Born in southern California, raised in middle Tennessee, moved to southwest Montana, then to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back to Montana for a short stint, then back to Tennessee…

I am the baby of six children: three older brothers and two older sisters. Life has always been eventful. Born in California, my parents decided after they had me, they didn’t want to raise their children in the city, as they were raised. So they began searching for a place. Simultaneously, my paternal grandfather, Pappy, started looking for somewhere to retire out of California. Somewhere his 401k could really last him. As both he and my parents searched for a place, they never planned on settling by each other. However, one day Pappy made a couple of wrong turns as he was traveling to Crossville, Tennessee, to look at a property, and he stumbled upon the plot of land I would eventually grow up on.

A small house sat, set back into the woods with a year-round creek flowing. As you pulled into the long winding driveway, you see the rolling fields and settled in the bottom, a small pond. Most people were blinded by the overgrown vegetation, but all Pappy saw was freedom. Freedom from the rat race he lived for so long. The concrete that held everyone in so tight. The neighbors who angered each time he played his record player. The endless noise of the city he called home for so long. He sat on the steps of this cottage, closed his eyes, and all he heard was the sound of the trickling creek. His heart knew he found his home. He called my father excitedly, “come out here and check out my new place.” Little did Pappy know, this simple request would shape the lives of our family forever.

It wasn’t long before they had our house sold and we were all packed in the RV headed towards the promise of our new lives. Dad, with the help of his best friend, Rick, and my mom, built our home from the ground up. Not a small feat for a couple of twenty-four-year-olds. They finished it enough to move in within eight months.

We adjusted to life in the south as a family. Even though I was a toddler when we moved, I was familiar with Southern California since that was my parents’ background. As they learned about gardening, rural living, and community, they passed those lessons onto us. My mom had lived in a rural Kansas community until she moved to California at fourteen, so she had some experience. We kids learned alongside our parents as they adapted.

Around thirteen, my parents split up, and by fourteen, I was leaving my siblings and father and heading across the country to move in with my mom and her boyfriend in Montana. This is where I finished high school. Moving to Montana was such a great adventure for me. I met some of my greatest friends in my life. I learned just how much I love learning about new areas and cultures. That far up north and the Bible Belt are vastly different in a lot of ways. It was wonderful, and I really do miss living there. It truly is the last greatest place on Earth. BUT no one should move there. It’s winters are terrible and cold. It’s all awful. You wouldn’t like it. Just don’t go…

After high school I went to the University of New Mexico on half academic and half athletic scholarship. It was awesome! I threw javelin on the track team. I was doing well until I hurt my back. The school’s doctors suggested surgery. I was only eighteen. So when I told my coach that I wouldn’t do that, he pulled my scholarship. I simply couldn’t afford to stay there without it. So I went back home to Montana. Even after all these years, its all still a little sour and i don’t like talking about it. Obviously.

So I moved back to Montana, then my Pappy called me after six months of being back in Montana and convinced me he was in his last year of life. That he needed me back in Tennessee so I could spend time with him before he died. I pulled out of school, uprooted my life, and went straight there. So I made the cross-country trip hauling all my junk, and as I pulled down his driveway, there he was, IN FULL SPRINT, chasing my car. I watched him trip on a tree root, barrel roll, and pop right back up like it didn’t even happen. He ran the whole eighth of a mile and managed to beat me to the house. I could have screamed; I was so mad. I dumped a long-term boyfriend, quit school, sold all my stuff, left a job I enjoyed, and all of my friends because I thought this dude was dying. Instead, he was an impeccable, healthy seventy-eight-year-old who was willing to lie to get what he wanted. Now don’t get me wrong, of course, I was glad to see he was doing so well. It’s the egregious lie I wasn’t happy about. But it didn’t take me long to get over it. I was happy to see him, be back with my siblings, and see my old friends.

So I’m back in Tennessee, having the time of my life with my friends. Lots of ups and downs, like most people experience in their early twenties. A few big mistakes turned into lessons learned. I finished school, had a big girl job, and was doing well.

One night, I went to my close girlfriend’s wedding, had a bit too much liquid courage, and messaged a man on Facebook. About eighteen months later, he was the father of my child and my husband. We have since had two more children and have been married for five years. We have shared so many great adventures. Cale makes life so easy and fun. He is loving, supportive, and my rock. I am the luckiest lady in the world!

So that’s a basic rundown of what I’ve got going on. If you know me and you’re reading this, I am sure you’re shaking your head at really how basic it is. But you must know I wasn’t gonna put all of that on the internet, right?

Until next time, ladies & gents~