Rich’s Extended Family

Rich’s family lives several driving hours away from us. He is the oldest of two sisters and one brother. Rich remembers as a child camping and summer camps in the area. He also reflects the summers he spent as a camp counselor with many disadvantaged youth. His sisters each have small children of their own, which gives our son endless hours of play when we all get together. One of his sister's Easter tradition has everyone at her home for a children's Easter egg hunt and a big family dinner. His father owns his own business. His mother is a housewife. She enjoys playing lots of table and board games with her grandchildren. She enjoys caring for her grandchildren locally and is helpful when we visit and /or she visits us. Even though there are miles between he and his family, they speak by phone weekly. His mom and sisters are able to visit on a regular basis. They are very close with Rich and are very excited and supportive of adoption.

Muriel’s Extended Family

Muriel is also the oldest child in her family. She has one brother and one sister. Her family lives in another state, however, it is within driving distance. We also visit her family on a regular basis and they come to visit us, as well. Her father is retired and her mother is a housewife. Both grandparents anxiously await our visits home so they can spend lots of time caring for our son. They also care for their other grandchildren on a regular basis. Her sister and brother each have young children whom Chase enjoys keeping in touch with. They live in a rural area on large areas of property. Muriel's childhood memories are of swimming, waterskiing, and riding horses. She also remembers the Girl Scout troop she was active in, as well as the church youth groups. Her sister lives on a lake where the family has many family gatherings and cookouts so the children can play in the sand and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Our Home in Summer

We live in a rambling two story farmhouse on 3 1/2 acres. Our home is located in a rural country area, yet close to a mall, grocery stores, and a larger city where there are very good hospitals and medical facilities. We chose this area to live and raise our children as it has one of the better school districts in the state and is considered a great community in which to raise children. We love the feeling of living in the country, yet have the city nearby if ever needed. We can look out our back windows and view the mountains. We live where the four seasons are present. The fall colors and spring flowers are some of the loveliest in the country. We can drive to the mountains within thirty minutes.

An Afternoon Hike

Even though our home is older, it is very spacious and child friendly. We have plenty of rooms for children to run and play in, as well as a very large backyard area. The local neighborhood parks have great playgrounds, biking, and walking trails for parents and their children. These areas, again, are within a fifteen minute drive. Church and religion also play a positive role in our community. We feel so very fortunate to be in such a beautiful, special place to raise our children.