Can you introduce your family and share a bit about them, including names and ages?

We’re the Zieglers, and we live on Benodot Street in the Trails Edge neighborhood. Our family consists of five members. Parents Mike and Emily, and our children.  Our son is 8, and is in 2nd grade at Saint Matthew School. Our eldest daughter is 6, and is in 1st grade at Saint Matthew School. Our youngest is 3, and attends preschool at Little Hearts and Hands.

How long have you lived in the neighborhood? Where are you and your family originally from, and what brought you here?

We moved to the Trails Edge neighborhood in 2012. Prior to buying our home, we were living in the Windsor West apartment complex, also in Southwest Champaign. Mike grew up in Champaign, whereas Emily grew up in Crystal Lake, IL. Emily has always had family ties to the Champaign area, so when we got engaged, we decided that Champaign would be a good community to start our family.

What college / university did you attend? What subject(s) did you major in, and what degree(s) did you obtain?

Mike attended the University of Illinois and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering in 2008. Emily attended Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University and graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2010.

How did you and your spouse meet?

We first met at the University of Illinois in August 2008, during a weekend when Emily was visiting her brother. Her brother attended UIUC College of Aviation and was flight partners with one of Mike's close friends. It was through this mutual connection that we were introduced. We began dating, and eventually got engaged in 2011 and married in 2012.

What's your profession(s), and where do you work?

Mike works as a mechanical engineering consultant at Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI). Mike joined AEI in 2011, and has continued to work there for the last 13 years. As a company, AEI is a relatively large national engineering firm, but our presence in Champaign for the last 25 years has largely been centered around serving the needs of UIUC. At any given time, Mike usually has multiple projects at the University. These typically involve designing building HVAC systems (renovations and new buildings) or working with campus utility systems. Emily works at the University of Illinois as the Director of Residential Graduate Degrees in the Gies College of Business. She has been with UIUC since 2012, having worked in both the Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In her current role, Emily is responsible for overseeing the programmatic strategy and student services for the residential master's programs in accounting, business analytics, management, and technology management. Her work includes managing learner onboarding and retention to advising services, program curricula, and learner engagement.

Tell us about your kids. What educational or extracurricular pursuits are your children involved in?

Our son, at 8 years old, is full of energy and enthusiasm, especially when it comes to sports. Whether he's playing football, basketball, baseball, or tennis, his competitive nature shines through. Beyond sports, he loves reading, building with LEGOs, and working on art projects—he's always finding new ways to express his creativity and keep himself busy. We couldn’t be prouder of everything he puts his heart into. Our older daughter, at 6 years old, shares her brother’s love for sports, excelling in basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and tennis. She’s very artistic, always eager to dive into art projects and also loves reading stories that fuel her imagination. Whether she’s dancing, painting, or listening to music, her creativity shines in everything she does. We love watching her explore her many talents and are so proud of the joy she brings to everything she tries. Our three year old adores being part of everything her older siblings do. She happily tags along and soaks in every moment with them, all while beginning to discover her own interests. With her nurturing spirit, she loves caring for her baby dolls and stuffed animals. She also enjoys getting her hair done and having her nails painted, adding a touch of sparkle to her day. Whether she’s playing with her favorite toys, exploring nature, or enjoying storytime, she brings her own unique spark to every adventure.

Can you highlight any unique talents or interests that each family member brings to the mix?

One interest that we all share is enjoying vacations. Every year, we look forward to our trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It’s our go-to spot for a relaxed family vacation, and we’ve built our routine there. We enjoy spending hours on the beach and at the pool, biking around the island, and generally relaxing. It’s always a chance for us to recharge and enjoy some slower-paced time as a family. We certainly enjoy our familiar spots and favorite restaurants, but we always try to look for new activities to experience or restaurants to enjoy. We usually try to take at least one more vacation every year, and that’s typically a road trip with multiple stops. Totally different from our trip to Hilton Head, but just as memorable. We never plan them out too far in advance—it’s kind of fun to pick places to stop along the way. One constant, though, is finding a Major League Baseball game to catch. The kids love it, especially our son, and it’s become one of the traditions that we build the trip around. We’ve been to different ballparks over the years, and it’s fun to mix that in with exploring new cities and random roadside attractions. It's our way of making the most out of travel, balancing tradition with spur-of-the-moment adventures. More locally we enjoy visiting museums, zoos, and anything Illini!

How do you celebrate holidays or special occasions as a family?

Having strong ties to Champaign, we are fortunate to have a number of extended family members in the area or within Illinois. This makes birthdays and holidays wonderful opportunities to gather everyone together and celebrate. Our largest ongoing holiday tradition is hosting Thanksgiving at our house, a tradition we’ve cherished since we moved in. Over the years, our gathering has grown and now includes upwards of 25 family members, making it a lively and joyful occasion. The day is filled with laughter, gratitude, and plenty of games, allowing us to connect and create lasting memories. In addition to Thanksgiving, we make it a point to celebrate birthdays and other holidays with family gatherings, whether it’s a special dinner, a themed party, or simply enjoying each other's company. These occasions remind us of the importance of family and the joy of coming together to celebrate life’s milestones.

What are your favorite places to visit around the community?

Our favorite restaurants include El Toro at the Fields, Texas Roadhouse, Hickory River and The Ribeye. Parks we enjoy visiting are Colbert Park, Meadowbrook Park, Morrissey Park, Porter Park, and Lake of the Woods; and our go to hangout spots are Riggs, Sunsinger, Custard Cup and Curtis Orchard. One of our favorite places, and a local business, is Industrial Donut. The kids love any Saturday morning that we get donuts from Industrial Donut. We usually try to find at least one donut type shop for breakfast when we travel, and Industrial is still better than anywhere else we've found.

How does your family contribute to fostering a sense of community spirit in the neighborhood? Do you participate in any philanthropic events or work with any charity organizations?

We're looking forward to becoming more involved in the neighborhood! While we’ve attended the last few Trails Edge block parties, we haven't participated in many other activities yet. Emily previously served as the treasurer of the Trails Edge HOA, which gave us a great opportunity to connect with neighbors. With young kids, we’d love to see more events and activities in the area that allow families to get together and for our children to meet other neighborhood kids. We believe that this additional sense of community would make our neighborhood an even better place to live.

Describe your favorite family memory in the neighborhood so far. What's your favorite part of living in the neighborhood?

We’ve always enjoyed getting out of the house and either walking or riding bikes through the neighborhood as a family. Our kids are very active, so we try to get them outside whenever we can. We love that Trails Edge and the surrounding areas are relatively quiet with minimal traffic, and that there are numerous pathways to keep things interesting. Having multiple parks and/or common areas within a short distance has been very enjoyable for us as well.