On a hot summer day in Houston, Texas, Tim and Caitlin met for a first date at a cafe called Guadalupana. Caitlin chose coffee for a first date because it’s an easy activity, no alcohol is involved (she doesn’t drink) and it isn’t a full meal so if the date is not going well, she would have the ability to end it early and leave. Tim saw Caitlin walk in, and then quickly disappeared, crouched down at a neighboring table, she had spotted a dog. It is a running joke between the two of us that Caitlin will always have to stop and pet all the dogs we encounter in our every day life.
The first date ended up being a success, as we talked about our love of music, our families, and that both of us were coaches. Tim coached college wrestling at the time, and Caitlin has been coaching fitness classes for almost 10 years. We both discovered how much we love helping the community we live in and others develop into their best selves.
We quickly learned that not only did we love each other, our lives fit together well. We both enjoy going to bed early, coffee in the mornings, beach vacations, binge watching TV shows, reading for fun, prioritizing independence, equality, friends and family time, and living life with a purpose. At the same time, we discovered how uniquely our different personalities complimented the other. Tim is an engineer by schooling. He is logical, loving, forgiving, inquisitive, competitive, and always does the right thing. Caitlin is passionate, creative, compassionate, open-hearted, curious, and welcoming.
We got married in Fort Myers, Florida in an intimate and beautiful tropical wedding with our closest family and friends. We wanted to celebrate somewhere that felt like a vacation for everyone. The venue we chose was an art center, with high schoolers art work on display during the celebration, which we thought was a cool way to bring the local community into our wedding.
From Tim:
I left home in Ohio for Texas in early 2012. My intention was to work there for a few years and then return home to Ohio to start a family close to my parents and siblings. A ‘few years’ turned into ten, but I’m incredibly grateful for it. Among the highlights of my time in Houston: meeting my wife; meeting our best friends who followed us to Cleveland from Houston; and, coaching a college wrestling team where I built lifelong friendships with so many great kids. It may have taken longer than I anticipated to get back to Ohio, but when Caitlin and I aligned on starting a family, we knew that the next phase of our life together would play out in a place where our children could grow up with an abundance of cousins and aunts and uncles closeby. I grew up as one of four siblings and had two full time working parents. I still recall the ways in which my parents and siblings went out of their way to attend ball games, wrestling practices, and show up for each other. It is important for me to have a family that is able to rely on each other and rally together for support when it is needed.
From Caitlin:
I don’t know if I will ever get totally used to months of below 40 degree temperatures, but I stocked up on beanies and jackets for our move to Cleveland. My parents bought a condo in Cleveland so they have a place to stay as they visit us often. I am an only child, so my parents and I are very close. They spend most of their time at their home in Florida on the water but I have a feeling they will be spending more summers in Cleveland soon. It is nice to have a place in Florida to escape the cold in the winter.
I was able to join a fitness studio downtown in Cleveland to teach on the weekends, and Tim and I both work full time from home. He is a Sales Manager for an international Software company, and I work as a Client Partnership Director for a Digital Marketing agency based in Cincinnati, with offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York. We both love the home we purchased in Cleveland, and it’s great to be able to spend our days at home with each other and our dog, Owen.
When we aren’t working, I am on the Board of Directors for a youth center in our neighborhood and I really love being in person with the kids, spending time putting on events for the center and working with the other Board members on how to get our message of love and support out there. I also joined our neighborhood fitness center and enjoy spending time there in the weight room and taking other fitness classes around the city.
From Tim:
I have taken up playing Tennis and I play once or twice a week at a sports center near our home. I also have helped out with the children’s wresting program at the middle school across the street, it’s very different from coaching the college athletes that I am used to. We both really value service to the community and it was a priority when we moved here to get involved with helping others around us in a positive way. We both agree it is important to value something bigger than ourselves, and continue to improve each other and ourselves in the process.
We enjoy walking around our neighborhood as often as we can while the weather is nice. We have a beautiful park across the street and our backyard backs up to the Metroparks. We are on a little less than an acre so we can spend time outside enjoying the sunshine, playing with Owen and listening to music. We have also been able to host our family at our home which recently included football and baking over the holidays.
We have a very supportive and loving relationship, we both encourage each other daily to pursue our passions, goals, and strive for our personal bests. We both love to keep learning constantly. That manifests in many ways, whether it is through more schooling, (we both decided on Masters degrees during the Pandemic and finished those up within the last year!) traveling to learn about new cultures or communities, or reading.
