2025 Year in Review/Easing into 2026

I meant to post this on December 31st, I really did. But I didn’t. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that was kind of the whole point.

For most of my life, I’ve had a "go hard or go home " mentality. I was always doing the most and feeling like a chicken with my head cut off half the time, running myself ragged. If you weren’t doing, doing, doing and going, going, going, then what was the point, or at least that’s how it felt to me. I had to have a jam-packed day to feel productive and accomplished. Slowing down felt lazy. Rest felt like falling behind. Honestly, I’ve struggled, and still struggle sometimes, with just saying "no." It’s overwhelming and exhausting, leaving me needing to take a couple of days to recoup from overdoing it.

I’ve learned a lot from my husband, who does things slower and more intentionally. That was hard for me at first. I used to try to speed him up, even trying to get to the point of what he was telling me quicker instead letting him tell it at his own pace. I’ve always prided myself as being the rabbit, the hare, if you will, and I thought of him as the turtle. He moved so slow. Sometimes it felt like he was going backwards it felt that slow, to me.

But it wasn’t really slow in a bad way and to others that aren't natural rabbits by nature, probably didn't even seem that slow. I mean, yes, it was slower, but it was steady. Intentional. And over time, I started to see that slow and steady really does win the race. Slower doesn’t mean falling behind. It means pacing yourself and being in the moment. What are we in a hurry for?

So when December 31st came and went, I didn’t rush to post. And that’s exactly how I want to approach this year, more like the turtle.

I don’t want to be tied to my phone all the time. I want to learn to use the Do Not Disturb option spending "me" time that I've carved out for myself, unwinding my world a little, and stepping away from the rat race. I want my days to feel calmer and to enjoy my life being present and living instead of existing and fleeting. I want to soak up all the little things. I want to take a moment to tie my shoelaces or zip up my boots, pause and straighten a picture frame, take the time to line the potty in a public bathroom with as many layers as I want, and sing the whole Happy Birthday song or the ABCs while washing my hands, if I want. You get the point, stop rushing. Be present. Enjoy every moment.

When I look back at 2025, I think that’s why this matters so much to me, because so much of the year was made up of intentional moments I don’t ever want to rush through.

This past year was full of new experiences, more travel and a ton of special moments, especially time spent with my kids and family. One of the best times of 2025 was going to New York with my daughter Lulee. It wasn’t something I planned. It was a trip I won through the Christian radio station I listen to, and I know it was definitely a God thing. The time of the trip fell perfectly between both of our birthdays. I probably couldn't have planned better if I tried. It was a four-day, three-night trip for two that included airfare, hotel accommodations, a thousand-dollar gift card, a breakfast voucher for our stay, and tickets to see Chris Tomlin in concert at Central Park. He sings "Good Good Father," a song I used to sing to my dad toward the end of his life. Hearing Chris Tomlin perform, especially "Good Good Father" which was the very first song he sang, felt indescribable. The whole thing was surreal.

What made this trip even more special was knowing that Lulee hadn’t been able to go to New York the year before, and my husband was the first to give up a seat that could have been his so Lulee could go. This man is the epitome of selfless. He knew she needed this and knew that she and I both needed this time together. It felt like a gift in so many ways, full of firsts and a healing experience for her. We noticed so many Godwinks during this trip. When we checked into the hotel, the time was 4:24, and the room key we were given was also 424, my dad’s birthday. 

While we were there, I got the opportunity to reunite with my middle school best friend Natalie, just across the way in NJ, finally meeting her family. I will always cherish this time and plan to do again in the future. I'm telling you, there's not a good enough way to describe how incredibly blessed I felt by this whole NY experience. 

I also had special one-on-one time with my daughter Brynlea this year. We took a trip to Gulf Shores, just the two of us, and made so many sweet memories together. A few months later I went with her to Birmingham for a school trip and watched her give a presentation that left me completely in awe of her. She is so smart and watching how she's grown and how her mind works, makes me a proud Mama. 

