Celebrating Lloyd’s Birthday with Family

Lloyd: Family is very important. I am the oldest child- and have three younger brothers and two younger sisters. I am very close to them, we see each other daily! All of my family has been very supportive throughout the whole adoption process. My parents do not have any grandchildren yet, so they are very excited to be called "grandma" and "grandpa". I can not wait to create memories with my child. Growing up, the holiday season in our family is full of traditions. The whole family gets together to exchange gifts and the children get gifts from Santa. They also get to sit on Santa's lap and get their picture taken. There are many laughs and huge smiles on everyone's face. I cannot wait to see our son or daughter smile on Christmas!

Colleen: I have a wonderful, large family. I have three older siblings, three younger siblings, and 12 nieces and nephews. Although I do not live in the same state as my parents, I talk to them regularly on the phone or through email. We also get together often. I rely on them for guidance, friendship, and support. Three of my sisters live by me- so I spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews. Whether it is babysitting or just being around them, they mean a lot to me. We often get together at holidays, birthdays, and other special times of the year. This child will be loved and showered with attention from all directions, and will be an honored member of our family.

Our Home

We live in a Hutterite Community that is full of love and support. We have strong Christian values. We believe "family is the building block". Everyone is very friendly and we all know one another. There are a lot of children of all ages in our neighborhood. Many of our closest friends and families have young children that we play with often. We are so blessed with the quality of people in our community. They are truly wonderful people.

Family Dining Room

We use "common technology to enjoy life". There is a playground right next to our house with a sandbox, swings, and tons of toys. There are no fences surrounding any of the yards so the children use the space as their own. There are lots of paths for riding bikes, roller-skating, scooter, or just running around. The school, church, gas station, laundromat and dining hall are just a short walk away from our house.

Getting a proper education is a very important. Education is not simply learning academics in school. It also includes social learning, cooperative work and on the job learning. Currently the children in our community go to school through the eight grade. Within the next few years, we are going to provide high school education to the children and opportunities for college. We will encourage our children to learn in every way possible. We will support them to further their education.

We have recently remodeled every room in our house and have put a lot of work into making our house a home, one that is perfect for raising a family. We can hardly wait to decorate the nursery and make sure everything is organized and safe.