I don’t want to look back and regret how fast it went.
I want to know we made all the small moments count.
How Togather™ Began
We are a family of six. Back when we were a family of four, my husband shared a story with me about how limited our time with our children is.
Spoiler alert! You get twelve (not eighteen) summers with your kids — so we’d better make it count. Sorry if that felt like a gut punch. It was so much of that to me, too, that it completely changed how I was raising my two babies and sent me down a path that ultimately led me here. (For more of that Hallmark-or-Pampers-commercial feeling, grab a tissue, and watch our 12 Summers video.)
So fast forward to when we have four children and that “aha” moment you’re waiting for.
My oldest was only 8 at the time, and probably much like your own story, I looked around one day, saw how crazy the world was getting about a lack of face-to-face communication and I thought. No way. What the heck?! We are about to enter crazy-town years of lots of busy and that is NOT happening to our family. There’s got to be a better way. Not just for my own family, but for all of us.
I was nursing my youngest through the night at the time — all those silent nights alone with a quiet mind and the face of my sweet baby and his hand rubbing my hair (oh, here come the tears!!!) and my mind was SPINNNNING.
I knew there was a way I could use my strengths from being a high school teacher and my strengths of really making all the moments count with my family to help protect communication.
And figure out a way to make it work in other homes. Because I knew if I was feeling this way, there had to be countless other moms fearing the exact same things for their families.
All those nights stepping away from the noise, many, many moments in prayer, and LOTS of other pieces to the story, and Togather™ was born. I had figured out a simple way to make meaningful communication win and a way to meet people where they already are — in a distracted world.
It has not been an easy journey, but I very strongly believe what you do - that when communication within families breaks down, the family itself faces a threat of breaking down. I also believe it’s our job as a community of strong families to stand up and fight for what we know is true. Family, the way God made it to be.
Thank you for coming with us Togather together to grow.
Because today’s words matter tomorrow.
Hey there! Did you make it all the way down here?! Here’s a little reward for ya:
For the 24 minute version of “Our Story” with all the right amount of feel good, warm and fuzzy, and “oh, I feel the exact same way!!!” moments, listen to episode 1 of our Families That Stick Togather Podcast.
Hi! I’m Jennifer.
Wife of 16 years to my high school sweetheart, Mom of four (it IS possible! We had our boy after 3 girls), and no fur babies. Whiiiiich is a constant battle at our home. I will fully admit I’m the only one holding them all back. (We do, however, have twelve years of memories with a bouncing Boxer.)
For those who love the fun facts, I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors in Business Administration in Marketing, and from Xavier University with a Masters in Secondary Education and a License in Social Studies.
Let’s play some Togather™ to get to know each other! How about this sticker?
Hmmm … I’d be able to play the piano so beautifully and I would stay in hotels with incredible lobbies that had grand pianos. Then I’d casually sit down and start playing like I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, then I’d bust out this incredible song, the whole lobby full of people would be in shock. I would finish, humbly walk away….and do it all again tomorrow night. I’ve never had a piano lesson in my life :)
Would you send me a note and tell me what your answer would be? I would LOVE to hear it!
“And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold...but as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and yield a harvest through their perseverance.”
Luke 8:8,15
The time we have together with our family is the time we are given to plant seeds. What we do with that precious time determines how rich we can make the soil of our family. And when our family gathers those moments, the harvest will be plenty.
