Our Immediate Family at Christmas

Billy was raised in a loving home by his parents who have been married for 32 years. He is the younger of two children and definitely a momma's boy. His sister, Lisa, is 11 months older and they are extremely close. Lisa is married to Scott and they have a 2 year old son, Aidan. Having a nephew has been a wonderful experience. He is the center of attention and very dear to our hearts. Billy's father Bill recently retired and is laid back. He has an amazing sense of humor and always has the family laughing. His mother Vivian is a hard worker and has such a caring and loving heart and would do anything for her family. His parents only live 15 minutes from where we live in the same house that Billy grew up in. His mother is Italian and his father is Ukrainian so he grew up in a very cultured home. Billy was raised Catholic and attended Catholic High School.

Visiting Our Cousins

Mena is the younger of two children. Her brother Lino is 4 ½ years older and is one of her best friends. Mena's parents Rosa and Tom came from Italy to start their family and have been married for 36 years. Rosa is a typical Italian mom - always caring for her children, making sure they have enough to eat and willing to do anything to help. Rosa is a retired seamstress. Tom is the type of father that everyone should have. He is unselfish, hard-working and will do anything to ensure the happiness of his family. They are wonderful parents who are always there for their children and can't wait to be first time grandparents. Mena's parents come from large families and she is close to her cousins. Her parents and brother live in the same town as Billy's parents, making it easy to get together for family dinners. Mena was also raised Catholic and went to church every Sunday growing up.

Our families typically get together for dinner on Sunday's and have a blast. We love to talk about the past or current stories of our lives. We usually spend the time laughing and enjoying each other's company. Once dinner is over, the kids usually play board or card games or watch movies. Our parents usually spend the time drinking coffee, and enjoyingeach other's company. We are fortunate that our families get along. Bill's mother and Mena's mother act like sisters. Our families are excited to have a new addition to the families and have supported both of us in our choice to adopt.

Our Home

We live in a large suburb in the state of Illinois. Our home is a spacious bi-level home with a wonderful patio and fenced in backyard. We have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Our family room has a fire place and is cozy. Our home means so much to us and is very special. It is actually the home of Billy's Grandmother who lived in it since 1972. We bought this home from Billy's father 3 years ago. It is filled with so many wonderful memories for both of us; we couldn't bear to let them go. We are excited to share these memories with a child.

Family Room in Our Home

We live in a very friendly community surrounded by neighbors that we have known for quite some time. There are children of all ages on our street which will be great for the child. There are many things to do in our neighborhood, including, scenic parks and bike paths in walking distance, a large forest preserve across the street, and a recreation center and pool only 2 blocks away. We are within a couple miles of various restaurants and a large shopping center. Our town also has a Summer Fest and October Fest, both of which are within walking distance from our home. One of the great things is that we can watch the fireworks from the comfort of our backyard. Billy is a landscaper and takes pride in surrounding our house with beautiful flowers, bushes and trees. The schools in our town are known for being among the top schools in Illinois. We also have the convenience of having the bus stop in front of our house at the end of our driveway. We have no doubts that this is where we want to raise our child. This is definitely the place we call home!