We appreciate your willingness to consider our family for your child. We have been hoping, dreaming, and planning to adopt for many years, and we are eagerly looking forward to the day we can bring a child home and build our family.

The decision you're making is a difficult one, and we cannot imagine what you are going through at this time. We can only promise that we will show your child lifelong love, compassion, and encouragement. If you choose us, we will do everything we can to respect and honor the life you envision for your child.

Please read on to learn more about us and what we see in our future.

Our decision to adopt was not made lightly. We discussed our options as a couple and with family and friends. Ultimately, we agreed that adoption is a beautiful way to create a family and the ideal path for us.

As prospective parents, we are both so excited to give a child the world.

The two of us share a unique and lifelong bond, and we have been pretty much inseparable since we met through a mutual friend back in October 2009, while we were both living in Amsterdam. We spent a few months getting to know each other as friends before we started dating. All our friends knew we were meant to be together, so no one was surprised when we made it official. We moved back to McLean's home state of Texas in 2013, where he proposed in 2014. For the proposal, McLean picked out a beautiful spot on the beach in South Texas and gave Alice a bundle of letters he had been writing to his imaginary future wife since he was 15 years old. Needless to say, it was a yes, and we got married in July 2015.

Since 2009, we have navigated many moves, jobs, and life's other little (and big) ups and downs and grown even stronger as a couple. We are ready and excited to take on all the joys and challenges of raising a child. We have a wonderful group of family and friends, fulfilling professions, and plenty of hobbies and interests, but we know that bringing a child into our home will be a key piece to a lifelong puzzle.

Alice is an incredible woman. She cares deeply about people, is passionate about her international development work, has an amazing sense of humor, and inspires everyone around her. Her friends and family sing her praises, and I knew almost immediately she would make a great lifelong partner.

Alice grew up in two worlds: she was born in the Netherlands, moved to Michigan at age 7, and moved back to the Netherlands at age 22. She treasures the memories and relationships she formed in each place, from learning to bike everywhere as a young child in Amsterdam, to getting to know Lake Michigan in all four seasons, to attending her first college football game. When she was a teenager, Alice's dad passed away, and her mom lost nearly all her vision. She found a way through the tough times by staying focused on the future and learning to rely on friends and extended family for support.

After finishing college and graduate school to begin her career, Alice embraced both her love of adventure and her drive to make the world a better place. It was around this time that we met in Amsterdam. I have watched her do all kinds of interesting things since then, including leading humanitarian programs in West Africa and creating a podcast with NASA astronauts. No matter where she is or how busy life gets, Alice finds time to stay connected to her family and her core group of friends, many of whom she has known since her teens.

Alice is both very smart and very humble. Wherever she is, she cuts her own path while making others feel important and included. She is a strong, reliable partner and adds joy, peace, and security to our home. I know she will be an amazing mother because she is already a natural around children.

Fun Facts

• Alice is happiest at the beach, and her next life goal is to learn kite surfing.
• In addition to English, Alice is a native Dutch speaker, and her French is so good that people in Paris compliment her.
• Alice has lived and worked on four continents: North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• Alice loves cheese more than anyone you will ever meet.

McLean is a big presence - literally and figuratively - who is genuinely interested in everyone he meets. He has a strong drive to learn and explore new things, and he does it all with a great sense of humor (he always has a Dad-joke ready). McLean is one of the smartest people I know, and he also makes everyone around him feel welcome and at home. He is an amazing friend and loving son, brother, and uncle. He is also a supportive and trustworthy partner and regularly surprises me with thoughtful actions, gifts, and compliments.

McLean grew up on a ranch in Texas and had all the adventures a kid could imagine. He learned to ride horses, drive tractors, and how to pitch a tent. His family moved into the big city when he was seven, but he had already developed a lifelong love of nature. In his early 20's, he lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and spent his weekends hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. When McLean was 24, he showed just how adventurous he was by selling most of his belongings and taking a new job in Eastern Europe. Over the next six years, he lived in four different European countries and was lucky enough to meet his wife (me!). Along the way, he met interesting people and learned to see the world from a new perspective. This period of his life helped shape McLean into one of the most empathetic and caring people I know.

McLean is very close to his family. His parents (father and stepmother, and mother) and three siblings (an older sister, a younger sister, and a younger brother) all live in Texas, and I know he misses them. However, he makes sure to visit often, and they have a very active text thread to keep everyone up to date. His parents continue to be a source of support for him in all aspects of life. They are already grandparents to seven nieces and nephews, so we know they are ready for more.

McLean would make an incredible father, and I am excited to build a family with him.

