Grateful Heart

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California Dreaming // A Grateful Heart

February 8, 2016

There’s something that I’ve always loved about being the daughter of a North Carolinian and a Californian. One side of my family comes from a tobacco farming heritage and the family tree has been planted firmly in the same area of North Carolina since coming across from England in the 1700s (true story). The other side of my family come from Mexico and every story of the past seems like something ripped straight from a John Wayne film or an episode of Bonanza. The two sides could not be any more different, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. A mixture of East and West.

Last week, I spent about three days in California with my family as we laid my Grandmother to rest. It was definitely a bittersweet trip due to the circumstances of our visit, but it was still so good to see cousins, aunts, and uncles that we haven’t seen in far too long. It didn’t hurt that the rain when we first arrived washed out the smog for a bit and gave us clear views of the snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains.

Southern California has significantly more Hispanic individuals than North Carolina does, so I love that there are taco shops, restaurants, and Mexican bakeries literally on every corner. We stopped at two of our favorite panaderias for some treats; one that is up the road from my late aunt’s house and another that is across the way from the site of my family’s “corral” (where all the cowboy stories originated) and where one of the workers on a previous visit actually remembered my Grandpa from when he used to stop in. I wish you could bottle the smell in this place.

One of the best moments from the day of my grandmother’s funeral was meeting her younger sister for the first time. I did a double take when she walked in because she looks so much like my grandmother did when she was in better health. Then she began speaking and she even sounded like her. It was oddly comforting to meet this woman for the first time and to have her remind me so much of my grandmother and I’m grateful that God allowed that moment to happen.

We also finally snapped a picture of all of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of my Grandma and Grandpa. They had five granddaughters and seven great-children, only one of them a girl. It’s always so comical to see how much I do not look like the rest of my cousins, aside from the hair color.

What are you grateful for this week?

This post is part of Ember Grey’s weekly Grateful Heart linkup! Click the image below to head on over to Emily’s blog and read all of the posts.

A Life Lived for God // A Grateful Heart

February 1, 2016

To me, there is nothing more inspiring than to see someone that truly lives their life for God. I think we all know those people. The people whose faith is never questioned because they so clearly live it, breathe it, and rejoice in it every single day. This little lady in this photo was one of those people. Nellie was the niece of my great-grandfather, Joseph Ezra (Uncle Ezra, to her), and the cousin of my grandmother that passed away in September.

When my Grandmother first got sick this past September, she told my Uncle that when their mother passed away, she would be glad to be their momma during the time she had left on this Earth. She told him that she prayed for her, and us, every day. A couple of days later, my grandmother passed away and just a few hours later, all 10 of my aunts and uncles (with my sister and I) drove over to see Nellie and to tell her that she had inherited 10 children (and 14 grandchildren/11 great-grandchildren) that morning. Her little room was full to the brim with her new children and the emotion of that moment was so evident. The smile on her face was ear to ear and it was one of the most beautiful moments that I had ever witnessed.

On a previous visit, Nellie had shared that she had never been able to have any children of her own. She shared that she often asked God why he didn’t give her any children. She told us that the Lord spoke to her and told her that he had already given her children in her relatives and the many neighborhood children that loved to frequent her home.

One of my uncles that lived the closest to Nellie, and would visit her nearly every day, shared with us that many of the staff members at the nursing home would come to Nellie with their problems and worries and that she would pray with them and for them. She had even been praying for my family and I in the past few days, once she found out that my paternal grandmother passed away and that we’d be traveling to California for the services.

Sadly, Nellie went to Heaven to join the rest of her family on Thursday afternoon, but her joy and sweet spirit has touched all that knew her. I had only known her and had been visiting her for about a year, but this kind, Godly woman was truly a blessing and I am truly grateful for her.

What are you grateful for this week?

I’m linking up this post with Ember Grey’s Grateful Heart linkup! Click the image below to head over to the blog.

Be Still and Know // A Grateful Heart

January 25, 2016

There is something so magical about the first snow of the season. It brings me right back to my childhood days; waiting by the window and wishing so fervently for those first precious snowflakes.

Winter Storm Jonas may not have dumped several feet of snow on us (thank goodness), but it brought us lots of ice and a wonderful snow day at work on Friday. Believe me, teachers enjoy snow days just as much as the kids. Until we have to start making up those days, that is.

