God never gives you a season without a reason.

What season of life are you in right now?

Sometimes raising children isn’t easy (at least for me anyway). We try and try and never seem to measure up to what we think we should be as a parent. Comparing, relating, trying, failing, succeeding. Or maybe you are rocking it and feeling beyond confident that your kids are and will be the best.

Or maybe our marriage doesn’t quite look like we thought it would when we dreamt of it long ago. Or maybe it is the life you have worked so hard at and are sharing it with your best friend by your side.

Or maybe we don’t see our life measuring up to what we had hoped it should be. Or we are accomplishing our dreams and aspirations and yearning for much much morez

Or maybe our friendships and relationships aren’t as strong a deeply connected as we want. Or possibly they are just as perfect as you had hoped and you have the best of friends that you share life with.

Whatever the case is for you on your life journey, it is so important to find Grace in the moments we have and share with others. It may not be perfect or look the way we dreamed, but it’s what our life is made of.

Parenting isn’t easy and every new day presents challenges that we must face and overcome. It also has so many joys that we also need to slow down and breath in before its too late. When your first kid is on the way EVERYONE tells you- time goes by so fast enjoy it. And to be honest you kind of roll your eyes at it... until one day you wake up and see your 5 year old dressed and ready for school and think (silently and in awe) all those people were right.

Marriage takes work EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. God didn’t intend for married life to be easy and happy and no work at all. He gave us every tool possible to search for Him and develop our marital bond into the strongest relationship we can possibly have with someone because of His love. Find a way to make your high seasons higher and your low seasons less frequent. Take the time to say I love you. Take the time to share, truly share, your life with your spouse— not just the every day hustle stuff. Remember every day why you chose them to spend forever with.

Make your life goals a priority. So many moms (myself included) have gotten lost in being a mom or a wife or student or whatever title you have and we don’t know how to move forward into what our heart desires. This is sad for us! Take time in every day to discover who you are, what you enjoy, and what you desire from life. It WILL make you more patient, loving, caring, and present when younallow yourself a mental break from the grime and feed your soul.

friendships.. oh y’all do i struggle with this one. It’s sad truthfully. We all of course live life and we are “busy”... but won’t we always be busy unless we MAKE the time for them? Isn’t it important to carve out time for ourselves, spouses, children, & our friends? These are the people we look to for guidance, comfort, laughter, and so much more. As I get older and I discover more about myself, I know just how much having a true friend that you can always call on means. Seek out friendships that challenge you to grow, be the best version of yourself, and are willing to catch you when you stumble (ya know, cuz you had too much wine!)

If we stop comparing our life to others or to a fairy tale, I am certain, we would all find our life is amazing and fulfilling in the ways that make our heart happy. Some of us love the beach, while others the mountains, and still others somewhere in between.

Be grateful for every moment.

Give thanks to the good

Enjoy the little moments

Think of all the people you are grateful for, have you thanked them? Do they know how much they impact your life? What’s stopping you from telling them right now?

Growing up and traveling overseas has its advantages for visiting places many only dream of. I know I have been fortunate and I am so grateful. BUT I am so excited to take trips and travel the open road of the United States.

It all started two years ago, I decided to go on a road trip with my (then) 13 month old. We began our journey from Oklahoma and spent two weeks exploring sites in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona (my favorite), and California. Texas offered many Silos and farmland to ponder upon via I40 west. There is something slightly eery, yet spectacular about silos that I am drawn to. New Mexico was pretty and reminded me of living in the desert again. Old town Albuquerque was a neat little stop with a town square of shops and local vendors.

Arizona really was marvelous. We drove through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. We stayed in Flagstaff, it is the perfect little 'mountain town 'with a great downtown and lots of local breweries. Visited the breathtaking Grand Canyon at sunrise. This is huge for me because I am not a morning person so for me to wake up and drive over an hour away to catch the sun rising at 4:50am is RARE (as in highly unlikely to ever occur again). It was so much more than I could have ever dreamed possible. I then drove down to Scottsdale to visit a friend for a few days. We ate at a place called Culinary Dropout. I definitely recommend a visit if your in town or maybe your new to the area and havent tried it yet! We also did a morning hike up Camelback Mountain, which provided breathtaking views of the greater Pheonix area. It was on to California after that. San Diego was the first stop where my now fiance met us out there for four days. Sad part is it rained almost the entire time and after speaking with locals it hadn't rained in almost 4 years! So needless to say we must make it back sometime. We did enjoy the Zoo and a sailboat ride. Best meal here was at a place called Barley Mash. We proceeded to drive North on the coast of California stopping at various beaches along the way making our way to my family in Atascadero. It was so nice to see family that we don't get to see often (Love you all and miss you if you're reading).

A little walk in the Petrified Forest, AZ

Was I brave to do all of that with a 13 month old, absolutely! But she did amazing and it was so much fun and it was a much needed trip to get out of Oklahoma and to see some of the country that I never had before.

2015 was a year of many road trips too! St. Louis: went to the Zoo, Science center, & the Arch. California: a last minute trip for family. Kahoka, MO: visited with Paul's grandparents and attended the Old Settler's parade

We are loaded up in the car now (with my daughter turning 3 tomorrow) heading to Park City, UT for a family ski vacation. We started in Frisco, TX after celebrating the New Year. Driving west to highway 287N through the panhandle of OK. It was my first time & really not much to see off the highway. Unfortunately we drove into Colorado in the dark & overnighted in the farm town of Lamar. We woke and began our drive once more. Paul got super excited when we saw the tip of the Rockies off in the distance! We stopped in Fort Collins for lunch, ate at Coppersmith's Pub & Brewing. We all had burgers and they were yummy! It's located in the central part of town on a really cute town square. I wish we had more time there, but it was onto Wyoming for us. Wyoming was another first time. Its beautiful! Snow covered rolling hills until you rise into the Rockies. We watched the sunset here today- It's a total "breath of fresh air." Tomorrow we will drive into Park City and spend the week skiing, ice skating (in Elsa's ice skates! Thank you Aunt Crystal & Uncle Ethan), tubing, and enjoying the company of family.

Road trips are not for everyone, but if you enjoy taking your time to get somewhere with little adventures throughout the day to break up the constant road time, they are so much fun. Its quality family time and I love that so much. We get caught up in the every day little things and we forget to take time for us. It's wonderful to look around in the vehicle and know I'm surrounded by love and the people that make me happy and I don't need anything else.
Take the time to be grateful for the special people in your life and know that you put them there for a reason. It's truly the little things in life that bring me so much joy.

Happy New Year! What are the little things that bring you joy? Tell me any great road trip locations that are a must!!

Gratitude

On the Road