ABOUT US
|| ABOUT THE HOWARDS ||
We’re a small family of two, plus a labradoodle. My husband Jay and I met in high school (cue the “Aw, high school sweethearts!” moment). But really, God truly blessed me by allowing us to meet so early on in life. It’s allowed us to grow up together and share some of our most memorable moments side-by-side.
Me? First off, I love the Lord. He’s provided for me daily, whether I acknowledge it or not, and for that, I’m eternally grateful (literally). I’m driven by good friends, good food, and a solid night’s sleep. I enjoy organization although I don’t like to clean up my own stuff and being adventurous even though I typically don’t like dangerous or difficult things. So maybe I just like to say I’m those things so I have more to add to my résumé. I’ve also worked for months now to have my husband characterize me as “quirky” and finally, whether it’s to shut me up or based on actuality, I can confirm this personality trait.
I majored in Elementary Education at Baylor University (sic’em!). I spent 4 years as an elementary teacher which also made me a nurse, mediator, custodian, judge, and psychologist. In the summer of 2015, I decided to leave my teaching profession to pursue blogging full-time. I definitely miss teaching those little guys sometimes, but I’m confident in my decision to leave because I’m really enjoying the freedom and flexibility that comes from blogging. And plus, who wouldn’t love turning a once-hobby into a career?
Jay, well, he’s awesome. But I may be a little impartial. He’s such a strong leader for our family and loves me so well. He’s a natural leader, incredible musician & writer (feel free to check out his blog!), and above all, he has a crazy zeal for the Lord. Oh, and did I mention his charm? What charm!
Dakota, our 6 year old labradoodle and forever puppy, is one of the best decisions we’ve made as a married couple. He’s stubborn and smart and stubborn because he’s so smart. But we love him and I think we’ll keep him.
We were both born and raised in the Dallas area. After me teaching and Jay being on staff as a worship leader at The Village Church in Flower Mound, we made the decision in the summer of 2014 to move out to Orange County to serve alongside a church plant (you can read more about our decision in this post).
We now attend and serve at a church plant in Costa Mesa. We’ve both become deacons, we lead a community group, Jay is a worship leader, and I lead the Connect team. It’s often taxing to do as much as we do, but there’s so much joy in doing what God has equipped you and called you to do! Besides the OC being a vastly more expensive town to live in and the weird traffic lights to get onto the highway (be sure to check out our funny “How To Be Californian” video!), we’re absolutely loving our new Californian lifestyle and have no plans to leave!