One of the things that I love about snow days are the opportunity they provide for us to just be still. Sure, up North life still goes on in the snow, but down South everything pretty much shuts down for ice and a little snow. While it may be frustrating for some, I love the way that the snow causes us to slow down and just take our time. Plus, is there anything more beautiful than snow covered trees?For me, much of these snow days were spent reading, reflecting, and simply being,which I am so grateful for.

It’s in those quiet moments that I feel that I am best able to reflect and root myself in the Word of God. We can get so consumed by all of the “noise” of every day life that any time that I can get away with slowing down, I am all for it.

What are you grateful for this week?

This post is part of Ember Grey’s weekly Grateful Heart Linkup! Click the image below to head over to the blog to read all of the posts and even add yours to the list.

All Is It, All Is It // A Grateful Heart

January 18, 2016

If you had told me two years ago that I would know what it would be like to lose five close family members in a two year time frame, I probably would have said that you were crazy. To have that be my family’s reality is heartbreaking. In two years, my Dad’s family went from a family of five to what will soon be a family of two and my mom lost her mother and her baby sister.

The past few days have been spent in a sense of limbo as my Grandmother’s time of Earth draws to a close. It’s not easy to be anticipating a phone call at any moment from your Dad to let you know if your Grandmother is still here. One of the things that I learned from losing my maternal grandmother and aunt is that the only way to get through something like this is learn how to praise God through the storm. Two years ago, I didn’t know how to do that. I’m still learning how to do it, to be honest,

But on Friday evening, after my Dad called to ask if I had anything I wanted to say to my Grandmother while I still had the chance, I rejoiced in our God and praised him as I mourned the loss that would be coming soon. I am not particularly eloquent when it comes to these types of conversations (although I don’t know that anyone really is), the one thing I knew I needed to say to my Grandmother was “I love you, all as it, all as it.” It’s something that my Grandmother always said to all of us throughout the years. She said that my uncle used to say that to her, but I always remember the sweet words coming from her. As I was writing in my journal later, something that I had felt compelled to do after hanging up the phone, I had my Christian playlist on Spotify on in the background and I worshiped God and rejoiced in his hope and truth. We might not see her, or my four other family members, again on this side of Heaven, but I am so grateful for a God that gives us hope in an everlasting life.

On Saturday, I rediscovered a passage from 1 Peter that so perfectly puts into words everything that I have been feeling and rejoicing during this season; particularly since losing my maternal grandmother and aunt in September. I am so grateful for the complete and total truth in these words and what they mean for us.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” // 1 Peter 1:6-9

How great is our God that we can rejoice in our sorrow! What are you grateful for this week?

Update: My beautiful grandmother passed away peacefully late on 1/20. We’re so thankful that she is no longer suffering and experiencing true paradise with our Lord!

This post is part of Ember Grey’s Grateful Heart linkup! Click here or on the image below to head over to the blog and read all of the posts in the linkup.

Spark Joy Every Day // A Grateful Heart

January 11, 2016

Okay, so I may have stolen the idea for this post title from Marie Kondo’s new book, Spark Joy. She is the author of the bestselling book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and Spark Joy is the illustrated companion. I’m talking there are diagrams that teach you how to fold your clothes appropriately, people. Total organizational nerd heaven.

Anyway, when I was thinking about what I wanted to title today’s post, the phrase “spark joy” kept coming to mind. Tidying aside, what a beautiful visual that is! There’s something about the word joy that automatically makes me feel lighter. I even looked up the definition for joy, being the good teacher that I am.

Joy, noun: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation

One of the things that I love about my walk with Christ, especially lately, is that to seek God is to inherently spark joy. He has carried me through grief, pain, and feeling totally and completely overwhelmed by my own reality. I have seen His promises acted out through the trials of the past two years and as he has gotten me through to the other side, I cannot help but rejoice and feel immense joy.

“My lips shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed” // Psalm 71:23

What are you grateful for this week?

This post is part of Ember Grey’s weekly Grateful Heart linkup! To join the linkup or to read all of the Grateful Heart posts, head on over to the blog!

