Meet the Families

About Us

As a couple, we share a love of family, quality friendships, a passion for exploring places and cultures and learning new things. Since we each bring something different to our relationship we decided to write a little about ourselves and what we love and appreciate about one another.

In Jasmine’s words:

I’m always excited to learn and explore, which has led to enriching jobs, experiences, and hobbies but my favorite thing is sharing simple pleasures with those who mean the most to me.

My career has been in Marketing for almost 15 years – working across both corporate and freelance roles. My aim is to shift towards project-based work to allow for more flexibility at home as we look forward to expanding our family with a child.

I have a practical side balanced with a creative spirit – writing, doing yoga, experimenting with recipes, or capturing different perspectives through a camera lens, are ways I relax and express myself.

As a parent, I would encourage a child to follow their curiosity, not be afraid to make mistakes and try new things. These principles have helped me understand what I want out of life and given me the ability to handle the inevitable twists and turns with an open mind.

I grew up in a Puerto Rican household where gatherings centered around food, music, and laughter. Jeff was raised in a setting where game nights were the norm and holiday traditions were cherished, we both share strong family values.

What impresses me most about Jeff is his ability to feel at ease with those he meets (and an uncanny ability to make others feel that way).  He’s disciplined and dedicated to achieving what he sets his mind to, a kid at heart, and a natural teacher – parts of his personality that I can’t wait to see in action as a father.

I love this pic of the morning he went overboard making waffles – nobody (i.e. me) complained!

In Jeff’s words:

Much like Jasmine, I am very much a dreamer. As a young adult, I loved the water and set my sights on becoming a lifeguard.  Once I got certified this led to becoming a CPR and first aid instructor. I’ve continued to follow my heart which has led to realizing my dreams of becoming a game developer, adjunct professor, entrepreneur (starting my own company), and (hopefully next) raising a child with my wife.

I have been surrounded by kids my whole life, watching and helping my mom take care of neighborhood infants who were in her care, teaching swim lessons while working for the Red Cross, working as an au pair for 2 wonderful kids in France, mentoring students as a college professor, and most gratefully I’m a proud uncle to 6 nieces and nephews!

Time with Friends and Family

The photo collage below shows different moments in our lives, from holidays and birthdays to time outdoors with our friends and family. For siblings, Jeff has 2 brothers and a sister. As for Jaz, she has an older sister, and together we have 6 nieces and nephews in total. We also have a great group of friends who are excited to be honorary aunts and uncles.

Our Home

We bought our home thinking of our future family in mind. The house is at the end of a cul de sac, within walking distance to great schools and we love our community. There’s a large field and swings in a park close by and we hope to spend time with a little one there.

Our path to parenthood hasn’t been a straight line -we tried for years to start a family, including through IVF, and when that did not work, we began to recognize that there are different ways to create a family. Ultimately deciding that adopting would be a beautiful way to realize our dream of becoming parents. As a couple this journey has been our strongest test of resilience but also a reminder of how we always work together to overcome challenges and never lose faith.