April 21, 2022
Friends & Family, 

It's time for that seemingly random, long overdue family update! 

Picking up from where we left off...

IVF. 

In January of 2021, David and I transferred our first embryo as a last ditch effort after 3 years of infertility treatment. I will never forget looking up at David, after watching our baby (then a cluster of cells), actively growing under the microscope prior to the procedure. Tears of pain, fear, frustration and hope in both of our eyes. In the background played the song "The Story I'll Tell," proclaiming that even in the darkest hour, "my God did not fail." I can still feel the sense of peace that overcame me as I surrendered to his will that day. I knew I had nothing left to give, I had done everything I could. Even so, the old wives tales? Failed. Even so, the countless medications and injections? Failed. Even so, the numerous IUIs? Failed. Special diets? Failed. The science, the research and the odds? Failed. I laid there lacking confidence in the process, but was filled to the brim with confidence in the power and faithfulness of Jesus. I didn't know what story I would tell one day. To be honest, I was preparing for another heartbreak. 

Two weeks later I got the phone call that I was pregnant. I collapsed in praise of my God, who did not fail. I know that one day, I will understand why it happened the way it did. I'm still processing. The journey was hands down one of the most challenging things I've been through physically, relationally, emotionally and spiritually. There is hurt, brokenness and grief in my story. More importantly there is strength, hope, and healing.

On my hardest days, I held on to the truth of who God is and how he is ACTIVE in our lives. 

Lamentations 3: 22-23 

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." 

There were countless days that I truly could not imagine mustering up the strength to face another day of bitterness, anger and overwhelming sadness. Yet, God was present. When I didn't think it was possible, when I didn't know what I needed, or how I was going to keep moving with such heaviness, he freely sustained me in every moment, of every day. THIS is the story I'll tell. 

Because of God's goodness, I carried our sweet baby, knowing that each day was a gift that was not deserved or promised to me. In September we welcomed our precious little girl- Ruthie Wren. I can't wait to tell her one day how loved and prayed for she was. How badly I wanted to be her Momma and how God literally moved mountain after mountain to give her life! What an incredible testimony to his power and LOVE for his children. 

Other good news to report: David completed his second surgery and is anticipating his third and FINAL surgery in May! He is so ready to be done and get back to life as normal! We are so thankful for all of his providers who have played a crucial part in giving him his life back! Another answered prayer! 

I started a new job with Monogram Health in January and love it. 

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary and Connor's 31st birthday with our family over Easter weekend. Complete with a special dinner at Pelican and Pig, a trip to the farmers market, an everlasting game of corn hole, worshipping the risen king and of course an egg hunt in our yard! 

Other than those life updates, we're pretty boring. We eat leftovers most nights for dinner and go to bed at 9:00. But hey...after the past 5 years we've had together, boring is beautiful. 

With love,

The Konstants

February 14, 2021

Friends & Family, 

I blinked and it's 2021! Where has all of this time gone?

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that 2020 was a doozy.  

We rang in the new year at Williamson Medical Center, the first of many hospitalizations David would endure throughout the rest of the year. After multiple readmissions, losing more than 40 pounds and living with chronic pain, David made an incredibly hard decision with such grace. In September, he had his entire colon removed which was his last option and the only cure for his disease. I am SO happy to report that he is feeling GREAT! For the first time in 3+ years he has NO pain, has more energy, and the quality of his life has improved drastically. We have no doubt that surgery was the right call.

He has two more surgeries to go, and we trust that he will continue to gain strength and health along the way.

Despite how hard this season was, God protected us. It's still hard to find adequate words to express our thanks to those that carried us through. We were loved, served, prayed for, fed and taken care of by so many earthly angels. We will always remember the ways our friends, family and strangers were the hands and feet of Christ to us during this time. 

In March of 2020, we were really looking forward to a fun-filled birthday weekend in Nashville, complete with family visiting and enjoying Auburn basketball together at the SEC Tournament. This was the weekend "the world shutdown." People fled grocery stores, lined gas stations and toilet paper/hand sanitizer became more valuable than gold. The SEC Tournament was canceled and Dad and I made the trek to Kroger, with the rest of Franklin, to stock up on "the essentials." COVID 19 changed everything. Weddings and vacations were canceled, and our busy social lives screeched to a halt. Even now, I can't help but wonder if things will ever go back to "normal." We never imagined we would be navigating a global pandemic, but here we are. 

One of the BEST things to happen in 2020, was purchasing our new VAN CAMPER!  Nicknamed Tammy, she is our newest obsession. She has a queen size bed and mini kitchen in the back, and we can't wait to travel the states with her! 

2020 ended with us starting a new journey- In Vitro Fertilization or IVF. For the last 3 years we have struggled with infertility and this was the next step for us to take in hopes of growing our family. A roller coaster isn't a metaphor that does it justice. Many have advised us to keep this quiet, however we believe it's a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness and provision. We know we are not alone in our suffering, and we want others to find comfort knowing that they are seen and understood. One day, we will tell our story in hopes of encouraging and loving somebody else through the same battle.

