Two days before we got married, we were finishing our vows down by the beach in private. As the big day drew closer, we tried to pry the words from each other, without much success. Finally, the morning of our wedding, we awoke at 4 am so we could drive up to the top of a mountain, in time for sunrise, to exchange vows and be wed. As we started sharing our vows, we both included things we were grateful for, but also included some affirmations for our future. Both of which included becoming fathers for the first time.

Since then, we've built a life together full of love and joy that we are ready to share with our first baby. Our commitment to one another is the foundation of our family, and we both want to raise our children with compassion, love, and patience. We want to help them discover who they are and celebrate them for that every day. Teach them about our cultures and help them learn their own. We also want to afford them all the opportunities that we didn't have growing up and show them a world that is wondrous and theirs to discover.

Javier, who grew up in Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was 10, was lucky enough to travel the world as part of his career in his early 20s and fell in love with Sydney after spending two weeks there in 2016. Eventually, he decided to pack up his bags and move there in 2017.

By chance, they had an encounter when they met at Bondi Beach in June of 2018, and it kicked off the start of their biggest adventure as a couple. After 18 months of dating, Javier was starting to feel homesick, and due to a recent health scare his Mom had, he felt it was time to head back to the Midwest. Javier shared this with Mark, and not wanting to break up, they decided a two-week vacation to his hometown was in order to see if a move was on the cards for them.

The trip was a success, and they decided to move to Minnesota at the end of 2019. However, little did they know, COVID would make their first year rather turbulent. Coming out the other side, they went on to buy their first home together in March of 2021 to start preparing for the future and were engaged the next month. After much consideration, and with family and friends across the globe, they eventually decided to elope in the south of Spain in August of 2023.

Since then, they have spent many months renovating their home, spending time with family here and abroad, and taking care of their adorable kitty, Sushi!

By Mark

Javier is the personification of the American dream. Coming to the United States at 10, he spoke no English and was put on a bus for his first day of school to embark on his new life. Fast-forward a few difficult years, and he was not only bilingual but also excelling in school. He went on to get a full-ride scholarship to his university, where he was the first person in his entire family to receive a college degree.

His perseverance is one of the things I admire most about him. Being a Mexican boy in a predominantly White neighborhood in his formative years, he never let his adversities get the best of him. He only used them to fuel his motivation, wanting a better life, the one his father had hoped for them when migrating all those years ago.

To say I'm proud of Javier is an understatement. His perseverance is only matched by his passion for his culture and family. He is proud to be Mexican and loves to share and celebrate his culture with everyone. Not only his own but he is also an advocate for people of all backgrounds and has marched in protests and supported local and global arts that celebrate their own unique perspectives.

His joy is infectious, and you can hear his laugh from a mile away. You always know where you stand with him, as he wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to share his opinions. Most importantly, he makes me want to be a better man. He has encouraged me to be curious and challenge my own personal biases, especially on our adoption journey. I love him endlessly and feel so lucky to have met him on that beach all those years ago.

• Really good at board games, especially Risk and Scrabble
• Besides Mexican, his favorite cuisine is Ethiopian
• Taught himself on YouTube how to cut and frame up our basement walls
• Studied abroad in Spain for a semester
• Loves to spend time outside gardening or swinging in his hammock
• Would rather be lost at sea than lost at space

by Javier

Mark is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He has a big heart and is always making sure that everyone he knows feels cared for.

He was born and raised in a southern suburb of the city of Sydney, Australia. Having grown up in a sunny city by the beach with a very strong family unit is part of the reason why today he is always in a good mood! All of our friends and family love it when Mark is around. His easy-going, go-lucky attitude is enjoyed by everyone, and you can always find him having a laugh with somebody (especially our nieces and nephews).

One of the things that made me fall in love with Mark was his love for his family and seeing how close they all are. While Mark doesn't live in the same country as his family anymore, he talks to all of them at least once a week on the phone and daily via text.

His dad was a professional chef who owned and operated restaurants during Mark's childhood. This was a family affair, with Mark's mother running the business and his father running the kitchen. Once they were old enough, Mark and his sister also worked in the restaurant, which taught him a very strong work ethic and appreciation for everything his parents had done for the family. I believe this is one of the reasons why he has had such a successful career.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have met Mark and to have him in my life. I cannot wait to watch him become a father. I know he will be one of the best out there.

