Well hello there cutie pie! It’s been a busy two months. I didn’t make time to write out my blog post for September or October, so I am giving myself some grace and writing two months in one post. Shall we get to it??

Obviously.

First, biggest life update around here is I moved in September. I absolutely LOVE where I live and I feel like I have to pinch myself every day. I have been asked what my favorite thing is and it’s simply being home. Grateful is an understatement for how I really feel about this new chapter… and for so many different reasons.

Second, which should actually be first, BLESSSSSS the people that have helped me the last couple of months. From packing and unpacking my house to meeting contractors to celebrating this new chapter with me. I have the worlds BEST parents and people in my life. I have seen so many memes about how no one works harder than a dad when his daughter buys a house… I can attest to that 110%!!

A few things I have absolutely LOVED about being in a house again: a garage and a full size washer and dryer. Maybe I will learn to love laundry again… yeah… probably not. Know your strengths, right?? LOL

I also realized how different I was in this move compared to my last move. I was not an asshole. Yay. Moving is about my least favorite thing and it is SO easy to complain. This time I changed my perspective and anytime a negative thought or complaint came to mind, I would say, “I am SO grateful I am moving into a beautiful house!” Maybe it was my change of perspective or it was personal growth or maybe a combo of both that made this move a lot smoother. Again, grateful is an understatement.

A first for me in September was killing a snake. It was on the step of my front door. Laid out and blocking the door. Oh. Hell. To. The. No! If you know me, you know that I am terrified of snakes. TERRIFED. Anyway, a phone call filled with instructions and encouragement, a 2×4, a shovel and some nerves later I killed it. I was shaking!!! It was poisonous. I was a nervous nelly. I knew I had to be brave because it could NOT have a chance to get in the backyard with the dogs. In my mind it was between the dogs and the snake… I pick my dogs every time. I was so proud of myself!! Then a week later ANOTHER freaking snake was on my porch!! It wasn’t poisonous and I just stood there as he moved on his way. But what in the hell?! THEN!! I am at my new house and I go to take the trash out one night. THERE WAS ANOTHER FREAKING SNAKE!!! Oh helll no again!! I got the shovel and wasn’t as nervous this time. He didn’t make it either. No more snake sightings since – praise the LORD!!

My sister and Mazlynn came to help me unpack one afternoon. We had a Whataburger picnic in the car after a long day. Little moments like that bring me so much joy and totally fill my bucket. When we were younger, my dad used to take us to Sonic and we would have picnics in the back of his truck. Those are memories I still cherish to this day, so I guess you could say our car picnics keep the tradition alive.

Also, fun fact sometimes I like to get fast food and sit in a parking lot to eat it. I used to do this when I was in outside sales. It was a moment in my day when I didn’t have to talk to anyone, could listen to music or not and just eat in peace. There are some days I just need to unplug/recharge and do this. Like yesterday… a Culver’s burger and McDonald’s fries and coke enjoyed in peace and quiet in a HEB parking lot. Some days my soul just needs a recharge like this and that combo hit the spot.

Mazlynn got to cheer at a football game and she was so cute!! We had a sissy sleepover the same weekend. I cherish the time with her and really look forward to our sleepovers as she gets older.

Speaking of cherishing the time with the little people in my life… if I realized it went by so fast I would have soaked it up a little bit more with Braxton. I definitely did. I just wish I would have soaked it up even more. Time is a thief!

Braxton played football again, so I went to a couple of his games. The growth he has each season is amazing. I love watching him play a spot he loves. Gosh, I love that kid!

My favorite time on the lake is after Labor Day. It’s the best!! So I spent a few days on the lake and had a few paddleboard adventures. I love living a lake lifestyle! One morning I got up and had a sunrise paddleboard session and then it was off to Braxton’s football game. Again, I love living a lake lifestyle!

Something fun I did in October was take birthday pictures to capture the season I am currently in. Let me explain the tradition…

People often spend the money on professional photos for their family. I don’t know about yall but I have friends that are like family. I wanted professional pictures with my favorite people where we all coordinated colors and were professionally done. I wanted to start a tradition that would capture friendship, love, growth and life changes.

So five years ago I celebrated my birthday by taking professional family/friend pictures. It was most of my favorite people in one spot. Some people had scheduling conflicts and couldn’t make it which always stinks. Anyway, we took beautiful pictures, had the most epic charcuterie board that filled an entire conference room table, and the weather was spectacular. I still have the pictures hanging in my house today. I wanted to take pictures every ten years, but after doing them people loved them so much they suggested I do them every five years. I agreed.

