Founder’s Story

IMG_8412

About Lisa

Welcome! I’m so glad you discovered The Evolving Nest. I believe we all have valuable stories to share that are unique to our own marriage experience, life stories, and how we want to show up in this world.

Why Part Two? Because everyone has at least one, and most of us have a myriad of transitional moments in our lives.

Your Part Two might be that quiet moment when you decide you want something more for your most important relationship, or maybe your Part Two is all about deciding to start living healthier, learning a new skill, or finally pursuing that something you have been thinking about doing for years. For many, it’s all of the above.

Finding Time to Thrive

After 28 years of marriage, three amazing kids, and a few dogs—we have had our own share of  Part Two’s. My husband and I have finally concluded that we will forever be trying to figure each other out. Fortunately, today, we are finally on the same page as we explore this new season of our lives together as quasi-empty-nesters.

Sadly, I let years slip by, just going through the motions and putting on a good show, but I’m done living that way.

Boating in Hawaii

My husband started his own journey toward spiritual, physical, and emotional fulfillment years ago, which, as you can imagine, caused a few hiccups as we were growing at wildly different rates.

Some would say I’m a little late to the game…I say, thanks to Life Coach-Mel Robbins, “You’re never too old to start something new.”

JSpeers

When our first son John was born with developmental delays in 1997, it threw us into a tailspin. We were juggling first-time parenthood with helping our little guy receive the best therapies available.

By the time he was two, specialists had diagnosed him with autism and cognitive delays. It was devastating. 

We mourned the neuro-typical little boy we always assumed we’d have—all while cracks in our relationship started to splinter and deepen. We didn’t realize how fragile our relationship had been until years later. At the time, we just did what needed to be done and gutted it out. Our hope is that you will choose a healthier, more proactive path.

A few years later, we were blessed with our son Connor, now 20, and his sister Kate, 17, who were, thankfully, both born very healthy and inquisitive little humans. As preschoolers, Connor and Kate were often confused as to why their older brother acted the way he did at times. My husband and I eventually found ways to help them navigate these sometimes challenging and heartbreaking waters.

Today, Connor and Kate have become two of John’s strongest advocates.

IMG_3843
IMG_6861

 

Fortunately, my husband and I still enjoy hanging out, and we absolutely love traveling together.

Recently, we traveled to Brazil with our teenage daughter, where I had spent a year as an exchange student. I was so blessed to reconnect with all the wonderful families I’d lived with. It was amazing to reunite with old friends—it only took me 35 years to find my way back. Brazilians are some of the warmest and most hospitable people on the planet.


Like most marriages, my husband and I have had many amazing moments
sprinkled with a few challenges here and there—just to keep things interesting. We love raising our kids and watching them develop their own strengths, interests, and hopes.

Still, we are under no illusions that ‘we got this’—we know there is still work to be done. 

 

IMG_8984
IMG_2517

We also acknowledge we haven’t made it this far all on our own. Through the years, we’ve been surrounded by a supportive family, wonderful friends, relied heavily on our faith (which was not always the case), and started working with marriage counselors early on—learning some valuable lessons from each one. Yes, there have been a few.

Today, 32 years after serendipitously sitting next to this handsome guy in my computer-coding class—back when “someone” thought everyone needed to learn coding to use a personal computer—I’m still looking forward to our next adventure. 

Pin It