We first met in kindergarten, and we were in the same classes together up to 8th grade. At the time, Greg had a crush on Nina, but she thought he had cooties. Throughout elementary and middle school, we were both the class clowns that should’ve ended up in the cast of Saturday Night Live. We ended up going to different high schools, but never completely lost contact. In the fall of 2011, we bumped into each other while in college, one thing led to another, and we ended up going out. We eventually got engaged in the spring of 2014, and after a brief three year engagement, we tied the knot in the summer of 2017. To this day, Greg is surprised he landed his childhood crush.
We are each other’s best friend. We spend almost all of our free time together and wouldn’t have it any other way. We are both very active people. We try to exercise and eat healthy (despite our weakness for potato chips). During the summer, we participate in several 5k runs. We both love music and go to as many concerts as we can. Mid-2000s pop punk/emo music is definitely our vibe. We love to travel and try different experiences as much as we can outside of our everyday lives. Our honeymoon was to Vietnam and aside from the beautiful scenery, we loved the chance to connect with a new culture. We loved having authentic Pho and fresh Vietnamese coffee every day. Travel is addictive and the travel bug bit us a long time ago!
Nina is an amazing person. She is one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. She’s considerate to the point that she will make her own life more difficult, just to make things a little easier for a stranger. Nina leads by example; she would never ask you to do something that she isn’t prepared to do herself. She is kind and uncompromising. Nina is the type of person that you can trust with your life. I know that I am a better person because of her. She challenges everyone around her to be the best version of themselves. She has the ability to deal with serious situations while being humorous and compassionate. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.
I know that Nina will be a great mom! She is the most patient and kind person. She laughs at all of my terrible jokes and is always there when I need someone. She has the ability to instantly become a mom. I remember once our dog got hurt and Nina sprang into action. Nina was way more concerned than Miss Megan (our doggo), who was already wanting to go lie down. Nina has a nurturing ability to solve any situation while maintaining calm. I can’t wait to see Nina raise a child and pass on her compassion.
Sort of cliche to say, but Greg is truly my best friend. I can talk to him about anything, and we have nights where we talk for hours. I adore how passionate he is, whether it be him working on his model trains or training for an upcoming triathlon. Any goal he sets his mind to, he will always deliver 100%. And I’m pretty sure he’s the most patient person I have ever met. This man is willing to follow me around for an hour while I shop at TJ Maxx and Sephora. But in sincerity, I have seen him work on multiple house projects that have not gone smoothly, yet he always maintained a calm composure.
Greg has always been super supportive, even at times when I doubted myself. When I was pursuing my college degree, I felt overwhelmed and at times wanted to give up. Greg reassured me that I am able to achieve anything and will do whatever he can to make it happen, whether it be cooking dinner or helping me study.
We expect a child to make mistakes as they grow up, but I truly believe Greg will be the best father by always being in their corner because that’s what he has always done for me. In addition, Greg is passionate, patient, and easy to talk to. With these characteristics, I truly see him as an amazing father someday.
We have a strong support system around us. All of our immediate family lives nearby and are an important part of our lives. We regularly have family dinners with our parents and plan events with our siblings. Greg is the oldest of his twin siblings that he helped care for as they grew up. Growing up, his twin brothers would actually get annoyed by Greg because he enforced a father-like attitude with the both of them. One of the twins recently had a son, and we can’t get enough snuggles with the little ham! The other twin brother is also going to have a daughter later in the year, and we can’t wait to become the best aunt and uncle to her too. With Greg’s brothers kids’ and a baby in our future being so close in age, we’re hoping that they will become not only just cousins, but actual friends. Nina has an older brother that she’s looked up to since we were kids. When we go on vacation, Nina’s brother typically takes care of our dog, Megan, which he spoils a lot with treats. Similarly, we believe that Nina’s brother will spoil a child any chance he gets.
We have a strong friend group that has been a part of our lives for years (and in a few instances, decades). We have a few friends that have kids in a variety of age groups from toddlers to pre-teens. It’ll be great for our child to grow up with our friends’ kids!
Nina’s parents are retired and will play a major part in a child’s life. Growing up, Nina’s Lola (grandmother) played a huge part in her childhood, and that tradition will continue when her parents finally become Lola and Lolo (grandfather) to a new baby. They will be the primary babysitters when mom and dad need a date night. Greg’s parents have a few more years left to work, but will also play a large role in a child’s life. They have been talking about becoming grandparents for years and will be a major pillar of support.
