Decker Family

The Decker family in January 2019

### Grandchildren

Mia Morton, Kryssa Decker, Valerie Morton, Joel Decker, Naida Morton, Charlie Decker, Hamish Morton

## Religious Details

### School Choice

Homeschool

The Decker family has 4 children and 7 grandchildren from parents Joel and Jes Decker. They are long-time friends of the Morton family, to whom they are now related through the marriage of their daughter Kennedy.

## Family

* Joel Decker - April 22, 1977
* Jessica Marie "Jes" - October 31, 1976

**Anniversary -** February 13, 1995

 2
 3
 4

### Dakota's Family

April Dawkins

**Anniversary -** September 19, 2015

### Kennedy's Family

Andrew Tully Morton - February 1, 1995

**Anniversary -** September 26, 2015

## Beliefs and Practices

### Modesty

In the past, the Decker did not appear to have provisions about modesty, as Jessica wore shorts and short skirts. At some point (likely when the Deckers became more religious), the Deckers began to require women to only wear skirts, with occasional exceptions for loose pants. As of 2019, the Decker family had toned down their modesty standards, and Jessica and Bella have both been seen wearing pants.

### Spartan Race

The Decker family is known to regularly participate in the Spartan Race, an obstacle course competition.  Joel, Jes, Dakota, April, Andrew, Kennedy, and Kade have all participated in this race at least once.

## Family History

### Began Adoption

After the births of their first two children, the Deckers struggled to get pregnant again. In 2006 they decided to pursue adoption, and they sought out the services of an adoption consultant named Jeanna. Joel was set to deploy to Iraq in two months, and the family wanted to bring home a baby before he left, but his deployment ended up being deferred. On October 17, 2006, after only 90 days of working with the family, Jeanna presented them with four possible adoptions, and, after prayer and discussion, they chose to proceed with adopting a baby who was due in Virgina the next day. Although Joel was TDY and unable to leave the state, Jessica and the children left for Virginia to meet their new child. Although they were allowed to take the baby, a girl who they named Isabella, to their hotel after two days, they were required to stay nearby for ten days. In this time, other family members came to visit, and their church paid for their hotel room. After the ten days had passed, the family was able to take their new daughter home, where Joel was able to meet her.

Three years later, the family adopted another child, a ten-day old baby boy who they named Kade.

Until Joel received a military assignment in South Korea on March 2011, the Deckers lived in Jacksonville, FL.

### Military Stations

#### South Korea

In 2011, Joel was assigned a permanent change of station, so the family moved from Jacksonville, FL, to Seoul, South Korea. The Decker family moved to Seoul in October of 2011.

#### Arizona

In 2013, Joel was reassigned to Phoenix, AZ. In the fall of that year, the family moved to a ranch about an hour and a half from Phoenix, and Joel commutes from there each day. The rest of the family (excluding those who have married and moved out) worked and lived on the ranch as of 2014.

*profile photo credit*

## References

1. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/04/happy-birthday-to-love-of-my-life.html
2. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/04/daddys-b-dayand-bonus-post.html
3. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2011/11/happy-birthday-mom.html
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-17th-anniversary.html
5. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/10/birthday-season.html
6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/-mDyrNgdbP/?taken-by=campbell\_conley
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/05/it-all-began-just-about-3-12-years-ago.html
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/07/birthday-boy.html
9. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7rpihh4\_c/
10. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BvbkUNdF5xq/
11. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BnrMRHclbr6/
12. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CE2J8I8lhju/
13. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeptHfwh7QD/?taken-by=tayte\_and\_martha
14. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/8Hsn\_kgdSo/?taken-by=campbell\_conley
15. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BHqA9TvjjrM/?taken-by=tayte\_and\_martha
16. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BmEif9lFl7k/?taken-by=campbell\_conley
17. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B8wvkdyFkOy/
18. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLjCyZlrxW/
19. ↑ http://keniscranium.blogspot.com/2012/08/some-of-my-newer-creations.html
20. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2012/09/seoul-fortress-and-out-to-lunch.html
21. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5uj32hivh/
22. ↑ https://www.spartan.com/en/obstacle-course-races-and-types
23. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2011/03/were-moving-to.html
24. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-bye-florida.html
25. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2011/10/we-made-it.html
26. ↑ http://chocolatehugsandkisses.blogspot.com/2014/03/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html