A Navy Spouse Creating Space for Families
If you’re a military family, you know how valuable safe and interactive play spaces for children can be. When your spouse works long hours, is deployed, or is away for yet another training, finding places where you and your kids can socialize and relax is invaluable. Colleen, a Navy spouse and mother of four, recently became the new owner of Catalillies Play Café, an indoor playground in Williamsburg, Virginia, and she is looking forward to expanding the café’s offerings to better serve her local community.
An Unexpected Second Chance
While Colleen’s dad served in the Army, she didn’t grow up as an Army Brat. She took pride in our nation’s military, but she never expected to marry a service member. In fact, her path to her husband wasn’t straightforward, and their relationship wasn’t what she expected.
Colleen studied Marine Biology at Old Dominion University and met her husband during her freshman year through mutual friends. He was stationed in the area, and they hung out through their shared friend groups. Their paths diverged for nine years; Colleen married and had two children and was, nearly a decade later, divorced and living in San Diego. Her future husband was stationed there in 2016 and sent her a Facebook message, and the rest, as they say, is history.
They were married a little over a year after they reconnected, and Colleen admits it was “a little scary to think about.” She was actively co-parenting her two children and wanted to ensure they had positive relationships with their biological father and new stepfather.
Military Family Life During COVID
Their growing family was lucky enough to stay in San Diego until 2022, especially because of the challenges they faced during the COVID lockdowns. Colleen’s husband was deployed to the Middle East for the entirety of COVID, so he, unfortunately, missed her pregnancy and delivery of their first child together.
Luckily for Colleen, however, her dad lived less than 10 minutes away, and her mother-in-law came to stay before everything shut down. Her two older children were 10 and 7 at the time, so they were very excited to have a new sibling. Colleen remembers that they spent a lot of time going for walks outside and playing four square to pass the time.
When it came time for her delivery, Colleen was isolated from even her family. Her doula was allowed in the room for her labor and delivery, but she was not allowed to have any other visitors, not even her children, for the two days she was in the hospital. So much changed for Colleen over the course of that deployment: her husband left when she was 10 weeks pregnant, and he returned when their daughter was 16 months old.
The family of 5 moved to Florida in 2022 and soon welcomed another baby. “We weren’t surrounded by love like we were used to,” Colleen remembers sadly, and said that the adjustment to living without their friends and family nearby was difficult.
Putting Down Roots in Virginia
Colleen and her family moved to Newport News, Virginia in August 2025 and quickly put down roots in their new home. Catalillies Play Café was put up for sale in the fall, and Colleen didn’t want to see the community lose such a valuable resource. Coming from hot climates, she knew the importance of safe, climate-controlled spaces for young kids to play, explore, and learn. At the time, Catalillies was the only play café on that side of the Peninsula, so Colleen made the brave, life-changing decision to become a business owner.
Creating a Play Café for the Community
She was grateful that the business had already been open for three years and came with the branding, assets, curriculum, and working schedule. Now that she’s gotten the hang of the playground’s rhythms, she is eager to put her own spin on things. Previously, the café only offered self-service coffee and snacks, but she is funding a remodel to install an actual café to offer drinks and light meals and snacks.
Because they’re in the same shopping center as Column 15, a locally owned coffee shop, Colleen is excited that she can locally source her beans. She is also hoping to support small bakeries by providing them with opportunities to sell their baked goods.
Colleen runs a play school for 16 weeks for children aged 2-4. It is their “first foray into a group learning setting,” and Colleen says that they focus on learning to socialize and experiencing hands-on, sensory learning. Her new lead teacher is in the process of revamping their current curriculum.
Adding Sensory Friendly Hours and More Family Support
Based on feedback from her community, Colleen is extending the playground’s hours and adding sensory-friendly hours to help neurodiverse children feel more relaxed in the space. The sensory-friendly hours will feature dimmer lighting, low music, and fewer reservations for a calmer overall experience.
What Military Spouses Can Take From Colleen’s Story
Colleen’s story is about motherhood, military life, second chances, and seeing a need in her community. By becoming the owner of Catalillies Play Café, she is creating a space where families can play, connect, and feel supported.
- Community spaces matter. When military families are far from familiar support, places to gather with kids can become invaluable.
- Military spouses can build meaningful businesses. Colleen saw the value in an existing local resource and chose to help it grow.
- Small changes can make families feel welcome. Extended hours, café updates, and sensory friendly options can make a big difference.
- Putting down roots can look different for every family. For Colleen, Hampton Roads is becoming both home and the place where she can serve her community.
Looking Toward Civilian Life and a Forever Home
Because her husband just hit 19 years of service, Colleen and her family are looking toward what comes next for them in the civilian world. They know that Hampton Roads will be their “forever home” and love that it’s located between both of their families. Colleen hopes to turn the play café into a nonprofit that is focused on early education, and she will continue to immerse herself in her new community.
Katie McDonald is a Navy wife, and she and her husband are currently stationed in Guam. After 5 years as an English teacher, Katie is currently working as a freelance writer and enjoys writing about books and travel. https://www.katiereads.com/