One Massive Update

Well, that was massively longer than one month, sorry about there. 

I chose the word Rest as my word of the year after a conversation with my sister. We started asking seriously why it felt so important to get so many things done. We both agreed that there was no reason we needed to make massive goals for the year and try to achieve great things. We both needed a year where we didn't try to do so much. And you know what? It's been lovely. 

I've been doing a lot of babysitting, and hanging with family. My dad helped me install a tiny desk in our greenhouse, so now I have a bit of an outside office where I can write, do Bible time, and paint. That has been fantastic!

One of my only big goals for the year has been to spend more time outside. So I've been spending a lot of time out on my hammock, or on my new Slack Line. Y'all, that thing is the best thing ever. I learned to ride my bike without holding the handles (very big accomplishment, I know. XD) 

It's been a really good year so far, and it's hard to sum all of it up. I got to go to a young adults retreat, we had the whole family together for Easter, and my friend Hannah let me come to a For King and Country concert with her. Rose and Stewart got married a month ago(!!!), I got to see the new Mario movie in theaters, my sister paid for me to pet a Kangaroo (Beyond epic), we traveled to SC and back for a friend's wedding, saw Anastasia the Broadway play, had a lot of awesome Bible Study nights, danced at a dear friend's wedding, got to see my first Marvel movie in theaters, and with my dad so that was epic. I also got to meet my friend Faith in person for the first time. <3

It hasn't all been good, but it has been good. Losing my dog at the end of the year was a blow at the end of a very long, hard year. But I can tell I'm finally adjusting. Life is falling into a new routine. I'm switching to a different schedule for the summer as I try to find more work for my days, but I am choosing experiences over accomplishments, and just really enjoying what God has brought into my life. 

So am I back? Yeah, kind of. Today marks five years since I opened this blog and ten-odd years in the blogging world. Honestly, I don't love it like I used to, so I'm not going to put a lot of my effort into this, but I still might pop in every once in a while with updates. So thank you, even if you don't stick around, for being here. For caring. I'm glad to be here, and I hope to be back soon. 

Please tell me how you've been doing below, let's catch up!

A Look Into Colorado

Hey! I wanted to share some photos from our vacation to Colorado. I'll share more of what we did in my highlights post, but I had to many photos to fit there. These aren't in the correct order, but I figured it didn't matter to much. 

It snowed two days we were there, and it was especially fun to see the deer out in the snow. <3

This is at the top of Bible Point, a small mountain near the YWCA where we stayed. We are, in fact, standing on a ledge with a sheer drop off in this picture. That was kind of terrifying, but it was worth it to get some fun pictures! 

This is my bro-in-law being awesome at Garden of the Gods. 

Rebekkah and I at Garden of the Gods. <3

My Mom, Dad, Rebekkah and I first came to Garden of the Gods in 2017 for our graduation trip, so it was very fun to come back together. 

This is a model plane at Focus on the Family. This is my happy place. It had so much Adventures in Oddessy and The Last Chance Detectives stuff! 

I hope you enjoyed this very brief look into our vacation. It was a delightfully relaxing time where I read a ton more then I thought I would, hiked, swam, and spent an insane amount of time in a craft hut. Of corse it wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot! I already miss the mountains. 

And We're back on the Air

Hello everyone! It's nice to be back. It's been two months and wow, the time has flown by on my end. I would love to give you an update on all the things that have happened, but most of that will have to wait for a giant highlight at the end of the month (yeah, it's going to be three month's of highlights. O.o) 

As you might be able to tell, I still haven't found time to re-do the blog as I've been promising myself I would for the last year, but I'm trying to be okay with that. Right after I took my break, my sister Sarah got married, and another sister left on a two-month missions trip, then another sister moved in next to us with her family. Needless to say, the amount of change in my life these last two months has been overwhelming. I'd love to say I've handled it great, but I haven't. I've been busy trying to find a balance in my schedule. So for right now, I'm learning how to balance work, spending time with family, and my own projects. For the time that means I'll only be posting every other week. I need to ease back into this so I don't burn myself out! =)

At the moment I'm working on NaNo, which I have just been writing a random assortment of stories for, but I've been enjoying it. I haven't written much of anything since July, so it's good to be getting back into the swing of it. 

