Glamping Birthday Party

I can hardly believe that my first-born turned EIGHT this August.  I know it’s so cliche, but it truly does go SO FAST! I’ve always loved celebrating my kids’ birthdays, despite the fact that they are a bit bittersweet as well, recognizing that my little ones are getting older.  However, my creative side loves to prep and plan each party to suite the interests of each individual child, and together we have a lot of fun with it!

I would say my party-planning style is 2-parts-DIY, 1-Part-Buy!  I really do love a good DIY, and I often find myself thinking, “I can make that”, when I see an idea I find particularly inspiring.  However, as a mom of four, sometimes it is just easier to pick-up the things I need – especially if I don’t have to compromise the quality of the theme in the process 😉  So, all that to say, I really do believe that anyone could replicate any of the parties I’ve thrown, whatever your party-planning style may be!

Sticks & Stones – The Power of Words

I’ve always loved words.  For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed reading, writing, and speaking.  I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read, and to this day, there is always a stack of books sitting beside my bed, or laying around the house for easy access.  As a child, my love for words was honed through opportunities to write creatively in school, and I always loved bringing new worlds to life in short stories and poetry.  When other kids were participating in various sports teams, I was participating in public speaking contests, spelling bees, and drama opportunities both in school and in surrounding communities.

Surviving Heart Surgery

This blog post contains images and details that some readers might find disturbing.

This has been a hard post for me to write.  Partly because I still have trouble sometimes connecting to the experience; to really recognizing that the story I’m about to tell happened to me.  And partly because it has felt so big that I want to make sure I do it justice, for myself, and for anyone who connects to what I have to share.  Today I want to walk through the story of my heart surgery, the complications, and my recovery.