Shaun and Walt's Family: Family Traditions

We are so excited to build onto our family.

This image is of our wedding in a small country church in Iowa. We were married in Iowa April 19, 2012 on our 15th anniversary. We lived in Iowa for 12 years; this is where we met. We are so grateful to Iowa for passing same sex marriage and were eager to get back to "tie the knot."

On any given day, you'd find Walter finishing his day at his home office. He works East coast hours so he has his afternoons free. He's looking forward to taking the child on afternoon walks with the dogs, to play in the park, or go for a bike ride. Walter is the primary cook and having a little helper will be great fun as we get dinner ready. Burritos are a favorite and getting tomatoes, onions, cilantro from the garden to make fresh salsa is always a treat. We see dinner as a fun time to be able to catch up with each other activities and to relax at the end of the day.

Our holidays always begin with decorating our tree. Each year we select a fun color and have a great time picking different ornaments to match that year's theme. Every year seems to be just a little more unique that the one before. We've had every color of the rainbow. When it was the "green" year, we included wild ornaments like fuzzy frogs and glittered jalapenos. It will be an extra special occasion when we can include our child in this process. We're sure he or she will have their own theme; probably that has to do with "Dora" or "Sponge Bob."

A family tradition Walter shares is of his grandmother. She made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. This tradition has now been passed down to 3 generations.

To make them, you have to get up very early. This process takes about 8 hours from start to finish. It wasn't until Walter started making them on his own, that he realized how "special" they really are. This tradition now has a 50+ year life span. Both Walter and his sister, Dana, make these rolls each year for their families to enjoy and this has been a special memory and tradition that will certainly continue for many years to come. Walter is looking forward to the Christmas mornings when all the presents are ripped open and it's time to eat.

Vacations are also something that we've made an annual tradition. We met our friends George and Peter in Hawaii about 5 years into our relationship and fell in love with the islands. Each year since we have returned for a week and have explored each island. Maui is still our favorite. We are really looking forward to sharing this with a child; to play in the sun, sand and surf.

We have a cabin in Pennsylvania next to the family farm where Shaun grew up. This home is on 16 acres of wooded land connected to the family’s 300 acre farm. We visit the cabin multiple times a year to see family and to just “get-away.” Our child will have a blast camping in the woods, climbing trees, and exploring the farm.