Chris’ Extended Family

Our extended families still live in Long Island, NY. We are very lucky because we get to go back and visit there so many times a year. We still love NY! Our families also come to visit us many times throughout the year; we love to spend the holidays together.

I, Chris, am the second of three boys. My older brother is a New York City police officer. He is married and has one son. My younger brother is an elementary school teacher who is also married and has twin daughters. My brothers and I are very close and love to spend time together watching football, or fixing motorcycles and classic cars.

My father is a retired history teacher, and my mother is a retired real estate agent. They now spend their time enjoying their grandchildren and traveling the USA in their RV.

Melissa and Her Sister, Her Best Friend

I, Melissa, have one younger sister. She is finishing a Master's degree and will graduate in April 2008 as a Physician's Assistant. She is not yet married and has no children. My sister and I are best friends. We enjoy doing just about everything together. I hope my children will have the same relationship. My sister can't wait for another niece or nephew to spoil!

My dad is a real estate developer/ investor. My mom is a retired nurse administrator. She was also a social worker for New York State for many years prior to becoming a nurse. She specialized in family counseling, so she is a great resource for us. They enjoy splitting their time between their home in NY and their beach house in Florida.

We are extremely close to our families. We are so thrilled that they are looking forward to a new baby to love as much as we are!

Our Home

We live in a truly fantastic, family-oriented community. There are no less than 12 parks and playgrounds in a 10 mile area. Our town has 5 indoor swimming pools, including a kiddie pool with a slide and fountains! Our township also has a heated, outdoor pool with water slides and more fountains. The community offers too many children's activities to mention, but they include sports programs, music programs and art programs. Our school district is one of the best in the nation, both in academics and athletics.

2006 MLB All Star Game in Our City

We enjoy fairs and festivals in our city all year long. We are frequent visitors to the fantastic city zoo and aquarium. Our city also has a remarkable interactive children's museum. We already hold family memberships to these great places. We also enjoy apple and pumpkin picking at one of the nearby farms.

We live in a fairly traditional colonial style home. It is located in a cul-de-sac development with lots of young families. We have a large, fenced backyard where we enjoy sledding in the winter and big BBQ's in the warmer months. Our home is super kid-friendly, with lots of open spaces, huge bedrooms and tons of toys (more when the baby comes)!

We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful neighborhood. We get to enjoy great suburbs filled with amenities, while being so close to a vibrant city and a beautiful countryside.