Introduction
Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Hello. We are Tanya and Joe. Thank you so much for reading about our family and considering us as adoptive parents for your baby. We are very excited and cannot wait for a baby to join our little family! Ava is already lining up her stuffed animals in the nursery!
Our Story
We met in college in 2004, working at a restaurant. Joe was at the carryout counter when Tanya inquired about a job. There was an immediate connection, which led to our first date, and we soon realized we were soulmates. We enjoyed simple activities during those years like going to the movies, getting to know each other’s family members, taking occasional weekend trips, or going to the beach. We didn’t need fancy to have fun; we just loved being together. Eventually, Joe completed his Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, and Tanya pursued her cosmetology license.
After dating for seven years, we purchased our first home, and three years later, in 2015, we decided to “tie the knot,” and we were married. We started to grow our family with our first puppy, Bella, and in 2018, we were blessed with our beautiful daughter, Ava. In 2019, we moved into Tanya’s childhood home, next door to Tanya’s parents. We love being close to family and friends. We live in a highly desirable neighborhood with many kids who all play together. They say it takes a “village” to raise a child, and our village is the BEST! We are ready and excited for a new addition to join our circle.
About Tanya, by Joe
Tanya is the most loving, caring, nurturing, giving, and compassionate person I know. In spending the past two decades together, I have experienced all of these wonderful qualities firsthand. She is truly the best wife and mother anyone could want. She will always make her children her first priority to ensure they are healthy, happy, and safe. There is nothing Tanya would not do to ensure her family is well taken care of.
Tanya is a successful business owner of a beautiful salon and spa. She is very dedicated and loyal to her clients and her staff, who all call her “Mama Bear” because she is always there for everyone. Tanya puts her heart and soul into everything she does.
She is an only child but has many friends who adore her as a sister. She is always the life of the party and our home is always open to family and friends. She has the ability to make people feel comfortable around her immediately. Tanya makes our house a home, and it is always inviting with holiday and seasonal decorations.
She likes to cook and bake and enjoys sharing all her yummy treats with family, friends, and the teachers at Ava’s school for teacher appreciation week. Some of my favorites are her homemade sourdough bread and pizza. I love that she has a very giving heart. Marrying her and raising our daughter with her have been the two BEST things I have done in my life. Our future baby will be so lucky to experience her unconditional love and protection.
About Joe, by Tanya
Joe is the kindest, sweetest, most patient person I have ever known. People often refer to him as a “gentle, kind soul.” After working in high-end restaurants as a chef for many years, Joe decided on a career change in 2017. As we started to grow our family, we realized he needed a career with better benefits and more reasonable hours. As a result, he is now employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier. He enjoys getting to know people on his route and many of them love him so much that they now include him in their family holiday cards!
Joe has always been my rock. He is my comfort and grounds me in all situations, the good and the bad. Joe loves to see the world through Ava’s eyes and is THE dad of all dads. He is the dad who will go to the store with stickers all over his shirt, his face painted, nails painted, kids’ tattoos all over him, or funny hats! He loves making playtime fun and wears her creations with pride. He enjoys sharing his love of comic books, video games, and music with her.
He loves being outside doing yard work and checking on the pool. Grilling is his favorite thing and, trust me, no one grills better than Joe. I admire his ability to see the good in everything, no matter the situation. I am so blessed to call him my husband and Ava’s dad. He has so much more room in his heart for a new baby, and I can’t wait to see him continue being the most incredible dad.
Big Sister, Ava
Ava is starting elementary school. In kindergarten, she received two awards: the COURAGE award for never being afraid to stand up for what is right, and the GIRAFFE award for never being afraid to “stick your neck out” to try new things.
She is so excited to become a big sister. She often asks, “Hey, Daddy, what’s taking so long to get my baby brother or sister?” She loves to dress up her dolls and play house and feed her babies to make sure they are happy. She will most definitely want to help with her new sibling.
Ava loves unicorns, Pokémon, rainbows, and gymnastics. She enjoys being outside with her friends at the park, in the neighborhood, or in the yard, jumping on her trampoline or bouncy house. Her favorite activity in the summer is swimming in our pool with all her friends.
Ava is so empathetic and kind and always wants to make others feel better if they’re not well or have a “boo-boo.” She will be right there with a Band-Aid or an ice pack. Her teacher calls her the classroom “mama” because she has such a nurturing soul.
