Our Story

My name is Aimee. Chris and I met at 14 volunteering at church, began dating at 17, and married at 20. He was my best friend. We welcomed our first daughter Abbi in January of 2013. Later that year my dad was diagnosed with leukemia and began treatment. In February of 2014 we found out I was expecting our second baby but at 6 weeks, I miscarried. We lost my dad two days later on Valentine's Day to complications of his cancer treatments. On St. Patrick's Day I found out I was expecting again and we were thrilled. Then on June 24th, 2014, my husband was killed instantly in a car wreck. Our daughters were 16 months and 18 weeks' gestation. I vowed to raise them to know who their daddy was... but most importantly to know Jesus. November 19th, 2014, I welcomed my rainbow baby Aurora into the world.

March 1, 2018, I went on a first date with a single dad named Don. Neither one of us was interested in dating, but a persistent friend had talked us into giving this a chance. October 5th, 2019, we made it official and got married. I am loved in a way I didn't think would ever be possible again, and I love this man with all my heart, too. My daughters have a living dad in their lives and also got the bonus of a big sister. Our relationship has not been without its challenges as we navigate blending families and dealing with my PTSD together--but it is incredibly blessed.

Life can be painful. I will not shrink away from speaking that. Yet my God has not for one second abandoned me or the sweet girls I am raising. He is a good, good, Father and in Him we find all we need. My mission is to share my heart in the hopes of reaching others who are hurting and to magnify the greatness of my Savior Jesus.

Year Six

June 24, 2020

Where do I begin? Six years ago I woke up a wife and when I finally dropped into bed 23 hours later, it was as a widow. I was 28, pregnant and mother to a toddler. My husband had been perfectly healthy--his death was due to a tire blow-out while a passenger i...

Chronic Illness

May 17, 2020

Did you know that trauma can leave a physical mark on your body? Did you know it could manifest in such a way that your body wears it every day-- like a coat made of lead?

I had a sentinel year in 2014. I had a miscarriage, lost my dad, and lost my husband in a short fo...

Fully Dad

March 26, 2020

(Don with the girls, 2020)

As a new widow with a toddler and a baby on the way, I grieved particularly hard for my babies in the loss of their Daddy. Chris had been a wonderful father. He’d been particularly worried about his ability to be a good dad, as he’...

Triggered

February 11, 2020

Our words matter. They have power. They can harm or they can heal. They can show ignorance or understanding. We should be mindful of them, doing our best not to use them carelessly.

A current saying I’ve been hearing is, “Why are...

Weeping at Night, Joy in the Morning

December 15, 2019

(Photo by Jenn Fortune Photography)

Tonight my six-year-old cried herself to sleep because Daddy wasn't home to kiss and hug her goodnight. She was referring to my current husband, Don-- technically her step-dad, though we don't use that term. He's spending a...

Husband

November 25, 2019

For most of my adult life, I’ve had a husband. I moved out at 20 on my wedding day and lived with my husband Chris until he died… eight years and two weeks later. “Husband’ started out as a word I’d only used to describe other people’s families, but now it de...

Marrying my Beloved

October 8, 2019

***The following is the speech I made to my new husband on October 5th, 2019. The photos were taken by my dear friend and fellow widow Jenn Fortune.

Don, it’s finally here—our wedding day. Can you believe it? We have love—the deep, lasting, committed type, the...

Married Soon

October 5, 2019

Nineteen months ago, neither one of us was interested in this. The thought of a relationship conjured up the idea of being vulnerable to heartache and didn’t seem worth it. Yet for some reason when Jenny presented the idea to us, we found ourselves reluctan...

Manifesting

September 21, 2019

At the beginning of widowhood, I stayed up too late each night because going to bed meant facing his absence head-on. Getting into our bed meant lying down next to an empty space where his body should be. It was remembering that he would never sleep next to...

Rubber Bands on my Heart

August 29, 2019

I was driving my youngest, Aurora, to pre-k this morning when she said, “Mama, I know why there are traffic lights.”

“You do?” I asked.

“It’s to keep people safe,” she replied. I agreed and discussed with her how it helps people take turns, know when to go, etc.

“But Dad...