This statement is so true when describing Fat Tuesday in Louisiana. Everywhere else it’s simply just another day. In Louisiana, Mardi Gras is a celebration! This year, Fat Tuesday, was a huge celebration for me.
While people paraded the streets, ate king cake, caught beads and let the good times roll, we welcomed our sweet girl. Our final baby. The one we never planned, but one we found a new love for. Peyton opened up our hearts to experience a love like no other. Just when I thought I didn’t know how to love another baby like I do Brodie, she showed me the way. Having a new baby is such an adjustment for not only you as a mom, but the entire family. There’s so much adjustment in our everyday lives. With Brodie now having to share his parents, with Cameron pursuing a college degree and me being a self employed business women, we all have major changes. Change can sometimes bring stress that we all have to overcome. As a family, we grow together. This is something I want Brodie and Peyton to know. No matter how stressful times get, you can always overcome it. Family is everything to me. When it comes to decisions and life, I will always do what’s best for all of us because they are who matter the most. This is the family that I care for and cherish the most.
As scary as it was to know we were going to be parents again, I am thrilled we finally have her in our arms! Here’s to a new life with bows (that I’m not used to yet), fighting off boys when she’s older and molding another sweet baby through life. Forever my king cake baby!
Special shoutout to Taylor Hill Photography for snapping this beautiful photo
It’s important to know who is truly in your “circle”. This could be friends, family, coworkers, the mailman, anyone. But those same people could very well not be in your circle or need to be far from inside it. Don’t be afraid to limit your circle and remove people who don’t belong.
There’s a lot of trials and tribulations I’ve gone through in life and without the select few people who I know are actually IN my circle and care I’m not sure I could’ve pushed forward as hard as I have at times. Even now, there are days when I feel like I just can’t go on anymore. I know who I can call or read h out to when I need someone to talk to. Why? Because the lift me up. They help me rise from the place that I’m in and know I’m not alone.
It’s important to have those people. There are times you just can’t tackle things in your own and that’s ok. It’s ok to not be ok. Let others help you rise.
Know your worth and know your place in others lives. I know there are times as a person that I’m in someone else’s circle and they need lifting. If I can help that person rise up, it’s a win for both of us. Do I need or expect any recognition or medals for helping that person? Absolutely not! Them rising up from where they’ve been is more than winning. If someone expects that, then maybe they don’t truly have your best interest at heart.
So today, are you in someone else’s circle? Is someone in yours that shouldn’t be? Today, lift someone up. Let them rise. Then you will rise together.
33 weeks and 6 days to be exact. That’s exactly how long my little girl has been able to camp out and grow. This has been the longest I’ve ever carried a baby!! When I took that pregnancy test over 6 months ago, I never expected it to say positive or to have even carried this long.
This pregnancy has brought on a lot of trials and anxiety, but I am thankful to be at the point I am today! Everyday I wake up and feel excitement as I feel her grow and move, but I also have feelings of exhaustion, pain and fear of the unknown. As I am older than I was during Brodie and Cooper’s pregnancies, I feel a lot more. My body goes through a lot more. At 21 years old, of course I felt huge and dealt with the morning sickness, but the aches I feel now remind me, I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I’m not that tiny little post sorority girl that could bend and snap. I’m almost 28 years old. In math if I had to round my age, sadly it would be up. Having a baby closer to your 30s is nothing like having one in your EARLY 20s, especially when this is the third time your body is going through these changes. I am at a point I can’t do as much as I could before. I get winded, I am slow, I hurt and I am tired.
Imagine being 6 weeks from your due date and still trying to keep up with an ACTIVE little boy who is getting closer to 7 years old everyday. One who is ready to eat as soon as his feet touch the ground and has enough energy I think he could power my house. Although he likes to be very independent, you can’t rely on him to do everything he needs to without a little bit of assistance.
So with that being said, I have fear of how to handle two kids at once. Which I know some will say is silly and I should be thankful to have been able to have another child, and don’t get me wrong I’m very thankful! The things I’ve had to go through to make sure she stays in as long as she can is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But in all honesty, I’ve not tended to a baby in some time. Brodie has been a “big boy” for a while. In today’s society, moms are judged tremendously on what they feed their baby, how they dress their baby, how big their bows are, how you manage your life with a new baby, how your emotions are after birth, etc. It’s so much worse now vs. when I had Brodie. As a “people pleaser” type of person, I have to remember not all babies are the same and to not let others words and actions get me down. Because people can be cruel.
