Occupation 

Software engineering and consulting

Education

Bachelor's Degree 

Hobby

Hiking, indoor rock climbing, retro video games & home DIY projects

Favorite Family Activity

Going to the park together

Favorite Food

Desserts & any dish with rice

Favorite Holiday
Thanksgiving 

Favorite Place to Travel

Mountains in the summertime

Occupation 

Stay-at-home mom, former Mental health therapy/clinical social work

Education

Master's Degree

Hobby

Reading, swimming, baking & gardening

Favorite Family Activity

Going out for ice cream, swimming & playing games

Favorite Food

Mexican food, Italian food, tiramisu & coffee

Favorite Holiday

Christmas

Favorite Place to Travel

Anywhere with a beach or mountains

Our Story

We met at a close friend’s 30th birthday party, where Jason and I ended up spending most of the night talking. I was immediately drawn to how genuine he was, how easily he made me laugh, and how thoughtful he was, even offering to help clean up when the party ended. We quickly bonded over being Midwesterners who had both moved to Texas, our shared love of dogs, and our enjoyment of funny movies. As we continued dating, our shared values became even more apparent, especially the importance we place on family, close friendships, and our hope to one day build a family of our own.



Not long after we began dating, Jason met my dog, Benni, and the two quickly became best friends. Seeing how naturally Jason loved and cared for Benni showed me what a kind, patient, and loving partner he is. We got engaged in the spring of 2019 and excitedly planned a summer 2020 wedding. When the pandemic changed those plans, we rescheduled several times before deciding to move forward with a small, intimate backyard wedding. We were surrounded by a few close friends, our dog, and had family join us virtually. In June 2021, we were finally able to celebrate with family and friends in person, which made the day even more meaningful after being apart for so long.

Alex is a bright, curious, and energetic little boy who approaches life at full speed. He loves running, jumping, and exploring, especially during his weekly gymnastics class where he climbs and tries new obstacles. He also enjoys being outside, whether we are at the park or playing in the backyard on his slide, at his water table, or in the pool. Along with his active side, Alex has a love for books and music. We read together every day, and it makes us smile to watch him dance and sing along to his favorite songs.

Alex is very social and expressive. He attends part-time preschool, has made friends, and loves talking about them at home. His excitement is contagious, especially when he knows he will be seeing his grandparents. He adores his cousins, loves giving hugs to family and friends, and we know he will be a wonderful big brother. We are so grateful Alex is part of our family and feel incredibly blessed to be his parents.

Our Home

In 2019, we were excited to purchase our two-story home in a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood near highly rated schools. Our home has five bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, with an open-concept living area that is perfect for family time. We love spending time in our backyard, which has a pool, a patio, and plenty of room to play on the lawn beneath a large shade tree. The pool is fully fenced and secured with a child safety lock for added peace of mind. We have also turned our dining room into a fun playroom filled with books, toys, and soft toddler climbing blocks.



We live on a quiet cul-de-sac near our neighborhood greenbelt trail and just down the street from a playground, as well as tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball courts. Our neighborhood hosts family-friendly events throughout the year, including a Christmas light competition each winter that we always enjoy.

Our community offers a wide range of family-friendly activities, including nature trails, parks, splash pads, a great library, a children’s museum, and many local events. We love spending time exploring these places with Alex, and as our children grow, we look forward to sharing even more adventures like hiking, kayaking, and attending outdoor plays together.

Jason's Family

I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago. My immediate family consists of my parents, who have been married for 48 years, and two older brothers. My parents were loving and actively involved in our childhood activities. My dad coached my brothers and my little league baseball teams, and my mom served as the little league president. Most of my extended family still lives in the Chicagoland area, and we travel there every Thanksgiving to see them all.



My parents are partially retired and visit us often. My mom plays a particularly important role in Alex’s life, as she is able to travel here most frequently, usually every couple of months, to help and spend quality time with him. My family is excited for the day they can share their love of baseball with Alex and his future sibling and watch them grow up together. They have been incredibly supportive of our adoption journey and are looking forward to welcoming another child into the family.

