I have been blessed with the most amazing family! They have always been there to love and support me through good and bad times.
My mom has been an inspiration to me my whole life. She has showered all of her children with a pure unconditional love. Above all I have been inspired by her ever constant mission to ask our Mother in faith for prayers and guidance to her Son's heart. I can see how the life and faithfulness of Mary has led her to put us first at all times. I'm so blessed to have had someone there my whole life to support and be there for me.
Kimberly is without a doubt my best friend. She loves me and cares for me unconditionally and always sought to help me grow in my faith. Little known story about my sister. In her own blog where she finds Everlasting Encouragement, she mentions how she used to sing a certain song to me when I was little and afraid of the dark. Many years later I was going through a very tough time and happened to post on my Instant Messenger "away status" that I was scared and was in need of some help. I returned to the computer and found she had left me a message saying "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, I will trust in you, I will trust in you. When I am afraid I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise." This was a turning point for me not only out of the low place I was in, but a moment I look back on my life and know that hope was instilled in me. In 2009 she married Jason Wagner. He has been the most amazing brother in law. I have confided in him more than some of my closest friends. Jason and I are so blessed to have this couple in our life to look to for help whenever we have doubts or questions.
My brother, Bryan, is the best big brother a girl could ask for. Ask me this 8-12 years ago and I'd say "man won't he just leave me alone?" But looking back now I know that each shove and attempt to dip my head in the toilet were his way of making me tough, and each guy he scared away was his way of protecting me. Another little known story: Around the same time as the story above, Bryan was driving me somewhere (I can't remember where now) and our conversation took an usually serious turn. Bryan is one of the funniest people I know with a gift for sarcasm. But in that moment he looked at me and told me he loved me, and that he didn't know what was going on but that he was concerned for me. He told me he would always be there to protect me and if needed he could be in Dallas (from College Station where he was going to college at the time) in 2 hours. This was definitely another one of those moments for me where I realized how lucky I am to be surrounded by a family who was willing to love me through anything. In 2007 he married a wonderful woman, Nancy. She has been a great addition to our family and someone I credit for convincing Bryan to let go a little and let me date Jason. In July of 2011 they had their first born daughter, Brooklyn. Brooklyn is the little light in all of our lives right now. She's a constant reminder of the gift of love and the life.
