6
Tennessee
Catholic
Ali 20 yr
Ali:
When I married Greg, I not only became a wife, but I also became a stepmom to Greg’s beautiful daughter, Ali. I’m so blessed to have Ali in my life. Ali and I have a special friendship and have developed a close bond. Ali, her friends, and soccer teammates spent lots of time in our home laughing, making pizzas, and creating sundaes with homemade ice cream.
When I met Ali, she was a cute 12-year-old girl. Today, she is a confident and optimistic college student! She is a dedicated undergraduate whose hard work in high school earned her several academic scholarships and made her an award-winning member of her varsity soccer team. We are so proud of our Ali!
Balee Kate 2 yr
1
Greg and I always enjoy our time together. We like to spend time outdoors, on a kayak or paddleboard, and are always up for a competitive driveway basketball game! We also like working in our yard. I plant flowers and watch them grow, and Greg keeps them watered. Together we make a great team! We love grabbing ice cream with our nieces, cheering on our favorite teams, and watching funny movies together. Christmas movies are in season all year! Whether we’re at home on game night or out sharing a pizza, we always have fun laughing together.
Our love story:
Greg and I met through my younger brother, Will. Will and Greg met shortly after Will graduated from college. Years later, Will bumped into Greg at the grocery store. He told Greg he should give me a call. Will had never set me up on a date before, so I knew this guy must be someone special! I agreed to go out with Greg, and we have been together ever since.
We dated for one year before becoming engaged. On a cold New Year’s Day, Greg and I went on a romantic walk along the riverfront in Nashville. We were on the beautiful pedestrian bridge overlooking the city when snow began to fall and music began to play. A man on an electric keyboard was playing Ed Sheeran’s song, “Thinking Out Loud”— a beautiful love song about growing old with your true love. I looked at Greg and he was down on one knee. He told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him. I enthusiastically said, “Yes!” I complimented Greg for having the musician play the lovely music for the proposal, but Greg said he had not hired him. The musician just happened to be on the bridge performing the perfect soundtrack for our engagement! Every time we pass the pedestrian bridge, we remember the wonderful night we promised to belong to each other forever.
Our wedding was a dream come true! The fun began at our rehearsal dinner. Instead of a traditional dinner, we invited the wedding party to a baseball game. We enjoyed the fireworks display over the ballpark that night—it was as if everyone there was celebrating with us. Our wedding was held at the Nashville Symphony Center. The wedding was a family affair. All our siblings, their spouses, and their children were included in the wedding party. We had an amazing band and everyone danced all night! Our wedding was a joyous event and a true celebration of God’s promises.
About Greg by: Katherine
Greg enjoys family cookout, exploring the hardware store, coaching soccer, and getting together with the guys for some friendly basketball.
Greg is warm, loving, and accepting—he is the most Christlike person I know. He has an amazing way of connecting with people. No matter where we go, he always leaves with a new friend. Greg makes people feel important because he really
listens to them. A natural problem solver, Greg is always looking for something to fix or improve. If something is broken, my family will say it needs to be “Gregorized.” Our nephews even gave him a T-shirt that says, “Keep Calm and Let Uncle Greg Fix It!”
Greg is also protective, insightful, and focused. He anticipates our family’s needs before we have them. Greg takes excellent care of everything in his life including our home, our pets, and especially our family. He is a wonderful father, is naturally patient and mild-mannered. Greg is a good teacher and an excellent soccer coach. He is Ali’s biggest cheerleader and sees endless potential in her. His support and encouragement gave Ali the confidence to graduate high school with honors, receive an academic scholarship to college, and pursue her dreams.
Our family traditions:
In our family, we celebrate everything! We celebrate big wins, small victories, and everything in between! Christmas is always a busy and exciting time for our family, but we make it a priority to enjoy the preparations as much as we do the celebrations on Christmas Day. We go see Christmas lights, watch endless Christmas movies, have dance parties, and attend our goddaughter’s performance of The Nutcracker with the Nashville Ballet. Our families are a melting pot and we like to incorporate special foods and traditions from all our different heritages, including Mexican, Spanish, German, and Irish. On Christmas Eve, we go to church as a family and open one gift when we get home—always a new pair of Christmas pajamas! On Christmas morning, we open our stockings from Santa first. Every member of the family has their own handmade knit stocking with their name on it. The tradition of knitting these stockings will soon be passed down to me and I can’t wait to create a one-of-a kind stocking for our little one!
We spend time every summer at a lake in southern Maine swimming, canoeing, mountain climbing, and picking blueberries for blueberry pancakes. We roast hot dogs on the campfire and enjoy s’mores under the stars. The very best part is enjoying the beauty of God’s creation together. I have happy and carefree childhood memories of summers in Maine, and we are excited to experience this with our children. We also look forward to our summertime beach get-a-ways. Our favorite spots include the Outer Banks in North Carolina and the pier in Naples, Florida.
Fun facts about Greg:
1. Greg is an amazing piano player and can play most songs on request.
2. Greg was the University of Tennessee mascot, Davy Crockett, when he was in college.
3. Greg is a huge LEGO fan and is always looking for a larger, more complex project.
4. Greg knows all the words to any song that comes on the radio at any time on any station.
5. On University of Tennessee football game Saturdays, Greg only eats orange food on his orange plate including carrots, orange slices, Cheetos, and pimento cheese sandwiches.