And of course the thing I'm most excited about is one of my best friends in the whole world is getting married tomorrow. O.o I'm in Arizona right now for the wedding, and am SO excited!!!

So, I'm all ears, tell me what y'all have been up to! I've missed chatting with y'all. <3 

Happy Songs

These are songs I listen to just to make the day happier. I will note, most of these are older songs and a lot of them are not Christian, but they are all super clean. I do not recommend all songs by these artists. 

Happy Together by The Turtles

Daydream Believer by The Monkees 

Come On Get Happy by The Patridge Family 

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond 

Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles 

Believe it or Not by Joey Scarbury 

Unicorn by Irish Rovers 

Fireflies by Owl City 

If you prefer, here is the pandora playlist. Just note that Happy Together is not the original version because it's not available on Pandora. 

What is your favorite happy song?

Currently

I used to do these posts, and today I felt like resurrecting the old style in an abbreviated style. =) 

Currently, I am:  

Reading: Roseanna White's new book The Nature of a Lady. I have been enjoying reading another of her books. She has such amazing style, and these books to me just feel comforting. 

Watching: The Mysterious Benedict Society with my friend Kate as they come out each Friday. So far they have kept with the books fairly well and I have really enjoyed it! The use of colors is espechilly amazing. If you enjoyed the books, I would highly recceomnd watching it. 

Drinking: A lot of homemade Chai tea with honey! I'm trying to cut back on sugar right now (It had gotten to be an unhealthy habit), so when I am craving something sweet I whip up one of those. I also really love just water, sometimes with lemon in it. 

Writing: I am participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, and my goal is 30,000. I am trying to finish re-write my book Battle for Kelar. It has been way harder then I thought it would be, but I have enjoyed getting back into the story. 

Petting: Our three little puppys. It's hard to bealive that we only have them for one more month!

Crafting: A wind chime. My grandad gave me a tin of pressed pennys with little holes in them (Don't ask, even I don't know why he had them either), so my sister bought me the stuff to make a windchim. I've been working on it, and it's been really fun! 

Enjoying: Evenings at my job I got the chance to read Shadow by Kara Swonson the day it came out. I was working a job where the kids go to be halfway through the job, so I got to curl up on the couch and read for about an hour. It was lovely!

Listening: To The Sound of Music a lot. Some of the kids we watch are in a production and wow, I did not expect it to be that amazing. We ended up going to the production twice because it was so amazing.  

Celebrating: My sisters upcoming wedding! We are just two months away now, and things are starting to come together!

What have you been up to! 

New Email Subscription

Hey everyone! This is a break from my regular posts to tell you that my email service (Feedburner) is about to go away. If you want to continue receiving emails, you are going to have to sign up for my new emails on Mailchimp, here: http://eepurl.com/hCDw3z 

If you don't sign you will no longer receive any emails about new posts on my blog. I will continue to post every Friday/Saturday, so you are welcome to just hop on my website as wanted. Thank you so much for faithfully following my blog, and for all your lovely comments. <3 

I'll see you Friday (Or Saturday ;) ). 

Life Lately

I  honestly just wanted to catch y'all up on some of the things that have happened recently and share some of my plans for the summer. 

Above is a picture of me from a hike my siblings and I went on. It was hot, and most of us ended up swimming in the river because it was just too awesome to resist. That led to walking around the grocery store wet, which was cold, but funny. XD 

My awesome sister Rose just left for Youth With a Mission discipleship training, so she'll be there for three months, then a two-month missions trip. I am super excited for her, but also, sad, cause I've never had to be without her this long before. She is running a blog though, if you want to keep up with her: Rose With A Mission.

I honestly don't love posting a lot of pictures of myself, but this one just fits the month. We had a big celebration for all of our birthdays since Rose is going to be gone so long. It was almost like Christmas in June! We had cake and spent a lot of time just talking. 

