the background.
Two women stand on a front porch with potted plants, smiling as one hands a small plant to the other.
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Traditions

  • We always cut down a real Christmas tree, often visiting the Christmas tree farm along with our whole extended family. We often do this the day after Thanksgiving, and bring a delicious leftovers picnic!
  • On Christmas Eve, we open new pajamas that we’ve picked out for each other and a couple new board games to play for the evening!
  • Every Sunday we go to the farmer’s market.
  • Every Halloween, we go trick-or-treating with all the cousins.
  • The same farm that we get our Christmas tree at is also a pumpkin patch in the fall and we go with the whole extended family.
  • Birthdays are also a big tradition in our family. We spend a lot of our time going to each kid’s birthday party. Our future child will always have aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins at every birthday party.
Two women stand together on a dirt path, smiling, with a gray dog on a leash in front of them; ivy-covered wall to the left and trees in the background.
Two friends hug and smile for a selfie in a forest, with a large fallen log and greenery in the background.
Smiling couple embracing and looking at each other in a park-like setting (black and white).
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Final Thoughts

Thank you for Learning more about us! We are eagerly waiting to meet you as well, and to provide a home for your child that is always safe, loving, and fun. We are hoping to develop an open and positive relationship with you, and will take your lead on what communication looks like as they grow up. We can’t wait to be parents, and are so grateful you’ve taken the time to consider us.

From Us to You Why We Are Choosing to Adopt Our Life At Camp Lifestyle Fun Facts About Us About Lauren by Ray About Ray by Lauren Our Home Our Family Racial & Cultural Diversity Our Hopes As Parents Our Promises Traditions Final Thoughts

Message Lauren and Ray

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  • Hi, We are honored that you are considering us! Our adoption specialist at Adoption Network, will be reaching out to make sure your needs are being met and your questions about adoption are being answered. She will help us get in touch with each other. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Contact Lauren and Ray

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Hi, We are honored that you are considering Adoption Network! Mary, or one of our other adoption specialists will be reaching out to make sure your needs are being met and your questions about adoption are being answered. She will help us get in touch with each other. We can’t wait to connect with you!

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