With Mike’s Parents at a Cousin’s Wedding

Mike, an only child, comes from an unusually large extended family. His mother is one of 16 children, and we interact often with his many aunts, uncles and cousins. Mike's parents live only 10 miles away from us, in a pleasant country setting. We spend many summer weekends lounging around their swimming pool. Mike's dad, who is retired, spends his time tutoring ESL students, training for the Delaware marathon, and taking classes at the University of Delaware's Academy of Lifelong Learning. Mike's mother helps manage her family's business, serving as President of the company, the same company that employs Mike. His mother, an enthusiastic collector of antiques, enjoys browsing the many local antique stores. She is also very involved in organizing the yearly family reunion, which reunites family members from all over the country.

With Amber’s Family

Amber, the youngest of three children, has two older brothers. One brother is a confirmed bachelor and a sports enthusiast, while the other has one child, Darby. Darby is 12 years old and is enthusiastically looking forward to having a baby cousin in the family. Amber's mother is retired. Her many hobbies include a passion for interior decorating, and a knack for creating beautiful floral arrangements. She spends countless hours with her granddaughter Darby, helping her with her school work, her extracurricular activities and her singing. Amber's dad has worked for the same company for over 40 years, and is looking forward to retiring in the next couple of years to pursue his true passion, fishing.

Our parents, both sets, have been married for over 38 years. For as long as we both can remember, they have loved us, comforted us, and guided us. Their wisdom, their understanding, and their steady involvement in our lives have helped make us the people we are today.

Our Home

We live in a beautiful two story brick colonial with an in-law suite in a quiet, peaceful, family-oriented community. There are three parks within walking distance of our neighborhood. Across the street from our home there is another park, a beautiful, well maintained state park, where people enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, camping, horseback riding, walking and running. We take full advantage of this wonderful setting, and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have such excellent recreational facilities so near.

Our Backyard

We pride ourselves in keeping a beautiful home. Our spacious eat-in kitchen is designed for intimate family entertainment, but also serves us well for large family gatherings. Our downstairs den has a pool table, a shuffle board table, a home gym and a big screen TV. We have a formal dining room where we enjoy holiday dinners with our extended family. We have five bedrooms, two of which are occupied, one by us and one by Amber's parents, leaving three rooms available for a nursery, a playroom and perhaps a den-like study room/computer room. In addition, we have three and a half bathrooms. We consider ourselves very fortunate to live in such pleasant surroundings and, of course, we will always consider our home a "work in progress."

We are also very fortunate to live within easy driving distance of the beautiful Delaware beaches, where we spend many pleasant, fun-filled weekends during the summer. Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore are not far away, ensuring access to major cultural and entertainment events. Delaware itself, while not a large state, is a very interesting place to live, providing not only economic opportunity but also a great deal of cultural and educational amenities. We love living here, and we consider our neighborhood and our community in general, to be an interesting, safe and nurturing environment in which to raise a child.