Category Archives: life

A Letter to my Teenage Self…

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Dear me ten(ish) years ago,

You are just starting out your high school career.  Right now, you are happy.  You don’t have a busy social life, but the few close friends that you do have are like sisters.  You are excited about getting your driver’s license in a year because you know the freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel, and the adventures that lie on the road ahead.  That desire for adventure and independence doesn’t go away.  It is part of who you are.  It’s how you learn about yourself and the world around you.  It’s where you meet Jesus. But it will cause some hurt in your family.  Please choose your words wisely when communicating with them. They love you and want what is best for you. It may seem like they aren’t listening to you, but they are just trying to understand.  You’ll get through it, even though it will be hard, but everyone will be better for it in the end.  Oh, and Matsufuku is what you decided to name that first car of yours…. I might recommend a different one.

See those beautiful blonde locks up there? Don’t get used to them.  When you are 23 you develop an allergy to an ingredient in hair dye called PPD that makes you break out in a gross rash on your face and neck.  So live it up, girl!  Your hair will be every color you can imagine until that time, but you’ll be stuck with a lovely chocolate-brown color once you hit your mid twenties.
Your days at Jackson High School, will fly by.  But while you are there they seem to take forever.  You’ve always had that urge in you to leave the nest and explore on your own.  You feel like school is holding you back.  Believe it or not, you even consider trying home school so that you can free up your schedule to do more “life”!  Don’t miss out on opportunities to build relationships with your peers. They will teach you more than you realize about how to love people the right way.  You are a confident person, you aren’t insecure, and you don’t struggle with much.  Things come easy to you; and whether its academics, learning new hobbies or solving problems, not too much can rattle you.  Use this strength of yours to encourage your friends and don’t be shy about it.  The teen years are rough and you are unique amongst your group.  You’re a leader in your friendships, which is an area of life that you will grow the most.
One summer you will go on a trip that changes your life.  Sorry I don’t have any pictures from this summer.  But you build relationships that are still going strong 10 years later.  Those people invest their time, money, and lives into you and you will see Jesus in a different light after this summer.
After you graduate you move to CALIFORNIA!  It was a big decision and very scary.  You are 18 and living with four strangers in an 800 square foot apartment to volunteer with a program called Mission Year.  That year will be a year that you will never forget.  It was a turning point year.  It was during that year that all of the ugly you were hiding during the last few years came out.  The image you created of yourself as being all put together, and with out mistake shattered.  You weren’t that girl anymore, and it terrified you.  One of the biggest struggles of your life happened that year.  God showed you that you aren’t perfect.  In fact, he wanted you to be WEAK so that he could be STRONG. How absurd, right?  You fought and wrestled with this for the majority of that year.  I want you to remember that you never have to be strong all the time.  That sharing your struggles and questions with your life friends not only helps you process, but encourages the people you share them with.  Never be too strong that you leave no room for God to take over.  Let Him love you his way, which is way better than any person (including you) could love you.
These are those four ladies you lived with.  They got you through that tough year.  You don’t talk to them as much as often anymore, but they will always be some of those “life friends” I told you about earlier.
And I’m sure you noticed there hasn’t been any mention of boys!!  You know, little Karrie, they never played a big role in your life.  Which was probably the best thing that could have happened for you.  It saved you a lot of heartache and confusion.  And in January 2010 you met the man you would marry only 10 months later.  You were able to give him a baggage free past and start your lives together with a clean slate.  He’s takes great care of you and it doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty darn handsome.
So I leave you with this.
Keep having adventures.
           Don’t seclude yourself away for too long.
                      Make sure you don’t take all the credit for everything you do.
                                 And make it a priority to laugh everyday.
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This post was written to celebrate Emily Freeman‘s newest book Graceful.
What would you say to your teenage self? Write it. If you have a blog, link it up to Emily’s post tomorrow. Find the details here.

Surprise!

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Two weekends ago was a special time for the women in my family.  It was a day of limo riding, wine drinking, story sharing and celebrating one lady who has tied us all together.

My mom turned 50 that weekend,  and we were so excited to surprise her!  We all drove in from three different states for the day to take her on a local winery tour in a limo.  She had no idea that this was happening, and I wish you could have been there to see the look on her face when she walked in the door to see her sisters, daughters and niece decked out in “50 is fabulous” paraphernalia and shouting “Happy Birthday!”  And just in case you don’t know, my mom is a hard lady to surprise… mostly because no one in our family is great at keeping this kind of secret :)

We kicked off the day with a champagne toast on the ride to the first stop, and then the fun began!  It was such a rare occasion for the 9 of us to be together.  Not only do several hundred miles separate us, but when we all do get together, there are husbands and about a million kids running around to tend to!  Something wondrous happens when just the girls get together.  The moments are sweet, the words are thoughtful and the memories made are brighter.

One of my favorite parts of the day happened over lunch at the second winery.  We were waiting for our soups and sandwiches, and the conversation led to each of us sharing two words that describe my mom.  (About a week before the party, I had asked everyone to give me two words to put into a “bouquet” that my mom could keep)  So each person took her turn telling my mom which words she chose and why she chose them.