Just a random sunset from west Texas I loved. <3

My siblings and I went on a short weekend together like we do every year. It was a bit bittersweet because we know this will be our last time together for a while, but we had a blast just playing games, watching movies, and hanging out.

A photo from our birthday celebration. <3 Maybe not our most our together photo, but I just love us together. 

So our dog Belle had puppies!! Just three this time, two boys and one girl. They are adorable, in an ugly newborn puppy kind of way. XD The girl looks like a mini version of Belle! 

This is F.T. (The Grey one) and Orangesicle. O and I have been forming a bit of a friendship as I give him treats and he's learned that I can scratch under his chin. XD He has been such a happy thing in my world. 

This summer is already looking crazy full, but here are some of the things I'm hoping to do: 

1. Pick out my bridesmaid dress (One of my best friends is getting married!!!!).

2. Go for a lot of bike rides. 

3. Read a lot of books (My family has made a book challenge.) 

4. Watch fewer movies (I want to focus on what's in front of me). 

5. Write again. (I've gotten out of the habit). 

There's a lot more I'd love to put on this list, but that's it for now. What have y'all been up to lately? 

Lyrics from Symphony Album

I don't normally do things like this where I just share a few lyrics from an album, but Symphony is one of my favorites, and I wanted to share it with y'all. I just did a few lyrics from each song. Here's a link to Symphony on Amazon. It is worth listening to!

Wild 

Like a crash of thunder

Like a river tearing toward the sea

Your love is spilling over

Flooding every desert part of me

And it feels like I'm coming alive

Jump 

Caught up in my feelings

Spent so much time tryna play it safe

But the safety's just an illusion

When I'm called to be fearless

So here I come, I want to follow

Where You're leading me

Time to let go, it's sink or swim now

So I, so I Jump

Higher and Higher 

We cannot be silent

We will not keep quiet

Hear our voices rising higher and higher

Death has been defeated

Jesus, You have risen

We will lift our praises higher and higher

Symphony 

Sometimes it's hard to breathe

All these thoughts they shout at me

Try to bring me to my knees

And it's overwhelming

Darkness echos all around

Feels like everything is crashing down

Still I know where my hope is found

And it's only You

Ooooh

You say You're working

Everything for my good, and

Ooooh

I believe every word

'Cause even in the madness

There is peace

Drowning out the voices all around me

Through all of this chaos

You are writing a symphony

Overflow 

When fear tries to hold me

And my confidence worn

I remember the battle You've already won

Cause the cross couldn't break You

And the grave lost the war

You have given me hope that cannot be undone

Can't stop this feeling

Your love has got me singing

Close 

Your love is not distracted by my shame

You're near to me, You understand my pain

And when my burdens bring me to my knees

You are always there to carry me

I've failed under pressure

Despite all my efforts

But Your love keeps no record

You won't leave, You'll never walk away

Love won't fail, it never loses faith

Even when I feel like I'm losing control

You will hold me close

Heartbeat 

You're running through my veins

Flowing through every part

Completely changing me

With every beat of Your heart

Your blood poured out for mine

My blood was redefined

I'm found in Your heartbeat

Lifeline 

When I'm drowning

Oceans raging all around me

Through the thunder and the waves 

You're constant

You're my lifeline in the storm

You'll never leave me

It doesn't matter what I'm facing

Noo

And when I'm failing

You're holding on to me

And I'm holding on to You

Obsession 

I refuse to obsess over status

I refuse to obsess over fame

You are enough for me

When the world is shouting

You are peace around me

You have seen me and You call me as Your own

Nothing else can silence

What You speak with purpose

There is nothing that defines me but Your love

In the end, what they think doesn't matter

I refuse to be bound to their standards

This album has helped me through some really tough times, and it always encourages me and points me back to God. I hope you enjoyed reading some of the lyrics and maybe listening to the songs! 

Snowbound!

Texas has been under (for us) a pile of snow for the last week. My family and I are safely tucked in our house amazingly with both power and water. Though I am beginning to get quarantine vibes because I haven’t been out since Friday! 😉

During the last week I’ve mostly just been hanging out with family, but I’ve got a few things that have just made this whole time much more fun. 

