Dustin & Eric

We met on the Fourth of July in 2015. At the time, Dustin was living in Houston and traveling to Austin with a mutual friend to stay with Eric for the weekend. During the drive, the friend joked that Dustin and Eric were probably going to get along really well because they both liked the same “boring” things: good food, travel, staying in, traditions, and quiet nights instead of constant chaos.

As it turned out, the friend was absolutely right. From the moment we met, we connected immediately. We quickly realized we shared many of the same values, backgrounds, priorities, and sense of humor, and there was an instant comfort and chemistry between us. What started as a holiday weekend quickly turned into something much more meaningful.

Our parenting philosophy is centered around love, support, guidance, and trust. We want our child to grow up in a home where they always feel safe, heard, encouraged, and unconditionally loved for exactly who they are.

We believe in providing structure, stability, and strong values while also giving our child the freedom to discover their own interests, personality, and path in life. We want to guide them, not control them, helping them build confidence, independence, kindness, and resilience as they grow.

We also believe communication is incredibly important. We want our child to feel comfortable coming to us with questions, challenges, mistakes, or dreams without fear of judgment. Our goal is to create a supportive environment where they know they are never alone and always have parents who will listen, encourage them, and stand beside them through every stage of life.

To us, adoption means building our family through love, connection, and commitment. It is the opportunity to welcome a child into a home where they will be deeply loved, supported, encouraged, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

Adoption is also deeply meaningful to us because it is already part of our family story. We have personally seen how families formed through adoption can be just as strong, loving, and connected as any other. For us, adoption is not simply a path to parenthood, it is the way we hope to share our lives, traditions, adventures, and unconditional love with a child and give them a safe, joyful, and supportive place to grow.

Dustin comes from a big family with three brothers, one sister, and 10 nieces and nephews of all different ages. His oldest nephew was born while Dustin was still in high school, giving him the opportunity to be closely involved in his life from an early age. Over the years, Dustin has loved watching his nieces and nephews grow, sharing in their lives, and being someone they can always count on. Those relationships have given him a glimpse of just how rewarding it is to watch a child grow into their own person and have only deepened his desire to become a dad.

We live in a charming, tree-lined neighborhood in Austin that feels peaceful, welcoming, and family-oriented. The area is quiet and safe, with beautiful nature trails nearby that are perfect for daily walks and spending time outdoors together as a family.

Our home sits on nearly half an acre and backs up to a small creek, which gives it a calm and private feel while still being close to everything Austin has to offer. Our backyard is fully fenced, creating a safe and secure space for kids to run, play, and explore outdoors. Over the years, we have put a lot of love and care into remodeling our home to make it feel modern but also warm and comfortable.

Inside, there are cozy corners for reading books, relaxing together, and creating family traditions. Outside, we have plenty of space for a future playscape, backyard games, imagination-filled adventures.

One of the things we love most about where we live is the strong sense of community. Our neighborhood has a diverse elementary school, a small park, and many nearby friends with young children.

One of the things we are most excited about is surrounding a child with a large, loving, and supportive extended family.

We are especially grateful that both of our families live here in Texas, with some nearby in the Austin area and others just a few hours away. They are incredibly excited to welcome another grandchild into our family and can’t wait to be there for the everyday moments, big milestones, and everything in between.

Eric comes from a tight-knit family that genuinely loves spending time together, and he recently became an uncle for the first time. He has embraced the role wholeheartedly and loves spending time with his nephew, Cal, whether he is playing with him, making him laugh, or simply enjoying the everyday moments together. Seeing the joy Eric finds in being an uncle has made us even more excited for the day when he gets to bring that same patience, warmth, and love to being a dad.

Think we might be the right family to adopt your baby? Send a message now to get connected through our adoption agency, Adoption Advocates.