Jack & Sydelle Sipress
Ask Jack and Sydelle Sipress what brought them to Fox Hill after living in New Jersey for 50 years, and they’ll answer emphatically, “Our four-year-old granddaughter!” The Sipresses moved to Fox Hill’s senior condos in January 2009. They are still thrilled with their choice to live close to Natalie (who is now almost 12 years old) and her parents.
They are also glad they didn’t wait (as their own parents did) for decisions to be made for them. After extensive research, the Sipresses visited several retirement communities in the area. Nothing felt right – until they saw Fox Hill.
Although they downsized from a large house to a two-bedroom condominium, they feel they have upsized because there are so many amenities at Fox Hill, all under one roof. “This entire community is our house. We just happen to sleep in one part of it,” explains Sydelle. Natalie visits often and enjoys the amenities as much as her grandparents do.
“When I visit Grammy and Grampy, I really like to go to the art studio to draw and paint with all of the supplies,” says Natalie. “I like to take out a DVD from the library and watch movies at night. Also, it’s fun to go to the game room with Grampy to play pingpong, pool and chess.” Natalie has even had birthday parties at the indoor swimming pool and a violin recital in the Performing Arts Center at Fox Hill.
When the Sipresses’ other son and his wife visit from Minnesota for Thanksgiving with their 18-year-old daughter, there’s room for the whole family of eight to gather around the table. Both granddaughters have fun spending the night in the Sipresses’ condominium.
According to Jack, “If grandparents are concerned whether there is enough room for the kids, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Sydelle adds, “Even if they all came at one time, there’s room for large families. If people think of all of Fox Hill as their residence rather than just the condominium, then it should be easy to have any number of grandchildren coming as frequently as they can handle them.”
