We enjoy working together as a team on projects like gardening and building. Two years ago, we built a wooden play set for the yard. Caleb loved using his biggest toy truck to help spread the mulch underneath it. Now that it’s done, we enjoy playing on it together. With two swings, a slide and a sandbox for digging in, Caleb’s really looking forward to sharing it with a sibling.

Last Fall, we built a storage shed in the back yard. Caleb thought having a cement mixer in his own back yard was amazing. He also felt like a big guy helping Daddy paint the shed when it was done. It’s important to us as a family to find ways to incorporate children into as many of our projects as possible. Erin and Paul make it a point to find jobs that Caleb can help with in most of what we do. The lessons of responsibility and the sense of accomplishment a child feels when they’re contributing to a project is a wonderful way for them to learn.

Cooking and baking are really important to our family. Cooking tasty, healthy food together means sharing time and passing on family culture and traditions. Before Christmas every year, Erin’s mother visits for a cookie baking marathon. It’s days and days of holiday sweets. They are looking forward to having children up to their elbows in frosting and sprinkles, decorating the table, the floor and hopefully a few sugar cookies in the process.

We hope that you will share some of your favorite recipes. It’s important to us that our child would be able to share a little of your family’s culture and traditions. Thanksgiving is another great example of the importance of food and family. It's the one meal every year where we pull out recipes that were handed down from generations past and we can all reflect and reminisce as we share in preparing and enjoying the meal. The food itself takes on a role far more important than filling a plate. It becomes a tool that helps us all grow and share.

Thoughts on Education

Education is something that we both feel very strongly about. Erin has a PhD. and Paul has a Bachelor's degree. We both agree that one of the most rewarding parts of being parents is watching children learn and discover.

We work very hard to ensure that our home is an environment where children can explore and develop their passions. We have an art cabinet. There are a collection of musical instruments for playing and science is something of a passion for all of us. Summer in our yard is basically one long bug hunt. Books are all over our house. While we ask grandparents not to give too many toys, they know books are always welcome.