Over the weekend I was not feeling my best. Stress and lack of sleep had overtaken me and my body rewarded my efforts by getting a little sick. I say rewarded because in hindsight that would seem to be what I was subconsciously asking for by my imbalance and the Universe does love giving us what we ask.

Needless to say, once I had manifested it I changed my mind. Thankfully my husband was right there to offer some extra care. These are the moments my husband really shines. 

He cooked all morning to make me some homemade chicken noodle soup. It was amazing! And just a serving or two already had me feeling ten times better. 

Later he made croque-monsieur for an extra delicious dinner. He went out and bought my favorite, fresh basil and mozzarella and made it into a cute kabob with tomatoes. It wasn't just the extra effort, it was the extra mile! 

Today I am back to health but I can tell my "cup" is still refilling. Even as I take time to care for myself and get my own cup full again, I can't help but think "where can I go the extra mile?"

One of those places is here. Often I sit down and rush through a blog based on my day and the gratitude I find. But once this blog was a little deeper and farther reaching. 

Somedays I wonder if this blog still reaches the audience that needs to hear it. I wonder if this is worth my daily effort or if I should let it go and go back to journaling my gratitude in private. Where can I go that extra mile in my life to bring joy and gratitude to people? Is it here? Is there a new calling waiting to be heard? 

I do not have the answers yet. But I am open to the questions. I am opening myself to where I can go the extra mile to make a difference. I am opening to where I can go the extra mile to care for myself and my family. I am open to the answers. 

I'm grateful for my husband's loving care. I'm grateful for him going the extra mile to make food to help me back to health. I'm grateful for whoever first found basil...yum! I'm grateful to be bringing myself back to health and focusing on manifesting more positive things. I'm grateful to open myself to possibilities of a pivot coming. I'm grateful to ask myself these questions and focus on making a difference. I'm grateful for my amazing kids and family that give me ways to help and grow each day.

What is the extra mile for you? Who takes the time to give you a boost? What are you manifesting? 

May we take the time to ask the important questions. May we never be afraid to pivot to something new. May we take care of ourselves and those who need us with balance. Have a beautiful day!

This is a very old picture, but what better picture to talk about best friends than my dogs that were the best of friends? Dogs have a great way of showing unconditional love. If we are lucky, we get to find some of that in our relationships in the human world as well.

Some friends come into our lives for a purpose and when that purpose has passed they go their separate ways. Friendships can be kind of fluid like this. Then there are best friends. If you are lucky enough to have a true best friend, they ride out the changes with you. You might drift apart for short periods of time but the second you reconnect it is as if no time has passed. 

In Junior High I met a friend that was in almost every way my polar opposite. It was actually what drew me to her as I was nervous and shy and she seemed full of confidence and personality.

Over the years we have both grown and changed. We have been with each other through some tough storms and through some great celebrations. She is my best friend. I can tell her anything. 

So when she came to me several months ago and told me about some job opportunities that would take her far away, I have to admit I was sad. When she asked my opinion about it, I told her I thought the opportunity sounded too good to pass and if it was what she wanted she should go for it. She is such an amazing, strong woman I have no doubt she will do great. 

Now the time has arrived with boxes and a moving truck. I will miss her so much! But I also know we have been great distances before. It is a great excuse for a road trip and a great way to walk my daughters through some valuable life lessons. They are sad to see their "aunt" going. But what a beautiful reunion it will be to see her again. 

I'm grateful for my best friend and all she has taught me. I'm grateful for all the times she was there for me and the opportunities to be there for her. I'm grateful she valued my opinion when I know she is fully capable of making decisions on her own. I'm grateful she is following her dreams. I'm grateful to make a plan for video chats to stay in touch. I'm grateful for a fun new place to visit. I'm grateful for true friendship and the way it can weather the miles apart. 

Who is your best friend? How often do you connect with them? Do they know how much you appreciate them?

May today remind us to hug the people we love. May we appreciate the friendships that came for a season and may we cherish the ones that last a lifetime. Have a beautiful day!

My husband and I got a special opportunity to celebrate our anniversary this weekend without kids. They went off to a slumber party at my parents' house so we could have some time alone. 

