Jay and Lisa

Our Commitment To You

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Unlike some couples, we are not waiting for "any" birth mother who comes along, we are actively searching for "our" birth mother, the one who we feel we can best connect with because we realize that adoption is a lifelong relationship.
We are an approved adoptive couple; we have our home study, criminal and child abuse clearances and we are working with an attorney that we trust and is committed to helping us build our family through adoption.
We can provide a loving and safe home, financial stability, education, opportunities to explore talents and the ability to have what they need in this world to be successful.
Your child will know of you in loving ways as we will always speak of you with respect and appreciation.
We believe that as much of our resources as possible should go toward the direct benefit of the child, so we encourage you to pursue government medical coverage and assistance.

Why Adoption?

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We have four cousins who were adopted into our family and some of our friends adopted their children as well. Adoption is a normal and great part of our lives.

Just two years ago, I (Lisa) met my brother who was placed for adoption by my mother when he was born. Mom feels this was the right and loving choice, although a tough one. Hearing Mom's experience has shown Jay and I that having a trusting connection with the birth mother or parents of our future children will add a loving layer to all of our lives.

Our children will grow to appreciate the tenderness and love of their birth parents.

When we realized we could not biologically conceive, we naturally and optimistically chose adoption. We imagine connecting with a birth mother or parents and creating our own unique relationship for child's bright future.

Boy Meets Girl

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Our engagement photo and big smiles on our wedding day

We met by modern day tradition - online! Jay responded to my online singles ad, we emailed each other daily for the next three months, and met on Valetntine's Day in 1998.

Three and a half years later, Jay proposed, on bended knee while we watched the sunrise at the lighthouse. Our relatives and friends shared in our wedding celebration in August 2002. We imagine that they'll share in all the special moments of our childrens' lives as well.

About Lisa By Jay

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A candid photo of Lisa and one of her entertaining her nephew.

Lisa's optimism and great sense of humor keeps us going while we are waiting to become parents. If you knew Lisa, you would see her as trustworthy, thoughtful , and supportive. She cares a lot about her family and friends, and is always there to lend a hand.

A "Precious Moments" mural painted by Lisa

Lisa has been drawing and painting since she was three years old. She's created many murals such as Sesame Street and Looney Tunes for our friends' children. She can't wait for the day she can create a mural for our little boy or girl!

Lisa also collects coins and stamps from all over the world. She will teach our children about people living in other countries and cultures by sharing this collection with them as well as by family trips we will take.

Lisa looks forward to being a stay-at-home mom after the baby is born.

About Jay by Lisa

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Jay fishing on the kayak and with a striped bass

Jay is thoughtful, witty, and full of adventure. When you get to know him, he can talk about a variety of topics..and is never boring.

Fishing since he was a young boy, I think that Jay can't walk past a body of water without wondering what might be lurking below the surface. He looks forward to teaching his children about kayaking, fishing, and costal conservation. Jay practices catch and release, occassionally bringing home one for dinner . I do the picture taking when I join him on some of his fishing trips. Jay also scuba dives and collects artwork - you guessed it - of fishing scenes. Luckily we have plenty of walls to hang them on.

Our Community and Home

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A parade in our town and summer water park fun

We live in a great suburban town balanced between farmlands and a major city. Its a family friendly town with plenty of carnivals, fairs and parades. Our home is within walking distance to the center of town where there are shops, schools and the library. We are only a short drive to the beach and a great summer water park for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Our home

Our large six bedroom home is tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac where children from other blocks come to play. Our family room has a fireplace perfect for hot chocolate on cold winter days. In the summertime, when we aren't entertaining under the covered patio, we enjoy tending to our herb garden or enjoying a snooze on the hammock.

Baby's dresser & hutch, dressing table (hand-made by Lisa's Stepfather)

Our Family

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Jay has many cousins and second cousins. Some of his first cousins are more like siblings to him. He is closest with one cousin, Esther, who lives nearby with her husband, Paul, and their four year old son, Brian. Jay lost his father when he was in high school, and his mother passed two years ago. Fortunately, she lived with us for several months before she passed, giving us lasting memories.

The family cabin and Lisa's parents Linda & Ben

My (Lisa's) mother Linda, and her husband Ben live ten minutes from us, so we can visit with our future children often. Their three dogs, Rocky, Peppa and Boomer are gentle with children, and they will love playing fetch. There is a pool in their big backyard for the warm summer days. Linda and Ben also have an incredible log cabin they built a few years ago on 12 acres of property in the mountains. Its about four hours from our home, just perfect for weekend retreats. We plan on staying there often and know our children will love the fresh mountain air and beautiful views.

My Uncle Robert, also my Godfather, his wife Karyn and their daughters Emma and Madelyn live about 20 minutes from us. We get together to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or just because it's good to spend time together. Recently we celebrated Emma's return from her second year in college. She enjoyed her breakfast brunch celebration that carried into the afternoon. Our relatives are so happy for each other when each has a special event in their lives.

Lisa's brother Artie, Pauline, Amanda and Danielle

My brother, Artie, lives only an hour away from us and we get together often with him, his wife Pauline and their two daughters Amanda and Danielle. Connecting with my brother two years ago has expanded our family and has been a wonderful experience.

Kristina, Aimee and Lisa / Aimee & Jason /
Noah, Kristina, Lucas and Stephen

My Stepfather Ben has two daughters, Kristina and Aimee whom I have been close with since I was 12 years old. Kristina lives in Massachusetts with her husband Stephen and my nephews Lucas (6) and Noah (3) and my new neice Juliana who was born in September. Aimee lives in California with her husband Jason, and they are expecting their first child, a daughter, in December. I cant wait to meet our new family members.

Ben is one of nine children which means there are large family gatherings - with fourteen aunts and uncles, eighteen cousins and eight second-cousins that live in the area.

Our dog Reese, and our cats Cupcake and Tawny

Some other family members that are important to us are our pets! We have a four year old lab-mix named Reese. He is the real-life version of Scooby Doo - very smart and very animated. We also have two eight year old cats, Tawny and Cupcake. Tawny is Momma's boy, and Cupcake is Daddy's girl. They love being cuddled and brushed by our children's friends, so we know they will love when we have our own little one.

Our Friends

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Nikki playing with our dog Reese

Many of our friends live nearby, and most have children that we have known since birth. During summers, we get together for barbeques and pool parties. We love attending their childrens' birthday parties, dance recitals, plays and sporting events.

Ashley and Lisa at the Empire State Building

What children like most about us is that we challenge them to think something through, rather then just giving them the answer to their questions. When my friend's daughter Ashley was four years old, she asked me to play tic-tac-toe with her. Anyone else would have let her win each time, but I didn't. So, when she finally did win, she was so excited because she knew that she really did it on her own!

Our friends and future Godparents, Donna and Frank

Our friend's children often speak about how they will help us when we bring our baby home and our friends are very happy that we are trying to become parents.