For Reva and Matt, family life is full, fast-moving and rooted in St. Cloud.
They live in St. Cloud with their four children — Odin, Sully, Lilah and Maple — and their dog, Cedar. In this “always on the move” season, their days are filled with school, work, soccer, farmers market mornings, lake days, outdoor adventures and plenty of chaos. But through it all, Reva says their family values time with each other most.
Tell us about your family.
Reva: Matt and I live in St. Cloud with our four children (Odin, 13, Sully, 7, Lilah, 5, and Maple, 2) and dog (Cedar). We were both born and raised here with the exception of the two years I lived in Israel with my family in the ’90s. Matt joined the insurance industry in 2018, working alongside his dad until his retirement. It has been a joy to grow our business alongside our family — Sully and Lilah are often in the office after school and are well acquainted with our clients and other tenants of our office building.
All three of our school-aged children have gone through/are in ISD742’s Chinese Immersion Program. Odin is now at St. John’s Prep, and we are very proud of the education all of our children have the opportunity to receive in our community. We are in the “always on the move” stage of life with every kiddo but the 2-year-old (for now) in an activity. Although we spend a lot of time running around for school, community, work, or extracurricular activities, we value our time with each other the most.
How did you meet each other?
Reva: OK, I love telling this story! I worked with Matt’s cousin, and he made the connection out of a seemingly missed-connection. One Monday, we were on a walk with another coworker over our lunch break when he asked me if I was at Beaver Island Brewing the weekend prior. I was, in fact, at Beaver Island with a friend of mine, and a cute guy walked over to us — and then walked past us. It turns out Matt was at Beaver Island that night with a group of fellow bicyclists sending a friend off for the Ride Across America Ride, but he was wearing his bike kit and didn’t want to approach us with his butt pads. Matt texted his cousin about the Reva sighting that night, and the rest is history.
What does your family do for fun?
Reva: Our family is full of “doers,” so we always seem to have something planned. We recently started traveling somewhere warm as a family each year, and with minimal meltdowns and lots of fun memories, we are now hooked! Our summers and falls are dominated by soccer for the kids and Matt, so we are usually causing chaos (having fun) at a game with snacks and kids in tow.
In the summers, we spend most of our Saturday mornings at the St. Cloud Area Farmers Market. Sully wakes up knowing we are going to get a pastry from Backwards Bread and check out the vendors. And now with the Children’s Museum across the street, we usually make half of a day out of it! We love being at the lake in the summer, and each year we say, “We should do this more!” If the weather is nice, we are outside, and I guess we are outside even if it isn’t — Matt goes winter/summer camping in the BWCA each year with a group of friends. Odin had a jam-making business when he was younger using the raspberries in our backyard — he had business cards made up and everything! Sully is a fisherman/outdoorsman through and through, and Lilah is probably the next popstar so she is always singing, dancing, and telling stories. Maple has fun being Mom’s hip candy for most of the outings, but she is starting to carve her own path of fun and chaos.
What are ways your family connects with the community?
Reva: We love to explore our community as a family, finding new events to attend and organizations to support/check out.
Outside of formal connections, we stay involved in the community through supporting our local businesses, being a part of local sports clubs, and just getting out of our house. There is so much going on in Central Minnesota and beyond, and if you just step outside of your bubble, you will see how many opportunities for connection and growth are around you. It is hard NOT to be connected when you raise kids — we are always attending something or exploring a new opportunity through their eyes.
Do you have any family traditions?
Reva: Our traditions are ever-changing and look more like eating dinner at the table and telling after-school/work stories or having kids-choice dinners. We have our holiday traditions, but the best traditions for our family are the smaller/everyday ones that might not look very tradition-y.
What is your favorite family memory?
Reva: Odin loves setting up traps for Santa, and now Sully is fully in on it. A couple of years ago, Odin went all out to make it look like we got photos of Santa with footsteps on the floor and a very intricate trap that Santa almost got caught in. We have pictures of all four kids looking at the aftermath on Christmas morning. I have so many memories, but the ones my kids all make together are the best.
Did you always know you wanted to be a mom or dad?
Reva: I did! I didn’t know how that would look, and it came earlier than I planned for me, but I am so happy to be my four kiddos’ mom.
Matt: I don’t know that I always wanted to be a dad but have always been excited for that idea. Now that I am to my four kids, I have never thought about going back!
What is your best advice for a new mom or dad?
Reva: Go easy on yourself. Really. You’re going to get so much advice (wanted or not), but just know that you are doing the best you can in this moment.
Matt: You are going to have an idea of how all of this is going to go and maybe some of those things will happen or be true. Enjoy the moment and do the best you can. Learn to roll with the changes and sometimes punches that get thrown your way!
What is your best advice for newlyweds?
Reva: Well, Matt and I didn’t have the most conventional timeline. So again, just go easy on yourself. You are both new to this, so just keep talking and stay connected with each other and take time for each other.
Matt: Marriage is not always going to be easy nor is it going to always be difficult. Remember what you chose each other for and that you are both in this together. Communication will go a long way, and being open with each other is a large part of keeping each other close.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Reva: Follow your own compass.
What are your hopes for your children or your family?
Reva: I hope my children live a life they find worth living. My children bring me so much joy for simply being who they are at their core — and I hope they stay connected with that and harness that as they grow.
What are you most looking forward to?
Reva: I am looking forward to all of the experiences I don’t even know about yet! But really, I am looking forward to all of the years I have with my family ahead of me. It feels like each year unlocks a hidden gem that has been waiting for us.
Matt: I look forward to all the experiences that come with watching your children grow together.
What have you learned from your family?
Reva: PATIENCE. My kids are always teaching me something — how to be cool, kind, authentic, not embarrassing, the right way to say slang words, etc. I had Odin when I was young, and he taught me how strong of a bond is created when you truly love another human.
What is your best advice for families?
Reva: Go easy on each other and learn from each other! You can be each other’s best cheerleaders, confidants, comedic relief, and everything in between — that is so cool! Also, remember each family looks different. Just because your family may be made up of different parts, it’s all about the heart!