Many of you have been following my blog from the very beginning, and while I have shared so much with you related to my marriage, I haven’t properly introduced you to our family. So I’m writing this post to help you get to know us more personally, and to tell you a little more about how it all began.
Most people think Richie and I were high school sweethearts since we’re so young and have three kids. But the truth is, since he’s four years older than me, we never went to school together. We met through my sister and started dating when I was only thirteen. I wasn’t an average thirteen year old though, I was very mature and already had a job working in a restaurant.
After dating for a while, Richie and I moved into his grandma’s house together. It wasn’t because we were eager to live with one another, but the majority of my household was addicted to meth and it was no longer safe for me to remain there.
At the age of 16, I gave birth to our firstborn son Jaiden Lebron Smith.
Jaiden is now 12 years old and as tall as me! He plays basketball for his school, enjoys listening to music, playing video games, and learning about History. He is super smart, kind, and volunteers with his grandma at nursing homes and the community kitchen.
Shortly after Jaiden was born, I became pregnant with our second son Desmond Dominique Smith.
Desmond is now 10 years old and is truly a mamma’s boy. He enjoys drawing, playing video games, and riding his bike. He also volunteers with his grandma at a local nursing home and the community kitchen. He is so kind, loving, and very helpful around the house.
After having two boys, I wanted a little girl so bad! After all my favorite color is pink, and I dreamed of buying pretty dresses and bows. Back in 2011, I gave birth to our baby girl Madeline Grace Smith.
Madeline is now 5 years old and full of personality. She is a competitive gymnast, dancer, and loves to skate. She enjoys reading, and watching Peppa Pig.
We are so thankful that God has blessed us with three beautiful children and each other.
My husband and I have now been together for 14 years, and we have been married for 9 of those years. We enjoy going out to eat, to the movies, to sports events, and we love to travel. Richie spends his down time playing video games and watching television. I spend my down time reading, being on Facebook, and listening to my favorite worship music on Pandora.
Richie is a private person and doesn’t talk a lot, and I’m the type of person who loves to socialize and I wear my heart on my sleeve. He doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, and I love it. We are complete opposites about most things, but we balance each other out perfectly. We both are so grateful for what God has done in our marriage, and we are glad that we can help others with our story.
I’m so excited about 2017, and all that God has in store for our ministry. Right now I am busy planning our 2nd Annual Be Transformed Marriage Conference, and preparing for a speaking engagement in California. I also am enrolled in seminary school to become certified as a biblical marriage counselor. I hope that you all will continue to follow my blog and pray for me as I continue to follow the path God has chosen for me.
These beautiful pictures were taken by my sweet friend Crystal Barton. You can learn more about her photography at pictorialanthologies.com
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