I've grown a lot in my faith this past year. My husband and I were sponsored by a sweet couple from our church to go on an Emmaus Walk. We went on separate weekends. This was such a deep, spiritual renewal that we both desperately needed. I also met and have stayed connected with new sisters in Christ from a table called Esther, together we call ourselves the Exceptional Esthers.  

There were family trips too. I traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas with my husband Jeremy and my daughter Brynlea to spend a weekend with our son Tyler. This trip was short, but it was such a great one. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

2025 I was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta and Alpha Sigma Lambda, and I became Secretary of Sigma Tau Delta. I am honored and extremely proud of these achievements. I have been active in the activities and have grown close to our members.

We've had several milestones throughout this past year. I turned the big 5-0. My daughter finally became an adult in all 50 states. I watched her get engaged and put down a deposit on and signed for her first apartment. She's preparing to attend Auburn University, a dream of hers that's coming to reality. We’ve had to extend the table at my Mama’s for our special holiday celebrations, as we’ve welcomed new members into the family, including our precious great-niece, Charlotte Rose. We feel so incredibly blessed by that sweet, easygoing baby. We celebrated Brynlea getting her driver’s permit and my grandbaby Kaia turning three, including taking her on a very fun trip to the pumpkin patch.

This year brought a mix of amazing, unforgettable moments and some private moments that were tough and emotional. Through it all, we stayed grateful and continue to lean on our faith.

Going into this new year, I’m not rushing. I'm not coming in like a wrecking ball. I'm choosing to ease into 2026, choosing intention over chaos. I'm adopting the "slow and steady wins the race" mentality, and I’m choosing to be the turtle.

Green bean casserole-you love it or you hate it

Let’s end this ongoing debate and hate over green bean casserole. You know, we always have to have the green bean casserole conversation, the back and forth, why you hate it, why you love it. Well, let’s settle it right now, AND this might be why you hate it: because you haven’t had it the way that it’s intended to be, the best way, the southern way.

Thank God for green bean casserole and not just any green bean casserole, Southern green bean casserole. The kind that has a whole stick of Velveeta cheese, cream of mushroom soup, pimentos, the little fried onions, and all the yummies. You know, you taste one bite and can feel it in your soul. 

It is one of those delectable, savory, delicious, Southern dishes that we put on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We think about it all year long, but no, we don't need to be eating it on the regular. It is just that good that your mouth waters for this yummy, yummy time of the year. We reserve it for November and December, for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Could we eat it every day? Probably, but it's something that we don't want to take for granted. It's something that we want to look forward to. We want that special person in the family to never skip out on coming to a Thanksgiving or Christmas event ever, because that's the thing that they make, and we look forward to it all year long.

I'm that person for the deviled eggs. Everybody looks forward to it. They wait and wait and wait all year long for my deviled eggs. Well, my sister is the green bean casserole maker, and she does it like nobody's business. Take a look at this picture she allowed me to use for this post. So delicious.

What dishes do you look forward to for your family holidays and gatherings? For Thanksgiving and Christmas?

I hope you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:4: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."

Are you going MY way?

Recently, I met one of my dear friends and sister-in-Christ for breakfast. We went back and forth deciding on a place we'd like to go. She named off a place I had never heard of and after looking it up, I decided I'd love to try it. I reached out to her the day before we were scheduled to meet, seeing if we were still good to go. The morning of, I sent her a text to let her know I was on my way. We've done several things together with others in church settings, but never one-on-one outside of church. We were both excited to be able to do this. She's about 10 years younger than me, and we have similar interests in common. She is a sweet lady that has so much insight to offer, and I just love to talk with her and hear her perspective on things. After sending that text, I got ready and headed out the door. I knew the vicinity of where this little breakfast café was but wasn't certain how to get there.

