I haven’t blogged since sometime last week. I simply have not wanted too share. As I have progressed with this daily blog I have found that trying to be present and share daily actually takes me out of the present. I have spent the last days being with my family, working on projects I need to do and simply being where I am at. In everyday I find joy. And I will continue to share my joy with you, just not daily. Because I want to find joy in my blog too. I don’t want it to be just another thing to do. So stay tuned for some wonderful stories!

Reagan makes me so happy. She is pure joy and is my joy! This age is so cute, sweet, and challenging all in one. She loves hard. She fights hard. She plays hard. She crashes hard. There is really no in between. She amazes me every day and I simply can’t put into words how much I love her! 

It has been a long and busy day (a hot one too)! But as I get into bed tonight I feel accomplished. A lot was done today and I am happy about it! 

Tonight on the way to bed. After we got Reagan’s wuba, bottle and blanket. She walked past a balloon and gave it a little kick. Giggling as she did. It amazes me how she always finds joy in what she does. Kicking the balloon is fun and on her way to bed she got in one more kick. Taking the quick second for one more thing she wanted to do. I need to follow her lead and find more time for the things I enjoy. 

I have been blessed with such an amazing husband. And today I thought I might just share a few things I love most about him.

Ryan is dedicated. He is one of the most loyal people I have ever known. To his family and friends he is always there. 

Ryan is fun. He knows how to have a good time! Now I just need to relax a bit more and follow his lead.

He loves tradition. From recipes to annual trips. 

Ryan is easy going. He has taught me to go with the flow. This applies to everyday life and also the big moments in life. I like to be in control, but Ryan has helped me learn to except the things we cannot change and not worry my life away. 

Ryan is handy. He can fix and build. I just need him to put up his tools up when he is done.

Ryan is a dreamer. I love his hopes and dreams for our family and himself.

Ryan can cook! Need I say more?

Ryan is a football coach. He is dedicated and passionate about the sport and the kids he coaches. His commitment to the game inspires me because he truly loves to coach football. We are definitely a football family now, because we are his biggest fans and always are looking forward to Friday night lights. 

Ryan is the best Dad! I always knew he would be.  But seeing him and Reagan together melts my heart and brings me so much JOY. Literally everyday his relationship grows with Reagan and it makes me so happy to see.

These a just a few of the reasons I am lucky to call Ryan mine. And today I want to say thank you for being the best dad and husband. Reagan and I love love love you! Happy Father’s Day babe!

I like to blog once I am settled for the night. The last two nights have been filled with family and friends, late bedtimes and too much fun. So on Friday and Saturday when I crawled into bed I was simply too tired to blog. All I wanted to do was read my book. So I did until I fell asleep. It was great. And exactly what I wanted to do. Perfect! 

A night spent with my dear friend Diana was just what my soul needed. After our girls went down we sat and chatted for hours. About life. About motherhood. About our hubbies. About our passions.

What I have always loved about Diana is her creativity. She is a talent when it comes to creating. She literally can do it all, sew, knit, you name it, she can probably do it. 

Over the last year she has found a new talent. Photography. And she is a talent. I am so inspired by her passion to start her own photography business. From her photos to blog to website, she is really moving and shaking. And I love seeing the gleam in her eyes and hearing the excitement in her voice.

Our conversation tonight makes me do a little self reflecting. I ask myself about 6 times a year what am I really personally passionate about. And to be honest I am not sure I can honestly answer that. I am not sure where my own personal passion lies. Everything gets so mixed up in the day to day that finding and doing what I am passionate about gets lost in the grind. So with my challenge to find and share JOY daily, I also will be trying to find what my personal passion is. I am hope one day I will realize it and have the courage to pursue it. Thank you Diana for inspiring me! 

We just got back from a family vacation to Mesquite. We spent a lot of time eating, sleeping, swimming, bird hunting (that is chasing birds, Reagan’s newest hobby) and just being together. I intended to blog each day while we were there. Share the stories of the day. But then I simply didn’t want to. I was enjoying my time with my family and some me time. Being present and in the moment with no schedule, no deadlines and no to do list.  It was wonderful and I just wanted to keep it for myself. 

Anyway, here is my favorite picture of the trip. It’s the first one we took when we arrived. I love everything about this awkward photo. My husband hates photos but is humering me. Reagan is pulling me into her by my neck saying mommy. And I am just trying to get myself into the photo because I never take selfies. But this photo captures the two biggest joys of my life!

Today I was dusting. Sitting on the ground trying to get a shelf clean. Reagan comes over and wraps her arms around my neck and gives me the sweetest, biggest hug! I hugged her back and she squeezed tighter. It warms my heart to see her show love and need it in return. Being her mom is amazing and I love her beyond words! And I also love this photo below, silly little love.

Today we found out my parents cat died. Unexpectedly and in a sad way. One of those moments in life you just were not expecting. It has brought a lot sadness to our family because Katie was a good cat and we all loved her. I guess I never even realized how much I liked her until my mom told me she was gone.  

All day long I have had Katie on my mind. We found her abandoned as a kitten and fed her to my moms dismay. So she became the family cat. She loved my dad. Would follow him around, sit on his shoulder while he worked at his desk in the garage and would knead his stomach with her paws. He was her human. She drove him crazy, but he really enjoyed her company. She tolerated  the dogs, but wanted to smack Stanley for being annoying (she had every reason to.) She was gentle with Sydnie and Reagan. Miss Reagan loving called her meow meow! Katie was a garage cat but always wanted to be an inside dog, so she would sneak in every chance she got. 

It’s amazing when you start to think about an animal how many stories you have of them. The good and annoying all make up the fondest memories. We will miss you Katie. And while today’s loss was not joyful, we thank you for the joy brought us.