If a picture is worth a thousand words, than our lives together have earned millions of words, all documented on film.

In June 2002 Chris and Courtney met on the social blogging site LiveJournal.  They talked about everything under the sun, and probably the sun itself.  By October of that year they knew they had to met face to face, so Chris flew up to Ohio to met Courtney.  The rest as they say is History.

After two years together and much council, guidance and growth, Chris and Courtney wed in the presence of God and those they love and cherish at a small country church in LaGrange Ohio on July 10, 2004.

Then settling in San Antonio Texas, Chris and Courtney started what promises to be a long journey into the unknowns of Marriage and Family.  A trail that has proved to have as many ups and downs as the preverbal roller coaster.

After working at the adjustments of married life they decided it was time for the next great adventure, parenthood.  In October 2005, they started working toward that goal, and in March of 2006 we were thrilled to discover the pair would shortly be a trio.

Thats when some of the biggest highs and lows of their marriage to date started.  After a very tumultuous 7 months of pregnancy, Courtney delivered their son, Tobias Christopher, on September 11, 2006 7:49 pm as a stillborn infant.  Toby weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces and was the spitting image of his Father.  Needless to say, they reached a new down at that point.  But with God’s help and a very loving group of family and friends, they were blessed and worked at finding what “normal” looked like from that point on.

It wasn’t long before God gave them the next turn, and they found out on December 18th 2006, that they were again expecting and addition to the family.  Emotions were raw as they shared the news with none but the closest of family and friends and asked for prayer and strength.

Toward the end of January 2007, Courtney suffered from a “threatened miscarriage” meaning she went through all the symptoms and effects of a miscarriage but the baby survived and the pregnancy continued.  Under the supervision of a team of doctors, a battery of tests covering the full pregnancy, and a very loving all knowing and gracious Lord, they followed blindly through the next months and in the end, were blessed beyond measure.

On July 23, 2007 their daughter Inara Alexis was brought into the world kicking and screaming with the help of a scheduled C-Section.  She’s determined to do things her way, and the OB was determined not to deliver this baby in the breach presentation that Inara seemed determined to have.  A beautiful thick head of dark hair, amazing grey eyes and a face that looked exactly like her Daddy she became the light of their world and was worth every bit of the journey God has brought Chris and Courtney through.  Petite from the get go weighing only 6 pounds and 6 ounces at birth, she still stays small and tends to fall somewhere on the low end of the percentiles on the growth chart, but she is thriving, healthy and amazing.

The things God has taught this family of His amazing and unending love continue to be a wonderment as they start to understand His roll as Father with their roll as parents.  They have stopped trying to guess where God’s path for them will take them next and try and remember that He will lead them through and give us the abilities to make it past any twists, turns, or ups and downs He sends their way.