Fun Facts

• McLean learned how to tame horses when he was a teenager.
• He has ridden motorcycles on four different continents, including over the Himalayas.
• When he was 12, McLean got to meet President Clinton. McLean's parents almost died of embarrassment when McLean kept calling him "Bill" right to his face.
• McLean has run with the bulls in Pamplona, swum with sharks in the Galapagos Islands, and traveled to over 40 countries.

We have lived in a lot of cities and apartments, but nothing feels like "home" as much as the first place we bought as a couple. We have made our unit of this 4-condo building our own happy place and regularly host dinner guests and visiting friends and family from out of town. Our place is close to the city's main attractions, and we enjoy being part of a safe and lively neighborhood with schools and parks nearby, where we have easy access to public transportation and a fun restaurant scene. Our neighborhood is full of interesting people from many walks of life, many of whom also have young children.

We have the world's greatest pooch, named Mokum. Her name means "Safe Harbor" and is an old nickname for Amsterdam. Mokum is a 12-year-old, 50 lb. pile of fur that loves all people and is always excited to meet new friends. Since we adopted her from a Texas shelter when she was about two years old, she has accompanied us on countless road trips (plus a few trains and planes!) and spent time in five countries. Mokum remains a pup at heart and is a big fan of walks, naps, snacks, and anything that allows her to spend time with her "pack." She is always up for an adventure and loves to explore mountains, forests, and beaches - although the sand is definitely more her thing than the water. Mokum bonds with people quickly, and we know she will love and protect the new member of the family!

Alice's Family

My mother's side of the family is American, and my father's side is Dutch. My mother is a retired teacher who inspired my lifelong love of learning. She lives in Michigan, and we have stayed close, regularly chatting on the phone and visiting each other. My father was a psychology professor and, though he died when I was 14, I remember him as a kind man who spurred my interest in nature, history, and the human brain. I also have a deep bond with my 3 Dutch half-siblings, all of whom were in their 20's when I was born and became some of my most important mentors. Despite living in different countries nowadays, we stay in touch and get together as often as we can. It has been a delight to be their "extra" sister and an aunt to my 7 nieces and nephews --- I even welcomed my first grand nephew into the world not long ago.

McLean's Family

My parents and siblings all live in North Texas. We travel back to see them every few months and take advantage of opportunities to spend time together.

My older sister is an architect, recently celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary, and has 4 kids. My younger sister is an IT specialist, has been married for 14 years, and has 3 kids. My younger brother is a geologist and is (hopefully) going to propose to his girlfriend soon, and will start his own family. I am also fortunate to live near a cousin who is like a sister to me and spend time with her family, including her young daughter.

Because our friends and family are spread across different states and countries, we are not always in the same place with the same people for holidays or special occasions. That is why we like to mix old and new traditions, making time to celebrate big milestones with our loved ones while allowing traditions to change over time as our families and friend circles grow.

Our longstanding traditions include:

• Celebrating the 6-month mark between birthdays as half birthdays
• Finding a good spot to watch the 4th of July fireworks
• Hosting Thanksgiving for people who have never experienced it in the U.S
• Watching The Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve
• Going for a hike on January 1

We both grew up in loving families, learning to embrace the people and the world around us. This has turned us into avid travelers who love to meet friends and family in new places just as much as we love visiting people back home. We enjoy exploring the great outdoors, visiting ancient ruins, trying out a new beach, or playing tourist around our own city.

On a given day, you're likely to find McLean out for a run, reading the latest spy thriller, or cooking a delicious meal Alice tends to spend her free time on jigsaw puzzles, rowing, yoga, and browsing local markets and museums Together, we also love visiting nearby family and friends, trying out new restaurants and recipes, snuggling up on the couch for a good movie, and organizing impromptu hiking and camping adventures.

No matter where we are or what we are doing, we try to make choices that demonstrate love and respect for others, help care for our loved ones and our surroundings, and support our own mental and physical health. We firmly believe that most people have good hearts and intentions, and we work hard to give others the best versions of ourselves.

As the proverb goes, "We wish two things for our children: the first is roots; the second is wings." We look forward to offering a child a loving, secure, and happy home from which they can discover the whole wide world.

Any child we adopt will always know they are loved and cherished, no matter what. We will teach them about loving your neighbor, cultivating meaningful relationships, exploring different places and cultures, and finding joy wherever you go. We are prepared to place this child at the center of a big and diverse support network of family, friends, neighbors, and teachers to help them grow.

We are fully committed to building a family together through adoption and would be honored if you would consider our home for your child.