Remember God; Our Journey to Today!

An Unexpected Invitation

I sat in the sanctuary at our women’s conference, GATHER this morning—just one mom among many, holding my coffee in one hand and my Bible in the other—when the theme of the morning settled over the room: Remember God.

And in that moment, I could do nothing else. My mind flooded with memories, both sharp and soft. Moments of fear. Moments of mercy. Moments when I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and moments when I felt carried. I remembered God—His graciousness, His compassion, His deep, unwavering faithfulness to our family.

So, I wanted to take a moment and share. To bring you into the full picture, the full testimony, because this isn’t just a story about our family—it’s a story about God.

The Road Behind Us

In July 2019, our Addy turned two. She was bright, bubbly, and full of joy. But just a week later, everything began to shift. A confusing cycle of vomiting and exhaustion started that would send us into months of appointments, tests, hospital stays, and unanswered questions. My mother’s intuition kept whispering something is wrong, and we clung to prayer as we walked deeper into the unknown. We remembered God in every hallway, every doctor’s office, every moment that threatened to undo us.

Eventually, a diagnosis: focal epilepsy. And with it, the unraveling of our plans. The pandemic hit. Our family isolated. Addy’s medications took a toll on her sweet spirit. Brad faced surgery. I juggled motherhood, work, and survival. And then came the hope—surgery might be an option. We pursued it with everything in us. But after weeks in the hospital, Addy didn’t have a single seizure. While it disqualified her from the procedure, it left us stunned: maybe… just maybe… she was being healed.

As we tried to catch our breath, our son Jakob was born and quickly diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease. Another diagnosis, another hospital stay, another wave of unknowns. Yet again, we remembered God—in the nurses who prayed with us, in the EMT who spoke Swahili, in the unexpected peace that passed all understanding.

Those early years were heavy. But they were holy, too. We saw the love of Jesus through our community, our churches, our people. Through late-night texts and gas cards and the kinds of prayers that held us up when we couldn’t stand on our own. Through every breakdown and breakthrough, we remembered God.

And That Brings Us to Today

It’s 2025, and it’s hard to believe that we’re now over five years into this journey—a journey that began in 2019 with fear and uncertainty, but has since been flooded with the unmistakable fingerprints of God’s faithfulness. Spring is here, and while life still has its hard days (as all families do), we’re living in a season of so much peace, joy, and answered prayer. We’ve been handed more yeses than we ever dared hope for—divine gifts from a God who sees us, hears us, and walks each step beside us.

Addy’s Healing

The most awe-inspiring answer to prayer? Our sweet Adalyn has been healed of epilepsy.

There were days—years, even—when we weren’t sure what life would look like for her. When she was first diagnosed with focal epilepsy, we were told that it would be a life-long condition. But God. He had a different story to write. And here we are, coming up on May 24, 2025, when Addy will officially be considered in epileptic remission. It feels surreal to even type those words. She is doing so well—receiving extra support at school where needed, thriving emotionally, and closing academic gaps with determination and joy. Watching her grow has been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. She shines so brightly, and there are days I just stare at her and think: we didn’t know if this would ever be our reality… and yet, here she is.

Analeigha’s Grace

Analeigha, our firstborn, has also walked through so much. She watched her little sister face terrifying seizures, hospitalizations, and procedures that sometimes kept them apart for weeks. And just as she was learning to navigate all that, we welcomed a baby brother who came with his own diagnosis and unique medical needs. She was only four and five during those hard years—but she carried grace well beyond her years. Now, as she prepares to turn ten (ten!), we see the fruit of those early years blooming in the most beautiful ways. She’s empathetic, gentle, kind, and quietly courageous. At her most recent parent-teacher conference, we heard about how she goes out of her way to love on the kids in her class who need a little extra. It’s who she is—someone who sees people, really sees them—and we couldn’t be prouder.

Jake’s Joy

And then there’s Jake. Our joyful, silly, strong little guy. He’s four and a half now and just absolutely thriving. His Hirschsprung’s disease is a lifelong diagnosis, but his story has been such a gift. He had a rough start, and his body still functions a little differently—but his recovery from surgery went beautifully, and today, it rarely interrupts his life. We’re so aware that this is not the norm in the Hirschsprung world, and we don’t take that lightly. We thank God every single day for the path Jake is walking. Truly, he’s been given the best-case scenario.

The God Who Carried Us

Through every high and low, one thing has remained constant: the presence of Jesus. We have seen Him so clearly in the valleys and on the mountaintops. He has carried us, sustained us, and given us joy even when the future felt uncertain. He surrounded us with a community that continues to show up in big and small ways—through meals, prayers, texts, and friendships that have become lifelines. We are especially grateful for the family we’ve found in our church—people who have loved us, prayed for our kids by name, and walked this road with us as if it were their own.

We remember God when we see Addy twirl across the living room floor. We remember God when Ana gently comforts a classmate. We remember God when Jake throws his head back in wild, belly-deep laughter.

We don’t know what the future holds. But today—this moment—we are standing in a season of peace and healing and overwhelming thankfulness. We remember God, and we trust God, because He has never let us go.

Thank you for walking alongside us, for praying with us, and for believing with us.

The Best Is Yet to Come

We remember God. And we move forward—grateful, grounded, and held.

Read our whole Journey from 2019-2021 Here: An Unexpected Journey