“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” ­-Hebrews 11:1

This scripture helps to summarize the testimony of my faith in Jesus Christ.

I was raised attending church on a regular basis with my family.  My brother and I also served as altar boys from 3^rd to 12^th grade and we had a monopoly on the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass.  Being in a small parish in Northern Virgina, we also participated in funerals, weddings, and special masses as altar boys.  After high school I fell away from church for many reasons.  I would not say my faith wandered; I would say my intentional practice of it did.   I believe that all things happen for a reason and that even this part of my journey was put in front of me by God.

I was a single father to my daughter, Ali, for many years. During that time, I was often lonely and prayed that I would meet a special woman who would not only be a good wife but would also be a loving stepmom to my daughter. I knew God did not want me to travel life’s journey alone, so I hoped, and I waited on the Lord. When the time was right, God answered my prayers and sent Katherine to us.  In the blessings above all blessings, Katherine entered my life!  Our relationship grew quickly as she brough me back to church and helped strengthen my faith. Now we enjoy attend mass weekly as a family and leading adult Bible Study classes together.   

Every day, Katherine lives out her faith and puts God first. Katherine goes out of her way to make sure you feel loved and special each day. Her loving example inspires me to be the very best husband and father I can be. I thank God for blessing me with a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters. I pray that God will continue to bless me with wisdom to lead our family in His ways of righteousness.

Growing up I always knew that one day I wanted to get married and have a family of my own, but I never felt rushed into that decision. In my heart, I wanted to wait for the right man for me. Clearly, I remember being in a girls’ Bible study in 8^th grade when our leader told us to start praying for our future husbands. That sounded crazy to me at 13! Our leader taught us that we should never look for a man to complete us, that only Jesus could do that for us. She also taught us that until we gave our hearts to Jesus, we could never really commit to loving another person forever. I did not understand it then, but later it became clear to me, and I still believe it to be true!

Although some of my boyfriends over the years were long-term, I never felt like I had found the man I was supposed to marry until I met Greg. My friends would tell me that maybe God wanted me to be single, but I would always disagree. It was a desire of my heart to be a wife and a mother, and I still believe that those desires were placed in my heart by God Himself. I remember exactly where I was driving on the highway headed to work one day when I prayed to Jesus and told him that I would stay married to Him in my heart if that is what He wanted for my life, but that I really would love a husband. It was shortly after that prayer that I met and fell in love with Greg.

I had been waiting for my wedding day for so, so long. 41 years! Over those years there have been some very lonely times, especially when my younger brother Will got married and I was still single and waiting on God to answer my prayers for a husband. And then there were more lonely times when my brother and his wife had their first baby… and then their second baby while I, still single, waited on God. And waited. And waited. I was lonely at times, but always hopeful! I remember asking God “why”? Why did I have to be single when all my friends and family were beginning to have families of their own. And I remember God clearly speaking to my heart and telling me that “It takes longer to create a bigger masterpiece”. I held onto that promise and God has never let me down! Greg was worth the wait and I know our adopted child will be worth the wait!

For years, my wonderful mother, and many other people I love and respect most, has been praying for me to meet the right man. Over those years people would tell me that there wasn’t a man “good enough for me” and that God was still working on my future husband. I think I believed that in a very shallow way. Then, out of nowhere, I met Greg. He is the kindest, most gentle, most Christlike man I’ve ever known. He makes me better in every way!  He would never intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings for any reason. He has such a beautiful heart! The Holy Spirit shines in his eyes! And I know I’m not the only one who sees it! People are drawn to him because of it.

When I finally met Greg, I realized God wasn’t working on perfecting a man for me, God was working on me all those years! God was making me into the right woman for him! God was preparing me to be the right woman for Greg. I was the one that needed work. God was weeding me! God was making me worthy of Greg’s love and preparing me to be a loving wife and mother to his children. I’m so blessed to have found him and honored to take his name as my own. One of my very favorite scriptures is Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”. Greg is the total embodiment of this scripture for me. He is more than I could even imagine or even hope for! Someone recently told me that I had met my soulmate in Greg. Although I love Greg more than I knew I could love anyone, I know in my heart that Jesus Himself is my soulmate. I am whole and one hundred percent complete in Him, but I thank God every day that He’s brought us together. I wake up excited every day to see the awesome things He has planned for our lives! I believe He has a baby waiting for us!

Goals for our future!

When we think about the future, we picture our home filled with children, laughter, and joy! Working for the family business, Greg is fortunate to have a lot of flexibility with his schedule. This allows Greg to be a hands-on Dad. We are grateful that we will be home with our children and look forward to being involved in their daily activities.

We believe a great education is forever and want to provide our children with the best education possible. Our nieces attend an excellent school down the street where they love their teachers and classmates. The school is associated with our church, so we already know many of the families and faculty. We plan to send our children to this school and appreciate that it focuses on shaping the entire student: spirit, mind, and body. The campus is located on a large property where they have a school farm including bunnies, goats, and a chicken coop. Students learn to care for the farm animals and tend a large vegetable garden. They also offer many extracurricular activities including art, choir, swim team, and soccer. We believe these activities help create a well-rounded school experience.

 One of our goals is to help our children find the best college that meets their academic and social needs. Greg went to a large university, but I chose a smaller school. We both did well in college and were successful in our studies. We are committed to helping our children achieve their goals.