I hope that as a new mom, again, I hope can lift up other moms to not feel discouraged or worried about what others will say. Let’s work to lift each other up and not tear each other down.
Pregnancy is such an incredible thing and the medicine that is available now to assist women is amazing. This bad boy has been my lifeline for roughly the past 16 weeks! Inside this box is my weekly injection. Every Monday, I take one for the team and get this painful shot in my hips. This is my “help stay pregnant shot” and I will rely on it for the next few weeks in addition to a sewn cervix.
The pain this shot gives is one like I’ve never felt before. It’s breath taking. Each week seems worse than the week before and my hips are constantly sore from getting the injections. These things make you feel like they are injecting some fiery substance and sucking out your hip all at the same time. Also, sadly, I’ve been having skin reactions to the shot so I’m left with a huge rash, itchy skin and a huge lump. Once I get in my car I start to tear up from the pain and I can’t help but think about how it helps my little girl stay inside just a little longer. The pain I’m feeling is only temporary and I’m willing to do whatever it takes for her. Being a mom, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I’d sacrifice pretty much anything for my kids. And this is no exception.
Would I recommend this shot to others? If they have risks like I do, then absolutely. Of course I know it’s like any other medicine and isn’t 100% guaranteed to help.
As moms, we go through so much physically and mentally to have a child. Some mommas face difficult obstacles that other moms may not. People ask me how I’m doing and I notice my response lately is tired. Pregnancy takes a toll on women so check on them often. I know I’m not alone when I say it’s difficult to sleep, it’s hard to get comfortable and the further along you get the more things don’t fit. Sadly I’m at a point where my wedding ring doesn’t fit, pants suck and the thought of keeping shoes on hurts me. I know in earlier weeks where I hugged my toilet more times than I’ve ever hugged anyone else in my life, I felt like I wanted to throw in the towel. But there’s one thing that helped get me through, knowing I had a little person relying on me to help her grow and that I had people in my life who were there for me.
Thank you to those who’ve often checked in to see how I was doing! I challenge you all to check on your pregnant friends more often. We might be ok, but there are some days we may not be and hearing from a friend could turn our day around!
Growth is important in life. In my career, I’ve experienced a lot of highs and a lot of lows they helped me grow as a person and as a realtor. Some of the lows I almost let ruin my career, but when I look back I can say that those lows taught me something. It taught me how to not let others control what you do. It taught me to look for the highs and remember why I do what I do. It taught me to remember that the lows are only stepping stones and learning curves. It also taught me that no matter how happy you are and how great you are doing there will always be someone or something that wants to take that away from you. Whether or not you let that happen is up to you.
I almost did. I almost let all the highs I experienced to be shattered and crushed. All the great memories of helping families, meeting new people and trying to better myself almost came to a halt because I was letting the lows take over. I’m so thankful that I didn’t let that happen!
I experience so many amazing people in my career. I’ve helped families move to an unknown town and feel welcomed, families get out of a financial burden, families close doors of chapters that are painful to them and open new ones to start fresh. These are the highs I enjoy the most. This is why I do what I do. The highs will also supersede the lows even when you feel like the lows just keep coming. Just push forward, continue to grow and better yourself. Use those lows to teach you lessons. Use those lows to prove people wrong. Use those lows as motivation to grab onto every high that you can and dance around like no one is watching. Celebrate yourself. Celebrate your journey.
Looking at these pictures I see 3 totally different people. Year 1, I see a girl who was eager, but terrified of jumping into something new. Year 2, I see the girl who almost let her career end. Year 3, I see a girl who decided to keep going and push through the lows to continue. What you don’t see yet is Year 4. 2020 will be the year I look back at everything in the past that’s brought me down and prevail.
Plant the seed and it will grow! Continue to nurture yourself and watch how much you can grow. Positivity going forward for me in 2020!!
The million dollar question…”How’d you meet?” The answer to that is simple! One simple Facebook message 🙂 I think the new hip verbiage is “he slid into my DM’s” hahaha.
