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I was asked what I thought after watching that vid

I was asked what I thought after watching that video.

My response: “If that doesn’t piss you off, YOU are part of the problem.” And then I opened IG and saw someone else say the exact words. “There’s got to be more to the story.” Yeah, probably. But the end result—I still can’t fathom.

The end result was out of anger and arrogance and lack of PAYING FREAKING ATTENTION to what the hell was really going on.

That man was someone’s child; it doesn’t matter how old he was. That man was probably someone’s dad and brother and cousin. Was he perfect? No. But he was a human being. No different than you or me.

Ask my kids what I hate, what will fire me up: drugs and racism.

I hate it. I will never understand first hand what my non-white friends experience, but what I, AS A WHITE WOMAN, have witnessed of it—even words that I heard just this last week—piss me off.
This is 2020, people. We as a society are open to all of the forward-thinking technology ideas. We are all-about progressing in so many areas of life—why not this?

I’ve never been quiet about my feelings about people being called out because of their color. (Something happens) and I’m asked, “were they black?” Who gives a rat’s ass if they were purple?

It’s about character, not color.

And if you don’t believe that or (just as bad) don’t stand up for that, you are part of the problem.

Stand up. Speak up. Set the example. For your kids, for your neighbors, your family members.

And don’t ever apologize for loving and accepting people just as they are.

Jesus does the same for you (and me). #loveeveryone #endracism #bethelove #bethechange #icantbreathe #dowhatisright #georgefloyd #dothework

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I have been a longtime fan Elon. I remember tweeti

I have been a longtime fan Elon. I remember tweeting him umpteen years ago (09?) that I wanted to take my kids on a field trip to the moon. And he retweeted it. ha!

Of all the people I’ve had the privilege to meet and all of the really cool experiences, those with @nasa and SpaceX stand out from the crowd.
I found these pics today of the kids in the SpaceX Launch Control Center from a trip they went with me to view the original Space Dragon and tour the @spacex Control Center. And these are pieces of a post I wrote about it in 2010: “According to what we learned that night, SpaceX will be ready to fly its first manned mission in 2014. :::I want to volunteer for that trip::: I remember standing in the Control Center telling the kids, ‘THIS is your NASA.’ When we were growing up, our dreams of visiting the moon included space shuttles. Today, shuttles are no more.
The dreams of our children visiting the moon lie in the hands of private companies, and the regulations our government will lay upon them. With the technology of today, our children’s dreams could be more of a reality than we would have ever imagined.
The most economical way to get to outer space in today’s economy is to allow free enterprise to compete. The government will always cost more and as shown in the past, free enterprise will bring out the most innovative ways at a lesser cost.
There is much controversy surrounding SpaceX and the use of private sectors. I will be the first to tell you I don’t know which side is right or wrong.
But I will also tell you that the day people quit trying to make things happen is the day this country completely fails. This is a time of technology. This is a time of growth.
This time in history, more than ever before, is a time that if we are not playing with the big boys, we will fail.”
This manned spacecraft may be launching 6 years later than expected, but it’s happening.

Love him or hate him, Elon had a goal and he didn’t stop. Despite failures he’s faced, he continued to push forward.
And today, we’re scheduled to have the first manned spacecraft from a private-sector launch into space.

God speed.

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Motherhood isn’t always grand. There’s hurt a

Motherhood isn’t always grand.

There’s hurt and tears, and discipline that must be enforced, and sometimes harder than hard lessons that they must learn on their own.

But it’s also full of hope and faith and unconditional love that withstands it all.

I’ve been a momma for 21 years, and at this point I have almost all the tshirts. (And Dear Lord, the ones I don’t have, you can please burn. Amen.) And let me tell you—the key to all seasons of #motherhood is to never quit believing in them, unconditionally loving them, fiercely fighting for them, and most importantly—never take your eyes off Jesus.

These two may try some of my days, but they make my life.

And that is motherhood.

