Julie B's Boys

Life has a way of weaving together moments of joy and sorrow. In my first blog post, I shared our journey with Emma Claire, and today, I'm excited to introduce you to the rest of my incredible family-my boys!

First is my incredible husband, Austin. He has been a mechanical engineer at various plants of Shaw Industries for the last nine years. He is the most dedicated, hard-working man I've ever met! He has taken so many calls in the middle of the night and gone in when things at the plant weren't running smoothly. He is my best friend and my home. We've been together 16 years (in September), and I love that we have so many "growing up" memories. We've navigated high school, college, moving to Knoxville, moving to Chattanooga, me on night shift, and so many more milestones together. Professional pictures together at least every year are something we cherish and love looking back on. Day to day, it doesn't seem like we change all that much, but when we look at the pictures, we laugh at those baby faces and can't believe how much has changed!

Then there's Rocky, our 8-pound Pom-Shih-Poo mix who's been brightening our days for seven years now. With his energetic, loving, and protective personality, he's been our emotional support through every up and down. Rocky has this ability to know exactly when we need extra cuddles or a playful distraction. No matter where he is in the house, if I sit on the couch and pop my feet up, he is running as fast as his little legs will take him to sit with me! He is very protective of me, especially during my pregnancies! When Austin kisses me, he makes it his business to keep a close eye on us and sometimes even barks. I think it's hilarious! Austin doesn't exactly feel the same.

As many of you already know from my previous post, our spirited Emma Claire is four years old now and growing into quite the little personality. Scratch that - she's always had a BIG personality! Rocky has been so patient with her during her loud and big personality moments.

Our family's journey hasn't been without heartbreak. In 2022, we said goodbye far too soon to our precious son Jack, whom we lost in my belly at almost 18 weeks. Though his time with us was brief, Jack forever changed our hearts and will always be a cherished part of our family story. We carry his memory with us every day.

"I carried you every second of your life, and I will love you every second of mine."

Through our grief came a blessing - our rainbow baby, Owen. Now an energetic 18-month-old, Owen fills our home with quick little footsteps, sticky fingers, and endless wonder. Every day, I'm amazed at the new things he's learned! Emma Claire has embraced her role as big sister, and it warms my heart to see her play with him. She, however, is in the process of toughening him up with her too-tight hugs around the neck and tackles to the ground! Watching them grow together brings us joy we never thought possible after our loss.

Our family may not look exactly as we once imagined, but it's perfectly ours - a testament to love's ability to heal and grow even through life's deepest sorrows. Jack will always be in our hearts and on our minds, Rocky will snuggle, and Emma Claire and Owen will be our daily reminders that life is full of beautiful possibilities.

Want to follow along with our family's journey? I'd love to connect with you! If you're interested in family photography that captures those beautiful, messy, meaningful moments, head over to my contact page and let's chat. Every family has a story worth telling - and I'd be honored to help you tell yours.