She's Makin' A List & Checkin' It Twice

With 2017 coming to a close and this likely being my last blog post of the year, I have decided to take a moment and update my readers on my "30 Before 30" list. Only 126 days remain people, 126 days to complete 18 items. Let's do this thing!

1. Start writing again, for me. To explore the possibilities of starting a blog and getting my thoughts out in hopes that it can help me find an outlet on days like today, to find my way back to something I am very passionate about and maybe, just maybe, help some other people through days like today.  I have continued to work on this blog & will continue to do so. Even though there are times when the days between posts are more than I'd like it to be, I'm enjoying finding new inspiration and things to write about. To those of you who take the time to read these posts as they are written, I thank you! 

2. Get healthy. Eat better. Lose 15-25 pounds.  Last summer I felt like I'd taken a good step forward. Even though I wasn't down more than about 8 pounds, I was toning & feeling better than ever. I've fallen off the wagon a bit but recently, with the help of Jacob, I'm trying to get back into the routine of hitting the gym in the mornings (at least 3 days a week). My  ultimate goal is to lose 10-15 pounds from my current weight of 163 by my birthday in May. 

3. Be a better me. For myself, for Jacob, for our kids. This will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, be a work in progress. However, I really do feel I've made strides in the right direction this year. Jacob and I went on our first overnight trip, alone, without children or friends a couple weeks ago and guess what? We survived. And I for one, had a dang good time.

4. Take more pictures of us. Of our children. Of nature. Find beauty behind the lens.

5. Get another tattoo. An anchor? The kid's names? Both?

6. Partake in a paintball fight.

7. Find adventure. Try new things. Say yes more often.  I'm trying to take this on as my new life mantra. 2017 has been a good year for this. I have tried new food - fish & oysters. I started playing disc golf. I made my first homemade pie, crust & all! 

8. Go on a random road trip with friends.

9. Travel to a new city or state.  I've stepped foot in Louisiana & Alabama this year (both a first for me) & went to a concert in Maryville, MO. A family trip to Arkansas and Tennessee are both in the works for 2018. Stay tuned.

10. Play messy twister.

11. Become a "regular" somewhere. 

12. Learn to cook. I've screwed up hamburger helper for Pete's sake! This too, will forever be a work in progress but hey, I am working on it. I've made homemade noodles & took my first attempt at a homemade apple pie. 

13. Start a new family tradition.  I started a new "family" tradition with a set of friends this year. Alex and Neal, some friends of ours, held their First Annual Noodle Making Party this December. It was a tradition passed on to Neal by his Grandma and he shared it with a group of us this winter. I can honestly say, I had a blast and will continue to attend for as long as they keep the tradition going. BUT, it definitely does help if you remember to put said noodles in the freezer and not leave them in the beer cooler.... pure devastation.

14. Know that it's okay to say how I feel. Holding it in doesn't provoke change.

15. Rekindle the romance and friendship with my husband. Times get tough. Sometimes giving up seems like the easiest thing to do but 11 years is too far to come to just walk away. I feel Jacob & I have both made steps forward in this category. He is my best friend. He always makes me laugh (even when I'm trying really hard not to). He calls me on my crap. And at the end of the day, we have each other and we're working to be the best versions of ourselves for each other and our kids. 

16. Go to a Chase Rice concert.  HOLY SMOKES people, I can cross this one off my list. On December 8th, Jacob and I braved the campus of Northwest Missouri State University to attend my very first Chase Rice concert. I say first because if I have it my way, it won't be my last! He was AMAZING!!!! 

17. Worry less. It's okay to go a day without makeup or the perfect hair. And lazy Sundays are and should be a thing. I've definitely been embracing the exhilaration of not having to get all dolled up on the weekends.