Nina works from home, and Greg has a fair amount of flexibility with his schedule. We are fortunate enough to have a situation where daycare won’t be needed. We will be there to raise a child with our parents’ help.
We live in arguably the best community in Indiana (but we may be biased). There is a large park that’s walking distance from our house where we can’t wait to bring a child someday! Additionally, there are several biking/running trails that run through the area. We are down the street from both the middle and high schools (one of the highest ranked in the state), as well as walking distance to Target and Dairy Queen. (We are a sucker for Oreo blizzards and dilly bars.) It’s truly a great place to grow up. Our house is more than a building, it’s our home. Since purchasing our home in 2018, we have been fortunate enough to renovate almost the entire house. We are the third owners and each of the previous families lived in our home for over 30 years. Our home is red brick all the way around, we have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with a large finished basement. Our house has been well-loved and it honestly feels like home. We couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!
This will be our first child, and parenting will be a new adventure for us. Despite that, we know that we are up for the challenge. We were both raised with love and support from our parents and will keep that tradition alive. Our parents allowed us to make mistakes and taught us consequences for our actions. We believe that a child should be supported and treated fairly. We will be the parents, but a child also deserves an explanation. We will all grow as a family and learn through any mistakes made.
One of the traditions we would love to continue is with a Christmas tree train. Greg’s grandparents bought him a Thomas the Tank engine that has been under the Christmas tree since he was born. Since we’ve been a couple, Greg has talked about retiring that train to get one for a child. Some of his fondest memories are running the train under the tree, and we can’t wait to continue that legacy.
Another Christmas tradition we recently started is baking Greg’s great grandma’s date cookies. As a little kid, Greg would help his mom each Christmas to make these cookies, which are his favorite. We recently received the famous secret recipe from Greg’s mom and began making these cookies on our own. We would love to have a child help bake cookies (especially date cookies) during the Christmas season.
A New Year tradition that we would love to start with a kid is making pancit (Filipino noodle dish) which symbolizes long life for those who eat it. Pancit is one of Nina’s favorite dishes since she was a little kid, and we are sure that a child will also enjoy this dish!
Miss Megan, our sophisticated pup, is about 13 years old. We brought her home in November 2013. She is one-of-a-kind. Interestingly, she does not bark. In the almost 13 years that she has been with us, we’ve heard her bark only about 5 times (except for her adorable sleep barking). She is calm, yet full of energy. We hope that she will be around forever, but any other dog will have a big collar to fill.
Miss Megan is great around children and has the patience of a saint. We know that she will watch over a child and be a great big sister! We can’t wait to see them play together and build a life-long bond. She is super excited to see our family grow!
In a way, diversity is second nature to us. We grew up in an extremely diverse area and were always exposed to people different from us, being race, income, or political views. We believe that diversity is embracing the collective experiences of everyone around you and challenging yourself to learn from those experiences. Being a mixed race couple, we each bring unique experiences, and we both understand the importance of those experiences. We have each faced unique challenges, and that combined experience has helped us to have a unique perspective that most single race couples will never experience.
Regardless of race, we plan on making sure that a child grows up in a diverse community. We want them to understand that the world is a big place, full of different people. Being exposed to different cultures, foods, and traditions makes everyone more understanding and self-aware.
Nina embraces her Filipino culture and understands the importance of her unique identity. We will, without a doubt, make sure to expose a child to the many aspects of their race/culture including food, community experiences, and language. Being a mixed race couple, we definitely understand how important it is for a child to experience their own culture and embrace their identity.
As a teenager, Nina learned that she would be unable to carry a child due to a medical condition; she was born without a uterus. Adoption has always been our only option for raising a family, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! Family is about the bonds that you create, and the values that are passed down.
We promise to be the best parents that we can. We promise to be loving, nurturing, kind, generous, patient, and everything else that makes for a strong family. We will make mistakes, but we promise to learn from those mistakes. We promise that a child will always feel loved.
We promise to be open with a child. We will talk with them about their adoption, and we will do everything in our power to empower them. We especially want a child to know how amazing their birth mom is and how it was a difficult, yet selfless decision that was made. We won’t go silent after the birth of a child; we will ensure that you will have the ability to be involved in some way. We will put your feelings and comfort upfront. We will be happy to always communicate with the level of openness that is best for you and the child, both now and in the future. We will be advocates!
