What does your spouse do to make you feel special? Johann: She loves Jesus, her family, and me. She’s my number one fan. She knows how to make every meal feel special and pours her heart into what’s important. Summer: He puts Jesus first and leads our family with strength, grace, and humor. He’s always present for us and can fix just about anything. Our family depends on him more than he knows. Do you have any family traditions? If so, what are they? For Christmas, we’ve always bought our girls three gifts each to represent the three gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus. This year, we’ll be starting that same tradition for our granddaughter’s very first Christmas. Our hope is that they always remember why we celebrate Christmas, that it’s about Jesus before anything else. We also make it a priority to have dinner together at home most nights. Even with our oldest married, she and her husband still join us four or five nights a week. I love cooking and having everyone gathered around the dinner table. What brings you the greatest joy as a parent? Knowing our girls have Christ as their savior. It’s the most wonderful thing to know their salvation is secure. Tell us something interesting about your family that we may not know. We decorate for Christmas the first of October, so by Halloween, we’re officially that house. The “Christmas House”. The one confusing neighborhood kids. We’ve got the lights twinkling, Christmas music playing, and instead of typical candy, we hand out candy canes and yell “Merry Christmas!” like it’s December 25th. The looks we get are priceless, half festive, half “these people need help.” Do you have nicknames for your kids? We’ve only called them by their real names when they were little and got in trouble. Izabella goes by Bella and Elliana goes by Elli. Questions for the kids: What’s your favorite thing to do as a family? Elli: “My favorite moments with my family are the simple ones; cracking wise with my dad while he smokes our dinner, playing scrabble and dominating the game, thrifting with the fam, and playing dress up with my mom and baby girl.” Bella: “Other than enjoying one of my mom’s home-cooked meals, my favorite thing to do with my family is travel. Whether it’s a concert, a beach trip, or a visit to Arizona, my parents are always up for it. It’s fun having parents who feel more like friends now that we’re grown up.” Cole: “I love ending dinner by staying around the table for a board game with my family. It’s where some of our best memories are made.” Is there something we didn’t ask that you think we should include? I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for the love, support, and encouragement from my family and friends as we walked through some very dark times several years ago. To make a long story short, on October 28th, 2019, at the age of 40, I went in for what I thought would be a routine echocardiogram. I wasn’t having any symptoms, just following my doctor’s orders after she heard a heart murmur. Not long after that test, I was life- flighted to St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville for emergency open- heart surgery. Doctors discovered I had a large aortic aneurysm and needed my valve repaired immediately. Had I not gone in when I did, I wouldn’t be here today. Just three months later, I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), which led to the removal of my right kidney. Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand in every detail - there’s no other explanation. Our family, friends, Christian Fellowship School, and church family surrounded us with the love of Christ during that season. They went above and beyond - visiting, bringing meals, helping with doctor appointments and rehab when Johann couldn’t. Having a church family like that has been one of our greatest blessings, second only to our own family. INTHEVUE.COM | DECEMBER 2025 75
