It’s lovely to have you here! For interest’s sake, allow me to briefly introduce myself before we move on to better things. My earliest memories begin far from the Canadian prairies I’ve called home for the past nineteen-plus years. The hills and hollers of Kentucky were my childhood playground, hundreds of miles from the Hutterite boy whom, unbeknownst to me, would someday ask me to marry him. Nearly twenty years later, I am not only married to the man but also mama to our four incredible children, the oldest of whom has non-verbal autism.
We live on a thirteen acre property where we grow as much of our own food as possible. Our barn with its pretty little Jersey cow and happy chickens is, at present, only a dream but someday we hope to change that into reality. (Correction, I hope to. My man isn’t as enamoured by the idea as I am, but he loves me well, and tries to make my dreams come true if they aren’t too extreme, lol! Ah, but I love him!)
Supporting my husband’s pastoral calling while also homeschooling and teaching a child with special needs is challenging but I am here to proclaim the goodness and greatness of God. He is strength for every day and joy in every difficulty.
A few random facts about me;
- I organize spaces for fun. It is therapy.
- I also write for fun. It is my favourite way of unwinding the tangled thoughts in my head.
- I buy and sell used books. Far too many of them take one delighted look at the lovely floor-to-ceiling bookshelves my husband built and decide to stay without so much as a by-your-leave.
- Never in all my wildest dreams (and I had many!) did I entertain the idea of public speaking. Only God can take shy reticence and change it into a willing heart, excited to speak truth on any platform.
- I love anything out-of-doors from swimming to mountain climbing.
- I probably drink too much coffee.
- I think of myself as “somewhat crunchy” but a genuine crunch fanatic would hyperventilate if they saw the remnants of Tupperware still hugging my cupboards, so how about we go with “Crispy?’
- I deeply respect Christ-centered, disciplined, gracious womanhood.
- Helping women find joy in the hardest seasons of life is both humbling and exhilarating. Humbling because, let’s be honest, some days I lose sight of grace. Exhilarating because God is just so amazing!
- My husband is my favourite thing about my world.
- My daughter’s play-on-words humour is my other favourite thing.
- I love a clean house but I love people more. Sometimes the inanimate must sacrifice for the animate.
- I believe love is both frank and friendly. It is brutally honest but it is also saturated by grace and kindness.
Courageous Motherhood, With a Side of Autism 