The Sisters' Stories

From left to right: Beckah, Patience, Samantha, Sarah, and Lauren

Hello! I am Lauren, a Christian, wife, and stay at home mom. While all the rest of my sisters live in Maryland, I was uprooted and brought to the sunny south in 2009 when I married one of the most amazing men in the world. My husband Brett and I are still madly in love. He works on a crazy schedule, sometimes from home and sometimes far away for many days. After a few pity parties, I have learned to adjust to the unpredictability and how to put the kids to bed without him. (Most of the time...I still sit down and cry for a bit.)

We have two under 2 and one due to arrive in the beginning of February 2014. Nate and Evelyn keep us laughing!

I frequently feel that I wear too many hats and none of them as well as I would like. Oh wait, isn't that that definition of a stay at home mom?? When the laundry and cooking and cleaning are done (ha!), I dabble in reading, gardening, knitting, raising chickens, and doing crafty stuff with my kids.

 I have a particularly strong love of horses and own a black Oldenburg mare named Rose. She is so much fun and I try to sneak in ride time whenever possible. I also enjoy teaching a few riding lessons every week.

Even though I am far away, I am still a small part of the family heating and air business and do the bookkeeping for my dad. 

On this blog, I hope to keep in closer touch with my sisters and write about healthy cooking, crafting with kids, and fun family stuff. My husband is grain-free and sugar-free, so most of my cooking (except when I am seized by an uncontrollable desire to bake chocolate chip cookies) would fall into the category of whole food and low carb. 


 I am Samantha, the second oldest in our family. I am  a follower of Christ and His love for me has changed my life. I have been married to my lovely husband, Nicholas since October 2008 and have two children, Ella and Jackson. I am currently a stay at home mom with an around the clock laundry shift. My dishwasher is also broken, so I spend a ridiculous amount of time washing dishes.  When I'm not doing those thrilling activities, I enjoy working out, cooking/baking, and reading. 

I have long been interested in health and fitness, and as a busy wife and mother I'm always searching for that elusive balance between passion and obsession. After I got married, I put on 20 lbs in a year from eating out constantly and working out... never. I got pregnant with my daughter while carrying those extra pounds and this happened...

I had my daughter and immediately signed up for a sprint triathlon with my dear friend and one of my sisters. We trained for 9 months and it was so helpful for me to have an attainable goal that kept me accountable.  
I lost a total of 30 pounds through continuing to run 5k's and by eating better. I got pregnant with my son last summer and had a much easier pregnancy. 

I strive with my family to eat healthy foods 80% of the time. I love my treats too much to never eat them again. I've dabbled in vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free lifestyles and I think I've found what works best for me. We try to be active together as a family, but I also find the time for 20-30 minutes of HARD exercise every day. I still have a ways to go and I'm excited to share what I learn along the way! 

 Patience, here! I am a middle child and therefore I am easy-going,charming, and hardworking. My faith in Jesus Christ is first and foremost. My mission is to serve others and be a witness for Him in all that i do.  

Being healthy, strong, and fit is important to me but I've found its vital to learn a balance between being obsessed with how I look and being healthy.  I'm a NPTI certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant with a lot of training using NASM methods. I would watch Biggest Loser when I was younger and wanted to help people like Jillian Michaels did.

 I started working out and studying what exercises worked better than others. Since I wasn't a member of a gym at that time, I became quite used to writing up workouts with no gym equipment. I think its important to not rely on treadmills and ab crunch machines to lose weight. Since both my older sisters were gaining weight and having children, I used them as my guinea pigs and worked out with them as much as possible. I get a kick as a younger sister saying,"DON'T QUIT! 5 more seconds!!" and seeing the dread in their faces. They constantly amaze me with their drive and passion. 

There is a very special man in my life, Guy. He is a godly example of a man that honors God and I am constantly amazed by his passion and drive for serving our Savior. And he makes me laugh a lot!

I also enjoy teeth. Yes, you read that right. I'm a part-time dental assistant and I love learning more about the field everyday.





 Hi, I'm Sarah, *the*middle child and Patience really needs to stop trying to steal my titles. 
I work in the office for our family business, a heating and air conditioning company. We laugh and cry together, there is nothing quite like working with your dad and brothers. 
In my free time this fall, I'm taking counseling classes at CCEF, working as a peer counselor at the local pregnancy center, working at horse shows, and preparing to start college in the spring. 

In 2011, at age 15, I was 5'8 and weighed almost 175lbs. I began working out, running, and eating less. I started dropping weight and growing, but I took it too far and didn't know how to stop the losing mentality or eat normally.   By January 2013, I weighed 115lbs and was almost 6'0.  

January 2011 

Almost exactly two years later January 2013 down 50lbs and 5" taller 

 My family and friends saw the signs and got me help. Christian counseling and a nutritionist have helped tremendously to get me back on a healthy track. Gaining weight has been hard because losing is a hard mindset to overcome. 
"For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD." Isaiah 58:8-11
 After gaining almost 10 lbs, I'm happier, healthier and loving life. I've grown closer to my Savior through it all, I'm learning to give him control of everything, not just the things that are easy. 
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose." Romans 8:28 
 I want to enjoy life and food, working out for 30 minutes/3-5 days a week and eating 3 meals/2 snacks. I love cooking and baking, so I'm always looking for new delicious, healthy,creative recipes.  The Lord is doing amazing things with me, His plans are always right. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11  
Part of His plan, was bringing Mark into my life. He is hardworking, selfless, and caring and I'm beyond blessed to know him.  

Hello I am Rebekah! I am the youngest of the girls by a few years and surrounded by a sea of boys. I am home schooled and in the 8th grade. Some of my favorite things to do are reading, painting and drawing, ride horses, and play with my nieces and nephews.