Our Families & Friends

We are fortunate to be the kind of couple that has great family and also has friends who are as close as family.

Dan grew up with his mom, dad, and younger sister. Dan’s dad was a doctor in the Navy until his recent retirement, so Dan's family moved every three years while Dan was growing up. Moving that much meant Dan’s family is closer-knit than average. Dan’s parents and his sister all live in Virginia (for now—grandchildren may change that!), and Dan spends a couple of hours each week catching up with them by phone. Dan has a pretty small extended family, but he is also close to them.

Sally grew up with her mom, dad, two older sisters, and a younger brother. All of Sally’s and her siblings’ friends loved eating dinner at Sally’s house because her mom made such great food and because dinner there was always such a lively affair. In contrast to Dan, Sally lived in one town her whole life (in one house for almost all of that time), and that town is somewhere her family has deep roots. Sally’s parents divorced while she was in college. Her immediate family now lives in several Southern states. Sally's parents have both remarried, so there are a lot of very ready grandparents! Sally's family members are very excited about Sally and Dan’s adoption; in fact, Sally’s mom has already handmade the baby a quilt.

Sally has a huge extended family (her parents have eight siblings between them!) that she keeps in touch with on Facebook, by email, and at holiday visits. Sally’s mom’s whole family goes on vacation together every other year, which is a blast.

Once Sally loves people, she sticks with them: some of her closest friends are lovely people she has known for 15–25 years. She and several girlfriends fly all over the country to be there for each other as needed. All of Sally’s friends adore Dan, too, so they have embraced him wholeheartedly. Sally’s best friend (who grew up down the street from Sally), along with her husband and baby, lives near us in Northern California. Other close friends are scattered all over the country. Sally also has several great girlfriends she has met in Bay Area, and most of them have kids.

When we moved to the Bay Area, Dan’s old friends came more into focus; many people he had known from college settled here, including some friends with adopted children of their own. We have had a vibrant social network from the time we moved here, thanks to Dan’s connections.