We are incredibly thankful that both of our families are supportive of our decision to adopt. In fact, our families have been nothing but supportive and encouraging in everything we have decided to do. Our older blog posts reflect that, showing lots of pictures of our families literally helping us build our house from the ground up! Equally important, we all still enjoy spending quality time and having fun together.
REBECCA’S FAMILY: My parents, Dave and Lori, are high school sweethearts – they met in high school jazz band! They are both retired now and live in a log home near Green Bay, right next-door to my Grandma! Emily, my younger sister, lives near Madison and is a social worker. Justin is the youngest in the family and lives in Minnesota with his wife Chelsey and their dog and two cats. An appreciation for music and travel is something that my entire family shares.
In the summer when we visit my family we spend a lot of time in my parent’s backyard – fishing in the pond, 4 wheeling, or helping to harvest their garden or fruit trees. About every other year we gather up extended family for a “Booyah” – a special tradition in the Green Bay area when a gigantic kettle is used to simmer a soup made with chicken, beef & vegetables for a large crowd. My great-uncle was known as having some of the best tasting Booyah around and his recipe, techniques, and kettle have been passed down through our family.
Some of our winter traditions with my family include a Thanksgiving meal at my parents house along with helping cut down my parents Christmas tree. There is always a big debate over how large a tree to get! We also have a cookie baking marathon at our house with my Mom and sister! On Christmas Eve our extended family gathers to play a fun game of bingo – we all bring prizes to contribute to the huge prize table. Christmas morning is spent opening presents together at my parents house and scratching the lottery tickets that Santa left on the tree!
JASON’S FAMILY: Jason’s parents, Bob & Cindy, have been together since their college years. They live in Delafield, WI in a beautiful home that Bob designed. His younger sister Jillian and her husband Chad live in Rhinelander, WI with their two dogs.
Every 4th of July Jason’s parents throw a big pool party with their extended family and friends – it’s always a lot of fun with tons of food! When there are enough people and the weather cooperates, a loud and rambunctious game of pool volleyball is enjoyed by all. In the fall, Jason’s family has a long tradition of vacationing in Door County. While we haven’t been able to keep up with the tradition every year, when we can, it’s always a very peaceful and adventurous trip that we all look forward to.
Some of our winter traditions with Jason’s family include a Thanksgiving dinner at his sister & brother-in-law’s home. There are usually a few lively rounds of board games and this past year a couple games of Mario Kart got interesting too! On Christmas we open presents together at his parents house in the afternoon, followed by a big holiday dinner where we are joined by extended family and friends. The festivities usually last into the early morning hours, and birthday cake and singing always comes around midnight for Jason’s birthday, which falls on the 26th. After sleeping in on his birthday we wake up to have a huge breakfast, followed by another round of opening presents for Jason!
OUR FRIENDS: We are lucky to have some amazing friends who are a constant source of support for us. They can not wait to babysit and have pledged their willingness to help out in any way possible. We plan to involve baby Pfeifer in all of the activities we currently enjoy with our friends, such as swimming, hiking, skiing, and making and enjoying meals together.
Rebecca & Jason Adopt 