Introduction
Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Hello! We are John and Kelli-Ann. First of all, we want to thank you for taking the time to look at our profile and for learning about us as prospective parents!
Our Story
At the time we met, we were working at the same high school and after a few months of hanging out as friends, we went on our first date to play pool and stargaze during a meteor shower. After a change in jobs, we saw each other on weekends, and whether it was trivia night, a Beyoncé concert, or a Gabriel Iglesias (“Fluffy”) comedy show, we knew that we had something good and that a future together was on the horizon. In March of 2014, we moved in together, renting a home in Central Massachusetts.
While learning how to live together, and driving each other crazy sometimes, it was clear that our love was growing, and in 2015, we welcomed our dog Charlie to our family. In 2016, we purchased our current home, and on Christmas Day, with both of our families present, we got engaged. We were married in August 2018. As we enjoyed married life, we added our second dog, Lily, in 2020.
Although we love our fur babies, and have spent a great deal of time with nieces, nephews, and John’s surrogate “stepson”, we knew that we wanted to raise children. Unable to biologically have children, we chose to bless our home through adoption. In September of 2023, we were blessed with our son, Isaiah. It is the best feeling in the world to come home to him, and we are so excited to welcome another child into our home.
About Kelli-Ann
Family is the single most important word to me. My family encouraged me to do better and was a shoulder to lean on when I struggled. Having such a loving and supportive family made me want to share that experience with a child.
It was because of my mother that I decided to become a teacher. She helped me see that a good education didn’t necessarily mean going to college; it is about being able to think for yourself and always wanting to learn and grow. When I dropped out of college, I was so afraid to tell her, but she was beyond understanding and assured me that she loved me no matter what. She gave me the space and support to figure things out for myself. I eventually did go back and got my Master’s degree in Education.
I enjoy learning new crafts like knitting from a coworker, jewelry-making at the college craft center, and soap-making for favors at our wedding! As Isaiah celebrated his first holidays with us, I made onesies that say things like “My 1st Leap Day” and “Our 1st Mother’s Day”. None of this would have been possible without the foundational support from my family who provided that safe space for me to grow the courage to explore and try new things.
Wanting to learn and persevere through challenges are values I hope to share with Isaiah. My family has always been a very strong support system for me, and as a mom, I hope to provide the same love and support to our son, and hopefully to a second child, to help them succeed in life in whatever endeavors they choose.
To want to learn and persevere through challenges. These are some of the values I hope to share with Isaiah. My family has always been a very strong support system for me, and as a mom, I hope to provide the same love and support to our son, and hopefully to a second child, to help them succeed in life in whatever endeavors they choose.
About John
A story about me and my new business venture was published, and it opens with one definitive quote: “I should not be where I am today.” That is certainly true in my case.
Coming from a working poor family, along with many of the problems associated with that kind of upbringing, I have accomplished a lot in my life thus far, including being a first-generation college graduate, earning master’s and doctoral degrees, an education administrator, and an entrepreneur.
None of these accomplishments, though, compare to marrying my wife and raising Isaiah. Having the privilege of helping to raise my “stepson”, (not my biological child but who I have helped to raise since he was a newborn). I knew that I wanted to give my children a foundation that I did not have. I now know that the definition of “family” does not apply only to biological relatives.
Kelli and I are committed to raising and providing a strong foundation for our children by pouring all our love into them. With Kelli being Jamaican and me being half Mexican, we are also committed to raising our children in a diverse household.
Big Brother, Isaiah
We love Isaiah so much and have tried to provide him with a foundation that John did not have as a child. We are so lucky to be Isaiah’s mommy and daddy, and we, along with our family and friends, have showered him with love. He is thriving in our loving home. He is a happy, healthy, and bright little boy. We love spending time with him watching ducks and trains, playing with his blocks or trucks, and reading with him.
Excited for him to profit from a wide variety of experiences, we began taking Isaiah to different encounters during the summer of 2024. We took him to see butterflies at a butterfly sanctuary, the zoo, the local science center, and two aquariums. Isaiah especially enjoyed the aquariums, including the pretty colors and cool sea creatures. Now that Isaiah is a little older, our hope is to be lucky enough to grow our family even more by adopting a second little one and providing Isaiah with a sibling to love and play with.
