John and Cody
Hi!
We are John + Cody and we are so grateful to be able to share our story with you. We recognize that everyone’s story is unique and often unpredictable, and we hope that our stories, as different or similar as they may be, may become connected. We recognize the gravity of this decision, and we admire your bravery.
We have always known that we wanted to be parents and over the past year, we felt the time was right to become the dads we always wanted to be. Adoption is an important part of our story that we want to tell, and we look forward to the opportunity for our family to grow.
For the past 11 years, we have shared our lives with each other. We’ve laughed (a lot), we’ve cried (a lot), we’ve celebrated milestones, and we’ve traveled to fun, new places. Everything in between has been a beautiful journey that has led us here today.
Our story started when we met what feels like an eternity back in 2012, after meeting on a dating app. As cliche as it sounds, there is no other way to describe it than as an instant connection. In 2019, Cody *finally* proposed and we married during the pandemic in 2020 surrounded by 25 of our closest friends and family.
One of our favorite ways to spend our time is hosting dinner parties with friends and family over a home-cooked meal (by John) or casual game nights ordering in. Our community is very important to us, and we are intentional about maintaining those relationships.
Together we share a lot of passions including the arts, traveling, and volunteering. Spending time with our families is important and though they are spread around the country, we have siblings and their families who are within driving distance. We often spend weekends taking trips to visit with them and creating memories.
We’ve lived on the north side for the past 9 years and have made this neighborhood our community. While we have both called Chicago home for most of our adolescence and adulthood, we have roots on the East Coast – Cody being from Connecticut and John being from Philadelphia. We have fond memories of growing up near the ocean and hope to be able to pass on that love of the Atlantic to our child.
I grew up in a large family, the second eldest of five kids, and learned from a young age that all families really are unique! I have a creative side, and grew up engaged in the arts; painting, drawing, playing piano, and photography. I view more art than creating it these days but do use cooking, entertaining, and gardening as creative outlets.
Professionally, I work in risk management for a tech company. I also serve on the Board for a local Chicago non-profit that provides artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice. I am passionate about DEIA and contributing to a more equitable community.
There is no denying that I am the funny one in the relationship. Humor is my way of bringing out the best in people. I am the youngest of two and have two amazing nephews who John and I love spending time with.
By day, I work in marketing and membership in the hospitality industry. As a natural extrovert, I love meeting new people, sharing stories, and networking.
Outside of work, I am an avid volleyball player. I’ve been playing since I was 13 and currently play in a league and travel tournaments when my schedule allows. I also love to play tennis and this past summer we were lucky enough to spend the day at the US Open in NYC – bucket list, check! I absolutely love musical theatre. I haven’t performed in years, but I am still connected with the stage by serving on the Board for a local Chicago company. Few things put a bigger smile on my face than show tunes and bright lights! I am very connected to my alma mater, Eastern Illinois University and serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors to give back to future generations of Panthers!
We live in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. We are surrounded by great schools, lots of parks, and one of our favorite places to walk – the lakefront! Our home is a vintage condo on a quiet tree-lined street that we have worked hard to make warm and inviting.
Many of our friends live in the neighborhood, we often will catch up with them on a walk or meet for a meal at one of the neighborhood restaurants. Our friends and family are very supportive and have cheered us on in our many milestones; getting married, buying our first home, and now as we look to grow our family!
As we raise our family, our guiding values are unconditional love, empathy, and inclusion. We will strive to raise children who have integrity and show love to those they meet. We want to inspire our children to always look for ways to improve their community.
While our experiences will inform the way we parent our children and we will look to pass on the favorite parts of our childhood, we ultimately want to raise independent thinkers who will chase the dreams they create and not ones that are created for them.We welcome any questions you may have about us and our family. You can reach us by contacting our adoption counselor, Linda Fiore, by calling 1-800-869-1005 (toll-free), emailing linda@centerforfamily.com, or texting 773-919-5702. You can also contact us directly by emailing johnandcodyacfb@gmail.com.
Forever Grateful,
John and Cody