18. Finally watch the Lord of the Rings & Hobbit trilogies.

19. Find the prettiest waterfall in the state of Kansas.

20. Experience a drive in theater. 

21. Re-read the Harry Potter series & have a weekend marathon. 

22. Continue to make more time for family.

23. Lear to let go. Of hurt and of anger.

24. Make time for myself.  Since I've been slacking in my commitment to go to the gym, my time alone has taken a backseat to other things in life. And this time of year is just crazy. I will admit though, it's my own fault. Jacob is always very encouraging me to take a little time to myself. So after a recent bathroom remodel, I am telling myself, "grab a glass of wine & a book and allow yourself to enjoy a nice soak in the tub every once in awhile."

25. Home improvement projects. Kitchen (done), wall decor, office area. The office area is still not done. I will get there though, I will get there. But we have remodeled the kid's bathroom and I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty envious of it.

26. Explore the opportunities within an online course or certification. 

27. Find the best cheeseburger in the state of Kansas.

28. Read more. I've read some good ones so far this year. I've found a new favorite author, Kristin Hannah & really enjoyed and recommend "The Good, The Bad and the Grace of God" by Jep & Jessica Robertson.

29. Go to a musical.

30. Never back down. Go after my dreams.

Doodie-Wads & Bingo

Christmas is hands down, my most favorite time of year and has always been my favorite holiday. For me, it's not about the gifts but about the traditions. You see, from the time I was little, my Grandma instilled in me the Christmas spirit. 

Last Friday evening, I got to spend some time with my Momma and the conversation soon turned to Grandma and all the things we did together, year after year. This year will be our second year without her and while we think about her daily, the void seems particularly daunting this time of year.

For those of you who didn't know my Grandma, let me just say this, she was an EXCELLENT shopper. Having worked in retail for many years, she was a professional at finding us the best deal. Every year before Christmas, my mom, my Grandma and I would embark on a girl's shopping trip. Any coupons we'd received were brought along, tucked into Grandma's billfold. Whenever we'd got our fill at a store, we'd make our way up to the checkout line and while waiting in line, Grandma would go through our finds and contemplate how to get the most bang for our buck. I can just hear her now, "We're going to put these shoes and these few shirts together, which totals ... and then we'll use our $20 off a purchase of $20 or more ...and for our second transaction we'll ...." It was a running joke in our family that one day we'd go to JcPenney and by the end of it, they'd owe Grandma money! 

Another thing I remember doing with her this time of year is making doodie-wads (or in common lingo, no bake cookies). It's a southern thing...don't ask. Grandma had the process down to an art. She knew exactly how long the mixture need boiled and when you actually needed to start the timer and they always turned out perfect. Me on the other hand, can not make a batch of no-bakes to save my life. I've tried and tried and tried again. They either harden up too quick or I can't get them to harden up at all. There is no in between. 

Hallmark Movies. She'd watched them all at least once. Mom said when her and Grandma would talk on the phone, Grandma would tell her all about the movies she watched and told Mom which ones to look for to come back on. Growing up I remember watching them with her but I didn't really find my appreciation for them until last year. And while I haven't watched very many yet this year, my DVR is full of recordings of them (sorry honey!). 

Back before I can remember, my Grandma worked at Newman's Department Store. I didn't know until last Friday that it was due to a foot injury that my Grandma was put to work doing gift wrapping. It must have been there that her wrapping expertise began. You see, at Christmas time, Grandma didn't believe in gift bags (unless time didn't allow proper wrapping or an odd shaped present came along). All presents must be wrapped. Not only that, there was a science to it which had to be followed. She did not care for shiny paper. And presents were topped with ribbons and bows (which properly matched and/or accented the wrapping paper). After a wrapping session, Grandma could tell you the average time to complete wrapping a gift, from boxing to gift tag and how many presents were averaged per half hour or hour. It's an art that she passed down to my mother and I and one which we take very seriously. 