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Quarantine day # (I’ve lost count). ⁣ ⁣ ⁣

Quarantine day # (I’ve lost count). ⁣
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#quarantinelife #essentialworker #lifewithteens #boxersarethebest #quarantinedays #lifewithkids #lifewithdogs

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Quarantine week 53.⁣ ⁣ I like to keep a ginorm

Quarantine week 53.⁣
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I like to keep a ginormous post-it on the side of a wall in the kitchen for the kids to add what they ‘want’ at the store each week. ⁣
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These days, I refer to it as the GROCERY WISH LIST, given what’s been available at the store has been so hit-or-miss.⁣
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Nicholas has been our grocery-shopper and also gets what my parents need and drops it at their door.⁣
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Funny thing: the subject line of my dad’s email last week with their grocery list was ‘grocery wish list’ too. #theappledoesntfallfar⁣
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And if anyone knows where to get a 1000 year-old bonsai tree, that would be great.⁣
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Apparently a kid wants one of those as much as I want some hamburger meat these days. 🌮⁣
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#momlife #quarantine #quarantinelife #stayhome #grocerylist #lifewithkids #iwanttobuyacow⁣

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Weirdest holiday ever.⁣ ⁣ I’m thankful our o

Weirdest holiday ever.⁣
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I’m thankful our outer appearance through this #pandemic doesn’t reflect our hearts or the work The Lord has done (AND is doing) in each of us.⁣
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We didn’t dye a single egg. The youngest asked me the other day if we were going to. I told him I couldn’t bring myself to buy the extra few (or five) dozen to dye—not when some essentials have been so hard to find over the last weeks. #noguilt #stillagoodmom⁣
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I usually go all out spoiling the kids on holidays. And I didn’t even put together a single basket. And haven’t bought the first piece of Easter candy.⁣
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I think one of the biggest things I’ve realized the last month+ is how wasteful we can be as a society. How many non-essentials we ‘think’ we need. ⁣
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When something as simple as hamburger meat can still be hard to find, it really will make you stop and really think.⁣
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One thing everyone can agree on is this Easter is very different. Church buildings aren’t filled, and we all aren’t able to spend the day and celebrate with our families. But we can all still cling to the hope and love this day represents—especially through these days of uncertainty.⁣
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🐣❣️✝️⁣
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#pandemiceaster #easter2020 #quarantinelife #quarantinestories #hopeliveshere ⁣
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We social-distanced from people today. And the fi

We social-distanced from people today.
And the fish pretty much social-distanced from us. 🙄

What do you do when you have a lot of people to feed and only a handful of fish?

Fish tacos. 🐟 🌮 Because with those, the fish will multiply like Jesus had laid hands on it.

Every.single.time. 🎣 🎣 🎣
#beresourceful #frugalliving #frugalmeals #whatsfordinner #whats4dinner #arkansaslife #quarantine #lifeinarkansas #fishinglife #quarantinelife #fishingday #socialdistancing #socialdistanceinnature #socialdistance

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If we’ve got to go out, at least the masks are m

If we’ve got to go out, at least the masks are my favorite color, right?!⁣
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My dad had an outpatient procedure scheduled for today to have his feeding tube changed out. I’ve been hollering since last week that it HAD to be rescheduled; a hospital is the last place he (or my mom) needs to be. His doctor called yesterday and said yes, he had cancelled a number of appointments and procedures but that daddy still needed to come in, as this is his sole source of nutrition. ⁣
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We, as a family, have intentionally not seen them for going on 2 weeks (thank goodness for FaceTime). None of us have been sick, but the kids have still been going to school (our schools closed effective yesterday) and JC is still going to work and with all the unknowns circling this situation, we simply can’t take a chance with them. ⁣
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I haven’t been concerned for myself, but have been for my parents. For their friends and other humans—young or old—who are also either battling cancer or otherwise have compromised immune systems. ⁣
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So when y’all are told to stay home, there’s a reason. These people are a reason. Humans in your own community who are battling health problems on a good day are a reason.⁣
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The probability of dying from it? It’s very low. But cancer patients and elderly are at a higher risk. And when it comes to the people you love? Any percentage is too high. Amen?⁣
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Don’t be selfish, y’all.⁣
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Stay at home. ⁣
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And for the love of all things good, quit buying everything! 🙄⁣
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#flattenthecurve #covid19 #coronavirus #socialdistancing #communityovercorona #cancerandcorona⁣
#stayathome #andquitbuyingeverything

