My family, and therefore I, can be defined in many ways....Child of the King, Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, or Grandmother, depending on who you are talking to, haha. I want to tell you a little about all of these roles.
First and foremost I am a child of the King. It is my desire that all who know me would know this if nothing else. Without Him I am really nothing much at all; a very ordinary everyday woman. But with Him I am a daughter of the Most High God, and an inheritor of all of His blessings and gifts, but most of all a woman who will enjoy all eternity in His presence.
I am fortunate enough to have a mother who has blessed my life in many, many ways and with whom I enjoy a closeness and friendship that I truly treasure. She has been blessed for 77 years so far on this earth, and I pray there will be many more to come. She has been married to my step dad Joe for the last 25 years and I love him with a love that would be hard to describe, but one in which has blessed my life in countless ways.
MY BEAUTIFUL MOM & JOE
I have 3 sisters, all of whom I enjoy in a unique and wonderful way, and all of whom I can count on to love and support me no matter what may come my way. These women are my best friends for sure, and we keep each other laughing, and enjoying life together. I also have two brothers, and while I may not enjoy the everyday closeness with them that I enjoy with my sisters, I love them both very much indeed.
I have been married to my very best friend and love of my life for 35 years now. Jeff is a very unique and loving man and I cannot begin to describe how blessed my life has been in the knowing of him. He is buff and athletic (a former Nebraska football player) smart, successful, funny, kind, loving, and spiritual leader of our home. I can honestly say, to know him is to love him, and I have come across very few (if any) people who don't just love him upon meeting him. He is the kind of guy EVERYONE calls their friend.
Taken on our recent 35th wedding anniversary
My oldest son Joe is 37 years old and married to Leah. Together they have 5 children! I have decided to have a separate page for my grandchildren, so I will describe them in detail on that page. So for now, let me tell you a little bit about Joe. Joe is definitely the kind of guy who walks to the beat of his own drummer, haha..VERY unique and different, Joe is a loving giving family man. He loves his wife, children and family and frequently tells all who know him just that. He is a 5th degree black belt (soon to be 6th ~ he will be promoted in May) and owns and operates his own karate school. He has been very successful with his business, and works VERY HARD to support his large family. His wife Leah is a wonderful, hard working girl whom I have come to love very much. She and I enjoy a friendship that I think we would have rather or not we were family. We just "get each other" and there is just not much we wouldn't do for the other that is within our power to do.
My middle son John is 33 years old and AGAIN a very different kind of man. He is VERY intellectual (as anyone who knows him would tell you) and has been blessed with many different talents. He works as a Graphic Artist for a company in Hollywood that designs the standees that you see in the movie theaters. They have done many of the big movies including recently "How to Train Your Dragon", and the upcoming "Toy Story 3. He also occasionally does some standup comedy and has delighted us all with his wonderful sense of humor over the years. He has also written two very different books, both of which he is in the process of completing in hopes of being published. John is divorced right now, but has recently begun a new relationship that we all hope will be a lifelong one for him.
My youngest son James just recently turned 30 years old and is married to the love of his life Larissa. Together they have 3 children. James works as a full time High School Pastor for a VERY large church (close to 7,000 members) down in San Diego. He is an outgoing, loving, Godly man and in many ways reminds me of his father. His wife Larissa and I joke about this all the time, (when we focus on their quirks, haha) but also realize just how blessed we are. I have had the privilege of sitting in their church when he has been asked to teach the adult study, and have been blessed and proud at his ability to be used by the Lord. Larissa and I enjoy a relationship that just couldn't get much better. We think very much alike and I love her more and more all the time.
My youngest and only daughter Melody is 23 years old and has been married close to 2 years now to the love of her life, Mike. Mike is a dairy farmer and he and his father moved their dairy from here in Corona, CA to Hobbs, New Mexico about a year before Mike & Melody were married. Anyone who has known me at all knows just how much I miss my daughter living a good 1000 miles away from me. These last 2 years have been very difficult as I have learned to live with this fact. But God as always has been faithful, and I have done pretty well ~ most of the time anyway. Melody graduated 2 weeks before she married with a degree in Child & Adolescence Development and has spent the last year getting her credentials to teach in New Mexico. She is in the process of putting together her resume, and hopes to teach first grade in the fall. Melody is a beautiful, funny, and full of life woman and whatever I would do without her is not something I ever want to face.
MY WONDERFUL KIDS
These people are the most significant members of my family, and definitely help me fill the pages of my life and therefore my blog, making us all THE WAY WE ARE....