Some other things I remember include the following: the bowl that set on her kitchen table year after year, filled with apples, oranges, mixed nuts, candy canes and Hershey kisses. The candy containers filled with M & Ms, peanut M & M's, miniature snickers and miniature peanut butter cups that were placed throughout her house. The sundrop cakes she'd have my Aunt Janice make for us on the years we'd go to North Carolina. Holiday cookies (but only the kind you could buy in bags for $1 at Dollar General). 

And now for the grand finale of our Christmas traditions: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

On Christmas Eve, we'd always gather as a family for a night of food and fun. The menu for dinner remains the same to this day, chili and all the fixins'. After dinner, we'd gather around and one of us grandchildren would ready the Christmas story out of the bible. When we were younger, Grandma might let us open one of our gifts from her, but as we got older, we started a new Christmas Eve tradition, bingo. Everyone that plans on playing is to bring a couple of little white elephant gifts and when a bingo is called out, the lucky winner gets to pick a random present from the stash. It's always a good time. The banter between us players is normally what makes the experience for me. Even Grandma, fun loving Grandma, loved to pick at us while we played.

Christmas morning consists of Santa, gift exchange and cinnamon rolls, always cinnamon rolls. And coffee, we mustn't forget the coffee.  And now that I'm adult (a term which I use very loosely), my favorite part of Christmas Day is watching everyone else open their gifts. And in only 19 days, I'll get to do that again. Until then, I'll be carrying on with tradition, both those started by my Grandma and ones Jacob and I have started with our own children. 

And to each and every one of you reading this, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!!! 

Herdin' Cattle & Fixin' Fence

Friday night. No kids. Say what?
The opportunities were endless.

However, the opportunity I was most looking forward to was this: the chance to spend a Friday evening at home with my husband, with no set agenda. It's not often we get a night to ourselves and I was ready to take full advantage of it. Snuggles in front of the fireplace while watching a movie? You betcha. A glass of wine in hand? Yes to that. Pizza or takeout? Count me in.

So after we got off work Friday evening, we headed home to take care of the dogs and planned on heading to the liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine (or two) to enjoy later that evening. While en route to the liquor store, we both remembered that we needed to head out and check on the farmstead.

Bottles of wine in tow, we hit the road and about a mile down it, Jacob's phone rang. It was his dad. He had just gotten a message from his neighbor that the cows were out...again. After Jacob hung up the phone, the conversations went something like this:

"Of course the cows are out... tonight." Laughter. "Does the world think that if our life isn't chaotic that we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves? Because I'm pretty sure I had this night of leisure thing figured out." Laughter. "What'd you do on your kid-free Friday night Hills? Chased cattle? Oh that's cool." Laughter.

Once we arrived at the farmstead, it was after dark and cooling off. I quickly realized that I was in no way dressed for the occasion; canvas tennis shoes and a long sleeve shirt do not fair well for a person who is naturally cold, always. I can hear the critics now, "Jess, it's winter. What in the heck are you doing going out in the cold with no coat?" Listen people, remember, I thought we were just making a quick run for a bottle of bubbly! However, lucky for me, my husband is prepared for almost anything and had an extra coat and gloves in his truck.

We made our way to the barn and filled a bucket full of cow feed, grabbed the four wheeler and headed out to the pasture. Jacob quickly locates the cows and encourages me to coax them by shaking the bucket full of feed and calling for them while he makes his way to the other side of the fence, persuading them to come my way. Within minutes, I was quickly surrounded by cows....and a bull (not going to lie, he looks mean and makes me a wee bit nervous).

Now for the fun part, herding the cattle back up to the barn. As I'm sitting on the back rack of the four wheeler, shaking the feed bucket and hollering at cattle, my husband is 100% in his element. He is zig-zagging through the pasture, pushing the cattle back towards the barn. Even in the dark, I could see the grin on his face, the adrenaline surging. In fact, I may have even hollered at him a time or two, "Hill, don't forget I'm on the back of this thing!"