• Loves watching a romcom snuggled up on the couch with a sweet treat
• Needs an oat milk latte to start his day
• Has been studying Spanish for two years and can now have simple conversations with Javier's aunts from Mexico
• Is always wearing mismatched socks
• Would rather be lost in space than lost at sea

We love our home. The house is noticeably green, which represents calmness and nature, something we feel very connected to. We have put a lot of work into it since buying it back in 2021. From renovating the basement to the bathroom, painting lots of rooms, landscaping the front and back yard, and even adding gutters and a new roof. With four bedrooms in the house, we have the perfect space for a baby's room, which looks onto the backyard and overlooks a massive 80-year-old oak tree, which provides shade in the summer months.

Our backyard is where we spend a lot of time, hosting big family events where you will find us cooking up a storm, playing Loteria (Mexican bingo), and our nieces and nephews breaking a pinata! Our neighborhood is surrounded by lakes for walking, running, or biking around, and our block is extremely friendly, with great neighbors who we are lucky enough to now call friends.

Where do we begin.... Sushi's life started a little rough. The Humane Society rescued her off the street in the middle of a freezing January day when she was only nine months old. Very underweight, some frostbite, and scared of everything. The day we adopted her and brought her home was one of the best days we've had together as a couple.

After a few yummy meals, some new collars bedazzled with bows, and lots and lots of cuddles, she warmed up to us pretty fast. And now she runs the house! Putting the cat in cattitude, she is playful, cheeky, and sassy. Always hungry and never shy to show off her cute new bows. She loves attention and is very chatty. She is great with kids, and we know she will make a great big sister to our future baby boy or girl.

She even helped Mark with his marriage proposal to Javier.

While the Pacific Ocean separates our two families, they have a lot more in common than you would think.

Our fathers (Ramon and Warren) are both extremely hard-working and always tinkering in the shed and going off on their own adventures. Our mothers (Leticia and Jenny) are both strong, independent women who love their children and maybe even more so their grandchildren now.

Our eldest sisters (Victoria and Jess) both have two kids, an eldest boy and a youngest girl (Martin, 9; Julieta, 7; Tommy, 4; Billie, 2), all of whom we adore! Javier also has a younger sister (Paola), who is a biology major who loves K-pop.

However, the biggest thing we all have in common is food. Javier's mom, who is an excellent cook with endless recipes from their Mexican culture, is always cooking up a storm in the kitchen and has improved Mark's spice tolerance exponentially. And Mark's father, who was previously a chef, has always had a love of food and has hosted many long lunches, always accompanied by good times and lots of laughs.

When we told them about our adoption journey, they were all so happy for us and were ready to jump in and help us with our new family. We wouldn't be where we are today without their love and support, and we can't wait to make some new additions to the dinner table soon.

Since moving to Minnesota, we've created lots of new traditions for our family that we love to do each year. From hosting Christmas for Javier's extended family (20 guests) to dressing up for Halloween and taking Javier's niece and nephews trick-or-treating.

We also love to plant a new garden every spring and enjoy the fruits and vegetables throughout the summer. We also both love running outside in the warmer months and have recently started a tradition of participating in half-marathons, something we'd love our kids to do with us someday.

By winter, the snow doesn't stop us, as Mark is slowly getting Javier into skiing the hills around the state. Otherwise, we both love a winter walk around the local lakes, especially during Christmas, when the houses are decorated with lights.

When football season is on, we also like to attend a local game with friends to cheer on the Vikings. Javier is still trying to teach Mark about American Football, much to his Australian confusion.

We both have a keen love of traveling, and we know it will always be a big part of our lives, especially when visiting family.

We always try to find something challenging or new to try when we travel, and this has created some amazing memories for us. We've hiked mountains together in Washington, Australia, Patagonia, and California. Gone deep-sea fishing in Mexico, where Javier caught a Marlin! Explored old castles in Spain and hidden beaches off the coast of Australia.

Mark's favorite place he has visited is Japan. His uncle lived there for 20 years, and he learned to ski there when he was young. Returning as an adult, he explored Tokyo, Niseko, Hiroshima, and Osaka by Train and loved eating all the Sushi he could find!

Javier has a hard time choosing just one place between his two favorites. During college, he studied abroad in Seville, Spain, for a semester and fell in love with the city as well as the entire country. Sydney also holds a very special place in his heart. From the very moment he set foot on the island, he knew Sydney was something special and went on to live there for three years. The city of Sydney wasn't the only thing he fell in love with, as in this wonderful city that he met the love of his life, Mark.

Our biggest dream for our lives is to have a family. We both have so much love to give and know in our hearts we are ready to become not only fathers but true partners in raising your very special baby.

Our promise to you is that we will raise them with love, teach them with kindness, and fill their souls with wonder. To never go to bed angry, wake up thankful every day, and always find the time to tell them we love them.

Thank you!

- Javier & Mark