Family & Home

We live toward the eastern end of Philadelphia’s  historic “main line.” It’s a relatively dense suburb providing a vibrant mix of cultures in a tree-lined neighborhood with streets still quiet enough for kids to do chalk art in the middle of the road. Our house is a single-family custom stone Tudor built in 1940, which occupies a corner lot at the top of a hill. It’s a  two-story home with three bedrooms, large windows letting in lots of natural light, and a  spacious yard with lush grass, hydrangeas, and an enchanting maple tree.

We jokingly call our home the “Christmas  House” because it looks like Mr. and Mrs. Claus lived here at some point - it has the red roof,  red shutters, and a stone exterior and all! With our recent landscaping project completed,  others have told us our home looks inviting and warm. One of our favorite things at home is sitting in the Adirondack chairs, enjoying the fire pit, reading, or making s’mores. When the weather isn’t nice enough for that, we like to spend time in our living room, which has a giant bay window, having coffee or a glass of wine and talking with friends. The neighborhood is chock full of young families, with daycare at the church down the street, several parks,  and the perfect sledding hill for the winter.

MEG’S FAMILY: We are very close to my family. My mom and dad are funny, involved,  and supportive parents, and we talk daily. I have a niece and nephew who are in their  teens, and they have a baby half-sister. My family will be a large part of the baby’s life because my mother will stay with us to help provide care throughout the first year. We also travel to the Connecticut shore to be with them often all summer at our beach house. My sister is my best friend and will also be here to help out when needed. 

I also have a large group of cousins that live in Charlotte that we visit regularly. My cousins  have young children, and the group continues to grow. I hope our child will form lifelong  bonds with their cousins like I had growing up. 

BEN’S FAMILY: I am the oldest of three siblings. My sister and her husband live in  Minnesota and have two dogs. My brother and his wife live on the side of a mountain in  Virginia, and they also have two dogs! My brother shares my love of cars and road trip adventures, and we plan yearly getaways with my cousin in Pittsburgh. Both of my siblings are excited for us to start a family, and they will definitely want to spoil our kid! 

My parents still live in the house where I grew up, and my mom is caring for her 90-year-old  mother. She loves babies more than anything, but I think my dad will melt the most when they meet their first grandchild.