Hi there! I wanted to take this space to introduce you to our little family. My name is Karen, and my husband Ben and I have 4 kids, Wyatt (7), Brynna (5), Cole (3), and our newest little addition, Easton (born in July, 2021!). We have 2 sweet pups, Blakely and Owen, and we live on the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia. We love Jesus, ice cream, and adventuring together. Even “before”, our lives seemed a bit crazy and hectic when we welcomed Cole and had 3 kids, 3 and under…but then D-Day came and rocked our world. One thing that we have quickly realized in the midst of all of this is the importance of community, and we feel incredibly blessed by those that have come beside us, encourage us, love on us, and walk through the fire with us. We have been absolutely covered in prayer from the moment we heard the diagnosis, and we couldn’t be more grateful. One of our biggest prayers through all of this is that God is glorified. We don’t pretend to have it all together, because we most certainly don’t; we don’t want to pretend this is easy, because it’s not…it’s devastating and so many of the days are incredibly hard; but through it all, we have a HOPE, and that hope comes through Jesus Christ, our Savior. We firmly believe that God has an incredible plan for our little girl, and is going to use her in a mighty, mighty way for His kingdom.
“Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1
So, meet our boys! Brynna has her own page. 🙂
Wyatt – The Buddy
Wyatt is 7 (this picture is so old of our sweet boy), and brings an extremely joyful and fun exuberance to our family! God has blessed him with a very sweet, gentle demeanor, and he has a passion for loving on his siblings (he is seriously Cole’s favorite person), and wanting to help in any way he can. He is also quite passionate about trains…QUITE passionate. 😉 He loves to build, whether it’s with Legos, magnetic tiles, or pillows, he doesn’t know how to sit still, and is already faster than me. 🙂 He is our buddy, and has been a rock through all of this. Wyatt and Brynna are the best of friends, and he is so gentle and kind with her. He is all boy though, too, and loves playing in the dirt and mud, riding his bike, and keeping us on his toes with all of his “watch me!” stunts.
Cole – The Bug
Cole is 3 (and most definitely needs an updated picture!) and enjoys being the life of the party. He has a smile that truly lights up a room, and he has slid in seamlessly with Wyatt and Brynna. He constantly amazes us with his ability to build and assemble things from magnetic tile buildings, marble runs, and train tracks. It has been one of my greatest joys, through all of this, watching both Wyatt and Brynna love on and dote on Cole. Having a 4 month old when Brynna was diagnosed, was one of the hardest logistical things through all of this, but I think that Cole and Wyatt helped keep us grounded, and provided a relief and joy in the midst of agonizing grief. He loves to make everyone laugh and is an overall goofball that keeps us on our toes!
Ben and I just celebrated 12 years of marriage this past June, and have known each other for 15 years! I (Karen) moved to Virginia from northern California 15 years ago, and met Ben at church 3 days later. I don’t remember meeting him, but he remembers. 🙂 We were friends for a year and a half before we got engaged, and it was so much fun to date my best friend.
Ben works hard, providing for our family, and keeping our house from falling down around us. 🙂 He loves the outdoors and is always up for any sort of adventure, whether it’s skateboarding, hiking, biking, or just strolling through the park. The kids light up when he walks through the door after work each evening, and it warms my heart to see it.
I am a stay-at-home mom and think I have the best job in the entire world, I truly wouldn’t trade it for anything. Prior to all of this, I was also a wedding and lifestyle photographer, and still do small shoots from time to time. I love to read, bake, and build trains and tile buildings with the kiddos.
Above everything else, the most important thing in our lives is our faith in Christ Jesus. This is where our hope comes from, and it is only from Him that we are able to get up out of bed every day in this crazy storm. He has provided a peace that TRULY passes all understanding, and no matter what happens, we full heartedly believe that God is still God, and God is still good. Always.
