Meet Tim & Deidra in Illinois

Our Story & How We Met

Our lives collided during the ladder part of our college years at Northern Illinois University. We began dating in 2006 shortly before Tim graduated with a B.S. degree in Accounting and Economics. Upon graduation, Tim spent a year living in downtown Chicago near Wrigley Field where he was able to endure many disappointing Chicago Cubs seasons and live with some of his best friends from high school while starting his career. Our relationship blossomed as Deidra completed her undergraduate degree in December, 2016 in Family & Consumer Sciences. As the saying goes “distance makes the heart grow fonder”, we spent almost every weekend together despite the distance and shortly after Deidra’s graduation we decided to start our life together in the suburbs of Chicago. In April, 2010 we married in Naperville, Illinois.

When one door closes another opens. After years of unsuccessful IVF treatments and testing, we knew adoption was the way we wanted to build our family. We began our first adoption journey in 2013 with Holt Sunny Ridge and were blessed with our daughter Zoey in June, 2014. Adoption has been our means to happiness. We love nothing more than being parents and sharing our story to parenthood. We look forward to providing a sibling for Zoey, completing our family and being advocates in support of adoption and the bond that is created between birthparents and adoptive parents.

About Us & Fun Facts

Tim on Deidra

Nickname: Dee

Occupation: Stay at home mom (former kindergarten teacher)

Favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs

Favorite memory: Meeting our daughter for the first time

Favorite movie: Anything sci-fi or animated (I’m a sucker for kids movies/shows)

Deidra (Dee) is a strong, compassionate and loving person who I am lucky to call my best friend and wife. I love my wife’s resolve and strength throughout our journey together. She has an infectious smile and always finds happiness within herself and those she surrounds herself with.

She is an amazing mother who leverages her past experiences as a kindergarten teacher to constantly reinvent new ways of engaging our daughter in fun and educational learning experiences as a stay at home mother. I could not have found a better wife, friend and mother to our daughter. A child needs a mother who is a role model, friend and protector. Deidra has all of those attributes and more.

Deidra on Tim

Occupation: Global Finance Director

Favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs

Favorite memory: Our wedding day

Favorite movie: Rudy (cheesy… I know. Always have a passion for stories of achievement despite life’s obstacles)

Falling in love with Tim was effortless.  He is easily the most kind, caring and genuine person I have ever met.  I have always told him, that he is wise beyond his years. Anytime I am feeling down or at a low point, he always knows what to say to bring peace to my mind and heart.  He loves me unconditionally each and every day. His patience and laid-back personality are the perfect mix for my up-beat self.

He is a hard worker who takes care of us and always makes the best decisions for us and our future.  I love seeing him interact with Zoey and the genuine happiness that she brings to his life. He’s a great dad.

Zoey

Always smiling, always moving…. living her best life. Zoey provides us with endless joy and laughs. She is an intelligent, caring and vivacious 5-year-old with a big loving heart who shows great compassion for others. Zoey cannot wait to be a big sister!

Zoey enjoys dance, swimming, being outdoors and playing with her friends and older cousins. She is currently in Kindergarten and is enjoying every second of it. She also loves helping around the house and baking with mommy. Her personality is very infectious and her profound joy for life is easy to see whether she’s singing at 6am, dancing in her favorite dress up costume or using a half tube of toothpaste every time she brushes her teeth. You can’t help but smile, laugh and enjoy her company and outgoing personality!

Our Home

We reside in a 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom home in the Southwest suburbs of Illinois. Our neighborhood provides ample opportunities for children with excellent schools, park district activities, entertainment venues and a strong community feel.  We are within minutes of outstanding schools, healthcare, parks & recreational programs.

Maintaining a small-town feel, while having access to all the amenities and proximity to Chicago and surrounding suburbs makes for a great environment for children to learn and grow.

Our Families

Tim has one older brother (Brian) who resides within the same community as we do along with his wife of 19 years and two daughters. Brian works as a chiropractor and his wife Leslie is a middle school math teacher. We feel blessed to be so close to Tim’s brother and his family and Zoey loves time with her cousins! Tim’s mother and father are both enjoying retirement, still residing in Tim’s childhood home and enjoy time with family; as well as spending time with their dog Reese and taking in the beauty of the world aboard cruise ships.

Deidra has one older brother (Jay) who is married and resides in Melbourne, Australia. Jay met his wife while touring Europe and shortly after their engagement he moved to her native country where he works as a Linguistics professor at a local university. Deidra is very close with her brother and we all enjoy his annual visits to Chicago where we are able to spend extended time with him and his wife. Deidra’s parents reside in Deidra’s childhood home close to our family and enjoy the time they get to spend with their granddaughter.

Pets

Marley, a mini Goldendoodle, joined our family in August 2017. Having a pet as a companion leaves an indelible mark on one’s childhood (and adults too). Marley is a very mild mannered, playful pup who provides us with smiles, physical activity, snuggles and kisses (lots of kisses). He is a great friend, and protector to Zoey and we are grateful for his energy to keep up with our daughter day in and day out 🙂