We are very close to both sides of our family. We just celebrated Michael’s great-great grandmother's 95th birthday by surprising her with a reception at the church in which every member of the family attended. It was a lovely event that brought tears to Granny's eyes (along with everyone else's). We absolutely LOVE playing with our niece and nephew and we have fun taking them to SeaWorld in the summer and watching their excitement on Christmas morning. In the summer we enjoy swimming in the pool at Michael's mom and dad's house. We like to play board games around the kitchen table during which we often find ourselves laughing so hard that we cry. Michael's family cannot wait to welcome another grandkid, cousin and niece or nephew into the family.
Haley's Family at Her Sister's Baby Shower
Haley is extremely close with her three sisters and considers them to be her best friends. It works out wonderfully because Michael and all of the brother-in-laws get along great as well. The girls frequently find themselves out for a day of shopping while the guys all play golf, work in Dad's woodshop together, or watch football. Haley's Mom and Dad have been married for 35 years and will soon retire to a home a few miles down the road from our house, so they'll have plenty of time to spend with the grandkids. We still love to vacation together and do things like renting a chalet in the mountains for Thanksgiving, flying to Mexico for a beach break, attending a football game, tubing down the river on a hot summer day, or even touring Europe together. Fortunately, most of us live close-by, so we manage to see each other often. When we are looking for a more relaxed time, we will watch a movie, play board games or simply cookout on the grill. Haley's family is very excited and can hardly wait for a new addition to the family.
Our House and Neighborhood
Our Home
We live in a very family-oriented and safe community where we often see children on bikes, skateboards or playing basketball in their driveways. Our home is a two-year-old, two-story brick home with four bedrooms. The master bedroom is upstairs along with two of the other bedrooms, one of which will be the nursery. We chose this home with starting a family in mind, knowing that we would want our bedroom to be close to the children's rooms and that we would need room to grow. We also have a "mother-in-law" suite downstairs that is often used for company and will come in handy when everyone wants to come and see the baby.
The Train in Our Community Park
Our neighborhood has a park where many events are held like the annual Halloween party. Our favorite is the Christmas decorating contest when the whole community adorns their houses and yards with lights and other decorations. Our neighborhood is full of mature trees and rolling hills which provide a nice, peaceful setting when we want to sit on the back deck and relax or grill with our family and friends. Our home often becomes the "get-together" place where friends and family come to visit for just a day or sometimes a week at a time. We love that people feel comfortable in our home and enjoy staying with us. Our door is always open to friends and family and we try to make our home as cozy and warm as possible.
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