Emily’s Extended Family of Cousins

Emily: Living near family has always been a top priority of mine. I was raised on a lake where we lived in between my dad's brother and sister's families. What's neat is that I grew up feeling as though I had five sisters and five brothers instead of just one sister. Despite the 11 years between the oldest and youngest of my cousins, we did everything together! We spent the summers together swimming, water skiing, riding our bikes, and putting on shows for our parents. We vacationed together several times a year, and I remember feeling so proud to be a part of this group of 17 amazing people.

Today, my cousins, my sister and I are as close as ever. We are now raising our children together, so my son already has 16 cousins! Fortunately, we all live within an hour of each other which allows us to not only come together for holidays but playdates as well. What’s nice is we still often gather at our parents' houses so our children can spend time with their grandparents, too. It is heartwarming to see my son growing up with the same excitement to spend time with his family as I always had.

Eric’s Extended Family

My entire extended family couldn't be more supportive of our decision to expand our family through another adoption. During Andrew's adoption, my mom and dad each spent a week in Guatemala with Eric, Andrew and me. Nothing was going to stand in their way of meeting their new grandson, and they are equally as excited to welcome a new baby into our family.

Eric: Every person in my family, besides my brother, lives in New Jersey. Because of this, gathering for holidays, family functions, and get togethers is easy. Spending time with my family has always been important to me. When I was little, we spent a lot of time vacationing together on the Jersey Shore or going away with my cousins. Spending time at the beach during the day and going to the boardwalk at night are great memories in which I hope to bring to my family. Currently, Andrew enjoys time visiting his great grandfather (my grandfather) and playing with his cousin who lives in our community.

Andrew is the first grandchild for my side of the family. My entire family is extremely supportive of our current adoption plan to expand our family. They could not be happier to have their second grandchild and for Andrew to have a brother or sister.

There's No Place Like Home!

Our New Jersey neighborhood sounds too good to be true! We live in a lake community which gives us a lot to do without having to go far to do it. There are beaches, pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, athletic fields, and hiking trails all within a mile from our house. In the summer, the community offers day camp and swim team to the children in the neighborhood. There is a clubhouse where annual events are held to bring community members together such as comedy nights, Halloween parades, Valentine's Day dances, Festival Day and much more. On Festival Day the clubhouse lawn is filled with fun activities for the entire family. From carnival rides and pie eating contests, to musical entertainment and nighttime fireworks, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Hanging Out at the Neighborhood Beach

Finding a house in our neighborhood was a dream come true. Our community is full of young families who are desirous of creating an atmosphere for the children that promotes teamwork, togetherness, and fun. Our son was graciously welcomed into our community by all of our neighbors and it wasn't until his homecoming that we realized we were living near several other families with adopted children. Some of our fondest memories of home come from weekend gatherings for barbeques, pot luck dinners, and community events with our neighborhood friends.