One of our favorite traditions is traveling to National Parks and exploring the natural wonders of our country. Whether it's hiking through the majestic Acadia National Park or marveling at the wildlife in the Smoky Mountains, these trips allow us time to get away from the distractions of life, and focus on each other and the beauty of the world. We can’t wait to go to places like Yosemite, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon with a child!

Another cherished tradition is our annual week at a lake in the Adirondacks during the summer with Julia’s family. We stay in cabins at a family retreat center that offers every kind of activity imaginable, or just time to unwind on the beach by the lake. We especially love morning kayak rides, eating ice cream every night, and enjoying time with the whole family. The laughter and memories shared during that week every year will last us a lifetime.

We also embrace an ongoing friendly competition any time we go mini-golfing. Whether it’s at home or on vacation, we keep a running tally of our number of wins against each other. It's all in good fun, but the bragging rights are fiercely contested. These games bring out our playful sides and add a dash of excitement to our outings.

We love these traditions and can’t wait to make many more and share them with our future family!

Joshua About Julia: Julia's kindness, empathy, and genuine care creates a warm and supportive environment, making her a consistent source of comfort and strength. She approaches life with an extraordinary work ethic, and is dedicated and responsible in everything she does, whether it’s planning our next vacation, taking care of the garden, or getting our house ready for a family dinner. I am so excited to see Julia be a mother because I know that the child would be nurtured in a compassionate way, and guided by a role model who demonstrates what it means to be caring, empathetic, and devoted.

Julia About Joshua: Joshua is the peanutbutter to my jelly. When I get lost in the details of life, he’s there to remind me of the big picture and what really matters. He always prioritizes other people’s desires above his own, even in the little things like letting me choose what show to watch. Joshua is a rock of stability, my literal shoulder to cry on, and is always able to make me laugh again. For as long as I’ve known him, his biggest dream has been to be a father. I know he will fill that role passionately and will do anything for the sake of his family.

Even before we were married, the idea of adoption was in the back of both our minds as something we wanted to pursue one day. Raising a family was our biggest dream, but it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to get there biologically ourselves. We tried several fertility treatments which ultimately ended in a miscarriage.

After recovering and healing emotionally, we began to feel the purpose and the call of our lives was to be a family for a child through adoption. As we learned more about what adoption looks like in today’s world, the idea became something concrete. It reaffirmed that our past hardships have been for a reason, and that adoption is the path that is meant for us.

We both come from incredibly close-knit families that continue to hold a special place in our lives. We have the privilege of being aunt and uncle to four nieces and one nephew, which has given us plenty of experience in princess playtime and the occasional sword fight.

Julia's brother's family resides just 5 minutes away, which allows us to see two of our nieces regularly. We love Julia’s family’s annual tradition of a crabs and spaghetti dinner - a unique blend of their Italian heritage and their love for crabbing in the Chesapeake River. Family gatherings are often filled with laughter and board games, with "Dandad" (Julia's father) seeking that ever elusive win in our favorite game Ticket to Ride.

In Joshua's family, we look forward to visiting the scenic state of Maine, where Joshua grew up, which offers the perfect backdrop for exploration and outdoor adventures.

Joshua's brother and his family are just a weekend trip away, where their nephew and niece would be thrilled to have a cousin. We also have a yearly tradition of Secret Santa, (which only stays secret for about a week), and adds an extra layer of excitement to our holiday celebrations.

Both our families are incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of our adoption journey. Their hearts are open, and they eagerly await the arrival of a new member into our family fold, ready to shower them with unconditional love.

Our home in Pennsylvania is a 3 bedroom, split-level house situated on a quiet cul-de-sac. The four floors provide a lot of space to grow our family, with plenty of play areas for kids, and open rooms for hosting family and friends.

Our favorite area is the sunroom, where we have breakfast every morning together, game nights with friends, and a Christmas tree and train setup in December. We envision our child running around in our backyard, learning to ride their bike in the cul-de-sac, family dinners outside on our patio in the spring and fall, and teaching them to garden flowers and vegetables. There are lots of children and young families in our neighborhood we can’t wait to have play dates with!

Our town has the family-friendly feel of a small town, while being a short drive away from everything that Philadelphia has to offer. It is very walkable, with many different parks and playgrounds to take a child. Having grown up in this town, Julia can’t wait to share all her favorite activities from her childhood - like sledding down the library hill in winter, outdoor movie nights in the park, the local swim club, family festivals, and holiday parades down the main street.

Our town’s highly ranked school system offers a wide range of academics and additional interests like woodworking, arts, and athletics. With family and friends just blocks away, we’re so excited to raise a child in this loving community!

We are so grateful for the chance to introduce ourselves and share our deep desire to become parents through adoption. Our names are Joshua and Julia, and we’ve been married for 5 years now. We met by a happy accident while working in Connecticut after college. Joshua returned to his old apartment to reclaim a tea kettle he left behind, and the new tenant turned out to be Julia! We discovered that we had mutual friends, as well as a shared love of board games and the Lord of the Rings series. Over time we felt the connection of being kindred spirits, two halves of a whole. Now we are each other's greatest supporters and best friends.

Julia works in animation and film as a visual effects artist. Joshua likes working with numbers, and enjoys a career as a data analyst where he has developed a talent for telling stories through data. While we both love our jobs, our main priority and passion in life is raising a family. Julia works remotely from home and our plan is for Julia to become a part-time freelancer so she can spend as much time with our future child as possible.

After years of unsuccessful infertility treatments, we now strongly believe that we are meant to love a child and form a family through adoption. Our dream has always been to create a warm and nurturing home for our future family, with regular family dinners, craft projects, backyard games, and plenty of bedtime stories. We can’t wait to share our love of the outdoors with a child and explore national parks and different places around the world! One of the things we look forward to the most is supporting a child on their journey of self-discovery. We want to help them not only find their skills and passions, but also learn how to be kind and compassionate to everyone around them.

Three things that play a huge role in our lives are our faith, family, and friends. Our Christian faith is at the heart of our marriage, and it guides us in our mission to love and serve others with sincerity. Within our home, a child will have the opportunity to hear the gospel, and more importantly, witness it being lived out in our daily actions. Our extended family and friendships are such an important and strong support system in our life. We would absolutely love for you to be an extended part of our family as well, if that is something you desire.

We recognize what a difficult, selfless, loving decision you have before you, regardless of the outcome. If you choose us, our commitment to you is to provide a nurturing, loving, and stable environment for your baby. We want to incorporate your child’s adoption story into their life from the beginning. We want them to understand and feel how loved they are by everyone, especially you! You would always be respected and honored in our family.

If you choose us as adoptive parents, we commit to maintaining an open and honest relationship with you. We understand the importance of keeping you informed about your child's growth, development, and milestones. We will send letters, pictures, and emails regularly, as well as texts, phone calls, and occasional visits if you are comfortable with those things. Our goal is to ensure that your child knows their roots, understands the love that led to their adoption, and feels secure in their identity.

Thank you for considering us as potential parents for your precious child. We are honored and excited about the idea of expanding our family through adoption. If you have any questions or would like to get to know us more, please feel free to reach out. We would love to get to know you and embark on this incredible journey together.

With heartfelt love and gratitude,

Joshua & Julia