Who We Are
Our story
Greetings from the Rileys!
We are Travis and Nikki, the faces behind Proverbs & Pancakes along with our four children, Caleb, Asher, Elsa, and Emma. Life in our household is beautifully chaotic; you will usually find someone baking, studying, or diving into a creative project, often leaving a dusting of flour in their wake. Yet, amidst the daily bustle, our dining table serves as the heart of our home. It is far more than just a place to share meals. It is where we bond over laughter, exchange stories, navigate life’s journey, study Scripture, and engage in prayer together. It is a space for celebration where the best conversations often keep us gathered much later than planned.
Why Proverbs & Pancakes?
We aren't a perfect family, and we certainly don't have everything figured out. We're simply a family who has seen the value of slowing down, gathering together, and being intentional about the time God has given us with our children. We've discovered that some of the best conversations don't happen when they're scheduled. They happen while making pancakes. They happen when everyone lingers at the table after dinner. They happen when one question turns into a conversation nobody expected. And we've learned that discipleship doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it looks like opening God's Word at the breakfast table. Sometimes it looks like praying over your children. Sometimes it looks like listening when they tell you about their day. And sometimes it looks like passing the syrup. That's the kind of family life that inspired Proverbs & Pancakes.
Our Table Has a Story
Our family table is especially meaningful to us because we built it ourselves.
Back in 2018, we needed a new dining table but couldn't find what we envisioned within our budget. So Travis bought the lumber and started building one in our garage.
While working on it, he would often listen to worship music, pray, and spend time with God. Before the table was finished, he burned Isaiah 26:8 into the wood underneath it:
“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”
We didn't know then what that table would come to mean to our family or that years later God would use something as ordinary as a dining table to help inspire Proverbs & Pancakes.
Today, it's still the table we gather around.
It's been covered with homework, birthday cakes, Bible studies, family dinners, fresh-milled flour, craft projects, coffee cups, and countless meals.
And we wouldn't have it any other way.
