About Me

Who am I?

Wow. How do I answer that? I feel like to be able to answer that is still a work in progress; but let me tell you where I am now and what I feel like the answer to that question is at this point in time.

First and most importantly I’m a Christian. My identity is found in Christ. He is my center, my focal point, my priority, my first and last, my identity. My life is of the sole purpose to bring Him glory and honor. What does that look like and how I do that is ever changing and something I’m constantly learning. I desire that every action, attitude, thought, and desire brings honor to the name of Christ. He is the one who sacrificed everything that I might have life and freedom in Christ. Without that I have nothing to live for. What would be the purpose of life? What is there more than today? By having a hope in a Savior who can and will and does rescue me from sin and a temporal life, I have hope for the future.

My story started when I was born in Northern Virginia in 1980. I was raised as the oldest of five children in a Christian home with Bible loving and believing parents who taught us who Christ is and lived as an example to us. I know my parents hoped and prayed that we would walk in the way they do and that we too would devote our lives to Christ, but it was never something that was forced upon us. I never felt like I was brain washed or suppressed, or cajoled into doing what they wanted. I definitely lived my early years as trying to do what Mom and Dad wanted and mimicking what they did to gain their approval. Around the age of 15 I started asking questions for myself and wondering what the world was about, do I really believe in this Jesus that my family and church talks about, and what is the purpose of life and who am I? I had a few dear friends who were walking through this at about the same time and there were some older women who, took me under their wings to help me in this process. Again, it wasn’t forceful, or controlling, but out of a genuine love for me and for Christ and wanting me to find real purpose for life.

Life continued, and through that year I continued to understand more and more about what faith really is and who Christ is to me. I continued in that learning through high school and into college. During the last year of college and first year after graduation I worked and lived at an outdoor educational center (pretty close to a commune!), as the summer camp nurse (I have a registered nurse degree) and low ropes course facilitator. It was a GREAT place and I met amazing people and had wonderful experiences. Here I was exposed to alternative life styles, a love for the outdoors, different diet choices, drugs and alcohol and much more. It was a time of questioning again for me. I liked to think that I was still walking the way God wanted me to walk even when exploring these things. I’m not proud of some of what I did during that time, but I thank God that he didn’t allow me to wander too far and that he called me back to Him! God used an amazing church to help ground me and keep me in communion with Him. We are still members and regularly attend and are committed to our local church.

During that time I met my now husband, Brian. He had lived at this outdoor educational center for over 7 years. He came to Christ during the time that I knew him and we dated for about 5 years before getting married in 2005. He is an AMAZING man! He loves me and cares for me so well. From the first day I met him I knew he was a special guy; little did I know that he would one day become MY man! He is an amazing cook, loves food, loves the outdoors (including backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, rafting, biking, and so much more), loves his family and really loves his wife! After 12+ years of marriage I love him more than I did when we first got married and I think he could say the same for me.

Currently Brian is a tree climber by trade and loves every moment of it!  About three years ago he started his own company, Zacchaeus Tree Service (Tag line: I’m short, I climb trees and I met Jesus).  It’s been a slow start, but hopefully will continue to take off. So if you have any need for tree removal, trimming or landscaping needs, let us know!

I am currently employed by a national health company as telephone advice/triage nurse. Not the love of my life, but definitely helps with the finances.  And in the last year I’ve started working for Premier Birth Center as a Registered Nurse Birth Assistant (RNBA)  This IS my dream job!  I LOVE every minute I’m there, but unfortunately it isn’t consistent enough to drop my other job!!

In the past 12+ years we have had four amazing children: Tonchi(11), Koa(9), Aisling(7), Xanthie (5), and Aspen (1). They bring us so much joy!  We have also had four other babies that didn’t make it to birth.  One early miscarriage in October 2012 and two little boys born still, Avi on January 5th, 2015 and Jussie (YOU-see) on November 4th, 2015 and another early miscarriage in October 2016. We miss them greatly.

We currently live in a 1000 sq ft townhouse with two bedrooms, so it has been a challenge to fit our family and not get too cluttered! And that leads me into why I’ve started this blog…