6. Greg plays in a weekly men’s basketball game, but I always seem to beat him on weekend games in our driveway!
7. Greg was 6’3” by the age of 16.
8. Greg enjoys romantic walks through the hardware store.
9. Greg’s favorite superhero is Captain America.
10. Greg’s favorite food group is chocolate.
Katherine:
1. Katherine eats very healthy, but she can’t resist Rice Krispy treats!
2. Katherine’s best friend is her mom. They often show up places dressed in matching outfits just by accident.
3. Katherine is a big sports fan and loves watching college basketball.
4. Katherine’s favorite food is an Egg McMuffin.
5. Katherine collects all things Wonder Woman!
6. Katherine is an avid list maker. Her “hot lists” can be found throughout the house.
7. Katherine dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but she became a city planner instead.
8. Katherine and her father have fun going to painting classes together.
9. No boys are allowed in Katherine’s closet! She is very strict about this rule.
10. Katherine’s favorite movie is Back to the Future and she can recite all the lines to The Princess Bride movie from beginning to end.
About Katherine by: Greg
Katherine enjoys creating art, gardening, baking sweet treats, yoga class, and going out for breakfast,
Every day, Katherine lives out her faith and puts God first. Her life exhibits the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that reside in her heart. She is the life of every party and wants to make the most out of every day. Her love and enthusiasm for life are contagious, causing those around her to gravitate towards her. Katherine also has a generous spirit. On one of our first dates, I noticed that she keeps a stash of dollar bills in the console of her car so she can help people she sees in need. She has a wonderful sense of humor and is always quick to make a funny joke. Katherine had a successful career as a city planner for many years, but she ultimately felt God was calling her to resign and become a mom. This was a huge leap of faith, but we know it is the best decision for our family.
Katherine has lots of energy and it always amazes me to see how children are naturally drawn to her. She is an awesome stepmom to Ali and they have a wonderful relationship. Our nieces adore Katherine and love visiting “Aunt Kath” to bake cookies, work on art projects, or have a home spa day. Katherine lives happy and her joy is irresistible! No one has a bigger heart than my wife. Each day she goes out of her way to make me feel special, important, and deeply loved.
Fun facts about Katherine:
1. Katherine likes to eat very healthy, but Rice Krispy treats are her favorite dessert! She can’t resist them!
2. Katherine’s best friend is her mom. They often show up places dressed in matching sweaters just by accident.
3. Katherine is a big sports fan and loves watching college basketball.
4. Katherine’s favorite food is an Egg McMuffin.
5. Katherine loves all things Wonder Woman and collects Wonder Woman memorabilia.
6. Katherine is an avid list maker. Her “hot lists” can be found throughout the house.
7. Katherine dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a child, but she became a city planner instead.
8. Katherine and her father enjoy attending painting classes together at an art studio near our home.
9. Nobody is allowed in Katherine’s walk-in closet. She is very strict about this rule!
10. Katherine’s favorite movie is Back to the Future and she can recite all the lines to The Princess Bride movie from beginning to end.
Ali:
When I married Greg, I not only became a wife, but I also became a stepmom to Greg’s beautiful daughter, Ali. I’m so blessed to have Ali in my life. Ali and I have a special friendship and have developed a close bond. Ali, her friends, and soccer teammates spent lots of time in our home laughing, making pizzas, and creating sundaes with homemade ice cream.
When I met Ali, she was a cute 12-year-old girl. Today, she is a confident and optimistic college student! She is a dedicated undergraduate whose hard work in high school earned her several academic scholarships and made her an award-winning member of her varsity soccer team. We are so proud of our Ali!
There's No Place Like Home!
We live in a two-story, red brick home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large playroom. We spend lots of time in the playroom with our family and friends playing games and watching sports or funny movies. The kitchen is our “command center” where we create our list of goals for the day—“fun” is always at the top! Our kitchen features artwork from Ali, our nieces, nephews, and our friends’ children. These treasures bring us joy every day! Greg’s office is on the first floor of our home, and I have an art studio upstairs where I work on my art projects. Upstairs, we have prepared a beautiful nursery for our future baby. It’s a warm and cozy room where a baby will thrive and grow. The nursery is next to the master bedroom, which will be very convenient once our baby arrives. We strive to make sure our home is always warm and inviting. Everyone has a room to call their own and it’s always safe to be yourself and share your feelings. It’s important to us that no one leaves our home hungry or unloved!
Our backyard is our favorite place to sit, relax, and make s’mores. It’s surrounded by a wooden picket fence and features a swing set with an adorable treehouse, a large mature black walnut tree, and lots of colorful maple trees. We know it will be a fun place for our children to run around and play. Our backyard is the perfect spot for hosting cookouts, playing soccer, and having family free-throw contests. Winner gets to choose dessert!
We are blessed to live in a small, close-knit neighborhood where kids love to ride their bikes and play together in the open green spaces. A lovely private school is located directly across the street from the entrance to our neighborhood, so many kids walk or ride their bikes to school. Many of the families in our neighborhood also attend our church. Our home is located within walking distance of several city parks, a greenway, and a bike path along the banks of a river where we enjoy kayaking. My brother and his wonderful family live in the same neighborhood, so we get to spend time with them often. We are grateful for the nurturing environment and the strong sense of community that our neighborhood provides.
