I'm blessed to be married to the ultimate handy man and grand-gesture romantic. We have five kiddos, ranging from 17 years old down to our youngest who is 9 years old. Our oldest three kids (Grace, Molly, and Rusty) joined our family through the old fashioned method of love and labor. Our youngest two grew in my heart rather than under it.

Tyler joined our family via the foster care system 3 years ago when he was 6 years old, and Ozzie joined our family via the foster care system a year later when he was 9 years old. Both are heaven sent and destined to be part of our forever family...which doesn't mean the road getting there was always smooth.

We are a family that believes in love, faith, working hard, playing hard, praying hard, and second chances. We have a heart for the orphans of the world and feel called to open our home to the motherless and the hurt. We have walked the sometimes challenging road of self employment (Toby runs a construction business), Selective Mutism, Dyslexia, Myasthenia Gravis, childhood abuse, trauma, ADHD, PTSD, and Reactive Attachment Disorder. None of these experiences are ones I could have anticipated, but walking those roads have been an amazing faith building and family bonding experience .

My passions include photography, writing, creating, teaching, traveling, reading, bubble baths, and sleep.

We raise food, animals, and children at Patchwork Farm...or perhaps they raise us.

Most days are spent doing farm chores, schooling at home, making and recording memories, managing chaos, and enjoying this grand adventure called LIFE.