We are a family of seven.  Two parents, Jason and Marianne; five children, Grace, JJ, Josiah, Jeremiah, and Jedidiah (Jedi); one dog, Quinn the White Swiss Shepherd; and a few fish.  

We are a Christian family who fervently chases after Jesus and His love for the world.  We believe in following the teachings of Christ over the denominations of man.  We believe in allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through life.  We believe that all people are created in His image and that we all find our value and worth in Him.  We are passionate about seeking justice and loving mercy.  We strive to live by the greatest commandment on which all others rest; love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

We are a military family approaching military retirement.  We have spent many years traveling the globe and living in temporary homes.  We have lived in 9 homes during our marriage, with an average of 20 months in each home. We are grateful for the opportunity to see God’s hand in so many places around our country and world. Whether that is in beautiful places like Garmisch, Germany or Miami, Florida where we could easily see the majesty of our Creator, or in locations that have less spectacular landscapes like Baltimore, Maryland or Atlanta, Georgia. We are thankful for and blessed by each assignment and every single person we have encountered along our journey.  Although we will miss the military life, we are looking forward to Jason’s military retirement and being able to settle in one place for more than a few years. 

We are a food allergy family that has learned to embrace creative food sourcing, prep, and cooking. Three people in our family are allergic to corn. If you didn’t know, corn is, literally, in nearly every single food we buy from the grocery store. We have had to learn to source our food locally, cook and bake from specialty items, and get creative with finding replacements to our favorite foods.  Corn allergy cooking has forced us to stretch our palettes and skillset.  We have discovered that having a corn allergy extends far beyond food.  Many daily, household chemicals are derived from corn as well as many fabrics we all have in our homes.  A corn allergy diagnosis has, literally and figuratively, turned our lifestyle upside down.  And we are so much better for it.

We are a homeschool family that loves finding ways to learn in everyday activities.  We have a unique style of schooling in which the whole family learns together outside of workbooks.  We love field trips, experiments, games, educational videos, documentaries, google, travel, and reading encyclopedias. We have adopted this style of homeschooling after tailoring our school days to help our eldest son who struggles with some learning differences.  We realized that books were not the best way for him to learn.  We have adapted and overcome and have arrived at a style of learning where everyone in our household is involved and engaged, whether they are 4 years old or almost 40.  

We are a sports family that spends our weekends traveling to soccer games or gymnastics meets. We love the lessons, the comradery, the perseverance, the determination, the individual accountability, and the teamwork one can learn through sports. Of course, we fully believe those lessons can be learned anywhere in life, but sports are familiar to us. Jason spent his childhood on the ballfield in various sports and coached those same sports as a young adult.  Marianne grew up in the gym. She was a gymnast for 16 years and now coaches three competitive gymnastics teams.  Grace played lacrosse in high school, JJ plays on a travel soccer team, Josiah and Jeremiah are in competitive gymnastics, and Jedi takes gymnastics classes.   

We are a small-business-owning family that has a zeal for helping people love themselves through their wardrobe. We own and operate a clothing boutique inside our home.  We have an amazing community of clients whom we serve and encourage through clothing.  When we first found LuLaRoe, Marianne had just given birth to our 5th child, Jedi and was struggling to find clothing that made her feel comfortable in her own skin. The clothing she found in her best friend’s boutique helped her realize that she doesn’t have to be the young 20-something she once was in order to feel beautiful and confident.  Shortly after putting on her first pair of leggings, we embarked on a family journey of selling clothing as social retailers. 

We are an outdoor-loving family that thinks the perfect vacation includes a tent, campfire, and fishing. We relish in the ability to connect with God’s creation.  Whether we are hiking in the Alps of Bavaria, dipping our toes in the sandy beaches of Miami, or walking the trails in the woods behind our house in Central Maryland, we feel grounded by the fresh air, the soft breeze, the animals around us, and the dirt beneath our feet. 

We are a family who tries to rejoice at all times.  We are determined to live with joy in our hearts and minds. We are not a perfect family, but we have found triumph in our imperfections. Enjoy this journey with us!