Sometimes things just fall together perfectly. So goes the build in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Now maybe I’m a little partial to the area because I was raised about 15 miles away across the Delaware River, but the family, the builder, the community, even the weather, made for a perfect week.
Our family – the Marrero family – consists of five boys and a dad. The family has done without many of the things that we tend to take for granted.
Our builder – J.S. Hovnanian & Sons — is a family owned and operated company.
Peter and Steve Hovnanian are two of the most gracious builders I have ever met. They are really good people.
Volunteers from the community of South Jersey came out in great numbers. We were never more than a few feet away from someone handing us water or a cold towel to wipe our brows…this means a lot when the weather is in the 90s and humidity is 100%.
Our week began at one of my favorite places — the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. I lost several games of “hit the gofer with the hammer” to a little girl named Sam (yeah, I know the game has a different name but I just can’t remember it).I was able to bump Ty around in the bumper cars and I felt a little sick from eating way too much cotton candy. Tanya’s two boys, Caden and Cullin, were with us this week too. It’s always nice to witness kids seeing things for the first time.
We also visited Shriver’s on the boardwalk which is famous for its saltwater taffy. It’s been on the boardwalk for about 100 years so be sure and check it out if you’re ever in Ocean City. By the way, my favorite flavor is licorice.
The Morrero family lives in an apartment located in Camden. The city is, without a doubt, one of the toughest cities in America. From drug problems to murder, the city has a lot working against it but things are not all bad.
Like Richard Thompson says in one of his songs, …“down the darkest alley is where you will find the brightest jewel.”… That would be the Marrero Family when it comes to Camden.
Now I can not reveal all that happened because you’ll need to watch the show to find out. But I can tell you this much, the Morreros are one of the greatest families I have had the honor of meeting. And I’m not the only one saying that. It seems everyone who met them felt the same way.