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The Goossens family have called West Michigan and all of its beauty home their entire lives, with wife Raquel and husband Jon having known each other in high school, though they didn’t begin dating until well after college. This past September, the couple celebrated 10 years of marriage.

Raquel has a career in Sales & Marketing at Foremost Insurance Company and just celebrated her 16th year with the company, while Jon and his brother own and operate Total Fire Protection, a business which their father started back in 1991.

The couple reside in the Darby Farms neighborhood in Ada with their three children: 7-year-old Nova, 5-year-old Jude, and soon-to-be four-year-old Evie. The family as a whole are active in extracurriculars, with Nova competing the last two years in gymnastic meets as a member of the Grand Rapids Gymnastics team.

“Our family loves to travel, and we spend a lot of time in Marco Island where we love to boat, fish, and hang on the beach,” Raquel said, noting that during the summer, the family spends a lot of weekends at their cottage on White Lake. “We love to take the boat to the big lake and kids love to climb the sand dunes. Jude spends hours sitting on the dock fishing.”

When it comes to golf, neither Raquel or Jon consider themselves avid golfers, however, they very much enjoy the sport and hope to play more as their children get older and can play together as a family. Jon has played on the Men’s League since joining the Club, and Raquel began playing weekly on the Women’s 3-Hole League a couple years ago.

“It has been a great opportunity for me to get out a little more consistently, get some helpful tips and meet more people,” Raquel explained, adding that it has been a less-intimidating environment to learn and gain experience.

The Goossens enjoy plenty of what Egypt Valley has to offer, including the scenic and well-maintained courses.

“We love all the holiday events, and our kids especially look forward to the Santa’s Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt every year,” Raquel said of the Club’s social events. “We spend a ton of time at the pool during the summer. This year, Nova & Jude are excited for tennis and golf.”

Nova has also joined the swim team for the first time.

“We love the community at Egypt Valley and the relationships we’ve gained over the years with so many great families,” Raquel said. “It’s a safe and fun environment for our kids. We really appreciate all the kid-friendly activities and events!”

Something other members might not know about the Goossens is that the family has a special connection with adoption.

“We adopted our oldest, Nova, although most people think she looks so much like me,” Raquel said. “We were very blessed to get connected to a wonderful birth mother and family and have maintained an open adoption and relationship with Nova’s biological mom. I had the opportunity to be present in the hospital room for Nova’s birth and have a special bond with her biological mom.”

If you see the Goossens family around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”