Ava was also the winner of her school’s Turkey Trot fundraiser. The money raised went toward field trips, enrichment programs, and classroom supplies. When she was given her prizes, she chose to give one away to a classmate whose birthday was that same day. This baby will be blessed to have Ava as a big sister.
Our Home, Community & Our Dog, Bella
We love our home! It’s our favorite place and we have everything we need right here. Our house is a three-bedroom open concept, very spacious home.
We are very good friends with all of our neighbors whose children play with Ava. They all enjoy our pool, trampoline, gazebo and swing set. Our property is truly a paradise. People often comment they feel like they are on a resort when they are here. Our large yard is shared with Nonna and Papa (Tanya’s parents), who live behind us. We love that we are “the house” that everyone likes to gather at. When we are not outdoors, Ava and her friends and cousins have a huge playroom with a big bouncy house, swings, and lots and lots of toys.
On Halloween, we have the best neighborhood for trick-or-treating! Families come from all over town to enjoy our quiet, safe, kid-friendly streets. We are also so lucky to enjoy the largest annual Halloween parade in the state. Ava is so excited to continue our matching family costumes with our new baby.
The brand new beautiful elementary school is in walking distance. Ava and her friends enjoy riding their bikes, scooters, and wagons to the school playground together with mom and dad.
It has been so nice creating new memories here in Tanya’s childhood home for Ava. We are excited to soon continue making memories with our new baby.
Our Dog, Bella
Bella is an eight year old English Lab. She is the goofiest dog you will ever meet. She is a great family dog and loves kids. She and Ava are best buds. Bella enjoys attention from anyone who comes over to give her belly rubs and a treat.
Our Family
Our Family Highlights:
We truly have the BEST family!
Ava is so lucky to have Tanya’s parents, who are the BEST Nonna and Papa, who live on the same compound directly behind us. Nonna walks over every morning to visit with her coffee. She can not start her day without seeing her baby doll, Ava. Papa always follows behind with a surprise treat for Ava. When we are working, Nonna and Papa are the only other people we have left Ava with. They are so excited to do it again with the new baby.
It is so nice to have family close by to share all our holidays, especially Christmas morning. And of course, “Bampa,” Joe’s dad, and Ava’s Uncle Mikey, Auntie Angela, and cousin Niko join us for the holidays too. It’s great having them nearby, even just to visit and hang out easily. We also have an extremely close group of friends that we truly consider our family, some of which have also adopted. We celebrate lots of holidays with them as well, and “Friendsgiving” is a huge annual event. We are all “auntie” and “uncle” to each other’s kids. Play dates, birthdays, holidays, annual events, cookouts, pizza nights, etc… we are always with our friends, who we call family. Ava also has lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins on Tanya’s side.
We are surrounded by so much love and support. The new baby will be blessed to be part of our village. We all can NOT wait !!!
Traditions
Holidays are a big deal in our house!
We love celebrating birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. Santa comes to our family Christmas party, the Easter bunny attends our egg hunt, and in the fall, we have a big fall festival with family and friends! We host a mobile petting zoo with pony rides, Tanya’s delicious bakery treats, and many fun activities for the kids, like pumpkin decorating, piñata breaking, and face painting.
Homemade bread, apple cider donuts, traditional Easter pies, seven fishes at Christmas, and our summertime pool parties which always include pizza, ice cream, and s’mores! All the kids get prizes and treats from Santa and the Easter Bunny, and nobody leaves our birthday parties without a “goody bag!”
We enjoy hosting all of these special events and making core memories for our family – this is what is important to us. We love how Ava gets so excited about these annual events and is already talking about sharing these traditions with her new baby brother or sister!
Thank You
Thank you for allowing us to share our story with you. We hope it has given you an understanding of who we are and what we have to offer a baby. We are ready with open hearts and open arms and cannot wait to shower a baby with our love! We know this must be a difficult decision, but one that is made with your baby’s best interest at heart – and we will raise a baby with the same intention, ensuring they know this decision was made from a place of utmost love.
We will encourage open dialogue and honesty about adoption, ensuring the baby knows their heritage. We will respect your comfort level in regards to communication throughout the child’s life. We promise that the baby will be raised in a loving, happy, and safe home, and that we will provide the best opportunities for the child to flourish and grow. We will instill confidence and encourage learning to help the baby grow into a secure and successful adult. Together with our family and friends, we genuinely already love the baby who will join our family! We will always protect, love, and make certain to give them the BEST life.
We can’t wait to hear about your hopes and dreams for the baby and about traditions you would like us to establish. We support and respect this difficult process and are sending you all of our love and light.
With Love,