Spending a Holiday with Joe’s Family

Joe and his family all live in same town. His parents recently moved to a retirement community 6 minutes from our house. They are retired, but have never been more active. They belong to many clubs and love to travel. Joe's brother, Anthony, Donna, his wife, and three children live about 10 minutes down the road. His older sister, Lisa, lives 5 minutes further with her husband, Jeff, and their son Alex. Weekends spent with Joe's family always include food and fun, sitting around a pool or a table talking and laughing. Having Joe's family so close also comes in handy when there are projects to do around the home. On Christmas Eve each year, the family gathers at Joe's parent's home. His aunts, uncles and cousins all come. Along with all the food and presents, there are games and stories. Joe's entire family is extremely excited about our adoption and welcoming another child into our family.

A Visit to Jill’s Family

Jill’s family lives across the country. She is close to her family and talks to them almost every day. One of Jill's younger sisters lives in a neighboring state. We see her most often. Our families get together to visit each month. Jill travels to see her parents at least twice a year. Jill's visits become a bit of a family event. Her older brother, Wayne, and his two children live close to their parents, so they come over each day. Jill's other younger sister comes to visit with her family as well. Each year, one of the trips is over Thanksgiving. Everyone takes a few extra days off and it is spent catching up on each other's family. Everyone takes the kids on outings to parks and museums. Most of all, though, the time is used to reunite with family. Phone calls and letters throughout the year are nice, but they do not replace the time spent with family. On our last visit, we told Jill's family of our adoption plans. They were all excited about having another baby in the family.

Our Home

We have lived in our New Jersey home for eight years. Our home has three bedrooms. The house is spacious and open with a very comfortable feel. Leading outside from our family room, we have a large deck leading to a tree-lined backyard which has the perfect spot for a swing set. It seems that with each passing year, we choose an area of our home to redecorate. Our most recent project is turning our full basement into a playroom for kids of all ages.

Trick-or-Treating with the Neighbors

Our family oriented neighborhood is located midway between New York and Philadelphia. We love the access to the cultural events these cities offer, such as plays, museums and zoos. However, we are far enough away from the cities to allow for a quieter lifestyle. We are also very close to the shore and love to walk and play games on the boardwalk. Our neighborhood is filled with children and on most days they are all out playing in our cul-de-sac. Our town has several large playgrounds and jungle gyms where children can run and play. It has an excellent school system and schools are located close to our home.