We continue to rest in full assurance that God is present and moving in our lives. We pray that each of you move through 2021 with the same confidence. 

With love,

The Konstants

August 16th, 2018

Friends & Family,

Hello!

Its been a little while since we last posted!
With that being said... we have a lot to share!

In April we celebrated our 1 year anniversary! We can't believe how time has gone by so quickly! We had what we call an "adventurous," first year and we decided that we would be content with a little less excitement going forward haha...

Marriage has been a beautiful, learning and growing experience and we thank God for how he has been working in both of us. We are eager to see what his plan holds in the years to come.

David graduated from rookie school in June and is more than happy to be working with the Franklin Fire Department. I finished out the school year working with the special education department at Longview Elementary and will begin my internship for graduate school next week. I will be at a counseling agency in Nashville for women recovering from addiction.

June 28th and 29th were very special for us!

On June 28th, David and I purchased our first home together in beautiful Franklin, TN. We are overwhelmed and know that we have been blessed with way more than we need or deserve. The whole story is a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness. We have had so much fun getting our home put together, as well as working in the yard/garden and doing multiple DIY projects!

Since moving in, our family has grown. We now have one dog (Finn), one cat (Tater Tot), two kittens (Piper and Paisley), three chickens (Phyllis, Carol, and Jan), one duck (Ritz Quacker) and one fish (Oopsie). Some think we're crazy- we think we're living our best life.

Believe it or not...we still have plenty of room, so PLEASE come see us!

On June 29th, we welcomed our first niece in to the world! Hallie Catherine Sutter has stolen our hearts and it has been so fun to see Matt and Amanda as parents. Our prayer for her is 1st Thessalonians 3:12-13.

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."

We are very thankful for everything we have been given and for everyone who is doing life alongside of us, including you!

With love, 
The Konstants

January 18th, 2017

Friends & Family,

We have wonderful and exciting news to share! After nine months of waiting for the Lord to answer our prayers, David will start a new job in February! David has been hired on with the City of Franklin Fire Department and we could not be more thrilled to walk this journey together. Fire is David's passion. His drive and dedication to this career is something I have always loved about him. God's timing was absolutely perfect. He knew all along what he was doing, and though we often felt discouraged and impatient, we see now that this was in the works the whole time! God is so good! We want to say thank you to all of you who have continued to pray for us and encourage us during this season!
As for me, my world right now is graduate school and working for an elementary school with their special education program! I have absolutely loved my new job. The kiddos are such a blessing and the job keeps me on my toes! I'm extremely grateful to work with such wonderful people- they are kind, caring and welcomed me with open arms although I started late in the year! Again, God's timing was flawless. After losing the little boy I nannied for in October to cancer, he opened a door no more than a week later for me to be able to continue loving on children with disabilities. It has been a season of grief, but also growth. I am reminded of Ferlando daily and my heart aches often when I think of him. He absolutely changed me and impacted my life on a level I didn't think possible. David has been a wonderful support system throughout the ups and downs over the past few months. Thanks again to our friends and family who have gone above and beyond for us.

Our first year of marriage has been challenging and we have been faced with many hurdles, but through it all Jesus has made himself known and we are so excited to see what he has coming for us next!

With love, 
The Konstants

May 4th, 2017

Friends & Family,

We're married! We had the most perfect wedding day and we are so thankful for all of y'all who came to celebrate with us! Jesus blessed us with beautiful weather, a beautiful venue and beautiful people to spend it with. Pictures will be coming soon!
We are finally settled in to our new apartment in Springhill, TN and are loving it. It's a tiny but cozy apartment that we have quickly fallen in love with. The adjustment back to reality from a week of honeymooning was rough, but we're making it! We can't wait to have visitors come see us in our new home, so start planning your trip!

With love,
The Konstants

March 23rd, 2017

Friends & Family,

Today we are rejoicing in the Lord's provision! David has accepted an EMT job with AMR (American Medical Response) and will begin in just a few short weeks! We have been praying for a door to be opened for the past few months and even amidst the anxiety of the unknown the Lord went before us and made a way. We are so grateful! David will {finally} be moving to Nashville at the beginning of April to start his new career. A big thanks to each of y'all who have spoken words of encouragement and prayed for us during this transition period. We are so lucky to have such a great support system! This is an overwhelming, thrilling, nerve-wracking, beautiful time in our lives and we are so ready to see what's next!

With love,
David and Ashley

February 28th, 2017

Friends & Family,

The days, months and years ahead will bring lots of new and exciting things for us. Before we know it, we'll be saying "I do," and starting our life together in Tennessee. We'll be far away from a lot of y'all, which will be challenging no doubt! We wanted to have a way for everyone to "keep up" with what's going on in our life, as well as hear from you! This blog is our attempt, we'll see how it goes!

With Love,
David and Ashley