If you know me, you will quickly learn that I love my family. For those that are long time friends of the family or have been blessed to share a meal with us, I hope you will read this and smile, reflecting on your time with us. If you have yet to meet my awesome clan or even me – this blog is mainly for you. Because you may be one of the ones spending the next year with me – and these are the people you’ll hear me talk about. These are the people that I love the mostest.
Amelia, Travis, Ashlee, Sarah, Evelyn, Mom, Dad, Me, Alecia and Abbey
My parents are such blessings, to us and each other. Often we call them Mutti and Vati, due to years of living in Germany and frequently shouting random German phrases around the house. They grew up as Army brats and have known of each other from a young age – going back to first grade when my dad broke his arm racing a GI Joe down a slide in Kansas. My grandfathers’ careers intertwined in a couple of other duty stations. My parents graduated from the same high school in Heidelberg, Germany and have stories of the same tyrannical teachers, though my mom graduated a year early. They crossed paths after college, dated briefly and were married.
For the past 30 years, my dad has served in the U.S. Army and my mom has served alongside him. Often my dad’s job would take him away for extended periods of time, or for long hours in headquarter offices and my mom loved on her six kids as a single parent. And while we, as so many kids do, overlooked and took for granted everything she did for us – balancing 6 kids schedules of practices, games, recitals, and school functions and keeping an immaculate house on top of packing up the household every two years – we are older now and appreciate so much of her sacrifices and love for us. God blessed us with a mom that put us first. Some of my favorite memories of my mom include when she would allow our friends to stop by or join for dinner short notice – keeping our house always warm and inviting.
My dad, for whatever reason, is deemed intimidating before people even meet him. I suppose it’s the 30 years of military service that precede the knowledge of the fact that he is the biggest goofball ever. He is always up for a run, or crazy yard game to spend time with his kiddos. And we can always count on him to whip up some of the best food in the kitchen. He and I are the only lefties of the bunch and I love that we connect through this. My dad rarely if ever raises his voice [he is more likely to lower his voice and use big words when he is frustrated with you – it’s great]. It is through him that I appreciate patience and an easy going nature. One of the things he commonly says is “No one can ruin my day (or substitute, weekend, vacation, trip to get a slurpee, etc…) and I find it repeating in my head on occasion. I also credit my dad with teaching us the value of completing a task to the best of our ability.
My parents as mentioned above had six of us, one boy, Andrew and five girls, Ashlee, myself, Alecia, Abbey, and Amelia. We all start with A’s, recognizing the fact that the rest of the alphabet was lost to my parents.
Andrew and His Wife Sarah
My brother was the oldest. He was stubborn, loud, passionate, driven and could make friends with anyone. We joked growing up that he was more emotional than all of his sisters and it is probably true. He took the role of squad leader* over my sisters and myself and was able to talk us into pretty much anything – wise or unwise. Some of our best stories and childhood secret operations are still being revealed at family dinners, much to the chagrin of mom. My brother was married to Sarah in December of 2008. God transformed his heart and we were blessed to see so much growth and passion for Christ especially in the last year of his life as he sought how to lead his wife and prepare for his little one to arrive in February of 2010. My brother was deployed in the summer of 2009 and was killed in action in September of that year. Mac, as he was known in his battalion, left a big hole among his men, and in our family. His daughter, Evelyn, was born five months later and standing now at 3 years old, is the same intelligent firecracker as her dad. His wife, Sarah, is a beautiful, strong woman, that we are blessed to have in our family. She lets us visit when we want and we are so grateful that she depends on the Lord and is raising our niece to do the same.
[* squad leader in a military sense – leader over a small team. The World Race goofs up on this one.]
Sarah and Evelyn
Ashlee is my older sister. Only 20 months apart, I grew up probably following more than she liked, but also joining in and sharing so many experiences. She paved the way for me in school and sports. Confident, wise and genuine in her joy for others, she was/is a leader in life. I can always count on her for the hard truth. And it was easy to watch how her confidence in her own skin gave all of us younger sisters the confidence to be ourselves too.
Ashlee and Travis
Two years ago, Ashlee married Travis. He’s been a part of the family for 8 years, as they dated during high school and through college. He’s hilarious, patient and completely giving. He lets me visit whenever I want. Coming from a family of all boys, he acclimated surprisingly well to the multiple conversations flowing among six women at dinner times and all of the loud giggling and rambunctious times. A few crazy trips and shared bathroom experiences and this man was accepted as our brother, not an in-law. He loves my sister so well and I am excited to live with them rent free after the race 🙂
Me, Amelia, Ashlee, Abbey, & Alecia
Alecia is the sister that sits underneath me in age. We’re also only 20 months apart and we’ve been battle buddies for as long as I can remember. Growing up the two of us always shared a room with Ashlee and the three of us are close because of it. Alecia is the funniest person I know. She is also the only 20 something I know that can confidently walk around without a front tooth for a year and rock it. [I’m still upset you have a permanent tooth back in there]. She is ridiculously competitive, persevering and also a gentle spirit – unless sports are involved. She is a beast on the dance floor and loves snickers for meals. Towering over me in height, she and Travis call me their Little Nugget. Always up for an adventure, Alecia is the first one I call when I discover something fun to do. I’m going to miss hearing all of her crazy and strange work stories and still think she should write a book about her life. I’d be the first in line to buy it.
Abbey is a tall beauty that matches my brother in stubbornness. [I think it skipped to every other kid (I may or may not be stubborn too)]. If Ashlee is confident in her skin, Abbey marches to the beat of her own drum. She played volleyball, not soccer like the rest of us, brings her own style to the everyday and traveled cross country for school when all the rest of us are within driving distance of each other. She loves encouragement and words of affirmation and moves the world with her laughter. She heads off on her own adventure this summer – to the Ukraine – to become fluent in Russian which is good because now she can talk nonstop in three languages. I remember her as a shy little tyke with large glasses and straight hair. Now, as if over night, she is tall, with a wild mane of curls and ready to strike out on her own.
Amelia is the baby of the family. And growing up it was easy to see the influence from all of the older kids personalities. She matches humor with Alecia, emotions of Andrew, the confidence at times of Ashlee and the desire to move forward on her own like Abbey. She pursuing her passion at school and I am proud she is doing so well. She recently tore her ACL which is a bummer for fall ball at school. But she should be good to go for the annual Kickball match next summer.
Like I said – these are my people. If you’re with me on T squad – you’ll hear their names. Tell me to shut up if I talk too much about them. It just means I miss them.