I have a habit of waking up early in the mornings to read or learn something new. Right now, I am learning Spanish. I was doing this every morning for months before Caitlin knew it because she was sleeping through it, ha! Our house is running out of room for books because neither of us have caught on to the Kindle craze, we enjoy reading hard copies.
From us:
We know through spending time with each other, family, and friends that we are ready to bring a baby into our loving family. I think we took a little longer than some couples to decide we were ready because we wanted to be absolutely sure. We have spent time with our support system of friends, neighbors, and family members to ensure the community around us is excited and prepared, too! The two of us communicate so well with each other, and have been talking about this for a long time. We both always knew that adoption would be a fantastic route to take to have a child, and the fact that we discovered we both were thinking about adoption was simply icing on the cake that this was the right decision at the right time.
We hope that you will see in us a strong, loving, and committed couple, with the support system and community backing us to provide a safe, loving, and supportive home for a child.
Some five star reviews from family and friends:
If anyone is looking for comic relief Tim Sykes will have it covered. He can turn the worst situation ( dirty diapers included and vomit) into laughter so hard , you might NEED a diaper!
- Donna, Caitlin's mom
As the father of an only child, I wondered how Caitlin would feel about marriage and family in today’s world. That question was answered nine years ago when I received a picture of her with her boss’s baby.
Tim earned his Eagle Scout Uncle badge a long time ago from his large family.
- Geoff, Caitlin's dad
When we got married in 2023, Tim and Caitlin were both very important pieces. Caitlin was a bridesmaid and we trusted Tim with getting ordained and officiating the ceremony.
Caitlin’s smile can light up a room and Tim’s presence always brings out the best in people.
- Chad, Tim's Brother in law
I have known Tim since he was 18 and he was always a caring friend and team mate. He was kind and honest which are probably two of the hardest things to be at the same time. He would build people up when they were down and celebrate with you when things were going great. He told you what you needed to hear when you needed to hear it. Sometimes that was you did a great job and I love you and sometimes it was come on man you know you can do better and I love you. I have two kids and these are the qualities I aspire to as a father
I met Caitlin about fifteen years later when Tim and Caitlin were planning their wedding. She was so warm and caring. Looking to include all the people Tim cared about. Really trying to get to know us and make us feel special and included. Everything she did was centered around making all these different people feel essential. As if the wedding couldn’t happen without your participation. And isn’t that what we all look for from our mothers. Someone who makes us feel essential and special. As if we are the one and only us and the world could not continue to spin without us.
Any child would be blessed to have these people adopt them. To nurture them and care for them to love them and build them up and help them achieve everything they were born to accomplish, to help them maximize all their talents.
- Chris, College friend of Tims
Tim is the oldest with 3 younger siblings. He has always been the “mother hen” of the family, if any of his brothers or his sister needed help with homework he was always available. But never would he do it for them he guided them through and made them figure it on their own. As our family grew he has always been there for each and every one of them he is a great role model and a very loving older brother.
They all know when it comes to making the right life decisions they will always turn to Tim for his guidance and advice, because they know he is logical and will guide them in the right direction.
Tim and Caitlin will be great parents, even though Caitlin is an only child, her desire and dedication to the youths in our community is an upmost importance and very dear to her heart. Working with young people and guiding them through difficulties they may face and guiding them with values and teaching them to be proud of who they are and their importance in this world. They are both hard working people and know the importance of family. As Tim’s mom and Caitlin’s mother in law I am so looking forward to babysitting and watching them step into their new roles of becoming parents.
- Robin, Tim's mom
We hope you will see in us a loving and well supported family that is excited to meet you and form a relationship with you. We live in a state of gratitude for this opportunity to form a bond with you that enables us to grow our family and our community.
We know any decisions you are currently making are tough, and we want you to know that we are here for you with love to provide a safe space to be vulnerable and honest. We have talked for a long time about how strongly we feel about adoption as an opportunity to spread love to people that we may not have otherwise been able to meet or form a bond with. In that, we see a beautiful adventure that we are more than willing to take on. We consider ourselves lifetime learners, with a promise to each other and to you that we will continue to learn daily. I imagine that becoming a parent will only make ongoing learning even more important, and we cannot wait to begin that schooling with you, and for us to teach each other.
Our promise to you is that we will continue to listen, learn, educate, and grow along with you on this journey. We will ask questions, let you ask questions, provide honest answers, and give you as much information as you need or want. We want you to feel that you can depend on us for comfort, safety, and support. We look forward to meeting you with open arms and optimism.
