Refresh. Renew. Restore. These are the words I had written down at the very beginning of this year, as vision for the blank calendar that lay before me. Counter to the typical New Year's Resolutions that incite doing/becoming/accomplishing things, I felt a deep pull to settle into a season of refreshment, renewal, and restoration for myself and my family. Now looking back, I can see how these themes played out during our year, and I'm grateful for the ways in which these words were woven into our days... REFRESH. During breaks from school and work, our 2022 adventures included things like a winter getaway to Great Wolf Lodge, Spring Break roadtrips around Oklahoma to some of our favorite nostalgic places (like my little hometown), a long weekend on Grand Lake (where the kids enjoyed tubing for the first time with their cousins), and a spontaneous trip to Orange Beach to cap off summer break by the ocean. We also enjoyed many long summer days at the pool and hiking around our fa
It’s 7:30am, and she comes floating through the house in her favorite princess dress. An early riser, she shed her pajamas an hour ago and has been roaming freely through the morning, but now she’s decided it’s time to get ready for the day. Her first selection is blue tulle with a velvet bodice and sequin straps. She has a princess wand accessory which she waves around, commanding her kingdom to arise and prepare for the magical day ahead. She is a princess, confident and poised, full of grace. But 10 minutes later, she momentarily disappears and returns wearing a knit dress and her favorite sparkly leggings. She’s holding a stuffed bunny, one she rescued and is now responsible for feeding, rocking, and petting. She is a veterinarian, with no regard to her former life as a princess. She’s compassionate, gentle, and totally consumed by this furry little creature. Within the hour, she has evolved into her final outfit of the morning- a spring top and striped leggings with her favor