Quiet Solitude // A Grateful Heart

January 4, 2016

There is something beautiful about being able to just be somewhere. Admittedly, I am actually very terrible at this. I am always thinking of what comes next, what’s next on my to-do list, or where I’m going that afternoon. But as I shared yesterday, I’m embracing the idea of 2016 being a year of grace-filled progress. And that means being gracious with myself a bit more than I usually am.

The past few mornings, I have made a point to set my alarm a few minutes earlier so that I can spend some time with the Lord. My devotional for this year is Savor by Shauna Niequist and although I am not the best with keeping up with devotionals, I hope I succeed with this one. Even though it goes against my night owl-ish tendencies, I do actually enjoy waking up a little earlier, especially if it means a productive day.

It’s no secret that regular quiet time with God is absolutely key to our relationship with Him, but candidly, I have not been devoting the time to God that I should have. I wake up at an awful hour of the morning since I get to work at 6am every day (I have a long-ish commute and I wait to have my coffee/breakfast until I get to work before my students arrive at 7am), and I go to bed super early because of that.

I heard the pastor at my church say once that our quiet time should be at the time of day in which we are at our best and being an early riser, the morning time was his time for prayer. I tried utilizing the evenings for prayer and reflection, but it just hasn’t felt right. I’m not sure how my morning quiet time is going to look now that I am back at work, but I am so grateful for the quiet moments that my soul so desperate needs. 2016 is off to a quiet, but powerful start.

What are you grateful for this week?

This post is part of Ember Grey’s weekly Grateful Heart linkup. Want to share your gratitude this week? Link up your blog post by clicking through the image below!

Every Bitter Thing is Sweet // A Grateful Heart

December 28, 2015

Good Morning, my lovely friends. It’s the last Monday of 2015, can you believe it? As I sit here, curled up with my cup of coffee, I am overwhelmed with the gratitude that I feel. I feel grateful for the precious moments with family from the past few days and I even feel grateful for the hardships that we have faced, not just in 2015, but in the last two years. God has certainly worked within these heartaches to bring me closer to him and I could not be more thankful for that.

This Christmas certainly looked a bit different than those of previous years. Christmas Day is a pretty low-key affair in our house. We wake up around 9 or so and get ourselves some coffee before diving in. When my mom has opened her gifts, she heads into the kitchen to make sausage biscuits for everyone. The rest of the day is spent packing coolers and preparing to drive up to see my mom’s side of the family. My mom’s side of the family does their big Christmas gathering on the 26th, in order to give everyone a chance to spend Christmas with their individual families.

What I love about large, Southern families is that any gathering brings out all of the delicious family recipes. We divide up the cooking responsibilities between the children and grandchildren, although many of my aunts and uncles are passing down their dishes/recipes to my cousins and I. I can see that in the next couple of years, my generation is going to be running the show soon enough.

Despite my Grandmother and Aunt Shelia not being with us, the family carried on as we always do; through lots of love and laughter. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for my loud, crazy family. The best I can do is just say that, growing up, my sister and I were blessed with aunts and uncles that were like “extra” parents to us. I felt a slight pang in my heart when I realized that there were only nine people in this photo, rather than the 11 it was at our last gathering in May, but the amount love here is indescribable.

My mom and her brothers and sisters!

I hope that you all had very blessed and precious memories made with your families this Christmas and I pray that we all begin this new year with a heart full of immeasurable gratitude for this sweet life God has blessed us with.

This post is a part of Ember Grey’s Grateful Heart linkup and it’s open all week long! Check out her blog here and link up your blog post!

A Somber Soul, But a Grateful Heart

September 21, 2015

I didn’t want to write this today. I didn’t want to sit down and reflect on the past week, even though there is so much grace, love, and gratitude interwoven through the days. And then I saw that today is Gratitude Day, and I knew I needed to share what’s on my heart. And to my sisters (and maybe brothers) in Christ, boy, is there a lot.

On Thursday morning, my sweet Grandmother went home to be with the Lord surrounded by six of her ten children, as well as my sister and I. She had been in the hospital for almost a week, suffering from pneumonia which is something she had overcome about three years prior. But when we learned that she had significant kidney damage and they were functioning at only 15%, my mom and her siblings made the decision to make her as comfortable as possible. My grandmother was an amazing woman who raised ten children primarily on her own while holding down many different jobs over the years. She was known for her quick comebacks, a fierce love for the Carolina Tarheels, and being the sun in which our entire family orbited.