My family is originally from Des Moines, Iowa, and we moved to Texas when I was 14. I am the oldest of four children and grew up in a loving family that values spending quality time together, whether it was riding bikes, attending local festivals, or playing games at home.

One of my sisters lives in Des Moines with her two sons, my youngest sister lives with our mom just fifteen minutes from us, and my brother lives near Dallas with his wife and their twins. Being adopted by my stepdad and growing up surrounded by both Mexican American and Ashkenazi Jewish cultures has given me a meaningful perspective on family and traditions. Jason and I strive to create the same kind of open, loving, and inclusive environment for our children.



We spend a lot of time together and see my mom, youngest sister, and brother often. We usually visit my mom and sister weekly and see my brother every few months. We celebrate holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, Halloween, and birthdays together, and gather with my brother’s family for Christmas and the kids’ birthdays. There is always laughter and joy when Alex plays with his cousins. While traveling to Iowa has been harder since becoming parents, we stay connected through regular phone and video calls. My family loves Alex deeply and is excited to welcome another child into our family.

Jason & Vanessa - A Look Into Our Life

Fun Times

We love having fun together. We enjoy taking Alex to do activities where he can play, explore and be his active self. We like taking Alex to the library’s family story times, to indoor toddler playgrounds, a large playground in our city that has many different types of play areas, the zoo, the local children’s museum and restaurants with playscapes. When the weather is warm, we have fun swimming in the pool and going to a nearby splash pad. When our children are old enough, we look forward to taking them hiking, kayaking in the lake, to the water parks, to state parks and to a local farm for fruit picking and tractor rides.

Holiday Traditions 

We love celebrating the holidays and the family traditions we have. Each year, we visit Jason’s family for Thanksgiving. It’s a strong tradition in his family, as his parents host the entire extended family for the holiday. In the fall, we also enjoy taking Alex to a local pumpkin festival with lights, food, and decorated pumpkin displays. For Halloween this year, we took Alex to a city festival with trick-or-treating, balloon animals, face painting, and music. Birthdays are especially fun in our family as well, and we love celebrating them with friends and relatives, making each one a special occasion filled with laughter and joy.

This year was Alex’s first Easter egg hunt. He had so much fun running around with the other kids, even if he didn’t quite understand he was supposed to be collecting the eggs. We love everything about the Christmas season, from decorating the house and tree while drinking eggnog to enjoying all the lights and watching holiday movies. On Christmas Day, we wear matching pajamas as we open presents together, followed by a special meal with Vanessa’s mom and youngest sister. Then we celebrate again with her mom, youngest sister, brother, and his family, usually the weekend after Christmas. These are just some of our traditions, and we hope they help fill our home with love, laughter, and joy for many years to come.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go 

Family vacations mean a lot to us. Over the past few years, we’ve spent time together exploring places like the Texas coast, Florida’s beaches, and Colorado, which we visit several times a year. The kids especially love the mountains, the snow, and spotting wildlife along the way. Most of our trips are centered around being outdoors—swimming, spending time at the beach, and simply exploring together.



We recently took our first family trip to Disney World, which was such a special experience, and it’s only made us more excited for future adventures. Traveling as a family gives us the chance to slow down, be present with one another, and make memories we’ll always treasure.

We are very fortunate to have a large circle of wonderful friends across the country, many of whom have young children. Our friends feel like an extension of our family. We have friends nearby and love getting together for dinners, game nights, birthdays, and pool parties. We also have close friends in Dallas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Ohio, and Germany. Since many of our friends’ children are close in age to our son, the kids have so much fun playing together, whether swimming or going to the park. Last fall, we had a blast traveling to North Carolina for a beach trip with some of our close friends and their children.

Our friends have been incredibly supportive throughout our adoption journey. Many were parents before us, and their guidance has been invaluable as we navigated parenthood for the first time. They have so much love for Alex, and they are just as excited to welcome a new addition to our family. We know this child will be cherished by our friends and their children.