Cameron and I
But seriously…Facebook is seriously how we started talking. He sent me a message randomly and from then on it was like I couldn’t not talk to him. I looked forward to seeing his name pop up on my phone, I woke up texting or messaging him and fell asleep the same way.
A little back story (which I do not condone)…at the time Cameron sent me a message, I was seeing someone. We’d been dating roughly a year and I was too a point where I wasn’t 100% happy, but didn’t want to “hurt his feelings”. Then Mr. Cameron comes along and turns my world upside down. I was the happiest when I would talk to him. I found myself avoiding my soon to be ex, talking to Cameron all the time and basically spending all my days thinking about or talking to Cameron. Looking back (which trust me I know I was wrong), I should have just ended things with the current boyfriend and not been so worried about what others would think if I broke up with him. I was scared to be “that” person. I’d never really broken up with someone before and let me just say, I was terrified to do so. It’s not like the poor guy would’ve hurt me or yelled at me, it was just a situation I wanted to avoid like the plague. Sounded better in my head all those years ago lol.
Fast forward a few weeks of talking to Cameron and being absolutely drawn into him, it wasn’t fair to him that I still had a boyfriend dragging along and kept talking to and seeing him. Ironically enough, Cameron actually stopped talking to me because of it and I can’t say that I blame him. It wasn’t fair to him. It was the worst week of my life…seriously. Or so it felt like it at the time.
I knew in my heart I wasn’t happy with the guy I was currently with and I kept telling myself, why would this guy who doesn’t know a thing about me just come along and swipe me off my feet for no reason? Like there is a reason he came along!! I eventually (after a couple drinks and a self pep talk), broke up with the guy I was seeing. It went about how I imagined it would, but I felt so much better!!
Now the next phase to tackle…convince Cameron to come back lol WHICH was easier said than done. My annoying persistence worked out though!! He finally started talking to me again. And I will tell you, I worried he wouldn’t!!!
There are people who come into your life for a reason. Cameron was one of those people. I am thankful he came when and how he did. I owe my marriage to Facebook!! Without it, I may not be married to the guy that had me convinced he was going to pilot school haha (inside joke). It’s been an amazing 7 1/2 years with him and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
So don’t ignore the signs life gives you. People come into your lives and people go, but the ones that tug on your heart strings are the ones that are meant to be. Cameron did just that he tugged on these little heart strings until I couldn’t live without him. I couldn’t imagine life without him at all. When we are old and grey, I know that if he goes first I won’t be able to survive without him. I truly believe he is my soul mate! He’s the ying to my yang, the rice to my gravy (I’m the gravy because he keeps us together like rice sticks together) and the Morrow to my last name. I love him with all my heart!!
I listen to all genres of music! There’s a pretty cool song called “Life Changes” by Thomas Rhett. It’s so true because there are so many changes in life that we never expect. We make all these marvelous plans, but sometimes things don’t always go our way. It’s great to have plans on how you want life to be, but always be open to changes in those plans. Everything happens for a reason.
For example, when I was in college I just knew that I’d never want to come back to my home town and settle down. I wanted to see places! My junior year, I met my amazing husband, who might I add was NEVER someone I expected to even know, much less marry. We started our amazing family back home. That was probably this biggest life changes that seemed impossible to figure out, but it’s the one I appreciate the most. As a team, we changed what plans we “had” for the plans that were given to us.
Change is scary sometimes. Changes are all about what you make of them. You have to mentally accept things and figure out where to go from there. Changes can be big, small, happy or sad. With any change, sometimes you need time to take it in and process what to do next. With change comes a lot of uncertainties. Don’t let those uncertainties overtake your brain with negativity. Like I mentioned before, change is scary. Make plans with these changes. Make firm plans on how you want to tackle the change and it might take away some of those uncertain feelings that you are feeling. Being certain in yourself.
Don’t overload your brain. Take breaks often to work efficiently. There are so many puzzle pieces that you can put together with a clear mind. I tend to doodle a lot and usually feel fresh afterwords. It might just be words or little shapes, but it gives my brain a second to refresh and not stress over what’s on my mind.
