Rankin1220web

Stacey asked me out to dinner then asked
me to marry him a year later in front of
Cinderella’s castle. Yep, Disney World, the
place where dreams come true! God has
blessed us immensely over the past 12
years, and our dreams have come true
together here in Rankin County.
Do you allow time to be with your
spouse for a date night?
Yes, we most definitely make time for
a date night. We each go to great lengths
to make sure the other person always feels
loved, appreciated, and safe, so making
time for each other is paramount in our
relationship.
What brings you the greatest joy
as a parent?
Watching our son grow as a confident
Christian brings us the greatest joy. Thorn
and I have the best conversations going to
and from school every day as we listen to
K-Love and Moody Radio. He’s listening,
discussing things on his mind, and
20 •• DECEMBER 2020
applying what he hears in his own life.
Hearing him say “I prayed,” in response
to any obstacle he may face makes us so
proud that he realizes the power of prayer.
It’s those moments we are so thankful for.
He’s also been a taekwondo student with
Master Lee at Lee’s Martial Arts since
2017. He’s now training and testing for
his black belt, which is no easy task, but
he’s realizing the value of hard work and
how it pays off.
Who is the financial manager in
your home?
This is a role that Stacey and I share
together. We discuss any major purchases
and our financial goals. We both believe
in his role as the leader of our family, and
he chooses to share that responsibility
with me.
When your child was younger, what
was your discipline philosophy?
We definitely believe we could be even
stricter than we are, but we both believe in
keeping kids accountable. Parenting isn’t
always easy, and one thing I’ve realized is
that parenting is a learning process. We
don’t get it right all of the time, but we
keep trying our best so that our son grows
up to be the best person, Christian, and
citizen he can be.
What do you see in your role as the
greatest benefit to your family?
In Thorn’s training, one of the five tenets
of taekwondo is having an indomitable
spirit. I think that is something that
Stacey and I both strive to exemplify in
our family in that we never give up. I grew
up riding horses, and when I’d get bucked
off, I learned to get right back on again,
even when I might have been a little
scared to do it. That’s such a life lesson.
There will always be obstacles to overcome,
but having that indomitable spirit is
what makes the difference. None of that
would be possible, though, without our
faith in whatever God’s will is for our lives.
We have learned to trust Him in all things
and to always live with a grateful heart,
praising God in the sunshine and the
storms.
What’s a quick go to meal that isn’t
fast food? And who does the cooking?
I’m the primary cook at our house, and we
have a few quick go-to meals–egg roll in a
bowl, Big Mac salad, our healthy version
of Outback’s Alice Springs Chicken, all
quick, easy, healthy recipes. Our favorite
meal though is to sous vide a steak for
about 3.5 hours then sear it on the grill for
a few minutes. Besides the sous vide, the
secret ingredient is the Fleur de Sel salt.
That’s an Ina Garten tip I learned years
ago. Add some veggies and fruit, and
we’re all set.
How long has Flowood been your
home?
Flowood has been our home for 13 years.
What are some of your favorite things
about Rankin County?
There are so many things that make us
proud to call Rankin County home.
Everything we need is here. And though
it is a suburban area, it’s small enough that
we still get to enjoy a safe, small town
atmosphere.
How do you spend your summer
breaks?
When I used to be a school administrator,
my summer breaks consisted of working
even while off contract. But we made a
change a few years ago, and God has given
us such perspective and guidance. After
dealing with infertility for a few years, we
were blessed with Thorn after praying for
him for so long. Now after making the
decision to go back into the classroom, we
make certain to spend quality time
together visiting our family, traveling,
having fun pool days with friends, and
simply enjoying being together.