Here We Are with Tom’s Family at a Tailgate Before a Football Game - Go Army!

Tom is the oldest of three children. He has a sister who is married with two young children and a brother who was recently married.

Tom's parents were born in Ireland and moved to America to create a better life for their family. His parents worked hard to provide their children with lots of opportunities. As a result, Tom was involved in scouts, lacrosse, soccer, and church. His family took vacations each summer and frequently went camping together.

Elise is the youngest of three girls. Her oldest sister is married with two young children and her middle sister is married with three small children.

A Family Celebration

Elise's parents valued education and hard work as well as spending time with family. She grew up very close to her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sunday was a day reserved for big family get-togethers. She has fond memories of trips to the bakery with her grandparents, boating along the Hudson River with her whole family, fishing with her grandpa and trips to NYC with her great aunt and uncle.

Our families live close to each other and so we frequently spend time with the entire family. Our families visit us often as well. In October, Tom ran a marathon with his brother. The entire family stayed with us for the weekend and cheered them on during the race. That's the type of family we have - very supportive of one another and taking every opportunity to create special memories. Our families are thrilled that we are adopting and cannot wait until there is another grandchild, niece/nephew, and cousin to spoil and play with. They are so excited for us! We cannot wait to tell them that we have a special addition to our family on the way.

Our Home

We live in a three-story townhouse in a neighborhood that is perfect for families. Our neighborhood is in a beautiful historic area just outside of Washington D.C. We are surrounded by trees and grass but live fifteen minutes from the city - close to the zoo, aquarium, monuments and museums.

Our neighborhood is a wonderful place to take long walks (just ask our dog, Murphy). We also have a playground, pool, ball field, and community center conveniently located just a short walk from our back deck.

Murphy, Our Labrador, as a Puppy

Our community is great. There are young children playing, friendly faces and many opportunities to ride a bike, fly a kite, play ball, watch the July 4th fireworks and neighborhood parade, sleigh ride… and just be a kid!

Our neighbors are all wonderful people; most are starting families as well, so there are lots of little ones running around! We often get together for barbeques in the spring and fall. We also get together during the summer to enjoy movie nights where they close the street, set up a screen and play movies such as “Shrek 3” and “Spider Man 3.”