Amanda and I were married in 2004, and have been journeying through life together since. We have 3 daughters and a cat, which means I live in a house with 5 females… there is pink everywhere. This year we finally went to Disneyland and that appears to be our new favorite family vacation destination. Our greatest passion in life is to God, and to our children. Raising the girls brings daily struggles, but is yielding a lifelong reward.
In Hawaii after performing my first wedding
We believe that life is to be lived! In the book “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” author Mark Batterson says “Don’t accumulate possessions, accumulate experiences!” We want to accumulate experiences together, so that we create lifelong memories and make eternal impacts.
Amanda and I have been through all kinds of trials, mainly with the health issues of our kids. Chloe was born early, with Down Syndrome, and an endocardial cushion defect in her heart (or a small hole). At 4 months old, weighing only 5 pounds, she had open heart surgery. She is an amazing inspiration, and is a living breathing miracle. Today, her heart is stronger than it has ever been before, and we thank God for that.
Hannah gave us a scare one summer while I was away at a youth camp. I got a phone call on my birthday from Amanda letting me know that Hannah was having seizures. While at the doctor, they also found a heart murmur. Miraculously, the problems are gone and never caused an issue. Today, she’s the most helpful four year old we know.
Abigail is our final baby. We’ve just had unfortunate things come up with each kid, and she’s no exception. Born 5 weeks early because Amanda had severe blood pressure problems during pregnancy, her lungs weren’t quite strong enough to breathe on her own and had to stay at the hospital. Shortly after coming home, she somehow contracted pneumonia, and pertussis. From the ER, she took an ambulance ride to the 
hospital and nearly died several times on the way there. Once at the hospital, she fought daily for her life over the next 2 months. The prayers of people who love our family, and the God who answers those prayers are all that kept her alive. She stayed in the pediatric intensive care unit for the entire stay at the hospital. Today, she’s the feistiest red headed three year old you’ll ever meet.
We’ve been through so much, and have come out in victory through it all. Without Jesus, I don’t know where we would be. Thankfully, we know Jesus, and we wouldn’t trade our experiences for anything. They have brought us together as a family, and I am so glad that we’ve been able to overcome such tremendous trials.
Written by Sean
Topics: Family