Learning As We Grow

As of late, I've been thinking about what it means to be creative.  I haven't written on the blog in a LONG time. But I've recently felt the urge to get back into it. Why, though? I'm not sure. But my inkling and reflection tell me it has to do with a three-part equation:  (Re)discovering my creativity.  Allowing the Savior's light and truth to shine through me & my creative works.  Finding a way to earn some extra income while utilizing my passions and creative talents.  I've been feeling a very tangible pull to CREATE. Create art. Create beauty. Create SOMETHING. But what that something is...I haven't exactly put my finger on it quite yet. It's a drive that's deep within me, and has always been there, but has been put on the shelf for many years now as I've been raising my family. Recently, the instinct to create art has resurfaced. So for the past couple weeks I've been on a journey of discovery in order to find that "thing"

NOTHING ABOUT EXISTENCE IS ACCIDENTAL Today I studied the words of Isaiah, Chapter 49. I feel like the words spoke directly to me today, as they are so relevant to my life. Through our journey with Eoin and his heart defect, I have come to know SO MANY families with children who also have heart defects...or even other defects THAT THEY WERE BORN WITH. These were defects developed during pregnancy (also called a "congenital" defect), while these sweet babies were still in the womb. I think about this often, and what the Creator's plan might be with all of this. I am often preoccupied as I think about our family's future, of Eoin's future. My heart is panged when I get to meet new moms who have just received the diagnosis that something is "not normal" about their baby. And something as severe as HLHS is initially quite shattering, because you realize that caring for a child with this defect will be a life-long, DAILY challenge. My feelings become

Today I feel heavy. Heavy, as in...just weighed down (long sigh). I feel a bit overwhelmed with every day sort of things. It's not even BIG LIFE things. It's the day-to-day things. But I find myself in a mindset of self doubt, and just basically feeling like I suck. 😅 But truly? It's just one of those days that I can't help but also feel like I'm falling short. Falling short on EVERYTHING. 😞 I read the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" by John Gray, PhD, over a decade ago. Great book for multiple reasons, and I recommend every adult should read it. As I was feeling a wave of overwhelm this morning, after literally crying as I prayed to God for guidance with my day, this book came to mind. I remember that it talked about emotions and how people process emotions. It talked about how "women are like waves". Often, we will let emotions build and pile up (both good and bad). Things on our minds build and pile up. They just keep

MEQUILLIBRIUM  For Brett's work, they offer employees and spouses free access to an online website called MEQUILLIBRIUM . It focuses on mental wellness, mindfulness, health coaching, and self-development. As an incentive, employees and spouses can earn around $50 for each activity they complete, with a max of $300 that can be earned per person. So, to earn $600 extra for just doing things like guided meditation activities, or phsychological wellness assessments, it's a no brainer. I was actually completing an activity on MeQuillibrium today. This particular activity had to do with TRAUMA. I didn't necessarily choose this activity, as it is a standard part of the course that you work through on the site. BUT, I nonetheless found it really relevant. And from the activity, I gained a new understanding of trauma that I hadn't considered before: I learned that trauma, essentially, is SUBJECTIVE. THE 4 COMPONENTS OF TRAUMA Trauma is likely to occur when one or more

IS MEDITATION WOO-WOO? Brett hates the term "MEDITATE" . To him, "meditation " is something the hippies or new-age peeps do. It's strictly woo-woo in his mind.

YE OLDE HOUSE We live in an old house. It was built in 1976, and in that year, all the houses on our street were debuted in the " Parade of Homes ". So, we're extra cool because our house was a Parade of Homes house, right? That's kinds of a big deal. Only the best and most innovative homes are showcased in the Parade of Homes. Super cool. Except...that was 43 years ago...and some of the stuff that came from the mid 70's is just plain weird. We love our house. It's a good house, and it's been good to us. BUT, being from the 70's, and never having had any major updates since then, there are a lot of odd things about the place. I think one of the most dangerous things a homeowner can do when they own an older house is to watch HGTV and other design shows. For me, it's both agonizing and inspiring. I'll fall in love with styles I see on Property Brothers or Fixer Upper (yaaaasss!), and then my wheels will start spinning in my head. I'll g

It's been nearly a year and a half since I've posted anything on this blog. Doesn't that happen so frequently in life? People get excited about new endeavors, and they start something strong...but then it fades. And it seems that is exactly what happened with me. I was not dedicated enough to make my blogging a priority. But hey. I've been through just about the BUSIEST 2, even 3 years of my LIFE. So I'm not too hard on myself. I'm just acknowledging that I could have done better. My original intent for this blog was to be a space where I could communicate updates to my family and friends about Eoin's health status and conditions. With something as complex as what he deals with, I didn't want to have to answer the same questions over and over again, with the time and depth required to explain things properly. So writing IN DETAIL and sharing on the blog was a good idea. It was easy enough to post a link in emails or on Facebook. But beside that, I wa