But while we were sad at the loss of our incredible matriarch, there was so much rejoicing in knowing that she was walking in paradise with her Savior. A friend of my sister,who recently lost his own mother, told her once that although they will always miss her, they would never wish her back. Why? Because she has seen Jesus, and why would we want them back on Earth when what she is experiencing is so much better? Those words truly resonated with me and helped with that inital grieving process.

But then Saturday morning came. At 1:45am on Saturday morning, just seven hours or so from my grandmother’s funeral, we were woken in the night at our hotel by one of my aunts to tell us that my sweet Aunt Shelia was not breathing. My Aunt Shelia was staying with her husband and my Aunt Kay at my grandmother’s old house. She wasn’t breathing and EMTs had been working on her for over 10 minutes. We drove the five or so minutes over to the house from the hotel and had to park a block away due to the ambulances, police cars, and fire truck. When I saw the police cars, I think I knew, then as I stepped into the front yard and spotted my Aunt Shelia’s husband in tears and two of my mom’s brothers with him, my heart sank. My mom’s youngest brother, my Uncle Randy came over to my sister and I, since we were walking in front of my parents, and told us that they couldn’t save her. We fell into his arms and I heard my mom say, “no” in such a heartbreaking cry. My aunt had gone to be with the Lord and was reunited with her momma, but so much sooner than any of us could have guessed. We think it was a massive heart attack. She was only 56.

5 of my Grandma’s 10 children. Aunt Shelia, 2nd from right, next to my Mom

This may be one of the less peppy Grateful Heart posts that you read today, but make no mistake that although my heart is hurting far worse than I ever thought it could, I am still grateful. I am grateful for the 24 years of laughter and memories with both my Grandmother and my Aunt. I am grateful that my Grandmother was able to go peacefully into the Lord’s embrace. I am grateful for my Uncle Bobby, who showed me faith and a trust in the Lord so deep barely a hour after losing his wife. I am grateful for my family who have made me so proud in the past week. We are strong and we will get through these hard times together. But most of all, I am grateful for a grandmother and an aunt who had given their lives so fully to the Lord, giving me no doubt at all today as to where they are. I love you. I miss you.

my Grandmommy

March 13, 1926-September 17, 2015

my sweet Aunt Shelia

October 24, 1958-September 19, 2015

Low Country Living // A Grateful Heart

September 7, 2015

Happy Labor Day, my friends!

As I type this, I am preparing to make the drive back to Charlotte after a wonderful weekend spent in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. One of the things I love about the Holy City, and there are many, is that it really feels like you are a world away from everything when you come here. There is an easy, relaxing, and oh so welcoming vibe that this city just radiates.

And perhaps it’s the city’s rich history, but I always feel so much more in tune to my Southern roots when I am here.

My friend from college and I toured Fort Sumter, got caught in a downpour on King Street, watched fireworks right on the Folly Beach Pier, basked in the beauty of Middleton Place, and indulged in more seafood than I’ve had in quite some time.

And, although we didn’t seek it out specifically or walk right up to it, the moment that I spotted Mother Emmanuel AME Church as I crossed through the intersection of Meeting St. and Calhoun, will stay with me forever. In the days following the terrible tragedy in that place, my heart ached for this kind and faithful city. Mother Emmanuel is a place rich in history and although it is now marked with a solemn sadness, the forgiveness and faith that Charleston’s people showed the world touched everyone.

Here are some shots from our weekend!

What are you grateful for this week? Share your post in Ember Grey’s Grateful Heart linkup!

Texas Getaway Recap // A Grateful Heart

August 17, 2015

I’ve always had a heart that yearns to travel and see as much of the world as possible. I may not always have the funds for it, but the desire is always there. This year, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been able to take two trips to places that I had never been before. I traveled to Michigan in June and just over a week ago, I traveled to Texas.

Though I spent most of my time in Austin, I was also able to spend a few hours in San Antonio as well. Both cities are very unique but I definitely want to go back and explore San Antonio some more. Between the missions and the Riverwalk, I definitely only scratched the surface of things to see there.

