“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Sounds cliche and the most typical scripture when describing a Christian family. Well, it happens to ring true for our family. Today, we celebrate 13 years of marriage and family. As I reflect on and continue to experience the favor of God because of our relationship with each other and Him ( Proverbs 18:22), I can attest that marriage is a gift and a blessing… and with gifts you must be wise with what you do with that gift, especially when the Giver is the Creator of all things.
Well, a little about us… Raymond and I met through my brothers and I was reunited with my brothers from a community choir I was apart of (LONG STORY, OBVIOUSLY). Anyway, we were 17 when we met June 2003. Ray proposed December 2004 and we married September 2005. We were literally out of high school with no real sense of life and responsibility but with our family upbringing, we handled things well with our resources. We were told get our finances in order before we said “I Do” but being 19, we were barely old enough to do anything and with the trade Ray was in at the time (plumbing contractor) your income would vary every month. It varied and almost came to a halt especially in the winter months then we found out we were pregnant November 2005. No steady work in your father’s company to take care of a family , it was definitely hard on my husband but we did overcome and tithed the whole way through. God sustained us and blessed us through our giving.
In 2007, we found out we were pregnant again!! By this time, Ray was hired at another plumbing company and we were doing pretty good, we even had the best insurance to cover our birth and our new home we purchased a year prior. The next few years, the story repeated itself! Pregnant again in 2008 and again in 2010! 🙂 In 2010, we decided to go back into the family business but shortly after, took a trip to Texas for Christmas and while on vacation, was told we were kicked off a very big job as well as getting a call from my OB GYN saying he could no longer care for me. We wasn’t worried because this was our way out! So in February 2011 and pregnant with our 4th child, we packed up our town home, grabbed the essentials and traveled to Texas to find a new life. (You can read more about our journey to Texas here).
Fast forward to 2018, we are a family of 7. We home school, we’re business owners, faithfully active in our church and have a farm:) We are blessed and we are grateful for our disappointments, floods, times of distress and whatever else life has taught us. We definitely don’t look or react to the things we’ve been through. It’s because of the peace of God and the favor He has over our lives as a family, His family.
MEET OUR FAMILY!!!
Meet Raymond– Father, husband, Christ follower, genius! My name means “Counsel; mighty protection; guards wisely”
I am a fantastic father of five, and an enduring light in the life of my family. I have a daily goal to encourage growth in my children, and provide the pathway they need to succeed within themselves. I love to have constant conversations with my family about who they are and what they believe. I love exploring new avenues and possibilities, and I love being different. I may not be normal, but I know I am necessary. I wish that all children could have the same opportunities to learn the fact that they may not always be normal, but they are always necessary!
Meet Antoinette– Mother, wife, woman of virtue, educator. My name means “beyond praise or highly praiseworthy”
I am an amazing mother of five children. I enjoy homeschooling, and the bonus to watch my children grow everyday. I make sure to teach my children the best education possible, which is why I went to college to study and obtain my degree in Early Childhood Education. My main job is to keep my family and home secure and loved. I teach God’s word to my children everyday, and show them new and crazy adventures in life. We have a homestead full of animals and we learn something new everyday just by studying in our own backyard. I love photography, cooking and video creations. I share my love with everyone possible!
Meet Raymiah– Sister, daughter, friend, artist, and animal lover. My name means “exaltation of the Lord”
I am an artist with an eclectic personality. I love to make others happy and I am very creative. I love to think outside of the box and take part in activities that are exciting and fun. I am very different, and my favorite animal is a cat. I’ve raised goats, chicks, rabbits, and a pig as my own. I love my siblings, although they sometimes get me in trouble; but I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. I think anything is possible. I am a strong, Christian girl and God is at the center of everything I do. God loves me, and so I love others.
Meet Rylee– Sister, daughter, friend, ballerina and seamstress in the making. My name means “courageous; virtuous”
I am an aspiring ballerina that loves to dance. I love the arts, and I am very assiduous with my hobbies. Aside from sewing, crafting, cooking, and dancing; I like to help others as much as possible. My goal in life is to show others that they are appreciated. Love is contagious, and I hope to spread God’s love and joy to others. I never put people down, and I do my best to help people that I see being mistreated. I may not say much, but I am very silly and kindhearted. I love science and math in school and when I grow up I will help to educate others.
Meet Raymond the Third– Son, brother, friend, inspiring Taekwondo black belt. My name means “Counsel; mighty protection; guards wisely”
I am so excited to meet new people. I am the only boy in the family, but I am a real ninja and warrior. I like to learn outdoors, and I get to explore all the things in nature. I wake up early every morning to complete my chores with the pigs, goats, and chickens. My siblings say they help, but I am the one who really train the pigs. I am diligent, obedient, and I am helpful. I know how to build things, and I can climb trees really good. Sometimes I like to play basketball, but I really like to play soccer.
Meet Reelaiah– Daughter, sister, friend, and jazz dancer! My name means “Shepherd or companion to the Lord”
I am a great friend! I love to sing, laugh, dance, and draw. I love playing with my siblings and building with Legos. I love to dance with my sisters, and I am happy when we hear anything from V. Rose or Britt Nicole. They make my favorite music. I love to play outdoors and I love to play with my new chicks. I also like to read new books and learn new stories. I am very good at reading! I help my mom around the house anytime we have something to do. I am friendly to everyone because God is a friend to me.
Meet Rebekah– Daughter, youngest sister, energetic and friendly. My name means “Captivating; knotted cord”
I AM SO EXCITED!! I like to do anything. I live my life EXCITED! I do not like to wear shoes, but I like to run! I can do cartwheels, jumping jacks, and splits. My mom taught me how to make eggs, so I can do that too! I always help my dad with any work that he has to do. I’m also learning to read, and my favorite book is called, “Sam”. If I’m not helping or learning my home school I am doing cartwheels! I love church, and I love God. I AM SO EXCITED! I can’t wait to meet new people so we can do cartwheels together!
WE ARE THE BURNS FAMILY!
I pray you will enjoy our website and everything we have planned for this platform. Everything we do, God will get the glory out of it!
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
