Only Rainbows After Rain

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The sun always comes again

Photos curtesy of Katie Plush with Pure Heart Photography

They say after the rain comes the rainbow. The sun will always come out again. They also say that things don’t always go according to “your plan”.

Many of you know my story of loosing a baby just over 4 years ago and being told I had an incompetent cervix a couple years later. Well we honestly had decided to not try again for children. We had one handsome and healthy boy and that’s better than what some have. We were happy with the life of just us three. We were totally fine with just having Brodie. I had tons of people tell me “not to be scared to try again”. Sure the fear was there, but that’s not the reason we made our decision.

Rewind to July 2019, we are getting ready to leave on vacation to Oregon and I had missed a few periods, but in all honesty, with my medical history it was totally normal to me. Even took pregnancy tests each time to just ease my mind, which all came back negative. What wasn’t normal was that on that Monday we were leaving for vacation, I threw up my coffee after a couple sips. I don’t just “throw up” coffee for no reason. So my little inquiring mind started rolling. I decided to take a test and guess what…positive! What on earth were we going to do? Cameron was fixing to be a full time student and I’m self employed. Of course the first things that came to mind were the panicky things. Second thing that came to mind was how on earth was I going to tell Cameron because like I mentioned before, we weren’t trying so it would be a HUGE surprise. Well my deliverance was TERRIBLE to say the least. I don’t keep things like that well from him. I mean if I buy gifts, he gets them as soon as they come in or even knows about them once I’ve ordered it. I just don’t hide things from him at all. So once I got back home to finish getting my stuff together for our trip, I have zero words and just decide to toss the pregnancy test at him across the bed while we’re packing our stuff. Like I said worst deliverance plan, looking back I probably should’ve done that a little different. I don’t even think I said a word lol. Of course this would be changing our lives and plans we thought we had. All we knew to do was go and enjoy our vacation and when we got back then we could handle it. I mean we literally were leaving to head to the airport that day so there wasn’t much I could do until we got back.

So the third set of panicky thoughts come rolling in, what’s our plan? How do we make this time successful to not experience a loss again? So once we get to Oregon, it’s 4th of July week, so businesses do close. I made a call to my doctor and talked to the nurse and she beings to explain how I will need to make an appointment for like 6 weeks from now and meet with the OB Coordinator and I’m like no… that’s not how this works lol. You tell my doctor that I have called and that I am pregnant. Please tell him then call me back. I can’t wait that long. Because of course all the fear is in the back of your mind. So once she calls back I had an appointment the day after we got back from vacation. Sure enough, pregnant. We mapped out our plan and what the next steps were to keep this a successful pregnancy.

So, next begins a daily pill for the next 6 weeks, followed by a surgery to sew my cervix closed, followed by lots of extra appointments with specialists and shots in the hips every Monday. At about 15 weeks I had lost 12 pounds and had been in the hospital numerous times for constant vomiting and dehydration. Was eventually diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum – long story short, you’re sicker than you’re supposed to be, have huge weight loss and this can cause complications. So thankfully we got that under control and your girl started gaining weight! Also about this time, I go in for a routine appointment with my specialists and every time I go they do an ultrasound, so I was really seeing her a lot in the beginning. The girl doing the ultrasound asks if I knew what I was having. At this point, I haven’t done my genetic testing that scans the baby’s DNA for abnormalities and tells you the gender and I knew it was still kind of early to be 100% sure. Well when I tell her no and that we planned on having a little 4D ultrasound done in a couple weeks to find out and she says “well honey I can tell clear as day, would you like to know?” So of course I say yes and she says it’s a girl and she flips it on the TV screen for me to see. So truthfully, I would’ve been happy either way, but Cameron and Brodie definitely wanted to add another boy to the mix. So you can only imagine how the delivery went to those two! Priceless. Everyone just “knew” I would be having another boy.

Fast forward quite a few more weeks and here we are at New Year’s Eve and celebrating 30 weeks of this bundle of joy! I have had feelings of being scared, emotional, excited, nervous and anything else you can imagine. I have almost made it as far as I was with Brodie. So fingers crossed and lots of prayers she continues to bake a little longer! Here’s to our caboose!!

