19 (Plus) Wonderful Years with My Best Friend

19 (Plus) Wonderful Years with My Best Friend

A little over 19 years ago, Franicia and I said, “I do”…actually, we said it twice and we’re pronounced “man and wife” twice, but that story is for another time. 😂 We never in our wildest dreams would’ve imagined that we would be blessed with 9 wonderful, precious children. I don’t think that we would’ve ever dreamed that either that we would’ve moved so many times, experienced so many wonderful things, or walked through the trials that we have experienced.

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A Most Wonderful Birthday to You

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Is our sweet baby Pelaiah really sixteen already? It didn’t seem too long ago that Tim and I were eagerly awaiting her arrival. While many people have asked if the origin of her name was from my Pacific Islander heritage or even possibly Hawaiian, they’ve been often surprised to find that we chose her Hebrew name from the Bible because it has such a beautiful meaning --- “Jehovah is wonderful.” 

Pelaiah, not only is our God Wonderful, but you are a wonderful daughter, sister, and person! You’re loving, kind, thoughtful, brilliant, and beautiful! It has been a joy to see your love for many things --- a few of them being music, God’s Word, and learning new things. Your amazing culinary skills in the kitchen with many delicious, healthy foods and desire to selflessly bless many people with meals alongside your siblings has encouraged many people -- including your daddy and me. When you play the piano, especially on a piece that means a lot to you, it’s such a gift to us to see your heart poured out so eloquently on those keys. At times, you stir people’s hearts to tears with that special gift!

May the Lord continue to bless you for the way you love others in your sweet and beautiful way! May you continue to grow, seeking His wisdom and honoring Him all the days of your life. We love you, dear Daughter, more than you’ll ever know! Mwa! 😍🥳❤️🎉😘🎈

(We asked Pelaiah to share with us what photos she loves and would like for us to share here in the coming days. We’ve included some of them in her birthday collage above.)

Happy 15th Birthday to Our Island Girl!

Happy 15th Birthday to Our Island Girl!

Pelaiah, we love you dearly! Happy 15th Birthday to you, our precious island girl! We love your tender heart and how you love to help others. We enjoy hearing how the Lord continues to teach you many wonderful things! The way you play the piano has not only moved us but many other people as well. We are thankful for you and pray that the Lord continues to use you to encourage and bless many people! You’re such a gift in our lives, dear daughter! Mwa!

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Happy 16th Birthday Heistheway

Happy 16th Birthday Heistheway

Oh, Heistheway! Happy 16th Birthday, dear daughter! We’ve showered you with blessings today — telling you how much and why we love you so much and reminiscing about many special memories including the days leading to your waterbirth at home. You’re a beautiful and amazing young woman with a heart whose love for God and others shines forth with compassion, grace, and beauty! You’ve made our lives richer in countless ways, and we’re thankful to the Lord that He chose us to be your parents and family.

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17 Years - A Marriage Prayer

17 Years - A Marriage Prayer

17 years sounds like a long time. Tragically, the average length of marriages in the US is only 8.2 years according to census data. Woohoo! We have more than doubled the national average! (That’s actually sad to write — I wish that we were up to only ⅓ of the nation average. How wonderful would that be? May the Lord grant repentance and healing in our nation and society that marriages would be sacred and long-lasting!)

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Time: Managing Our Most-Precious Commodity

Time: Managing Our Most-Precious Commodity

I was being honest, but I was also being overly optimistic. For years, I thought that I was alone in underestimating how long projects would take for me to finish. I’d often be frustrated when I didn’t accomplish all that I wanted to in a day. Because of my frustration, I was often tempted to “wing it” rather than be very deliberate about my time management.

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