P H A I N

This has been a pretty amazing year. I love looking back at what I've done in the past year and looking forward to what's to come. This Year I... -Traveled to Chicago with Matthew We both were sick but we made some amazing memories, getting to be in the Willis building after dark, eating lots of pizza, exploring all over town and going to Medieval Times! -Opened an Etsy store Which I haven't done well with updates but I have made a couple of sales which just blows me away! -Bought a new camera It's a little silly how much I enjoy it. -Made 3 trips to Branson for much needed chill time It's Matt and I's go-to place when we need to just not worry about anything, even if it's only for a day or two.     -Took a big 2 week long trip to Yellowstone with several family members! While there I saw a moose, a bear, explored a ghost town, saw breathtaking scenery, ramb...

This year I'm turning 30! So I thought I would mark the occasion with a few things that I've learned so far, and most of them I still have to work on, but here goes! 1. Progress, not perfection. I struggle big time with wanting things to be a specific way and I always end up disappointed when things don't match the vision in my head. Roll with the punches a bit! And celebrate progress, even if it doesn't quite match what you had envisioned. 2. Compare to yourself, not others. I find I tend to put myself down whenever I look at someone else in envy. But if I look at where I was a year ago, I'm pretty proud of the progress I've made. 3. You can't pour from an empty cup - know your limits. Raise your hand if you have a hard time saying no! I would stress myself out endlessly by saying yes to anything someone asked of me. It's okay to say no, your well-being is more important than pleasing everyone. Boundaries, especially for yourself, i...

This past 4th of July, as usual, my family (and often a handful of friends) head up to my Aunt and Uncle's to celebrate. It maybe the best holiday of the year with fireworks, good food, four wheelers, homemade ice-cream, usually some softball, and a bunch of lounging around.  My grandparent's old house sits on my Aunt and Uncle's property and has been sitting empty for a few years now. This year I went in to revisit some wonderful childhood memories. The stepping stones in the front yard, the little porch, all brought back the thought of Sunday afternoons running in to change out of my church clothes and finally put on jeans, to sit at the large dining room table for lunch with home-made rolls and fried chicken. The corner beside the wood burning stove where I would curl up with piles of books and spend hours reading. The chair my Grandma would sit in and knit, a pug by her side. The kitchen with the birdcage and the plastic tub of old die-cast cars we would play with ...