Thinking I was going to be a chemist (Ray Halloran was a great teacher.) I went to Cornell in September of 57.  In October, I met Joni and we went together all through college and married after graduation in 61.  I stayed at Cornell for Law School while Joni was a caseworker for Tompkins County DSS.  We moved to her home territory about 30 miles south of Rochester, NY, at the very western end of the Finger Lakes Region and have been there ever since. I’m three quarters retired from a country law practice. 

Our first child was born during my third year of law school in December of 63 and our second in March of 66.  Thinking that we had produced our allotted two children we decided to adopt after that.  Three adoptions later and wanting to do foster care we sold our house and bought an old farm house with some acreage, still in the same town.  We’ve lived in this house for 34 years and are half way through our 68 year remodeling project.  Living in just one place was new for me since I was an army brat growing up and went to eight different grammar schools.  We’ve added on twice, and the house is now a very large, but very ordinary old country farmhouse. 

We’ve done our best to keep it filled. Joni and I have fostered over 250 kids in 34 years and we’ve adopted 18 children to bring our total permanent count to 20 kids.  They range in age from 17 to almost 50, are of varying ethnicity and varying abilities and disabilities.  We have twenty plus grandchildren (with blended families and some marriage breakups, it’s hard to keep count.) 

Joni has one major announcement when a new child joins us.  She tells that child that the first rule of our house is that no one is permitted to laugh at any of my frequent bad jokes because it only encourages me.

        We’ve been pretty active in both community and church; the opportunities abound in rural towns and counties.  We do get away to travel periodically, even by ourselves on a few occasions.  Life has been very good for us and never dull.