Ingrid has an older brother and sister with whom she is very close. She and her brother, Kirk, like to be goofy and have fun whenever they're together. Once, they went to a nearby wildlife animal enclosure and fed apples to an elk mouth to mouth (that is, the apples were in their mouths, not their hands!). They also like to play pool or go bowling together. When Ingrid gets together with her sister, Sonja, they love to go shopping (especially shoe shopping) and out to eat. Ingrid has three nieces and one nephew; we love to play with them whenever we can! We are also very close with Ingrid's parents, who come and stay with us several times a year. Ingrid's dad is a retired minister and her mom was a stay-at-home mom. They are such supportive and loving parents who have been wonderful role models for Ingrid. Ingrid's family loves to play Bunko, board games, kick ball, and baseball together, but mostly they just laugh a lot!!!
Dinner Out with Our Parents
Mike has a younger sister, Michelle, who lives about three miles from our house. We love spending time with Michelle because she is so much fun and has such a passion for life! When she's not on a scuba diving trip, she's usually out on some other adventure (she just returned from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!). A funny story about Mike's sister…Ingrid will be eternally grateful to her for coming over late one night to help us get a bird out of the house (the bird had flown in through the front door). Mike's mother also lives nearby. We often meet her for dinner after work or go over to her house and just "hang out" (which Mike and Eric do every Wednesday night when Ingrid is at choir rehearsal). Mike's dad passed away over 14 years ago but is still a part of his family's lives through wonderful memories that they share.
Both sides of our family are crazy about Eric, and are anxiously awaiting a new baby!
Our House and Neighborhood
Our Home
We live in a warm and cozy home on a quiet cul-de-sac in a suburb of a relatively large city in Missouri. Our three-bedroom house has a large and sunny kitchen, a living room that currently functions more like a play room, and a family room where we like to hang out and watch Disney movies and eat popcorn. Our backyard is perfect for barbeques as well as for play dates for our son and his friends where they all play on the playground set and bury treasures in the sandbox. Our two dogs, Abby and Millie, also enjoy our yard where they play catch, sunbathe on the patio, and chase rabbits for fun. Beyond our backyard is a large common area that has a small hill, which is a favorite spot for sledding in the winter. During the rest of the year, our cul-de-sac serves as a great area for kids to ride their bikes.
Swing Set in Our Backyard
Our neighborhood is filled with children of all ages. This summer, we had kids stopping by almost every day to ride bikes, blow bubbles, or play in the sandbox. We also have a nice neighborhood pool and a beautiful park with numerous baseball and soccer fields, all within walking distance from our house. We chose the town we live in mainly for the great schools, but also for the many family-oriented activities like parades, carnivals, sporting events, holiday festivals and many beautiful parks.
American Adoptions, a private adoption agency founded on the belief that lives of children can be bettered through adoption, provides safe adoption services to children, birth parents and adoptive families by educating, supporting and coordinating necessary services for adoptions throughout the United States. For more information on American Adoptions please call 1-800-ADOPTION (236-7846).
