We met in Phoenix, Arizona where Jeremy was teaching in an elementary school as part of Teach For America, and Devin was finishing up law school. When they met, Jeremy shared that he planned to move back to Chicago at the end of that year. At the end of that year, as promised, Jeremy moved back to Chicago. What he didn’t expect was that Devin would join him!
We realize that a love like ours doesn’t come along very often, so we weren’t going to let it slip through our hands. We not only have so much fun together, we’re aligned on the big things: values, family, how we live our lives, etc. We balance each other so well and bring out the best in each other. We’ve been together since 2012, married in 2016 and adopted Avery in 2019.
About Jeremy (by Devin)
From the beginning, I knew Jeremy was a star. He’s always the most outgoing, charismatic, and personable guy in the room. So many people are drawn to him and love him. He makes everyone around him feel so special, and I feel really lucky that he’s in my life. He’s easily the most charming person I know. He always makes a big effort to get to know people and talk with them.
When we first started dating, I couldn’t think of a better dad to raise a child with. He’s so great with kids, not just from the skills he picked up as a teacher, but he just has a natural ability. He really knows how to connect and engage with kids. I’m always so impressed by how he can get the loudest belly laughs from our nieces and nephews. I really shouldn’t be surprised. He makes me laugh every day! I just feel so lucky to get to wake up next to him every day because he is such a joy to be around.
Now that we’ve adopted Avery, it’s easy to see that I was right about Jeremy being a good dad! He’s so good with her, especially when it comes to knowing what to expect when it comes to milestones. Jeremy will read up and ask other parents, getting the scoop on what we should be doing to prepare for the next phase in Avery’s upbringing. His happy-go-lucky attitude rubs off on me and Avery all the time, making our household feel like home. That’s not to say he can’t lay down the law! Coming from his background in education, Jeremy teaches me a lot about how to discipline children and keep boundaries in check.
About Devin (by Jeremy)
When I first met Devin, I thought he was too good to be true. As I got to know him, I found out just how true that was! Devin has the biggest heart out of anyone I know. He is the most dependable and trustworthy person. He is the first person that his family goes to with anything they’re going through because he’s such a great listener and problem solver. He’s always concerned about the ones he loves, and does anything in his power to support them.
Devin knows who he is, and doesn’t try to be anyone else. When not working, he loves to play with our cat, play video games (it’s something he loved to do since he was little) or read. While at his core he’s the quiet, introverted type, anyone who knows him well enough knows he’s the goofiest, most loveable guy around.
And as a father, all of those attributes come to life. Devin is so goofy with Avery and always making up new games for them to play or doing things to make Avery laugh. He also is very observant and will quickly notice things like rashes or new patterns of eating which can help us make changes to Avery’s routine or diet. The happiness I see from Devin as a father is unlike any happiness I’ve ever seen from him.
About Avery
Avery is a very kind and playful girl. She loves being in the water whether it’s for bathtime, swimming or running through sprinklers. She also loves animals, and she waves to any bird, dog, squirrel, or butterfly we come across while walking around the neighborhood or park. We go to the zoo as much as we can as she loves seeing all of those animals too. She loves being outside and gathering rocks, playing in the sand or simply running in circles. Like Jeremy, she’s always laughing and smiling, and like Devin she loves to read!
Core Values
Two of our main core values are being happy and joyful. We believe that time here on earth is short, and we should make the most of it. We live a life filled with lots of love, laughter and joy seen in both the big and small things that we do. We’re thrilled we’ve found each other and can create the life and home that aligns with our values.
Another one of our core values is education. Jeremy has a background in teaching 2nd, 5th, and middle school grades. Devin is a lawyer who has taught many "Know Your Rights" legal workshops for young kids. He believes in arming kids with the knowledge needed to handle tough legal situations, especially during encounters with the police. Both of us believe in pursuing academics to the best of our abilities and sharing what we learn with youth. We hope to give our children any and every opportunity to give them the best quality of life. We plan to start a college fund from day one, and we strongly believe in encouraging them to pursue a path of learning that matches their passions.
Thoughts on Openness
We currently have an open adoption with Avery's Mom Katie and have found this has been great for all parties involved. We always update Katie on the big milestones like crawling, walking, eating and learning. We share lots of pictures, and she loves the ones we take each month showing how she's grown. We do our best to keep her in the loop and want our next birth mom to feel just as included.
We really want to strive to form a relationship that you feel comfortable with. We’re incredibly grateful you took the time to look at our profile!