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💕❣️ Valentine’s Day ready! And unlike at

💕❣️ Valentine’s Day ready! And unlike at Christmas, everything is labeled correctly. Amen. 🙌🏽🥂 #valentines #valentinesgift #giftsforkids #pinkeverything #glittery #motherhood #glittereverywhere #valentinesgifts #valentinesday

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Today marks 7 years of the day my brother called m

Today marks 7 years of the day my brother called me and told me that “no matter what happens” he would be okay.⁣⁣
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I vividly remember the conversation and where I was sitting, watching the sunlight coming through the window while we talked. ⁣⁣
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I can still replay the words in my head. Even years later, I have to stop myself from the ‘I should have .... ’ thoughts.⁣⁣
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We talked nearly every day. His words from that day weighed heavily on me for the next month, but I never once imagined the outcome.⁣⁣
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I knew his struggles. I had always been very direct about his drinking. We had multiple confrontations about it over the years. He knew where I stood, but we still loved each other fiercely.⁣⁣
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Here’s the thing about suicide: there will always be unanswered questions. Those left behind will forever struggle with the ‘what ifs.’ It will quickly become the new normal. ⁣⁣
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An array of emotions will flood the day and sometimes years. Sadness, anger, depression, acceptance, bitterness, denial, even joy in remembering. It’s normal. And no emotion is ever wrong.⁣⁣
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Your entire life can suddenly feel like a giant puzzle, with each piece being a bit of new information learned. Though in the end, there are still pieces missing.⁣⁣
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‘Facts’ that don’t make sense and questions that will never be resolved.⁣⁣
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Though my puzzle isn’t complete, I had to find peace in knowing that it never will be. had to resolve that I had lost my brother to a horrific situation and a terrible disease.⁣⁣
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If you are walking this horrific journey, be gentle with yourself. Healing takes time. It took me years to come to some sort of peace in knowing that he isn’t struggling.⁣⁣
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I have to believe he was doing the best that he thought he could do.⁣⁣
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→ If you ever know someone walking this journey, don’t try to solve the puzzle. Those pieces are ‘family business.’ The chatter can quickly turn to exaggerated stories and gossip.⁣⁣
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Behind every hard story, there is a hurting family.⁣⁣
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Respect that.⁣⁣
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#mentalhealthawareness #itsoktonotbeok #mentalhealthmatters #endthestigma #suicideprevention #mentalwellness #mentalhealth #selfcaredaily #selfcareisntselfish #tellyourstory

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Have y’all seen the idea of baking cinnamon roll

Have y’all seen the idea of baking cinnamon rolls on a waffle maker? ⁣🧇⁣⁠⠀
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I can’t remember if I first saw it on Pinterest or on Instagram stories. ⁣⁣⁠⠀
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Either way, I’m not usually one to jump on a bandwagon of ‘oh it’s the latest thing ….’, but this idea was cute and seemed simple enough and hello? I am all about some simple. ⁣⁣⁠⠀
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Me + my handy-dandy, worn-out waffle maker from William Sonoma, that is probably as old as Nicholas (that is missing the light cover) kicked it and in just a few minutes had these cute waffled-cinnamon rolls.⁣⁣⁠⠀
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And there were happy plates all around and no complaints. Amen.⁣⁣⁠⠀
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Note: this will be the simplest thing you ever do in your kitchen besides boil water. ⁣⁣⁠⠀
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Also note: I only ‘cooked’ (and I use that term _very_ loosely) one cinnamon roll at a time. And it worked best when I held the waffle maker closed.⁣⁣⁠⠀
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You’re welcome. ⁣😘 ⁣⁠⠀
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💡:: drizzle icing on each waffled-cinnamon roll as you stack. Again, this was my first gig. I wasn’t thinking about that and stacked them and “poured” the icing as I would have syrup. #thereisabetterway⁣⁣⁠⠀
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JC: “Wouldn’t it be easier just to throw them in a pan and into the over?”⁣⁣⁠⠀
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Me: “Probably. But, #Pinterest.”⁣⁣⁠⠀
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#pinterestinspired #whatsforbreakfast #easyrecipe #kidsinthekitchen #breakfastideas #breakfastisserved #notthehealthiest #easybreakfast #cinnamonrollwaffles #wintereats #simpleanddelicious

