Pages of our Life

July 2026

July was a month of looking forward.

For so much of this year, our focus has been on making it through the next day, the next week, or the next obstacle. Between health scares, moving, financial challenges, and all the uncertainty that seemed to follow us through the first half of the year, long-term planning often felt impossible.

But this month, for the first time in a long while, we found ourselves talking about the future instead of just surviving the present.

One of the biggest milestones this month came from our little one taking her first steps. Watching those tiny, wobbly steps brought a mix of excitement, pride, and disbelief. It feels like every month she discovers something new she can do, and every month we're reminded just how quickly she's growing. It's hard to believe how far she's come from the tiny preemie we brought home less than a year ago.

As parents, moments like these have a way of putting everything else into perspective.

July also became the month of dreaming again.

Together, we began developing our family's five-year plan. Some of those plans are practical; career goals, financial stability, housing, and education. Others are bigger dreams that have lived quietly in the backs of our minds while life was too chaotic to think about them. For the first time in a long time, those dreams don't feel impossible anymore.

They still feel far away.

But they finally feel reachable.

Of course, life is still life. There are still unexpected expenses, stressful days, and moments where everything feels more complicated than it should. Building a future takes time, and we're learning that progress doesn't always happen as quickly as we'd like.

But when we look back at where we were just a few months ago, it's impossible not to see how much has changed.

And that's where this month's reflection really begins.

People often say, "It takes a village."

For us, we've learned that sometimes it takes an army.

Not a large army.

Not hundreds of people.

Just the right people.

This year has shown us who those people are.

When life became overwhelming, when plans fell apart, when health issues arose, when we needed a place to stay, when we needed advice, encouragement, prayers, or simply someone willing to listen, certain people stepped forward without hesitation.

Some are family.

Some are friends.

Some are people we never expected to become such an important part of our lives.

What we've learned is that family isn't always defined by blood. Sometimes family is the person who answers the phone when you're struggling. Sometimes it's the friend who opens their home when you have nowhere else to go. Sometimes it's the people who continue showing up long after the crisis has passed.

Those people have carried us through more than they probably realize.

There have been moments this year when we genuinely don't know what we would have done without them.

While our army may be small, it is strong.

It is built on love, loyalty, kindness, faith, and people who chose to stand beside us when they didn't have to.

As we continue building this next chapter of our lives, we're incredibly grateful for every person who has walked this road with us. The challenges of this year may have tested us, but they also revealed something beautiful: we were never fighting alone.

And sometimes, that's all the strength you need.

June 2026

June marked the beginning of a true new start for our family. After months of hospital stays, uncertainty, temporary living arrangements, financial struggles, and constant change, we finally reached a place where it felt like we could stop surviving and start living again.

Life still isn't perfect, and we know there will always be challenges ahead, but this month felt different. Instead of constantly putting out fires, we finally had the chance to settle in, catch our breath, and start building a new chapter for our little family.

The biggest milestone this month was officially moving into our new house. After months of uncertainty, temporary living arrangements, difficult decisions, and countless boxes, we're finally able to call a place our own again.

It's not the biggest home we've ever had, but it's exactly what we need right now; a place that's safe, comfortable, and allows us to move forward together.

Slowly, it's beginning to feel like home.

Emma continues to amaze us every single day. This month, standing has become the new favorite activity. Watching those tiny legs grow stronger with every attempt is both exciting and bittersweet.

It feels like just yesterday we were bringing home a tiny preemie, and now we're watching a little personality develop right before our eyes. Every milestone reminds us just how quickly time passes.

Work has also started falling into place. The new job is going well, and with each passing week, confidence continues to grow. Learning a new position comes with its own challenges, but having steady employment has brought a sense of stability that we've desperately needed. After everything we've experienced this year, even something as simple as having a routine feels like a blessing.

That doesn't mean life has suddenly become easy.

There are still bills to pay, goals we're working toward, and plenty of days where we're reminded that healing, both emotionally and financially, takes time. Some wounds don't disappear overnight, and rebuilding a life after difficult seasons isn't something that happens all at once.

But for the first time in months, we're beginning to notice something changing.

The hard days no longer outweigh the good ones.

Our home is beginning to fill with laughter again instead of constant stress. Conversations about the future feel exciting instead of frightening. We're finding ourselves making plans instead of simply surviving each day.

