Our Family

Us with our immediate family, celebrating our commitment ceremony in beautiful Calistoga, CA back in 2005.	Family has always been very important to us. Both of our families are extremely loving and supportive of us and our lives together. Jess' parents live nearby in the small town of Sonoma, so we are able to see them often. She also has a younger brother in Redding, CA. Steph's parents live in St. Louis, MO, and we try to get together several times a year. She has an older sister in North Carolina with 3 young kids, and a younger sister in St. Louis with 2 kids. We love playing with all of our neices and nephews whenever we get the chance. Although unfortunately some of our family members do not live close by, we cherish the time we get to spend with them. We always have a great time when we are with them. Steph's family likes to joke around, play games, cards, puzzles, trivia, etc., so we spend lots of time competing, laughing, and having a blast. Jess' family is so generous and loving. We go to breakfast every other Sunday with her Dad and her Stepmom, often followed by hikes with the three dogs. And when her Mom is not dancing up a storm, she is teaching us how to make jam, pointing out every different species of bird that we see, or just spending time with us in Oakland. We are both very lucky to have such great families. Both of our families are so excited for us to adopt a child, and our parents cannot wait to shower their grandchild with an abundance of love.
Jess with her Mom, Dad, and Stepmom at her graduation last spring. She is finishing up her dissertation for her Ph.D.
Us with Jess' family in Redding, CA one Christmas a few years ago. Her brother and his wife had just moved out to Redding, so we were up there for a visit.
Our family and friends supporting Jessica at the Lupus Walk in Saratoga, CA. Although this picture has more friends than family, we consider our friends our extended family, so we included it on the 'Family' page.