Why Creating A Vision Board Was A Good Idea

It's something so many others have suggested I do. It's something I've meant to do for a while now. Create a dream board. I have to give multiple things credit for why it's taken me so long. Procrastination, the feeling that it had to be perfect and I didn't have the brain space to plan a perfect dream board, procrastination, the works.

However, I did it! I'm so happy with it and no it isn't perfect. I plan to keep adding to it as new things inspire me and are added to my list of things I want to do. It has pictures on it, words I adore, and  representations of things I love. It is filled with the things I crave more of. Time with family, adventure, experiences, trips, animals, flowers, and more. It's meant to remind me how much I want more of those things.

It's in our bedroom where I can see it often. I've yet to look at it and not smile. But what makes it more than a glorified collage? Don't get me wrong, I love pictures and the memories they hold. I have them hanging all over my house and sitting on every available counter space. But a dream board has more purpose than to displaying pictures. When I put it together it helped me figure out just what I did want. It reminds me of why I work from home, why I need to keep going even when it's hard, and why I do what I do. It is a visual reminder of the goals I have and plan to achieve.

So what's on my vision board? Glad you asked, let's dive in!

Pictures, lots and lots of pictures. There are pictures of me, Nathan, and David at the beach because it's our favorite summer vacation location.

I've got a few of us from Disney world because we LOVE our trips there and want to be able to go more often.

There are pictures of places I've been and want to go back to, but there are also pictures of places we haven't visited. Yet! Places Nathan and I dream of going and experiencing with our kids. I'm telling you, there are some breath taking places on this earth God created.
There are pictures of myself with friends because I crave more time with the amazing sisters The Father has given me.
I've got pictures of my animals on there too. If you know me at all that should make perfect sense (haha). They're the ones I want to come live with us, but we don't have the room for yet. My babies that still live on my parents ranch, but I miss them oh so much. I've also got a few pictures of pets we want to own in the future. I've actually got a lot of animal pictures on there...goals am I right?
I love flowers so of course a few pictures of bright hydrangeas, tulips, and others found their way onto my board. More flowers? Yes please and thank you!
Last, but not least is a picture from one of our picnics. Because they brighten my day and bring back wonderful memories. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. They make me happy so why wouldn't they get their rightful place on my dream board?

I've  got words that I love on there as well. One's like "Family, kids, create, friends" etc. There are words to inspire me like my favorite quotes pinned on there. I found most of them in magazines and cut them out. I just found some more I can't wait to find a place for on my board! That's the beauty of it, you can keep adding to it. As your dreams expand and you discover new things that fill your joy tank add them to your board and be inspired and motivated.

So who should create a vision board? Anyone! Everyone! We all have dreams and goals so why not take some time to figure out what they are and make plans to move in that direction. I work from home and that was my main reason for creating one. Because one day this business will fuel our plans, dreams, and goals. But you can create one to help you get that dream job, learn that new skill, save up for that winter house somewhere warm, get that degree you're dreaming about, earn enough for that mission trip, or whatever your goal is!
Creating a vision board can be as complex or as simple as you desire. It can be a cork board, some pins, and pictures. It could be a poster board, some glue, and magazine cut outs. You could even create a virtual one if that's more your style. Mine is string strung in a picture frame with mini clothes pins holding all the stuff. You choose. It is your vision board after all! Have fun, be motivated, get inspired, and stay on track! 

As always thanks for stopping by! Come back soon!

DIY Water Bead Diffuser-Easiest Essential Oil DIY Ever!

Hello hello! If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! I’m so happy you’ve stopped by! Lately I’ve been blogging about DIY’s that I’ve enjoyed putting together and sharing. It’s been a lot of fun to perfect, make, and share them with y’all and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have! If you have then I think you’ll love the really simply DIY I have for you today!

