Kevin’s Family on Vacation at Destin

Our extended family is very simple, yet offers lots of love and fun times. Additionally, since we first began talking of adoption they have been very supportive and in reality downright excited about the thought of an addition to the family.

But it's not just excitement; it's the anticipation of sharing family traditions and activities. Of course for our mothers it's just the excitement of spoiling them, birthday parties and those Christmas presents every child should have. They are also excited about sharing vacations and supporting every activity.

Both our brothers are also excited; Kevin's brother Jason and wife Carrie eagerly await the opportunity to have playmates for their children and to returning the favor of certain Christmas gifts and Gail's brother David can't wait to spoil the child either. David also looks forward to the day he can share all of his secretes he uses for teasing his sister.

Gail’s Family at the Lake

However, the rest of our family is just as excited. Kevin's dad's sister Jean and her husband Morris plan to treat the child like their own grandchild.

But it's not all about blood family. We have several very close friends who are considered extended family. These include Kevin's friend of more than twenty-year Michelle "Shell" and her mother Linda. They look forward to the day they are recognized as Aunt "Shell" and Grandmamma Linda. More so they are eagerly awaiting the chance to decorate them in orange and teaching them about University of TN football. Shell, being a librarian and teacher also looks forward to helping teach them the enjoyment of books.

Additionally, two of our best friends Scott and Jen look forward to being known as Aunt Jen and Uncle Scott and sharing many of the activities we enjoy doing with the child. These activities include watching movies and playing sports along with repelling and taking day trips.

Nonetheless, it's not birthdays, Christmas, or Easter that everyone will tell you is most exciting. The most exciting thing to everyone is sharing love and a rich heritage of understanding and compassion for others.

Our Home with a Large Front Yard

With a back porch designed to sit and watch deer or listen to the birds our new two-story home, has four bedrooms, a large family room and large kitchen adjacent to the family room. Our home is situated on six acres in a rural area in TN. We designed this house with thoughts of raising children in a rural setting, much like we grew up. But as rural as we are a large city is only fifteen miles away. Additionally, we have a large front and side yard which will allow for play time and a swing set.

With Our Pets on the Front Steps

The upstairs has a room designed to be a nursery with green walls and a blue ceiling, with plans to include clouds on the ceiling and Disney and/or Sesame Street characters on the wall. Adjacent to the nursery is a room that will serve as a playroom and future child's bedroom. We also are looking to add a fence for some cattle, sheep or horses in the back pasture area.

Our neighborhood is perfect for child too. Across the street is a horse farm, where Gail goes and shares apples with the horses on a regular basis, and there are numerous cattle and chickens in the area.

More so our community is a great place for our pets. We have three dogs, two lab mixes who love to play in the open pastures and take a dip in the neighbor's pond and a mixed breed. As for the mixed breed, "Lady Pricilla", Gail knew she had to have her because she looked just like her mother, who had been her family's dog for fourteen years and she loves relaxing, taking walks with us and taking romps in the side yard. We also have three cats that are very loving.

With this said our neighborhood also offers a good school system, including current plans for a new middle and high school.