A Season I Don’t Take for Granted

This year has started out with a bang. My daughter turned 16 in January, and after I offered all kinds of party suggestions, she finally settled on the one she wanted, a roller skating party. She absolutely loved it. Every single one of her invited guests showed up, which made it even more special. Seeing her surrounded by her friends, laughing and enjoying herself, was one of those moments I just wanted to hold onto a little longer.

And our February...My grandson, the first boy born into the family in 26 years, was born at the end of February. I am so in love with my grandbabies. Little bit is so snuggly and lovable and his big sister is 3 years old, so independent, smart and loving.

On March 8th, I stepped into the Kids Ministry Coordinator role at our church. This has been a huge blessing and so rewarding already. Being part of and pouring into a child’s spiritual journey is amazing and humbling at the same time. I love engaging with their parents and our volunteers as well. 

And our April...Easter was especially meaningful this year. We had two baptisms, and one of them was a child my husband and I have taught for a couple of years at church. Seeing that moment come full circle was something I won’t ever forget. It was such a reminder of why this calling matters so much. We also had an Easter celebration at my mom's and it was so sweet watching our grandchildren and great neice hunting for eggs.  Little Bitty didn't get to hunt his own yet, but he got an Easter basket with the rest of them. At the end of this month, my husband and I will celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary and get to take a moment for ourselves, reminiscing and creating new memories. He has been working hard to plan an intimate renewal ceremony for just the two of us. We renewed our vows on our 5th anniversary and plan to do so every five years. This is an important and sweet thing that we chose to do in our marriage from the beginning.  We are looking forward to this time for us. 

I’m at a place in my marriage where I feel completely comfortable, not waiting for the other shoe to drop. Knowing this is such a healthy marriage has allowed me to focus more on myself and my self-care, and I appreciate this so much. I definitely don’t take it for granted. I know what a huge blessing this is. Having a supportive and active partner, someone who shows up in our family, in our relationship, and in our church, means so much.

I have been finding my independence again through self-care because of this healthy balance. This may sound weird to some, being 10 years in and just now feeling this, but it takes time to get here when you’ve been in relationships that caused turmoil and angst. Some of the ways I have chosen to do self care is to better myself through school.I am in my senior year in college with six classes left to graduate, majoring in Psychology. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train. Another way is by getting together with my girlfriends every once in a while and going to the gym. I'm on a mission to widdle my middle and be the healthiest version of myself. 

The idea for this part of my blog came to me as I’m sitting at a restaurant outside, eating a Greek salad with salmon, feeling the breeze in my hair and the calmest I have felt in a long time. It’s not because things aren’t busy, they are, but it’s how I’ve intentionally slowed down this year and put things into perspective. Not everything is a fire that needs to be put out right away. And my husband allowing me to be me, and to take care of not only the family but also myself, has helped me move out of that constant fight-or-flight feeling.

Did I mention how blessed and appreciative I am?

Next month, on May 14th, my daughter will be graduating from community college, one I graduated from 12 years ago, about 20 years later than I had expected, but right on His time. We will then celebrate her 20th birthday in June, followed by a July birthday celebration for my husband. In August we will celebrate my birthday and soon after, my second daughter will fly the coop and head off to college to finish her undergrad studies, and start a life with her fiancé in their first apartment.

Life keeps moving, and for the first time in a long time, I’m not trying to catch up to it. I’m just here, taking it all in, cherishing all that I can, and finally at peace in the middle of it.

2025 Year in Review/Easing into 2026

I meant to post this on December 31st, I really did. But I didn’t. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that was kind of the whole point.

For most of my life, I’ve had a "go hard or go home " mentality. I was always doing the most and feeling like a chicken with my head cut off half the time, running myself ragged. If you weren’t doing, doing, doing and going, going, going, then what was the point, or at least that’s how it felt to me. I had to have a jam-packed day to feel productive and accomplished. Slowing down felt lazy. Rest felt like falling behind. Honestly, I’ve struggled, and still struggle sometimes, with just saying "no." It’s overwhelming and exhausting, leaving me needing to take a couple of days to recoup from overdoing it.

I’ve learned a lot from my husband, who does things slower and more intentionally. That was hard for me at first. I used to try to speed him up, even trying to get to the point of what he was telling me quicker instead letting him tell it at his own pace. I’ve always prided myself as being the rabbit, the hare, if you will, and I thought of him as the turtle. He moved so slow. Sometimes it felt like he was going backwards it felt that slow, to me.

