Get To Know Us
Our story began in the fall of 2011 in beautiful Lake Tahoe, CA, when we met at a work conference. Both of us were healing from previous divorces and the last thing on our minds was marriage. But God had different plans! When I met Annie, I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit tell me that she would be my wife. I initially dismissed this thought, convinced it couldn't be true. Looking back, we can only smile at how God works! After time in prayer and getting to know each other, Annie and I developed a deep friendship that blossomed into a long-distance relationship. While I was in GA near my children, Annie lived in CA close to hers. In June of 2013, we united our lives and embarked on our journey as a Blended Family.
As anyone familiar with Blended Families knows, there's no traditional honeymoon phase - you dive straight into real life! We merged our worlds, bringing together six incredible children (4 from Mike, 2 from Annie), while navigating the complexities of our past relationships. These challenges only proved how deep and intentional our love truly was. Perhaps it seemed crazy to others, but we knew with certainty that God was guiding our path.
Those early years of marriage tested us significantly. We discovered we each carried different expectations into our marriage, which influenced everything from our relationship dynamics to parenting our biological and bonus children, managing extended family relationships, and even our spiritual journey. Through deepening our faith and working to unite our family, we discovered a calling to share our story with others. Taking on leadership of our Church's Marriage Ministry opened our eyes to God's transformative power in couples facing similar challenges. We witness divine interventions in marriages battling spiritual warfare, and while we're far from perfect, we're living proof that the marriage of your dreams is within reach with faith and dedication.
Beyond our work in Marriage Ministry, couple coaching, writing, and planning new initiatives, we cherish time with our now-adult children, extended family and friends, our delightful twin grandchildren (two sets - boys and girls!), and our beloved dog Luna. We find joy in our faith, family gatherings, exploration through travel, shared laughter, connecting with new people, peaceful walks, and retreats to the mountains.