living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
Gus is a true adventure dog. Yes, he sleeps a lot most days and loves the comfort of his blankie. But anytime we say "go," Gus is ready—without a clue where we're going. He loves to be with us. Wherever we go. Whatever we do. That's our Old English Bulldog. Jet ski with a dog …
Those of you who know me are no doubt thinking... wait, what? Didn't you and John get married in 2020? Yes. Yes we did. That's also when our Colorado honeymoon took place. July 2020. However, I realized recently that I never wrote a recap of our Colorado trip. Blame it on being a newlywed at …
For this post, I was inspired by Sadie Robertson Huff and her Whoa That's Good podcast. Sadie starts each episode by asking her guests to share the best advice they've ever received. It gets me thinking every time... how would I answer that question? What great advice have I been given over the years? I …
Continue reading What’s the Best Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Our 2021 Christmas Beach Vacation For the second year in a row, John and I took a Christmas trip to a beachy destination that I'd never been before. In 2020, it was coastal Georgia—St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island to be exact. It's a beautiful area with stunning beaches; however, being on the Atlantic Ocean, …
Continue reading Things to Do in Gulf Shores, Alabama & the Florida Panhandle
Is it possible or even practical to visit both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park in just two days? Yes. Absolutely it is. But let me amend that by saying I would only recommend attempting both parks in two days during off season months, like April, September, or October. Why? Far less traffic and people …
Continue reading Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary: Two National Parks in Two Days
Why We Chose St. Lucia ICYMI, John and I visited St. Lucia back in July 2021. And, for those of you who didn't miss all my social media posts during our trip—yes, I'm three months behind on blogging about it. This is where that "better late than never" cliché comes in handy. Okay, but get …
Continue reading St. Lucia Travel: All-Inclusive Resort + Gros Piton Hike + Castries Tour
Okay, so the title is a bit deceiving. I didn't find love at the Super Bowl. Or because of the Super Bowl. Or even actually during the Super Bowl. And, I don't madly love watching the Super Bowl. It's just that (my now husband) John first said "I love you" last year, on Super Bowl …
January 1, 2020. What an innocent day, looking back. I started off the year hiking House Mountain just outside of Knoxville, then shared my recap of 2019, that included hopes and goals for 2020. January 1, 2020: House Mountain solo hike On that day, Covid was simply something happening in China. I had no clue …
Continue reading 2020 Review: Expectations, Reality, & What I Learned
I didn’t see it coming. At the start of 2020, I was single. No dating prospects. Not actively seeking to date. Just single. This was yet another area of my life that I finally realized was better left to God—as opposed to me trying to make relationships happen. So, I waited on God for a …
It started with a field trip in elementary school. Don’t remember which grade. Can’t say for certain what we visited. (Most likely that big ol’ Museum of Science and Industry.) What I do know? We took a bus to downtown Chicago and little girl me was IN AWE. Now, I’d been to Chicago as a …
adventure and the girl 