I will turn 30 later this year (& proud of it!) & one of the things I like to look back on in life is to see the answers to different prayers I’ve had. I started praying for my future husband at a young age. They weren’t necessarily long prayers with tons of details. Sometimes it was just “Where IS HE God?” 😉 That was when I was older 😉 But I prayed for him quite often. For his heart, that he would make wise choices & listen to the Lord.

And I’d also pray for his family. And when it came to praying for his family, I for some reason most specifically prayed for his brother.

I just knew my future husband would have a brother. At least one brother. I did imagine him to be the older brother, like older then who I would marry & therefore older then me & could be my “big brother”. But I at least knew in my heart I’d someday get another brother. I also found myself thinking about who my future brother-in-law would marry, who would end up being my sister-in-law & then realized I should probably pray for her too.

And see this is where it gets hard to write a blog post about your own family. Because you start crying. Your eyes well up with tears & you realize that God more then blew away your expectations for who your future in-law family would be. You realize that those prayers for your future big brother were answered in the form of tall, funny & caring Evan Wilcox. And the thoughts & prayers of who would marry that big brother were answered in the form of who was first a friend & then became family, the beautiful Jessica.

My God cares about the little things we desire & long for. He also writes the most incredible stories, if you allow Him too. I know that He just longs to write the most beautiful stories for you my friend & give you things you only thought were just little whispered prayers said at the young age of 14.

The Lord not only wrote the love story that Eric & I have, but He also wrote the love story that Evan & Jessica have. They’ve been married 3 years this past May & then July 27, 2015, that story grew another branch & their family tree became 3. Leora Pearl was born. Their first child. Eric & I’s first niece. She’s a precious gem.

Eric & I traveled to Georgia the beginning of this month & spent a few days with the ‘new’ Wilcox Family & got to meet Leora. One of the evenings we went to a park that they walk at often & had a little mini family photo session.

Jessica, God chose you to be Leora’s mother. No one else could be who she needs or know her like you can. I can’t wait to watch you blossom even more into the wonderful mother that you are daily becoming.

They look good as a threesome don’t they? 🙂

I love to take the parents away from their kids during photo sessions. To snap even just a few photo’s of them together as a couple. Having children & being parents is a wonderful gift. But sometimes you need those visual reminders to remember that first, it was just the two of you. And that marriage relationship needs to be cultivated even with the pitter patter of little feet around the house. This time of our mini photo session was probably my favorite time of the entire evening. And yes, I was brushing away tears taking photo’s of my ‘big brother’ & sista.

This is my favorite one of Evan & Jessica 🙂 Totally them!

Evan, you are the big brother I never had. I’m thankful for you & I’m really excited to watch you be a father to Leora & all the other babies that may come in the future 🙂 I see your love for the Lord & your desire for Him to be the main part of your household. I’m proud of you.

Jessica, you too were an answer to prayer. I think often of how blessed I am to have YOU as my sister-in-law. I do see you as my friend & I love our term we use for each other- “sista”. It is proof that you are more then just a sister-in-law. Your work ethic & your desire to raise your children with what you feel is best, not what society thinks is best, inspires me. I’m still ‘mad’ at your husband for taking you to Georgia 😉 but I’m thankful we’ve been able to stay connected. I’m so thankful you’re in my life. I love you!

And Leora Pearl, you are only a few months old…but your personality & little body grows each day. I pray that you will always shine for Jesus. Never forget you’ve got some amazing parents 😉 And you’ve got an Aunt & Uncle in Illinois that love you very much.