I’ve talked before about self care. I wish I would’ve realized YEARS ago how important this is! Self care can be so many things. For me I like to jam with the windows down and the music up. In those 15-20 minutes, I feel on top of the world and all my struggles and life tackles are gone. The only thing I have to worry about is if I’m speeding or playing the music “too” loud! During life changes don’t forget to care for yourself. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to forget about it. There are so many ways to care for yourself. Find your niche. Maybe it’s reading, cooking, music, exercise, sleep, writing, meditation, etc. Do it! Take the time for yourself. Even 15-20 minutes out of your day is worth it for a refresh.
Change is bound to happen in your life. Make the best of it! So many incredible opportunities can come from it. You can learn so many life lessons. It make you a stronger person. If you knew exactly what was coming in your life all the time, it wouldn’t be interesting anymore. Don’t let change get you down. Let it be the motivation you needed to keep going!
In my life, I’ve seen so many changes. I’ve been through family divorces, birthing babies, marrying my best friend, silly fights, starting a new career, experiencing the loss of a home, being poor, being comfortable, new cars, family drama, etc. The list goes on. Everyone experiences something different in life. Remember we are all the same. It doesn’t matter if your change is better or worse than someone else’s, it’s how you handle it and keep moving forward. It’s the strength you show and learn from it. No one’s change in life makes them any better or stronger than you!
As a newer, self employed business woman, I often find myself looking for new ways to advertise myself to help me stand out. Being a Realtor, I know there are tons of other Realtors out there that are out there working just as much as I am. So what do you do to stand out? Many realtors will tell you the biggest compliment that you can receive is a referral. I get excited every time I see my clients or past clients refer me to family, friends and even strangers. That lets me know I’m doing a good job for them! And any business owner wants to know that they are doing good at what they do so that people keep coming back and keep referring them to others. So my goal is to remind others that yes, I am in business as a Realtor and would love to work for you, but I also know others who are local and in business as well that would love to earn and keep your business! This holiday season, think about shopping local for as much as you can! I’ll be the first to tell you there are some things I absolutely have to order online for, but if I can find something local, I truly try to support those business owners that are working just as hard as me!
Here’s my challenge to you! Let’s see how many of these local businesses you can buy from this holiday season! Stop in as many of these places as possible from now until the end of the year. I bet you will find many gifts and they will have you coming back for more! Let’s show our local community our love and support!
Disclaimer: Some of these businesses I have actually been to personally and some I am going to make a goal to stop into and experience for myself that I’ve only heard about by word of mouth! These are also unpaid ads!
Let’s start with RESTAURANTS! Because let’s be honest…Katlyn doesn’t typically miss a meal and while you’re out shopping this holiday, I don’t want you missing one either!
-Start your day off with a kick start at Downtown Grounds with a fresh brewed coffee and Eggs Beauregard -Bring your kiddos for Mickey Mouse Pancakes at the Waffle Shoppe -Swing by Cecil’s for game nights and the Tiger Burger -Grab a House Potato at Steamboat Bill’s -If you’re craving steak, grab the Steak Tips at Double D’s -Make sure you get white gravy on a Chicken Fried Steak at Presley’s -You’re missing out if you’ve never had the Chicken (or Shrimp) Diablo at Mi Rancho -Finish off your pizza dinner with the Cinnamon Bites at Gilbert’s -Don’t want to get out of the car? Swing by Clark’s Cookout for a Rib Plate with Mac N Cheese -Get your BBQ plates and holiday turkeys are Hickory Smokehouse -When in Merryville, stop by Stu’s and grab a Homemade Burger and fries or a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich -Chocolate Peanut Butter is my go to smoothie flavor at Planet Nutrition -Get some homemade fries with your chicken strips at Rooster’s -Savor a delicious cinnamon roll from Zizi’s Treats –Lou Lou’s Cupcakes & More has delicious cupcakes and treats -Grab local produce from the DeRidder Farmer’s Market. With different businesses set up at all times, you’re bound to find something fresh and yummy -Check out Get Healthy for all your grass fed fresh meat from Rabbit’s Ranch Beef
Not feeling the items I listed? Check out their menu and get your favorite!
Need gift ideas? Stop in these LOCAL businesses!
