Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Thank you for reading about us! We are RJ & Jeff. We have yet to meet you, but we admire your strength, bravery, and courage by considering an adoption plan. We are a fun, loving, and energetic couple who are very excited about being dads. We know that this decision is not easy, but no matter what you choose, we wish you, your child, and your families the best. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our family.
About Us
We met on Caribbean vacation over eight years ago. After becoming instant friends, we fell in love. Our first date was at the dog beach, with our dogs, Mister and Russell. We still love to explore the city’s parks and beaches with our dogs. We have a lot in common. We both love to travel, to cook (and eat), and we enjoy all the things the city has to offer. We also have similar values and shared aspirations of creating a family. We have been together now for over five years, and we recently celebrated our one year wedding anniversary.
Meet RJ
I was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. I grew up in a small, loving family with one older sister, whom we see regularly now with her husband and their two children. As a child, I loved playing outside with neighborhood kids, swimming in the local pool, and doing outdoor activities with my dad. We would often go fishing, boating, do gardening and go on nature walks. After graduating from Michigan State, I moved to Chicago, where I finished my graduate degree in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I work as a health research analyst for Walgreens and am a self-proclaimed nerd because of my love of organization, computers, and all things technology. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, all kinds of music, gardening, working around the house, and spending time with family, friends, and our dogs.
Meet Jeff
I was born and raised in Darien, Illinois. I am the youngest of three brothers in a very lively Polish and Italian family. Growing up, I enjoyed playing with my brothers and friends, sports, and cooking with my Italian grandparents. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University, I moved back to Chicago to be close to my family, who all live nearby. I currently work as a senior director of client services for ADP (a payroll company). In my free time, I enjoy running, biking, being outdoors, watching all the Oscar nominated movies and spending as much time as possible with family, friends and our dogs.
Family
Family is extremely important to us and was a huge part of both of our upbringings and remains so to this day. From early on in our relationship, we knew we both wanted to provide the same joy and unconditional love we’d experienced. We have spent countless hours dreaming of the day we would start our own family. We long to be parents and to give a child all our love and provide them with all the opportunity life has to offer.
We spend as much time as possible with our families, and are lucky to have two twin nephews (Henry and Rocco, age 6) on Jeff’s side. We also enjoy spending time with RJ’s niece, Annika (age 11) and nephew, Luka (age 15). We regularly cheer on Jeff’s nephews at little league and hockey and enjoy baking, fishing, hiking and exploring Chicago’s museums with RJ’s niece and nephew. Our families are both very excited to welcome a precious baby into our world, and can’t wait for him or her to be a part of our family.
About Adoption
RJ’s mom, Dorothy, was very influential in our decision to pursue an open adoption. She placed a child for adoption before my sister and I were born. At that time, adoptions were primarily closed and my mom never had an opportunity to discover anything about her son. While she always knew she had made the right choice, she wished she had the chance to learn more about him. This personal adoption experience has made us strong believers in open adoption, and the level of comfort and understanding it allows. Sadly, Dorothy died last year and was never able to find him. However, I am hopeful that someday I will find my half-brother and tell him what a wonderful woman my mom was, and how much she cared for him in making an adoption plan.
Our neighborhood
We love our lives in Chicago and live in a very diverse neighborhood on the north side. We have a lot of family and friends in the city and we enjoy spending as much time with them as possible. Since Jeff’s family is all nearby, we get together with them for family dinners on a weekly basis. We care very much about our friends, who make up a diverse group and many of whom now have children of their own. Living in Chicago provides us with such great opportunities and the ability to have enriching, fun, child-friendly experiences with kids all the time.
Our Promise to You
You have our promise that we will encourage our child to follow their dreams, support their choices and guide them along the way. We will provide them with stability, security and opportunity, but most of all, we will provide them with unconditional love and support through all of the joys and challenges life brings. We are so excited to create a close-knit family, just as we had when we were kids. We have so much to offer as dads and would be honored to have the opportunity to show you. Thank you again for considering us. We look forward to meeting you.
If you would like to learn more about us, you may contact us directly at: [email protected]. You may also reach us through our adoption counselor, Maggie Benz, at: 800-869-1005 (call), 847-366-6343 (text), or [email protected].
