If I had it my way, instead of reading an about page, you and I would be able to sit down, face to face, and chat over coffee. But, I talk a lot, we may not be within driving distance of each other, and you might not like coffee (but, if you’re a coffee-hater, then we can’t be friends… jussst kidding. Sorta. ;] ).

So, you want to know a little about me? Well, it’s a long story… Really. I’m not just saying that. My childhood was somewhat uneventful (comparatively). But, to try to sum up my personal life as a young adult would go something like this:

I was married at 20 years old, in 2008, to my very best friend. One of the happiest days of my life! In 2011, my sweet husband, Nicholas Magnotti, was diagnosed with a rare form of appendix cancer and we were determined to fight hard, with a smile.

We traveled for treatment and Nick was declared cancer free later that year. We thanked God and were overjoyed to have a new lease on life. We finally knew what mattered and what didn’t. Our future was bright! In 2012, after seven months of remission, we found out we were pregnant. We were STOKED!!

But, three months later, Nick’s cancer returned with a vengeance. The night of this second diagnosis as I lay awake with my hand on my belly, slightly swollen with new life forming, I decided I needed to make a choice. I decided that no matter what happened, I would trust that God had a plan for me and my little family.

Our daughter, Austyn Elizabeth, was born in March of 2013. Another one of the most wonderful days of our lives! Nick passed away just nine months later, on January 7th of 2014. And, honestly, we counted it as a win. His pain was gone. His cancer was no more and though I missed him like crazy, I knew I had to go on.

A year and a half after my husband’s passing, I reconnected with a good friend of Nick’s, Jay Galios. Somehow and in someway, God had planned that meeting for us. Jay asked me to marry him on December 14th, 2015 and we are planning to be married summer of 2016. He, Austyn and I somehow make up a perfect family, one that I could have never imagined or put together in my wildest dreams.

So, now I find myself in a world full of experiences and people that I never could have planned for. I am 28 years old and already a widow. I will always be Nick’s widow. I am also getting remarried. And I am so excited to be Jay’s wife. I can’t to tackle life and love after loss with him and God by our side.

Like anyone else, I have much to be thankful for and much to fear.

Instead of giving into those fears and turning my back on love and life, I’ve made a choice. I choose to latch onto… love, to hope, to joy and to faith.

I believe that Jesus taught us to look to hope, to look to light, and ultimately to live FOR love.  And love, my friends, is always, always a choice.

So, here I sit writing this blog, about my struggles, about my fears, about how I overcame, overcome, and the story-book ending that God’s fashioning for my future.  I hope that, somehow…. this blog encourages you, brings you hope, and helps you be just a little bit braver.

You only have one life to live. Be brave. Choose hope.

Thank you so very much for following along on this journey. Your friendship, support and love mean the world to me. Truly.

Oh, and if we ever do get a chance to sit down with a steaming cuppa’ coffee, I’ll have a white chocolate americano with soy. Please and thank you. ;]

Love, Alyssa

PS. We JUST launched a website that can keep you up to date on all the AMAZING things God continues to do in our lives! Check it out here! And, follow me on FB!! Please REACH OUT! I’d love to connect!!