In April we experienced a little torndado and worked on entering the gardening scene

And then I talked about some new additions and ways that we are going green

I loved visiting to Austin Texas with J and two of our closest friends

Then the next week I talked about art and I just didn’t want the fun to end

Week 41 we got a new roof and learned some lessons in patience and stealing

Then a lesson in grief when a baby chick died which for a while left me reeling

Then I talked about packing and showed some pics of what I wore when I was gone

Z had been learning lots of new things and that’s what I talked about all week long

After that I did a little series about my perspective as a pastor’s wife

Then I shared about loosing my brother and the impact that he had on my life

I turned 29 , had some birthday fun and gave a glimpse of our urban farming

In July we were gone for several weeks and traveled a distance that could seem alarming

When I finally got home it was really hot, but I still felt like it was good to be back

Now it’s time to for another year of blogging because blog writing is where it’s at!

November 6th was the big day! We celebrated marriage in a beautiful setting

Then on week 16 I finally moved on to talking about something besides our wedding On thanksgiving week I was feeling thankful, but then again I guess everyone was And after that I was feeling cheerful because we started getting ready for Christmas Week 19 I shared some of life’s moments. The ones I want to remember well

Followed by a visit to Bethlehem and a few Christmas songs like the First Noel The week of Christmas I lost my mind when we headed out for holiday trip But it didn’t take long to cheer up as we celebrated our biggest Christmas yet I did a recap of Christmas week followed by some new year’s goals It’s funny how much it snowed this season and yet somehow it never got old

Then my little boy turned three and told us his sister wanted a beer

I shared about a special notebook showing how dreams can become real

This is my first FULL week back since being away for almost all of July and it’s been a packed schedule.

On Saturday I was hired to do my first photo booth. If you’ve never seen this latest photo booth trend you probably will soon. It’s popular at proms, weddings, and parties and how it is done can vary. Sometimes it’s a rentable photo booth that instantly prints out 4 consecutive photos just like you might have seen at the mall. Or sometimes it’s a little studio area with props and costumes. That’s what it was like at this 18th birthday party that I photographed. Here I am with my lovely assistant and BFF.

Yesterday was my 3rd bloggiversary. I am currently in my fourth year of blogging which makes me a senior right? After 3 years of posting an average of 250 posts a year is there anything left to write about? You bet there is! I am looking forward to this next year of blogging and have plenty of topics up my sleeve. Here are 10 things you can expect to read about on messy mom for my “senior year”.

1. The blogiversary poem- I have had a tradition of writing a blogiversary poem where I do a rhyming recap of the entire year of posts, and I plan on doing that, but betweeen the big road trip, playing catch up at work, and having everyone in our house get sick I am a bit behind.

2. Unplugging- This idea is something that has been brewing in me since I read Hamlet’s Blackberry back in April. I even have some posts written, but this series is so important to me that I have been waiting to make sure it is just right, but it is about time I go ahead and put it out there.

3. Crafting- One of my friends and I have recently committed to a craft night. We’re going to try a bunch of stuff like soap making, and homemade reusable bags. If any of it turns out I’ll share it on here!

4. School- Whether it’s talking about how things went at my 10 year class reunion, or the possibility of Z starting preschool next year I am sure there will be some posts on the topic of education.

5. Cooking- We still love freezer cooking and gardening around here, so be on the look out for some cooking posts.

6. Photography- Can you believe it’s been almost 10 years since my first paid job as a photographer? There has to be some time devoted to this topic for sure.

7. Renovations- J and I are pumped and ready to get this old house completely remodeled. We’ve covered a lot of ground, but there is still a lot left. Of course I’ll have plenty of before and after photos in the event that we accomplish anything.

8. Family Fun Time- It was one of my new years resolutions and we’ve been enjoying lots of it. I hope to share some of our successes in hopes to inspire other families with small children.

9. The Kiddos- The thing I get complemented about the most on my blog is having pictures and updates about the kids. They make blogging easy.

One of the most special and unexpected aspects of “our biggest road trip ever” was getting to visit my childhood home.

I looked out across the yard where we had hunted for easter eggs, played in our tree house, and parked our old rusty bikes. It was a strange feeling, but it was comforting. My childhood home was still there and it was loved. Out of all the other long lost connections I had made on this trip this was one of the most significant. After taking a few photos and getting back in the car with J and the kids, we pulled out of the driveway and I felt at peace. Between 3,000 miles I had seen a lot and been reminded of all the places I have been, all the way from the night my first child was born, to the very house that I was born in. Our road trip had come to a close, but the bigger journey continues on.

Yesterday at around 8:00 am we finally made it full circle back to Texas. We traveled over 3,000 miles, were gone for over 3 weeks, and went through over 10 states and one Canadian province. It’s been quite the trip, but boy was I ready to get back home. I dreamt of sleeping in my own bed, my kids making a mess of their own house, and having full access to my own closet and finally my dream has come true. It doesn’t matter that I went back to work yesterday, or that Zion got sick because I am home. I don’t even mind that the chickens ate the entire garden while we were gone and J has threatened to eat them for dinner. I don’t even mind the heat. Oh the heat. It’s horrible! SJ brought me a swimsuit to put on her and she wore it all day. We never swam, but I guess it was her way of coping with the warmer temperature and she was happy.

In Canada and the upper peninsula everyone appologized for the scorching temperatures and we had to laugh. It was kind of a disappointment that we didn’t get to wear the wintery clothes we had packed, but 88 is still 20 degrees cooler than 108. It’s been a record breaking summer and today is the 34th day in a row for DFW to have triple digit weather. It’s a dry heat too. It will slap you in the face when you open the door. Yesterday my Facebook and instagram were flooded with people chiming in about the heat.

Our youth pastor had this photo

with the caption “Yes, that does say 113”

and immediately after that I find this post by J of a crayon that had melted in his car

and he writes “a warm welcome is nice but seriously 110*?”

I haven’t posted my thoughts on the latest weather conditions, but if I did I would have say “Not cool Dallas, so not cool.”

I have been writing about this journey as I go and then posting them whenever I get a chance/have wifi, but I think I am all caught up now. I am currently visiting my family in Kentucky and getting ready to head back to Texas a couple days later than originally planned. J was invited to preach at a church (coincidently called the Lighthouse) and so he decided to step out of his comfort zone and go for it. So doing ministry at a little church in Owenton is how we wrapped up a week of Kentucky time.

Let’s see, besides that I got my toenails done again in this really fun teal color, which was a risk, but I’ve loved them.

We also got to go on a triple date with my brothers and their wives. It was half price sushi and it was YUMAZING (it’s a word I made up on this trip to describe all the good food we’ve had). Another favorite moment I’ve had was when we went to Sawyer Point which is a fountain area over by the Ohio river.

I used to go there when I was a kid so I was anxious for my kids to experience it. My niece was there too.

It was really special.

Speaking of kids, it’s great to be back with the kiddos, although you can tell they are starting to get really home sick and I am too. Next stop, TEXAS!