Meet our family!
Mick is our brave leader. He’s an introvert who feels more comfortable speaking to a crowd of 500 or having coffee one-on-one than mingling at any gathering. He’s been (in no particular order) a business coach, a baseball coach, an instrument-rated pilot and certified flight instructor, a police officer, a firefighter, a mechanic, a brown belt in aikido, a cross-cultural worker, a small business owner/salesman, a team leader, a stock photo model, an interim pastor, an English teacher, a web app developer, a popular guest speaker, and the manager of a social outreach center. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is that I’ve seen him do all those things well. Mick is one of the most Kingdom-minded people I know, he is quick to use his gifts to serve others, and he makes his family a priority. He holds a Master of Arts in Religion, and he can do a Rubik’s cube in under 2 minutes. (In case you haven’t guessed it yet, he’s my favorite.) 😉 Our 15 years of marriage have been one long adventure–with all the bright spots and scary dark places of any good story. God isn’t done writing our story yet, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
I’m Rachel, the momma sheep around here. (Literally. My name means “ewe.”) I spend most of my time being Mick’s sidekick and cheerleader while taking care of our brood of children, and I seriously wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always felt that if I ever had to pick just one thing to do or just one place to live, I’d go crazy. Apparently I chose my companion well, because we’ve moved 12 times over the years (back and forth between Nashville, Madrid, Charlotte, and Málaga), and we’ve been involved in countless projects and endeavors as God has given us the opportunity. When I was a kid, I thought the coolest job in the world was to be a photojournalist for National Geographic. Now, because of Mick’s constant support and encouragement to pursue my gifts and passions (not to mention his technical skill support!), I’ve been able to travel, shoot photography, and write extensively–and be involved in Kingdom work at the same time! While I get excited about almost any creative endeavor, my true loves are literature, writing, and photography. I’m thankful for the chance to pursue those loves in a way that enhances my motherhood instead of distracting from it. I hope to use what I’ve been given here to share inspiration and encourage you, friend!
We have four beautiful children–three rowdy boys and one sweet baby girl, each about three years apart in age from the next. They are a constant source of joy and chaos, delight and frustration, humor and exasperation. All have been in therapy for one need or another, from sensory processing disorders to speech to vision to feeding issues. Needs tend to compound around here, and you can be certain that we do NOT have it all together. However, we do have a vision for what we want our family to be, and we have always involved our children in our endeavors to a large degree. These kids shape who we are becoming as much as we shape them. They are a treasure from the Lord, and we want to steward our time with them well.