But it wasn’t really slow in a bad way and to others that aren't natural rabbits by nature, probably didn't even seem that slow. I mean, yes, it was slower, but it was steady. Intentional. And over time, I started to see that slow and steady really does win the race. Slower doesn’t mean falling behind. It means pacing yourself and being in the moment. What are we in a hurry for?

So when December 31st came and went, I didn’t rush to post. And that’s exactly how I want to approach this year, more like the turtle.

I don’t want to be tied to my phone all the time. I want to learn to use the Do Not Disturb option spending "me" time that I've carved out for myself, unwinding my world a little, and stepping away from the rat race. I want my days to feel calmer and to enjoy my life being present and living instead of existing and fleeting. I want to soak up all the little things. I want to take a moment to tie my shoelaces or zip up my boots, pause and straighten a picture frame, take the time to line the potty in a public bathroom with as many layers as I want, and sing the whole Happy Birthday song or the ABCs while washing my hands, if I want. You get the point, stop rushing. Be present. Enjoy every moment.

When I look back at 2025, I think that’s why this matters so much to me, because so much of the year was made up of intentional moments I don’t ever want to rush through.

This past year was full of new experiences, more travel and a ton of special moments, especially time spent with my kids and family. One of the best times of 2025 was going to New York with my daughter Lulee. It wasn’t something I planned. It was a trip I won through the Christian radio station I listen to, and I know it was definitely a God thing. The time of the trip fell perfectly between both of our birthdays. I probably couldn't have planned better if I tried. It was a four-day, three-night trip for two that included airfare, hotel accommodations, a thousand-dollar gift card, a breakfast voucher for our stay, and tickets to see Chris Tomlin in concert at Central Park. He sings "Good Good Father," a song I used to sing to my dad toward the end of his life. Hearing Chris Tomlin perform, especially "Good Good Father" which was the very first song he sang, felt indescribable. The whole thing was surreal.

What made this trip even more special was knowing that Lulee hadn’t been able to go to New York the year before, and my husband was the first to give up a seat that could have been his so Lulee could go. This man is the epitome of selfless. He knew she needed this and knew that she and I both needed this time together. It felt like a gift in so many ways, full of firsts and a healing experience for her. We noticed so many Godwinks during this trip. When we checked into the hotel, the time was 4:24, and the room key we were given was also 424, my dad’s birthday. 

While we were there, I got the opportunity to reunite with my middle school best friend Natalie, just across the way in NJ, finally meeting her family. I will always cherish this time and plan to do again in the future. I'm telling you, there's not a good enough way to describe how incredibly blessed I felt by this whole NY experience. 

I also had special one-on-one time with my daughter Brynlea this year. We took a trip to Gulf Shores, just the two of us, and made so many sweet memories together. A few months later I went with her to Birmingham for a school trip and watched her give a presentation that left me completely in awe of her. She is so smart and watching how she's grown and how her mind works, makes me a proud Mama. 

I've grown a lot in my faith this past year. My husband and I were sponsored by a sweet couple from our church to go on an Emmaus Walk. We went on separate weekends. This was such a deep, spiritual renewal that we both desperately needed. I also met and have stayed connected with new sisters in Christ from a table called Esther, together we call ourselves the Exceptional Esthers.  

There were family trips too. I traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas with my husband Jeremy and my daughter Brynlea to spend a weekend with our son Tyler. This trip was short, but it was such a great one. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

2025 I was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta and Alpha Sigma Lambda, and I became Secretary of Sigma Tau Delta. I am honored and extremely proud of these achievements. I have been active in the activities and have grown close to our members.

We've had several milestones throughout this past year. I turned the big 5-0. My daughter finally became an adult in all 50 states. I watched her get engaged and put down a deposit on and signed for her first apartment. She's preparing to attend Auburn University, a dream of hers that's coming to reality. We’ve had to extend the table at my Mama’s for our special holiday celebrations, as we’ve welcomed new members into the family, including our precious great-niece, Charlotte Rose. We feel so incredibly blessed by that sweet, easygoing baby. We celebrated Brynlea getting her driver’s permit and my grandbaby Kaia turning three, including taking her on a very fun trip to the pumpkin patch.

This year brought a mix of amazing, unforgettable moments and some private moments that were tough and emotional. Through it all, we stayed grateful and continue to lean on our faith.

Going into this new year, I’m not rushing. I'm not coming in like a wrecking ball. I'm choosing to ease into 2026, choosing intention over chaos. I'm adopting the "slow and steady wins the race" mentality, and I’m choosing to be the turtle.