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| Sunny Ridge Family Center is licensed as a child welfare agency by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (#019976), and by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family and Children, as a child placing agency. |
Hello! First of all, let us start by saying we are so grateful to you for reading our letter, and we can only begin to imagine what a difficult journey you are on. To consider adoption, shows such love and unselfishness and courage, knowing you are trying to determine what is best for your child. Please know we appreciate the decisions you have ahead of you and anything we can share to let you know more about us, and our home we would be happy to! We are praying for you as you navigate this process, and we also pray that we can be open about ourselves so that you can have clear picture of who we are and why we hope for the gift of adoption. The Story of Us John Dianne and I met while she was living in New York, where I am from. Dianne comes from a very close family and on our third date, before she knew where this relationship was going, she told me that the person she was going to marry would have to be open to relocating to Chicago, so that she could be close to her nieces and nephews. I love NYC but even this early on I realized I loved this woman, so I agreed at that time if we were to get serious I would consider moving. We made the big move in July of 2003. We lived in Old Town, Chicago for a year, saved some money then moved to the west suburbs and bought a house. This is where we and our 70lb lap dog, Sandy, and our cat Otis make our home.
We decided prior to our wedding that as soon as we got married we wanted to start a family. After trying for a year, we were still unable to conceive. We decided that we would go to a fertility specialist for some help in this area. Since that time it has been a very difficult year and half; first Dianne got pregnant but the fetus never developed a heart beat so she had to abort eight weeks into the pregnancy. Six months later Dianne got pregnant again and again it was bad news. This time the pregnancy was termed a molar pregnancy. During these past two years we have had many a conversation regarding adopting and it was never if we were going to adopt but when. We have a very strong faith and believe that God has led us down this path for a reason. We, as well as our families, are excited about welcoming a baby to our family. Dianne John’s Story
Upon graduating in 1985 from Northport High School, I attended Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. As you can see New York City holds a very special place in my heart. Many a day I have spent exploring the city and its’ nuances; getting lost and discovering new sights, restaurants, and parks. It is one of the things that first attracted me to my wife, Dianne; she also loves exploring. After graduating from College, I went on to Physician Assistant School, graduated in 1993 and started working at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York. I spent 9 years there before moving to Chicago. Presently, I work at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. It is a challenging job because a lot of the patients I deal with have recently been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. However the feeling that I get when I help someone get better is indescribable. It makes going to work a pleasure everyday. In summary, I am strongly committed to family, love to travel and explore, enjoy cooking, Sunday dinners, reading, helping people and above all am infatuated with the New York Jets! Dianne’s Story My Father was a traditional Italian; and I had an amazing, loving relationship with him. He passed away this past March and though I miss him, I have so many special memories. My Mom and I share a love of traveling and have an incredible relationship; she is very involved in our lives. My Mom was a stay at home mom, and I remember snacks everyday, special lunches, helping me with homework and carting me to the numerous activities I was involved in. I played piano, trumpet, took ballet, tap, jazz, voice, and even tried my hand at softball. My Mom immersed me in many activities so I could find my gifts and joys. I was so lucky to have every opportunity to express both my intellect and my creativity. Dance and theatre were my primary passions and I spent many hours at a performing arts school. When I was in eighth grade, I traveled to New York City, to study dance and theatre for a week, my Mom came as a chaperone. This is when I fell in love with New York City and the first of many trips I would take with my Mom. As a sophomore in High School I was invited to perform all across Europe for a two-week seven country adventure. This was a pivotal moment in my life because the world of traveling was opened up to me, a passion that follows me to today. I studied Elementary Education at Illinois State University, I graduated in 1993 and instead of teaching right away, I left for Sweden where I was a nanny for a two-year old and 6 month old. I had spent my entire teen years babysitting and surrounding myself with children. After Sweden, I spent a year abroad teaching in England and traveling. Traveling has truly shaped who I am, it is such a gift to be
Our Neighborhood We are walking distance to a wonderful town, library and schools. It was important to us to live in a place where our children could feel safe and enjoy the same kind of childhood we did. As we sit out at night and watch our niece and nephews play with all the kids in the neighborhood, catching fire flies and playing tag, we are so grateful for the life we have built here. Our Faith Our Future We are happy to consider an open adoption. We realize the more people surrounding a child is just more people to love them. We want our child to know their heritage, and from where they came. We would be happy to send pictures and letters as the years go on, and we’d also love to forge a relationship prior the birth. We also understand if privacy is important to you, and are willing to have a situation that works well for all of us but above all supports and nurtures the child. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about us. It seems so difficult to condense two full lives into just a few pages. Please don’t hesitate to ask as many question as you may have. Whatever road God leads you down, know that we are praying for you and respect whatever decision you make for your baby. Your strength and courage is an inspiration. If you would like more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center. Sincerely, John & Dianne
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Dianne and I met in 1999 through a mutual friend. To say that we “hit it off” right a way would be an understatement. However, I was recently coming off a bad break-up so I was hesitant to start anything. At that time I knew that if I went out with this woman we would be together for a long time. It was just a feeling that I had but I knew at that time I couldn’t act on it. A year went by and out of the blue I received an email from Di inviting me to dinner. I gladly accepted and we went to dinner on February 10, 2000. Needless to say we hit is off wonderfully and three and ½ years later we got married in a beautiful ceremony at a Non-Denominational Christian Church on November 29, 2003. We honeymooned in Hawaii and Utah; she wanted to sit on a beach and I wanted to ski, so we came to a very satisfying compromise. That is in a nutshell what our relationship is all about; it is just very easy. We may argue as most couple do, but our disagreements strengthen our relationships because we are always working to have a successful marriage. 