Our Home
Since purchasing our home, we’ve been updating and modernizing it. We completely fenced in our backyard so Charlie, Lily, and now Isaiah have a place to play safely. We also completely gutted and remodeled the upstairs bathroom. Isaiah’s nursery was remodeled with hardwood flooring and baby blue paint. So that all our family and friends could enjoy Isaiah’s first birthday party, we had a brand new spacious patio built in our backyard. Aside from a place to eat, sleep, and play, we have tried to make our home a safe and calm place to be. We work hard to provide Isaiah with a structured and calming home life. A new little one will have this foundation, as well.
The neighborhood is very quiet. Most houses are owned by pleasant couples who have pets and/or children. Our neighbors are respectful of each others’ privacy and quiet space. Our neighborhood in Massachusetts is a very nice place to live. Our network of friends and colleagues will help us to provide our children with opportunities outside of the neighborhood, whether through play dates or more structured activities like drama or sports.
As educators, we understand the importance of providing children with a structured and stimulating environment. As parents, our promise to Isaiah and any other little one is that we will provide them with that and more. We have worked hard to serve as positive role models for Isaiah and teach him the lessons he will need to become a productive and responsible adult someday. We will continue to keep our home a safe haven for a new child as we continue to grow our family.
Our Family
Although we did not come from similar walks of life, we both know how valuable family is. Life can get busy for us, but we do everything we can to make sure we keep in touch with our families.
Kelli enjoys having a “girl’s” day out with her mother and sister (and Isaiah!), and we enjoy visiting John’s family on the West Coast. Regularly, we enjoy a meal with John’s father, or Kelli’s brother and wife. We make a point to visit with our parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, for celebrations of birthdays, holidays, and special occasions, or just make a phone or video call to say hello and see how they’re doing.
We make the effort to put our family first, regardless of whether they live near or far. This has certainly been the case with Isaiah, who benefits from spending time with his Auntie “Gigi” and his nana when his mommy and daddy are working. It was important to us that if we needed someone to be with Isaiah while we work, that it was family and not strangers.
We’re lucky to have a support system in our family and friends (who do not shy away from helping to take care of Isaiah when needed), and Isaiah is truly lucky to have such a loving family and friends whom we consider extended family. Firm in our belief of leading and teaching by example, we have done everything in our power to ensure that Isaiah learns the importance of family from a young age. We will pass these teachings and values to a new baby boy or girl.
Hobbies, Interests, and Traditions
Kelli enjoys crafting and John likes going to karate and sporting events, and tries to work out regularly. While we have our own interests and hobbies, we also love going to the movies, concerts, and comedy shows together or with our friends and family. We have seasonal traditions and activities which we have enjoyed sharing with Isaiah. We hope to be blessed enough to share them with a second child, as well.
Spring: Each year we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day, usually with a dinner or cookout.
Summer: We enjoy going to local carnivals and our family takes turns hosting a 4th of July cookout. We occasionally go to the drive-in to watch a double feature and enjoy the warm weather. We like to take a trip to Maine each year, either to the beach or to a small town to go shopping. We also like to go berry and apple picking at the local farms. As educators, summer is the time we have the most open schedules, so we tend to do the most during this time.
Fall: We enjoy decorating our house for the fall. Thanksgiving is a big holiday and our families take turns hosting. We enjoy being able to get together and spend time with our families.
Winter: The winter is another big decorating season, it’s so much fun being able to decorate the Christmas tree together. Because we value our entire family, even Charlie and Lily have their own Christmas stockings! We love driving around town to look at all the beautiful Christmas decorations and lights and enjoy attend different holiday celebrations around town.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to look through our book, for your bravery in contemplating adoption, and for considering entrusting us as adoptive parents. We consider raising a child a privilege, and we hope to realize our dream of becoming parents of two wonderful children!
We promise to give a baby everything that we are and have. We will give them a better life than we had and fill it with all the love, wisdom, and acceptance we and our extended family can give. As educators, we promise to give them access to an excellent education. We hope that someday we will be able to meet and that we will stay in contact throughout the child’s life. We will always make sure our children know that, through adoption, they are greatly loved by their entire family, including their birth mother, and that they will know how much she sacrificed to ensure that they have a life with our family.
We thoughtfully wrote our book, and hope we are so lucky to have the privilege of raising a second child with all the love and affection we have to give. We thank you so much for reading our book, getting to know us, and considering us as adoptive parents.
Wishing You Love,