Pete & Chun In New Hampshire

We met in 2013 when a mutual friend of ours introduced us. The very first time we met, Chun gave me a meat skewer that was very spicy, it almost choked me. After some severe coughing and many glasses of water, we laughed, and we have been together ever since. We endured many long periods of separation due to our jobs at the time, but the distance only made our relationship stronger because we loved and trusted each other. We got married in 2018 on a blissfully sunny day, by the beach surrounded by our families.

Pete is a retired Army Officer currently working for the Air Force as a Government Civilian. His primary occupation is Logistics, currently working in the sustainment of Air Force Information Technology. Chun is also a logistician. She works as a contractor supporting multiple US Army ground sensor programs.

Pete is a huge soccer fan, and his favorite team is Manchester United. He loves to watch as many soccer games as he can which drives Chun crazy. Chun loves her Chinese dramas. We love to travel. One of the most joyful things for us is to travel and enjoy the local food and culture. We have been to many parts of the world and have been blessed with joyful experiences.

We currently have three dogs, two Chihuahuas and one German Shorthaired Pointer. Taco and Pringle, the Chihuahuas, are tiny loving dogs that follow Chun throughout the house to beg for treats. Duchess, the GSP, is Pete's shadow. She follows and maintains the line of sight of Pete most of the time in the house. Our pets are an integral part of the family.

Our neighborhood is within walking distance of one of the elementary schools and the junior high school. We are within about 1.5 miles of the high school. The school district is in the top five in the state of New Hampshire. There are also multiple private and charter schools within the town. The school district is one of the primary reasons we chose to live in our town.

One of the bonuses that we have discovered since moving to town is that there are numerous culturally diverse families throughout the town and have begun gathering to celebrate everybody's cultural holidays as often as possible. As an example, this year the town had a Spring Festival/Chinese New Year/ Lunar New Year celebration with several hundred family members attending. Activities included small games, activities for younger children and cultural performances from numerous cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Our house is spacious with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 3 car garage. We have a mid-sized front yard and will soon have a large deck off the back. We have a larger side yard but most of our property is wooded with a brook running through it. Our town has numerous trails for walking and biking.

The nursery was the first room that was officially designated when moving into the house. We already have a crib from Pete's sister and plan to paint the room nice light pastel colors. We would like to have some nature scenery painted on the walls like a tree with branches that reach throughout the room.

In our family, we have both Western and Eastern traditions and holidays. I am an American who grew up in Maine and the Netherlands, and Chun was raised in China and came to the U.S. after high school. We have different upbringings, but both of us treasure cultural traditions, and we support values and traditions from other cultures.

We celebrate traditional American holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas with the traditional family dishes like turkey, mash potatoes and pie, but we also add Eastern dishes like Japanese curry and spicy braised beef. We also celebrate traditional Chinese holidays like Moon Festive and Chinese Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). During Chinese New Year, Chun's parents always make an impressive spread of Chinese food.

We love to travel as was mentioned earlier we are planning a trip in early 2024 if the world situation allows back to China to see Chun’s grandmother, Nai Nai, for her 94th birthday and to celebrate Chinese New Year with her family.

Pete has many hobbies he is trying to narrow down, including amateur radio which he also uses to help in emergency situations with the local authorities. He also enjoys working on his Jeep and his motorcycle. He likes to call them his adult Legos. Pete enjoys watching Professional Football (European) aka soccer in the US. Chun loves Chinese dramas. She is also a very good cook of most any of the dishes from China, Japan, and Korea.

Pete’s sisters are both adopted, along with two nephews from Morocco and one nephew from St Louis. When Chun and I were repeatedly unsuccessful at conceiving, we decided we wanted to adopt. We both believe that family is so much more than just blood. We will love and give the best life we could offer to our child.