-Have an LSU or Saint’s Lover in your life? Go see Anna at Curious Cargo she can also dress your Christmas Tree -Buy that special little girl in your life a new bow from Rosie’s Bowtique -Grab a new holiday outfit from Holly at The Rustic Cottage -Refreshen your skin with a Blackberry Magnolia Scrub from Avery Grey Soap -Let Jennifer Phillips with LimeLife by Alcone give you picture perfect skin with her make up and skin care -Show up to family events with glowing skin from Sundream Spray Tans by Lisa Deason -Get a mani/pedi from Southern Tips by Chelcie and get $5 off gift certificates in December for all the ladies in your family -Let Brittany McVicker LulaRoe dress you for dinner in the new Liv -Don’t fall asleep with your make up on! Paulette Talley with Mary Kay has some Eye Make Remover to help get that mascara off. She even puts together gifts sets for you men that aren’t sure what to get your special lady! –Kara Kelley Photography is the place to go for your family photos -Fullfil all your hunter or fisher’s wish list items at Bass-N-Bucks Outfitters -Grab unique gifts, like cowhide bags, from The Rooted Cypress -Grab your Brighton loving lady something fabulous from Nice Necessities (Merle Norman) -Your favorite chef will love a Mix N Chop from Aimee’s Pampered Chef Zone -Personalize all your gifts with vinyl work from BNB Craft Shop –Torched Flag Co is bound to exceed your needs for personalized wooden flag decor -Whip your hair back and forth after the @blondinggenie, Savannah Milner Cosmetology, fixes your do -Grab your loved ones gift certificates for facials and massages at Bliss Salon with Katrina Dauzat and Ella Gilson –Nothing Fancy can dress everyone in your home with personalized tops -Personalized jewelry and rosaries are P.S. Jewelry by Theresa Stout’s specialty -Let Special Tee’s create your custom shirt, ornaments, mugs, etc. -Burn off those holiday calories with Kim McCormick – Beachbody -The lawn guy in your life, aka hubs, needs a new Bad Boy mower from Southside of DeRidder -Hard to buy for family? Grab them a personalized cup from Blood, Sweat & Glitter Designs -Let America’s Finest fix up all the table pieces you need for your family gatherings -Maybe you need a little ink in your life! Mad Tatter Tattoo Studio is the place to go, ask for Dan -Grab a family photo session with Chelsea Aycock Photography -Let DeRidder Pack & Ship send all your distant family’s gifts -Light up someone’s yard with a personalized sign from Sign Gypsies DeRidder –CBM Photography can have your home picture perfect to get more looks and a faster sell! She even does great headshots for all your local business people -Jump start your day with 3 simple steps! Becky Fejarang can hook you up with Thrive by Level -Dress up your little cutie pie in a cute outfit from LaTeDa Boutique -Need embroidery work? Swing by Sew Blessed –JR’s Army Surplus has been serving our military needs for 43 years -Need home smell goods? Jeannette Delcambre is your girl! -Thumb Print Boutique has all the trendy clothing items you need to look great this season -Schedule your photo session with Kari McGee Photography this year
Have you gotten something great from one of these places? Let’s hear about it! Don’t see one of your favorites on here? Let me know and I can add them to list with something you love about it!
Also make sure you check out Elevate Women in Business if you are a local business woman. This group uplifts, supports and encourages all local business women.
Just over two years ago, I jumped into the world of real estate. Let me just say that’s probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. There are so many horror stories that realtors, sellers and buyers have about real estate. I wanted to be the difference. I want to be the person that gives the clients who had a bad experience with other realtors a life changing one. I want people to see the good in realtors. In a short 2 1/2 year time frame, I have accomplished a lot more than I ever anticipated. In my first year, I was named 2017 Rookie of the Year and Million Dollar Producer. In my second year, I was nominated for 10 Best Realtors in Louisiana,I gladly accepted and finished out the year as a Multi-Million Dollar Producer. This year I’ve also had the honor of representing the realtors of the Greater Fort Polk Area Realtors as a member of our board. It’s been a fast couple of years, but I love it!
Have you ever considered purchasing a home, but don’t know where to start? Well here’s an idea of what to expect when purchasing a home and the steps to take to get there!
Speak to a mortgage lender! Many real estate agents can help you with recommendations or you may already have someone in mind. The lender is going to be able to help you determine how much you are pre-approved for and where you feel the most comfortable price wise when picking a home. You will want to make sure you have things such as tax returns and pay stubs readily available for the lender to review.