What would you do with one night? Normally we out the kids to bed, journal, talk about what is happening the next day, and maybe watch a short show before heading to bed. For this night we got to have a meal and chat about anything we wanted, uninterrupted. We shared ideas and cool things we had heard about like scientific discoveries and inventions. (I love when we geek out together.) We watched a funny movie and discussed the validity of trying some of the ridiculous things in real life. We laughed. We ate. We talked. We cuddled. 

After an evening in, we decided to try a night out. For bedtime we set out camp hammocks up on the deck. At first my husband tried stringing up some lights "to make it a little more romantic", but I assured him nature itself was more beautiful to me. 

The stars were hidden behind dense clouds that have hung over the area for a couple weeks now. The chances of rain were low enough we decided it was worth the risk. The leaves in the trees blew gently singing a soft lullaby. And my husband added a quiet song with his harmonica that complimented it beautifully. 

I'm so grateful for this experience. I'm grateful for a date "in" and then a night out. I'm grateful for the perfect date. I'm grateful for the soft lullaby. I'm grateful for such an amazing experience. I'm grateful for the excitement to try it again soon. I'm grateful to find the hammock was more comfortable to sleep in than I imagined. I'm grateful for these unique and wonderful ideas my husband comes up with to share.

What is your perfect date? What is your perfect night out?

May we celebrate in ways that speak to our hearts. May we cherish the moments of connection. Have a beautiful day!

Today marks six years since I said "I do" to my love. Outside the weather is much the same, unusually cool and rainy, as it was on our wedding day. Inside so much has changed. 

Our house is now full of the (mostly) joyful noises of two young daughters running and playing. One, very elderly dog follows us just to nap in each room. Plenty of material things have changed and even work schedules and structures have changed. Even our love has changed. 

In the midst of all the bumps and celebrations I cannot put my finger on one specific moment of our relationship shifting. If you had asked me when we married I would have said our love was deep and strong. Yet somehow how love has grown even deeper and infinitely stronger. It is interesting looking back, now that we have made it to this point and realized how much "puppy love" was still in play back then that has now grown into a deeply connected love. 

I cannot say that my husband was my first love. He cannot say that either. But I can say that this is the strongest love, and probably the healthiest relationship, I have been in due to the time and energy we have put into "us".

I'm beyond grateful for my husband. I'm grateful for how we grow together. I'm grateful for the many ways we are opposites that keep us in balance. I'm grateful for the ways we are the same that enhance that strength. I'm grateful for the last six years of marriage and eight years of getting to know each other. I'm grateful for the beautiful family we have made. I'm grateful for the support and love we give each other. I'm grateful for the opportunity to create the next amazing year together.

What is your definition of a soulmate? Have you ever been in love? Have you carried out the actual act of loving and growing together with someone? 

May we remember that love isn't just an emotion; it is an action. May we celebrate the ones we love every day. Have a beautiful day!

One benefit of the pandemic is recognizing the things that are most important to us that used to be taken for granted. I would have to say one of the top pastimes I have missed is just sitting around talking with friends. Yes, we are still able to do this over Zoom but it is still not the same as sitting around in person being able to cue on body language and joke around. 

Today I was able to have this experience, in the flesh. I was blessed with the opportunity to sit with one of my best friends, in person, and chat about what is going on in life. It turns out there was a lot to talk about! This is one of the best things about old friends, no matter how long the gap of time we can just pick right back up. 

It did my heart and soul good to see her in person. It felt so normal to just get to sit and chat. It got me excited hearing about the things going on in her life and it felt so nice to be included in this news. 

I'm so grateful for long term friendships. I'm grateful for the way they stand the tests of time. I'm grateful for all the ways she is my opposite and all the ways we are more similar than we probably even realize. I'm grateful for face to face interactions. I'm grateful for a hug! I'm grateful to laugh together. I'm grateful for my kids' cooperation so we could chat. I'm grateful for my husband helping with the snow removal so I could enjoy my friend's visit and still get to work on time. 

How old is your longest friendship? Who brings gratitude to your life?

May today remind us how vital our friendships and relationships are to health. May we see the beauty in these moments that have been few and far between this last year. Have a beautiful day!

Today is my husband's birthday. We have celebrated a few birthdays together and we like to do what we can to make them special in some way. This year tossed us a few hiccups but we're making the most of it.

