ParentGallery.com Parent Profiles

Hello. We thank you for considering us as parents for your baby and for taking the time to learn more about us and our family. While we cannot pretend to imagine the many emotions and decisions that you have had to face at this time in your life, we want to let you know we admire your courage and selflessness as you begin to look for a safe and loving home for the child you are expecting.

We hope that the story that follows will be a peek into our life and you will feel that we are the right family to raise and love your child. We realize the decision you are making is enormous and we want you to have a lifetime of comfort and peace with your decision. Visit our website at www.add2family.com  or contact us at add2family@hotmail.com or 1-866-473-0008.

About Us

We are John, Judith and our daughter Elena. We met at an event over 14 years ago and had an instant attraction. We married three years later in a beautiful ceremony in New Orleans and consider ourselves very lucky to call each other best friend. Our marriage is based on love, honesty, friendship and respect. We have different as well as similar beliefs, but it’s the differences that teach us to be respectful of each other’s feelings. We share the same parenting philosophy - that strong demonstrations of love and affection, verbal praise, consistency and teaching by example are necessary to raise a happy, well-adjusted child.

We have an adorable 6-year-old daughter Elena that brings us endless joy each day and would be a fantastic big sister. We are very grateful to have her in our lives. From the day Elena was born, her smiles have lit up our home and our hearts and we look forward to opening our home and hearts to another child.

A Closer Look at John

John is a wonderful, committed, devoted husband and father. He is easy-going and good-natured. He is a very engaged father, participating in all aspects of Elena’s activities. He spends his working days with his own business as an auto wholesaler. John loves to "fix" things, and when not working, he is working on our home. The two homes we have lived in were purchased as "fixer-uppers" and John did a majority of the work himself to make it the perfect home for our family. He has great vision – I didn’t see the potential when first viewing the homes, but I trusted him completely. He has a great eye for design and is very creative. While John enjoys his work and home projects, it doesn’t compare to the time he spends with Elena. He marvels at her creativity but I know where she gets it! They love to bike ride together, take walks and just hang out...often she plays salon with daddy as the customer. I have plenty of pictures of John with barrettes and makeup. He just loves it because it makes her smile. Often they will go out without me on a "date". They will get dressed up, take the train into the city and go to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Elena says if mommy and daddy can have a special date-night, she wants her special date also. Our hope is Elena will learn self confidence and high standards for choosing her future mate. We know that one day her special date will not be with her dad, so he cherishes every moment.

John is the youngest in a family of three boys and one girl. Since his brother is within an hour of our home, we see his family quite often. His other brother lives in Colorado and his sister in Pennsylvania so we don’t see them as much but keep in touch through phone and emails. John grew up in Maryland and has always loved water sports, such as boating, jet-skiing, fishing, and swimming. But I would say his favorite past time is just hanging out with family and friends.

A Closer Look at Judith

Judith is a great mom and loving wife. She continually tries to make our home the best it can be. I would describe Judith as caring, intelligent, patient, resourceful, hard working, organized, and optimistic. While she works four days a week at an association, Elena is always her top priority. She is fortunate to have a job that gives her the flexibility to participate in Elena’s activities – both in school and after school. She is amazing at balancing her home life with her work life. When asked recently her biggest accomplishment in life, it wasn’t that she has been with the same association for over 15 years, been promoted routinely, came through even stronger after four miscarriages, or even had married a wonderful man, it was that her daughter is a well-rounded, compassionate, smart, happy child who has many many friends. She and Elena spend their time together reading, doing craft projects, taking walks, playing dress-up, and also playing salon (or sometime actually going to a real one to get their nails done as a special treat). And of course, they love to shop together. Elena idolizes her mom and often says, "when I grow up I want to be just like you." And I think Elena has the best mom possible!

Judith is the second child in a family of five children. She has a sister and brother in the New Orleans area, a brother in Philadelphia and a sister in Houston. Her parents also live in the New Orleans area. While not close in distance, they are a very close knit family. Always talking by email and phone and there are many visits during vacations and holidays. Being raised in the South, Judith has a very hospitable personality, often greeting friends with hugs and always making guests feel at home.

Our Daughter, Elena

Elena (our nicknames for her are ladybug and brown-eyed beauty) is such a loving and happy child. She is so affectionate, has a wonderful imagination, has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh & play with her friends. Her favorite activities right now (constantly changing) are dancing, singing, gymnastics, playing with her dolls, computer games, and during the summer, going to the neighborhood beach and pool. She loves to learn new things and currently is taking Spanish lessons at the community college (she loves feeling like a big girl in the big chairs!). She will make a wonderful big sister. She can’t wait to have someone to play with, read to, share toys with and to teach those important things little brothers and sisters should know. She often asks why her dad and I have brothers and sisters and she doesn’t. This is a hard question to answer, as I ask myself that same question often. I do tell her that she is a very special girl that is loved by many and she is lucky to have so many close friends that are like sisters. I also tell her that maybe one day she will be a big sister. Her face lights up with just the idea.

Our Home, Family & Friends

Our home is located in a quiet, safe neighborhood with lots of children around to play with. Our home is walking distance to an award winning blue ribbon elementary school. The neighborhood has two parks, community beach and pool. The neighborhood has many activities for the children throughout the year, such as a Fall Fest, 4th of July parade and beach party, Easter Egg Hunt, and a visit with Santa Claus. Our church is also very close by. We are located about 30 minutes from Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC. so we are close to museums and zoos. We have a big backyard that is perfect for a swing set or an outdoor game with friends and family. During the summer, we often have friends and family visit for an afternoon bar-b-que – John makes the best burgers! Hugs, kisses and the words "I love you" are all commonplace in our home.

We are so blessed to have family and friends who share our values and morals and who are so supportive and excited about our decision to adopt. He or she will have grandparents, aunts, uncles, lots of cousins, and friends who are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

We both had wonderful childhood’s filled with so many good memories. We can promise you that your child will always be surrounded by loving people.

CLOSING THOUGHTS and THANK YOU!

We would be honored to be chosen as adoptive parents. Should you decide to have us adopt your child, we would be open to providing you with letters and photos letting you know how the child is doing. We admire your courage and love for your child, and if you entrust us with your child, we’ll love him or her with our whole heart. It is the way we love Elena and it is the way we’ll love our next child too.

We wish you the best of luck in making this crucial decision as you plan the future for your child. If you would like to learn more about us, visit our website at http://www.add2family.com/ or contact us at add2family@hotmail.com or 1-866-473-0008.

With much respect,

John and Judith