The Original SIX!

I like to call us the "Original Six"   This is how, as my dad likes to call all 28 of us, the "The Whole Catastrophe"  This is where it all began!  I am the oldest of the four siblings.  My parents had two boys prior to me that they lost to miscarriage.  My mom had incompetent cervix and wasn't diagnosed until after she lost the second baby.  I always say thank the Lord they finally caught it because if not I might not be here typing today.  We were all born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana where were lived  for most of our childhood but when I was a freshman in high school we moved year round up to our lake house at Lake Tippecanoe.  

Let me introduce you to my siblings.  Stephanie, who is standing next to my dad is next in line as far as age.  She is married to my brother in law Todd and has 3 children and one sweet daughter in love.  They all live in Indiana where I was born and raised.  Then is my sister Michelle!  She is married to my brother in law Joe and they have 3 children.  They currently reside in Apopka, Florida.  Also, my two sisters are both Lip Sense Distributors so if you are interested in learning more about lipgloss that never rubs off let me know and I can put you in contact with them.  

 Then finally is my baby brother Andrew.  I remember before he was born praying for a brother.  I told my mom that I was praying for a brother and she said to me, "Emily, we are not having anymore babies."  Well, I told her I was still going to pray and I did.  I'll never forget the day about a year later when she came to me and said, "Emily, either I am dying or I am pregnant!"  Well, you can see she wasn't dying but was pregnant with my brother Andrew.  It's been rumored that when my dad found out that he had a son after my mom delivered Andrew he was running through the halls of Parkview 

Memorial Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana yelling, "It's a boy!  It's a boy!"  :-)  

I am very close to all my siblings but my brother and I have always had a special connection.  The Lord used me during his time growing up to save him from injury.  I remember one time he was just about 9 months old.  He and my mom were in the kitchen and I was in the family room.  All of a sudden I felt the urge to go to the kitchen.  When I walked in I saw my mom had the fridge door open and she was taking out things for breakfast.  Andrew was trying to climb up into the fridge.  I picked him up and as I did my mom was pulling out a Cranberry Juice Cocktail glass container.  (Back in those days they were glass and not plastic)  As she pulled it out and as I walked away with Andrew in my arms the bottle of cranberry juice broke at the neck and fell right where Andrew had been.  There were other times too that the Lord protected Andrew from death or injury.  The Lord has had His hand on his life!  My brother is married to my sister in law Heidi and they have 3 children.  They reside in Clermont, Florida where my brother is a financial planner and advisor with Edward Jones.  

I was blessed to be raised by two amazing parents.  They taught us so many things such as the importance of family, being organized, determined, saving money and having the perseverance and determination to live out our dreams.  They also instilled in us a love for the Lord and the importance of having a relationship with Him.   My dad is full blooded Greek so when we were little we attended the Greek Orthodox Church.   We eventually switched to Blackhawk Baptist Church were Pastor David Jeremiah use to pastor.  My parents were born and again and that is where I asked Jesus into my heart too as well as the rest of my siblings.  We eventually ended up at Calvary Temple in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  

Fast forward to today and all of my siblings are or have been in ministry.  The Lord has used us in many ways.  Now, some are back in the marketplace and others like myself still in full time ministry. But either way, we all still love the Lord with all heart, mind, soul and strength and try to be a witness to others of the amazing love the Lord has for each and every one of us.