We'd gotten all but three cows back down to the barn, so we headed back out to the back pasture to try to wrangle up the last of them. Jacob looks back and me and asks, "some Friday night, huh?" My response, "You know, twelve years ago, if someone told me that one day I'd be out herding cattle, I'd have laughed in their face. But honestly? I'm having fun. And I've been harping on, 'try new things, embrace different,' so..joke's on them."

Try as we may, we didn't get the last three cows up to the barn that night. But I did have a solid couple of hours with my husband, laughing and making memories. And we still got our night in front of the fire, snuggling and sipping wine. Even if it started later than we expected. But truth be told, that's life. Life isn't always about following a timeline or living by the book. Especially ours. It's definitely more of a "herdin' cattle and fixin' fence" type of life. Between the kids, work, day to day activities and our social lives, it seems like we're always bouncing around from here to there and handling whatever curve balls life may throw at us.

Embrace it, embrace the chaos. It's what makes your journey a road worth traveling. It's what makes up the stories you laugh along to with your friends. It's the memories your children will carry with them and one tell share with children of their own.

And while it's nice to have a down evening, relaxing with my husband, I'll continue to herd the cattle and fix fence. And heck, maybe one day we'll be doing it at a farmstead of our own. A girl can dream right?

The Biggest Gifts Come in the Smallest Packages

September is NICU Awareness month and it's in honor, I am dedicating this blog post to Brynlee, my NICU miracle.

Did you know that 1 out of 10 babies is born prematurely? When Jacob and I found out we were expecting with our second child, never did I expect that she'd be that 1 in 10. It's not a trial that either of us would have asked for but after experiencing it, it's one that I'd never give away.

On the afternoon of June 18, 2014, Jacob and I made our way to the office of our OBGYN, Dr. Faulkner. I remember being at work that day, nervous for the day to come. And even after reassurance from my coworkers, I was convinced that something was going on.  

We had been at one of our prenatal appointments the week before when we were advised our little girl was measuring a little smaller than anticipated. While the doctor told us not to worry ourselves with the unknowns, we scheduled a follow up appointment for the next week in which they would do a sonogram and take a closer look at how our gal was doing. 

After our sonogram, we were moved into an exam room to wait for Dr. Faulkner as she would be the one discussing their findings. After sitting in the room for a few minutes, I heard a voice in the hall. "Jessica Hill....32 weeks and 4 days..." I remember looking at Jacob and saying, "well, if that doesn't make a girl nervous, I'm not sure what does." And try as he may to convince me otherwise, there was nothing he could say to eliminate the knot that had formed itself in my stomach. 

I remember the doctor knocking on the exam room door. I remember trying to brace myself for what she was about to tell me. Our little gal, the one we had prayed and hoped about for over a year before becoming pregnant, was weighing in at less than three pounds. The average weight of a baby at 32 weeks is around 3.75 pounds. Not only that, my blood pressure had seemed to skyrocket since the last week, even though I had no symptoms of it being anything other than normal. As the appointment continued, Jacob and I were filled in on the steps we'd take from that day forward to bring a healthy baby into this world. We were advised that our hospital was not equipped to handle pre-term babies under 35 weeks and that we need to travel that afternoon to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka and be admitted where Brynlee and I could continue to be monitored until her birth. After making accommodations for Tristan and making phone calls for our family, Jacob and I made the hour long drive to Topeka. Our heads were reeling the entire way up there. How would the next few days pan out? Was it safe for our baby to be born this early?  

After admission and initial testing, I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia without severe symptoms. On June 18, 2014 I was given the first of two steroid shots to help Brynlee's lung functions develop. Depending on follow up labs, we were advised that she could be delivered at any point, however, they were hoping to make it until at least that Friday, when the shots would have time to take proper effect. The following day, June 19th, I was given the second shot and an appointment was scheduled with the Perinatologist for Friday the 20th. 

Friday. The. 20th. 

