Hello! We are Claudia and Josh. We appreciate you taking the time to learn about us!
We met in 2014 at a mutual friend's birthday party in the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia). Claudia, born and raised in Philadelphia, was celebrating at the party. Josh, who had recently moved to the city from Michigan, accepted an invitation to the same gathering from a co-worker who had the intention of setting him up with another woman at the party. As fate would have it, there were sparks between us instead, and we exchanged numbers that night!
We went on our first date shortly thereafter, with dinner and drinks on the riverfront, followed by ice skating and sitting around a bonfire. We could tell immediately that we were meant for each other. A year after we met, we returned to the riverfront, where we had our first date, and Josh proposed! We were married in December 2016.
A year after our wedding, we were blessed to welcome our son, Everett, into our home. We've known that we have wanted to grow our family but have struggled with infertility. We feel so fortunate to be able to welcome another amazing child into our home through adoption.
Claudia is an extremely hard-working person and has found success both academically and in her professional life due to her work ethic. Claudia has a humorous and joyful nature that brightens our lives, and her radiant smile can light up a room. She is extremely clever and loves practical jokes! She's also the leader of dance parties in the family room, which makes us all burst with laughter!
Claudia has brought her Italian upbringing into our home, promoting an emphasis on family and the importance of gathering to spend time with one another for extended family "Sunday dinners". No matter how busy we are at work or school, we always find time to sit down with one another over dinner during the week and spend a significant amount of time with family on the weekends. I am so appreciative of the foundation that Claudia has built for our family, which gives us stability, trust, and love.
She is always open to adventures, and I'm so grateful for her enthusiasm for new experiences, travels, friends, and especially for moving halfway across the country from Pennsylvania to Michigan for new job opportunities. Claudia has been an amazing partner and mother, has filled our lives with amazing memories, and has been the rock that makes our house feel like a home. She is excited to welcome a child into her heart and home through adoption and can't wait to envelop them with her zest for life.
Josh has a passion for life and a positive attitude that immediately draws people to him. He has the friendliest demeanor and can easily strike up a conversation with anyone, and makes everyone feel welcomed and included-one can't help but feel happy and at ease in his presence. Josh is definitely the social coordinator in our family, whether it be scheduling outings with our friends and neighbors, going to the local park, or planning our next travel adventure. He reminds me not to take things too seriously and can always make me laugh when I've had a tough day. The life that Josh has created for our family is always happy, exciting, and full of energy!
Josh is also an extraordinary endurance athlete. He grew up playing lots of sports, including basketball, baseball, and soccer, and he went on to play soccer at a Division 1 college. Since stepping away from soccer, Josh has channeled his energy into endurance racing events, including marathons and triathlons. He has completed dozens of these races, including the Ironman distance, where he usually finishes top in his age group. Josh shares his love of the outdoors and sports with our son by encouraging him to try new activities, teaching him to throw, catch, swim, ride a bike, and is now bravely coaching a tee ball team of four and five-year-olds.
Josh is the best spouse, dad, uncle, brother, son, and friend to have. He is looking forward to helping nurture another child and being called "dad" again.
Everett is a curious and energetic five-year-old who is always on the move! Some of his favorite activities include coloring and drawing, building Legos, pretending to be a superhero or Ninja Turtle, playing sports (especially tee ball and basketball), swimming, boating, helping make baked goods (especially licking the spoon), and traveling (especially if it means staying at a hotel with a pool and eating Fruit Loops for breakfast!).
Everett can't wait to be a big brother! He has always loved going to his daycare during the week, where he learns something new each day! Some days he comes home and tells us about different parts of the human body, while other days, he tells us about the weather and the seasons! Many of his best friends at school have younger siblings, and Everett excitedly tells us about what their siblings did at school that day and how his new brother or sister might do the same things! Everett is most excited to have someone to play with and with whom he can share his toys!
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