Jean and Eddy

We are Jean and Eddy from Southern California. We are very excited to grow our family and are humbled by your bravery and courage to explore open adoption. We are truly honored that you have chosen to read our profile. We hope with these few pictures and brief letter you will be able to get a sense of who we are and find that we are friendly, caring, easy-going people.

We sincerely look forward to meeting you!

– Jean & Eddy

More About Our Family: We are fun, thoughtful, and passionate about life. We have a deep and loving relationship based on trust, respect, and affection for one another. We are unique individuals with our own thoughts and beliefs; however, we bring the best out in each other when we are together.

We met at work in 2005. Jean was living in London and Eddy was living in California. We had to work on many projects remotely together and spent a lot of time talking on the phone. During our long calls we really got to know each other and developed a strong friendship. In 2006 Jean transferred to California. Eddy wasted no time and asked Jean out once she was settled in. We have been inseparable ever since!

In 2015 we welcomed our son, Donovan James, into our lives through open adoption. He has brought us amazing amounts of joy and happiness. Donovan is a caring and happy little boy who is very active and social. He enjoys exploring the outdoors, singing songs, and playing with his friends. He is a very thoughtful and kind little boy who will be an excellent big brother!

5 Memorable Vacations:

1. Safari in Africa
2. Swimming with dolphins in New Zealand
3. Skiing and dog sledding in Whistler, Canada
4. Snorkeling in Hawaii
5. Touring Washington DC

A Few of our Fun Facts & Faves

Favorite Hobby:

• Jean: Karaoke and jigsaw puzzles
• Eddy: Hiking & biking

Favorite Movie:

• Jean: Silver Linings Playbook
• Eddy: Lord of the Rings

Favorite Band/Singer:

• Jean: Coldplay & Rolling Stones
• Eddy: Jack Johnson

Favorite Place at Home:

• Jean: Living room, that’s where we spend most of our time together
• Eddy: Backyard, it’s so peaceful!

Favorite Food:

• We both love…Mexican food. The spicier the better!

What We Do for Fun: We have a ton of hobbies, but our top three are playing music, playing sports and traveling. We love doing things together as a family!

Music is a big part of our lives. Jean plays piano, ukulele, and flute. Eddy plays the drums. There is always music being played in our home and even Donovan joins in the fun. He is learning how to play the violin and piano. He is a natural musician! If one of us isn’t playing a song then the radio is on and one of us is singing. We love music!

One of our greatest passions is to travel. We have had the fortunate pleasure of being able to travel to some beautiful places. Jean has traveled extensively throughout Europe while Eddy has spent a lot of time in Australia and Lebanon. Together we have visited Zimbabwe, South Africa, Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico and many other destinations. Donovan has already been to New York, Atlanta, Arizona, Florida and Washington DC.

Meet Jean by Eddy: Jean is a loving and nurturing woman who has completely embraced motherhood. She spends most of her time with Donovan going on adventures to the park, beach, or just walking around the neighborhood. She loves to work out and keep herself healthy. She also takes piano lessons once a month.

Jean was born and raised in New York.  She moved to California 14 years ago after spending 18 months living in London.  She is an IT Consultant for a global professional services company.  She works part time so she can focus on her favorite job, being a mom.

In her free time Jean mentors two teen-aged girls. She is a really strong role model with optimistic views on life. She is very patient, caring and compassionate; all qualities that have made her an amazing mother.

What Eddy Loves About Jean:

• Jean is deeply caring
• Always stays positive
• Never gives up
• Can brighten anyone’s day
• Makes up hilarious songs

Fun Fact: Jean used to be a competitive boxer and kickboxer!

Meet Eddy by Jean: Eddy will crack you up with his humor and quick wit. He is an amazing cook and will fill your belly with his delicious meals and amaze you with the encyclopedia of knowledge stored inside his brain.

Eddy’s friends love being around him because he is really smart and funny. He would do anything for his family or friends. He’s just one of those guys you always want to hang out with!

Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, he grew up in Westminster, CA. He is a well-educated Financial Advisor and is an amazing drummer! He is extremely generous and is very family-oriented. Eddy is a wonderful father and beams every time he sees Donovan. He and Donovan love being silly. They are always laughing about something! They also love reading and playing together.

What Jean Loves About Eddy:

• Eddy is super smart
• Always makes me hysterically laugh
• Can always tell when I need a hug
• Extremely loyal to his family
• Can solve any problem

Fun Fact: Eddy wore a dress for his 8th grade talent show and sang, “It’s My Party.”

Donovan is an outgoing 5 year old boy who always has a smile on his face. Some of his favorite things to do are:

1. Playing with his cousin, Nolan
2. Singing, dancing and making music
3. Playing with his remote control car
4. Everything Star Wars
5. Family movie nights

Donovan is very kind and loves to share his toys with all of his friends.  He is extremely active and social. The neighbors call him the “mayor” because he knows and talks with everyone. He is very excited to become a big brother and talks about how much he will love and take care of his new little brother or sister all the time!

Meet Our Family: We come from big families who are extremely supportive and are completely overjoyed about our plans to grow our family through adoption.

Jean’s family is on the East Coast. We FaceTime with them on a weekly basis; they can’t get enough of Donovan. We are very fortunate as we get to see them several times a year. With another baby we will be sure to see them even more!

Eddy’s family lives 10 minutes away and we get to spend a lot of quality time them. They are our support system and we are lucky to have them so close to us. They come over several times a week to play with Donovan and they are super excited that we are adopting again.

Family is the most important thing to us! We are very close to our families and would do anything for them. We are grateful that they are so supportive and loving.

Favorite Family Traditions:

Jean – Going to NYC during Christmas to look at all the lights

Eddy – Watching the boats decorated with lights for the Christmas boat parade

We live in the most amazing neighborhood in California. There are always tons of kids running around, playing and riding bikes. We are very close with our neighbors and spend a lot of time with them. We especially enjoy when everyone gets together at the neighborhood pool for sun and fun!

On July 4th all the neighbors participate in a bike parade. Everyone decorates his or her bike and rides around the neighborhood with lots of fanfare. The fire trucks follow us around and let the kids climb on board when the parade is over. It’s really nice to be in such a tight community.

Music… We all love filling our home with lots of music!

Our Sunday Breakfast Tradition: Cooking breakfast at home on Sunday mornings is the best. We make eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, and slice up strawberries and blueberries.

Our Promise to You: As parents, we can promise you that we will love our children with all of our hearts. We will provide them opportunity, security, and stability. We will surround them with love, acceptance, and nurturance and be active and engaged in their lives.

We will be proud to share with them their special adoption story. The story that begins with you.  Can’t wait to meet you!

Sincerely,

Jean, Eddy & Donovan