We saw the Perinatologist first thing that morning. While my labs had slightly improved in the days prior, they had showed a decline that day. She let us know that this could have been a result of the steroid shots. While they were helping our baby girl, they were masking some of my symptoms. It was decided that labor would be induced that day. We had just reached 33 weeks gestation. The events of that day were a whirlwind. I was given a medication to induce labor and another to keep my body calm as high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia can lead to strokes in laboring mothers. Tried as I might, it was decided early the next morning that a c-section was necessary as labor was not progressing and Brynlee's heart-rate decelerated, meaning that she was under stress as well. I remember praying, asking God to protect my baby, that if only one of us could make it out of the surgery, for it to be her. And then I remember praying again, asking him to protect both of us, as I had a six year old son waiting for me at home who needed his mother.

For those mother's who have never experienced a c-section (this was a first for me too as Tristan was birthed naturally), before they cut into you they perform a feel test where they pinch pieces of your skin around where they'll be making the incision to ensure you cannot feel it. Now, whether or not I could actually feel them pinching my skin, I am unsure, however, at the time I was CERTAIN I could. The doctor performing the surgery decided at this time that for the best of Brynlee and I, they would put me completely under for the procedure. 

The next thing I remember, I was in recovery, asking Jacob "how is she?" To which he replied, "she's doing great, she weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces and has been taken down to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). She's in great hands."


I was pretty in and out of it for the next few hours. It was late the next morning when I was able to be taken down to see Brynlee for the first time. I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to see, tried to tell myself that while she may be tiny and hooked up to machines, she was okay. However, as they wheeled me into her room and I laid eyes on her first the first time, I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me. She was SO tiny. She had a mask over her eyes, shielding them from the lights she had been placed under to bring down her bilirubin level. She had was on a bubble c-pap machine to help her lungs expand and contract like they needed. There was monitors and wires everywhere (or at least it seemed so to me) and since she was on respiratory care, we were unable to hold her, but could touch her through windows in her incubator. 

Here's a look into the days to follow:
June 23rd, 2014 - Brynlee came off of all respiratory care & was breathing completely on her own after only 3 days. And while this in itself was HUGE news, we were greeted with even GREATER news as we were now going to be able to hold our little girl (even if it was only in short intervals)!


June 25th, 2014 - I am released from the hospital. 
June 27th, 2014 - Brynlee's bilirubin levels were down enough so that one of her lights was taken away. She gained two ounces and bounced up slightly past her birth weight.


June 29th, 2014 - Brynlee's bilirubin levels had gone down enough to where she no longer needed to be under a bililight. In the past few days a PICC line had been placed so that they didn't have to poke her every time they needed labs, & on this day she was wearing a cute little PICC gown!



June 30th, 2014 - Weight is up to 3 pounds, 2 ounces. She began receiving 7ml of breastmilk every 3 hours instead of the 3ml she had been receiving previously.
July 1st, 2014 - Brynlee is able to take her first bottle & drinks the whole thing! Weight is up to 3 pounds, 3 ounces.


July 2nd, 2014 - Weight is up to 3 pounds, 4 ounces. We receive word that her IV fluids will continue to decrease as her feedings increase and her PICC line will be removed at the beginning of the following week.
July 3rd, 2014 - The NICU staff need a picture of a baby wearing a PICC gown to send to the foundation that provides funding and supplies for them & chose Brynlee! Weight is up to 3 pounds, 6 ounces. 


July 6th, 2014 - Brynlee is two weeks and 1 day old. She was taken off her lipids Friday & her IV fluids on this day. We received word that her PICC line would be removed the following day. Weight is up to 3 pounds, 8 ounces (only 25 grams away from being able to be moved to a crib where she would need to remain for at least 48 hours while maintaining her body temperature and having no breathing episodes). 


July 7th, 2014 - Brynlee is 27ml of breast milk every 3 hours (one step below full feedings). Weighed in at 3 pounds, 9 ounces. On this day, she also got to wear her first outfit!

