Merlin’s Parents, Sister, Brother-in-Law and Nephew

We are both part of close-knit, loving, supportive, and fun extended families. All of our extended family members and friends are very excited about our adoption. Our parents can not wait for a new grandbaby and our siblings are especially excited for us.

Merlin is the youngest of three children and the only boy! His oldest sister is married and has two daughters. She also was a young birthmother whose first child is a son, for whom she made the selfless, loving, and difficult decision of adoption. She chose open-adoption for him and selected a wonderful couple who had been family friends since she was a child. They are excellent parents and friends who allow us all to be a part of his life. Merlin's middle sister is married and they have one son. Merlin's parents have been married for 34 years. He has many aunts, uncles, cousins and two healthy grandmas. Merlin's extended family live very close to each other, in a country setting, and they frequently have family gatherings and picnics where you can find children, of all ages, running and playing. We love every chance we get to be a part of the action!

Angela’s Extended Family

Angela is the younger of two children. Her older brother is married and they have a young daughter as well as another baby on the way (who may already be born by the time you are reading this). Additionally, Angela has a very close cousin, who has always felt more like a younger sister. She is married and has one young son. Angela's parents have been married for 33 years. She has five cousins, many aunts and uncles, and two healthy grandmas. Angela's extended family is also very close. They enjoy family parties and picnics which often include an outdoor game of croquet or a competitive game of Trivia Pursuit!

Although we do not currently live close to family, we remain closely connected through regular phone calls, e-mails, photos, and we spend pretty much all of our vacation time visiting family. We love traveling to see them and look forward to mastering the art of flights and road trips with a young child! We truly love our extended family and sincerely feel that your child would be blessed with the most loving and caring grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends anyone could ask for!

Our Home

We live in a new and growing subdivision, where homes are spaced well to preserve privacy and tranquility; yet close enough to easily get to know your neighbors. Most of our neighbors have young children who ride their bikes on our safe & relatively quiet street. As the subdivision grows there is talk of building a community park within the subdivision, which would be fantastic!

With Angela’s Cousin and Her Baby at a Local Playground

Our house is new (completed in 2007). It is a spacious, one-story traditional home with four bedrooms, two full baths, an inviting kitchen, and a finished walkout basement which we hope will be a fabulous playroom very soon. We already have a small play area complete with books and toys for kids who come over to visit. We have a nice, flat, lightly colored driveway that will be perfect for sidewalk chalk drawing, hopscotch, etc.

Our surrounding community boasts a multitude of opportunities for family fun, to include: bowling, outdoor recreation parks, swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), and a wide range of youth activities (dance, gymnastics, little league baseball, soccer, etc.). There are many annual small-town events in the surrounding communities. We really enjoy the small-town charm and thoroughly enjoy these fairs and festivals.