A Little About Us
On May 9, 2013, we welcomed our baby girl, Madelyn Rose. Our lives were changed forever, but not necessarily in the way you might think. Madelyn Rose was a happy, healthy baby girl and we were a new family of four. Due to complications at delivery, however, the first domino fell in a what would be and has been a long line of trials for our family.
Through these trials and over the years, we have learned the true focus of our lives on this earth, and have come to realize the abundant blessings that have brightly shown through the darkness. Before Madelyn came into our lives, we were parents to a little boy who brought a ton of joy to our lives. We both were a couple of years out of college and fighting to climb the proverbial corporate ladder. It is interesting how we make plans for our lives, thinking we are in control
(James 4:13-15) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Lauren was well on her way to a bright future in school and family counseling with two degrees under her belt and well on her way to her PhD. After Madelyn joined the family, we spent the coming months and years fighting Lauren’s health issues, thinking the next thing was going to be the “fix” and life would soon return to normal. We are still waiting . . .
Lauren transitioned from a professional counselor to a professional mom and wife, all while maintaining her daily fight with pain. No longer able to hold a job because of her health issues, she took on the hardest job in the world. The one that doesn’t provide a paycheck or time off. At some point, we realized that is right where she is supposed to be
(Jeremiah 29:11).11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
The place God had made for her, the place He wanted her to be. There have been many bumps in our road and we have learned that those bumps serve a purpose. We have grown closer as a family, closer to God, we continue to learn to focus on God and His plan (not ours) and to find the blessings in every situation. We are blessed, indeed. We do EVERYTHING together as a family.
With that said, our boutique, Madelyn Rose, is no different. This is a family business. It shares the name of our daughter, because her arrival spurred the direction of our family story. However, our family is four strong – Zach, Lauren, Hunter and Madelyn. We would be incomplete without each part. We have
created Madelyn Rose, the boutique, because we want to share our story in a way that we can enjoy together as a family and hopefully spread light and encourage others along the journey of life
(Matthew 5:14-16). 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven.