What was so sweet about this time, for me, was seeing the impact that my mom has had on so many lives.  Each of the women there that day has a completely unique relationship with my mom, but it was clear through these words that she has always been the kind of friend/sister/mother that each of us needed.  She has been honest, loyal, dependable, caring, hospitable and generous.  She has shared in our joys, and helped us get through our struggles. She has been the glue that has kept all of us together.

And I am proud and honored to call her Mom.

Annnnd…. we’re back!

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So, its been a while.  Sorry for the absence!  Life got crazy and filled up with work and traveling and just normal life stuff.  And if I may be honest… I had no idea what to even write about.  It’s scary putting words out there.  Real words that might be read the wrong way.  Or words you might regret typing out for the world to see. Or words that might be too much to share.  But I’m going to give it another try.

Thought it might be a good idea to start with something exciting!  Most of you reading this have either already seen these pictures, or have been able to experience the beauty of my new kitchen :)  Just kidding.  It’s not the most magnificent kitchen, but it is SO MUCH BETTER than it was when we moved into our house.  I think you can appreciate it more to see the before and after pictures together.

and…..

 

We spent over a month ripping wallpaper off the walls and the cupboards!  I didn’t even know you could wallpaper on cupboards.  And then spent two weeks taking all the doors off and sanding and painting and trimming.  And it was worth every minute.  It was (mostly) a sweet time for me and my husband to work hard and put so many hours into a project together.  We had to decide the colors we wanted, and the process of how we wanted to accomplish this huge task. But what was even more sweet was the time spent listening to Pandora and belting out our favorite songs, high-fiving each other when “a big piece” of the wallpaper came off, and grunting together when our backs ached from standing in awkward positions or when the steam from the steamer got a little too close to our skin.

I think we learned a lot about one another.  I learned about him that he has a method for everything. And he doesn’t like a lot of questions.  He learned about me that I will take as many shortcuts as I can (when it comes to this kind of stuff), and that I ask way too many questions.

Now our kitchen is a room that we enjoy spending time in. It’s still quirky and far from perfect, but so am I.  It fits us just right.

 

 

Transition Doesn’t Mean Trouble

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It’s safe to say that my husband and I are nestled deeply into a season of transition.  We recently moved into a cozy new house.   I’m looking for a new job.  He’s looking for a new job.   Dear friends just moved away.  We are checking out a new church and meeting a lot of new people. Whew.

Transition can be such a scary time for some people.  Certainly, transition means change, and the unknown factor is huge.   It always seems like once I get settled into a routine and things feel under control, is when it hits me.   Last week I was talking to my friend, The Nester, about all of the craziness that is happening right now, and she shared some wisdom with me.   She told me that life is transition.  It never goes away. And she’s right.  There is always something beginning or something ending, a schedule changing and people coming and going. But I have to adjust.  If transition means change, and change means an opportunity to grow, then that means that transition doesn’t have to mean trouble for me.   Even though at times I’m not sure of whats coming next, I can trust that I have the choice to be better because of it.  Things are just going to look a little different.

One of the things I have learned, though,  is how important friends are.   I get to hang out with those lovely ladies (plus Reeve!) every Thursday morning. We laugh and cry and share our “good, bad and ugly.”   These few ladies have helped me keep my sanity, shared their stories, and encouraged me in too many ways to count.  Every woman needs to have friends like these. So if you don’t have them, GO FIND SOME! They have made this season of transition for me a little smoother.

So when life is transitioning faster than you can keep up with, hold on to your friends, adjust as needed, and embrace the change.   You’ll be better for it.

And so it begins…

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So, it’s officially starting.  My very first blog post.  I think I’ve been putting it off now for a few reasons.  The easy reasons are:

1. It doesn’t look EXACTLY the way I want it to.  SInce I started this thing, there has been a whole new language that I’ve had to learn.  From plug-ins, to favicons and avatars, to widgets and buttons. All of that has been slightly overwhelming.

2. I’ve never had to set time aside to write for this and its taken me a few weeks to figure out when would be the best time to devote to this blog.

And the hard reasons are:

1. What am I going to write about? Is what I have to say really going to matter?

2.  Who is going to read this?  Is it worth it to invest so much time?

 

So all that to say, I’ve begun.  And I’ve realized that what I have to share (whether its something big or small) is important, because it’s all part of my story.  And stories are meant to be told.

The “look” of my page isn’t exactly how I pictured it.  I don’t have anything fancy displayed.  And I’ve been struggling for weeks trying to figure out what to say on my “about me” page. So there is a lot that needs to be changed and worked on.  And that’s ok.

But I am going to start writing.  You can expect see hair tips, home projects and just life happenings.  I’m hoping that I can give a glimpse into the mind and heart of a searching soul. And as I figure out how to make my page “complete” feel free to drop any advice or tips that you learned along your blogging journey!

Thanks to Caroline and my dear husband for helping me get this far! Now let the blogging begin! YAH-YAH!