Hey there!
I’m Lindsey, Founder & CEO of Elderberry Queen.
I thought it would be fun to introduce you to my family! My boys are the most important people in my life. They’re by my side through all of life, the good and the bad. They're my heartbeat and the reason I even started this business.
From the left, meet my five sons: Ethan, Sawyer, Levi, Hayden & Conner. Then, of course in the middle, myself and my husband, Paul.
I could go on and on about each of these boys, maybe even make a blog post for each of them, haha. Instead, I’m going to give you a smaller snippet of how special each of them truly are.
Let’s start with my oldest, Ethan!
Meet Ethan
Ethan is 15, yep… I have a teenager! And you know what 15 means — driving with his permit. Whew. Pray for us, haha.
Really though, he’s an incredible kid. Such a great big brother. He’s on the swim team, loves animals and anything outdoors, like biking and hunting (more prayers on this front, too, please).
He’s currently working at a local Mexican restaurant and LOVES his job. He does ‘chip & bus,’ which means he brings the chips and salsa out to tables and buses. I love that on his days off, he’ll jump on his bike and go hang out at work for a bite to eat and to see his coworkers.
It makes my momma heart so happy that he loves his work environment.
Ethan’s also a bit of a Cliff Claven (know-it-all from the show Cheers) when it comes to bugs, animals and sea creatures. He’ll come out with the most interesting facts — things I didn’t even know.
Needless to say, he wants to be a veterinarian when he’s older. If he doesn't pursue vet school, I told him he would definitely thrive as a zoologist.
He’s a wonderful big brother, a leader with all he does and I’m so proud he’s mine!
Meet Sawyer
Ok, on to my next sweet boy, Sawyer, my soccer player. Sawyer’s 11 years old, and he’s a hoot. Seriously. This kid is constantly cracking jokes. At home, on the soccer field, you name it — he’s making everyone laugh and smile.
He’s even learning magic tricks. You could say he’s the entertainer in our family — I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a comedian one day.
One of my favorite things about Sawyer is that he has such a servant’s heart. He’s always willing to help with anything asked of him, and as a mom, you know what a true blessing and delight that is.
He also has the most caring heart, going out of his way to be a good friend or cheer up his classmates when they’re hurt or sad. He notices these little things on his own, and that’s what makes him so special.
Parents from his school have actually shared how kind Sawyer is to their children, and that makes my heart overflow. Kindness and empathy… that’s what truly matters in character, and this kiddo has that nailed.
Meet Levi
This is my baby, my youngest boy! Levi is eight years old and loves being active. He plays soccer and basketball. His favorite classes in school are gym and art, believe it or not.
He loves traveling and exploring new places. I love watching him take it all in whenever we visit somewhere new or go on an adventure.
Also, he’s super goofy and hilarious, always cracking us up!
He’s all about birthday parties and sleepovers, always joyful and having fun.
In the past, he’s told me he loves me “all the days.” So now, when we say “all the days” to each other, it’s our little code for saying “I love you.”
Since he’s only 8, he’s still loving all the momma cuddles and all the momma kisses, and I’m holding on to that every second I can — he is my baby, after all!
Meet Hayden
Hayden, also known as “Hay-Hay,” is our family’s social butterfly! He loooves hanging out with his friends. He also loves to travel, see and explore new places.
He plays soccer and basketball and earns some money stepping in as a soccer referee. He hopes to work for a professional athletic team one day — I can see him doing that and loving it!
Hayden hopes to play college basketball or travel overseas to play basketball. How cool is that? That experience would be fantastic for him.
So basically — this kid is ALL SPORTS. Ha! At 12 years old, he already plays fantasy football and knows the names of a ridiculous amount of basketball and football players. It’s in his blood, apparently!
Meet Conner
Conner is 14 years old and plays competitive soccer, too, which keeps him really busy. His competitive team took state this year, which was very exciting for him! I’m so proud of him and his team.
He’s a great hardworking student in school and was on the A honor roll last year. That’s no easy feat while balancing soccer almost every day of the week. Again, so proud.