On a hot summer day in Houston, Texas, Tim and Caitlin met for a first date at a cafe called Guadalupana. Caitlin chose coffee for a first date because it’s an easy activity, no alcohol is involved (she doesn’t drink) and it isn’t a full meal so if the date is not going well, she would have the ability to end it early and leave. Tim saw Caitlin walk in, and then quickly disappeared, crouched down at a neighboring table, she had spotted a dog. It is a running joke between the two of us that Caitlin will always have to stop and pet all the dogs we encounter in our every day life.
The first date ended up being a success, as we talked about our love of music, our families, and that both of us were coaches. Tim coached college wrestling at the time, and Caitlin has been coaching fitness classes for almost 10 years. We both discovered how much we love helping the community we live in and others develop into their best selves.
We quickly learned that not only did we love each other, our lives fit together well. We both enjoy going to bed early, coffee in the mornings, beach vacations, binge watching TV shows, reading for fun, prioritizing independence, equality, friends and family time, and living life with a purpose. At the same time, we discovered how uniquely our different personalities complimented the other. Tim is an engineer by schooling. He is logical, loving, forgiving, inquisitive, competitive, and always does the right thing. Caitlin is passionate, creative, compassionate, open-hearted, curious, and welcoming.
We got married in Fort Myers, Florida in an intimate and beautiful tropical wedding with our closest family and friends. We wanted to celebrate somewhere that felt like a vacation for everyone. The venue we chose was an art center, with high schoolers art work on display during the celebration, which we thought was a cool way to bring the local community into our wedding.
From Tim:
I left home in Ohio for Texas in early 2012. My intention was to work there for a few years and then return home to Ohio to start a family close to my parents and siblings. A ‘few years’ turned into ten, but I’m incredibly grateful for it. Among the highlights of my time in Houston: meeting my wife; meeting our best friends who followed us to Cleveland from Houston; and, coaching a college wrestling team where I built lifelong friendships with so many great kids. It may have taken longer than I anticipated to get back to Ohio, but when Caitlin and I aligned on starting a family, we knew that the next phase of our life together would play out in a place where our children could grow up with an abundance of cousins and aunts and uncles closeby. I grew up as one of four siblings and had two full time working parents. I still recall the ways in which my parents and siblings went out of their way to attend ball games, wrestling practices, and show up for each other. It is important for me to have a family that is able to rely on each other and rally together for support when it is needed.
From Caitlin:
I don’t know if I will ever get totally used to months of below 40 degree temperatures, but I stocked up on beanies and jackets for our move to Cleveland. My parents bought a condo in Cleveland so they have a place to stay as they visit us often. I am an only child, so my parents and I are very close. They spend most of their time at their home in Florida on the water but I have a feeling they will be spending more summers in Cleveland soon. It is nice to have a place in Florida to escape the cold in the winter.
I was able to join a fitness studio downtown in Cleveland to teach on the weekends, and Tim and I both work full time from home. He is a Sales Manager for an international Software company, and I work as a Client Partnership Director for a Digital Marketing agency based in Cincinnati, with offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York. We both love the home we purchased in Cleveland, and it’s great to be able to spend our days at home with each other and our dog, Owen.
When we aren’t working, I am on the Board of Directors for a youth center in our neighborhood and I really love being in person with the kids, spending time putting on events for the center and working with the other Board members on how to get our message of love and support out there. I also joined our neighborhood fitness center and enjoy spending time there in the weight room and taking other fitness classes around the city.
From Tim:
I have taken up playing Tennis and I play once or twice a week at a sports center near our home. I also have helped out with the children’s wresting program at the middle school across the street, it’s very different from coaching the college athletes that I am used to. We both really value service to the community and it was a priority when we moved here to get involved with helping others around us in a positive way. We both agree it is important to value something bigger than ourselves, and continue to improve each other and ourselves in the process.
We enjoy walking around our neighborhood as often as we can while the weather is nice. We have a beautiful park across the street and our backyard backs up to the Metroparks. We are on a little less than an acre so we can spend time outside enjoying the sunshine, playing with Owen and listening to music. We have also been able to host our family at our home which recently included football and baking over the holidays.
We have a very supportive and loving relationship, we both encourage each other daily to pursue our passions, goals, and strive for our personal bests. We both love to keep learning constantly. That manifests in many ways, whether it is through more schooling, (we both decided on Masters degrees during the Pandemic and finished those up within the last year!) traveling to learn about new cultures or communities, or reading.