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Each of the girls got sweet Maghon’s (@allshewro

Each of the girls got sweet Maghon’s (@allshewrotenotes) book for Christmas. ⁣
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Maybe so I could subtly ‘borrow’ one of them. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 😉 ⁣
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Girl’s book + boys’ markers = momma’s creative outlet for this Friday night. 🎨⁣
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#handlettering #handletteringpractice #getcreativewith #crayolaforlife

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🌟 This is 44.⁣ 🌟 ⁣ ⁣⁣ Looking back o

🌟 This is 44.⁣ 🌟 ⁣
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Looking back on the last decade can make my head spin. 🤯 I lost my Nan, have watched both of my parents fight cancer. Lost my brother to suicide and a piece of my sister to mental health. I got divorced. I fought for my kids. I watched my oldest walk his own journey of hell, while I was living mine. I got remarried. I realized that living and being the true version of *me* is more important than anything anyone thinks of me.⁣⁣
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For the next half of my life, I am confident to not question my gut. And know that some people simply need to be loved from a distance. I’m not responsible for my kids’ happiness—or anyone’s for that matter. And that I should stand up and fight for myself first—before standing up for anyone else.⁣⁣
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Here’s to 2020. 🥳 And all of us remembering that we matter. That our voices and our stories matter—in our homes, in our communities, and for the world.⁣⁣
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#tellyourstory #decadechallenge #mybirthday🎂 #mybirthday #liveyourbestlife #creativelifehappylife #communityovercompetition #dreamersanddoers #mycreativebiz #femaleentrepreneur #womensupportingwomen #womeninbusiness #buildyourempire #yourstorymatters

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Merry, happy everything, y’all. 🎄🎅🏼⁣

Merry, happy everything, y’all. 🎄🎅🏼⁣
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Also, I ran out of Ys. 🍸 ⁣
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#christmastree #christmas #christmasdecor #christmas🎄 #christmastime #christmasgifts #christmashome #christmasinarkansas #treesofinstagram #letterboard #letterboards #christmasletterboard #messageboard #letterboardfun

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Don’t let all of this cutest fool you. 🐾 ⁣⁣
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These two have been in the business of eating all the Christmas ornaments. 😑⁣⁣
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If you saw my #stories yesterday, you saw the little lion that once was. RIP. 🦁 ⁣⁣
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Then JC pointed out that it won’t take us long to take the boys’ tree down, because the dogs have eaten.half.the.ornaments. 😒⁣⁣
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Not shown :: a (now empty) bag of treats that was required for us to win these photos.⁣⁣
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#dogsofinstagram #boxersofinstagram #dogsatchristmas #christmaswithdogs #christmaslights #christmasfun #liveyourbestlife #boxerpitmix #christmastime🎄 #christmascountdown #doglife #dogsofinsta #doglife #christmasspirit #christmasiscoming #christmasiscoming🎄

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Forget all the pressures of all the #Christmasshop

Forget all the pressures of all the #Christmasshopping left to do.⁣⁣
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If we didn’t get it tonight or #amazonprime isn’t delivering it by Tuesday, it’s not happening in 2019. And y’all, ain’t nobody going to die. Amen. 🙌🏽⁣⁣
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Side note :: do y’all realize what an amazing time we live in to be able to shop online and have your order delivered the next day? Hallelujah. ⁣⁣
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We ran into Target earlier for some essentials, and his face lit up when he remembered we could get @starbucks there at the same time. #itsthelittlethings⁣⁣
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And that extra shot of expresso helped to power through all of the crowds and the other last minute people, who were just as jolly and merry as we were about being out shopping on December 21 in.the.rain. 😂 🛍 🎅🏼 ⁣⁣
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#tistheseason #christmastime #dateyourspouse #choose901 #targetchristmas #targetdoesitagain

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Y’all, why do we (as women) stress about what we

