Those in Our Lives
To say that any child that comes into our home would be loved would be an understatement. We will likely have to fight the grandparents off at the door!! I am so grateful to tell you that if you do agree to allow us to love that sweet baby, that baby will be incredibly loved by six wonderful grandparents and too many aunts, uncles, and cousins to count. As far as my family, I have two kind, generous parents who have been together my whole life and have equipped me with so many practical life skills as well as a strong sense of honor and love for family. My parents are always there for us and would drop anything to be there for any of their kids. My dad is looking forward to taking little ones on the boat with him to go fishing and watching Star Trek and Rifleman in the chair together. My mom is excited for baby snuggles and cooking with little ones as well as helping them to break the rules every now and then. I have four brothers who I love very dearly. Three of my brothers are half by blood but whole by love - Eddie, Ryan, and Kevin. They all have their own children and very strong women in their lives who I like more than them sometimes! Then the fourth brother, Christopher, well, he is my Bubba. He is my Bubba who has teased me and shared video games with me and looked after me my whole life. I look forward to seeing them all love and teach the children the Lord chooses to bring to us. I also have numerous aunts and uncles who I cherish - The whole Shettles family, my Texas family, Uncle Jimbo. Oh namely two wonderful cousins along with their families, Jay and Eric. Jay is my mom’s nephew and Eric is my dad’s and they have been like brothers to me. I love them both and hope they can continue to teach me how to be as strong as they are.
Jonathan’s family is a bit more blended. His mom (Mrs. Ann) is remarried to Mr. Ronne and his dad (Mr. John) is remarried Mrs. Anita. First he has Mrs. Ann which is his mama and then Mrs. Anita, his bonus mama. Both have such sweet spirits. They are always there when you need to vent or get good advice and have loved me so well from the very beginning. I tell them to you first because they have helped me see that to love someone does not mean that you take love from someone else. With Jonathan, they both loved him and neither felt as though the other was trying to take the other’s place. They found harmony in the midst of heartache and I am so grateful for the example they are for me as I hope to join you in mothering that sweet baby. I know it isn’t always easy but I also have living proof that it can happen and happen well.
Then he has his dad, Mr. John, and his bonus dad, Mr. Ronne. Mr. John is a beach-loving, cleaning, loud Chicago native who has such a tender spirit. He loves to spend time with his family and has always been such a student. He always looks for ways to learn from someone, a quality that I hope he can teach me and our children. Then there is Mr. Ronne who is our Mr-Fix-It. You name it, car, broken light, dryer, or sadness, he is there to fix it. He has a knack for horses and loves golf cart rides and big trucks. Oh and that talk-to-a-wall quality that J-Money has - yeah that is all from his dads. Both of them can find a friend in anyone they meet and challenge us to never judge someone based on the way they look.
Jonathan also has bonus siblings who he loves and who are excited to become aunts and uncles as well as his own aunts and uncles who are also constantly cheering us on. Oh and last but certainly not least there is Grandma Sue. She is our feisty, tattooed grandma who is mother to Mrs. Anita but Grandma to all. She has held each baby that has come into the family and I pray she can continue to do so in our home. I didn’t have much time with my grandparents growing up before they left this earth and prayed specifically for our children to be surrounded by family and boy, did He come through!
Then we have our friends who are just as much a staple in our lives. Our lives are filled with precious memories of all of our friends. With all the hard times we’ve been through they have been there with us - they’ve prayed and wept, laughed and cried, just lived life with us. Most of our friends believe in the Gospel and walk with the Lord. Those who do believe live life like it too. They have taught us so much about becoming parents and navigating marriage. And our other friends help to push us to see other lifestyles and know it's okay to get messy with one another as long as there is love there. Our friends are always open for honest, real-life conversations and are there for us no matter what. We cherish each and every one of them and hold them close. There is no question that they are our chosen family. We hope to join them in the next stage of life someday and are so grateful for their consistency and encouragement on a daily basis.
