Mike & Marisol

Ethnicity:

Marisol: Hispanic with Peruvian and Italian ancestry
Mike: Caucasian with Italian, Polish, and French Canadian ancestry

Education:

Marisol: Master’s Degree in Education
Mike: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting

Professions:

Marisol: I am an Instructional Learning Coach in a Northwest suburban school district. My background is in special education, literacy, and dual language learning.
Mike: I am a Corporate Accounting Director at a real estate company headquartered in downtown Chicago.

Length of marriage:

We have been married for 7 years.

Religion:

Marisol is Catholic and together, we approach religious belief with an open mind and an open heart, recognizing that there are many different paths to faith.

Our home:

We live in a single story ranch home on nearly an acre of land in the town of Barrington, Illinois. Barrington is highly regarded for its award winning schools, safe communities, and proximity to nature. We are within walking distance to a blue ribbon elementary school, public library, movie theater, a recreational center, and various parks and trails.

Number of children:

We have one son, Daniel (Danny). Danny is 23 and currently attends university in Wisconsin.

Pets:

A 3 year old Brittany/Aussie.

Desired contact with a birth family:

We would prefer to have an open relationship with a level of contact that is comfortable for everyone.

In one sentence, why do you want to adopt a child?

We feel there would be no greater gift.

Childhood Memory:

Mike: Spending time outside playing with neighborhood friends until the sun went down – riding our bikes and exploring new places, climbing trees, playing baseball and basketball at the park, fishing, building snow forts, and if we could convince our parents, having sleepovers!
Marisol: I have wonderful memories of dancing at family get-togethers when I was younger. I have a large family and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to ‘show off my skills’ that I learned from taking lessons in a variety of ethnic and folk dances as well as jazz and tap. My favorite was Marinera, a coastal dance of Peru, because of its elegance and how it reminded me of home.

TV Show/Movie:

Mike: TV shows on HGTV and other DIY channels are fun to watch for learning something new. I’m a sucker for holiday movies like Elf and Home Alone. The Secret Life of Pets also recently had me laughing off my seat.
Marisol: My favorite TV show is Shark week. Don’t go in the water! I also love the Disney movie classics like Toy Story and The Little Mermaid, as well as my newest favorite – Coco.

Book:

Mike: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, a story about climbing Mount Everest. I love reading tales of adventure and survival.
Marisol: The book that my son Danny wrote about Autism when he was in 3rd grade.

Hobby:

Mike: Anything involving building or creating. I love working with my hands whether it is cooking, gardening, repairing a car, drawing, home improvement, or learning a new hobby. My latest project was a special homemade ramp to enable our dog Pisco to get in and out of the lake by himself.
Marisol: Reading is a passion of mine, whether it is on my own for pleasure, reading to others, or simply for the pursuit of knowledge. I also enjoy yoga, hiking, collecting and tasting different teas from around the world, and teaching our puppy new tricks.

Food:

Both: Pizza is our weakness. Our latest topping creation – Italian Beef and Pineapple!

Vacation:

Mike: My favorite vacation was our first family trip to Peru where I not only discovered the wonders of Machu Picchu, but discovered a wonderful extended family full of amazing culture, love, and tradition.
Marisol: Disney World has always held a special place in my heart. My most prized memory was spending time with my late Grandpa Oscar. We went on rides together and he always treated me to my favorite ice cream.

Family Tradition:

One of our favorite family traditions is cutting down a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving with our son Danny, our dog Pisco, and plenty of hot chocolate. We also enjoy weekend trips to our family lake cabin in Wisconsin where we hike, swim, kayak, fish, cook-out, and just have lots of fun. After a tough day at work or school we often regroup as a family to uphold another regular tradition – hot pizza and cold root beer at our favorite neighborhood restaurant.

Holiday Memory:

Mike: One of my favorite holiday memories started off a bit scary when I was rushed to the hospital on my 10th birthday to have my appendix removed. But a couple days later in my hospital room, and on Halloween no-less, I was surprised to receive a box full of get-well cards from all of my 4th grade classmates, and candy from my sister who trick-or-treated for me.
Marisol: A special holiday memory of mine is spending time with my Grandma (mi Abuelita) in Peru. After opening presents at midnight, I would help my Abuelita make a special homemade hot chocolate, which I loved, and cut up the Panettone – even though I didn’t like the taste of it at the time. Spending time with my Abuelita is what counted the most, and I will never forget it.

Fun Facts:

Mike: I scratched ‘triathlon’ off my bucket list a few years ago but continue to enjoy participating in similar events, especially those involving bike riding and swimming. I look forward to joining friends in our first Tough Mudder obstacle race this Spring.
Marisol: I was born and raised in Lima, Peru, until I was 8 years old but also spent time living in both Florida and New York. I can safely say the winters in Florida were the nicest!

“Mike and Marisol are both loving parents to their son Danny. My brother Mike lovingly accepted Danny as his son from nearly the onset of his and Marisol’s relationship. Mike is an exceptionally patient man, brother, step-father and son who is always willing to share knowledge with others while maintaining a healthy balance of work and life responsibilities. My sister-in-law Marisol is a loving mother, wife, daughter and strong advocate for Autism following Danny’s diagnosis as a young child. As a mother of 3 I can say with confidence that Mike and Marisol would be able to provide a child with the solid financial support, loving home, big brother, diverse family and the most well-behaved pet [Pisco] any child could ever ask for.”
– Mike’s Sister, Bridget

“We have been friends with Mike and Marisol for over ten years and have shared in many of each other’s major milestones. “Auntie” Marisol and “Uncle” Mike have always been extremely helpful and supportive in our own journey into parenthood with our daughter Nina (now 3 years old). Both Auntie Marisol and Uncle Mike are so wonderful with Nina. They are great at interacting with her, always stimulating her curiosity, and there for all of her major accomplishments.

When we found out that Mike and Marisol were planning to grow their family we were very excited. We are excited to have play dates with our kids and more family celebrations for both families. We are so proud that they decided to choose adoption, and know that any child placed with them would be taken care of so well, supported and loved beyond words. Marisol and Mike complement each other so well, work so hard, and deserve the chance to raise another child together.

To write just a short statement about how great Mike and Marisol are and how much they have to offer any child is impossible, because they truly are amazing individuals, an even better couple and world-class ranking parents.”
– Jennifer & Jen, friends

“We have known Marisol for almost 20 years when our lives intersected because of her son Danny and our son Tyler both being diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. Marisol did the remarkable by not only raising a special needs child on her own, but while also putting herself through school and becoming a special needs teacher. When Marisol met Mike and later married, we were overjoyed to see Marisol and Danny “The Dynamic Duo” now become The Three Musketeers! Mike and Marisol’s love for each other is shown in everything they do as a family. Whether it be hosting friends and family at their family cottage in Wisconsin, or all the DIY work they’ve done to beautifully make their house in Illinois into a home, their love for each other pours out from each and every corner. Before Danny left for college to pursue his dreams of becoming a Physical Education teacher, Marisol and Mike began their own journey, a journey towards becoming The Fantastic Four! With each infertility heartbreak they’ve faced their love grows stronger and even more passionate to make this dream into a reality. Mike and Marisol have raised a child with special needs into an independent young man and now they are a couple with special needs of their own…that special need is the love and sacrifice it will take from another family to make their family’s dream finally come true.”
– Brady & Tom, friends