I have never met anyone like my husband. There is very little he can't do and his love of learning truly shows. He is an amazing dad, a great husband and friend, and just an all around good guy. 

If someone needs his help, be it the neighbor, his family, or even a random person whose car got stuck in a ditch; he's there to offer a hand. One time when we were dating we drove nearly forty minutes just to bring me a sandwich for lunch. I hadn't asked but he knew I had not packed a lunch and brought one over. 

I love the adventures we have been on together and I look forward to the ones ahead. It won't always be easy but we can handle just about anything if we do it together. 

I'm grateful for the timing of when I met my husband. I'm grateful for the turn it brought in my plans. I'm grateful to have made that turn and chosen this life full of love. I'm grateful to celebrate my husband today even if it is a mellow celebration. I'm grateful for the excitement to give him his gift. I'm grateful that its delay means more time to celebrate this wonderful man. I'm grateful for all the ways he offers love and support. I'm grateful for all the ways this world is better for him being in it. I'm grateful to get to wake up next to him each morning and kiss him each night.

Who in your life deserves celebrating? Who makes the world, or at least your world, better just by being there?

May we take the time to celebrate the ones we love. May we tell them how much we appreciate and cherish all they do. Have a beautiful day! 

Today may be Sunday, but it is the Sunday before Memorial Day. Without work tomorrow, today feels more like a Saturday. For that matter, the last four days have felt like Saturday.

My husband took off work last Wednesday through Friday for our anniversary. The plan was to do a little family camping but that plan fell through. Instead we did things around home with our girls and knocked out a few projects as well. But each day felt like Saturday with no one working and the schedule open. 

Have you seen the movie Groundhog's Day? Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day over and over again. The last five days have been our groundhog's day but in the very best of ways.

We had a picnic and played outside a lot with the drone and bubbles. We filled the water table then watched as the girls splashed it empty again. We played games with the girls and knocked out projects during their nap times. My husband and I got to watch shows and even a movie together! It is amazing how much can fit in a day when both parents are home and tuned in!

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a day of remembrance. It is also the last day for us to knock out our projects before I head back to work. Most of all it is a day to remember what is truly important and spend time with family. 

It has been a truly beautiful stay-cation week. I'm so grateful to cross some things off our list. I'm grateful to get to spend time together as a family. I'm grateful for a fun impromptu picnic. I'm grateful to do several carry-out food orders as we have not eaten out much during this shelter-in-place. I'm grateful for the joy on my girls' faces as we spend time with them. I'm grateful to watch my husband try to play Barbies with our eldest. I'm grateful for the quality time my husband and I got together. I'm grateful our dog is back on her meds and feeling good. I'm grateful to have gotten this opportunity.

What day would you like to repeat for several days? What would you do with the time? Who would you share the time?

May today remind us what is important. May we take time to reflect tomorrow and remember those whom we have lost. May we also focus on who is important to us here and now and let them know. Have a beautiful day! 

This weekend was a weekend full of dreams. No, I did not get caught up on sleep...in fact I got very little sleep. This weekend was about dreaming about the future and about seeing a couple dreams come to fruition. 

Saturday my husband and I, with baby in tow, drove a couple hours from home to go to an Overland Expo. While they didn't have quite as many tiny, rugged campers as I hoped they did have some impressive ones. They also had tons of really cool rooftop tent setups and other gear to make overlanding that much more awesome. 

Walking through the expo my husband and I were both floating on possibilities. What would work for us now, what would work in the future, and just what was cool even though it didn't meet either of those criteria. It was awesome! And it was awesome to be surrounded by people with similar dreams and hear their stories.

We took a detour on the way home to look at some campers. They didn't have the one we've been dreaming about but they had some pretty cool setups. It was fun to create stories like "oh yeah this one would be great when the girls are older and each bring a friend for the adventure." It got us talking about which features were nice and which ones we actually wanted. That led us down the dream highway on where we want to go and what our overlanding gear would need to accommodate the off the beaten road adventures. 

We made it back in town last night in time to get our older daughter from her grandparents. Then today before and after family lunch it was like moving day. My dad brought the built in bookshelves we had been working on at his shop to start the installation on either side of the fireplace. This has been a dream I drew up over three years ago but it kept getting put off with other projects. It will still take a couple more days to work on installing them but to see them in place with temporary anchors is so exciting!

