Vacationing in Hawaii with Our Parents

Both of our families reside nearby and are a very important part of our lives. Jeff is the oldest of three children and was raised in a neighborhood of hardworking, blue collar families. His parents both worked long hours to support their family, but always found time to be active in the kids' schools and at their church. Jeff's parents instilled in him the importance of education and hard work and these are values that Jeff hopes to pass onto his children. Jeff's parents live less than a half hour away and they are looking forward to having one more grandchild to spoil.

Jack and His Cousins on Easter Sunday

We spend a great deal of time with Jeff's younger sister, Tammy, her husband and their three children. When we get together we collectively have four children under the age of seven and the house is full of spills, thrills and plenty of laughter. Jeff's sister, Jennie, is fifteen years younger than Jeff and she loves babysitting her nieces and nephews and looking after our dog.

Ginger grew up in Indiana - just over an hour away from our home - and her family still resides there. Her younger brother, Todd, and his wife have two daughters, ages seven and twelve. Ginger's parents and her maternal grandmother live near her brother. Her father is a lawyer and her mother, a true family matriarch, spends countless hours tending to her family. Ginger's parents always treasured their time together and made family trips and summers together at their lake cottage a priority. We continue to travel with Ginger's family on a regular basis and some of our favorite summer memories are those spent at the lake cottage with Ginger's entire extended family, where we barbeque, water ski, swim, boat and play lots of outdoor games. Ginger's family is very excited about our decision to adopt and cannot wait to welcome another little one to the family.

Our Home

Two years ago, we made the decision to move from our home in the city to the suburbs. We wanted our children to grow up in a safe neighborhood that offered numerous community activities and an excellent school system. We also wanted a yard where we could enjoy the outdoors on a daily basis. We found a quaint, close-knit, family-oriented community just 20 miles from the city. Our community has a small downtown area with several shops and restaurants, a large municipal pool, an impressive public library, and one of the best school systems in the State of Illinois.

Batman Jack and His Back Yard Playhouse

Our house has five bedrooms and an in-law suite on the top floor where Jack's grandparents and other relatives stay when they come to visit. The floor plan on the first floor includes an open kitchen, a breakfast room that seats six and a large family room. The basement was designed to be a great "play area" for both adults and children. There is a separate large playroom equipped with toys for all ages, a recreation room with a pool table, and a media room where we often gather with friends and family to eat popcorn and watch movies. Our back yard has a nice patio, an outdoor fireplace, and a playhouse.

The elementary school is two doors away and our children will have the opportunity to walk home for lunch with Ginger. Across from the school is a large community park with many amenities such as soccer fields, a beach volleyball court, a playground, and tennis courts. The village even floods part of the soccer field in the winter to create an ice skating rink. There are dozens of small children in the neighborhood and most of our son's preschool classmates live within a few blocks of our home.