Celebrating with Rachel’s Family

We both grew up in close knit families who are loving and supportive throughout our life. Our parents, who both have been married for over 40 years, showed us what strong relationships are all about - unconditional love, trust and encouragement. Both of our families get along well with one another and are an active part of our lives. We enjoy spending time together whether it is birthdays, holidays or just any day. Everyone, our parents, our siblings and our friends are excited and eager to welcome another child into our family. We have lots of nieces and nephews who look forward to having a new cousin as well as loving parents who can't wait to become loving grandparents again to hug, kiss and spoil another grandchild. Last, but not least, our daughter Roxanne can't wait to become a big sister again and our son JT looks forward to finally being a big brother.

Rachel is the younger of two daughters and is very close to her sister Kim. Kim and her husband live in Atlanta and make time to spend and play with Roxanne & JT regardless of the distance that separates us. They do not have any children yet which makes Roxanne & JT even more special to them. Aunt Kim is Roxanne's Godmother and she loves to keep her in the "latest fashion" and reading the most creative books. Uncle Barak, Director of Transportation, can often be found sending JT "trucking" paraphernalia such as books, silverware and dump trucks.

Jay’s Family Vacation on Long Beach Island

Rachel's father is a retired chemical operator and owner of a carpet cleaning and upholstery business. Her mother is a homemaker, helps with the family business and works part time during the holiday season. Living in a small town with most of their relatives within walking distance, Rachel's parents placed a strong emphasis on family. Family was important and time was always spent with family; one could always find Rachel and her sister at their grandmother's every weekend or having dinner with their grandfather. Rachel's parents also believed in being active: socially, physically and religiously. Rachel and her sister were always involved in many activities and clubs, from sports to dancing to Girl Scouts to church choir.

Although Rachel's parents, sister and extended family live out of state, the family remains close through daily phone calls and frequent emails. Rachel's parents visit every few weeks; holidays and special occasions are always spent as a family, rotating between each other's homes.

Jay is the second of four children and the only boy. His oldest sister Karin, who is also JT's Godmother, has three boys. His sister Cathy has a daughter and son (we are his Godparents). His youngest sister Ali, who is also Roxanne's Godmother, has one son. Growing up with three sisters, did have its benefits, as Jay was the only one with his own room.

Jay's father, now retired, worked for many years as a high school teacher and owned his own gymnastics club. His mother is a homemaker and continues to be actively involved in the Christian women's organization and hospice work. They are both creative and gifted with different talents. Jay's father enjoys spending time as a handy man and making presents for the grandchildren. He has a knack for creating some amazing swing sets, train layouts and kitchen sets. His mother enjoys sharing herself by designing and creating wedding and baby quilts for her family.

Jay's family also remains very close in heart and proximity. They all live within an hour and see each other as often as possible whether for a holiday, special occasion or soccer game. There really doesn't need to be a reason to get together…"just because" is good enough.

Our Home

We live in a beautiful part of New Jersey known for its rolling hills, horse farms and quaint villages with an excellent school district. There are many quaint towns and we are close to the mountains, the beach and New York City so there are many activities available only a short drive away.

Laughing on the Tire Swing

We live in a 4 bedroom house that we purchased new 14 years ago with the dream of raising a family. It is situated in an upscale suburban neighborhood with lots of children, a club house, a community pool, tennis courts and two playgrounds as well as walking and biking paths. Our home has a large entrance foyer leading to a living room on one side and a den on the other. The dining room is adjacent to the living room and leads to the kitchen, which is open to a large family room. The first floor also has a laundry room, a powder room and a sliding glass door in the kitchen that leads to a huge deck and a ½ acre property. Upstairs there are four bedrooms and two full baths. Through our creativity and vision coupled with Jay's handy work, we have customized a house into our home over the years. We built our deck, put raised panels in the dining room, a stone fireplace in the family room and a book case and cabinets in the den. Our latest projects were finishing our basement complete with a rec room, exercise area and home theater; and creating an amazing swing set for all of the children to enjoy.

We have a close knit group of neighbors and enjoy spending time with them whether it is a scheduled play date or an unannounced visit. Our neighborhood family can often be found having block parties, an Easter Egg Hunt, a Super Bowl party, summer bar-b-ques or just hot chocolate and sled riding in our backyard.