Welcome! Meet:

AJ + Lisa

Engineer / Medical Biller

Ohio

Caucasian

All About AJ & Lisa
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About AJ & Lisa

We are AJ and Lisa. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We will be forever grateful to you for giving us the opportunity to become parents. We are excited to be here with you on this journey together. We live in a small town in central Ohio. As a couple, we love to travel, go antique shopping, listen to records, and cook. We both have older sisters and are both close to our families. Lisa has two nephews who are the light of her life. In 2018 we were excited to meet our niece. Lisa loves to play Barbies and do arts and crafts with her. We love to take the boys to Ohio State football games, have sleepovers, girls nights, attend their sporting events, play board games and watch movies together. They are the reason we want a family.

Lisa was born in Illinois, and moved to Ohio when she was eight years old. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in humanities, then went to Clark State and received a degree in photography. Lisa worked as a professional wedding photographer for almost 10 years. She has since retired from professional photography and now takes pictures for fun. Her favorite subjects are her niece and nephews. Lisa now works for Ohio Health as an at-home medical biller.

AJ was born and raised in Virginia, where he graduated with an engineering degree from Virginia Tech. After college, he moved to Alabama to work for TVA as an engineer. Once Lisa and he started dating, he decided to move to Ohio so they could be together. He now works as an engineer in Columbus. AJ’s mom was born and raised in Central Ohio, so he has a lot of extended family here. His parents, sister and niece live in Virginia where he grew up. He does miss the mountains, so we often travel to visit his family in Virginia.

In 2022, we adopted two kittens from a local shelter. Our tiger girl Bella and baby boy Binx are full of love and energy. They love to run races around our house, chase after the laser pointer, and have wrestle mania matches anytime day or night. They are the light of our lives and we look forward to introducing them to a new baby sibling.

Why Adoption?

We both have always known that we want children. However, our journey to start a family had a few obstacles in our path. After several failed fertility treatments, we decided that adoption is our best way to start a family. AJ has several friends that were adopted. Hearing their stories and seeing the love their adoptive parents have given them, we knew in our hearts that building our family through adoption was the right path for us.

Family & Home

We purchased our house after we got married in 2018. We live in a subdivision where there are tons of families and kids. There are two elementary schools in our neighborhood, a walking trail, and several parks for playing. AJ can’t wait to show our child how to plant vegetables in the garden, and Lisa is excited to put a swing set in the backyard and ride bikes around the neighborhood together.

How others describe me

AJ (from Lisa), AJ is such a smart and compassionate person. His brain is constantly working to solve a problem or create something new. His ability to work through difficult situations or create something from scratch is just remarkable. He brings an aspect to my life that I have never experienced before. He will make a great father and I can’t wait to see how our child will flourish from his strength and knowledge.

Lisa (from AJ), Lisa is a caring and giving person. She puts everyone else’s needs before her own. Her laugh is infectious and she loves to be silly which can bring a smile to anyone’s face. She is headstrong and that tenaciousness is what gives her strength to get through the toughest of situations. I know that she will be a great mom. I see how she takes care of our niece and nephews and I know that she will be the best mother.

How We Met

We first met at AJ’s cousin’s wedding, where Lisa was a bridesmaid. We instantly connected but had to navigate a long-distance relationship. Eventually AJ moved to Ohio where our relationship grew. We got married in 2018 and recently celebrated our 5-year anniversary in July 2023.

Advice to Future Child

You will always know where you came from and the love that you will receive will be never ending. You are going to be showered with the love and support of so many family members and friends that are excited to meet you. We are the luckiest people in the world, we get to raise you and be your parents. We can’t wait to share with you all the milestones in your life and are excited to see the person that you become. We can’t wait to meet you and start our family together.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

Open adoption has so many aspects to it, we will figure that out together. We want you to know that if you choose us, we will give your child so much love and support. Your child will be surrounded by a large and loving network of family and friends. Your child will know what an amazing gift you gave us and they will always know the love you have for them.

Favorites

Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: AJ’s favorite holiday is Halloween. Every year, he looks forward to carving a pumpkin, dressing up in a costume, and handing out candy to all the neighborhood kids.
Hobbies/Interests: AJ loves horticulture, and every summer he grows vegetables in our backyard garden. He also has a variety of house plants. Orchids are his favorite. When not in the garden, AJ spends his spare time working on cars, building model engines, fixing things around the house, or just tinkering at his workbench. He is a true engineer at heart.
Dream Vacation: Oktoberfest in Germany
If I Could Choose a Superpower: flying

Lisa

Favorite Movie: Back To The Future
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas is Lisa’s favorite holiday. My grandparents always made Christmas special with lots of food, gifts, and fun family traditions like singing the 12 Days of Christmas. Waking up Christmas morning with all the gifts under the tree was always my favorite.
Hobbies/Interests: listening to audio books, going on walks, dancing, and hanging out with family and friends
Dream Vacation: Paris
If I Could Choose a Superpower: flying