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How did you meet and how long have you been married?
We will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary on December 16.
We met during my freshman year of college at Mississippi College,
where Bobby was a senior. We were both working part-time as
contract students at the Corp of Engineers Waterways Experiment
Station in Vicksburg. We were introduced by a mutual friend.
Do you allow time to be with your spouse for a date night?
Date nights are a luxury in this stage of life with busy work responsibilities
and a middle schooler who has an active calendar. We laugh
because most of our friends have reached the empty nest stage, but
our sweet surprise blessing keeps us experiencing parenthood stages
all over again! We have learned over the years that not all “datenights”
must look like dinner out by ourselves. Sometimes, it is just a
ride into town together to check on things at the school, or having a
cup of coffee while Kendall is horseback riding. It may even be
sitting out on our back porch or working in the flower beds together.
The key is making sure that we prioritize communication and not
letting our busy schedules get in the way.
What brings you the greatest joy as a parent?
Outside of knowing that our children have all experienced a
salvation moment with Christ, our greatest joy is watching our
children chase their dreams and become the people that God has
designed them to be. That looks different for each child, and it is
such an honor to see them set goals and work hard to reach them.
With our adult children, it is humbling to watch them make adult
decisions and show maturity and independence. When you see them
embrace the values and spiritual foundation that you tried to model
over the years, it brings such joy.
Who is the financial manager in your home?
Bobby is definitely the financial manager in our home, as he is much
more organized and detail oriented than I am! I prefer to have the
10,000-foot overview whereas he is going to be the one that knows
every small detail. When we were building our home a few years ago,
I was the dreamer and he was the planner, keeping binders filled
with every receipt and communication with contractors. I am
grateful for his ability to focus on the details. Again, the key comes
down to communication. We each know what is important to the
other and truly try to approach all decisions as a team.
When your children were younger, what was your
discipline philosophy?
I would say that our discipline philosophy has evolved over the years.
When Hayden and Kaylee were younger, we were much more
inclined to react immediately before hearing all the details. I admit
that this did lead to times where we had to admit that we got things
wrong. Bobby and I both believe that you admit to your children
when you mess up and offer apologies. I think it shows transparency
and builds trust that they can always come to you. As we have gotten
older and hopefully gained more wisdom, I think we approach
things a little differently with Kendall. Our older two may say that
we are more lenient with Kendall, but I think that we just now
realize what really matters and let some of the smaller details go. I
see so many young parents worried about so many small things, and
I want to reassure them that in the long run, many of those things
will not matter. I think our greatest responsibility as a parent is
ensuring that our kids are secure in their identity in Christ and have
a solid foothold on what they believe. There are so many distractions
in this world, and they will need to return to these truths over and
over again.
What do you see in your role as the greatest benefit
to your family?
I think the greatest benefit to our family that Bobby and I can share
is that we are a living example of what a life of grace, forgiveness and
hard work can do. I want our children to see that life is not always
fair. You will have seasons of struggle and heartbreak, but when
Christ is at the center of everything that you do – you can not only
survive but thrive. We want our kids to see a marriage that is real.
It may not always be easy, but we do not give up. We admit when we
are wrong, we always seek to grow and be better, and we rely heavily
on God’s direction to guide our decisions.
What’s a quick go-to meal that isn’t fast food?
And who does the cooking?
A pot roast in the crockpot is our favorite comfort food. There is
nothing better than walking in from church on Sunday and smelling
the roast cooking. Bobby and I share a lot of the cooking responsibilities.
He is a master on the grill and the entire family would say that
we would put his steaks up against any you can find in a restaurant. I
did joke, though, that with all my work travel, for many years, Bobby
had every restaurant in Rankin County memorized that offered free
kid’s meals and what night they served those!
20 • JANUARY 2024