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Last year about this time, I chose my word for 2020: SURRENDER. I had no idea just how appropriate that was going to be. We’ve had a rollercoaster of a journey attempting to adopt. I started having a histamine reaction to food in a BIG WAY and spent a couple months barely sleeping and completely miserable, itching all the time and covered in rashes. I started on a shot that helped, but that made my hair fall out. That was all happening about the time lockdowns, mask requirements and everyone policing and judging each other began. We moved in May and should have also celebrated our girls’ bir ..read more

Oh my gosh, how has it been about a year-and-a-HALF since I last blogged??? That is CRAZY! Not gonna lie, I’d gotten so busy and focused on other things that I debated if I should just let the blog go, but I love and have missed it so much. I started a part time position at our church late summer, and have since taken over social media communication. It reminded me how much I love writing and creating content, and I knew it was time to get back to blogging! No surprise, quite a bit has happened since I was here last. In order to avoid this getting too long, I’ll outline some of the things her ..read more

It’s been a long time since I posted again, but we’ve been busy with house showings and all the cleaning and leaving the house that entails! The good news is that we sold it right about a month after listing it, and in a few weeks we’ll be moving into a rental! I have been so calm through this process (well, minus the rushing around and keeping the house clean). My confidence that God was leading the way and that He’d provide us with the right house to move into was unwavering, and He did just that. I may share more about that story later, but for now, let’s talk about packing. We purged a bu ..read more

Just a week-and-a-half ago we made the decision to sell our house. From there it’s been a whirlwind! We did paperwork the following Tuesday, the sale went live that Thursday, and we had about a week to get things ready for house photos and our first showing, both of which were yesterday. We did it! Things happened fast, but we worked well under the pressure and got ‘er done. As I sorted and purged, cleaned and stored, I had several “aha” moments. I thought I’d share what I gleaned from this first part of the house-selling experience with you! 10 Things I Learned While Getting Our House Ready t ..read more

If you read yesterday’s post then you heard the news…our family is moving! I have mixed emotions, but this was thought about for a long time, I believe that God is leading the way on this, and I think that it’s going to be a positive thing for our family. Despite loving this home that we raised our daughter in, that my husband proposed to me in, that we brought both of our animals home to, and where we’ve celebrated many Christmases and birthdays, we knew this wasn’t the house we wanted to stay in forever. While I’m fine with a smaller home and having a paid-off house in five more years was a ..read more

Entitlement seems to be rampant these days and our only (tween) daughter is no exception. Generally speaking I wouldn’t say she’s spoiled. Money’s usually tight, many clothes and things are bought second-hand, gifts are nice but limited, and she certainly doesn’t get everything she wants. Yet the older she gets, the more I realize how I enable her to be entitled in other ways. Until recently I didn’t have her help in the kitchen, because as much as I get tired of cooking or doing dishes, I learned through my daycare years that the kitchen could be a bit of a sanctuary from the chaos of littl ..read more

For those of us that aren’t already in a fitness routine or aren’t eating quite the way we want to or know we should, getting started (and sticking to it) is really hard. We all have a reason for wanting to change, so the motivation is there (at least somewhat). But even if that was enough, there are plenty of challenges to overcome that sometimes it just feels like an impossible uphill climb. For me the motivations are many. At the top of the list is the desire to fit in my clothes and like my photos again, but also to clear up skin issues that I know are aggravated (if not caused) by certa ..read more

I just got back from a walk. Sometimes I do my best thinking when it’s just me (and my dog) and my thoughts out in nature. What started as a step towards getting back in shape turned into a sort of “aha” moment. I made sure I immediately sat down to the computer to share my thoughts before they vanish into thin air (which happens to me quite a lot…hello brain fog!). After breakfast and a big mug of supercharged coffee (organic coffee with almond milk, a bit of honey and stevia, and coconut oil and ghee), I put on my sassy pants…which are a bit too tight…and my sports bra and tank. I finaly g ..read more

Happy May Day! (Well, it’s almost over now, but anywho.) Mother’s Day is coming up in less than two weeks so if you haven’t thought of a gift yet, it’s about time to do so if you really want to give Mom something meaningful. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a gift that makes me feel pampered, encourages me to relax, and that I know some thought went into as opposed to flowers that will die or something expensive…especially as our family works towards our goal of being debt free. I recently hosted a Gift Giving For Her Facebook class and I loved the gift ideas so much…not just for ..read more