Hi! Welcome to our story! We are Laura and Joyce. We are so grateful that you are choosing to learn more about us as prospective parents.

We met in 2006 at the wedding of a mutual friend. We danced the night away and haven't looked back since. Joyce was living in NYC and Laura was in Philadelphia at the time, but we both knew the distance wasn't enough to keep us apart. Choosing Washington D.C. as our new home in 2009, we started enjoying the museums, cherry blossoms, and the friends we met. Since then, our journey has taken us to NYC, Tampa, FL, Harrisburg, PA, and finally back to Washington D.C., where we have been since 2019. Our love of travel, dogs, cycling, and great food has kept our relationship exciting throughout the years, and we both agree that over time our bond has grown stronger and stronger.

We started seriously talking about raising a child or children together around 2016. We knew we both wanted a family with children and from the start of the process, we knew that adoption was the right path forward. When we moved into our current four-bedroom house, we started actively preparing. In a way, we have been preparing to become parents for years and we are so excited to be part of the adoption process. Our dogs are patiently waiting for their new sibling to arrive.

Joyce and her two sisters were born and raised outside of Boston by their parents, both of whom immigrated from China as young adults. Her parents were strict and loving and continue to be a point of strength in her life.

From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a doctor and is truly incredible at her job. She has never wavered in her passion, and her drive allowed her to graduate from medical school at a young age. Being a doctor has really shown how much she cares about people and her ability to stay calm in difficult situations. She is really excited to impart some of the beautiful parental love that she received and to be a rock for our family.

Outside of work, Joyce loves cooking for friends and family. Her fried rice - a recipe passed down from her parents - is wonderful and flavorful. We have pizza night once a week to keep Joyce's sourdough starter healthy. And she is a whiz around a grill!

Joyce is also a passionate cycler and in the last year has cycled over 1000 miles in California and New York to raise money for charity.

Laura wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember. There is a video of her at age three, looking straight into the camera and saying she wanted to be a veterinarian, even correctly predicting the university she eventually attended. Her father was a veterinarian, and his passion and skill for fixing animals and caring for the people who loved them was truly contagious. Her love of animals has also filled our house, and our dogs are ready for a little sibling! Laura can't wait to teach a child about the love and respect between humans and animals.

When not working, she spends her time exercising and has completed multiple marathons, including the NYC marathon five times! Laura loves the diversity and arts she grew up with in New York City, and can't wait to share Broadway, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and cuisines of all cultures with the child we welcome into our home and hearts through adoption.

Buddhist philosophy has become very important to Laura. She's training to be a meditation teacher and has vowed her life to be one of kindness, compassion, and freedom for all human beings and animals. Her ultimate goal is to help create an environment where any child will get to be their whole selves and learn compassion. Her nieces and nephews love time with her because she loves to play with them and help them experience joy.

Our house is a lovely row house built in 1926 and while the original brick walls still exist, most of the interior has been renovated. The kitchen is definitely the center of the house, as it's where we gather every evening as we cook meals. The house feels very comfortable and has an "open door" policy to our close friends and family when they want to visit. We love having our loved ones visit and the child will have friends and family around all the time. Our backyard is across the street from a recreation center and community fields which are the place to be for Saturday soccer and pick-up games.

Our neighborhood is racially and financially diverse, with neighbors from all backgrounds, and a child growing up here will experience many cultures. Most of the homes are row houses and there are multiple neighbors on our block with small children. The elementary school is around the corner, and our neighborhood has two annual festivals and multiple kids' events - this year there was a foam dance party!

One of the best parts about living in Washington D.C., is the amount of culture that is readily accessible. We love visiting the National Zoo (to see the pandas) and the national monuments with our nieces, and can't wait to share these experiences with a child.

We feel grateful and fortunate to be surrounded by both blood and chosen family. There are so many people in our lives who will be involved in raising the child. Our blood and chosen nieces and nephews will have a new cousin, and they are extremely excited to meet this child. We see our chosen family daily and our blood relatives monthly - such blessings.

Joyce's twin sister and husband live ten miles away, and we see them often for dinners and soccer outings. Her parents, younger sister, and sister-in-law are in California, and we love to visit. It's always a wonderful vacation since the weather is continuously perfect.

Laura's family is in the NYC area, and her nieces and nephews cannot wait for a new cousin!! She communicates with her closest aunt and cousins frequently. On her dad's side, we see her many cousins and their children once a year.

We understand how blessed we are to have our beautiful support system of friends and family to welcome a child with open arms. From cousins to aunties and doting grandparents, a child will have so many people in their corner cheering them on. And our chosen family CANNOT wait to be with the baby, ensuring they are safe and loved.

We love to travel and pick places such as Japan and Peru where we can be immersed in another culture and see the world. In summer, the whole extended family loves the local beach, where the cousins build sand castles and jump in the waves. We are so excited to share the adventure, perspective, and curiosity that comes from traveling to new places with a child.

Every Chinese New Year, our family has a dumpling-making party. We all wear red (including the dogs) and make dumplings and noodles. Joyce's extended Chinese family gets together at a restaurant in NYC where we wear red and gold and celebrate the new year. The cousins love running around and collecting hung bao (red envelopes) or presents for the new year.

We love being active and biked 545 miles to raise money for charity. Joyce and her sister cycled 480 miles together, and Laura has run multiple marathons. Every summer, we hike neighboring trails with our dogs and friends. A child would get lots of nature time and exercise in our house!

Theater is celebrated year-round in our house! We can't wait to share our love of the arts with a child. Joyce plays guitar, and Laura loves to harmonize and can also be found singing along to a new soundtrack or album. The child will fit right into the melody of our daily lives.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our book and get to know our family. We cannot imagine the path you are facing but know how brave and caring you are for contemplating adoption. We are so excited and privileged to be considered to share our wonderful lives with a baby.

If we are chosen to be adoptive parents, we promise the baby will be loved, nurtured, and cared for with all of our hearts and minds. We promise to give them a loving, supportive family, an active and healthy life, a good education, and support in pursuing their passions. A group of excited family members are ready to open their arms and support all aspects of a child.

We promise to teach the child about the selfless act of their birth mother and birth family. We hope to meet and remain in contact with their family in whatever capacity they're comfortable with.

We can honestly say that we have been planning our adoption journey for many years and cannot wait to be chosen.



Deepest blessings and love for you, your family, and the baby,

Joyce and Laura