this is my story, this is my song…

I am a California girl–born and raised.  I was lucky enough to marry my high school sweetheart, and we are in the process of living out our happily ever after – and yes, it is just like the fairytales promise it will be. (insert laughing emoji and rolling eyes emoji here) We have lived in San Diego, Delaware, Las Vegas, the Dominican Republic, and we currently live in St. Louis.

I am a mom. I have four beautiful girls.  I have the joy and pleasure of raising three of them here on earth and the promise of eternity in heaven with our fourth.  Each of our girls were born in different states and with different personalities.  When we lost our third daughter at 24 weeks in the womb, my life, spirit, and family were derailed.  I am still learning how to grieve and am watching God pick us back up and put us back together.  This pain is still deep but with each day, I hold on to the hope given to us by a loving Savior. 

I am a teacher.  I taught preschool for the better part of a decade and then I taught my two oldest girls through homeschool for five years.  I currently work part time at my daughters’ school, helping out where I am needed most.

I was a missionary spouse.  My family had the privilege of serving in the Dominican Republic for the LCMS – the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.  My husband was the business manager for the Latin America and Caribbean Region. This is not what I planned for my life, but His plans are always better than mine.  How God moved us there is a pretty cool story which you can uncover through various blog posts.

I am an artist.  This is a part of my bio that I never expected.   Lettering became my hobby when we first moved to the DR and my therapy during my time of grief.  I am always excited to share my latest projects with everyone.  Lettering began has a hobby and has now turned into a small side business.  It is amazing what God and a lot of practice can do.  Since I began lettering in 2015, I have sold over 500 prints on Etsy, I have created online classes for Masterpiece Society, I have led lettering classes and workshops in three countries, I have sold artwork in an art show, and I have sold prints at several markets in St. Louis.

A few of my passions include: Jesus, COFFEE, hymns, studying Scripture, the mountains, writing, art, my church, serving youth and families, audio books, essential oils, learning, nature, and my family.

I am an author.  Writing a book was always a dream of mine.  While I am excited that this dream came true, there are so many emotions that also come along with it because the book I wrote came from the grief of losing my baby.  You can learn more about that here.

I feel it important to note:  I am possibly the worst housewife that has ever existed.  I am bad at all things housewife-related.  The cooking, the cleaning, the knowing how things function and work, and the understanding how different things get paid.  Friends, I was bad at all of this in the States when I had many modern conveniences to help me… if you could have seen me try to live this out in another country.  Thankfully, we can laugh about this now.

Last, but the most important part of me:  I am a poor, miserable sinner.  I need a Savior.  I am thankful that my salvation is not anything I had to do or earn because I would have fallen short in every way, every time.  Jesus Christ paid for my salvation with His life. I live each day as a sinner who has been forgiven and redeemed.  Yes, I am a poor miserable sinner, but I am also a baptized daughter of the King.  

…praising  MY SAVIOR all the day long.