I arrived in Austin around 11am on a Wednesday and immediately set out for downtown once I had obtained my rental car. I knew I wanted to see some of the UT-Austin campus and pick up a shirt or something with the Longhorns emblem on it (I’m weird, I know) and grab some lunch. Well, I had recalled a couple days earlier that there was an In & Out Burger in Texas and the Austin location wasn’t far from downtown and the University. In & Out and I didn’t have to travel to California to get it? Perfection. Central Texas was in the midst of a heat wave (heat indexes in the 102-105 range) so I didn’t do much walking around, but I grabbed an Iced Coffee from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (another California favorite!) and perused the University Co-op and the cute little courtyard that was out back. Awesome “Greetings from Austin” mural and giant Texas Longhorn? Check.

Later that day, I ventured out to Gourdough’s Public House for dinner, which I was actually a little nervous for! Dining out alone always seemed kind of sad and lonely, but let’s face it, I wasn’t going to be able to experience Austin’s great food scene unless I ventured out there. Gourdough’s is known for their donuts…and they use them in everything! As in, even their chicken and dumplings are made with donuts. The dumplings are donut holes and are served with a garlic and herb donut. My appetizer was garlic parmesan donut holes as well! Sounds odd, but trust me this place was delicious!

The next morning, I woke up early (to try and beat some of the heat) and drove down to San Antonio. I got to the downtown area just as the Alamo was opening and it was so nice to be able to explore the grounds with a relatively small crowd. I just wish we were allowed to take pictures of the interior; so cool! After the Alamo, I ducked down to the Riverwalk for a few moments before driving down to Mission Concepcion.

Mission Concepcion is just one of several missions on the San Antonio “mission trail” and it was absolutely gorgeous. It’s been renovated on the inside and is actually still a functioning Catholic church every week!

The church is almost haunting from the outside and as you walk around, the rich history is nearly palpable. I couldn’t help but kneel by a pew and spend a few moments in prayer and gratitude, not just because I was raised in a Catholic church but because in that moment, I just felt so thankful for the opportunity to travel and to see beautiful sights like this.

What are you grateful for this week? Link up with Ember Grey‘s Grateful Heart linkup and share the love!

There’s Your Sign // A Grateful Heart

August 10, 2015

This morning, I am grateful for many things. The ability to travel, returning home safely from a fun four days in Texas, but mostly I am grateful today for how God has been calling to me lately and my ability to recognize that.

There’s a stand up comedy bit called “There’s Your Sign”, although I can’t quite recall which comedian made it popular. This past week or so, I cannot deny that God has been actively working on me to see a particular sign from Him.

The past two sermons at my church have both discussed the Bible and how we should actually be making a point to sit down and really study it. Not just glossing over the verses in our devotionals or being able to recall particular verses but actually praying over them and reflecting on what it means for our lives. Being completely transparent with you guys right now, I am absolutely terrible at this. I read my daily She Reads Truth verses and passages and mark them off, but I never really allowed myself to give them the proper reflection that they deserve. Reading the Word and studying the Word are not necessarily the same things.

In between those two sermons, I happened to discover the ESV study bible through my sister and her roommate who uses it. This, coupled with the sentiments from the two sermons definitely seemed like God calling me to spend more time with him through study and reflection. I recognized that and I began to take steps to do just that. For the past week, I have been carving out a time to spend with God each day; not just with my Bible app but with my ESV study bible, a highlighter, and a journal. We’re not always able to slow down and catch those signs that God is sending our way, but I am grateful that I recognized this call from Him.

That alone would, of course, be enough to make me very grateful this morning but what really makes me smile is what occurred yesterday. I was having lunch with my sister at one of our favorite Durham spots, and she tells me that she has a gift for me. It’s not my birthday and Christmas is (unfortunately) still months away, but she had a gift for me all the same. It was a Write the Word journal from Lara Casey.

This beautiful little journal has a specific verse or passage each day with a space for you to write out the word, then a space for what’s on your heart. I think when my sister handed it to me, I just started giggling because all I could think about was God saying, Ashley, there’s your sign.

This post is part of Ember Grey’s weekly Grateful Heart linkup! Add your link here. What are you grateful for today?

