John’s Family at Christmas

John was raised in a traditional Irish Catholic household. He is the oldest of three sons. His parents have been married for nearly thirty years. His middle brother is a CPA for a local accounting firm. His youngest brother is a 911 dispatcher for the county Sheriff's Department and is engaged to be married in August of 2009. His father is a career firefighter with nineteen years experience. His mother has been a nursery school teacher for twenty four years at his aunt's school.

As a young child John was very active in soccer, baseball, and football. In high school he played in the drum line for the marching band. When John was old enough he followed in his father and grandfather's footsteps. He joined the local volunteer fire department. He has twelve years experience with them and is currently the captain of the department. John takes great pride in being a volunteer fireman. He has received several individual merit and life saving awards for his brave response during a fire.

John's parents have always stressed the importance of family togetherness. They get together for dinner weekly. Family barbeques are a common practice with the grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and all of the cousins. They are a very large and close knit family.

Christmas day is the big tradition in John's parent's house. The whole family gathers together to eat and to open up gifts. Everyone loves listening to the stories that the grandmothers have to tell about when John's parents were growing up.

Krystal’s Extended Family

Krystal is the eldest of two daughters. She was raised by her mother after her parents divorced when she was ten years old. Her sister and her continued to have a close and loving relationship with their father until his sudden death eleven years ago. Her sister is a social worker. Her mother is a general manager for a large pet store.

As a young child Krystal was very active in Girl Scouts and softball. She played flute in the band and sang in the high school chorus. She was active in her community and won a local talent contest when she was six years old.

Most of Krystal's extended family lives within a few hours from them. But they make sure that they all get together at least a couple times a year. Holidays are very important to her family. Christmas Eve has always been a tradition for her family. Everyone gathers together at her mom's house. There is always an abundance of food, fun and laughter. They reminisce about years past and play games. Year after year everyone has learned that if you ask enough times her mother will let everyone open up a gift when they return from church.

The importance of family was taught at a very young age. Sunday is family day for Krystal and her family. Whether they are out shopping or hanging around the house playing games and watching movies, they are always having a great time. They enjoy each others company.

Both John and Krystal's families are ecstatic about the adoption process. Everyone is waiting to welcome your child into their lives. Your child will be treated no differently then they would if they were a biological child. Their future sister in law has a two year old son from a previous relationship. This child will be accepted as all the other children in the family have been, with much love and joy.

Our Home

We built our house three years ago in the same small coastal New Jersey town where John was raised and where most of his family still resides. We built our home with the plans of raising our family in it. It is a two story traditional with an open floor plan. It has a spacious kitchen, family room and dining room. We have five bedrooms and two baths. We have plenty of room to accommodate family and friends when they come to visit. We have an additional room on the main floor which will be converted into a child's playroom. We have a nice size backyard where we will have a swing set and play area for children to play. We are looking forward to building a playhouse for your child just as we ourselves had when we were growing up.

Neighborhood Park

Our home is located on a quiet dead end street surrounded by wonderful neighbors. There are a total of eight houses. Most of which have children of all ages. They are always outside riding their bikes, playing basketball and having a great time. We enjoy spending time outside and socializing with our neighbors.

There is a small beach within walking distance and several beautiful parks within a mile from our home. We love to go to the park for bike rides or just an evening stroll with our dogs. It's such a wonderful place for families to gather. We are lucky to live in a wonderful town that has so much to offer. We have a wonderful school system in which John and his brothers graduated.

We are in such a great location. There are so many fun places and activities to do, all within a short drive from our home. You can go to the beach and boardwalk, amusement park or a major league baseball game. There is never a shortage of things to do.