Chris and I met online during difficult seasons in our lives. My daughter and I were healing from trauma, and Chris was coping with the tragic loss of his first wife, raising his children alone. Despite the pain in our pasts, being together felt natural and effortless. We've been inseparable ever since. Now a blended family of seven, we’ve brought healing, joy, and love into each other’s lives—filling in the missing pieces we didn’t know we were searching for.

We’ve shared so many wonderful memories: holidays, vacations, our wedding. Honestly, no matter what we are doing, we are always having fun & laughing. But our most favorite memory was the birth of our youngest daughter. She felt like the final piece of the puzzle, the perfect thread that wove our two families into one. Her arrival was more than just a joyful moment; it symbolized unity, love, and the beginning of a new chapter in our blended journey, & she continues to make us glow every day.

As you can imagine with a blended family of seven, $20,000 would be an amazing gift and would help us create lifelong memories with a dream family vacation, giving our kids time to bond and celebrate all of our journeys. We'd also make improvements to our home to create an even more loving, and comfortable space. Lastly, we'd like to donate a portion to organizations that support families healing from trauma and loss—because we've lived that story and know how much hope truly matters.