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Our Family
As a family we enjoy being together most of all. We enjoy staying active and working together. We have started establishing some
of our own traditions. One of the things we do on a weekly basis is have family home evening on Monday nights. It is a time
each week we get together and learn about our religious beliefs, plays games and spend time having fun. Usually on the weekends,
we take one night to watch a family movie. We usually make popcorn and milkshakes and sit back and relax. The boys especially
enjoy this night.
We love to celebrate the holidays and decorate the house. At Halloween time, we all dress up as a family together. The kids and I
start talking about our costumes at the end of August. They get so excited. We also love to invite friends over to carve pumpkins,
listen to spooky music, and decorate caramel apples. Each year we make a trip to the pumpkin patch. We enjoy the animals and
the hay rides. This past year was especially fun because we got to go in a corn maze.
The past three Christmas seasons we have been able to go on the polar express train for Christmas. We love hearing the story,
singing and jingling our bells. The night before we go, we watch the movie and open new pajamas. We also enjoy making
gingerbread houses, which is something I did as a little girl with my mom. I had such wonderful memories that I wanted to share
them with my children. Last year Drew got so involved that he baked the gingerbread and put the houses together for us to
decorate. This past Christmas we added another fun activity to our festivities. We went to an exhibit (How the Grinch Stole
Christmas) that was made completely out of ice. It was incredible. The boys both got to go down ice slides.
Drew and I especially love to travel and visit new places. We like to take bigger, planned trips and just quick, weekend getaways.
Each summer we visit our family and friends in Utah. Derek and Owen enjoy swimming in their grandma’s pool, hiking in the
canyon, visiting their Great Grandma, and playing with their cousins. Since Drew and I have been married, we have lived a
number of places, such as Denver, Salt Lake, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Fort Worth. We have taken advantage of this opportunity
and visited many nearby locations. We have been to South Padre Island, Houston, two cities in Mexico, Tombstone, Chattanooga,
Memphis, the Great Smokie Mountains, Lake Tahoe, California, and Atlanta. Some of our bigger vacations have been to Hawaii,
Europe, and Chicago. We love exploring new sights and other cultures.
Birthdays are also another thing we love to plan and celebrate. We usually plan a party and invite friends. The child celebrating the
birthday usually picks the theme. Some of our past themes have been the Wiggles, Spiderman, Water activities, Sports, Thomas the
Train, and Spongebob. The night before their birthday, I like to set the table with items that have their theme on them. We usually
open presents and then have a fun day planned. Most recently we went to Chucky Cheese for Owen’s birthday and Glow in the
Dark miniature golfing for Derek’s.
Drew and I make special efforts to spend time with the boys individually, as well. Drew often plays football outside when the
weather is warm. Drew usually plans a campout a few times a year with the boys. If the weather is cold they will just camp out in
our upstairs bonus room. The boys love it. Drew and Derek have also had the opportunity to go to some sporting events,
including college football, college basketball, and professional hockey games. I like to take the kids to movies and bake cookies
with them. We love having one on one time with our kids.
We love Derek and Owen so much. They add such a wonderful energy and spirit to our home. It only makes us want more.
We can’t wait to experience the increased depth to our family that another child will bring. Each child adds their own talents and
traits to our family’s personality, without which we would fill incomplete. Our hearts and arms are anxiously awaiting the arrival
of a new child to our family.
Megan’s Family
Megan’s parents currently live in Utah. They moved there about 12 years ago from Chicago. Her dad, Mike, works as a floral
designer for the Joseph Smith Memorial and as a professor at a local college. Her mom, Kaaron, is a teaching specialist over
phlebotomists and processors at an area hospital.
Megan has three younger brothers. Mason works in Nevada as a Highway Patrol officer. He has two children, one girl and one
boy. Alex is married and currently preparing to go to law school this coming fall. Patrick recently graduated from the University
of Utah and is employed by Desert Book Publishing Company.
Drew’s Family
Drew’s parents live in Utah, and both are retired. His dad, Owen, worked as an office manager for a construction company most
of his career, and his mom, Deanna, worked in the finance department of the LDS church when she retired.
Drew has three older brothers and one younger sister. Greg is married and has five children, all boys. He lives in California and
works as an attorney. Troy lives in Utah with his wife and four children, two boys and two girls. He works as a commercial
appraiser. Mark and his wife live in Utah with their three children, two girls and one boy. He works for the post office and is in
real estate management. Andrea lives in Utah and works as a social worker.
Drew has only one living grandparent, his grandma on his mother’s side. She lives in Utah and recently turned 94 years old. Drew
has many aunts, uncles, and cousin that live all over the United States, with most living in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and California. His
mom’s side of the family has a yearly family reunion that is attended by 100 to 125 relatives.