There's still work to do, but we're finally able to look ahead with hope instead of fear.

Looking back at the beginning of this year, it's hard to believe how much has changed. Hospital rooms, uncertainty, moving, financial struggles, and countless obstacles have shaped us into a stronger family than we ever imagined we'd have to become.

June wasn't filled with huge victories or dramatic moments.

Instead, it gave us something even better: peace.

Sometimes a fresh start doesn't come with fireworks. Sometimes it arrives quietly, one ordinary day at a time, reminding you that life really can begin again.

As we close out the first half of the year, we're choosing hope. We're choosing gratitude. And most of all, we're choosing to believe that the best chapters of our story are still waiting to be written.

May 2026

As May comes to a close, life finally feels a little quieter. Not perfect. Not easy. But quieter.

After months of chaos, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion, this month has felt like the first chance we’ve had to genuinely catch our breath.

There are still stressful days and hard conversations, but compared to where we started this year, things finally seem to be slowing down enough for us to see the progress we’ve made.

One of the biggest changes this month came professionally. What started as a job with Sentry Security unexpectedly turned into a transfer to its parent company, Anthem Technology. While transitions always come with uncertainty, this opportunity feels like a step forward and a chance to build something more stable for our family long-term.

It’s still an adjustment learning new responsibilities and routines, but for the first time in a while, the future feels a little less fragile.

At the same time, we’ve been preparing for another major transition: moving into our new townhouse. Packing boxes, organizing belongings, and figuring out what comes next has taken up most of our energy lately.

Moving always sounds exciting in theory, but the reality is stressful, emotional, and exhausting—especially after everything we’ve already been through this year. Still, there’s comfort in knowing we’re walking toward a place that will better support our family and our needs.

This month also gave us something we desperately needed: space.

While my parents went on a cruise, we were given some uninterrupted time to focus on ourselves, our relationship, and our family without outside noise or pressure. In a strange way, the quiet helped.

We were able to reconnect, work through lingering tension, and simply exist together without constantly feeling like we were in survival mode. Not every conversation has been easy, but the time gave us room to recharge emotionally in a way we hadn’t realized we needed.

School also officially came to an end this month, and despite all the instability life threw at us this semester, we both managed to finish with pretty good grades. Looking back at everything that happened between January and now, that honestly feels like a huge accomplishment.

There were moments earlier this year where just making it through the week felt difficult, let alone balancing college on top of everything else.

And while the adults have been busy trying to hold life together, Emma has continued growing at full speed.

A tiny tooth is just about ready to pop through, which has brought sleepless nights, fussiness, and endless chewing on absolutely everything. At the same time, she finally has enough hair for tiny bows; a milestone that somehow feels equally adorable and emotional.

It’s strange watching these little changes happen so quickly while everything else around us feels so uncertain.

One of the most exciting personal projects this month has been Faith diving deeper into shirt designing and creative work. What started as an idea slowly turned into something real this month as the final touches were added to her website.

Seeing it all come together has been exciting, especially after such a difficult start to the year. Plans are already being made for her first booth sales this summer at Sam Houston, which feels both nerve-wracking and exciting all at once.

Of course, even with all these positive moments, things still aren’t magically fixed.

Money is still tight. Stress still lingers in the background. Some days exhaustion catches up to us harder than we expect. Healing from everything this year brought hasn’t happened overnight, and we’re still learning how to move forward without carrying every bit of fear and tension with us.

But this month reminded us that progress doesn’t always arrive in huge life-changing moments.

Sometimes it looks like passing your classes after months of struggle. Sometimes it looks like laughing together again after weeks of tension. Sometimes it’s a baby tooth, a tiny bow, a packed moving box, or the beginning of a dream finally feeling real.

And maybe those small moments matter more than we realize.

April 2026

April felt messy in every sense of the word.

There were moments this month that felt beautiful and exciting, and others that felt heavy, exhausting, and emotionally draining.

Somehow, all of it existed at the same time. That seems to be the season of life we’re in lately: trying to hold onto the good while still surviving the hard.

One of the brightest parts of this month has been watching Emma grow so quickly.

Crawling officially started this month, and before we could even fully process that milestone, standing quickly followed behind it.

Every day feels like another reminder that our tiny little baby is becoming more independent right before our eyes.

We also got to experience her first trip to the pool this month. It was one of those simple family moments that felt important after everything we’ve been through these past few months.