He really dislikes cleaning his room, but I guess most kiddos do, right?
Conner enjoys drawing and hopes to be an engineer or architect when he grows up. I can see him doing either of these jobs and loving it. When he sets his mind to something, he goes all the way, and he does it well!
Meet My Husband, Paul
Oh, my husband. He loves watching (and yelling, might I add) at the Vikings on TV… a lot! Haha.
Paul’s favorite season is fall, and he loves to take walks with our dogs, especially with all that beautiful fall foliage.
He probably also loves fall because of the hunting season — it’s the highlight of his year. Ethan and Conner hunt with Paul as well. Hayden is old enough this year but doesn't have interest, which is completely fine with us.
Paul loves gathering with his family on state land and making memories of enjoying nature together.
My turn!
I LOVE to travel! My passion is taking my family on as many adventures as possible. I wholeheartedly believe memories are the greatest gift I can give my kids because memories can never be taken away.
Our next adventure is coming up this summer! We’re zipping off to Ireland, Scotland and England. We’re all counting down the days — we’re so excited.
I even bought a book on the history of Scotland, so we'll see if I can get through that before our trip and teach these crazy kiddos something along the way.
Taking walks with Paul and spending time with him brings me so much joy and peace. We also enjoy going to the gym together, and he’s slowly getting me interested in golf, which is his favorite sport to play. I may not be a pro, but it’s fun spending time with him while trying new and different things. Plus, I’m (slowly) getting better at it.
Paul and I met at age 19. We were just babies ourselves!
I met him at a softball game I went to with a friend.
We connected a month or so later at a friend's party. Then we started dating for five years. He put a ring on it, and we married in August 2005.
We’ve been together for 22 years, whew! Paul is my absolute best friend, and I am so thankful God brought us together.
We didn't plan for or expect to have five kids, but when it was boy after boy, we just kept going… trying for a girl. Now that we have five boys, I couldn't imagine my life any other way.
I love being a "boy mom" and everything that role involves.
Paul & I teach the boys the importance of responsibility. For instance, the boys clean all the bathrooms, take turns cleaning the kitchen, do all the vacuuming, etc. They even do their own laundry and pack their own lunches.
There’s no way I could keep up with all of this on my own, and I’m trying to raise these boys to become men who can care for themselves.
I’m sure their wives will thank me one day for this.
They’re polite and respectful to others, a quality that’s becoming lost in our society.
Most importantly — we show them daily how to have faith in God and love and trust him with all they have. Because we have been blessed beyond measure with this amazing gift to be able to raise these boys into kind, generous men.
The Beautiful Beginning of Elderberry Queen
You know how it goes, one member of your family gets sick, and they all start dropping like flies.
That’s exactly what used to happen in my house every fall. I was honestly fed up and exhausted from the constant cycle of sickness in my home.
I heard that elderberry syrup could help, so I did a little research. The only thing holding me back was the price. Holy Moly! There’s no way I could afford the prices I saw for a family of 7.
Not to mention, I couldn’t find any organic elderberry syrup that didn’t have any added junk like fillers and thickeners.
This inspired me to make it myself. Using all-natural organic ingredients, I created my recipe and started giving it to my boys daily.
The results blew me away.
My kids went from being constant little sickies to energy-filled, happy and healthy — how they should be!
No more feeling helpless, canceling plans or rescheduling vacations. Instead, we were back to waking up with smiles, seeing our friends and making fun memories as a family.
I want that for you too. For you and your family to be healthy and thriving! Because you deserve the absolute best.
Learn more about my USDA Organic Elderberry Syrup here.
I hope you and your loved ones have a beautiful holiday season!
Awe Linda, thank you! I’m so glad you were able to learn more about my family. I am truly blessed and so incredibly grateful. Thank you for your sweet words! Feel free to email me and share about your family as well :) I hope you have a beautiful December!
I absolutely LOVED reading the blog about your family! You are truly blessed raising your 5 boys along with your husband! Many more blessings to all of you in the future!