AJ and Lital

Hello,

We’re AJ and Lital. We want to be as open as possible with you, so, to get things started, we’d like to share a little bit about who we are, how we live, and the values that guide us.

Our Story

We met in 2018 and bonded over a shared love of learning, good food, and sharp sense of humor. We had a lot of fun on our first date, and have pretty much been doing that since. We love exploring Chicago and other cities (in the U.S. and in Europe), going to museums, attending festivals and plays, and trying out new restaurants. In the spring and summer, we do a lot of camping and hiking and love spending time with our friends and family. On a typical quiet night at home, we cook dinner together and play a game, do crafts, or watch something silly on TV.

We waited to get married until both of our families were able to attend, which meant waiting until Covid restrictions were lifted. We (finally!) got married in October 2022, at a restaurant located in an old Chicago firehouse. It was really special for everyone to meet each other and to be able to celebrate with our friends and family.

We live in a Chicago neighborhood on the sixth floor of a building overlooking the downtown skyline. Our home is a spacious 3-bedroom condo with a lot of natural light. There is a large park across the street with a playground, a pond with ducks and geese, nature paths, a soccer field, basketball hoops, a swimming pool, and an ice skating rink in the winter.

About AJ

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. After attending college in Iowa, I moved to Chicago to work on a PhD in Philosophy (I love having discussions about the world with others!). One of the most memorable parts of my studies was the opportunity to visit Paris. It’s now my favorite city. Nowadays, I work as a project manager for a large tech company where I advise our global clients. On a typical Saturday, you’ll find me reading a book, playing with our cats, or planning a hike.

About Lital

I was born in Israel and moved to Chicago in 2013 to complete a PhD in Communications at Northwestern University. Since then, I have made Chicago my permanent home and now work for an international company designing trainings for employees. I love being creative – I enjoy baking, knitting, and drawing.

What Family Means to Us

We both have strong connections to our families of origin – although they are states, and even oceans away, we see each other several times a year, celebrate holidays together,  and have  Zoom calls every week. In addition to the family we are related to, we both also have what we call our “found family” – people who have come into our lives at different times, who have supported us in difficult moments, encouraged us to grow, and who we have supported in return.

In other words, for both of us, “family” doesn’t only happen when you are related to someone. Sometimes family comes from how someone makes you feel: the warmth from knowing someone truly cares for you, sees you for who you are, and will stand by you through thick and thin. In our experience, this kind of “found family” is BOTH a lucky accident (sometimes fate brings the right people into your life at the right time) AND a choice – these are people we make an effort to include and keep in our lives. Since we both believe that families can happen in more than one way, when we decided we wanted to build a family of our own, we felt that our best option was to adopt.

Our Values

In addition to surrounding a child with people who love and support them, here are the values that will guide our family:

• We will support and love a child whatever path they choose.
• They will be encouraged to be curious, ask questions, explore the world, and go on adventures.
• They will be surrounded by joy and taught to celebrate life, the big things and the small things, and to be compassionate towards others.

Thanks for taking time to read through our page. At this point, you know a little bit about us, but we still don’t know each other. We are excited to get to know you – who you are, what is important to you, and how you imagine your connection with us and with your child.

Warmly,

Lital and AJ