Celebrating with Some of Allan’s Family

Allan is the oldest of two, and he and his brother Chad are as close as two brothers can be! Though they live in different states, they speak almost daily by phone and have a ton in common. Chad, his wife, and four children live on a 30-acre farm in Kentucky with lots of dogs, cats, horses, goats, and even pigs! Allan and Melanie can't wait to take a child on vacation to frolic on the farm with the cousins and go horseback riding through the beautiful hills of Kentucky! Although Allan's parents are divorced, they all still get along remarkably well. His mom lives in Kentucky and is engaged to a wonderful man who has loved and supported the two sons for years. Allan's dad, whom he considers one of his best friends, and his sweet new wife live just twenty minutes away, so they get to enjoy frequent golf and fishing outings. On some holidays, they all, yes ALL, get together to celebrate! The Kentucky clan loves to come to Florida to enjoy the beach and boating. Allan loves to watch his nieces and nephews scream with excitement when they reel in their first catch of the day.

Thanksgiving with Melanie’s Family

Melanie's parents have always been an inspiration to her. Both were teachers who loved their jobs. Though retired now, both are still extremely active. Melanie's mom volunteers at their church and her dad still enjoys water-skiing and windsurfing! Melanie has one brother whom she considers a "kindred spirit", and they turn to one another often for advice and support. Her brother is married with two boys who love to play crazy games in the yard with Aunt Melanie and Uncle Allan. There are a few hours between them, so Melanie and her family are constantly "in touch" via phone calls and e-mails. They travel back and forth for holidays, and love to meet for fun-filled weekends at Disney resorts and theme parks! They are all avid sports fans, (including her elderly aunts and uncle!) and still enjoy cheering for all the same teams. No matter where they are or what they're doing, this family is always laughing. There is never a dull moment, especially when Allan and Melanie's brother team up for what often seems like a comedy routine! Both Melanie and Allan's families are planning to one day ALL gather in the mountains of North Carolina for a giant, crazy, hysterical get-together! And everyone- kids, siblings, and parents in BOTH families-are thrilled that Melanie and Allan are adopting and CAN'T WAIT to welcome the next precious member of the family.

Home Sweet Home

We adore our spacious, three-bedroom, concrete-block, ranch-style house. The layout of our kitchen, dining area, and family room makes our home a great place to entertain our family and friends! We are currently adding on a media/playroom that will make it even more spacious and inviting. We enjoy the outside as much as the inside! There are five colossal oak trees lining our good-sized front yard, and our back yard is perfect for dogs and kids with two beautiful trees and a picnic table surrounded by a six-foot wood fence. We feel like we "hit the jackpot" when we moved into our suburban neighborhood. We live on a large corner lot on a short, eight-house, tree-lined street that ends in a cul-de-sac. (This is great because there is never any traffic speeding by!)

Our Beautiful Recreation Park & Lake Just Around the Corner

We've always told people that it is like living in a 1950's neighborhood-because EVERYONE is friendly, supportive, and helpful! We really do borrow eggs and sugar from each other! There is a great mix of people too-from the young families with small children to the wise, middle-aged couples with kids in college to the sweet, elderly lady who bakes us delicious treats when we help trim her trees!

We feel we have the best of both worlds since we are located in a beautiful coastal town that is just outside a large metropolitan city. We have access to the beach AND unbelievable museums. There is a huge lake perfect for recreation just three minutes from our house, and rich culture to experience in the surrounding cities. Due to our year-round good weather, there are also many festivals and fairs put on by local communities. There are also famous sports arenas close by, and awesome aquariums. We feel this would be the perfect place to raise a family!