We also got a deep freezer and my brother helped us move it downstairs to the basement. I look forward to filling it with bulk meats from the farm as well as homemade, pre-made casseroles and dishes to help the week go more smoothly. Right now my husband is taxed with cooking in the evening while watching both girls while I'm at work, after already working a long day himself. It will be so nice to relieve some of that burden while getting to cook for my family!

I'm so grateful to see my dreams of the bookshelves coming to fruition. I'm grateful to have gotten to help paint them and to know my husband and dad got to bond over building them. I'm grateful to see how much more storage space it will give us. I'm grateful to have a freezer to help us prepare and make evenings a little easier. I'm so grateful for our quick get-away. I'm grateful for an overland expo to bring all kinds of fun gear to one place for us to see. I'm grateful the baby did so great on the trip. I'm grateful for the commitment to get outdoors and raise our girls to explore. I'm grateful to share the same dreams and values as my husband. I'm grateful for a long car ride full of dreaming together. 

What are your dreams? What do you love to do? What dreams are you currently working to bring to fruition?

May today give us the energy to actively pursue our dreams. May we dream as big as our hearts allow. Have a beautiful day!

The sound of a good friend's voice has me bursting with gratitude today. One thing they don't really tell you when you are planning to become a parent is all the friends that will fade away as the season of your life changes. 

I hadn't heard from this friend but twice in the last year or two. She was always someone I looked up too and reached out to for advice. But on top of that she is just a beautiful person to know and you can tell it by the sound of her voice.

There is something very soothing about the right voice, isn't there? My husband and I "met" online through a dating website. We chatted online back and forth for months before I finally gave him my number. The funny thing was when he called, his voice sounded familiar even though I had never heard it before. 

Some voices just sound like home. You can tell by the tones that they are full of love. I'm not saying these people never yell or get crabby, but at the core of the voice I can feel the love.

I'm grateful for people like this in my life. I'm grateful as a mom to inherently have a voice like that for my girls, that can soothe them. I'm grateful to have given my number to the man that turned out to be my soulmate. I'm grateful for the beautiful sound of a friend's voice. I'm grateful to know she is well. I'm grateful for the sweet sound of a voice that can convey so much love. I'm grateful consciously infuse love into my voice when I speak as well.

How do you respond to different tones? What tones do you use most often? Whose voice soothes you?

May we cherish the friends whom we carry in our hearts. May we always speak with love and receive the same blessing. Have a beautiful day!

It is Christmas Eve Eve, the night before the holiday kicks off for my family. I will admit that the last two days have had their fair share of anxiety attacks as I think of all the last minute things that need done. 

I am aware that there is a biological component as my vitamins have changed. Yet I have to acknowledge the extra pressure I have put on myself combined with less self-care as the main culprit. 

As I drove home from work tonight my mind seemed to be all over the place. One thought interrupted another as I made mental reminders for tomorrow. 

When I stepped through the door at home something shifted. We turned on Christmas music and my husband and I danced with our girls. My hula hoop came out for some silliness. It was a beautiful half hour of being in the moment.

The next thing I knew it was passed the girls' bedtimes and my stress returned full force. Anxiety gripped me as the baby resisted going down. And much to my disappointment I had too much to do downstairs to lay down with my preschooler. Just when I felt an anxiety attack clenching me, my husband started being silly and making me smile...then chuckle, then laugh. He is so great at pushing that reset button. 

I'm grateful to let time slow down. I'm grateful to keep re-routing my attention to this moment. I'm grateful for all the blessings in this moment. I'm grateful to know everything will get done and I will still get some sleep. I'm grateful for leftovers so that I could have a delicious meal without the delay of making myself dinner. I'm grateful to have a delicious breakfast pre-cooked in the fridge as well. I'm grateful for my family's patience as I try to manage my stress and I'm grateful for their joy and laughter that brings me back to what is important.

How are you doing this holiday season? What helps you to reset and focus on the present moment?

May today help us see what is important and focus on the beauty of the present moment. May we have someone to share the holiday with that brings us joy. Have a beautiful day!