2026 was year five. How did it get here so dang fast?! Looking back at the pictures SO much has changed for so many people. Engagements, marriages, new houses, big moves, babies… Some people are still in my life and some aren’t. Seeing those changes it is easy to feel like things haven’t changed that much for me. A lot of my changes aren’t things you can’t see in pictures. I experienced massive personal growth over the last five years. I am not the same person I was in those photos.

I would be lying if I said there wasn’t some grief wrapped in there too. I thought my life would look different when I turned 35. I can be really proud of where I am and still grieve some of the things I thought would be part of my life by now. I guess you could say I planted seeds five years ago, and since then, my roots have really grown deep. Even though I am really proud of myself, I allowed that grief to influence my decision this year. I wasn’t going to take pictures at all. You can’t photograph how much my roots have grown in five years and, to be vulnerable with you, I am a little embarrassed by how little I feel my life has changed on paper.

After a few conversations with some of my closest people, a few nudges and words of encouragement, I decided to take the pictures. There is no rule that I had to include everyone. They could be whatever I wanted them to be. Anyway, one of my best friends is an amazing photographer, so I reached out to her to take my pictures. This time I wanted the pictures to capture me and my immediate family in our daily lives. I didn’t want to dress up or wear more makeup than normal. I wanted a picture of my parents in their norm, the love in my mom’s eyes as she looks at her family, the way she sits with her hands clasped and her sweet smile. I wanted pictures of me and the dogs in the kitchen and in our new home. I wanted candid pictures. I love a good black and white photo. To me, it lets the emotions color the photograph. I just wanted pictures I would treasure for the rest of my life. I wanted to capture life right where we are.

She absolutely brought my vision to life and nailed it!! Braxton had a morning football game, so it ended up just being me, my mom and the dogs. It was perfect. I got emotional taking pictures with my mom. I know one day she won’t be here and it makes me emotional just thinking about the day she isn’t. I am grateful to have precious pictures of her and with her. She’s the very best person I know.

At the end of the day, two feelings can exist at the same time. I can be grieving what I thought my life would look like by now and be really really proud of myself for where I am today. I am thankful for the nudges to take these pictures. They capture the season I am in perfectly. The pictures of my mom are absolutely priceless. I know in five years I will be different. I don’t know what will be different or who will be in my life, but I do plan on enjoying the journey and being where my feet are.

Again, and I cannot stress this enough…. grateful is an understatement for this chapter of my life and the people in it. Lastly, I would take personal growth any day and all day over changes on paper.

Speaking of preferring personal growth…

Two areas God has been challenging me to grow in: speaking life into everyone and everything, and praying prayers of victory WITHOUT picking it right back up in doubt, fear, or worry. I am reminded daily to leave it in his hands and trust what I just prayed is done. The victory is already won!

Let’s start with speaking life into everything and everyone.

It’s simple and so freaking hard at the same time.

I have been convicted daily to speak life into people and situations and I constantly have to check my thoughts and words.

Friends, this is a muscle you have to work and be very intentional about.

For example, when a driver is driving under the speed limit and I am in a hurry I do NOT want to speak life into that person. I want to tell them to get the hell out of the way! Then I get that tug on my spirit that tells me to speak life. Okay… ooppf! I don’t know what’s going on in their life…. they are not an asshole…. and I was being ugly. I say something that speaks life into them and try to be better next time. Lord knows driving around Houston there are PLENTY of chances to work on this. That is a silly and very real example. This is something I have been very convicted to work on. Some days it is really hard and most days it is becoming more natural. I absolutely want to be someone that SPEAKS life into my world and the people around me.

Another area I have been growing in is praying prayers in full victory.

I pray my victory prayers and then I seem to just love to pick it back up with worry, doubt or even better question God on the very thing I just prayed victory over. When I do that, I feel that same tug on my spirit and correct myself. Again, this is something I work on daily. Some days are easy and others not so much.

But just think about how different my soul and spirit will be if I can be where my feet are, speak life into everything and everyone and stand in complete faith praying prayers in victory.

Hell. To. The. Yes! Thank you Jesus for convicting my heart, challenging me to grow, and teaching me to reflect the fruit of your spirit. AND an even bigger thank you for meeting me with grace every step of the way!

So cheers to growth, grace and being where my feet are.

Until next time,

Amanda

P.S. – A little note for you before you go: You have a choice over your words, thoughts, and actions. You choose how you show up. People suck sometimes… that doesn’t mean you have to suck too. Be the light you are!! Let your light shine! You are incredible and don’t you ever forget that!