Hi! We are Laura and Rob Smith. We are parents to Xander (12), Kyle (8), and our puppy, Rona. Rona got her name after Corona Virus because that is when we got her!   I grew up in Snyder, NY, and went to Amherst Central High School.  Rob grew up in Pendleton, NY, until the 6th grade and then moved out west to Washington State with his mom and sister. Rob moved back to Buffalo after High School. We have lived in Chapel Woods for almost 13 years!  As a family, we are so happy that the neighborhood is up and coming, with more and more families with children moving in.  When we first moved in, there were barely any children around.  Many of you might know us from our mailbox!  We have an outboard boat motor for our mailbox because Rob’s family owns Smith Boys Marina!  They sell, store, and rent boat slips.  Rob has worked there since he was a teenager, making boating a huge part of our family!  Rob also works part-time for the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, where he is the field supervisor at the Buffalo Bills games and works most of the concerts that are hosted here in Buffalo.  I was a teacher for 15 years and recently stepped away during Covid.  I stayed at home with the boys for their schooling and decided to go back to school to become a nurse. I graduated with my LPN last year, and I am currently finishing my RN degree!

            Rob and I have been best friends since we were 16 and 18 years old! In 2008 we were married. We moved into this neighborhood because of the beauty of it, the amazing schools, and it is close to family! Raising kids here has been amazing!  The boys, Kyle and Xander, both play flag football and tackle football.  Kyle does karate and boy scouts, and Xander plays basketball and skateboarding lessons. They love riding their bikes around the neighborhood and meeting up with friends. As a family, we enjoy playing games, swimming, boating, tubing, camping, and playing badminton together in the backyard.  As a couple, we enjoy watching comedies, going out to dinner, and spending time with friends!  We enjoy having other friends and family over, especially in the summer for BBQs and swimming! Covid put a damper on it, but before Covid, we would have game nights with neighbors on the street!   It was a great way to get the adults and kids together, all while having fun.  Each month, a different person would host it at their house!  We are starting it back up again this month! Rob and I also do a lot of our house updates together … He builds, and I design.  We have been able to remodel our entire home together, including the new edition of a beautiful sunroom to our house!

            I really do not like anything about the cold and snow in Buffalo, so this past year, we got snowboards for the kids and skis for me!  Rob loves skiing from growing up in the mountains of Washington. We decided as a family to learn winter sports the family could do all together.  We are hoping if we find another sport that we all like, it will bring us outdoors more in the winter and allow us to spend more time together!

            Rob is a homebody, and I like to explore new places!   We don’t go out to eat as often as we would like, but when we do, we like to try new places.  Buffalo has so much to offer that we want to try them all!   We are most grateful for our wonderful children, family, and, of course, being able to raise our children in a safe and friendly neighborhood where others have the same goals and ambitions we do!

If you ever see us out and about, feel free to stop and say hi!  We love making new friends and meeting new neighbors!