Watching the splashing, the curiosity, and the tiny smiles reminded us that even during difficult seasons, happiness still finds its way into the little moments.

But outside of those happy memories, April also carried a lot of stress.

After trying to work through an agreement involving our previous housing situation, we ultimately decided to back out after realizing the owners had not been honest with us.

It was frustrating and discouraging, especially after already dealing with months of instability and uncertainty.

Having to change plans again felt exhausting.

Thankfully, after all the back and forth, we were able to sign a lease for a small townhouse.

It may not be perfect or huge, but it represents something we’ve desperately needed: a fresh start and a place that better fits our family’s needs.

Even with the excitement of finally having a new place lined up, moving and starting over again has brought its own set of pressures.

This month also brought a meaningful personal milestone as Faith officially got her last name changed.

It was one of those moments that felt emotional in a quiet way, a reminder that despite all the chaos life has thrown at us lately, we’re still building a life together and moving forward as a family.

On top of everything else, a new chapter started professionally as my new job at Sentry Security began this month. Having well paying work brought some relief financially, even though balancing employment, school, parenting, health concerns, and moving has been overwhelming at times.

And truthfully, April hasn’t been easy on us emotionally.

The stress of constant change, financial pressure, health struggles, and uncertainty has created tension in our home. There have been arguments, emotional breakdowns, and moments where everything feels stretched too thin. Some days we’ve needed space from each other just to breathe and reset. Loving each other through difficult seasons is not always pretty or graceful, and this month reminded us of that.

But even with all of that, we’re still trying.

We’re trying to communicate better. Trying to build stability. Trying to give each other grace when emotions run high. Trying to remember that we’re on the same team, even when life makes it difficult to feel that way.

April wasn’t a month of having everything together. It was a month of growth happening in the middle of stress. Of rebuilding while exhausted. Of celebrating milestones while still carrying heavy things in the background.

And maybe that’s what progress really looks like sometimes.

Not perfection. Just continuing forward anyway.

March 2026

March began with heartbreak.

At the very start of the month, we had to make one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever faced: saying goodbye to Cross, Faith’s service dog.

Cross wasn’t just a dog; he was a constant companion, a source of support, and a steady presence through so many of life’s ups and downs.

Letting him go was something we knew had to be done for a while, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The house has felt quieter without him, and there’s a space in our lives that will never quite be filled the same way.

We’re incredibly grateful for everything he gave us and the role he played in helping Faith through some of her hardest days.

From there, the month continued to bring major changes; big, overwhelming, and at times exhausting change. If February was about finding our footing, March has been about learning how to move forward, even when the ground keeps shifting beneath us.

Soon after putting Cross down, we made the difficult decision to leave our home.

What once felt like a stable place for our family quickly became something that was working against us.

The house simply wasn’t wheelchair-friendly, and over time it began to take a toll on Faith’s health.

As hard as it was to walk away, we knew staying would only make things worse.

So, we packed up what we could and stepped into the unknown.

For the first week, we stayed with a friend; grateful for a place to land, even temporarily. Shortly after, we transitioned to staying with family.

It hasn’t been easy adjusting to shared spaces and a completely different routine, but having a roof over our heads and people willing to support us has meant everything during this time.

In the middle of all this uncertainty, something unexpected but deeply meaningful happened: we found our way back to our relationship with God.

When everything else felt unstable, that sense of faith became something steady to hold onto.

It’s been a quiet but powerful source of comfort, reminding us that even in the hardest moments, we’re not alone in this.

We’ve also been taking steps toward a better future, even if progress feels slow.

We put a hold on a new place that will better fit our needs, and we’ve started working with our current landlord to break our lease.

It’s a process filled with conversations, paperwork, and patience; but it’s a step in the right direction.

One of the brightest moments in the last days of the month has been finding a new service mobility dog for Faith. This has already started to make a real difference in her daily life.

For the first time in a while, she’s been able to get out of her wheelchair a little more, gaining back small pieces of independence that once felt out of reach.

Seeing that progress, even in small steps, has brought a sense of hope into our lives.

That said, this month hasn’t been easy. Financial stress has weighed heavily on us as we juggle moving, school, and everyday expenses that just continue to pile up.

There have been moments where everything feels like too much, where the uncertainty of it all is hard to ignore.