I remember the first time I met John, we were out to dinner with a group of friends and he was sitting in the middle of the table and had everyone’s rapt attention while he told a story. Instantly I found him to be funny, outgoing and so cute! We shyly flirted that first night but nothing ever came of it. Then a year later, my friend suggested I contact him, she said she saw a spark between us and thought we would make a great couple. I thought about it for a few days and then decided to email and ask him out for dinner. Our first date lasted 8 hours! I never talked so freely and openly with anyone before. I remember writing that night in my journal that I think I had met the man I would marry. Our courtship was filled with exploring New York City, running together along the river, walking through Central 
I was born in Brooklyn, New York like all good Italians are supposed to be, on the East Coast in 1967. Stephen and Susan, my parents, raised three children put them through college and brought them their first cars. However the greatest gift they instilled in us is the importance of family. Whether it was sitting down as a family for dinner, getting together with the extended family for Sunday dinners, going to football games with my dad, or getting together for anniversaries, birthdays or graduations parties it was all done together. My sisters Nancy, Debra and I share a special bond that was forged by my parents instilling in us that family always comes first. Being raised Italian there certainly was a lot of family. Sunday dinner was an important tradition, where my parents, sisters and I would share the day with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and we would crowd around the dinner table. We would start eating as soon as we got there and would not stop until desert was served five hours later. It was a wonderful time filled with food, family and laughter. A tradition that is important for me to continue with my own family. 
I was raised in Staten Island, New York, one of the five boroughs that comprise the great city of New York, lived there until I was 13 and then moved to Long Island, where I attend the local High School. My days were filled with basketball, a sport that I played competitively, being with friends, studying and watching football with my Dad. My Dad and I have been New York Jet fans since I was three. The reason this is so important to me is that it was something I shared with my Father growing up and even today. We have had season tickets since I was a child and every week we would trek out to Giant Stadium to watch the games. This was such a special time for us and I dream about the day I can share this passion with my children and take them to games.
Today, I love spending time with family, especially my nieces and nephews, I enjoy being athletic and competing in triathlons, I teach theatre for children at a local theatre company, I love to scrapbook, read, and vacation with John to Utah where we ski each winter and other trips where we love to hike, kayak and simply explore somewhere new. 
We live in a three-bedroom Cape Cod home on a beautiful tree lined street, two towns away from where Dianne grew up. We live nine houses down from Dianne’s sister Lynda and her family, Abby 10, and twins Cole and Brock who are 7. The neighborhood is filled with children and we have been forging relationships with the families here since we were visiting each year from New York. So once we moved into our home, we felt like we already had friends and neighbors. The summer is filled with everyone hanging out together and all the children playing. Fourth of July is a big holiday for us when the local parade marches down Main Street just blocks from our house. Early in the morning the guys in the neighborhood put out chairs along the curb and we all celebrate the day together. This year there were 10 families and over 15 children together! Including Dianne’s sister Cindy and her family who came to visit from California for a month this summer with her husband Pat and daughter Cate! The parade is followed by a yearly barbeque at one of the neighborhood homes! 
More than anything we want to be parents, we want to have our house filled with the laughter of children and be able to instill in them the values and love that our families provided us. We have faith in God’s plan for us and are excited to build our family through adoption. Dianne plans to be a full time stay at home Mom. She imagines play time, and reading, making lunches and giving a child all the opportunities she had. John dreams of teaching his kids sports, weekends away exploring, and of course instilling the love of the NY Jets!! Fall Sunday’s in our home will always be about football. Education is extremely important to us and will provide all that we can so our children can attend college and follow their dreams.