Welcome! Meet:

Joe + Bethany

Attorney / Physical Therapist

Ohio

Caucasian

Christian

All About Joe & Bethany
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Joe & Bethany

Hello! We are Bethany and Joe. We met in our freshman year of college 20 years ago. We attended a liberal arts college where Joe played football and was known as the guy who could make anyone laugh. Bethany was the soccer goalie you would always find her on the field or studying in the library. We quickly became best friends and started dating our junior year. We have been inseparable ever since. We attended the same graduate school where Joe studied law and Bethany studied physical therapy. The summer after graduation we got married in front of all of our friends and family.

In 2019 we adopted our baby girl Ellie. She is the light of our lives. She is a carefree two year old who loves the outdoors and going on new "adventures." She has taught us the true meaning of unconditional love.

We enjoy spending time as a family, watching movies, rooting on our hometown professional teams, going to the theater, and dining out. We consider ourselves foodies and love discovering new local favorites around town. But regardless of whether we are going out to dinner or staying home you will always find lots of laughter and smiles across the table. We enjoy getting together with family for the holidays and continuing our annual traditions, especially decorating the house for Christmas and handing out Halloween candy to the neighborhood kids.

Bethany works as a part-time out-patient physical therapist. She has been with the same hospital system since graduating 13 years ago. She loves helping people of all ages, but her favorite is working with young athletes. She enjoys connecting with each patient on a personal level so that they feel comfortable and at ease during their difficult time. She loves working part-time so she can spend most of the week with Ellie.

Joe works as a labor and employment attorney. Joe has been practicing law for over 13 years and is currently a partner at a large law firm. Joe knew he wanted to be a labor attorney from his Grandpa's stories of being a manager at one of California's largest rail yards and learning about labor law his junior year in college.

Why Adoption?

We have always wanted to be parents. Infertility issues gave a very small chance of conceiving, even with IVF. Adoption still is the best option for us to continue to grow our family. Our family would not exist if not for adoption. Joe's Mom and Grandma were adopted. It is a precious gift and our family knows it more than most. We are thankful for adoption. It will allow us to achieve our dream of being parents once again.

Family & Home

We live in a diverse residential neighborhood filled with history and families of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Our house was built in 1923 and renovated most recently in 2016. There are four bedrooms on the second floor, an attic turned spare bedroom, and a finished basement that is perfect for building forts and watching movies. We have a fenced yard with a small patio in the back that is great for our summer BBQs and to let our dogs run and play. The city is filled with walkable sidewalks that connect our many local parks, favorite shops and restaurants.

Family is very important to us both. We love spending holidays together and, more importantly, enjoying each other's company on a regular basis. All of our immediate family live in the area. Bethany talks to her mother every day and has a great relationship with her father and step-mother Janet. Bethany will spend special weekends down in her home town with her Grandmother either making applesauce (her favorite fall tradition) or just spending quality time together watching movies and eating pizza. Joe is very close with his family. His entire family lives within two hours from our home. He is the youngest of 4 siblings, but tends to be the family organizer for all events. Joe has several nieces and nephews that refer to him as Uncle Joe Joe. He loves acting like a big kid with the little ones. You can always find Joe giving piggy back rides or getting buried in the sand. Joe's parents love being grandparents and give us their full support. Joe's family wouldn’t be here today without adoption -- his maternal grandmother was adopted, as well as his mother. To us, adoption means family.

Our other two loves are our dogs, Scout and Luna. Scout and Luna are lab mix sisters we rescued 7 years ago when they were puppies. They bring us joy everyday with their loving licks and happy faces. Scout loves people and especially Ellie. She will let Ellie play dress up and doctor with her without even flinching. She steals everyone's attention with her sparkling blue eyes. Luna's favorite activity is kissing faces, snuggling, and belly rubs.

How others describe me

About Bethany (written by Joe)

Bethany is genuine. She is kind, understanding, and loving. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without her. She loves life, the outdoors, and the city we live in. She works in a field dedicated to helping others -- a field she thrives in. We met 20 years ago and the smartest thing I have ever done was ask her to marry me. She keeps me grounded and motivates me to work hard to be successful. Bethany is a great mom and I can't wait for her and I to have the opportunity to grow our family.

About Joe ( written by Bethany)

Joe is my husband and my best friend. He has always been hardworking, dedicated, and family orientated since the first day we met. These last 20 years with Joe have been filled with laughter, love, and growth. Ever since we have been married Joe has wanted to be a dad. He lights up with pure joy and happiness when he spends time with Ellie. Joe is my rock and prides himself on being level headed and centered in stressful situations. I know that whatever situation arises I can always count on him to be a clear-headed sounding board. I could not imagine myself growing old with anyone other than Joe.

Advice to Future Child

We appreciate the emotions that you must be going through at this time. If we are able to begin this journey together you will always feel respected and heard. We promise that you will always feel safe, loved, and adored beyond all measure. Regardless of race, gender, national origin, or color, every child deserves a caring and loving home. We, with the encouragement and love of our families, promise to provide that home to you with all of our hearts and souls. Every opportunity within our means will be provided to foster growth, success, and prosperity. Our family is defined by love and we love you.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

Adoptive children have more than one set of parents and they should not be denied the love and affection of every parent who can provide it in a healthy and supportive way.

While the particular circumstances may vary, we believe that, in the early years, photographs and updates are most appropriate. Once the child grasps a better understanding of their surroundings, openness should include phased in meetings/interactions as appropriate with the goal that the child will have an established relationship with his or her birth parents in late adolescence.

Favorites

Joe

Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Thanksgiving
Hobbies/Interests: cooking, watching movies and sports, playing with Ellie, reading
Dream Vacation: Japan
If I Could Choose a Superpower: freeze time

Bethany

Favorite Movie: Hocus Pocus
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas and Halloween
Hobbies/Interests: watching movies/sports, crafting, going to new parks with Ellie
Dream Vacation: Australia
If I Could Choose a Superpower: fly