I’ve had my newest DIY sitting on my bathroom counter and it makes me smile every time I see it. It was SO easy to make and cost me $2! Yay for Dollar Tree! Ready to know what it is?? It’s a Water Bead Diffuser! You just need 3 things to make this diffuser and make your bathroom (or any room you’d like to keep it in) smell amazing! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

-Water beads
-Glass container
-doTERRA essential oil of your choice

 -Let your water beads grow to full size then place the amount needed to fill up your choice of glass container
-Add 5 drops of an essential oil every 3-5 days for a fresh smelling bathroom (or wherever  you'll be keeping your diffuser)
-Add enough water to fill up about 1/8 of your container (AKA just a little bit of water for those of you who don't need specifics haha)

You'll need to replenish the water when you notice your beads are starting to shrink back to their smaller size. I add essential oil to the diffuser every 3-5 days. I've been loving Lime for our bathroom! It's a very fresh, clean smell. Try out a few and see which you prefer.
Here are a few of my suggested EO's for your water bead diffuser; Lime, Lemon, Wild Orange, Purify, Cedarwood, Cypress, Peppermint, Vetiver, or a combination of two of these.

I bought clear, un-scented water beads (it’s very important to make sure they’re un-scented for this DIY) from Dollar Tree and dyed them with food coloring. This is totally up to personal preference. You can use them as they are or buy colored ones from somewhere like Amazon. I bought these from Amazon for additional water bead diffusers for our guest bathroom as well as a few other DIY's I've got planned.
I purchased the glass vase I used for this diffuser from Dollar Tree as well. It's worked great!

That's about it! This one is super simple, yet oh so practical. You can stop here or decorate your container by adding some lace, ribbon, or anything else you can think of to dress it up. If that's not your thing that's completely alright. It looks so charming as is!

If you make one and love it I would be thrilled to hear you tried this DIY out! If you have older kids get them involved, water beads are fun for all ages! Let them choose their color of water beads, a glass container, and what essential oil they'd like to use.

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, come again soon!

DIY Makeup Wipes

When it comes to washing my face at night I would love to tell you that I wash my face with my favorite facial soap, follow that up with a toner that makes my skin glow, and then finally follow that up with a moisturizer that makes my face dewy fresh. Also there's no trace of makeup left after all that. That's what I would like to tell you. However, I cannot tell you that in all honesty. Most nights I have to convince myself that I really, really need to at the very least wash my face. Sometimes I fail to convince because I also tell myself that it takes too much time, the bed is calling me, and who want's water running down your arms getting your sleeves wet as you blindly search for the towel. Come on, I can't be alone in this. However, I have found the solution! DIY makeup remover wipes! I use these nightly now even if I'm not wearing makeup. It's as easy as taking a wipe out, giving my face a quick wipe off, and then I apply my favorite moisturizer. So quick and easy and my face wonderful! Just in case you and I share face washing woes I'm going to tell you how I made these handy little face wipes. They're really useful in other ways too, not just your nightly routine. For example; put them in your gym bag for a quick face wipe after a work out, pack them when going camping, use it to take off your kiddos face paint.

The 3 essential oils I used are power houses when it comes to skin!
Lavender is great for any skin type, but especially sensitive skin like mine. It is soothing to minor skin irritations as well as reduces bacteria that causes acne.
Melaleuca is anti-bacterial, toning, and moisturizing.
Frankincense is rejuvenating to the skin and reduces the appearance of blemishes. My favorite way to use it though when it comes to skin is scars. I had a mole removed on my face when I was little and it left a decent sized scar. I've tried different things over the years to try and get the size to go down. Nothing has worked like essential oils, especially Frankincense. It keeps getting smaller and smaller along with my acne scars!

Here's what you need to put it all together:
-An airtight container (I use a small jar with a wide mouth)
-Cotton rounds
-2 tablespoons of water
-2 tablespoons of witch hazel
-2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil (using this instead of regular coconut oil keeps it from hardening in cooler temps)
-1 drop each of Lavender, Melalueca, and Frankincense.
Combine the liquids and shake to combine. Put as many cotton pads as will fit in the container and let them soak up the liquids. And that's it! They're ready to be used. I found cotton rounds that have a soft side and an exfoliating side. They work great, but you can use whatever is available to you.