I have a habit of waking up early in the mornings to read or learn something new. Right now, I am learning Spanish. I was doing this every morning for months before Caitlin knew it because she was sleeping through it, ha! Our house is running out of room for books because neither of us have caught on to the Kindle craze, we enjoy reading hard copies.
From us:
We know through spending time with each other, family, and friends that we are ready to bring a baby into our loving family. I think we took a little longer than some couples to decide we were ready because we wanted to be absolutely sure. We have spent time with our support system of friends, neighbors, and family members to ensure the community around us is excited and prepared, too! The two of us communicate so well with each other, and have been talking about this for a long time. We both always knew that adoption would be a fantastic route to take to have a child, and the fact that we discovered we both were thinking about adoption was simply icing on the cake that this was the right decision at the right time.
We hope that you will see in us a strong, loving, and committed couple, with the support system and community backing us to provide a safe, loving, and supportive home for a child.
Some five star reviews from family and friends:
If anyone is looking for comic relief Tim Sykes will have it covered. He can turn the worst situation ( dirty diapers included and vomit) into laughter so hard , you might NEED a diaper!
- Donna, Caitlin's mom
As the father of an only child, I wondered how Caitlin would feel about marriage and family in today’s world. That question was answered nine years ago when I received a picture of her with her boss’s baby.
Tim earned his Eagle Scout Uncle badge a long time ago from his large family.
- Geoff, Caitlin's dad
When we got married in 2023, Tim and Caitlin were both very important pieces. Caitlin was a bridesmaid and we trusted Tim with getting ordained and officiating the ceremony.
Caitlin’s smile can light up a room and Tim’s presence always brings out the best in people.
- Chad, Tim's Brother in law
I have known Tim since he was 18 and he was always a caring friend and team mate. He was kind and honest which are probably two of the hardest things to be at the same time. He would build people up when they were down and celebrate with you when things were going great. He told you what you needed to hear when you needed to hear it. Sometimes that was you did a great job and I love you and sometimes it was come on man you know you can do better and I love you. I have two kids and these are the qualities I aspire to as a father
I met Caitlin about fifteen years later when Tim and Caitlin were planning their wedding. She was so warm and caring. Looking to include all the people Tim cared about. Really trying to get to know us and make us feel special and included. Everything she did was centered around making all these different people feel essential. As if the wedding couldn’t happen without your participation. And isn’t that what we all look for from our mothers. Someone who makes us feel essential and special. As if we are the one and only us and the world could not continue to spin without us.
Any child would be blessed to have these people adopt them. To nurture them and care for them to love them and build them up and help them achieve everything they were born to accomplish, to help them maximize all their talents.
- Chris, College friend of Tims
Tim is the oldest with 3 younger siblings. He has always been the “mother hen” of the family, if any of his brothers or his sister needed help with homework he was always available. But never would he do it for them he guided them through and made them figure it on their own. As our family grew he has always been there for each and every one of them he is a great role model and a very loving older brother.
They all know when it comes to making the right life decisions they will always turn to Tim for his guidance and advice, because they know he is logical and will guide them in the right direction.
Tim and Caitlin will be great parents, even though Caitlin is an only child, her desire and dedication to the youths in our community is an upmost importance and very dear to her heart. Working with young people and guiding them through difficulties they may face and guiding them with values and teaching them to be proud of who they are and their importance in this world. They are both hard working people and know the importance of family. As Tim’s mom and Caitlin’s mother in law I am so looking forward to babysitting and watching them step into their new roles of becoming parents.
- Robin, Tim's mom
We hope you will see in us a loving and well supported family that is excited to meet you and form a relationship with you. We live in a state of gratitude for this opportunity to form a bond with you that enables us to grow our family and our community.
We know any decisions you are currently making are tough, and we want you to know that we are here for you with love to provide a safe space to be vulnerable and honest. We have talked for a long time about how strongly we feel about adoption as an opportunity to spread love to people that we may not have otherwise been able to meet or form a bond with. In that, we see a beautiful adventure that we are more than willing to take on. We consider ourselves lifetime learners, with a promise to each other and to you that we will continue to learn daily. I imagine that becoming a parent will only make ongoing learning even more important, and we cannot wait to begin that schooling with you, and for us to teach each other.
Our promise to you is that we will continue to listen, learn, educate, and grow along with you on this journey. We will ask questions, let you ask questions, provide honest answers, and give you as much information as you need or want. We want you to feel that you can depend on us for comfort, safety, and support. We look forward to meeting you with open arms and optimism.
JustChoice's number to text 614 - 551 - 4642
