Andrea & Dennis
Hello!
Our names are Andrea and Dennis, and it is so nice to meet you here. We are grateful that you are taking the time to read our story and that you would consider going on this journey with us. We would be thrilled and honored to provide a vibrant, secure, and loving home for your child and promise to not only love them unconditionally but respect your wishes as part of our process together.
The words THANK YOU cannot begin to express our gratitude to you for your consideration, and for taking the time to learn a little more about us. We promise you that, should you choose us, we will completely devote ourselves to your child.
With love and gratitude,
Andrea & Dennis
Our Adoption Story
Our lives may seem full, but our family is by no means complete. We have both always dreamed of a big family. Adoption has become such an important part of our lives – we have been on this journey for many years and have learned so much along the way. Having our dreams come true with the boys’ adoptions, though very different journeys, has taught us so much we were not expecting. We have been very open about how we became a family, and the boys know that they were always loved, and are blessed to have an even larger network of people in their lives because of it. Seeing the bond our kids already share just reinforces our dream of expanding our blended family.
Our Promise to You
We are lucky enough to be at a place in our lives where we could devote ourselves, and our resources to your child. They will be immediately welcomed with a large loving family that has been waiting and hoping to meet them. The kids are so excited to share their daily routine with a brother or sister. They are already talking about how they are ready to teach them to play the drums, bake together, help them learn to care for our pets, and show them the ropes. Together, we are a big, blended family, just waiting to expand and grow. We have so much room in our hearts and our home for a little one.
We also want to honor your wishes as part of this journey – one we can take together. We would love to learn more about what is important to you and make sure that you feel confident in your decision.
About Us
We met as many love stories begin – at work! We are both veterinarians and fate brought us together as interns working in an urban hospital. Dennis endeared himself to Andrea with his corny jokes, persistence, and chivalrous nature; and let’s not forget, his impressive, lumberjack beard 😉
He started walking Andrea to her bus stop late at night to make sure she was safe, and then one summer night, he asked to walk her all the way home. SIXTY blocks later, we knew that we would be walking side by side forever.
We have a marriage full of love and humor. While we have a strong network of friends and family, we always prefer each other’s company most. We try to find time for occasional date nights, whether it’s going to the city for a comedy show and dinner or ending the day reading together on the screened-in porch listening to the crickets.
These days, family time is our favorite time – we plan many activities with the kids, like visits to the Bronx Zoo, going upstate, or just visiting the city. Recently Dennis’ work had him do an echocardiogram on a sweet penguin’s heart over at the aquarium, and the kids got to tag along. They got to tell us all about how they pet penguins, and then finished the day on Coney Island. Lucky boys!
On an average evening, you will find us hanging out at home. Most nights, the kids love to help us make dinner. We play Rose, Thorn and Bud, where we go around the table and list the best and worst parts of our day, and what we are looking forward to. Everyone helps clean up and then we take care of feeding and walking the dogs. We always have an after-dinner activity, like game nights, trips to the movies, or movie night outside in our backyard (a favorite). As I write this, it’s a summer night, and I can hear Roman and Levi in their room chattering on about who just caught more lightning bugs this evening!
About Andrea
Andrea was raised in the suburbs of New York City as the youngest child with a brother and a sister. Her parents raised them in a Ukrainian-speaking household. Andrea’s deep love for children drew her to her first career as an elementary school art teacher. She has always been creative, with a dedicated work ethic, and commitment to helping animals in need. Her parents’ unconditional love, support, and life experience helped her as she excelled in fine arts and science, allowing her to become the free-thinking, and strong woman she is today.
Dennis says, Andrea brings life and energy to any room she enters. From bottle-feeding puppies and kittens, to raising a child as a working single mother, she has an endless capacity for loving and nurturing. She has a deep inner strength and an uncanny gut instinct, which is almost always right. She has an unmatched ability to multitask, as she can be effortlessly drawing a portrait of our cat while also cooking an improvised dinner, all while telling a funny story from the day. She is a true free spirit! Pair that with her natural warmth, and you understand the reason children are drawn to her. It has even earned her the nickname “Aunt Fun” by her nieces. Andrea has so much love to give and I know how ready she is to welcome another child into her life.
About Dennis
Dennis has such a great sense of humor and makes everyone laugh. He grew up in Indiana, with his 3 siblings and two hard-working parents. Growing up as a self-proclaimed “nerd” who liked sports, he went on to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. His diligence, commitment and passion led him to excel as a veterinary cardiologist, caring for the hearts of many animals. He likes to have a few major extracurriculars going at all times, such as improv comedy, basketball and cycling.
Andrea says, Dennis is a hopeless romantic. His consistent love and support make every day feel like the first moment we fell in love. He is a loving husband, amazing stepfather and father, and a faithful friend to all. An eternal comedian, his jokes may occasionally be very silly, but they still get a laugh every time. Not to mention, he is a karaoke superstar with a penchant for air guitar. Most importantly, he is dependable, loyal, and responsible. He is my rock, and truly my best friend. Welcoming another little one into our life is what Dennis has been waiting for and I can’t wait to see his heart grow with another child.
Our Trio
We have 3 amazing kiddos – Andrea’s 17-year-old daughter, Helena, and our 7 and 6-year-old sons, Roman and Levi. The boys joined our family through two very different adoption journeys, for which we are eternally grateful. The three together are the pride and joy of our family. As a mother, Andrea instills kindness, creativity, confidence, and love into all of the children’s lives. Dennis is a loving, supportive father & a crucial part of their everyday life. He encourages their athletic side, broadens their horizons, and nurtures their sweet personalities.
