We live in a great neighborhood where families walk, ride bikes, and run around with their children. We have spent the last three years remodeling our colonial home with an open-concept living area and a large, screened-in back porch. Our house is tucked back, and our long driveway is fun to ride bikes down but also looks like a storybook depending on the season. We have a large, flat backyard that is great for home run derby, tag, sports, or rolling around in the grass if you ask Drake. We live about a quarter mile from a farm that has animals to feed, events, and great hiking trails that are family friendly. Drake is our adopted Lab mix. He is known as the mayor in the neighborhood because he likes to meet and greet all the neighbors.

We both come from large, loud, social families. All of our siblings and parents live in New England. Jodi’s sister lives ten minutes from us, and our other siblings and parents live about an hour from us. Jodi is the youngest of six, and Rich is the middle of three.

Jodi’s family spent summers visiting a lake that still remains a tradition for one week in the summer. It is the one week where the entire family runs wild with swimming, fishing, tubing, boat rides, board games, and card games. Everyone takes a turn cooking dinner. They also own a cabin in the northern part of the state where they spend time fishing, riding ATVs, hiking, and making smores on the campfire. Christmas Eve is the big party with Jodi’s family, and we play Minute to Win It games that the entire family participates in. Also, after Thanksgiving dinner, we paint ornaments for the tree.

Rich’s parents live down the cape, which is the main meeting spot for the family. Their home is a short walk from the beach. Rich is an amazing cook and is signed up to be head chef at all the family functions. A large amount of time is spent relaxing on their back porch, walking on the beach, downstairs playing pool, playing shuffleboard, or around the bonfire in their backyard.