Jennifer and Her Parents

Jennifer: I am the youngest of 3 children and have a sister and brother. My sister lives on the east coast where she is a 5th grade teacher. She has 2 kids that are excitedly waiting for a new cousin. My brother, a college basketball coach, is getting married this summer. My parents have been married for 41 years. My dad, a retired high school teacher and basketball coach of 40+ years, now "relaxes" as a college basketball radio announcer. My mom is also retired and loves to travel, but was a stay-at-home mom when we were kids.

With Jay’s Parents

Even though they are a couple hours away, I remain very close with my family and see them often. Basketball has always been a big part of our family. Growing up I'd spend countless hours in the gym watching my dad but now the torch has been passed to my brother and we try to attend as many of his basketball games a year as possible. Outside of basketball, we often meet my parents in Chicago for lunch, some shopping or a Cubs game. We are BIG Chicago Cubs fans! My grandma recently moved back into town so we get to see her more often and eat her famous toffee! Holidays are always fun in our family and we try to get as many people together as possible for some Thanksgiving turkey or a big day of opening Christmas presents and homemade chicken noodle soup (my mom's specialty). Growing up, vacations were always a big part of our family as I have wonderful memories of going to Colorado for days of hiking, mini-golf, salt-water taffy and horseback riding.

Jay: I am the oldest of 3 children and have a brother and a sister. My brother lives on the west coast and that easy-going life style perfectly suits his personality. My lil' sis lives a few miles away in a neighboring town and is recently married. My parents have been married for 37 years, but jokingly say they have argued for only 36 of them. My dad is retired but keeps busy working at a local golf course and getting in a few holes as often as possible. My mom now works in retail, but stayed at home when we were kids and was always there for us.

My parents live a few hours away from Jennifer and me, so we don't get to see them as often as we'd like. However, the family always makes time to get together on the holidays and we can all be found at the kitchen table playing some type of game late into the night - Scattergories, Boggle and Trivial Pursuit are family favorites. Outside of holidays, my brother, Dad and I meet up once a year to play a few rounds of golf and catch up on all that is going on. Recently my Dad and I spent a week together completely remodeling our bathroom. The work was hard, but the memory was worth it.

Our families are both very excited about our adoption. Jennifer's parents are looking forward to another lil' one and Jay's parents can't wait to welcome their first grandchild. Our brothers and sisters are placing bets on who will be the "cool" aunt and uncle, while our niece has called dibs on babysitting duty.

Home Sweet Home

We live in a warm and cozy three bedroom, two-story townhouse. The inside of our house is traditionally decorated and is made to feel comfortable. There is always a full candy dish to welcome visitors and small seasonal knick-knacks around the house. One bedroom has been turned into a small home office, while the other is our future nursery and kid's bedroom. The nursery is just across the hall from our room, making it easy for us to "scare away any monsters under the bed or in the closet". Our townhouse rests across the street from a large open field and neighborhood pool. The field is filled with kids playing sports during the summer and sledding down a small hill in the winter.

Our Neighborhood Main Street

Overall, our neighborhood provides a great mix of small town charm with big city excitement. Our town is mixed in with many suburbs of a large Metropolitan area. There are several charming local restaurants, shopping areas, and children's parks. Our town has many local festivals and carnivals throughout the year such as Easter egg hunts, 4th of July fireworks, and a fall pumpkin festival. We are also a short drive from a large city where we enjoy watching professional football and baseball, picnicking along the lake on a hot summer day, or spending some time in the top-notch museums and parks.