Thanks for stopping by my blog guys! If you make them I hope you enjoy using them! I've loved using them!

The Practical Guide to Using Essential Oils With Toddlers

Using essential oils in your every day routine, like any other new thing, takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of. Once you get the hang of it though it's like second nature. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here. And the benefits are so worth the little bit of effort put in to actually remember to use your sparkling new oils! Disclaimer: I only ever suggest using doTERRA essential oils because of their proven purity and safety. More on that at the end of this post.

What about when it comes to your kiddos though? There are so many ways to use essential oils on every member of the family that it can seem overwhelming. How are you supposed to learn all this new stuff?? Don't worry and please don't give up! As a mom of a toddler and another baby on board I completely understand your concerns. I'm going to give you simple and very practical (super important part) ways to get started right away using essential oils with your kiddos. Let's get started!

First let's talk about the easiest way to use your essential oils with your kiddos and that's diffusing. We have three in our house. One for our bedroom, David's room, and the living room. This saves me from having to move around a diffuser to wherever I'm wanting to use it. Therefore making it easier and more likely that I'll take the 30 seconds to get one going. All you gotta do is add water, drop some essential oils in, and let 'er run.
Based on the blend of oils you choose to diffuse (love how that rhymes haha) you're either supporting their immune system, calming, aiding in a better nights sleep, helping them focus, ect. I have a few favorite blends I'm going to share! Each is titled simply so you know what to use it for.

Next let's talk about how you can use the oils topically. Dilution is a good idea for any age, but especially when it comes to little ones and kids. Using roller bottles is a fantastic way to simplify this one. You're able to have a blend of oils diluted and ready right at your finger tips. I prefer the 5 mL size for the diaper bag or my purse and the 10 mL size for every day use, but this is definitely personal preference. Try both and see which you prefer.
Let's get really practical here. I'm strategic when it comes to where I keep the oils and roller bottles I use for our little man because I know if they're accessible I'm twice as likely to take advantage of their benefits and use them. I'll share with you the places in our home where I prefer to keep the oils that David uses.

I keep his most used oils in a drawer in his changing table. Once he is potty trained this will change, but for now this is the easiest place to access them. It's one of the only times he's still enough for me to use the roller bottles. Plus when he gets a diaper change before bed I can apply his "Sweet Dreams" blend and diaper rash spray (if needed) easily before putting on his PJ's.

I keep oils in our kitchen for easy access and so that I can put some on David while he's eating breakfast or lunch. This is a great time to use his immune boost roller bottle and if it's allergy season our roller bottle for that.

Last, but certainly not least, his backpack/diaper bag. I always keep oils in his backpack because I just never know when we might need them. This has come in handy more times than I can remember! I have a zipper pouch that I keep 5 mL rollers in and they include his roller for teething, another one for allergies, lavender for bug bites and scrapes, Deep Blue for growing pains or aches for mommy or daddy, DigestZen for upset stomach, Breathe for open airways, and Frankincense for just about anything else. I also keep Terra Shield bug spray and On Guard hand sanitizer in there. 


So there you have it! It really does become simple once you have a few helpful tools like glass roller and spray bottles. Trust me, they will make your life easier. I'm going to include my favorite recipes and blends so that you can have your own collection to use when needed! doTERRA also has this awesome line of roller bottles that are already diluted and ready to use on any age! How awesome is that? You can buy them all together is this kit! This is helpful for saving you some time, but also comes to the rescue for those of you who do not enjoy DIY-ing as much as I do. No problem, doTERRA has you covered. Now let's get to those recipes!

What I keep in his changing table:

Diaper Rash Spray (can also be used as an owie spray)
-2 oz spray bottle
-7 drops of melaluca
-7 drops of frankincense
-7 drops of lavender
Fill bottle he rest of the way with fractionated coconut oils. Shake well before each use. Use 2-3 times a day on any rash or owie.

Peace Touch. This is one we love to start our day with. The name says it all! Who couldn't use a little more peace? I roll some one David's feet them mine.