1. The Chosen. This show is following Jesus’s life through the eyes of his followers. My family owns a set of the DVDs, but you can watch the show for free on their app! 

2. Chocolate Chai tea. This stuff is the best. Tazo makes it and it is the most amazing thing. Add a little bit of sugar and milk and it’s perfect for snuggling up under a blanket and reading. 

3. The online library. I actually have four library cards (It’s what you get for living out in the country and moving around a lot for work and church), so I have access to an insane amount of online material. Especially since I’m stuck at home right now, I have been so grateful to get online and be able to download books to read! Right now I’m working through some audio books by S.D. Smith. 

4. Nancy Drew games. My sister and I are playing though Danger by Design. I do not play many computer games, but the Nancy Drew ones are my favorite any time I get in the mood. If you’ve never played them before, you should start with Trail of the Twister.

5. ESV journaling bible. I usually read the NIV or NLT, but in November I bought myself an ESV journaling book of Jerimiah and I have been loving it. I do not take enough time to slow down and read each book of the Bible, so this year I am slowly working my way through Jerimiah and it has been amazing. The text is printed on one side page, and the other side just has lines for writing, its pretty epic! 

I hope you enjoyed this very eclectic list of things I am loving while stuck at home. Drop me a comment below and tell me what you’ve been loving lately. Also, if you’ve got any book recommendations, tell me, I could use some fresh reads!

Life Updates, Mouthguads, and Movies

At this moment I am wearing a mouth guard. Why? Stress induced teeth grinding. I don't tend to feel stressed very much. I mean, I do sometimes, but my body tends to feel stress more then I do, thus the grinding. I have been working a lot more then normal, and life has just been weird lately. But, I wanted to share with y'all some life updates that are not as stressful. XD

1. I'm thinking of re-vapming the blog soon! It's been almost two years since I moved here and I'm thinking it's about time for some updates. This might take me awhile due to work and stuff, but it is on my list to do soon. 

2. I have Pandora plus back, so if you have any music recommendations, drop them below, I will check them out! Right now I am listening to some fun older songs like Daydream Beliver, Come on Let's get Happy, and Wouldn't it be Nice. 

3. MudLove is having a sale. Y'all know how much I love MudLove. Well, right now they are having a sale on their custom bands and you can get free shipping on top of that with the code WAYFINDERWOTY. I may or may not have ordered two bands. I was very excited. XD If you do a word of the year, this is a great way to keep it with you all the time!

4. I found a fun series on youtube. I don't really like Anne of Green Gables, but I have really enjoyed watching Green Gable Fables on youtube. Not only are they cute and clean, but they are also free, which is cool. To me they made the story of Green Gables way more palatable, and sweet. I also really love the actors. If you're a fan of the new Studio C you might enjoy seeing Tanner as Gilbert. (Note, I can only vouch for season one)

How's your week going? Watch any fun shows lately?

5 Ways to Give to Your Local Food Pantry

I know everyone is trying to grab your attention this time of year and get you to give their cause, but I wanted to share some ways you could help your local food pantry. Here we go!

1. Give time. 

Your time is one of the most valuable things you can give. Seriously, almost all food pantries need volunteers. That will look different at each one, but they need you. At my food pantry, they desperately need people to come and simply put an assortment of food in bags to give out easily. I normally only help out for an hour a week, so it's not like it's a huge commitment, but it's great to work there. 

2. Give (Good) food. 

My family was unemployed for two years. We depended on food pantry food to eat for a lot of weeks. I distinctly remember one week getting very excited because we had gotten a box of food which meant finally some variety in our contact diet of mac and cheese. I cannot express my disappointment when inside the box was limp cabbage and cans of stuff I don't think anyone actually eats if they aren't desperate. We ate it, and my mom used it as a lesson on how we should be grateful for everything God provides and I still appreciate that lesson. But I can't help but hope that a lot of kids won't have to learn that way and that they'll be excited to get bags because they have good food in them. Most food pantrys depend on donations, and so what you give is very important. Out of date, super weird, or half-used food items are not a good way to go when donating, but what you give may mean the world to someone. I remember getting chips one month and it was the biggest treat we had had in a long time.

