How WE Began

Well, we are heading out on another road trip. The kids are in the back of the van, snacking on Chicken McNuggets, playing the GameCube, quiet and composed (for the moment.) We’re traveling to Dallas, and for me, it’s a trip down Memory Lane. As we pass by the newly planted fields of winter wheat and herds of cattle, I reflect on a time several years ago when we did not have our Five Little Blessings. It was a time when we were more carefree (but did not realize it,) a time when Steve had more hair and I had fewer pounds, a time when coffee was more about socializing and less about survival, a time we were planting the roots of what our family is today.

Steve grew up on a farm in North Dakota and earned his degree in Aerospace Engineering from KU. After graduation he took a job with Wichita-based Beechcraft. I was born and raised in Wichita, graduated from WSU with a degree in International Business, and went to work for a local company. It was the summer of 1996 when we first met through mutual friends. We started dating, but several months later Steve was offered his dream job—the opportunity to design the military’s new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for Lockheed Martin’s SkunkWorks. Unfortunately, the job was in Palmdale, California—just north of L.A. About the same time, I was getting the itch to return to school for my MBA. So Steve made the move, I researched schools, and we stayed in touch. That next year, Steve was making frequent trips to Fort Worth, Texas to coordinate JSF efforts with Lockheed’s facility there. By the grace of God I was offered a scholarship at SMU in Dallas, and enrolled in the fall of ’97. The following two years, I continued my studies as Steve split his time 50/50 between the California and Texas plants.

The spring of 1999 was a joyful time filled with lots of changes for us. I graduated in May with an MBA in Finance and went to work as a treasurer’s analyst for the newly merged ExxonMobil. Steve was breaking new grounds in flight control technology, and took a permanent transfer to Fort Worth. We were married in June and settled into our new home in Keller, just north of DFW. Our careers were exciting, the economy was booming, and it felt as if we held the world in our hands.

Only weeks later, I started suffering from fatigue, dizziness, and general ill-being. It didn’t take us long to realize that our first Little Blessing was on the way! Sure, we were excited, but that didn’t set in until the intial shock had subsided. Pregnant? Baby? Of course we wanted children. Three, we had discussed, was a good number. A couple well-behaved daughters and a little boy for good measure. But not for a few more years. Not until we were more established in our careers. This wasn’t the plan. We spent several weeks confused, worried, and outright scared. But we trusted in God’s plan, and although we ourselves weren’t sure why, we were certain that He did.

Then in February of 2000 Alex made his appearance a full month early, but completely healthy. There was nothing that could have prepared us for being parents. We both came from big families with younger siblings, but we still felt rather unqualified to be responsible for the survival of another human being—and a very tiny one at that! But most surprising of all, we had never imagined the immense love we would feel for our children. I was fortunate to stay home with little Alex until he was six months old, at which time I returned to work. Yet, the decision didn’t sit right with me and I dreaded the long hours away from my son each day. We were also feeling a great need to see family more often, and made monthly trips to Wichita during that time. As the year came to a close, I decided to quit my job to stay home with Alex. Steve resigned from Lockheed and took a job in Wichita, and we moved back closer to family. We loved Texas, but Kansas is our true home.

So that is why this weekend we are heading south… It’s Homecoming weekend at SMU and the MBA class of ’99 is celebrating our ten year reunion! It will be exciting to meet up with old friends and colleagues, many now with families of their own. We’ll visit the ‘ol stompin’ grounds, remember the years B.C. (before children,) celebrate a decade of real achievements, and return to Kansas ever more appreciative of our home and our Beautiful Blessings.