About My Family

Lonny proposed on the banks of the Mississippi River. Years later, we make our home in an old Victorian near the same Illinois riverbank. God has given us five sons. Some of them resemble Lonny. Some resemble me. All of them are a precious. Each one is a gift.

Our days are wild and crazy. Our home is sometimes loud. But Lonny and I believe what God's Word has to say about children. They are a blessing. A heritage. In Him.

We're in constant motion. Bolting here. Running there. But life is  rich with blessing. And the Lord is present. Ordering our days. Teaching us. Covering us with grace.

As a family, we enjoy biking and books, swimming, board games, and boating. Our favorite vacation spot is Higgins Lake in Roscommon County, Michigan.

Our boys are are all very, very different but hold some common family threads. Logan (18) is a freshman at Wheaton College. He's thoughtful and intellectual. Grant (14) is a middle school student. He likes to rock the basketballcourt. He's also artistic and writes from a tender place. Samuel (8)is full of adventure. He climbs trees,  swims like he should have fins, and is a wild man with construction paper and scissors.  Gabriel (5) is passionate. He wants to be a pirate and spends hours drawing ships.  Isaiah (3) is our babe. He has a tender spirit and would tell you that his markers are his favorite toys. They must be. I washed a blue stick man off the wall this morning.

Our home is loaded with testosterone, but it's also full of love. We've all got our shortcomings, but we work through the tough stuff and family living allows real-life lessons of perseverance and grace.

I'm blessed to have Lonny as my husband and best friend. Years ago, we bought a long, wooden picnic table and asked God for children to fill both benches. At the time, it seemed an impossible dream. That old table now sits in the shade of our maple. It's weathered and worn. But most summer Sunday afternoons, we're there. Lonny and me. Something warm from the grill. And enough boys to fill both benches.

Thank you, Lord, for the adventures.