We are lucky to own our own home: a townhouse nestled in a residential area of our city. We love our neighborhood. All of our necessities (parks, the library, our excellent schools) are within walking distance, but we live on a quiet, tree-lined street. Our home is our happy place, and we’ve worked hard to make it a reflection of our personalities. It’s colorful and nerdy, with probably too many cat toys. Jeff works from home in the downstairs office, and Megan usually has at least one craft project tucked away somewhere. We spend most of our outdoor time at the local parks, but we do have a small outdoor space at home. It isn’t much, just a small patio, but Megan has big plans for a family container garden.

When we moved cross-country to our current city, we knew living so far away from our families in the Midwest would be tough. We do miss them, but we’ve learned to truly appreciate the time we do get to spend with them – whether it’s a visit, family (video) game night, or just a simple text message.

We also really enjoy going on family vacations. Jeff’s family are big fans of Disney World – they’ve gone almost every year since Jeff and his sister were kids. Jeff, his sister, and his dad all love roller coasters, while his mom likes meeting characters and making the whole family go on the “It’s a Small World” ride at least once every trip. Meanwhile, Megan’s family prefers camping. They’ve taken their camper all over the Midwest, but the best trip is the annual family reunion. The whole extended family shows up to the family lake house with campers and tents, and five generations of aunts and cousins and grandkids spend the week together.