The birth father and his family have been a part of Molly and her oldest son’s lives since the beginning, and once Molly and Brandon decided to get married, they were very intentional about keeping that relationship intact. "There were a few bumps in the road that we had to figure out, but overall we've done a pretty good job of co-parenting," said Molly. "My son calls Brandon "B" (rather than Dad), and it works for all of us."
Together Molly and Brandon have three additional children ranging in ages from 13 (Molly’s first son), a 9-1/2 year old boy, and twin girls who are age 8. One of the biggest challenges of any blended family is making sure everyone feels equally loved and equally accepted. However, Brandon and Molly’s biggest goal is to be God-honoring in everything they do. “It helps that my son and Brandon were able to build a relationship before the other kids came along,” said Molly. “When [Molly’s oldest son] is at his dad’s house, the other three kids are counting the hours until he’s back home!”
Although Molly graduated from Ruth Harbor more than 12 years ago, she stays in touch with her house parents, some of the women she lived with during her stay at Ruth Harbor, and she and Brandon even reached out to Ruth Harbor recently when they needed a new vehicle. “Ruth Harbor had been such a strong resource for me as a single mom – helping me with diapers, clothes, meals, and even connected me with someone to help repair my credit score – I thought I’d try contacting them to see if they could help.”
When Molly called and expressed their need for a new vehicle, Mark at Ruth Harbor was excited to tell them the ministry had just received a donated van. It had 260,000 miles, so everyone agreed that the vehicle would be a “temporary solution” until Brandon and Molly received their tax refund. Surprisingly, the van served Brandon and Molly’s family for another two years – long enough to enable them to pay-off their first vehicle and be financially setup to purchase a newer second vehicle!
Molly and Brandon are so thankful to Ruth Harbor for the impact the ministry has had on their lives. “Ruth Harbor has been there for us so many times,” said Molly. “Without Ruth Harbor, I would have kept trying to do things on my own instead of growing closer to the Lord. The key at Ruth Harbor is Christ – Ruth Harbor nurtured that relationship, and that is what led to everything else that’s good in my life.”