But through it all, we’re still here. Taking things one day at a time.

Some days that means making plans and pushing forward. Other days it simply means getting through the day and calling that enough.

Either way, we’re continuing to move, even if it’s slowly.

March hasn’t been about having it all together. It’s been about surviving, adapting, and beginning to rebuild.

And even in the struggle, we can see that we’re making our way toward something better.

Febuary 2026

After the chaos and fear that January brought into our lives, February felt like the month where we slowly began to breathe again.

One of the biggest moments of relief came when the results from Faith’s CT scans coming back completely clear.

After everything that happened with the infection in January, the lingering worry was hard to shake. Waiting for those results felt like holding onto the last bit of tension from a month that had already taken so much out of us. Hearing the words that everything looked normal was a weight we didn’t realize we were still carrying.

It finally felt like we could start moving forward.

Another huge chapter closed this month when the CPS report was officially closed with nothing found.

From the very beginning we knew the claim was unbased, but the process of proving that still came with stress, paperwork, and a lot of frustration. When we received confirmation that the case was closed, it felt like a dark cloud lifting from above our family.

It was a reminder that sometimes the truth really does speak for itself.

With those two major things finally behind us, February became the month where we tried to start putting our lives back together.

After missing so much normal routine in January, we spent a lot of this month trying to get back into a rhythm.

School assignments, lectures, and deadlines returned to the center of our days as we continued the second semester of our sophomore year of college. Balancing classes, work, parenting, and everyday responsibilities hasn’t been perfect, but we’re slowly figuring out how to manage it all again.

Daycare has also become part of our new normal. What felt emotional and uncertain last month is beginning to feel more routine. Emma is settling in, learning new things, and getting used to a schedule outside the house. Every day still feels a little strange dropping her off, but it’s comforting to see her adjusting and growing.

This month also became a time for small resets around the house. We’ve been trying to organize things that fell apart during January. Catching up on chores, sorting through paperwork, and slowly putting our space back in order.

Some nights it feels like we’re only managing the bare minimum, but even those small steps forward matter.

We’ve also tried to give ourselves moments to slow down when we can.

Quiet evenings together, simple meals at home, and the occasional chance to sit down without worrying about the next emergency have started to feel like luxuries. After everything that happened, normal life suddenly feels like something worth appreciating.

February wasn’t perfect, and we definitely don’t have everything figured out yet. But compared to where we were just a month ago, it feels like we’re standing on steadier ground.

Right now, that’s enough.

January 2026

January was not the gentle beginning to the year we had imagined.

Instead, it arrived with challenges that tested our strength in ways we never expected. Looking back now, it feels like one of those months that changes you; quietly, deeply, and permanently.

The month began with one of the scariest moments our family has ever faced.

Early in January, Faith was admitted to the hospital after developing a serious infection affecting her brain, spine, and blood: gram-negative meningitis.

What followed were three long weeks in the hospital filled with uncertainty, exhaustion, and a lot of prayers. Hospital rooms, doctor updates, and the constant beeping of machines became our daily routine.

Thankfully, after weeks of treatment and careful monitoring, she recovered. Walking out of the hospital together was something we will never forget. It felt like stepping back into the world after holding our breath for nearly a month.

We are endlessly grateful that she is alright and healing now.

As if that wasn’t enough for one month, we were also blindsided by a completely unbased CPS report.

It was stressful and frustrating to navigate something so serious when we were already emotionally drained.

Still, we faced it head-on, answered every question, and reminded ourselves that we know the truth about the kind of home and family we are building.

Amid all of that chaos, life kept moving forward.

Both of us started the second semester of our sophomore year of college, balancing classes, assignments, and responsibilities while trying to regain some normalcy after the hospital stay.

It wasn’t easy jumping back into coursework after such a heavy start to the month, but continuing school felt like an important step toward stability.

Another big milestone for our family happened this month too. Emma started daycare!

Dropping our baby off for the first time was a mixture of nerves, pride, and a tiny bit of sadness.

It’s one of those moments where you realize just how quickly time moves. But we know it’s a step toward growth, learning, and new friendships.

January stretched us thin. It scared us, frustrated us, and pushed us to our limits. But it also reminded us how strong we can be together when things get hard.

Through hospital halls, stressful phone calls, school schedules, and new beginnings, we made it through the month as a family.

And that alone feels like a victory.