Eczema Roller
3 drops each of frankincense, lavender, and geranium. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sweet Dreams

2 drops each Lavender (or Serenity if they respond better to that), Cedarwood, and Juniper Berry for 5 mL. Double for 10 mL.

What I keep in the kitchen:

Seasonal Allergy blend for kids
If under 5 use one drop of each. If over 5 use 3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Immune Blend
3 drops each of On Guard and frankincense. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Cough Support
3 drops each of lavender and Breathe. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Growing Pains
5 (if over 5 years old, 3 if not) drops of Deep Blue. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sniffles
3 drops each of lavender and lemon. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Grouchy Pants

2 drops each of Balance and Wild Orange. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Breathe Touch

Keeps airways open. Very handy to have during seasonal allergies, a cold, or for snoring.

What I keep in David's backpack:

Teething

1 drop of clove oil in 5 mL bottle topped with FCO. Can roll directly onto gums or onto your finger and apply.

Lavender, DigestZen, or Frankincense roller bottle

I use 3 drops of essential oil in a 5 mL roller and top with FCO.

Diffuser Blends

Calming

3 drops each of frankincense, vetiver, and lavender.

Rise and Shine

2 drops of lemon, wild orange, and peppermint.

Immune Boost

3 drops each of On Guard and lemon.

Out like a light

3 drops each of Serenity, vetiver, and cedarwood.

Seasonal Allergies

3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. 

Liquid Calm (perfect for those rainy days stuck inside)

3 drops each of Serenity and Balance. 

There you go! I hope this has given you some ideas and hopefully taken away some of the confusion when it comes to knowing where to start. If this list still feels too long just pick one of two diffuser blends and start there. The biggest thing I want you to take away is that doTERRA's essential oils work and they are so beneficial to everyday life. However, they aren't going to do anyone any good if they stay in a box untouched. So get those little powerhouses to work! They will not disappoint. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! If this was a post you found helpful I would LOVE to know! And if there are questions you have about essential oils and how they can benefit you and your family, let's talk! I love meeting new people! If you'd like to know more about essential oils (or you just want to know what in the world they are) then click here! 

And finally my spill on why I choose doTERRA's essential oils and other products over other essential oil brands and companies. Well, there are actually multiple reason, but the main one is purity. When I was looking for essential oils I was pregnant with our first child. I was looking for a more natural way to take care of my family's health and that would soon include a newborn. I needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these would be safe to use. Today doTERRA is the only essential oil company that makes sure their oils have a CPTG ( certified pure therapeutic grade) certification. That means that every bottle they sale is safe to use because it's 100% pure essential oil and nothing else. No filler, no sythetic fragrances, no chemicals. All of the things I was looking to move away from. Every batch of essential oil gets this certification by going through a very stringent, third party testing. Like I said there are multiple reasons for choosing doTERRA, but that was the big seller for us. If you have questions about my other reasons for loving doTERRA please feel free to ask me!

Inexpensive Road Trip Activities For A Toddler-Dollar Tree Trip

I got so excited to go shopping today! And I wasn't even shopping for myself. Can someone say, "Mom life"? Or is that just me? We're Taking a trip to Missouri (🎵on the road again🎵) in a few days so we'll be in the car quite a few hours.

Being the first time mom that I am I scoured the inter-webs to discover what would make the trip as pleasant as possible with a very active 1 1/2 year old in tow. First of all I research things, okay. It's what I do. It's part of who I am. The person who likes to be the most prepared that is humanly possible ever. Alright so maybe that's a bit of stretch, but you get the idea. So I planned and executed. And by executed I mean I drove to our closets Dollar Tree. List and toddler in hand.   

I love the Dollar Tree! Who's with me? If you know the right things to look for you can find some major jackpots. Everything is a dollar!! A DOLLAR! It's magical I tell you. Our Dollar Tree isn't even that big and it's still great. Especially when your timing is just right. I don't know the secret to Dollar Tree timing...sorry. But it's right next to where we buy groceries so it's not that hard to just stop by and see if they have what I'm looking for.

