Our Story
The Alexanders
Our Story
It all started on a soccer field in the fall of 1998. I was a college junior, and one of my best friends, Jessica, introduced me to her older brother, Matt. Having shared countless great moments on and off the soccer field, Jess thought we’d hit it off—and she was right. That day, the connection was instant! Our long-distance relationship blossomed into love, and we soon realized that our times together were never long enough. We decided to make our visits permanent and got married in July 2001. A year later, we were blessed to discover we were expecting our first baby. Our daughter, Annie, arrived in the spring of 2003.
After Annie, we experienced the heartache and disappointment of four miscarriages, but our fifth pregnancy brought us our son, Ethan. Two years later, our energetic Ellie joined the family. Not wanting to wait, we hoped for another child. When Ellie was just five months old, we found out we were expecting little Georgie.
Every twist and turn, joyful and difficult moment has brought us closer together and created this wonderful family that we cherish each day.
The McKees
Story Behind The Book
When my husband and I married in 2001, we had the joy of meeting Barb and Jerry McKee, an inspiring, godly couple who introduced us to their annual planning tradition. Each year, they’d spend two nights away to map out their goals and dreams for the coming year. Over time, they perfected a guide for this ritual, sharing it with other couples to encourage them to do the same.
We were grateful to receive one of their guides and decided to try it, hoping it would be a positive step for our new marriage. It turned out to be far more than just helpful; it was an incredible blessing. This yearly tradition kept us aligned in our goals, deepened our connection as a couple, and ultimately brought us closer as a family.
We have been so enriched by this practice that we want to share it with others!
Discovering a Lifelong Blessing
Our Year Ahead
Jerry is now home with the Lord, and with Barbs blessing, we've combined their original guide with the ideas, concepts, and practices that my husband and I have found helpful over the years to create Our Year Ahead. This Planning Getaway for Couples, walks you step-by-step through the planning process, helping you align with your spouse and set meaningful goals for the year ahead.
We hope you’ll pick up a copy of Our Year Ahead and make an annual getaway part of your tradition so that you may be forever blessed with a marriage, family and life that overflows with abundant joy.