Meet the Boyds: Making a Difference in their Neighborhood.
Photo Credit: Karen Presecan Photography
Kevin (dad), Erin (mom), Aiden (11), Caitlin (8), Lily (5), and Thor (4 yr. old black Labrador) have called Colonial Forge their home for the past three years.
Kevin and Erin met through mutual friends on New Year's Eve 10 minutes before the ball dropped in 2010. At the time Erin was a special education teacher in the Bronx, NY, and Kevin, a Marine, was about to move to North Carolina after completing Basic Reconnaissance Course in California. After that, they took turns traveling from New York to North Carolina to see each other. They married in April of 2012 in New York.
Prior to meeting Kevin, Erin was her own career woman, moving to North Carolina was an adjustment for her. The most challenging part of being a military spouse was parenting alone. You take on all the roles: mom, dad, and friend to your children. Especially when Kevin was in such a high-demand MOS as he was, there were lots of missed birthdays and holidays and nights where I didn’t know how I made it through the day.
Strangely with each workup and every deployment it got easier.
“You get into your mode. The mode is what keeps you going and gives you that structure that you so desperately need when your world is completely turned upside down. That mode is your stability and every time he left it was an instant switch back into it.”
Kevin had already been in the military for 7 years when he met Erin. Erin’s advice to new military spouses is,
“There’s always a military spouse out there who is feeling the same exact way as you. A lot of them don’t reach out and sometimes being the first to reach out can be a game changer…Communication is key! Our family was going through this life event together, and as a husband and father, he deserved to know what was going on. If me or the kids were struggling, I told him, because we are a team and support each other. “
Due to military life, they have been to North Carolina, New Mexico, and now Virginia. Virginia is where they are setting roots, for now. Kevin is the committee chair for Pack 907. Their children are involved in football and dance.
Some of their favorite family activities when not participating in cub scouts are fishing, hiking, and camping.
Through the Cub Scouts, they are active participants in their community outreach activities. They’ve been part of many activities including food drives and the Toys for Tots program.
When the Boyds moved to Virginia and saw their home sight unseen, and immediately fell in love with it. Buying sight unseen is quite common for military families. They face tight deadlines, and the end goal is to just get a home for the family.
The Boyds love their neighborhood,
“it’s like growing up in the 1950’s here”
an absolute dream come true for a young family. There are always children playing outside. All the girls on the street go to the Dance Spot in Stafford. They go to school together, dance together, and play outside together. They have block parties, 4th of July parties, etc.
“Never in my wildest dreams could we have imagined our children growing up like this, you just never hear of that anymore. To say we are blessed is an understatement.”
When not enjoying their neighborhood’s amenities, they go to Long Beach Island, NJ every summer to join Erin's family.
The Boyds are making a difference for our environment by making their property a certified monarch waystation. They planted specific plants just for pollinators and specifically monarchs. They’ve already had multiple successful generations since beginning the project 3 years ago. Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration.
Kevin is currently going to school to become a commercial airline pilot. Erin works from home for a mortgage company called NJ Lenders. The family is also excited to welcome a new edition to their family in the upcoming weeks. A new puppy named Elsa.
If you would like more information on the requirements and registration to make your home into a monarch waystation, please visit www.monarchwatch.org.
