Dad.

  You chased away the monsters. You cradled me to try & stop the tears. You prayed over me countless times & still do. You held my tiny hand as we crossed the street & you taught me the value of working for your money. You’ve stood beside Momma & raised five children & now you’re reaping the rewards of grandchildren.

  Bernard, Miss Rosie & Joey will always be my childhood. You brought imagination to a whole new level when it came to your children & making sure our younger years were remembered. You brought stories to life.

  You’ve held the same hand for 33 years & still look at her like it’s the 1st year of marriage. With that same hand, you’ve prayed over our spouses & allowed us to be patient & hold out for the very best. You’ve set the bar high, Daddy.

  Thank you for allowing your children to work beside you & for every early Saturday morning breakfast at Krystal’s as we headed off to work. Thank you for the time spent investing in your children’s lives, instead of just investing in your job.

  Thank you for being here.


.Your youngest.

Home.

  Tonight you sat there & allowed my heart to spill open. You played the role you've been waiting years to play. The role of a momma that is seeing her daughter's future lie before her. You allowed me to admit my past & the mistakes I made & there wasn't a hint of judgement in your eyes. Brokenness was expressed & tears flowed..& a past was talked about that seems like ages ago, but truths needed to be brought to light. You allowed me that sounding board I needed.

  You welcomed a future that I never imagined I would have, but, that God is opening up the possibility to. He's preparing my heart for what's to come & tonight I just needed my momma & that's exactly what you were to me.

  Home to me will always be you & daddy. always. No matter where life takes us or how many houses we move in & out of, that's not home. The two of you are home to me. The smell of your fresh laundry. The nightly foot rubs. Daddy's smile. Kessie laughter. Our family's second language- tears. {Happy or sad.} The smile that brushes across my face when I know I'm within a few short miles of home....This is home to me.

  Tonight I told you I wanted you to be apart of this journey & you told me that most kids don't want their parents input, but I'm not like most kids. I need your wisdom & counsel. I need you to stand by me & possibly welcome this lovely boy into our world.

  I want to do it right this time...There will be mistakes along the way, but nothing that can't be fixed with an 'I'm sorry'.

  This time it's different. --This time it's a story for the books.

  Thank you for your love.
-Gracie.

The aches of a writer.

I'm aching to write these days. It used to come frequently & then one day it just stopped. Without permission, my words failed. They drifted away with no promise of a return date. 

Until recently... Creativity & inspiration has been everywhere. I don't want to do anything other than write. I want to cancel plans & quit working. I just want to let my mind wander & drift, with a pen in hand.

I don't know what's creating this desire, but I shall not complain. I will write into the wee hours of the morning & explore the places that bring inspiration. I will leave my bed unkept & windows open, allowing the sun rays to creep their way into my room. I will allow Penelope cuddles to consume my days. I will embrace the freedom 2016 is giving me. I will become a better version of myself. I will travel. I will be vulenerable with my words, holding nothing back. 

Maybe it's him. Maybe he's bringing about this desire in me. Because, I don't want to forget this season of my life. This journey of us. The year 2016. The ebb & flow of what this year is going to bring. I want to not only capture it through photos, but I want to remember it through my words. I want to relive the year 2016, ten years from now. 

Being a writer is the greatest gift God ever gave to me & I won't take it for granted anymore. 

If anyone needs me, I'll be ignoring the responsibility of life & journaling under the willow tree. Find me there, darling.

Oliver.

  Today I gave in my notice. I let go of the one steady job I have here in my town, in hopes that God will supply something better. Something I enjoy doing. I don’t enjoy this. I dread Tuesdays & Thursdays.

  Today though, I felt a love for you that was close to what I feel for my niece & nephew. I embraced your hugs & laughter. I knew that my time with you was coming to a close. I’ve watched you grow up in the last year. You started out so small & fragile. Helpless. Now, we can’t keep track of you.

  I will miss our days.

  I will miss the acceptance your parents have shown towards me. I will miss the look you give me when you see me walk into the room, because you know my face now. You’ve grown accustomed to my face.

  You are loved, little one. & I’m grateful that I could be apart of your 1st year of life.

Grace, Grace.

                                             {My room. My safe haven.}
This is the place that God has met me amidst my tears more times than I can count.
  Just this morning, as the tears flowed, He was there. Holding me & wiping them away.

{My room has become that place for me where memories have been made.}
.fights & make-ups between sisters.
.sleepovers with the niece & nephew.
.skype dates.
.2am conversations with God.
.Penelope kisses&cuddles.
.prayer.
.art making.
.laughter.
.momma cuddles &foot rubs.
.words have been met with actions.
.closet shelving falling on me twice since moving in.
.my world being rocked early one morning with Penelope almost dying.
.worship sessions with my Daddy God.
.letters written.
.promises made.
.trust re-birthed.
------------------------------
I am Grace. Actually I'm Grace, Grace. Because, Hannah means Grace. -I was a tough baby. So, my parents ultimately needed double Grace with me. // I am a combination of everything listed above. I over-think things. I trust deeply. I adore the thought of love. I've felt the pain of deep loss within the last year. I've held my family a little bit closer because of it. && I wholeheartedly love the two tiniest humans in my world...soon to be 3 tiny humans, come July of this year.

I love fried pickles & the smell of fresh laundry. // I would travel to Italy tomorrow if the funds were available...my heart has been yearning for that place for years. Someday my feet will walk the streets of Rome & capture it's beauty within the confines of my journal.

I have my momma's smile & my daddy's chin. I am a combination of them both. I hold their DNA & couldn't be more proud to stand as their daughter. //I am also a daughter of the King.

I love going to sleep to the sound of cars driving by & Penelope cuddled up right next to me. //Penelope Aspen has enchanted my world for almost 3 years. She goes anywhere I go & knows that I hold the role of her momma. I became a mother at the age of 19.....to a pup.

My feet have been planted in the beautiful city of Murfreesboro for a year & a half, but I don't feel like this is where my story ends. -This is only the beginning.

I love spontaneous trips into Nashville & the first feeling of Spring outside.

I collect books. I say that because, it's always my intention to read them, but rarely do I read a book, front to back cover. I start, but never finish. //I thrift floral bed sheets & groovy green...anything. I'm a business owner & lover of travel. //I love watermelon season & the color Turquoise.

{I believe in the broken & in the power of Prayer.}



.the writer.

Spring days.

                                                   {Today, Spring was present in the air.}
The clouds & thunder tried to take over at one point, but God was insistent on His presence being known today...So, I got out & soaked up His beauty & with that came the Sun.

Oh, what a glorious day today was (& still is!)

As I sit here on my bed & feel the breeze from my open window. I watch as Penelope sleeps beside me & dreams of chasing squirrels I imagine, as her paws twitch every few seconds.

 I am reminded of one thing-
 God truly blessed me today. 


.his daughter.