I'm no fitness guru and I would hardly call myself a worker-outer (yes, it's a word, my Instagram followers confirmed it). But a year ago this week I looked in the mirror and said: Enough. Enough of putting myself last. Enough of feeling tired all the time. Enough of hating all the clothes in my closet. Enough. Yes, if you're doing the math correctly, I made that proclamation on my birthday. What better day to step toward a new you, right? Don't worry, this post isn't about the usual cheerleader. Everyone! Can! Be! Jillian! Michaels! Nor is it about convincing all the people they have all the time in the world to workout if only they'll re-prioritize their life, hire a nanny or wake up at 3am. And, I'm not here to convince you that my workout is the only one that works. I'm just gonna share with you what I know. How I've changed. What modifications I made and why I wish more people believed in themselves. When I hit my 100th workout, I shared how I healed my diastasis recti. Yes, that's a real thing for us women. Mine is still healed, praise Jesus, but I think … [Read More...]
A Birthday Letter…To Myself
I'm blaming it on the text message. A priest friend of the family texted me earlier today and said, "You should write yourself a birthday love letter. It will do your soul good." And it gave me pause. I have no problem writing the kids' letters, or our lives here for that matter, but I rarely write to myself. Don't worry, this won't be a "pat on the back" kind of letter because that would … [Read More...]
Blessed is She: The Holy Father’s (Not so Subtle) Kick in the Pants
This photo inspired today's devotional over at Blessed is She. What a man, right? … [Read More...]
Blessed is She: Beer and Chicken Wings with a Side of Awesome
It's me! Chatting about beer, chicken wings and other awesome things over at Blessed is She today. Imagine that. … [Read More...]
A Foodie Kind of 16th Birthday
Peas and carrots. Peanut butter and jelly. Sweet and tea. Teenagers and food. Some things just go together, don't they? For our oldest son's 16th birthday, I struggled with wanting to throw him an epic birthday with not wanting to embarrass the heck out of him. It's a fine line, this parenting a teenager gig. As I stood in my (almost) empty pantry one day, the idea hit me. Feed … [Read More...]
Yee-Haw! A Texas Birthday
My love affair with birthday parties continues. You may see a repeat of this party again next year for sweet Gianna. She shared her big three-year-old birthday with her oldest brother, who was celebrating his Confirmation the same weekend. I figured, let's do a two-fer. Double the cookies, double the party, double the fun. Plus, we like to do things big here in Texas. Because it was … [Read More...]
Finding (and Rocking) Your Gifts
I am *so* excited to share that I'll be chatting about finding and rocking your God-given gifts with Blessed is She tonight via their workshop series. You can either purchase the one workshop, or buy a yearlong membership and get access to all the workshops we do (1-2 a month). There is so much goodness there. Plus, you get the twang, free of charge. … [Read More...]
The Confirmation *Par-tay*
Where there's a dessert table, there's me. True story. Nobody loves throwing parties and having company over more than I do. Hospitality is my charism. I realize some of this stresses people out, but it is life-giving to me. My love is found in the details. All my work to make it beautiful was my gift to Will and I so loved doing it. Mr. Whitaker was a huge part in making it happen. He's … [Read More...]
