About Us
We're a happy family, though busy chasing around a toddler. Ali and I are both extremely caring and determined to squeeze the most out of this life we're given. We are avid home cooks, hikers, bikers, and eager hosts of anyone willing to visit. Hosting friends and family to try Marcie's latest pizza dough or brisket recipe is one of our simpler joys in life. We have tried our best to maintain these passions through Ari's childhood - and we can only hope she respects our passion for life and learns to love life herself.
While we met just before the pandemic, we bonded (virtually) over cooking, being active, and travel ideas. Once we rejoined in person, it was easy to see our bond was stronger than either of us realized. After quarantining in a studio apartment for a few months, we figured we could withstand any challenge put in front of us!
We are fortunate to have an extremely supportive group of friends in the city. Our families are nearby and very excited about more grandchildren to dote on. We love the family we've built, and we know we have more love to give to another child through adoption. Ari has gotten excited about babies recently - we think she's ready to be a big sister!
About Ali
As Written by Marcie
This is one of my favorite photos of Ali and Ari. It represents what Ali is to me: a ray of sunshine. She makes me smile, laugh, and lives life in an idealistic way that is admirable. She's carefree and easygoing, but good luck stopping her once she's on a mission. She's caring and loyal to her friends and family, no matter what.
Ali is a fantastic mother. She is doting, adventerous, and has instilled a love of nature in Ari. She loves to play with Ari and has a capacity to make Ari laugh for hours on end - I genuinely think Ari believes her feet will be eaten one day. Their bond is incredibly cute and I know she has more to give to another child.
In our household, Ali has really stepped up as the chef for the nightly family dinner. She has become the bedrock for the nightly routine, as well as swim instructor, voice coach, and aquarium guide. In my opinion, the steady parenting by Ali has provided such a good foundation for Ari to truly excel as a baby and toddler.
About Marcie
As Written by Ali
Marcie is a unique combination of adventurous and practical, always making big plans and then putting the steps in place to make sure they happen.
As a civil engineer, Marcie manages large projects to build highways. In her work and her personal life, it brings Marcie joy to make people's lives a little easier. She makes the people around her feel cared for and understood - and importantly, she makes me laugh. While I've been the cook recently, Marcie is a champion meal planner and grocery shopper.
You can see the love on Marcie's face in this photo. She has brought patience, caring, and kindness to parenthood. She fosters confidence and independence, always encouraging Ari to try challenging new things. She also shows her project manager side as a parent, always researching the next phase and making sure we are ready with fun toys to help Ari grow and practice new skills.
About Ari
We met Ari about an hour after she was born in Texas. She was such a calm, content baby - we were smitten from the start. It has been such a joy and a privilege to be her parents, seeing her blossom from a baby to a toddler and learn more each day.
Ari has many loves: Monkey, dogs, music, food (mostly carbs), swimming, and her family. Just to name a few. She's already showing herself as an extrovert. She loves people. Whether she's showing off her toys to house guests or trying to high-five everyone on the subway, you can trust she's making new friends. And most importantly, she's just a happy kiddo.
Ari spends her most of her weekdays with our family au pair, Yanis. Two days a week she attends a local daycare, learning how to socialize with other kids and building new skills. At both, she is learning Spanish and English. When she says a new word, we have to be careful to check both languages to try to guess the word!
About Monkey
(the cat)
A description of our family would not be complete without Monkey. He's a very sweet, affectionate cat with a big personality. We joke that he's a dog-cat, as he greets us at the door and begs for food. He's well-trained and will come for kisses at any time!
Monkey loves food and snuggles, sleeping in his chair (ok, his two chairs) and playing with his feather wand. While he's still a little afraid of Ari and her sudden movements, we've trained him to come to get snacks directly out of her hand. We trust it's only a matter of time before they're snuggling for naps. He's been so good overall with the adjustment - I think he secretly loves all the extra food he can steal from under her high chair, and that there's always a family member home now.
