• About Us:

      Hello! We’re Marissa and Elicia. Elicia is a physical therapist and stay at home mom and Marissa is a biomedical engineer. We’re glad you found us and hope this page helps you get to know us a little better.

       

    • Our Story:

      We met through an online dating app in 2015 while we were both living in Portland, Oregon. Fun Fact: It was Elicia’s first online date ever. A few years later we got married in a snowstorm on Mt. Hood in Oregon. We moved to Boston in 2021 to be closer to family and adopted our beautiful son, Elijah, in 2023.

    • Our Hobbies:

      Generally we love being outdoors as a family: hiking, beach days, camping, biking. Marissa plays and coaches ice hockey and Elicia’s favorite sport is skiing. We also really enjoy just hanging out with family, whether it’s for someone’s birthday or graduation or just a random hangout in someone’s backyard.

    • Our Extended Family:

      Elicia’s parents live in Alaska and we love to visit. Her brother and his wife live in Colorado, and we usually take at least one big family vacation somewhere with the whole crew each year. Marissa’s family is big (and growing!). Her parents and three older siblings along with our nieces and nephews all live within a 15 min drive of our home. It’s so much fun watching Elijah grow up with his cousins.

    • Our Adoption Story:

      Adoption was always part of the discussion for us. We did try a single cycle of IVF and soon after decided adoption was the best path. While Elijah is a bit too young to understand just yet, we talk to him about his adoption story and birth family regularly. We have so much more love to give another child and birth family. Elijah is going to be such a good big brother!

    • Qualities We See in Each Other:

      Elicia is a delight and everyone who meets her says so. She is caring and kind; she is strong and passionate about the people she loves.  Just writing this and thinking about Elicia is making me smile. Elicia is a phenomenal mom. She plans fantastic adventures and almost always drives. It’s a privilege to get to parent with her and I am so excited to grow our family together.

       

      Marissa is honestly good at everything. She’s silly and fun while also being the most loyal and dependable person I know. She is warm and kind but also analytical and brilliant. She makes me belly laugh at least once a day. She is my favorite person and the best teammate. I love seeing her as a mom and I can’t wait to take on this next adventure with her.

    • Holiday Gatherings:

      Most holidays are big family gatherings with Marissa’s immediate and extended family. Her aunts, uncles, and cousins for the most part all live within an hour of Boston and we get together with everyone every Christmas. Elicia’s family tries to join us and Marissa’s family for big holidays when they can travel. Every year we also do at least one big vacation with Elicia’s immediate family. This past summer we spent a week at a beach together and it was so fun!

    • Our Home & Neighborhood:

      We live in a diverse neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Our house has a big backyard with trees and is walking distance to parks, playgrounds, and the local YMCA and library.

    There’s lots more to learn about this family!

    All families that work with us provide the following to share with you:

    • Detailed family profile
    • Beautiful Photo Albums
    • Letters written by the parents