Today I'm going to share with you what I found that's going to help keep our little man happy and entertained. AKA mommy and daddy will be happy and also entertained. Thumbs up all around!

My DT usually keeps these flexible baskets in stock and they are so useful for a variety of things. For this trip I'm using one to keep all of David's activities and toys handy and in one spot for easy access and so that nothing gets lost or squished. On past trips I've kept his things in a bag or nothing at all. Neither worked well at all. Things ended up all over the place and squished. I'm learning. 
I'm also going to put some diapers, wipes and a change of clothes in here for easy access during bathroom stops and in case he has an accident. That way I don't have to dig through all the luggage to find what I need.

I found these adorable little books for him to look at. He inherited my love for animals so I know he's going to be so excited to look at these! How cute are they?! They had several to choose from and I chose the three I though he would be most interested in. These are cardboard so they're very sturdy and just the right size for his toddler hands. Your DT might have something different, but I'm sure they'll have books. Like I mentioned earlier my DT is small, but most of them have kid friendly books.   

Next up, more animals! On the left is an activity book with two pages of animal stickers. David has had so much fun with stickers lately so I was super excited to snag a book that included them. It does say it's for 3+ which is understandable because you are technically supposed to match the stickers to certain spots in the book. David can't get the stickers off the page by himself yet so this will need to be one we use in a restaurant, the hotel, or if I'm sitting next to him in the car. 

David is a huge Paw Patrol fan (are you considered a fan at 1 1/2?) so I know he's really going to have fun coloring in this Paw Patrol coloring book. And I am a huge fan of the Playskool brand (can you be a crayon fan at 24?) so I'm really glad they had this big pack of crayons. For a dollar! I'm going to use one of my cookie sheets to tape a page down for him to color. Since it's rimmed it will also keep the crayons from rolling away.

Here's the tape I'll be using and it also came from Dollar Tree. It's super cute and Disney themed. I'll also be using this at the hotel to cover all the electrical outlets. Which will be much easier than unplugging and transporting the ones I'm already using here. Also washi tape won't leave a mess and will peal off easily enough when we leave.

Who knew DT had so much Paw Patrol stuff? Grab bags are so neat! The one I picked up has two coloring boards (those are the white pictures on the front), 3 washable markers, and 25 stickers. Dollar Tree had several to pick from, but I knew David would be most excited about this one. 

On the right is a pack of reusable stickers. I was so excited to find these because David hasn't really grasped the concept that once you put a sticker somewhere it's not supposed to come off again. Not so with these! Oh and it also comes with a reversible background to put the stickers on. 

We couldn't go down the toy isle without him noticing the large assortment of balls. I mean they really have them in all kinds of sizes, shapes and colors. We picked out this cute multicolored foam one. I'm thinking about attaching a string to it so that when he trows it (because what else is a boy supposed to do with a ball?) he can pull it back to himself. I think that's the only way we'll be able to avoid some frustration over trying to chase the ball down every 5 seconds.

Now before any of you fellow moms panic over the sight of glitter let me explain. I made David a calming bottle. This will be great for settling down before he goes to sleep. We'll be on the road during his nap time and bedtime at different points on the trip. To make one of these yourself all you need is an empty plastic water bottle, glitter, and glue to keep the top closed. Ours turned out really pretty and they're fun to watch as the glitter settles. I found a 3 pack of glitter and this craft glue at Dollar Tree.

Now this last one has nothing to do with David's road trip entertainment, but I was too excited about finding this that I had to share it with y'all. It's a collapsible clothes hamper! We have a clothes bad to put dirty clothes in, but it doesn't work great for keeping dirty clothes in when you're staying somewhere a few days or longer. It's hard to get the dirty clothes into and usually ends up spilling a few items of clothing at some point. Hence my excitement to find this pop up one! It stands and will be so much easier to put dirty clothes into. It folds up into a small circle and tucks into the pocket on the outside which you can also use to put things in while it's unfolded. I think this is going to be so handy and well worth a dollar. 

