If Life

If Life If Life began in 2016 as a 3,000 mile run/bike across America where Anna Strasburg used her platform On July 23, 2016, If Life launched in Kansas City.

Anna Strasburg began a three-thousand mile run across the United States, running between ten to fifteen miles a day, five days a week. Due to knee injuries, Anna switched to biking after 1,700 miles of running. She finished her journey on October 15, 2017. Anna now speaks at schools, churches, and other venues to educate and activate others into the pro-life movement.

We had four kids in the span of 2.5 years and then took in 3 foster kids in 13 months. I can tell you that when God is a...
05/24/2026

We had four kids in the span of 2.5 years and then took in 3 foster kids in 13 months.

I can tell you that when God is at the helm (pun intended since we toured a sailboat for this family day), that no one will understand.

We were told not to have so many kids.

We were told not to foster.

We were told we were crazy.

Truth is, we were. But God led the way, and we followed.

From getting married right after my run across America

to renting in a scary part of town

to being pregnant two weeks into marriage

to being 4 months postpartum and pregnant with twins

To buying a fixer upper

To welcoming a fourth child and hemorrhaging

To taking in 3 foster children in 13 months

To adopting 2 (and hoping to adopt the 3rd)

To NOW.

We have seven kids seven and under. We have a beautiful home and an acre.

We sail on some weekends and build on others.

We garden, we camp, we pray, we read, we have family meals, and we homeschool.

Only God could see the future when we were handling kids healing and sleepless nights and constant caseworkers and exhaustion.

It all clouded our vision, but NOT God’s.

So, if you want to know what we think, we’d tell you TRUST GOD with everything.

Every aspect of your life. Hold nothing back. He is a good God. He will guide you. He will take care of you. He wants what’s best for you.

05/23/2026

Motherhood truly does get sweeter. 💕

05/18/2026

We went sailing with our children (all 7 and under) and it was so sweet.

Yes there were tears and bottles needed and missed naps, but there was also watching my twins ride on the bow of our boat, the girls put their hands in the wake, and the giggles as the wind whipped our sails.

Children don’t stop our dreams, we get to have little best friends to accomplish our dreams alongside.

05/10/2026

Mother’s Day is celebrating the seen and unseen moments of a life daily laid down.

I’m so thankful for my mother.

05/08/2026

We’ve had you for 15 months, ever since you were 8 weeks old.

I can’t remember life before you,

and I sure hope I never have to know a life without you.

But no matter what, I’ll love you forever.

05/04/2026

Marry someone kind.

04/30/2026

My mom was spring cleaning, and that meant distracted.

Pair that with my dad’s most continual instruction of “go the extra mile” and boy were my parents in for it.

You see my mom had set all six kids twin mattress outside to deep clean the rooms/ get them fresh air.

This was for sure our opportunity to help! The mattresses were leaned up against our backyard picket fence, so we began running and body slamming them to get the dust out.

“Go the extra mile” we all thought as we turned on the hose to wet the mattresses ‘for cleaning purposes,’ of course.

Before anyone could blink, we had all six mattresses lined up, the hose full blast, several inches of water in the backyard, and the mattresses completely water logged.

And could we really go the extra mile of cleaning without soap? Add several bottles of dawn an all the neighborhood kids.

Now, we were cleaning & had the world’s best slip and slide imaginable.

I remember my mom walked out and saw the chaos, then simply walked back in.

I always attributed it to her being that calm, but she told me years later it was her way of STAYING calm and not getting mad.

In all my years of childhood, my mom was the queen of “yes,” but not in a gentle parenting way. A yes to endless mud fights, a yes to creek swimming, a yes to using her sheets for make-shift hammocks.

But you wanna know what she saved her “no’s” for? What really mattered. No, we won’t lie; no, we don’t use those words; no, we don’t treat someone like that.

Her “no’s” were for character building.

Now with seven kids of my own, I’m trying to be just like her.

Save your no’s for what matters. ♥️🤍

03/29/2026

Santa Barbara was beautiful, but there’s nothing like Pensacola Beach and my babies.

01/14/2026

7 kids under 6 is a lot, but a good evening routine sets us up for a good next day, so it’s crucial.

We get all the kids ready for bed (teeth, pull-ups, diapers, etc.). Then we sit down at our dining room table for story time.

We light beeswax candles, dim the lights, have our special drink of choice (this one was hot foamed milk with honey and cinnamon), and read.

This routine relaxes us and the kids, gets the kids in the mindset of bedtime, and we get time and cuddles with them.

Afterwards, they do hugs and kisses and crawl into bed where they get to hear Adventures in Odyssey followed by calming music.

It’s been such a life changer for us. ✨

01/11/2026

This is the best advice I could give for how to keep a calm temper when it feels overwhelming.

I start each day with prayer, water, coffee, and devotion times, but sometimes I still fall short—really short—of the parent I want to be.

Thinking of how I would handle each circumstance in light of how I would hope to handle it if my mom were there has really helped me tremendously.

Let me know your strategies. ♥️

Address

Pensacola, FL

Website

https://solvehomes.org/donate/

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