Chen & Iris

About Us

We are a warm, supportive, committed couple with a strong sense of giving back to the community and a thoughtful yet lighthearted approach to life. We are a loving and involved aunt and uncle to our nieces and nephews. We were both raised in supportive, loving families and our core values reflect our own childhood experiences. We are excited to provide a warm, safe, stable, positive and loving home to a child – one that prioritizes their growth, development, well-being, self-actualization, and sense of community.

About Iris

I’m a life-long learner and have always loved reading and writing. As a child, I would bring home bags of books from the library and devour them over the summer months. I was happy spending time with friends, family, or on my own playing piano, enjoying arts and crafts, or reading. I developed an intense curiosity about science and followed a career path as a medical researcher, graduating with a PhD in medical science. I traveled a lot and lived abroad for a while. Eventually, I decided to combine my passion for telling stories with my love of science and became a science writer. Today, I write interesting stories about the extraordinary world around and within us.

I also love music and dancing, especially Latin and ballroom dance. I’m light on my feet and can dance up a storm. Eight years ago, I decided to share my passion for dance with people who have few opportunities to learn. I founded and run a small non-profit that teaches wheelchair users how to dance – we hold classes, competitions, and performances and have grown to become a close and supportive community of friends.

About Chen

I grew up on a farming community and spent lots of time outdoors in the fields, tinkering with cars and tractors, building things, and discovering the world around me. I had a lot of independence growing up and my childhood friends are like family to this day. I like learning and doing new things, so I got to be an electrician, mechanic, welder, and computer technician. I traveled the world on a motorcycle for a year, hiking beautiful trails, sleeping in my tent, reading, and enjoying the scenery.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and today I manage software development for a company in the high-tech sector – a position I’ve held for the past sixteen years. I enjoy the almost endless creative freedom, technical challenges, and the opportunity to manage a group of talented colleagues.

I enjoy live concerts, movies, swimming, motorsports, reading, playing the guitar, and am a huge history buff. I also volunteer in Iris’ non-profit where I learned how to dance. I’ve performed and competed many times with members of our dance group.

Iris about Chen

Chen is smart and endlessly curious – he loves learning and teaching, and will patiently explain ideas or build things with our young niece and nephew. He is a master under pressure – supportive, loving, kind and a natural problem solver. Chen is the person you want in your corner during a time of crisis or to cheer you on as you follow your dreams. If something’s broken, Chen will fix it. And if he doesn’t know how, he’ll do his best to figure it out. That includes everything from the washing machine, to the car, to a favourite pair of worn-out pants, or a particularly bad day.

Chen about Iris

Iris is all heart and her soul is as beautiful and kind as she is from the outside. She has endless compassion for all living creatures in any shape or form, be it a tree, an ant, a bird, a pet or a human being. She is highly intelligent and a good communicator. She converses effortlessly and conveys information clearly – a trait she uses interpersonally and in her science writing career.

She is attentive to people’s needs and emotional state, and is quick to offer the right support if needed, or resolve conflicts in a sensible manner using reasoning and empathy. Iris loves to laugh and live, and with all of her qualities I could not have asked for a better companion to parent with.

Our Home & Community

We live in a quiet, safe, green neighborhood in the Greater Toronto Area, a short walk or drive from parks, wooded trails, ravines, schools, community groups, and extended family. We love exploring the outdoors and share our home with our sweet dog, Nala, who joins us on our adventures.

We have some wonderful neighbors and are both fortunate to work from home, giving us a good degree of flexibility and autonomy. We make a big deal over birthdays and anniversaries. We exchange cards and gifts, decorate the house, plan special outings, prepare a meal or treat, and celebrate with family.

Our Thoughts about Parenting & Adoption

Thoughts about Parenting

Our parenting values focus on prioritizing a child’s well-being: nurturing self-esteem, cultural and spiritual identity, interpersonal communication, an interest in learning, and self-actualization. We believe in encouraging healthy independence, providing positive reinforcement and praise, emulating kindness, respect, compassion and good manners, setting healthy boundaries, disciplining with love and natural consequences, and encouraging patience, inclusivity and tolerance towards others.

We’ve lived and traveled abroad, are well-equipped to navigate change, and are outspoken advocates for diversity. We’re minimalists and value the simple pleasures in life. We’re the couple that goes sledding after a snowstorm, plants a pollinator garden on the balcony, prioritizes family, communication and education, and loves exploring new places, learning new things, and helping others when we can – all values that we intend to pass on to our children.

Thoughts about Adoption

Adoption would give us the opportunity to experience the joy of parenthood and complete our family – something we’ve wanted for a long time. We believe in the importance of open, honest, supportive communication about adoption from day one. We’re well informed about the unique needs of adoptive children and are committed to providing the patience, love, stability and support that an adoptive child needs to thrive.

If you are seeking an open adoption, we will support and nurture your relationship with your child to the extent that you feel comfortable. If you prefer a closed adoption, we will accept that as well, and are committed to raising your child with the understanding that they are loved and cherished by their birth parents.

Closing Thoughts

Thank-You!

Our love story is an ongoing reminder to us about the power of connection from afar. The way a handful of words on a screen or page can bring people together and shape a common future is nothing short of magical. Thanks for taking the time to get acquainted with us and for considering us as adoptive parents for your child. We hope to be a part of your story.