Are you all like me when it comes to using your GPS? I depend on it for EVERYTHING. Even if I know where I'm going, I use it because it can let you know the quickest route, especially if there's a traffic delay. I put the address in my GPS and headed in that direction. I turned up my tunes and was enjoying the ride, that is, until I decided to not listen to my GPS and turned off on a street that I thought would be a shortcut. “Maybe GPS didn't take this into consideration. I'm sure it'll be quicker since I'm well-versed in driving in this area and know all the shortcuts.”

When I got a little further on that road, I saw all of this backed-up traffic. It was school traffic, and I got stuck in that line. I quickly sent her a text to let her know I'd be a little late, AFTER I had already asked if we could meet sooner. I thought, “This sweet lady is gonna think I'm nuts.” As I was slowly working my way through this school traffic, I started thinking about how if I had just listened to the GPS, I would have taken the route that would have avoided these obstacles and gotten there directly and on time.

That initial thought led me to another thought: isn’t that very similar to how we are with God? We know we are better off listening to Him and going on the path that He clearly laid out for us, but just like we do with the GPS, sometimes we have to buck the system and venture out in a different direction, thinking we know a better way. I called my friend after having this thought and told her I was finally out of this madness, and the epiphany I had about the correlation between GPS and God, and trying to do things our own way. We both laughed. I told her maybe she could use that in a sermon one day.

Imagine how much less stressed we'd be if we just listened and followed Him without trying to think our way is better. I hope the next time you use your GPS, you think of this story, and it helps you listen to Him a little better.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Why I Stopped Chasing Happiness

What have we all been trained to believe throughout our lives?  That we should be chasing happiness. As long as we're happy, it's all good.  There are so many sayings about happiness and look how a lot of them are self-pleasing and temporary. 

If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad. 

Do whatever makes you happy.

I just want to be happy.

At the end of the day, all that matters is if you’re happy.

Life is too short not to be happy.

As long as you’re happy, that’s what counts.  

You deserve to be happy.

You owe it to yourself to be happy.

If it doesn’t make you happy anymore, walk away. 

Go where you’re happy.

Being happy is the most important thing.

I can’t be in something if I’m not happy.

You have to choose what makes you happy.

Everyone deserves to be happy.

I’ll finally be happy when ___ happens.

I used to be happy. I just want to get back to that.

Just be happy — don’t overthink it.

I left because I wasn’t happy.

I stayed because I thought I’d be happy again.

If they really cared, they’d make me happy.

I shouldn’t have to give up what makes me happy.

I’m doing me — I deserve to be happy.

Don't worry be happy.

I fell into the "happy trap" myself.  I even helped my daughter with a project about happiness.  She wrote a piece and created a visual piece describing happiness and protecting your happiness. She went on to say the way you protect your happiness is by not allowing others to hold your key to happiness; they could lose the key or misplace it, they won't take care of it like you would, so it's up to you to hold your own key and not give it away to others. You are responsible for your own key to happiness.  She made a cute jar that had iridescent glitter on the outside about three/fourths of the way up and kept the top clear. Inside, you could see a beautiful golden key that hung from the bottom part of the lid to make it appear like it was semi-suspended, timeless. That beautiful key represented her control over her own happiness, and it was well protected. This was an inspiration and reflection of what I would always say to her and what I would teach her about happiness. I tried many different ways like this to help her with her self-doubts and self-esteem issues by teaching her that it's within herself to take charge of her own happiness and not to depend on others for it. 

It's not that what I taught her was wrong because she definitely doesn't need to depend on others for her "cheery disposition" or to be a self-esteem booster, because it leads to a what goes up must come down type of situation. And my intentions were in the right place, but after learning the difference between happiness and joy, I wish I had known sooner to teach her about joy as well as happiness. You see, happiness is fleeting and worldly.  It comes and goes depending on circumstances, the epitome of something being conditional, similar to conditional love versus unconditional. Joy is concrete and comes from the Lord.  We can persevere and appear to be happy no matter our circumstances when we have that perpetual joy that we receive by knowing and having a relationship with Him.  