Mexican Manicotti

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This is a dish that my momma’s family has been making for a long time AND it’s a household favorite!!! I remember staying the summers with my grandparents and always asking to have this!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
8 oz Pace or any other picante sauce
1 cup refried beans
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (I sometimes don’t always have this so you can leave it out)
1/2 tsp group cumin
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 box manicotti shells (16)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 1/4 cup water

Instructions:
Combine beef, beans, oregano and cumin. Mix well. (Best to mix with your hands) Fill uncooked manicotti shells with meat mixture. Arrange in a 10X6X2 baking dish (or whatever you have – my dish was a 9×13). Combine water and picante sauce; pour over manicotti shells. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes, giving dish a half turn once. (Yes I promise the meat cooks thoroughly). Using tongs, turn shells over. Microwave on MEDIUM for 17-19 minutes or until pasta is tender, Giving dish a half turn once. Combine sour cream, green onion and olives. Spread over the casserole; top with cheese (I use way more than 1/2 cup too). Microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Now ENJOY!! This dish is DELICIOUS! has some tortilla chips with it to scoop up any goodies that fall out of the shell too!

Growth.

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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!!

Stumbling on the Love of my Life

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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!!

Spinach Chicken Casserole with Cream Cheese and Mozzarella

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Made this yummy dish last week! Added some veggies and pasta to finish it off!

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cup spinach, rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the Spinach chicken casserole Add olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes into a Ziplock bag along with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Seal the bag and shake until mixed. Add the chicken breasts, seal, and massage so the chicken breasts are covered in the marinade, set aside for 10-15 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C).

2. Quickly wilt the spinach in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, set aside.

3. Arrange chicken breasts drained from the marinade in a baking dish. Spread the softened cream cheese over the chicken breasts and lay spinach on top of the cream cheese. Finally, sprinkle mozzarella over the top.

4. Bake the spinach chicken casserole for 20-30 minutes. Chicken casserole is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ËšF (75°C). Serve warm your Spinach chicken casserole with a side of cauliflower rice, or baked veggies. Enjoy!

Life Changes.

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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!

Shop Small Challenge.

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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.

R Stands for Realtor

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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!

  1. 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.
  2. 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 🙂
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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!
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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

Listen to Your Body and Soul

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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.

The School Days

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Say hello to Brodie! He’s a 1st grader this year!

Sending Brodie bak to school this year, I had so many things going through my mind. Get these supplies, order this uniform, buy a good back pack (let’s be honest, I spend good money on these because I need them to last all year) and so on and so on. Most importantly, getting him pumped up for school!

Growing up I LOVED school! I remember the start of my first grade year and I loved making sure I matched head to toe, hair was in place, shoes were perfect, perfect smiles, everything. As a little girl, I know I had more priorities of how I looked then my son does. Don’t let that fool you though! Little Brodie LOVES his hair and it’s gotta be JUST RIGHT! We get hair cuts about every 2-3 weeks and it never fails when he wants it cut it’s on a day or time that no one is open and he wants it done right then.

Him going back to school got me thinking about my younger days. Next fall will be my 10 year reunion. 10 whole years. I’ll never forget starting graduation with my welcome speech and realizing this is it! I’m done, we’re done! But looking I have so many memories! Some good, some not the greatest, but none the less they help mold me as a person. Even a few hair appointments ago my hair girl and I were talking (we graduated together) and talking about our reunion and how both of us were more than happy to head things up and get everything scheduled. In our conversation, both of said how come we weren’t friends in high school and kind of laughed about it. Because in all honesty we weren’t friends! Neither of us know why, but in a sense it’s funny because now in our careers we are both helping each other. AND Let’s be honest I WILL NOT trust another person with my hair anymore. She truly saved my hair from a BAD situation and now it’s incredible. But seriously, at Rosepine we all got along for the most part! In our talk the other day we were bringing up old memories that we’d forgotten about and it made me realize how great we all really had it in school. Whether we were “best friends” or just social acquaintances, we had a good class of kids many of which are all still friends. We all wanted to grow up so fast and get out of there, but I bet many of us would want to go back even for 5 minutes. Of course I’m one that would only want to go back for a minute. I enjoy life now and I think my high school years were a good stepping stone. Kids nowadays (and I feel SUPER old saying that), want to grow up so fast! I will say when I moved out of home and experienced my first taste of “adulthood” my first thought was what the heck was I thinking, send me back, I quit, I’ll do high school again any day of the week. I have so many great memories of high school and with Brodie starting school back it makes me think of all those great times and even though it’s almost been 10 years ago, it feels like yesterday.

I even remember how I worried SO much what people thought about me. Did I look skinny enough, was I pretty enough, was I in enough clubs, did enough people like me and so on. BUT in a sense, all that was silly stuff. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t crowned Homecoming Queen, it didn’t matter if I didn’t have straight A’s (let’s be honest, English kicked my butt), no one cares now if you were the president of the Beta Club. All that stuff was just extra stuff, but what’s important is that you made memories and learned from things that you did.

When you look back on your high school years, would you do it again? Would you want to go back? Are you the same person now as you were then? Do you still see or talk to your old friends? Are you looking forward to your class reunion?