Joe loves Sarah's compassion above all. She is able to find the best in people and really goes out of her way to have an understanding for those less fortunate. She is patient and is able to take her time on things that would sometimes be an overbearing situation and make it far more manageable. She is also very creative, helping establish home practices like making very pleasant birthday cards by hand, and finding new ways to spruce up our day to day lives. It allows Joe to see beauty in the world that he may not see with his own two eyes.

Sarah loves Joe's kindness. It was what attracted her to him the moment they met. Joe is generous with his time, always willing to help someone else, and puts himself in another's shoes. He is not judgmental and understands that everyone makes mistakes though some mistakes do require consequences in life. He is quick to offer advice and a caring ear to friends and strangers alike. It is not unusual for Joe to make a new acquaintance and have a long chat with someone new wherever he goes.

Our pets are important to us because they are a part of the family, each with distinct personalities. Kisa, our grey cat, is in a lot of ways our guardian. She will sit at our bed if one of us is sick, kiss away tears, and is the first to be there for us to cuddle if one of us is not in a good mood.

Nova, while appearing more aloof, is playful and independent. She enjoys being with us just the same but allowing herself more space than Kisa. Nova enjoys watching us from afar. Yet, if things are rough for either of us, she ensures that she is there to bring a smile to our faces by reminding Joe, Sarah, and Kisa of her love for us.

Both cats are bonded sisters we adopted from a program in New York. They take care of each other and groom each other regularly, play together, have a good time together, and watch each other's backs. Despite their distinct personalities (and favoritism to Sarah or Joe depending on the cat), they both have great little loving personalities that have deepened our lives.

We wouldn't know where we would be without them and know from their previous foster parents that they love kids. We can't wait to see how Kisa and Nova grow up with children in the home.

Joe comes from a very strong Italian American background. This includes an upbringing in the Christian faith, lots of pasta and love of all things Italian food, and generally speaking has a strong family life. Sarah has a partially Appalachian, partially Eastern European upbringing with a mixture of Hungarian and German attitudes. Both heritages believe in hard work and lots of do it yourself attitudes.

Both of us have a very strong foundation in the Catholic belief. This includes going through the church as an upbringing, but also its values of charity, love, and respect for others. We believe strongly in the ideals of loving thy neighbor and judging lest ye not be judged and would expect our family to do the same.

We look forward to meal nights of Joe's homemade lasagna and spending a Saturday in the Fall making Sarah's traditional Hungarian potato soup with homemade pinched noodles. And we look forward to watching a child grow in the Church. It is important to us to incorporate both our cultures and values together as a family with a child while respecting any cultural heritage they come from.

In January 2023, we moved from Manhattan to a small city in Minnesota. With Joe's job shifting to a permanent work from home position we had the opportunity to choose anywhere in the country to live. After months of research, we settled on where we are today. There are a lot of things we had to consider when it came to a major decision like this. For one, we valued a location excellent for raising a family - neither too small nor too big. We made sure the local public and private schools are excellent in our new hometown, the healthcare is the best in the country, farmer's markets and festivals are common, and the small city is culturally diverse. On top of what our own city offers, in less than two hours we can find ourselves in the heart of the Twin Cities.

As we were unable to find a home before we moved, we have chosen to rent a 4 bedroom split level with a deck where Joe loves to grill and Sarah enjoys keeping him company. There is a fenced-in backyard. Our neighbors are very caring and nice, and plenty of people in the neighborhood stop to say hello. On any given evening you will find neighbors working on their lawns, walking their dogs, and children playing. The neighborhood is built for short walks with sidewalks and a walking path. We have renewed our lease and plan to continue living in the area of the city we are in.

Sarah was both an only child and the youngest with an older half-sister on her mom's side. Growing up Sarah was close to her older sister Kelly who loved to play school with her. Kelly is now a teacher in Massachusetts. Sarah's father is already retired and lives in a home surrounded by woodlands where he cares for his orchard and sometimes a beehive or two. Sarah's mother is a system analyst and will be retiring in 2024. She looks forward to visiting often with her free time to see her grandchild. Both of Sarah's parents are Marines who value loyalty and a taste for adventure that they look forward to sharing with any and all grandchildren.

Joe's family had him later in life. Both of Joe's parents are currently retired. They were very supportive and currently Joe helps support them financially. Joe's cousins are very close to the family, they exchange pictures of children, and we help each other navigating family life. Joe's grandmother is lively at over 90 years of age and loves her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Thank you for taking some of your precious time to get to know more about us. This is a monumental decision that we know you are weighing carefully. Much like you, we wish only the very best for your child. If you chose us, we promise to nurture your child in all ways they would need as we encourage them to blossom into the very best version of themselves. We promise to love and cherish your child like the gift they are to the world.

We have been together for a total of 7 years. We were married on December 28, 2019, at the downtown Catholic church in Sarah's hometown. It was the same town where Joe and Sarah first met. From early on in our relationship we were aware of two separate things for our future: 1. We both wanted to be parents and 2. With Sarah's potential infertility complications to be a parent we may need to pursue adoption. We have always felt that a family's child is not based purely on blood but the amount of love you invest in the child.

We promise to gift your child with the same lesson that Sarah's parents gave to her: the joy of education. We will take your child to museums of all sorts, the zoo, and festivals. We will take them to baseball games and other events for them to enjoy with us. We promise to take them to the local farmer's market regularly to teach them the value of fresh food in cooking and nutrition. Joe will teach your child to cook healthy and delicious meals while Sarah helps with the clean-up and food prep. We will allow your child to explore music, martial arts, and other hobbies that may catch their interest. And we always promise to include the love of stories and reading with two parents who love to write and read.

While we understand we may spend more time with your child, we promise you will never be forgotten if you choose to pursue adoption with us. Your child will always be told of the sacrifice and love their mother had for them and your careful choice in the family for your child to grow up with. If you wish for it, we promise you that at minimum a letter, pictures, and even sometimes the art of your child will be included for you every six months. We have a tradition in our family of making homemade cards and would love to include you in that tradition as we would encourage your child to share cards with you. Sarah plans to keep a private blog updated at least each month with your child's progress and pictures that you will be able to view. We will allow phone calls regularly between you and your child as well as an email you can always reach us if you so choose.

While we may not be able to travel to you each year, if you wish, we will welcome you to see your child yearly. We understand this may be a financial hardship for you that you could not bear. We would happily discuss ways to make it possible for you to see your child yearly, including financially assisting you with the travel and lodging costs.

Sincerely,

Joe & Sarah