Throughout their relationship, both Ben and Amy have shared cherished memories of their childhood that have shaped them into the unique individuals they are today. In their reflections, the first word Amy thought of when thinking about her childhood home was comfort. She feels warm and fuzzy inside. Safe. Loved. She closes her eyes and can vividly picture all the minute details that no one besides her family would ever notice. The brick on the left side of the fireplace that isn’t attached to the rest and holds pennies or other treasures placed by her siblings underneath it. She laughs as she recalls the loose corner of the kitchen counter where her dad once caught his belt loop and the whole family knew just by the “Sh---t!” that resonated throughout the house. Ha! Now all that remains is the line from where he repaired it so seamlessly, like a lot of the hard work he did in their home. She recollects the wooden kitchen table that served as an impactful place with a seat reserved for all six of them, accompanied by a home-cooked family meal every night of the week.  She learned values at that table. She gained morals, was encouraged to share about her day, learned patience, understanding, empathy, culture, and above all else: love. It was where her foundation was built. 

Ben’s foundation in family was built through his childhood home where he learned about loyalty, responsibility, commitment, and teamwork.  Ben often credits his strong work ethic and desire to put family first to Mel, his father, who taught Ben such valuable life lessons through the development, maintenance, and hard work of the family business, Jorgensen Hauling. From the beginning of their relationship, Ben and Amy noticed that they each shared a mutually strong foundation in family values and attribute it to their parents and the  facilitation and emphasis on home, both in physical space and in the feeling. 

Years ago, Ben and his father had discussed and agreed that Ben would watch after the home when he was no longer able. About fifteen years ago, with Mel’s sudden passing, Ben acquired their beautiful home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is the same home Ben grew up in and has lived in his entire life. Amy finds a similar warm, fuzzy feeling as she watches Ben continue to be selfless, just like his dad and hers, and takes every opportunity to instill a similarly strong foundation in family values to his thirteen year old son, Braxton. Amy enjoys seeing Ben pass on traditions, experiences, and lessons to Braxton through working on the house, yard, or hauling job in the same way it was given to him by his dad. Amy feels challenged and yet thoroughly rewarded by the unique opportunity to experience parenting first hand by building trust and rapport with Braxton, who she feels is the ‘coolest kid in town’. :) Ben and Amy often talk with Braxton about how lucky he is to have two beautiful homes with two equally committed sets of parents where he can learn the importance of values, morals, life lessons, and ultimately have confidence in his own understanding and meaning of `home” as he gets older.  

Amy has felt incredibly lucky to have Ben be so welcoming and supportive of her ideas and contributions to their home-both physically and emotionally. It has been evident to both Ben and Amy that when you are lucky enough to find someone, a life partner, where respect and love is mutual, there are truly no limits. Amy and Ben find themselves thriving off one another’s energy to ensure they are living a meaningful and rewarding life together. They have both willingly sacrificed and compromised on some of their routine habits and beliefs about ‘how things should be’ to contribute wholeheartedly, as a team, to their home and the feeling that should come with it. They will continue to prioritize the necessary steps to build a foundation for their family, incorporating their individual experiences, childhood homes, and upbringing with the same end goal in mind: a visual representation of a home built on solid foundation, hard work, and lasting memories as a family while simultaneously encompassing the idea of home as a ‘warm-fuzzy’ feeling.. Amy and Ben are confident that through working on this goal they will be laying the groundwork and solid foundation for Braxton’s success now and in the future as well as their marital success and stability.

In moving onto the next chapter of their lives, as husband and wife, Ben and Amy have decided to invest their time, money, and commitment to family and complete some necessary renovations to their home. They both know how much Ben’s father cherished the property and the endless hours of work he put in to maintain it. Amy notes how proud she is of Ben for his commitment to family and willingness to maintain their home in the same way his father did for his mom, siblings and him.  Ben shares that he has always loved and respected the relationship Amy has with her parents and is looking forward to more visits from them to share experiences and get their input on some of his ideas for home renovations. They both feel very lucky to have a partnership and family home that mimics their own and to share the belief that their home is and always be their priority. They believe it sets precedence and a tone for the rest of their lives, Braxton’s life, and their future additions :) They look forward to passing down morals, values, work ethic, consistency, family traditions,  and so much more through the projects they will complete for their home, as a family. 

Amy and Ben would like you to know how grateful they are for any contribution to help make the following projects and renovations a reality:

-Bathroom (expansion)

-Insulation/expansion in the back wing of the house

-Front patio and garden area

-Back Porch that is attached to the living room

Since Ben and Amy both enjoy and embrace their artistic sides through creating things together and are grateful for the amount of calm, peace, and joy it has brought them, they would like all contributors to know that by donating to their fund A&B will have your name imprinted into a concrete mosaic tile for use in the front patio area where they look forward to sharing meals together while having a visual reminder of their loved ones who have been so generous and supportive in the accomplishment of their goals and dreams. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our hopes and dreams as we embark on this exciting journey as husband and wife. We are so excited to celebrate with all our favorite people! :) -A & B