our story

I got married to John in October of 2007. We both grew up on a farm and we actually we grew up right down the road from one another, but we aren't your typical high school sweet hearts. We didn't start dating until long after our high school days, when my best friend and John's cousin (who are husband and wife) tricked me into going on a date with him! Ha! This led to a baby girl, Ava. Yep, cart before the horse, I know, I know, my Grandpa told me that many, many times. HA! Well, we got married, I finished college, and had another baby, Sawyer. Life was going great, I mean we had our typical ups and downs, but who doesn't. Marriages are hard work, but family is the light of the world.The life changing connection between a parent and a child produces unconditional love. A love that never fades, even after death. Sawyer lost his life in a tragic accident on October 9 2015, just one day after his third birthday. My husband, John, accidentally backed over Sawyer with a skid loader, not realizing he was behind him. Our two families' farm land meet beside one another and we thought it would be the perfect place to lay Sawyer to rest. A sweet friend bought us an apple tree to plant by Sawyer. He loved apples! I'd find half eaten apples laying around the house every day. This one tree inspired me to plant a small little orchard around Sawyer, ten trees or so. Just something for me to keep my mind busy. This tree meant a lot to me, so I shared it with my Facebook family. Little did I know that one tree would turn into ONE HUNDRED trees over night. Seriously! Our amazing friends and generous community donated trees AND planted them for us. It was simply amazing. This spot is now known as Sawyer's Little Orchard. Sharing this hardship is scary, especially when emotion is involved, and how we lost Sawyer. As marriages grow, families are born, but some things just don't go as planned. We can't turn back, we can't undo wrong, so through it all, just love.