My, How Time Flies // A Grateful Heart

August 3, 2015

View of LA from The Getty Center

On Saturday when I woke up and checked Facebook I was reminded, thanks to their “On This Day” feature, that one year ago I was in Los Angeles for what is certainly one of my favorite trips! This was not my first trip to California or Los Angeles by any means, but it was the first time that I visited completely by myself. Like, I rented a car and braved the infamous Los Angeles traffic and the 405 all by myself and lived to tell the tale. Definitely a personal victory.

This time last year, I was still an entertainment blogger and ran a blog that covered films and television news that was related to projects that had been adapted from books. I was very fortunate and had been invited to Los Angeles for the press junket ahead of the release of The Giver, starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, and Meryl Streep. Just a couple weeks prior, I had participated in a phone interview with the author herself, Lois Lowry, and at the press junket I was able to interview her face to face along with Brenton Thwaites, Cameron Monaghan, and Odeya Rush. If you want to hear me be super awkward with Brenton, you can watch that here (I’m at 0:34).

While traveling by yourself may seem kind of sad and lonely, I’ve learned that it’s actually kind of nice. You can go where you want and not have to worry about accommodating anyone else, but I will say that unless you’re a shameless selfie-taker (working on it) then you will come home with a lot of landscape photos and not very many photos that you in them. While in LA, I was able to see a couple of my fellow blogger friends which was wonderful but one the one full day that I had free, I was super pumped to drive out to the Inland Empire aka San Bernardino! I originally wasn’t going to rent a car, but the night before I left I realized I was going to have a full day to myself and that I could drive out to San Bernardino to see some of my family. My dad was raised in San Bernardino and this was actually the first time that I had been back since my dad’s brother and sister passed away. I called my great-aunt to let her know that I’d be driving out and when I got there, I was greeted by her, a couple of my dad’s cousins and two of my great-uncles. Then, I drove to Moreno Valley to see my cousins, the daughters of my late aunt.

Truthfully, I think what made this trip so memorable was that I was able to do it completely on my own. I paid for my flight, rental car, and arranged for sleeping accommodations at a friend’s apartment. Thanks to my trusty GPS, I navigated the city with ease and I just felt like a real adult for the first time. Even though I don’t do that type of blogging anymore and that chapter of my life has ended, I have so much to be grateful for.

I was invited to this press junket thanks to a friendly word from a PR guy and mutual friend that I met through working with Summit Entertainment for Divergent a few months prior. This same PR guy is the reason that I am heading out to Austin, Texas this Wednesday. He was kind enough to allow me to visit his agency so that I can learn a bit more about what they do now that I am pursuing a masters degree in mass communication. God is so good and was so clearly guiding me through a season that has ultimately led me to where I am today, well before I even knew that I wanted to go back to school at all.

What are you grateful for today? Share your link as part of Ember Grey‘s Grateful Heart linkup!

A Heart Full of Gratitude

June 22, 2015

Hello sweet friends! It has been much too long since I have sat down to do a Grateful Heart post as part of Ember Grey’s linkup!

Summer Vacation // This teacher is finally on summer vacation, you guys! This was a long and hard school year and I have been soaking up all of the extra time for fun projects and relaxation. Plus, extra time to spend here, with you, blogging about life lately is just what the doctor ordered.
Travel // I am heading up to Michigan this weekend for some much needed friend time with my dear friend, Sarah and her sweet family! I’m such a travel junkie that airports are some of my favorite places (I’m weird, I know)!
YouTube Vloggers // This may seem a little strange, but I have been loving the opportunity to sit down and catch up with my favorite vloggers. It’s like a reality show, but you know…they’re actual people and super relatable. My favorite planning vlogger is Lisamarie with Paper & Glam, but my favorite beauty vlogger Rachel from Glow of Grace has recently started daily vlogging about life with her sweet family! Their new channel is The Graceful Life! She is super sweet and her vlogs really make you feel like you are a part of the Weiland family!
Project Life // I’ve recently become kind of obsessed with the Project Life method of scrapbooking! It’s a beautiful way of marking time and celebrating all of life’s little moments.

What are you grateful for this week? Sound off in the comments below and don’t forget to join Ember Grey’s link up!