I grew up in small-town, rural Minnesota - Morgan if you want to Google it and see just how small-town we're talking. I loved growing up with a large family (6 siblings plus a few additions in last decade) and space for lots of creativity and adventure.

I attended college at Minnesota State University-Mankato and obtained my B.S. in Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services which led me to Arizona for an internship with the American Diabetes Association. This began my 15-year adventure where I eventually landed my dream job as a Camp Director with the ADA. After a few years of back-and-forth between MN and AZ, I permanently landed in AZ in 2014 and started to build a new adventure and community.

Then in 2021, God threw me a curve ball and asked me to leave the career I was insanely passionate about and enter into ministry. I accepted a youth ministry position and started my Master of Arts in Ministry degree at Phoenix Seminary. I am temporarily stepping away from full-time ministry, but know God will bring me back in at some point in the future.

I was born and raised in central/northern California. My favorite memories are of being outdoors (camping, fishing, hiking, and almost anything that got me outside in the wilderness). I have 7 siblings that are spread out over a 22 year span. I always loved doing things with my family and my closest friends in life have always been my brothers. After 5th grade my parents decided it would be best to homeschool us kids, so I spent the rest of my school years at home and I really excelled in that environment. I graduated early at the age of 16, and after only one semester of college I decided school wasn't a path I wanted to continue to pursue.

I attended the school of hard knocks and started working as soon as I turned 16 at a kitchen and bath remodeling company. I have always enjoyed remodel and being able to transform things that are old, outdated, and ugly into something that people love to look at. Working with my hands and being out and active give me a lot of joy.

I have lived in 4 different states now. I moved from California to Idaho when I was 20 years old. I lived in the state of Washington for a year before moving back to Idaho and then eventually moved to Arizona about 5 years ago.

For a season I enjoyed being a firefighter while I lived in Idaho. I decided it wasn't a career choice for me but I really enjoyed the 5 years that I invested as a paid call firefighter for the small city of Chubbuck Idaho. I believe that being a contractor is the right career for me and am blessed to be able to do something that is so fulfilling for me.

I have a 4 year old son named Gideon who is my pride and joy and I look forward to seeing him grow up and all that life will bring us in the years to come.

Kaylee | After being baptized in 2020 and growing in God-community since 2016 with a house church, Kaylee started attending a Young Adult LifeGroup through Antioch Community Church Phoenix. She quickly became good friends and felt at home in the group.

Ben | Through many difficult life situations Ben found himself in need of a supportive and healthy community. Ben had a strong desire to be able to be part of the body of Christ in a tangible way and was seeking out where God wanted him to go. A friend invited Ben to their small group that met on Monday nights and he decided to give it a go.

Kaylee + Ben | Ben started attending the Antioch LifeGroup in January 2022, when the two met for the first time. By March, interest began to spark and conversation took off. After lots of prayer and conversation, the two decided to take some time to get to know eachother more and just be good friends until the timing was right to officially consider a relationship.

During that time, the friendship flourished and they discovered they had endless common interests and hearts that cared for eachother. On June 15, 2022, Ben asked Kaylee to officially begin a relationship that they both hoped would end in marriage.

More coming soon...

After beginning the wedding planning process, we realized there was not enough time or resources to be able to include ALL of our family and friends and be married in 2023. So we did something a little different. The Sequel Wedding: One Marriage, Two Celebrations, One Year Apart.

On August 4, 2023, we invited a handful of family and friends to celebrate the beginning of our marriage. We organized a simple and intimate cabin backyard wedding. It was a beautiful weekend filled with blessings and love from those around us.

We invite our family and friends to join us on our 1-year anniversary to celebrate our marriage on August 4, 2024 in Wilderness Gateway near Kooskia, ID. We'll have a simple ceremony, food, games, dancing and lots of fun.

We encourage our guests to make a weekend out of the trip. The area is some of the most beautiful country around, with lots to do nearby and in surround states. We'll be sure to invite guests to any planned activities we arrange as well.