Y’all, why do we (as women) stress about what we wear? 👗 ⁣
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Seriously. 🤦🏼‍♀️⁣
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We went to a fundraiser for Sheriff Bonner last night and (in typical Jenn fashion) on Friday I was in a panic of “OMG I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR.” 🙄⁣
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I had two doctor appointments to take my dad to Friday morning. Got him home and situated and I ran BACK to #Memphis like a mad woman to find something to wear.⁣
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Four stores later and no luck, I was so discouraged I drove home with my @chickfila sweet tea.⁣
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I convinced myself all was well—I had 24 hours to figure this crap out. #procrastinatorsunite 👊🏽 ⁣
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Fast forward to Friday night, I had the bright idea to run to @catofashions (because it’s pretty much the only store we have in town that was open) to try to avoid having to go back to Memphis Saturday.⁣
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Y’all. The two sales girls were so.much.fun and played dress up with me and $30 later, I found this cute, flowly dress that was super comfortable—one of those that I could eat anything I wanted and didn’t have to worry about it stickin’ to me. And @spanx weren’t even needed. 🙌🏽 #canigetanamen⁣
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And y’all. We get to the shindig and people were dressed.to.the.hilt and yet there are others in blue jeans. Fo’ real. And here I was stressing’ about what to wear. 🙄 #notetaken⁣
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And Y’ALL. I.wore.heals. 👠 JC, watch out, baby. I just gained two inches on ya. 😘#pleaseholdmeup⁣
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Nevermind as the night progressed the shoes came off and the red neck came out with my bare feet, because this gal can’t wobble and shuffle very well in heels. 💃🏼 #imissmyflipflops⁣
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#truestory⁣
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#iloveus #christmasparty #christmaspartyoutfits #christmastime #choose901 @agricenterinternational #memphis #christmasinmemphis #901 #memphismade #dateyourspouse @westmemphiscato #ootd #ootdinspiration

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Today’s society has convinced us that we constan

Today’s society has convinced us that we constantly should be doing more. Have more. Need more. ⁣⁣⁣
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That our kids have to do all the activities, have all the latest and ‘greatest’ of everything. That if we aren’t doing an Advent calendar….are we really Christians—and good moms? 😦 ⁣⁣⁣
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Yes, I am. And yes, I am. ⁣⁣⁣
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All of the ‘social pressure’—that is magnified like never before, thank you #socialmedia—has us believing that if we’re really growing our businesses, that we’ll do whatever it takes to 10X them practically-overnight. #whoneedssleep 🤔 I DO! That’s who! 👵🏼 #justaskmypeople ⁣⁣⁣
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Society has also convinced us that being busy comes with a badge of honor. 🥇 ⁣⁣⁣
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Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. 🤯⁣⁣⁣
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Our health, our minds, our bodies—they aren’t worth sacrificing for the sake of what society [whether it be your momma, your MIL, your neighbors, or even your children] may think.⁣⁣⁣
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Got your halls decked? You go girl. 👊 I do too. Look at all of those lights NOT shining bright! 😑⁣⁣⁣
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I also have my #christmaswreaths still stacked on the front porch waiting to be hung—for a week now. 🤷‍♀️ ⁣⁣⁣
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I have 2 boxes sitting at the front door with new light fixtures to be hung outside. And a bathroom I still haven’t cleaned and put back together from a window being replaced—on Monday. ⁣⁣⁣
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And while I’m at it—I also haven’t bought or considered buying the first gift. 🙄[Look kids! You got new windows, siding and gutters for Christmas! YAY! 🎄Maybe? No? 🤷‍♀️]⁣⁣⁣
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The hustling and busting that tends to be the norm this time of year? ⁣⁣⁣
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Let’s bust it up. 💥 Let’s do something different.⁣⁣⁣
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Let’s maybe chill. And breathe. ⁣⁣⁣
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And here’s an idea? Let’s simply enjoy living the life we’ve been blessed with and not feel like we have to do #allthethings. And remove the pressures from us that we may _feel_ society is expecting. ⁣⁣⁣
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If you’re doing all you can do, girl, you’re doing plenty. ⁣⁣⁣
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Remember that. ⁣⁣⁣
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xx⁣⁣⁣
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#livealifeyoulove #thisisus #homedecor #christmastree #farmhousedecor #thisismotherhood #youareenough #mentalhealthawareness #selfcareformoms #selfcarematters #kingofchristmas #decoratingforch

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