All last week, we shared on Instagram some of our favorite memories. We hope you enjoyed reading about these memories as much as we enjoyed sharing. We got to thinking though, maybe you couldn’t really enjoy those posts because you don’t really know us all yet. We know dad has shared about us in the past – our visits, our adventures, and our crazy, but we were never formally introduced.

Please accept our apologies!

We kind of stormed in this space after dad died, eager to keep a good thing going. In our haste, we forgot our manners. So, let us take a few steps back and open the space for you to get to know us.

Mom and dad raised five completely different kids, all walking different paths – just the way it should be. We each have our own strengths, voices, views, and perspectives – sometimes they are similar. Over the years, we learned from our parents one simple thing: there is no easy way to anything. If you want something, you need to buckle up and steer yourself on the long, bumpy road to chase after it. None of us are sure what that will look like here, but we are all rolling up our sleeves and buckling in for the ride.

Joe is the oldest of the five and has four children (Stacia, Kayli, Skyler, and Shayla) and a granddaughter (Payton). He lives in Kentucky and enjoys helping on the goat farm in his free time. Joe takes after dad in that he enjoys encouraging others and putting smiles on faces. If you follow him on Facebook, you will get a daily dose of encouragement and laughter (just not always clean laughter). He is the voice of reason in the family. If we have a problem, he is the go-to man.

Deanna is the next oldest. She lives in Ohio with her husband, Mike. She has three kids, two married adults (Zack and Khristine, and Ryan and Maddi) and one twelve-year old (Gavin). That is a story for another time. She also has two grandchildren (Addison and Harper) who light up her world. Her passion is writing and encouraging and she hopes to use those passions here. If you follow Deanna on Facebook or Instagram, you will see her thoughts on life, spiritual encouragement, fitness fun, and the fan favorite “Gavinism” posts. Deanna is the peacekeeper of the family. She hates conflict and will do anything possible to avoid it.

Scott is the middle child. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife (Mandi) and their four kids (Derrick, Timothy, Benjamin, and Hayleigh). He enjoys coffee, humor, his Harley, and a new-found love of cooking. He loves to connect with others and can be found occasionally on Facebook. Scott is the contemplative thinker and go-getter of the group. If there is something that needs to get done, Scott will be the one to determine the best course of action.

Nicolle is next up. She lives in New York and has four kiddos (Anthony, Gabriella, Kaydance, and Collin) and a crazy cat. She enjoys writing about the happenings of life {sound familiar?} and is excited to connect with others here with her unique voice. Nicolle is the compassionate one in the family. If there is a problem, she feels it deeply and will help shoulder the burden.

Jonathan rounds out the group as the baby. He lives in South Carolina and has four kiddos (Taylor, Jonathan Jr, Karly, and Eli). He has one granddaughter (Ivy). He is the master chef of the family who also enjoys coffee {too much} and tinkering with cars. Jonathan takes after dad as the dreamer and adventure seeking one in the family. If he can dream it, he will do it, because, why not? Adventure awaits!

Dad had dreams and goals for this space, and for his work in general. We are simply following his lead and taking the reins as he has taught us to do. He always said, “Hard things are hard because they are not easy.” It sure is easy to roll your eyes at that kind of dad phrase, but the truth is, when we do the hard things, dreams come true. How exciting it is to be a part of this dream – and with a dream team, I might add.

As you may have noticed, we changed the Wisdom banner and have a lovely logo. What do you think? Dad loved lighthouses and all things beachy, so we thought it was appropriate to keep his blog name and add the lighthouse to represent us taking the next steps. He was certainly our light and we would be remiss to keep that light hidden. We have also begun the process of moving off his Facebook page. We have created a new page to share all things Wisdom with you so be sure to take a moment to follow. You can also find us active on Instagram with fresh content to equip, empower, and strengthen you each day – just like dad would do.

We’re sticking around, friends. And while we are nervous as heck, completely unsure of how this will unfold, we are also thrilled to be here, walking in our father’s footsteps.