Misty, David, and their three kids will live in our 2025 Apostles Build home. They’ve already started to meet their new neighbors—through their sweat equity and also by attending events such as the neighborhood pumpkin carving in October! Misty says they’ve always wanted to be part of a close community, and she’s excited that her children have the chance to make new friends.
“I told my youngest, There’s so many kids your age!” says Misty. “You’re going to have so many friends there.”
As a family, they love being outside, whether that’s riding bikes or fishing – which their son Preston especially loves. “His whole life is fishing!” notes David. “That’s all he wants to do! He wants to go fishing every single day.”
So he’s thrilled that Sand Creek is so close to the family’s future home. “Hearing that there’s crawdads down there…” laughs Misty.
And they can’t wait to work on their own garden and also help with neighbors’ landscaping as part of their sweat equity.
“I think it is super cool because I’m really handy, and I like building stuff, doing things, doing yardwork, landscaping. I love doing all that stuff!” David says. “I love gardening.”
They also look forward to having more indoor space for activities they enjoy as a family—movie nights, meals, and conversation.
“We love going to the movies!” Misty says. “Every night, we try to watch a new movie with the kids.”
Right now, she says, they eat dinner at a coffee table in front of the TV, because their place is so crowded. “Dinner time can be at the table in the new house!” she enthuses.
They also enjoy going to restaurants when they can afford to and even just walking around the mall. In fact, Misty says, “We love everything! There’s nothing they don’t love to do.” She adds, laughing, “Except for dishes.”
Both parents say open, honest communication is both a strength and a high priority for their family.
“Me and David talk to them about everything,” explains Misty. “We all have a discussion. If something’s wrong, I want to put it out there, and I want them to give us their feedback. What can we do to help them? And just any way we can try to strengthen our bonds.”
David agrees. “We try to be very straightforward with our kids about realistic expectations and what’s going to happen.”
As teenage parents, they didn’t finish high school, so an important goal for them is to ensure all three of their children graduate.
“I told them that’s what I want more than anything,” David explains. “Once they graduate, they can make a choice of what they want to do in their life, but everybody needs to graduate.”
They’re also committed to giving their children a secure family life—which neither of them had when they were growing up.
“Our fathers weren’t around,” David says. “I just wanted to give them something that we never had. They have a dad and a mom, and that’s one of the proudest things—they’ve always had both parents. We’ve always been there for them.”
Although David’s father wasn’t around consistently, his grandfather served as a role model for him and adored Misty and their daughter, Mylah.
“We are strong believers in guardian angels, and our biggest is his grandpa, who recently passed,” says Misty.
They are also raising their children to have a strong faith in God.
“I’ve always taught my children, any hardship, you need to pray, and it’ll all be okay as long as you believe and you trust in God,” Misty says. “Put it in his hands.”
Being selected for the Pikes Peak Habitat program is evidence for them of God’s provision for their family. And knowing volunteers will help them build their future home is especially meaningful to them.
“It really gives me hope that people are still willing to volunteer in this day and age,” says David. “I know there’s tons of people who volunteer, give their time, and work hard for someone they don’t know. It’s amazing. It’s a blessing!”
