Cody and Emmanuel

We're so glad you're here.

We know the road that led you to this moment has been one of the hardest you've ever walked, and we don't take lightly that you're spending some of it reading about us.

What you're doing takes a kind of courage that's hard to put into words - we can only imagine that it’s filled with

heartache and hope. Thank you for considering us.

Occupation: Arts Administrator & Pianist

Education: Master’s Degree - Piano Pedagogy & Spanish

Race/Ethnicity: White

Religion: Episcopalian

Languages Spoken: English (native) | Spanish

5 Words to Describe Cody: Joyful, Kind, Practical, Curious, Patient

Cody (as told by Emmanuel)

Cody is full of joy, integrity, and genuine love and respect for other cultures, especially his undeniable embrace of Puerto Rican culture. He always has a positive attitude and a deep love for life that shines through in everything he does, along with a true passion for music and the arts. What stood out to me most from the beginning was his love for kids—I could instantly see that he would be an incredible father. He is patient, honest, hardworking, respectful, and joyful, and my admiration for him continues to grow stronger each day as he teaches me something new and inspires me to be better.

Occupation: Science Professor & Biologist

Education: Doctorate - Entomologist

Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Puerto Rican

Religion: Christian

Languages Spoken: Spanish (native) | English

5 Words to Describe Emmanuel: Curious, Adventurous, Witty, Compassionate, Analytical

Emmanuel (as told by Cody)

Emmanuel has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He always shows his love and support through action, communication, and commitment. He is quick to tell a good joke and has you laughing so hard tears start to come. Emmanuel is one of the hardest workers I know and I am inspired by his resilience to overcome challenges in life. Emmanuel will be an incredible Dad because of how he relates with kids with kindness, shares in their curiosity, engages in wholehearted play, and shows deep love and affection for our niece and nephews.

We met in person at an LGBTQ+ small group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016. Cody was looking to make new friends and introduced himself to Emmanuel — and something clicked immediately. Soon we were texting late into the nights, getting to know each other in that way that makes hours disappear.

One of the moments Cody knew he was falling for Emmanuel was when Emmanuel sent a photo of himself with his oldest nephew. Cody had always hoped to find a partner who wanted marriage and a family — and here was Emmanuel, showing him exactly who he was without even trying.

As we grew closer, we discovered how much we shared: a deep desire for family, a love of learning, a need to be outside exploring, and a work ethic that drives everything we do. We made our way to Salt Lake City for work, put down roots, and bought a home. In December 2022, we got married in San Juan, Puerto Rico, surrounded by family and friends. It was a joyful and beautiful ceremony.

Today, we celebrate and continue our love by spending time with each other, our families, exploring the natural world around us, and celebrating cultural traditions together. We are ready to grow the love that we have for each other by creating our family through adoption.

Hiking & Biking: We fell in love with the mountains and deserts of Utah. We've explored all five national parks, and Canyonlands outside of Moab holds a special place for us. Closer to home, we bike and walk the Jordan River Trail regularly and it will be a part of our future family routine.

Lake & Beach Life: From kayaking mountain lakes to spending days on the beach in Puerto Rico, being on the water together makes us happy.

Gardening: We tend a vegetable garden in the back and native/desert flower beds in the front. Saturday mornings you'll find us with coffee in hand while watching the bees and pollinators.

Cooking & Baking: Emmanuel is the cook — our home always smells like something incredible, especially when he's making Puerto Rican dishes and using produce from the garden. Cody takes over for baking, turning out cheesecakes, homemade jams, and Christmas candies every holiday season. We love to share meals together and host our family and friends.

Music & Photography: Cody plays piano and has a love for classical music. Emmanuel takes his camera into nature whenever he can.

Immediate Family: We visit our family in Wisconsin and Puerto Rico during the Christmas holidays. Every other year, they come and visit us in Utah. We talk with our siblings and parents daily. We know that with a child and when our parents retire, they will be visiting more frequently and both families are fully supportive of our adoption journey. We can't wait for our child to grow up knowing both of these families — the traditions, the food, the people — as their own.

Chosen Family: Over the years we’ve built a chosen family of people here in Utah who show up for each other. They are fully ready to support us and to welcome a child into this community with open arms.

Kids in Our Lives: We have one niece on Cody's side and three nephews on Emmanuel's side, and the time spent with them is our favorite! We get on the floor with them to play, read stories to them, take them on walks, and soak up every minute. We feel that we both naturally connect well with children and enjoy exploring the world through their eyes.

Why Adoption: Adoption was never a backup plan for us — it was always the direction that felt most right. We believe deeply that family is built through love, commitment, and choice every day. As two people who have experienced the power of chosen community and found belonging in unexpected places, we truly feel that adoption is the right choice for us.

Level of Openness: Open adoption feels right to us because we genuinely believe it's best for our child. We want them to grow up with a full sense of who they are and where they came from, and that means honoring the connection to you.

Parental Values We Hold: We want our child to grow up knowing that they are unconditionally loved. We hope to raise someone who is curious and keeps learning, who is kind and looks out for others, and isn't afraid to ask hard questions. Our family will be bilingual and multicultural.

While we can’t be perfect parents, we are people who show up, who communicate, who repair when we get things wrong, and who are deeply committed to growing alongside our child. We're ready for the hard days just as much as the joyful ones.

Our Hopes and Dreams: We dream of a family filled with weekend adventures, kitchen dance parties, holiday baking, backyard gardens, travel, and celebrating our cultural traditions together. Our hope is to build a family that is filled with love, compassion, laughter, and adventure.

Thank you for considering us,

Cody & Emmanuel

Contact Children’s Service Society at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call/text 801-656-8527.