Every day of our lives we encounter stress, both good and bad. Recently though, with the Covid-19 crisis, we are encountering it more than ever before. Its an ELEPHANT! Times have gotten a little strange lately with Covid-19. We can’t make that late night grocery run, load up and go to our favorite restaurant, go to the movies, the hair salon or grab a coffee with a friend. Its an ELEPHANT! It’s a... Source ..read more

Imposter Syndrome [ im-pos-ter sin-drohm ] noun the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills. I’ve spent the better part of my life believing I have no real talents or skills. There’s nothing about me that is inherently special or unique. I am totally and completely replaceable in every facet of my... Source ..read more

Let’s take a fun little glimpse into my musical history for this Month of Love. I’m going to let iTunes randomly select songs from my entire library and skip until I get to a sappy love song. The cringier, the better. Let’s see how badly I can embarrass myself, or how many feels I can feel. Buckle up! 1. Hold You In My Arms – Ray LaMontagne (The Last Kiss Soundtrack) Starting off strong, I didn’t... Source ..read more

Two topics largely weigh in my heart and on my mind this week: my 2-year clean anniversary, and the death of a legend, connected by the famous mindset coined by Kobe Bryant. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity to rise. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses. It is focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most. Source ..read more

Can you believe its Sunday, again?! It was the first week in a while I actually felt as if the days flew by! Didn’t January feel like it was six months long, not just one? I saw many of those “Its January 74th” memes float around social media this week, and boy I couldn’t agree more! Our family felt the “Holiday Hangover” immediately after New Year’s, and to us, January seemed never-ending! Source ..read more

When my husband and I decided to have another child, I wanted to be sure my prenatal and birthing experience was going to be exactly what I wanted, on my terms. This would be the last baby, I wasn’t going to settle. I was going to deliver in a birthing center with as little intervention as possible, and when insurance told me they wouldn’t cover a birthing center I haggled with the billing... Source ..read more

This birth story is extraordinarily different from any other I’ve ever written. The best way to describe my piece of the story is “disjointed.” Its exactly how I feel. Every emotion under the sun hit me all at once, and I a realize its OK. I will embrace it as it comes. One minute I’m blaring “Hey Jude” with a smile the size of Texas on my face, and the next I’m sobbing for no reason. Source ..read more

We decided it was time to check into a hotel the morning of December 28th in need of a real bed, a place to spread out, and mentally prepare for Jude. Andi and Drew had also arrived in town to help with the delivery. The night was great! Our large family sat around the table eating pizza, drinking beer (sorry Tracee), and playing Cards Against Humanity and Exploding Kittens. Before we left to... Source ..read more

My story begins with my husband Donavan and I in 2015, when we decided we were ready to grow our family. We had always been a strong couple – working together, leaning on each other, improving ourselves together as an amazing team. But he and I have gone through something I wouldn’t wish on any person, and it is difficult to discuss. My mindset has always been I can do anything if I try hard... Source ..read more

On a Saturday morning at 12:37 my water broke. I woke up thinking I was having the worst pregnancy night sweats of all time. I went to the bathroom, realized I was in labor, psyched myself up for a few minutes, and gave myself a good old-fashioned pep talk in the mirror. I called my midwife who told me I had plenty of time to relax a bit, but I was nervous about the forty minute drive and kept... Source ..read more