3. Give money. 

Food pantries often have a lot of monetary needs. Most of the time they buy food to supplement donations, have to pay utility bills and have to buy equipment to keep operating. Giving money is a great way to help them stay afloat. 

4. Give prayers. 

Handing out food is not a photo-op event, it's pretty rough a lot of times. So pray for your local food pantry and the people who come through. 

5. Give cards. 

Most food pantries will accept cards to give out to the clients. You can write encouraging notes to make people smile. Or simply write your local food pantry and tell them you appreciate them. 

So there you have it, five ways you can help out at your local food pantry. I hope you will at least look up the food pantries in your area and check them out. They can be so awesome! 

Merry Christmas y'all!! I may not post next week since it's Christmas. =) 

Half Stress, Half Chill

Here is a picture of a turtle for your enjoyment. 

I'm behind on my Goodreads challenge. 

I haven't been training with my puppy. 

My room is in a constant state of looking like a tornado went through it. 

I've eaten corndogs for my work lunch for two weeks 'cause I'm too lazy to make better lunches. 

I haven't posted much of anything on social media lately. 

I haven't prepped anything f or my vacation next week. 

I haven't written anything for months. 

I have a whole pile of letters that need replys.

I haven't used my camera in weeks. 

I've read some epic books lately. 

My dog still loves cuddling me. 

I actually managed to clean my room today. 

Corndogs are epic. Especially with ranch dressing. 

I haven't really missed posting too much. 

I get to go on vacation!!

I'm sure writing will continue eventually.

People are really patient waiting for letters.

I'll take photos again soon. 

I've been feeling the pull of two different sides of life lately so much lately. I'm half chill, and half stress at this point, but the two things do not like to coincide. This results in a lot of nights staying up until midnight watching movies, then getting up early to get to work on time, and falling asleep on the couch when I get home. I proceed to get up, work on my own stuff, and then repeat the whole process. Not a terrible way to spend time, but I am hoping to learn a bit more balanced. 

This post doesn't have some great deep meaning. I'm excited because I'll be going on vacation next week and so I'm going to seize the time and take a break from social media. I'm trying to work on some better habits, but also learning to let go of some of my expectations. 

How are you doing? 

Autumn Smiles

This is kind of a continuation of my post 35 smiles except the Autumn edition. Not all of the things are really fall-ish, but they're what I'm thankful for right now.

Pumpkins

Morning tea

Reading on the porch swing 

Open windows 

Leaves crunching underfoot 

Cute sweaters 

Socks 

Pumpkin scented candles 

All the red and orange 

Only two months until Christmas

Baking 

Fall break 

Lego’s

Mini photos 

New stickers 

Sale’s on binders 

Bike rides

Stargazing 

Kitten cuddles 

Curling up under blankets

Fall movies 

Planning trips 

Journaling at night 

Watching sunrises 

Haybales 

Going to bible study 

Kids tackle hugs 

Midnight Masquerade (the movie)

Golden hour 

Fluffy clouds 

Burning sunsets 

The deck being cold in the morning 

Family meetings 

Spontaneous board games 

Gold sharpies 

Sketching late at night

Happy Together by The Turtles 

What's one of your favorite parts of fall? 

How to Level up Your Babysitting Skills

I've been a babysitter for five years now, with over ten different places I have worked, and every time I walk into a new job I feel completely unprepared. Each set of kids are different which makes each job unpredictable. But I have picked up some tips along the way, so here they are:

1. Pray a lot. 

I try to use my drive to work to pray. I am not a naturally patient person, so I usually pray for a lot of patience, that I would be a good influence on the kids, and that they would react well to my authority. It's hard for a lot of kids to have someone different come in and be in charge, so I pray extra for them, knowing it's not going to be easy for them. 