It's a game-changer when we decide to keep our eyes on the eternal prize, our forever home.  Get ourselves out of the worldly thoughts of what's pleasing for us in the here and now. Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to say that it's ok to be happy, and I'll still write about it and share the "happy" memes, but that's not the complete picture and what we should be chasing after. If I had the choice to be happy or joyful, I'd choose to be joyful, knowing what I know now. 

John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

This is an AI representation of my daughter's project piece that she made, not the actual one. 

Where Life Has Led Me

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything. Years, really. When I last posted, I was in a very different season of life. There were things I couldn’t say yet, and things I didn’t know how to say. Life was changing quietly, even before I fully realized it myself.

Since then, life has continued. And so have I. There have been hard endings and lingering situations that have caused pain. There has also been healing, rebuilding, and becoming someone even more rooted in who God made me to be. And somewhere along that way, God wrote a new story into my life.

I’ve been married for almost ten years to a man who is gentle and kind. We’ve built a life that feels peaceful, even on the hard days. He loves me  and my family so well, and he loves my children as his own. When we got married, I also became a bonus mom to a son. He gave me the name Emy, and it means a lot to me because it came from him. And now I’m a Mimi, which is one of my greatest blessings.

I don’t feel the need to erase the past or rewrite it. The earlier posts on this blog are pieces of who I was then. I was doing the best I could with what I knew.
I’m grateful for the past me that led me here. So I’m leaving the old posts as they are. 

If you’ve been here before, thank you for being part of that journey.

If you’re new here, welcome. 

Still here.

Still growing.
🤍

Super Duper Excited...I finally did it!!!

I have been married to Hubby for 8 years now and am just getting around to getting my annulment done.  I don't know how many of you are Catholic, but you aren't able to get married in the Catholic church if you have been married before and haven't had your previous marriage annulled.  

I started the process during our engagement, but never was fully committed to getting it done.  I kept procrastinating, and procrastinating and here we are 8 years after marrying in a Presbyterian church, which don't get me wrong, was a very beautiful church and was a very nice wedding, but we didn't get married in our Faith or in our church.  

After our anniversary this December I decided now was the time.  We want to renew our vows on our 10 year anniversary and what better way to do it than to be able to get married in our church.  So I went back to the Deacon and got the appropriate paperwork and this time, I was  serious.  Nothing was going to stop me, I was going to get this done.  This is something special for me, but something extra special for Hubby since he is cradle Catholic and had hoped to get married in the Catholic church to begin with.

So I worked for a couple of weeks writing and writing and writing.  I had to write an autobiography and write info regarding former spouses.  I worked fervently on this when I had some downtime to do so and ended up getting it done with 8,685 words typed on 22 double spaced pages.  Yeah, I know, that's a lot.  

When you go through this it's not only just telling your story, but it brings up a lot of memories, therefore opening up a lot of old wounds.  With that being said with everything typed out, turned in to be sent off there is a big weight lifted off my chest. Now it is once a again a true time for healing, healing for good.

Like I said, I don't know how many of you that have gone through this process, but not only is it a long process of pouring your heart out through your past, but it can also take 18 months to get finalized.  That might be one of the hardest parts, learning to develop the patience of Job to wait. I know I've done my part, now it's out of my hands and will soon be in the hands of the ones that will make the deliberation of my case.  I do hope that it is a speedy deliberation and one that will allow us to marry in the church of our Faith. 

If any of you have gone through the annulment process through the Catholic Church leave me a comment and let me know about your experience and how long it took you to get yours.

Just curious...and I know curiosity killed the cat, but I'm not a cat ;)



 

The Blog needed a facelift...

Hello fellow readers!!!
 
