Max and Emily
We would like to thank you for your courage and strength as you make this decision for your child. We look forward to starting our family in a positive, compassionate, and open way and hope that you find us and our values to be a good fit!
| Max | Emily |
|---|---|
| Job: Software Engineer | Job: Architect |
| Education: Master’s Degree | Education: Bachelor’s Degree, Registered Architect License |
| Religion: Non-Religious | Religion: Non-Religious |
| Family Info |
|---|
| Pets (and type of pets): None |
| Other Children (yes or no): No |
| Fun fact about your family: We met at swing dance! As parents, we can’t wait to: Share our love of food, music, and nature! |
About Us
Max and Emily met at a swing dance here in Pittsburgh and have made many lasting friendships through the dance community. We found that we had a lot in common – we both were in the marching band in college and enjoy a variety of music. We both love food, watching Steeler games, and spending time in nature.
We were married in 2011 at a party that featured a live band and lots of dancing. Other than swing dance, our favorite activities include going to the theater and movies, attending symphony concerts, taking walks, hosting barbeques at our house, and building things together. We have recently been vacationing in the Pacific Northwest where we are inspired by the ocean, mountains, and vast forests. We look forward to bringing a child on our adventures in nature as we continue touring our nation’s national parks.
Holidays are a special time in our house as we love to celebrate whenever we can. For Halloween we have been dressing up as movie characters for the past several years, like Marty and Jennifer from Back to the Future. Both of our families join us at our house for Thanksgiving, which is Emily’s favorite day to cook. The 4th of July always features fireworks in some fashion. And on Valentine’s Day, we only give each other a love note that we collect in a memory box. We can’t wait to include a child in our celebrations and expand the occasions and things that we celebrate.
The more time goes by, the closer we become and our relationship has only gotten stronger. We love that we continue to learn more about each other and find increasing comfort in each other’s company.
Max
Max’s story starts in Pittsburgh where he grew up with a variety of interests. He learned to play the violin and trumpet and played with several community and honor orchestras. His early love of Legos transitioned into a childhood of taking things apart and putting them back together again. Max’s most memorable activities revolved around practicing magic and competing in various youth competitions. His childhood friends remember his great ability to make cards and coins disappear and often ask him to do tricks for their children.
This diversity of skills led Max to coding and computers where the artistry, engineering, and magic of his past experiences all came together. He liked to tinker with early machines and create his own simple programs. He majored in Telecommunications and has two graduate degrees. Max now manages operations at an educational technology company.
In his free time, Max loves to watch TV, learn about new technologies, and rebuild home appliances to keep them in operation. He is very handy and picks up new skills quickly from the internet. He loves coffee, hot dogs, Asian food, and Utz potato chips.
Emily
Emily grew up around Buffalo, NY with constantly skinned knees from riding bikes and climbing trees. As a very active child she made up games with her sisters, learned to cook in her mother’s kitchen, and learned to build things in her father’s wood shop. She studied voice, flute, and piccolo in school and participated in amateur musical theater programs. Emily taught herself to draw and still loves to color.
Her passion for art and creativity paired with her academic strengths in science and math led Emily to study Architecture in college. She graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture, moved to Pittsburgh to start her career, and soon received her professional architecture license. She now manages the local facilities for a large technology company.
Cooking and baking, sewing, origami, and crafting are among Emily’s hobbies. Emily enjoys keeping it simple and from scratch whenever possible. She loves ice cream, pizza, sushi, and cannot control herself around cookies.
Our Neighborhood
We live just outside Pittsburgh in a quiet neighborhood. There is a small playground two doors down from our house and numerous parks and trails throughout our borough. Our house is small and simple with a front and back porch as well as friendly neighbors. There’s enough space to run around in the backyard as well as grill and barbeque. Flowers bloom around the house throughout the spring and summer. The neighborhood is very walkable and we often journey out on foot to the local store or diner.
Our Values and Goals as Parents
Respect, citizenship, thoughtfulness, humility, and compassion are among our values. We feel strongly that an open mind and heart can help bring people together, grow community, and build understanding. As naturally “helpful” people ourselves, we are skilled at troubleshooting and enjoy working with people to find solutions.
We want to be parents in order to help shape the next generation. With our wide range of interests, we feel we can provide a child with many diverse experiences. We look forward to seeing where his or her passions will lie and supporting those endeavors. Many of our close friends have young children and we anticipate them being able to grow up together.
We want to share our passions and joys with a child and anticipate a positive, warm, and compassionate experience. We know adding a child to our lives will change everything, and we look forward to it! We also know that this child will have a special life with a bigger family and a bigger story than most. Openness is very important to us and if you are interested, we would love to have you regularly involved in this child’s life.
We’d be happy to hear from you and answer any questions you may have for us! Please feel free to contact us through the Children’s Home or at maxandemilyadopt@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and we wish you the best on your journey, wherever the path may take you!