Well that's it! I'm hoping David loves all the new activities and toy to play with and enjoy. I'm thinking this will also help keep him entertained at the hotel as well. I'm not going to give him all of these toys on the way there. I've divided them into two groups so that he still has new stuff to play with on the drive home. I also have plenty of things for him to snack on which I think is super important in keeping a toddler content. No body is happy when they're hungry, grown ups included. 

If you have a toddler and you're planning your next road trip I hope this has given you some ideas. If you have a Dollar Tree (or any kind of dollar store) near you, check it out and see what you can find to provide some entertainment for your kiddos! Thanks for visiting my blog! Come back soon!     

DIY Bubble Gum Sugar Scrub

Nothing says Spring like bright colors. I love them all, from the pastels to the vibrant!
After the winter months my skin always needs a little extra TLC. Removing the dry, dead skin so it can return to glowing. No better way to achieve both than a body scrub. The one I'm going to show you how to make today is a bright pink and blue "Bubble Gum" sugar scrub. It's so easy and quick to make and won't break the bank. This one cost me less than $3!

The things you'll need for this cute and colorful Bubble Gum Body Scrub are:
1 Airtight container
2/3 cup of white sugar
1 TBS of coconut oil
1 drop each of red and blue food coloring
5 drops of doTERRA Grapefruit EO
3 drops of doTERRA Ylang Ylang
1 drop of doTERRA Eucalyptus EO

I love the was this scrub leaves my skin feeling soft and rejuvenated! Plus the essential oil in it each come with their own benefits for your skin like cleansing, anti-inflammatory, calming, soothing, etc. They makes this scrub smell amazing on top of all the benefits to your skin! My favorite way to use it is in the shower on my legs. It makes my shave last longer and leaves my legs silky smooth and moisturized. I don't recommend using this one as a lip scrub because Eucalyptus essential oil is not one you can take internally.

I found this cute little jar in the dollar section at Target. Anyone else love the dollar section? Of course you do! Who doesn't love a steal on something cute?!
I used regular white sugar mainly because its cheap and I won't be eating it. I think the only reason I don't mind having it in my house is for the DIY's haha! I prefer coconut sugar or stevia when it comes to cooking with granulated sugars since they're both healthier alternatives. Anywho...that was a rabbit trail. #randomfactsaboutcali

I'm ok with using just regular ole food coloring, but if you prefer something more natural that will work just as well.

Aren't these colors just yummy? All the heart eyes over here! I love the pink and blue combo, they add so much fun! I know Spring is coming! I just know it! Give me all the Spring colors!

Mix the sugar and coconut oil together in your mixing bowl then add 5 drops of grapefruit EO, 3 drops of Ylang Ylang EO, and 1 drop of Eucalyptus EO. I only suggest using doTERRA essential oils since you'll be putting this on your skin. doTERRA is the only company that certifies their bottles are 100% essential oil and nothing else (like synthetic fragrances, fillers, or other chemicals. Yes you can actually put that in a bottle of essential oil and then sell that bottle).

Once you've done that separate in half. Put the other half in another mixing bowl. Add one drop of blue food coloring to one bowl and one drop red food coloring to the other. mix well then spoon into your container. I like to alternate the two colors so that you get layers. But you do you! It's a DIY so you know, do it yourself haha!   

That's it! You did it! Time to enjoy your Bubble Gum scrub and silky smooth skin. You've got scrubbing power from the sugar to remove dead, dry skin. You've got coconut oil to moisturize. Last but not least you have the 3 essential oils to purify, smooth, and make your skin smell wonderful. Grapefruit is the FREE oil of the month for March for people who are enrolled in doTERRA's Loyalty Rewards Program (which is also free) so if you're interested in getting it or other essential oils let me know! I'm always super excited to help someone else become an essential oil lover (which I promise you will become if you start using them)! 

I had a blast making this (I love DIY's) and I hope you do too! I keep it in my bathroom cabinet so every time I open the cabinet door I see these happy colors and can't help but smile. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by my blog!  

