Dreaming Since 1997

  It's the last day of September! It has been a wonderful month for me. I have loved September 2025 so much. It was a blessing filled month. I spent time with family, was able to work out more, changed my perspective on a lot of stressful things in my life, ate a lot of sweets, and drank a lot of coffee, and got to hang out with my friends. There was a lot of beauty 💛 I'll share some of the highlights from this month, starting with the fall colors that have already began! We had some delicious sweets from downtown Portsmouth! I really enjoyed this month so much, and I can't wait for October next!  One thing I would like to do in October is make a blog post every weekday. I have not been as consistent with that as I'd like to be, but that's okay!  Thanks for reading! 

  Hello! Today is going to be a Fun Friday Post! We made it to the weekend (even though I am working an extra weekend shift 😶), so let's kick it off with some fun! What sounds fun?  Well, I did recently put together a fun fall country music play list that I've been listening to just about every time I'm in my car! It's a little Thomas Rhett, Billy Strings, Mogan Wallen, Little Big Town, and more! Just a conglomeration of my favorites.  What looks like fun?  I am excited for a nice weather weekend and going out with some friends tomorrow after work! We will have some good food and I'm sure some good laughs to go with it.  What was fun this week?  I really enjoyed this week, especially the mornings. I woke up early every single day around 6:30, but I never felt sleepy or groggy. I did my quiet time, worked out, went for walks, did laundry or whatever I needed to do. It truly was a great week! I am excited to repeat for next week. I hope you have a great week...

   Hello readers! Probably just my mom and sister, but that's okay! For some crazy reason, I really enjoy typing up my little posts, adding some photos, and publishing it on the internet! Anway, today is  Thankful Thursday , and I gotta say, I love  Thankful Thursdays . I find these are my favorite posts to write. I truly am blessed. Listing out some random things that I'm thankful for always puts me in a great mood. I know I have a lot to pray about, but I think all prayers need to include thanksgiving to the One who gives! Alright, let's go! 1. I am thankful for my home. It's not the biggest, nicest home ever, but I love this place. It is my favorite place I've ever lived. It was built in the early 1950's (1951 I believe). It's simple but we have helped give it some character. I love our cozy rooms, and I love the deck and backyard area. Decorating it has been such a joyous project, and it's ongoing! I am always looking for ways to make the most of wh...

  Hello! I am on a mindful essay topic kick evidently because today, I want to talk about stress. Is all stress bad? Is it bad for us to be under pressure? You put your body through stress when you're working out to get stronger. Throw some beef, vegetables and beef broth in a pressure cooker and it comes out delicious! And it certainly works for coal... but does the same go for everyday life stress?  Growth Just like with muscle mass in the gym, I believe that stress in life helps us grow as individuals. Without stress, we would never learn how to adapt. I think being able to adapt is a GREAT attribute. I feel it is essential if you want to have a successful life. People who have a difficult time adapting to different environments often don't flourish and have to find something that fits them. Don't get me wrong, if things aren't working out and you need to leave the situation, by all means, get out of there! But I do think it should be after making a real effort to ad...

  Hello! I am excited to tell you that I finally went to my local Hobby Lobby! Ah, it felt good to go in there again. I haven't been in one in probably 3 years!  All of the fall decor is out on display, shelves are packed with orange pumpkins, hay bales, and little woodland creatures. I even saw some red and green in there for the next season! I wanted to buy one or two of everything in there, but I was good and only bought some stuff for my dining room table and kitchen.  After looking for some inspiration my favorite app, Pinterest, I found similar items in the store and put them together when I got home.  Then a of couple days later, I finally put out some more of my fall decor, which is basically a collection of pumpkins. We always have some skulls out year-round, so it's an easy transition for my home to go from normal to fall. I just love my skull Barefoot Dreams blanket ❤💀 So far, this fall has been such a treat for me. We've had great weather so far, I've wo...

   Hi! Today I want to write about priorities. What matters, matters. And sometimes, what matters most can get hidden beneath everyday chaos.  Earlier this year, I was feeling very unbalanced- I had a lot of balls in the air, but eventually I began dropping some pretty important ones. So, I decided to pause and reassess my life. I made a couple changes here and there and ended up seeing some positive results. For example, for the last few months, I've been concerned about my protein intake, and started adding more to my diet throughout the day. I have started waking up earlier and walking my dogs in the mornings most days a week so that I can make sure they're getting some exercise and I'm getting some vitamin D. I've had an hour of quiet time every morning for the last 5 years, but I started making more of that hour. I've prioritized praying and talking to God more throughout the day.  Life is always changing, even with our most disciplined routine. We only have 24...

  Hello! Today I will do a recap of my first official fall Saturday from last weekend. It started with a protein latte made at home, chocolate croissants from a local bakery, and college football.  Then the four of us (my in-laws spent the weekend with us!) headed out on a 20-minute drive to Applecrest Farm Orchard! It was BEAUTIFUL there! I could live there. They had everything. Food, flowers, pumpkins, beer, wine, sweet treats, and so much more. There was even a live bluegrass band, so I felt right at home. I kept saying that if I ever have another wedding, it would be here at the orchard!  We were there for a few hours and still didn't do everything they had to offer. I would love to go back and go on the hayride.  Here are some of the pictures we took while we were there. It truly was a fall dream come true! 💛💗