the basics

Let’s get down to basics: I grew up in Colorado, I am a mountain mama. The mountains feed my soul. I grew up in a beautiful valley along the Arkansas River, not far from where the river begins. I am a graduate of Colorado State University, go Rammies! I spent my twenties moving various places throughout the United States. I have lived in Colorado, Washington, Maine, West Virginia, Massachusetts and a short stint in New York, all by the time I was 28. My twenties were fantastic, I say this all the time. I have had three deeply meaningful relationships and have experienced what it is to love and be loved. I have had many amazing jobs. I spent the last 10 years of my life working with families, most recently working with youth who are involved with the criminal court system. I married a man that I dated when I was 17, we reconnected thanks to a Google search 14 years later. I have two children: a step-daughter (also a graduate of CSU!) and a 9 year-old son.

my vows to you

Vows? What are we, entering into a relationship? Well, the short answer is yes. For this relationship to be successful, I would like to make some commitments to you and also for me.

• I promise to be authentic. I want to make it clear, I am not perfect. I do not believe that I make the best decisions all of the time, I am not always the best mother, I am not always a superior wife, my house is not fit to be in a magazine, I am oftentimes too direct with my words, I am full of self-doubt and wonder to myself, daily, what the heck am I doing. I will be authentic and not put on airs, including the parts about myself that are messy. I want you to trust me and I want to earn that trust.

• I promise to be honest. Sometimes things are sunshine and roses and sometimes things are darkness and dread. I will lay it all out there. When doing research for my blog, I noticed that there was a constant theme of everything and everyone being blissful. A Facebook presentation, if you will. It is easy to put snippets of our lives on a social media platform that will flatter us. I am guilty of this, I want to share what I think are the best parts of me. This isn’t the platform for surface level conversation, this is where I hope to get real, for better or worse.

• I promise to be aware. I am aware that I have been given the gift of opportunity. I have a chance to follow my dreams, unencumbered by the financial tethers that so move us through life. This is true, at least for the time being. As such, I will be aware that I have a responsibility to make the most of it, to follow-through and to act on this incredible opportunity that is in front of me.

Communication

I would love to hear your thoughts, comments and ideas. Please send an email, write a comment, reach out via Facebook, Twitter and coming soon TikTok.