Husband and the Chicken Coop

Whew, it's been a while y'all. Life has been busy lately. And yesterday and last month and last year (I can say that because it's January) and today. Oh, you too? That figures, it seems like the "busy bug" has been making it's rounds.

Anywho, my creative juices have been flowing so I'm taking advantage of it and writing this blog post. Did you miss me?

Right now we're working on my chicken coop. Hooray! It's almost done and if you couldnt tell I'm here to tell you I'm excited! My dad, mom, husband and father in law have all taken the time to help me and I am so appreciative. They have no clue how much this means to me! As we've been working on the pen and other things around the house (we've almost been here 2 months. Eek!) I've noticed something. My precious husband and I do not fit your tipacal husband and wife mold. Shocker, I know.

If you want a tour go watch my Youtube video!!
https://youtu.be/swg-Be7Q14Y

So what do I mean by that? Well for instance my husband will ask me how to do things from time to time (because he's an amazing and humble human) that he's not quite sure how to do. Things he's fairly certain, because I grew up on a ranch out in the country, I know how to do. Or at least more about it than he does. My husband did not grow up on a ranch or anything close to it. He grew up in a fairly large town (especially for the south) in a subdivision. One with a big back yard I might add. I know how to drive a stick shift, dig a post hole, build a fence, ride a horse and move cattle, milk a goat (my friends owned them), feed chickens (again, friends had them not me), stack hay, hitch and  pull trailer (bumper pull and goose-neck), hook up jumper cables, and other things you need to know how to do if you're going to be helpful around livestock. Which I was. Daily. My parents taught me valuable things I needed to know because of the lifestyle I lived. Many of these things and others are still serving me.

Did I expect or plan to merry someone who grew up in a neighborhood less than 15 minutes from town? Not really no. Is he incapable? I'm going to go with "no" again. He's very capable and good at so many things. He's also a fast learner and very smart. He's quick to ask for my opinion and values my input. That is something that still makes my heart melt. He doesn't have to have all my "country knowledge" to be perfect for me. In fact I'm not so sure I would have liked a man trying to do certain things for me. Don't misunderstand me, I am not of the mindset that "Whatever a man can do I can do". My point is that I enjoy being outside and working with my hands. I like learning and knowing things that aren't your typical girl things. My husband is more than okay with this. He often does things around the house that aren't your typical guy stuff. I'm more than okay with that. If I wasn't I'd be cleaning out the old food in the fridge (gagging all the way), washing the dishes, cooking everyone's breakfast, changing dirty diapers and decorating all by myself. Along with other things that the wife typically does the majority of the time. The other evening Nathan asked, "Do you want me to finish nailing up those boards so you can get something done in the house?" Isn't he wonderful? He knows I get overwhelmed. I replied, "No, I don't want to go in the house. I want to finish this. I like nailing in boards." Poor guy, he tried.

Nathan has never tried to change who I am. He married me for me. He loves me just being me. He is the first person to give me that kind of freedom. Does he know how to do everything? No, I don't know of a soul who does. He knows how to do many things that I don't. Knowing that he is humble enough to ask for my help makes it so easy to ask for his when I need it. And even when I don't. When we were dating he wanted to ride horses together and for me to show him how he could improve. This was just one of many things he showed interest in that was important to me. Lots of people want to warn you that people change after marriage. That they stop trying as hard once they've "got you". And sure, this can easily happen f you let it. Nathan has not stopped. He still shows interest in all my crazy ideas and supports me in my endeavors. Nathan loves basketball. His favorite team was playing last Saturday on a channel we pick up for a change. You know where he was? Not in front of the TV. He, his dad, and me were working on my chicken coop. He doesn't even like chickens y'all. But he sure loves me! That I know without a doubt.

There are lots of points to this story. Take your pick. The main one though is you do not have to fit the "typical" in your marriage rolls. We certainly don't. We are not perfect and I'm getting better at not pretending to be. We are learning what God's plan is for OUR marriage, OUR life, and OUR family. One day at a time. Blessings friends!