Ben & Eric
Hello, we’re Ben and Eric! We appreciate you considering us to be the adoptive parents of your child. We’re excited to grow our family and think we’ll be great, open-hearted parents. We let each other be our independent selves, but we also make sure to find shared interests. We’re family oriented, eat dinner together every night, and are excited to raise children. Our goal is to find expectant parents that feel a connection to us, because we’re hoping for a successful open adoption.
Things We Can’t Wait to Do as a Family
Play I Spy | Eat popcorn | Visit the zoo | | Celebrate Purim | Go to the Thinkery | Teach our kid how to swim | Make lasagna | Go camping in our backyard, and then Big Bend | Grow a garden | Finish a jigsaw puzzle
Our Home
We live near friends in a ranch house in north-central Austin dating to the 1940s. Our house is filled with art and knick-knacks, collected in our travels and from Ben’s dad. The front yard is a wildflower meadow and the very large back yard has a garden, chicken coop, basketball court, swing, and creek. We can walk to HEB, restaurants, and several fun stores.
Our Hobbies
Eric is more outdoorsy and Ben is more indoorsy. Eric loves biking, hiking, and gardening. Ben loves video games (RPGs like Final Fantasy and cozy games like Stardew Valley), reality television (particularly the Challenge, America’s Next Top Model, and RuPaul’s Drag Race), and swimming. We both love reading, board games (Wingspan and Power Grid are two favorites), cooking, and museums.
Our Parenting Philosophy
We believe that children are human beings, not an accessory or extension of our own sense of self. Children can be guided and encouraged, but they can’t be molded into one fixed shape.
We believe that parents help shape a child’s understanding of and connection with the world, and that power should be used responsibly, intentionally, and lovingly. A child’s home should empower them to be their best self.
We believe that children need security as well as freedom to thrive. That balance changes constantly and requires reflection.
We believe that all relationships take work, time, and attention. We have the capacity and will to provide all three to our children.
Our Extended Family
Ben is from Birmingham, Alabama and Eric is from Rochester, New York. Despite the distance, we’re close with our families and visit them several times each year. We go to Florida each July with Ben’s family and escape the Texas heat in Rochester at least once each summer with Eric’s family. We have loving relationships with our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and extended families.
What Adoption Means to Us
We both love children and have always wanted a family together. We both had positive experiences with our families growing up and want to create family memories with children and get the opportunity to help raise some of the next generation. We’re hoping for an open adoption where our child feels like there are a lot of people who love them.
5 Things About
Ben
Voiced several toddler videos, including as a singing garbage truck in a video with almost 1 million YouTube views.
Gives hilarious Christmas card critiques.
Favorite article of clothing is a pair of yellow Pikachu shorts.
Has gone to the same Florida beach with his family for more than thirty years.
Has directed over twenty five plays and musicals.
5 Things About
Eric
Owned a vegetable farm in Western New York, and then worked as a geologist.
Has a twin brother.
Likes just about anything outside, including Austin’s walking trails and swimming holes.
Was primarily a bike commuter for a decade.
Loves state capitols.
Get In Touch with Ben and Eric
If you think we might be the right match for you and your child, we’d love to hear from you! You can send us a message online or call our agency, Adoption Advocates, at (512) 477-1122 / (800) 966-HOPE to get connected.