Find a real estate agent! You may look at Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Facebook or friends for recommendations and reviews. Make sure you take the time to see what Realtor would best fit you and your family. Make sure the Realtor you choose always keeps your best interest at heart. It’s ok to interview them as well to see if they are a good fit 🙂
Start looking at homes! You’ve probably already discussed yours needs and wants with the realtor you have chosen. This is where your realtors knowledge of the market comes into play. They are looking for the perfect home in your price range, that fits your needs and is in the location you are looking for. This is also a great opportunity to decide if what’s in your search criteria needs to be tweaked to better fit what you’re looking for. Most of the time once someone sees a few homes they know exactly what they are looking for and can rule out ones that don’t fit
You’ve found a home! Now it’s time to put in your offer. This is where your agent will walk you through the process explaining everything that can happen throughout the process and help you create the offer for your dream home! Negotiation is key here! If the offer is accepted, keep moving forward, but if the offer isn’t accepted you may consider renegotiating with that home owner by submitting another offer or you may consider going back to #3 and looking at more homes.
Once your offer is accepted, your Realtor works hand in hand with a few different people for you. They get your accepted offer to your lender so they can begin your loan process. They get your contract to the closing attorney or title company of your choice to make sure the home you are looking to purchase has a clear title. This is one of the most exciting times!
Home Inspection Day! If your offer called for an inspection, this is the time frame you spend the most time with the home before you close. If you chose to hire a professional home inspector, they will come in and do a thorough inspection to help you better understand the home and if there are any repairs that you might want to request be repaired. During your inspection period, you want to make sure you’ve completed your due diligence and checked out everything that might be concerning to you so you have complete knowledge of the home you are looking to buy.
Appraisal time! With most loans, your lender will require an appraisal to make sure the home meets the value of the loan you are trying to obtain. This is a crucial time because you want to insure you are getting a great value for your home.
Finalize the final items! This is when you make sure you have home owners insurance locked in. If you do not have an insurance agent, make sure you get a few recommendations and shop your quote. The amount you pay in insurance also helps determine exactly how much money you pay each month when you make your monthly home payment. You also want to make sure you get your utilities set up for transfer. Your Realtor can help you so you know exactly what companies to contact. You don’t want to close on the home then have no utilities to come home to! Most sellers have utilities set to cut off upon closing.
Final Walk Through! This is your last look at the home before your closing date. This is where we insure the home is still in the same condition and all repairs, if any, have been repaired according to the contract.
Closing Day! This is the day you’ve been waiting for! Be prepared to “sign your life away” at the closing table. You will have multiple documents to sign that all pertain to the purchase of the home. This is where you typically receive the keys to the home and now it’s time to move in, unless otherwise agreed upon! Now you’re done and it’s time to move in!
The home buying process doesn’t have to be scary at all. Realtors like myself are here to help you through the way. We are supposed to make it as easy as possible for you so you experience a smooth transition. I often tell my clients at the closing table, just because it’s over doesn’t mean I’m not still there. I’ve been put on clients contact lists for their kids at schools, have helped with fundraisers they might have had through out the year, celebrated holidays together and just overall come out with some great friends in the process! I enjoy every bit of what I do and would love to make you apart of my journey!
“Just like any job, if you don’t go to work consistently you will be unemployed. If you treat it like a business, it will pay you like a business.” – Matt Hughes, President Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors
When you feel like you need a time out. Take it. Pause. Just take a minute for you. Listen to what your body and soul are telling you.
There are times in my life when I can hear my body telling me woah girl time out. You better slow down and care for yourself. I haven’t written much lately because I didn’t know what to say. I have been taking some time for me lately. I think of things to write then I look at life and realize I need just a minute from the chaos, the hustle and bustle, the go go go and just life in general at times. There’s so many things I can write about, but right now in this moment, what’s most important to me is taking care of myself.
So I say to you, if in the back of your head you are feeling overwhelmed or just feel like you need a second. TAKE IT! Don’t push yourself too much. People will still be there, the stuff will still be there, the every day life will still be there. You only have one you. Take care of it. It’s ok to take a step back from time to time. Just make sure you listen to you.
And never feel bad for taking a minute, caring for yourself or doing what’s best for you at the moment.
Kate. Simply Living; 