- New York -
Hi! We are Joy and Craig; thank you for reading about us. We're very excited about the prospect of adopting and appreciate the effort you are making to find a loving family for your child. We met about six years ago and got married in August 2020, which was slightly delayed because of the pandemic, but provided a better story than we would have had otherwise. We got married via Zoom!
By Craig: Joy is almost always happy, which is one of the things I love about her. She’s constantly smiling and excited, which is infectious. This trait is one of the first things that comes to mind when I envision her being a mother…I think it would be nearly impossible for a child to be unhappy having Joy as a mom. She gives so much to her relationships with friends and family. As a result, we have a large network of friends and family who are eager to support us in raising a child. Joy is also deeply empathetic, which will be an advantage for us in understanding a child, and is also a great quality to pass on. She’s well organized and very responsible, too, which has fueled her career success. Currently, she has a leadership role in the recruiting department of a fast-growing tech company. Through this work, she has enjoyed mentoring those early in their careers and helping them grow, just as I am sure she will with a child! I feel very fortunate that we found each other, and the idea of being parents together makes me feel that way all over again. FUN FACTS: From sunny South Florida Studied in Australia in college Practices yoga and breathwork daily Loves to read…especially near a beach or pool Favorite part of NYC: walking around new neighborhoods
By Joy: Craig is my favorite person in the world. He is passionate but also practical and disciplined. While he works hard, he makes time for the things that make him happy: cooking, entertaining, and coffee. But Craig doesn’t stop at just trying out new recipes at dinner parties or exploring coffee shops, he has made these things his job! After starting his career working at a consulting firm, Craig decided to take what he learned and apply it to his passion for food & beverage. Today, he advises small companies like restaurant chains and beverage companies on how to be more successful. He helps them manage their finances, including ensuring money is being well spent and saved as much as possible. This is a skill Craig applies to his own life and our family, too. As a result, he has not only established great financial stability but also built a valuable life skill that a child will be lucky to learn from him. FUN FACTS: From St. Louis, Missouri Lived in Spain (twice!)...speaks Spanish fluently “Parents” over 25 houseplants Loves coffee and brews it by hand almost every day Favorite part of NYC: foods from around the world
Hi! We are Joy and Craig; thank you for reading about us. We’re very excited about building a family and appreciate the effort you are making to find a loving family for your child.
Long before we were married, each of us had thought of adoption for our future families. We both always wanted to be parents, so when we met and realized we shared this dream, we knew adopting would be the right choice.
Similarly, we are fortunate to be well set up to raise a child. Both of us are well-established in our careers, have nice nest eggs of savings, and are lucky to have extensive networks of friends & family in New York City. Plus, we each work mainly from home and have flexible schedules that will make welcoming and raising a little one easier.
We live in New York and have two bedrooms and two full bathrooms and the rest of our home has an open floor plan, which is nice because even when you’re by yourself, you don’t feel alone. There are big windows, making it bright and airy, which our many, many houseplants love as much as we do.
Outside includes two beautiful rooftop patios that are private to our area; a courtyard, which we make good use of for relaxing, working, and entertaining; there are half a dozen parks in walking distance, small and large, offering everything from playgrounds with water features to sports fields to picnic lawns with incredible skyline views.
The neighborhood we live in is thriving and diverse. We live at the intersection of a few different communities (Dominican, Jewish, Italian, and Polish), which provide an abundance of opportunities to experience different cultures. Also, new restaurants and stores are constantly opening, and our farmers market has even expanded, so we are spoiled with great, healthy food options.
Finally, New York City will be such a fun place to grow up. The city is our playground, and we can’t wait to bring a child along.
We are very fortunate to have a wealth of family in New York City, including Craig’s sister and her family of four, Joy’s mother, and a bunch of cousins. Joy’s brother’s family of four is also close by (Boston). It’s been really fun to bring our families together, which we usually do a few times a year, to celebrate holidays and enjoy some of our favorite dishes.
The other grandparents will surely continue to lure us to them every chance they get. Craig’s parents host the extended family for Thanksgiving every year, and Joy’s father gets us down to Florida almost each Spring…the weather also helps!
The entire family is eager to welcome a new family member. As is our extensive group of New York friends, many of whom have young children or are starting a family. The same is true of our friends across the globe! And everyone has been super supportive of our adoption journey.
Both of us enjoy grabbing our passports and going on an adventure. We’ve now traveled together to Greece, Japan, Argentina, Vietnam and Spain. When the pandemic made it more challenging, we traded air travel for road trips and drove halfway across the country to visit Craig’s parents, as well as friends along the way.
When we aren’t traveling to new places, we continue to explore through cooking, often with international recipes and ingredients. At least once a week, Craig comes up with an adventurous dinner idea, and we work together to bring it to life. From Chinese-style string beans to Spanish egg tortilla to West African peanut soup, we challenge ourselves but always have fun doing it!
We have so many great memories traveling and cooking together and can’t wait to share these experiences with a little one!