Unearthing Home...

A few months ago, I thought I knew exactly what this season would look like.

We were making plans to move. I was dreaming about a new house, new routines, and what life might look like in a different place.

Instead… we stayed. At first, I was disappointed. Really disappointed.

But as the dust settled, I could see the Lord’s kindness in ways I couldn’t while I was holding so tightly to my own plans. Sometimes His provision looks less like opening a new door and more like gently closing one we were convinced we wanted.

Looking back now, I can see that God wasn’t just changing our circumstances. He was changing us.

We’re still here. And honestly… I’m grateful. Since then, life hasn’t exactly slowed down.

Our new booth at The Collective Boutique in Kingwood has become one of my favorite little places. Watching people wander in, stop, smell a candle, and linger for a minute has been everything I hoped it would be. Seeing this little dream come to life has been surreal, and I’m so thankful for everyone who’s stopped by to support our family business.

Ava has officially made it through another alveolar bone graft surgery. As I write this, we’re just a day away from her seven-day follow-up, and while there’s still healing ahead, we’re breathing a little easier than we were a week ago. Thank you to every person who prayed for our girl. We have truly felt those prayers, and we remain hopeful that this surgery will be another step forward in her cleft journey.

August also gave us one of those memories that will be added to the family's extensive history of something always happening on my birthday. We had plans. Instead, we spent most of the day at the dentist because Matt had a dental emergency. Not exactly the birthday I had pictured… but honestly? That’s very on point for us!

Then, just days before Ava’s surgery, we found Matt’s dream car. Watching him behind the wheel, trying to talk himself out of it, made every bit of the craziness worth it. Sometimes the sweetest moments show up when you least expect them.

At home, something else has been changing too. Not in the big, dramatic sense- in the quiet corners. We’ve been slowly making our house feel less like a place that simply functions and more like a place that invites us to stay awhile. Cozy corners. Softer lighting. A little less surviving… a little more living.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that wasn’t just happening to our home. It was happening to me, too.

Over the years, between homeschooling, pouring candles, doctor’s appointments, and the beautiful chaos of everyday life, I’d quietly tucked away pieces of myself. So lately, I’ve been unearthing them again. I’ve been playing with makeup just because it’s fun, taking a few extra minutes to do my hair instead of living in a messy bun or a claw clip, and remembering that while “Mom” is one of the greatest callings I’ll ever have, it isn’t the only thing that makes me who I am.

I’m still a wife. A creator. A business owner. A woman who enjoys feeling put together every now and then. It turns out that caring for those parts of myself doesn’t take anything away from my family. If anything, it helps me show up for them with a fuller heart.

It’s been a full few months.

Good.

Intense.

Sometimes uncertain.

Sometimes scary.

But mostly…

Really, really good.

I’m learning that resilience isn’t pretending everything is okay. It’s trusting that even when life doesn’t unfold the way we planned, God is still writing a beautiful story.

And honestly…

I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds.

If you’ve been walking through a season of unexpected turns too, I hope this encourages you. Sometimes the life we didn’t plan ends up becoming the one we’re most grateful for.