This blog is my happy place.  As a natural health advocate, homeschooling, stay-at-home mom of 9 kids and Grammy to 8 more, I get a little excited when I talk to other moms who are in the trenches.

My people are from Texas all the way back as far as we know. My husband James also comes from a long Texas line. We’ve been married for 37 years….we were so young and dumb when we got married. It’s only because of God that we have lasted so long. I am not easy y’all.

Right away, before we even tied the knot, we knew we wanted a life dedicated to Christ. I’ve never really cared what other people thought of me, even as a young girl, so the fact that living fully for the Lord meant being really really different didn’t bother me. But let me tell you friends, that kind of life is so filled with beauty and satisfaction. I am myself, like me or not. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

For us following Jesus means embracing a natural lifestyle (healthy, clean, pure, respecting God’s creation). We had our 9 babies with midwives, no vaccines, homeschooling, whole foods eating. It wasn’t easy back in the late 80s-early 90s. There was no internet to find answers and you almost had to go “underground” to find like-minded people. I wanted the best for my family so I kept trying to connect and learn.

In my quest to learn as much as I could about natural living I became a master herbalist in the 90s. I studied plants and how they effected our bodies. I learned about vitamins and supplements. I read everything I could get my hands on about the human body, I would attend seminars and ask questions anywhere and everywhere. I ground all of our grains and made fresh bread, pasta….I even made our crackers! For years we had goats that we milked and I made our yogurt and cheese every day and we ate fresh eggs from our chickens.

We moved to the hill country in 2000 and that’s where we’re planted. Our little old house has been an 23 year project that will never end. There’s always something to repair, change, paint, replace, reimagine. And I love it.

I started a blog in 2008 that has grown to much more than I ever dreamed! I write about our little farm house and my crazy adventures (I definitely get into messes) and I even wrote two books! I also share about my roller coaster ride of healthy lifestyle. I lose weight, I gain weight, I exercise, I don’t. My body is like our little house…..a constant work in progress.

I started sharing on the blog about my love for Young Living oils, even though I was “never going to do it as a business!!!” I can’t stress enough how much I did not want to do that. But God laughed and opened a door that I accidentally walked through and here I am with a Young Living business. LOL! I sometimes still can’t believe it. But it fits so beautifully with what I believe about health and lifestyle and being who you were meant to be. I share the products with you not because I want to sell, but because I know what they can do for you!!! I want you to have what God gave me.

2014-2015 were the hardest years of my life. One of our kids left home suddenly and dramatically and it was really hard to know how to deal with that. It was like a punch in the heart that wouldn’t heal. But slowly with God’s grace we’ve been through a lot of healing and I’ve learned a lot about who I am in Christ. He is first y’all…..even before my children. And I’m doing so much better now, I found a deeper joy that is rooted in something that nothing can ever take away.

My Young Living friends and family have become the people I talk to daily, spend time with, lean on. They have loved me and been there for me through all of that kid struggle and beyond to other latest drama in my life…..like a house fire we had 5 years ago. I’m so thankful for the friends I’ve made through YL. They are just one of the dozen unexpected blessings that have come from this business.

In 2020 we opened our first short term rental and now we are building our third place. Two in Kerrville Texas (Hill Country) and another one in Garland Texas. They serve our family and also help us to prepare for our retirement someday. Check out the direct listings and see if there’s a time you might want to come stay!

Today I have three married kids and our eighth grandchild due in October. Three of our other kids have moved out and are finding their own paths. That leaves me with 3 boys still at home, but two of them are mostly at work and school and pretty much do their own thing. Our youngest is 16 and that makes me wonder where those baby years have gone! It’s like I blinked and it was over.

And don’t miss my YouTube channel of tips and ideas!

Thanks for reading all the way down to the bottom of this. It’s hard to sum up a whole life. I could tell you more about depression, victory, broken friendships, God’s mercy, Disney World, finances, homeschooling, surviving, creativity…..there are so many parts to all of us!

I have written 2 books that I hope you will pick up and share.  The first, “Mama Needs a Do-Over” is filled with funny, practical inspiration for turning those hard days around.  The second, “Tightropes and Teeter-Totters” is about finding balance in the ups and downs of life.

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Thanks or stopping by and I hope you’ll come back and visit!