July 8th, 2014 - PICC line is removed. Weighs in at 3 pounds, 10 ounces. Taking 6 out of 8 bottles per day.
July 9th, 2014 - Little miss decided to pull her own NG tube out! Began taking ALL feedings by bottle so she is moved to ad lib feedings. 
July 10th, 2014 - Weighed in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces (only 20 grams away from being moved to a crib). Took her first feeding from a regular bottle. 

July 11th, 2014 - Weighed in at 3 pounds, 13 ounces meaning she would be moved to a crib the next day!
July 12th, 2014 - Moved to a crib and continues to maintain her body temperature and eat like a champ. Weighed in a 3 pounds, 14.4 ounces.

July 13th, 2014 - Weighed in at 3 pounds, 15.9 ounces. Passed her car seat trial (90 minutes in a car seat with no episodes). 

July 14th, 2014 - Brynlee graduates from the NICU  and gets to go HOME!!!!!!!! 



Our NICU journey lasted for 24 days. At the time, those 24 days seemed to drag on forever but we managed to to get through (thanks to the outpouring of love and support from our family, work families and friends). 

It's been 3 years since we last walked through those doors but even then, I truly believe the NICU always stays with you. Had it not been for the amazing care from the staff, those 24 days would have been a lot harder to get through. It's challenging to leave your baby in someone else's care while you are at home, an hour away, because life has to go on but never once did I feel that Brynlee was not being taken care of. The doctors and nurses did everything in their power to make sure that not only was our little girl taken care of, but that we were as well. And for them, I am forever grateful. 



P.S. Here's your fun fact for the day. There have been several times in my life when I've thought of a career in the medical field. And after our NICU journey with Brynlee, I've decided if I ever did take the leap, I'd love to find a job within the NICU, to help provide the hope for others that was so honestly provided for me.

Southern State of Mind

Last January, my husband decided he wanted to go to Kansas City and "look" at motorcycles. In his defense, I don't think either one of us thought we'd actually be leaving with a bike that day but...we did. Before we left the dealership that day, we were taken in to finalize the sale and while talking to the gentleman who was working with us, one of the two of us called him "sir." His reply. "Don't call me sir, that's my father." At the time, I didn't think anything of it. But then, when it happened again and he had the same reply, I found myself getting a little flustered. See, where I'm from, I was taught that calling a man or woman sir or ma'am is a sign of respect, not a sign of age. 

Southern state of mind.

My family and I recently took a trip to Dauphin Island, Alabama for my mom's wedding. We'd all been anxiously counting down the days until we got to load up in the car and go (I'll be honest, I had a running countdown on my phone). Most of my excitement lied in the fact that my mom was going to have her dream wedding on the beach. But it also came from knowing that we were going to a place we'd never visited. 


Dauphin Island, the sunset capital of Alabama, totals 161.7 square miles of which only 6.2 square miles are land. To gain access to Dauphin Island, you must drive three miles along the Dauphin Island Bridge. The view, I can't even describe. It was simply breathtaking. 



The days spent on the island were AMAZING. My mom's Christmas present to all of us was the trip (more specifically the house we stayed in), which was built up from the water and was on it's own private beach. 


We made so many memories that it'd take a week to write of all the things we got to experience. However, my favorite moments (besides my mom's wedding, OF COURSE) came on the last night evening and morning we were on the island.

Knowing that it was our last evening there, Jacob wanted to spend it soaking up the local scene. My brother Michael and his girlfriend Amanda were generous enough to watch the kids for us while we spent a few hours alone. After doing some research, Jacob came across a restaurant, JT's Sunset Grill, which is known for it's good food and amazing views of the sunset. So we loaded up on the bike and paid it a visit. 

Coolest. Place. Ever. 

When we told the waitress that we were interested in sitting on the deck so that we could watch the sunset, she handed us a couple of menus and showed us upstairs. There, we deliberated on what we were going to order (let me just say, I don't think you could make a wrong choice) and I finally decided on a burger and fries while Jacob ordered one of their specials, shrimp alfredo. We also ordered starters, shrimp and fried green tomatoes. After ordering our dinner, we walked into the bar area and ordered drinks. Miller Lite for him and a "Kiss on the Lips" for me, recommended by Bre, a waitress at the restaurant. 