I knew there would come a time when I would have to change the name of my blog from Teen to Toddler Town to another name once my kiddos grew up a little.  I was not looking forward to the day. You want your children to grow and blossom, but a part of you inside wants to keep them small.  They are just so precious.  
 
With our life consisting of a family of five and three of them being kiddos, ranging in age from 18 to 4, it is obviously going to be chaotic.  And you have to have courage or be insane to deal with half the stuff that goes on here at our house. Ha!!! Especially all of our impromptu accidents, spills, urgent and not so urgent needs, school stuff and such. 
 
So with that being said, the name of my beloved blog has been changed to Courageously Chaotic, seemingly appropriate if I do say so myself.
 
~Let me know what you think~

Apparently I'm British...

Our lives are so full of surprises...and apparently learning that your British is one of them.

Last night Hubby and I were hanging out watching tv and he leans over and says "Oh yeah, this guy at work asked me if you were British." Wha???  Only if I'm reinacting Britney Spears am I British!!! Not that being British wouldn't be cool.  I'm totally down with fish n chips and red telephone booths and all. But, what tha?!?!

So I asked him why in the world would he ask him that question.  He said apparently at his last year's company Christmas party the guy's wife heard me talk and thought I was talking with a British accent. I HAD to ask how much the lady had to drink.  I mean, I am a good ol' southern gal, with a good ol' southern accent, sweet as molasses. ;)

Speaking of...I have had so many people talk about my ACCENT who live here, but are not from here. Never, have I been accused of a British one, however.  Haha!!!!  I do HAVE an accent if I'm visiting elsewhere, but when you are in my neck of the woods, you are the one with the accent.  Just sayin'.

It's been a real long time...

How to begin.  I honestly don't even know.  I can't believe that I left my Blog, my digital baby....neglected!!!

Blogging is something that I really enjoy.  I love to express myself through writing and sharing what's going on in my life, my children's lives.  I love to provide an overall day to day fun place to visit and let you, the readers, unwind and perhaps have a laugh or two, or three on me. ;) It's also a place where I like to vent, or even shed some light on some not so humorous events.

I have so much to catch you up on it will be totally impossible to do in one post, for sure.  For starters, My little Itty Bitty is not so Itty Bitty anymore.  She will be four years old this January.  The "Middlest" aka Lulee is now seven and our oldest, Sadie Bug, is 18, in college and has a full time job, which leads me to my next topic....my job.

I started this blog as a SAHM and stayed at home with the girls for 7 years.  I then sought out a job and believe it or not, found one within two weeks of my search.  I started work at a mortgage company as a Staff Accountant.  I worked there for a year and ended up getting laid off with quite a few others. The job was great.  I loved what I did and met a whole lot of great people.  Of course I missed my girls, but the hours allowed me to still be able to spend the max amount of time with them. 

Toward the end of my job I started back to school.  My first semester I took four classes...FOUR!!!  I was working a full time job, was a full time student, while continuing to manage my Prolife page on Facebook, but first and foremost a full time Mommy.  The amount of classes I was taking literally about drove me to the brink of insanity and I am close enough I can walk...Ha!!! However, it was a major accomplishment seeing how I ended up making two "A"s and two "B"s...Whew!!!

One good and sweet thing about starting back when I did was that my daughter and  I are going to the same school and we had a class at the same time.  NO not the same class. I'm not one of THOSE freaky Moms. But, she was such a sweetheart, we met in the student center every week before our class to spend one on one time together and I will always cherish those moments with her.

Any who, moving on to more of the non-sappy talk, I am currently still unemployed since the beginning of August and boy have I been looking.  I've had a couple of interviews.  I never knew it would be this hard to find a J-O-B.  I assumed that it would be just as easy as it was this past time to get one.  I am also still in school, scheduled to graduate in May 2014, God willing. 

Well, that's a good start for now...signing off before I decide to write a book. Here's hoping to write more and more...Cheers!!!

~ Words to the Wise, Wednesdays~

Simplify Your Life...