Our Family

We come from different religious backgrounds but find that we have so much in common. Both our families are tremendously warm and loving and each of us will teach our children about our family's heritage and traditions. We will honor and nurture their spiritual growth. Nora's father and Jody's mother and father were dedicated lifelong teachers. From our parents we have inherited a love of knowledge and a curiosity about the world which we love to share with Charlotte and our growing family. Although we don't all live in the same city, we visit them often throughout the year.

Nora is the youngest of seven children. This large family also includes eleven nieces and nephews. Many holidays were spent with Nora's family where all the generations gather to celebrate with lots of food, storytelling, and intense board game competitions that last for hours. Nora's tight knit and loving family maintains their cherished holiday traditions.

Jody's father and mother enjoyed a loving marriage of over 57 years. Jody has two brothers, one sister and six nieces and nephews. Holidays and special occasions are also celebrated at his mother's or his sister's home where the family gathers for traditional food, fun and games. We are very close with both of our families and they get along wonderfully with each other as well. They are all supportive and very excited about our adoption journey. They can't wait to have another grandchild, niece or nephew to dote on!

Our Home & Community

Our home is in a beautiful, family-oriented community that represents all that is good about city life. We live in a large modern apartment that can easily accommodate a second child's active life, growth and needs. Parks and playgrounds dot our neighborhood of tree-lined streets. The school where Nora teaches is a fifteen minute walk away. We are fortunate that many of our good friends live close by, some of them have young children of their own.

Charlotte spends a good part of every day playing at the neighborhood playgrounds with her friends, Elba and her parents. She is enrolled in a neighborhood playgroup and has taken a few parent/child music classes. Also within walking distance are numerous shops, groceries, bakeries and restaurants where the proprietors and their customers know us. There are many good schools in the area. Within walking distance from our home are the pediatrician's office and a major teaching hospital. Our neighborhood's population is ethnically diverse which adds to its warmth and charm.

About Jody

Jody is a warm-hearted and generous person who is deeply devoted to his family and friends. He is a caring person who believes strongly in doing good for others. He puts people at ease with his friendly, thoughtful nature and easy sense of humor. He is dependable and the kind of guy you can turn to in an emergency. As a project manager for a digital media company, Jody's clients count on him to oversee the design and production of their DVDs. He loves to read and has a strong interest in American history. Jody plays guitar and bass guitar. Music from Jody's extensive collection is often playing in our home.

Jody inherited a love of nature from his father and spent much of his youth working alongside him in his beautiful gardens. These experiences inspired him to study landscape architecture in college. Although his professional life has taken a different direction, he still enjoys a deep appreciation of nature.

Children have always been drawn to Jody because of his kindness and warmth. They enjoy his playful and lively sense of humor. He is a hands-on father who shares all the daily parenting chores with Nora. Charlotte and her father share a very close bond. This is reflected in the way Jody shares his interests with her and the way he reacts to the things that fascinate and excite her.

About Nora

Nora is a wonderful and patient mother. As an educator, her work with children and with her community of parents and educational professionals has given her an understanding in childhood development that has been extremely valuable to our family. Nora is a natural at multitasking and manages career and family life with a sense of ease. Her organizational skills keep the household running smoothly.

Nora is a very experienced and accomplished preschool and kindergarten teacher at a highly regarded Montessori school right in our neighborhood. She is involved in the training and guidance of new teachers both in her classroom and through a Montessori teacher education program.

Elba, the mother of a friend of Nora's, takes care of Charlotte in our home while we are at work. Elba is a wonderful care provider. She is like a grandmother to Charlotte and we all love her.

Nora is smart, giving and down-to-earth. She is funny, sweet, and likes to laugh and joke in an easy-going way. Nora is outgoing and has many close friends. She loves to knit. She is health conscious and practices yoga and works out when she can fit it into her busy life. She loves to read and is a talented cook and baker. Nora comes from a very large family. Being surrounded by nieces and nephews from an early age has nurtured in her a natural ability with children.

About Charlotte

The day we brought Charlotte home was, without a doubt, the most beautiful day we've ever experienced. Becoming her parents has been the most wonderful journey we've traveled. She is a vivacious, bright and energetic child, just brimming with curiosity about everything and everyone around her. She enjoys music and is the cutest and liveliest dancer, often initiating dance parties with her folks in the living room. She loves books, whether paging through them on her own or bringing them to us to read. She adores to swing and climb at the playground, delighting in her own accomplishments. She is a very outgoing child who has made some lovely friendships. She squeals with delight when she sees animals or makes a new discovery. She loves babies and has so much to share as a big sister.

About Us

Our friendship began many years before it blossomed into a relationship of love and commitment. We are from the same hometown, but got to know each other and fell in love in the large city in which we now live. As our relationship grew we discovered that we shared a rich history of connections that make us believe our marriage was always meant to be. Nora's brother Peter and Jody graduated in the same high school class. Jody's mother, Hazel, was Nora's beloved kindergarten teacher. Most amazingly, our daughter Charlotte was born on the 20th anniversary of the night that we met at our friends' wedding and danced our first dance together!

We are best friends and share many mutual interests. We both love music, movies, and art. We enjoy travel and love the beauty of the natural world, whether hiking in the mountains, swimming in the ocean or walking in the countryside. We enjoy cooking and opening our home to friends and family. Mostly though, our favorite time is spent sharing our interests with Charlotte.

Thank You

We have the strength, the devotion, and the resources to grow our family. It is our desire to give Charlotte the opportunity to enjoy life as a big sister. Our extended network of family and friends are so helpful and loving, and a strong source of support. Our home and community are ideally suited for a growing family. Our life together is rich and rewarding. We only hope for the opportunity to nurture and guide a special little boy or girl to a future of promise and fulfillment.

Thank you so much for taking the time to review our profile. We would be happy to tell you more about us. Please know that should you give us the incredible gift of being the parents of your baby, you will be forever honored in our home for your love and courage.

Respectfully,
Nora & Jody

We can be reached through Friends in Adoption at 1-800-982-3678