Fritz’s Nephew’s Baptism

Fritz was raised in a family with both parents and three younger brothers. His father was a lawyer and his mother stayed at home. Fritz and his brothers grew up close and were best friends. They shared many first experiences together including swimming lessons, skiing and learning to play musical instruments. It was a rough- and-tumble all-boy household, with constant fun and activity. Fritz's family took many road trips. They crammed together in a station wagon and drove around the country visiting national parks, swimming in the ocean and exploring historical landmarks.

Currently, two of Fritz's brothers are married and they each have one child. One brother and his family live only 10 minutes away and we see them frequently. The rest of the family is spread between two states and since everyone likes to travel, we see them on a regular basis. To this day, when Fritz and his brothers get together, there is always plenty of laughter and fun.

Paula’s Family

Paula grew up as a middle child in a large traditional family. She has three brothers and two sisters. Her father worked as a doctor and her mother stayed at home to care for the family. Since Paula's family was large, there was always a lot of activity, especially in the kitchen. Every night the family gathered together at dinnertime to discuss the day's events and prepare the meal. Both of Paula's parents are excellent cooks and since her father is Italian, there was always a great amount of food, too!

Paula has one brother who was recently married and a sister who is also married with five children. We love playing the role of aunt and uncle to these five children and since we lived within 20 minutes of them for seven years, we were able to be an active part in their lives. We attended numerous games, concerts and programs and we celebrated birthdays and holidays together.

Currently Paula's parents, two of her brothers and one sister live in a neighboring state, so we are able to visit them often. And even though Paula's other brother and sister live farther away, we are all extremely close and communicate over the phone and through email on a regular basis. Everyone in the family loves one another and turns to each other for advice and support.

Paula has three cousins who are adopted. Her entire family is very excited and enthusiastic about our plans to adopt and they are looking forward to the arrival of a new family member.

Our Home in the Fall

Our home is a charming ranch with both the character of an older home and the updates to make it modern and efficient. It has bright rooms, hardwood floors throughout and a cozy fireplace. We have a lovely backyard with both covered and open patios and every summer we plant a vegetable garden.

Neighborhood Playground

We live in a quiet neighborhood in an older suburb of a large metropolitan city. This suburb is sought after because it is convenient to all of the "big city" amenities, yet still safe, family-friendly and inviting. Our block is made up of established families and young families just starting out. We are within walking distance of two parks (with playgrounds, ball fields and tennis courts) and a community center with large outdoor swimming pools, indoor ice rink, outdoor roller-hockey rink and fitness center.

Every 4th of July, our city hosts "community days" which include a parade, fireworks, barbeque, and carnival in the park with rides, games and outdoor bands. This is not only a community tradition; it has also become one of ours: we walk down to watch the parade in the morning, go to the carnival for a few hours, and then go back down that night for the fireworks.