2. Cultivate genuine love for the kids. 

I have walked into jobs before where there are 10 kids I'm helping watch and I don't like any of them, but choosing to love them despite not liking them makes a world of difference. You can't change how the kids act necessarily, but you can change how you react to it. Choosing to like them to doesn't hurt either. ;)

3. Get down on the floor. 

Kids like to be played with. I personally love sitting on the couch and watching kids play, but they do well with adult interaction. Sit down, play with the toys, let them knock down block towers you build. It's really fun, trust me. 

4. Focus. 

Don't let your focus get off the kids for to long. Phones, books, movies, they're all fun, but even if it's a pretty casual babysitting job, it's a good idea to just leave your phone in your purse (With the ringer on so parents can contact you) and focus on the kids. 

5. Don't take it personally. 

My mom told me this and it has been the number one biggest help in my babysitting career. If you work enough babysitting jobs, you'll hear a lot of stuff (i.e. I hate you, you're mean, go away) none of it fun to hear, but you don't need to take it personally. More often then not, kids are just upset that they're parents are gone, and are taking it out on you. Choosing each time a kid acts out to not take it personally but it just deal with the issue helps way more than getting flustered.

6. Be willing to work (and play) hard. 

When I go into a job, I try to let the kids have as much fun as possible. I'm here for only a short part of their day, and I want them to look forward to coming back. Parents may not always have the energy to play tag with their kids after a long day of work, so I try to do it. I don't always feel like showing kids how I can do a cartwheel (Which is still lopsided, but I guess that's beside the point), but I never regret it when I see how happy they are. So go the extra mile, read a book when your voice is tired, iron 20 pearler beads and get burns, play hide and seek for an hour. You'll enjoy the memories. 

Bonus tip: Keep track of funny things kids say. I have started doing this recently and it is the best! 

I may not be a world-class babysitter, but I do love working with kids and I hope these tips help. 

What's your favorite thing a kid has said to you? Comment below and I'll tell you my favorite kid quote from this week.

Video's for a Rainy Day

I really want to do a life update post, but I haven't had a lot of time/energy for it yet. So I thought for today y'all might enjoy what I've been watching lately. Youtube has been a fun way to unwind after work. Most of these are comedy sketches, but there are a couple songs in there also.

1. Elevator Romance Gone Wrong Studio C
I'm a sucker for comedy sketches done to a song, so this one is right up my ally.

2. 2020 is the Worst Year Ever It's a Southern Thing Y'all
This is just a funny video about several years getting together and having a "worst year ever" competition.

3. If We Have Each Other Alec Benjamin
A beautiful song, with a pretty epic video. <3

4. Sir Humphrey: The Woke White Knight Studio C
What if someone took modern communication philosophies back to medieval times?

5. Cool With Being Crazy Willow City
This is a super fun song and a really cool video to go with it.

6. Budget Cuts Studio C
A sketch without any props due to budget cuts, which turns out pretty funny.

Go ahead and let me know if you check these out. Even if you don't, comment telling me how your week was!

35 Smiles

These are 35 things that have made me smile lately. They are in no real order and don’t cover half of it, but I hope you enjoy them. 

Revolutionary by Josh Wilson

My one year Bible plan (even though I’m behind).  

Lavender and Vanilla EOS. 

Playing Mario Kart on lazy days. 

Morning sunshine. 

Trips to Hobby Lobby. 

Sweet tea on hot days. 

Cuddling puppies. 

Reading books all in one day.

My “dream” Mudlove bracelet. 

Writing tons of letters.

Watching the retro channel. 

Getting bursts of writing inspiration.

Lemons. 

Getting to bake with friends. 

Long phone calls while watching sunsets. 

My Buzz Lightyear keychain funko pop. 

Waking up to kitten nuzzles. 

Working a job where I can wear Converse every day.

Singing loud in the car. 

New gel pens from my mom. 

Wax seals on letters. 

Keeping that Duolingo streak. 

Learning new verses.

Family meals. 

Journaling at midnight. 

Texting siblings across the room. 

A rainbow notebook. 

Dream in the Sky perfume. 

Birds outside my window. 

Mail time.

Jamberry nail stickers. 

Chocolate brownie cliff bars.

Bubbles. 

Fluffy clouds. 

What's made you smile recently?