Hi!  We are Jess and Andy, and we are so excited to share our story with you!

We met in 2008 while attending graduate school.  Although we were both in the same theatre program, we quickly discovered we had more in common than just theatre.  We began dating and soon found ourselves building a life together in Philadelphia.  In 2011, we adopted our first dog from a local pet rescue.  We were married in 2016 and made the move to northern Virginia, where we are both high school theatre teachers.

We have always known we wanted children, and in 2021, we decided the time was right to grow our family.  We began to explore many options for adding a new member to our team, and the more we learned about adoption, the more we knew that adoption was the right path for us. 

Jess is a high school theatre teacher.  She absolutely loves her job and her students.  She has been teaching since 2009, first in Philadelphia and now here in northern Virginia.  Her students often call her “mom,” which is probably because she is so warm, approachable, and willing to listen to them.  She creates a space where they feel safe to be themselves.  I know Jess looks forward to becoming a real mom and creating that same safe space in our home.

Outside of school, Jess loves to be working on various projects.  Whether she is planning an upcoming family activity, decorating the house, gardening, baking or cooking, solving a sudoku puzzle, or just reading a good book, she always seems to be doing something.  Unless she’s napping, of course!  She can often be found curled up, napping with our dogs on the couch.  Jess is also a huge sci-fi fan, a lover of Doctor Who, Firefly, Star Wars, and Star Trek.

Growing up, Jess swam on a community swim team and was a part of the high school marching band.  Her father was the one who first taught her to swim and who also taught her to play the flute.  Her mother taught her how to throw a spiral football and how to sing.  (Both of her parents were music majors in college.)

Andy is also a high school theatre teacher, but he began his career as a theatre production manager, actor, and designer.  He now loves being able to bring his work as a theatre professional into his classroom.  In addition to teaching, he also acts, directs, and designs for various community theaters in our area.

Outside of theatre, Andy is a huge sports fan.  He was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, so he is an avid Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, Flyers, and Union fan.  He also loves college basketball, always rooting for Temple University, Mount Saint Mary’s, and Villanova.

Like myself, Andy is also a fan of sci-fi, but he is a fan of fantasy as well.  He enjoys reading fantasy novels (his favorite author is Terry Pratchett) and playing different RPG video games.  He grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons with his brother and friends, and he even continues to play occasionally as an adult.  I know Andy can’t wait to share his love of games, fantasy, and sports with a child

We are a family that loves spending time together: playing games, cheering on favorite sports teams, watching our favorite TV shows and movies, cooking together, and listening to and singing our favorite songs.  We enjoy exploring the local farmer’s market, going on hikes, and checking out new restaurants.  We are so excited to begin sharing these activities with the child we adopt, introducing them to our favorites and experiencing new ones together with them.

In 2018, we purchased our home with the mindset that this would be the place where we would raise our family.  We are so lucky to have found a home in a welcoming and diverse community full of families with children of all ages.  We have a fenced in back yard with a deck where we unwind and listen to the frogs chirp at night.  There are trails where we regularly walk our dogs and a community pool for relaxing in the summer.  We are also within walking distance of our local elementary school and playground.

Growing up, family vacations for both of us included time at the Delaware beaches or the New Jersey shore.  Both Jess’s parents and Andy’s mom have now retired to these locations, and they are eager to continue this tradition with a future grandchild.  Our favorite adult vacations have been those where we explore a new city or rent a cabin in the mountains with our dogs.  Our plans now include a list of cities that would be fun to explore with a child, as well as favorite cabin rentals that are kid-friendly.

Winter holidays are full of fun traditions.  For Thanksgiving, we host and cook for our extended families.  We love watching the parades together in the morning and the dog show that follows that afternoon.  After dinner, it’s time for Scrabble and apple crisp (a recipe Jess learned from her Grandma).  Christmas includes our annual Christmas Movie Marathon, and we decorate our tree with ornaments from our childhoods and ones we’ve collected each year since we started dating.  We plan to continue this tradition with a new ornament each year for the child we adopt.  

As teachers, summer holidays are some of our favorites.  We generally celebrate with our neighbors and local friends.  We enjoy grilling out together, back yard games, and evenings spent around the fire pit.

We understand that the decision to place a child up for adoption can be a difficult one, and we are so honored that you would consider us as possible parents for your baby.  We would love nothing more than to provide them with a home where they are unconditionally loved and supported, one where they are accepted and appreciated for all of who they are.  We understand how important it is for a child to feel connected to their history and culture through things like open adoption, affinity groups, and a safe space to explore identity.  Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us.  

- Jess & Andy