As we waited for our dinner, we sips on our drinks and chatted among ourselves. And took a selfie.. duh! But seriously, who could resist with this view? 



In the midst of our outing, a pair of locals and their daughter came out on the deck and instantly introduced themselves (The Monroes) and talked to us for the rest of our time there. We talked about where they lived on the island (east end versus west end) and come to find out, they lived only about a block over from where we'd been staying all week! In fact, I'd seen their daughter (and her us) multiple times on the beach as she'd walk daily through the bird sanctuary and down the beach. We learned that Mr. Monroe was  former Coast Guard and they'd moved to the island almost 19 years ago. We learned that their daughter was a school teacher in Virginia and planned on moving to the island herself after retiring in a few years. They told us all about the gas rigs that are stationed on the water and how the island was effected when Hurricane Katrina hit. We spoke of life and all it's entirety for the next couple of hours. And when it was time for us to get going, his wife says to us "wish we could have met you sooner, we could of invited you over for some drinks and food." Jacob and I got up from the picnic table which we'd been sitting at and as we walked towards the exit, the most genuine thing happened. The daughter looked at me and said, "Do you mind if I give you a hug?" I smiled immediately and replied "of course not." (I myself am a hugger). That hug was followed by one from both her mother and father. Walking away, I heard her mother said, "What a sweet couple, she (me) has the most contagious laugh and smile I have ever heard and seen." 

The southern state of mind. Not knowing a stranger. Going out of your way to make others feel welcome. 

The next morning, Jacob and I got ourselves out of bed at 5:30am to watch the sunrise. We rode the motorcycle down to the public beach and watched from a bench on a pier over the water. After it had risen, we decided to make our way to the Lighthouse Bakery. I'd seen great reviews on the bakery and the Monroes had raved about it to us the night before. We figured we'd better get in on it before it was too late. And I'm glad we did. 

The bakery resides in a house which they converted. It has the kitchen area (where all the deliciousness is made) and a sitting area for those who choose to dine in. The lady that greeted us made sure to fill us in on all they had to offer and then asked where we were from. I'll tell you what, when we told her that we had traveled from Emporia, KS, I sure did not expect her to say, "Emporia? I've been there! I traveled to the Teacher's College in the 80's to attend a conference." Small world. 

Homemade baked goods, a house latte and conversation all before 6:30 am? Southern state of mind. And p.s. their homemade pecan cinnamon rolls were the real deal. 

Not that I think anyone is ever ready to leave the beach, but those last two happenings on Dauphin Island had me ready to pack my bags and head south, permanently. 

I was born in North Carolina and moved to Kansas when I was three years old. After 2000, we traveled back to Carolina at least once a year to visit my Grandma. I was raised to know the following: a shopping cart is actually a buggy, a toboggan is not a sled but a hat that you wear on your head, commode is another word for toilet, every pop in the south is Coke (when they ask you what kind of Coke, you specify). Cherry lemon sundrop is the best carbonated beverage I've ever tasted. Sweet is the only way to drink tea. Cole slaw is in fact a great topping for a hot dog or hamburger. The saying "she's built like a brick shit house" is a compliment, not an insult. In the south, you get your pictures made, not taken. Over yonder is a direction. You're "full as a tick" after you've eaten a big meal. A purse is referred to as a pocketbook. 

I could go on and on. 

I've lived in Kansas in 26 years now and there are some things that will never leave me. I was raised southern, loud and proud. And I'm constantly scheming ways to get back east somehow, someday (Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina). With my family in tow of course. 

"I could be anywhere, in my heart I'll always be there, where they drink sweet tea and raise you to be polite, No changin' who I am, that's the way I've always been, no matter what state I'm in, I'm in a southern state of mind."