Step Out, Step Up, Small Winter Steps.

In efforts to combat the winter blahs my friend Tara and I challenged each other with something new.  Well, not too new, but distant to us both.  Back in the day before Instagram was a thing, there were blogs!  Oh My GOSH!  What?!  What even is a blog?  Ha!  We were chatting about how we used to blog and how awesome it was to sit down and just write and then to go back and read how life was.  

We both exchanged blogs and read each others and got to know more about one another that we wouldn't have known before (since we became friends post blog life). So, here's our challenge and I expect to fulfill it!  Once a month we both will be writing in efforts to be better "life keepers" and exercise our brain beyond a 3 sentence post.   This is likely to be a super ramble-y post with lots of randomness so bear with me! 

::On Creative Purpose::

So this winter I have taken a major brain break from anything Owl People.  I have zero on my radar for it and that feels good.  I have been able to pull out projects that have been in my craft closet for years and tend to them and finish some!  It has been enlightening to step away from the norm and feel the good feelings again about being creative and doing something different.   I don't know what I have planned for my new found loves of creating different things other than to keep practicing and getting better at them!  It feels so good, like joy has sparked again! 

I am at a place where I am creatively drained with Owl People.  I have zero desire to pump out products that bring me no joy or excitement.  I wrestle with wanting to quit it all together but at the same time, I know I have the love for the culture of handmade deep in my heart and can't fathom just throwing in the towel and sitting on the sidelines.  That would be super painful for me!  Yikes.
  

::On Momming::

I suppose with all of the feelings I'm feeling from above, it's very safe to say that I am needed more in the world of Momming more than I have before.  It's an absolute joy and also the most frustrating on some days.  Middle School age to me is hard, like how do you even get your point across to a mumbly boy?  Julia has 4th grade covered and Graham is so bored with me at home on the days we are there I doubt my decisions to have kept him home instead of sending him to Kindergarten this year.  It's a constant double guessing and taking a stab at things and hoping you've nailed it.  I'm thankful for their zest, their stability, their health and personalities.  Thank you GOD! 

::On Vacationing::

12 days till Disney!!! Whoop Whoop!  I am so excited to get out of town and escape winter.  We are headed to FL with my Mom and Bro's family for our first Disney World trip and hitting the beach in Clearwater!   Can. Not. Wait.   

So this is something new to me this year, but I feel like I need to have almost my entire year of vacations planned out in January.  
I never really thought I'd be the person with a travel bug but I am finding that out about myself.  We have been lucky to take lots of trips over the past few years and we know our favorites and want to incorporate them into every year.  

It's a slippery slope because I get kind of pouty if we can't go back to somewhere.  My favorite places are mostly just weekend getaway places so at least I'm not hopping on planes.  I literally can't wait to jump in the Lake of The Ozarks this summer and feel the sand on my feet at Lake McConaughy. Come on summer, for real!


::On Goals::

I'm a big goal person.  This year I set just a few and I feel like realistically I can do them all.  

1) Run the half marathon-Yep, training is going good with my new running friend Karen!    
2) Climb a 14er-I've done 2 and ready for #3!
3) Install hardwood floors on our main level.  Floors should be here this week!  
4) Write 1x month in the ol blog!  

That's all I have time for, that's okay.  Next time I promise to be more focused on something a little more meaningful.