Hi! We are Peter and Joann. Thank you for taking the time to read our story. It starts out with a bit of sheer luck. We actually worked in the same office for years and had no idea. Peter left our firm in 2013 only to return in 2014 and work directly in my department. 

One morning we bumped into one another on the train, only to find out that we lived six minutes from each other. We became train buddies, sharing stories and talking about our respective relationships. As fate would have it, by late 2015 both of our relationships took a turn and we leaned on each other for support. We grew from being friends to having Saturday brunches and exchanging glances and smiles. We were building our forever and didn’t even know it. 

We moved in together and Peter proposed in 2018, only five seconds before the New Year. By the time Joann said yes it was 2019, so the running joke is that it took her a year to accept! We were married by July 2019 and immediately started working on our family. Due to complications, we are unable to conceive biological children. However, a dream delayed is not a dream denied! We wholeheartedly want to become parents and would be blessed to open our hearts and home to a child through adoption.

I grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey with my parents, brother and sister. My family has always spent a lot of quality time together - not just my immediate family, but my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle moved in across the street, so we were at their house or they were at ours. 

Each household had a very large dining table for all the family members to gather, eat, and play board games or just chat. When my wife and I bought our home, one of my requests was to buy a large dining room table because I already envisioned sharing the same experiences from my childhood with a little one. I imagine a child taking part in our large gatherings, sharing in our love for food, and being surrounded by our wonderful family, just like I was. 

When I’m not at work in finance, I enjoy working on projects around the house. There’s nothing like tackling a to-do list and enjoying a job well-done at the end of the day. I can’t wait to have a little helper and look forward to teaching them how to ride a bike or play catch!

My parents are from Guatemala and moved to New York City right after marriage to pursue new work opportunities. I am so glad to have been born and raised in NYC as it taught me resilience and expanded my cultural awareness. 

Although I love the city, living in a small apartment and not having access to a backyard did have its setbacks. My younger sister, brother and I would become creative and make space of our own. For example, our fire escape was our “deck.” As I grew, I dreamed of creating a home where a child could play and be safe. In order to achieve this, I pursued a career in finance. I started in customer service and, over the years, moved into training, onboarding and eventually management. I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication that I’ve put toward creating a successful career that will allow me to support my family for the years to come. 

I also have my job to thank for introducing me to my husband; it’s where I met Peter. He grew up in the suburbs so he understood the kind of life I dreamed of and was working towards. We purchased our home in 2020 and I already envision being called, “Mom!” from across the yard while my husband BBQs on our deck. I can’t wait to play make-believe with a little one and support them as they develop dreams of their own.

We looked at many houses before choosing this one. It was the only house that felt like home as soon as we walked in. We have four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a deck, and a huge fenced-in backyard, suitable for a child to run freely.

Our favorite part of our home is the family room. It has board games, a TV and a large L-shaped comfortable couch for snuggle time. It would be the perfect place for bonding with a child. We can’t wait for movie nights, hours of Monopoly, and popcorn or ice cream under a blanket fort!

We moved to this neighborhood for many reasons. To start, it is in the town next to where Peter grew up. We are a short car ride away from the central train hub, which can get us to and from the city very easily. The Children’s Museum and Freedom Tower are on our route! This district has the best schools in New Jersey and the neighboring towns offer so much culture. 

Although we’ve only lived here for a couple of months, we’ve gotten to know our neighbors well. We partnered together to shovel snow after the first storm of 2021. This is the type of neighborhood where a child could have a lemonade stand or bake sale and everyone would come to support him or her.

We both grew up with a strong family foundation. To us, family means being there for one another and staying connected even when apart. We are blessed to live close to Peter’s family. His parents live only five minutes away! We all enjoy spending time as a family and don’t need a special occasion to get together. 

Although Joann’s aunts, uncles and cousins are mostly in Guatemala, we have bonded and keep in touch frequently thanks to social media. We can’t wait to video chat and visit them with a child. We think it’s important to pass on the tradition of being close with family. Regardless of distance, connecting with family is a key part of who we are. 

Our holiday get-togethers last for hours. You’ll hear laughter and see delicious Italian and Guatemalan food. We can’t wait for a child to take part, bond with cousins, visit all family members and experience our cultures. Our families together are a wonderful combination of love, support, great food, and even better company!

I think we mentioned food a couple of times. It’s an important part of our family! Both the Italian and Guatemalan cultures have a yearly day-long food-related tradition. Peter’s family gets together in the fall to make a huge batch of tomato sauce. It’s a group effort. Some of us peel, others cook the tomatoes, someone else stirs and finally, someone pours and locks the jars. We love using our homemade marinara sauce on spaghetti night!

Joann’s family makes tamales every year right before Christmas. We start pretty early with making the masa (corn flour dough), cooking the chicken or pork portions, separating the banana leaf to assemble the tamale and finally wrapping it up to steam then store. Both of these traditions take time and a lot of work, but it’s another example of how our family unites and creates memorable moments. We especially enjoy sharing the food together when we’re done!

We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read about us. We thank you for making this brave and loving choice. You are a courageous woman and you are appreciated. We can’t express enough what it means to us to be considered as adoptive parents. To hug, nurture, educate, laugh, play, and learn from a child is a dream in itself. If we are chosen as adoptive parents, we promise that a child will be accepted, recognized, and most importantly, loved with everything we, along with our families, have.

We look forward to meeting you! We hope to stay connected with you, at your pace and level of comfort. The child will always know his/her origin and will be aware of the loving choice you made. We write to you with our hearts open and full of hope. Thank you again and we wish you peace and luck on your journey.