About Helena
Helena is kind, smart, funny, and empathetic. She is an advocate, an artist, an animal lover and a very committed daughter, and sister. She is also a talented drummer and writer! This summer she has been working as a counselor at the same day camp that her brothers are at. We love hearing the boys tell us how their big sister finds time to check in on them and how much it brightens their day. She even tries to eat lunch with them when she can – they have such a sweet relationship.
This fall, Helena is heading to college in upstate NY. We are so excited to watch her in this next chapter!
About Roman
Roman is exuberant, energetic, funny, snuggly, and an all-around charmer. He is a little leader and an enthusiastic participant in all life has to offer. He is a talented soccer player, and loves swimming and diving, skiing, TV, and video games.
He always looks out for the younger kids at the playground and is the first to run over if any of them seem sad or need a hand. He loves being a big brother to Levi and would be proud to add another little sibling to look out for!
About Levi
Levi is curious, loving, smart, perceptive, funny, and just the silliest, sweetest guy. He wants to be an engineer when he grows up and loves all things science. He loves Minecraft and will never pass up the chance to tell you all about it. He is also a little daredevil who loves rollercoasters and tubing. He is on the swim team with Roman, so we spend a lot of time at the pool during the summer months. He is definitely the most excited for a younger sibling to join our crew. He asks us about it every night. He would be the most fantastic big brother, and even sings us songs he would like to teach your baby.
Our Furry Family Members
As veterinarians, we focus on the care of small animals. Andrea works part-time in the Emergency Room of a busy teaching hospital, while Dennis is a mobile Veterinary Cardiologist.
We tried not to take our work home but somehow managed to rescue four dogs and two cats!
Meet our pups – Smoosh, Ida, Dottie and Tumbie and kitties Zuyks and Smudge!
Our Home
We live in a suburb of New York City, in a family-oriented neighborhood, with parks, markets, schools, and activities all within walking distance. We have lived in our neighborhood for five years, making lifelong friends along the way. From neighbors to co-workers, and families from school, we have expanded our network into a true community. Our block is filled with children of all ages playing outdoors, walking to school together, and swimming all summer long together.
Our home is a three-story with seven big bedrooms and a large yard. Our favorite place in our house is definitely the kitchen, where we gather to talk, unwind, and prepare meals together as a family! Most weekends are spent visiting and hosting our friends and family.
Our Loved Ones
Andrea has a large, tight-knit extended family who we get to see at our annual reunion every summer in upstate New York. It is a great opportunity to get the kids together with their “cousinettes” – 11 girls between the ages of 2 and 15, along with 4 new second cousins all under the age of 7! On our many trips to Indiana, the kids get to spend time with 11 more cousins from Dennis’s side. With a new addition, they are all hoping to bring our total to 30 cousins all together!
Everyone in our family has been incredibly supportive of us building our family through adoption. They cannot wait to add another baby who they can love and spoil!
Holidays & Traditions
Spending time with our family and friends means the world to us. We spend Thanksgiving at Grandpa Bill and Nana B’s farm in Indiana. No visit is complete without a family game of Taboo or a friendly round of poker. Easter has a mix of cultural traditions including egg hunts, Ukrainian easter egg making, and family meals. The Christmas season is spent in the city and always starts with a visit to the tree at Rockefeller Center and includes a tree-trimming and Gingerbread house-making party to put us into the Holiday spirit! We love bringing in Ukrainian traditions to the holiday – starting with 12-course traditional Ukrainian Christmas eve feast and then we exchange presents together. Helena will always bring some Puerto Rican treats, and traditions from her dad’s side of the family.
Christmas morning brings a visit from Santa, with more gifts for all, especially the kids, and even a few for all our animal friends. At the end of the holiday season, we host a huge family party that has evolved into the bash of the year, with karaoke and dancing!
Over the years, we have created our own family traditions, including Friendsgiving and Halloween. Friendsgiving is a big potluck dinner that we have with our closest friends and is such a special time of year for us. The funniest family holiday for us is Halloween. Between pumpkin carving, spooky decorations, and family costume planning (including our pets), we have it down to an art. We also love celebrating each kiddo on their birthdays and Helena especially enjoys making and decorating cakes for everyone.
We can’t wait to add another baby to our family so that we can continue to share and make new traditions together.
Family Adventures
In the spirit of getting the most out of life, we have been lucky enough to take some wonderful family vacations. Trips we would love to share include Hawaiian adventures, camping in the Adirondacks with the cousins, cabin life at Lake Michigan, playing at the Jersey Shore, renting a home on the beach in Portugal, and staying with friends in a Palazzo on Italy’s western coast!! The kids’ favorite has been Disney, a tradition we continue every year.
We cannot wait to share our life with another child. All of us have so much love to give, and many more life experiences, traditions, and values to pass along. The amount of love we have to share and grow with a precious little one seems impossible to tell you about in writing. We do hope that you enjoy this brief introduction to our life and can see how genuinely happy we are at the idea of sharing every part of it with your child.
Please know that we would love to get to know you and we are open to ongoing communication between our families, in whatever form provides you comfort. Thank you again, very sincerely, for learning about us and considering us as parents. We wish you all the best in your journey, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
With love,
Andrea & Dennis
CONTACT US
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