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 a lot of ways our guardian while Nova loves to play. Both are clever cats who like to demonstrate their intelligence by showing off all the tricks they know from sitting to handshaking. They are both excellent with children and guests alike.

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 depending on the day and cat), they both have great little loving personalities that have deepened our lives.

We are currently waiting for an opening to adopt a schnoodle who is socialized with cats and children.

The cats are important members of our family that brings joy to us daily. We know from their foster parents that they love kids. We can't wait to see how Kisa, Nova, and a pet dog grow with children in the home.

Joe comes from a very strong Italian American background. This includes 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.

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 embracing a child's heritage from learning and enjoying traditional recipes to attending festivals to enjoying books that reflect themselves. It is important to us to incorporate all our cultures and values together as a family.

In January 2023, we moved from Manhattan to a small city in Minnesota. With Joe's job shifting to permanent work from home we had the opportunity to choose anywhere in the country to live. After months of research, we settled on where we are today. There were 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 provided opportunities, healthcare is the best in the country, farmers' markets and festivals are common, and the city is culturally diverse. Beyond what our own city offers, in approximately an hour we can find ourselves in the heart of the Twin Cities.

In December 2024, we purchased our dream home. The five bedroom home gives plenty of room to be filled with laughter and love. There is an enclosed, heated pool, fenced in backyard, large trees, a formal dining room for holidays, a kitchen made for cooking, a deck, and a patio for grilling. The neighbors are friendly, and children's laughter can be heard all throughout the neighborhood.

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 who loved to play school with her. Sarah's sister Kelly is now a teacher in Massachusetts. Sarah's father is already retired and lives in a home surrounded by woodland where he cares for his orchard and sometimes a beehive or two. Sarah's mother retired in 2024. She loves to travel but always makes time to visit. Both of Sarah's parents are Marines who value loyalty and a taste for adventure which they look forward to sharing with any and all grandchildren.

Joe's parents had him later in life. Both of Joe's parents are retired. Joe keeps in touch with his cousin, exchanging well wishes and pictures of their family. Joe has a large group of friends that are like brothers to him. Some have been close friends to Joe for over 15 years. His friend Alex has even named Joe as a godfather to his son. Joe maintains a close knit community of friends that help each other out as if they were family, including flying out to various events together, and offering each other support in times of need.

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 choose 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 9 years. We were married on December 28, 2019, in Sarah's hometown. It was the same town where Joe and Sarah first met. From early on in our relationship we always knew adoption might be the right path to parenthood for us. We have always felt that a family's child is based on 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 learning, 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 birth parents 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 choose.

If you wish, we are eager to help make yearly visits possible.

Joe & Sarah