My Everyday

 

I am a small-town girl living in a two -story home just outside of a little town in Southern Indiana.  At home I can be found creating artwork or working from my living room on my latest book, nestled in on my couch with a puppy invariably snuggling on the side. 

 

I am an interesting mixture of an introvert and extrovert because I mostly would really rather not be seen until there is something that hits me so hard that I am unable to keep quiet about it.

 

My life has not been easy even though it started out nearly perfect.  After a few poor decisions as a teenager, I ended up living a nightmare that I didn’t even know was a possibility.  I found myself desperately wishing for things to change, finally coming to a point of realizing that while hope is a very good thing, hope in itself is not enough to illicit change.  Hope without action is merely wishing.  I took a firm hold on the direction my life was going and things began to change for the better as I fought to get my life on track.  Fleeing my old life with three babies in tow, I earned a degree in occupational therapy, determined to teach my children that we are not victims in this life.  After finally feeling like we had made it, things came crashing down even harder than before and I quietly wondered if this would be the thing that would kill me.  There have been times I angrily cried out to God, “Why?”  I now know that there are just some things I will never understand this side of heaven but looking back I undoubtably see God’s hand all over my story and I am still breathing. I felt compelled to begin writing my story ten years ago in the hopes that my pain would not be wasted but instead help others believe that better days are possible.

 

My husband Chip and I have a blended family of four children who are grown and have families of their own, but our two doodles Bella and Baelee fill the empty nest up with lots of snuggles and laughter.  Our children all live a good distance away but that gives us an excuse to travel often.  Besides traveling to visit our kids, we love to spend our time hopping in the car and driving to find new adventures such as an undiscovered trail to explore or a new “hole in the wall” restaurant to try.

 

Our five grandbabies are the greatest blessings we have ever received.  We love being their Grammy and Papa so very much. It is rare that we all are together under one roof due to the distance between us, but when we are, that is when my heart is the happiest.  I love my children and grandbabies more than words can express and am thankful for every opportunity to be together.

 

My new book, the first in a trilogy is set to come out in November 2020.  It is the story of my life, real and raw. The reader can expect to be taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions ranging from sad, scared and angry to hopeful, happy and celebrating. My hope is that by being real, I will connect with the real people in this world, fighting very real battles, helping them to regain control of their lives and become who they were meant to be.