Memorial Day Weekend

for Memorial Day weekend we went camping the mountains. it brought back so many memories of being little and camping with my family's closest friends. there was card games, camp fires, marshmallows (my favorite), hot dogs, and of course lots of laughter. the campsites we stay at were absolutely amazing, they were right by the river, and i mean right by the river! it was so much fun, i didn't even mind sleeping on the ground. there were always kayakers going by and the water was crystal clear. although it brought back memories of childhood it was nice being older and able to appreciate the memories we were making at the moment. i love being a part of groups were friends may as well be family and i couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate this weekend. 

thank you to all of the armed forces who give their lives everyday to keep us safe. also thank you to their families for supporting them and making the sacrifice to let them go 

Elle Belle showing her support this weekend 

since my mom's birthday was on friday we brought hats and cake to celebrate. i love the photo that (most of) us all together, including the dogs because in our group dogs are just as much a part of the family

i found out that if you want your dog to be (even more of) a snugglier take them to where when the sun goes down the temperature drops to 40 degrees and they will be right on you the whole night

the mornings were breath taking with the sun coming up and the mist on the water. at night it was just as beautiful the sky was clear and there were millions of stars.

GerBears first swim. she could barely even walk in her life jacket

Maci is such an outdoory dog. she loved the water, i couldn't keep her out of it. i even convinced (forced) her to go kayaking with me. we only had one time when she tried to make a b line for the shore 

xoxo,

        MK

My Girls

Four years ago I had two very shy girls come into my life, just by happenstance. These girls started staying at my house one afternoon a week quickly that turned into every afternoon with some sleepovers, currently these sweet girls live at my house Monday thur Friday. 

Immediately after I met Haley and Ashley I saw how broken inside they were and felt a sense of responsibility to love them until they were whole again. I always wanted them to be able to laugh and be the kids that they were. With the help of their loving dad this girls now live a very normal life. 

In many ways I take care of these girls like a parent. I cook for them, wash their clothes, make sure they get to school on time and show them how to act. I wouldn't trade this for the world, I love these girls so much. 

I love Haley's bravery and her need for knowledge. You will almost never find this girl without a book. I love the way she steals my clothes, even though they are huge on her and they way she takes care of her sister. I love how she cares so much about school and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. I love the way she cares about other people and is never afraid to be herself. 

I love Ashley's laughter and her undeniable personality. She never fails to make me laugh. I love how she is a "genius" and pretends to be a dog. I love her silly quotes "I don't think the dogs like me anymore because I'm a dinosaur." I love her sassy attitude that's going to take her so far in life and the way she takes my shoes without asking. I love her early morning "Game Show" and the way she smiles in pictures. 

I love these girls. 

If someone told me five years ago that when I was 18 I would be signing permission slips, making lunches, picking kids up from school, and tucking them into bed I definitely would have told them they were crazy. But here I am at 18 doing all those things and I wouldn't trade my girls for the world.

 Today the girls and I went on a hike in the woods to a river about two miles away from our house. I love taking the girls on walks because it is great exercise and being with is a constant game of did you know and would you rather. Although four miles is a little much for them, it was worth it.

"We walked all this way to see this brown river..." -Ashley

Just when I thought they had no energy left we came upon the creek and all three of them went nuts playing in it

"Hey Mom before I run some more laps around you I'm going to sit in this creek just I so i can be close to you" - Maci

xoxo,

       MK

Summer Bucket List

Although Summer hasn't officially started (for all of us) I already consider my summer started. The next month is going to be very exciting for me with graduation and everything going on. I have a few things I want to do before I head off to college in the Fall so I thought I would make a list and share it on the blog (in hopes it will inspire me to actually do all of these things). I plan to share them on the blog as I cross them off my list.

- Alone Trip
- Camping/Backpacking
-Tattoo
-Davison Day Trip
-Beach Trip with Anna
-Farmers Market
-Biltmore House
-Lake Day
-Hiking
-Zoo
-Girls Trip with Haley and Ashley
-New York
-Strawberry Picking

xoxo,
       MK

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom who taught me to be brave, always follow my dreams no matter how big they are, and love without limits.Thank you for all that you do Mom! For Mother's Day Will and I cleaned the house for my Mom, set up a pajama night with a movie included, and some very pretty flowers. Will made homemade popcorn, which absolutely the best. My Mom loves white cheddar popcorn. Once the girls got home my Mom made her famous grilled cheeses for all of us before we started the movie.

On a more serious note I am not okay with Haley being this big, where is the eight year old I met four years ago.

And to this sweet girl who made me a Dog Mom, I love you.

xoxo,

      MK

Health and Happiness Inspiration, from Pinterest

Drink tea before bed
     - make sure it has no caffeine, this will help calm you 

Exercise most days
     - no one is perfect and we all know how busy we are, but do your best I promise it will make you          feel better. The earlier in the day you work out the better you will sleep at night.

Get 7 hrs of sleep each night
     - again no one is perfect but try

Keep your room cooler at night
     - sleep in shorts. Sleeping in a hot room or warm clothes makes you restless at night

Wake up around the same time every day
     - I know 7 am on Saturday doesn't sound great, but your body likes a routine and will lead to you          having way more energy

Go outside
     - just sit enjoy the sun, vitamin D is good for you and so is some fresh air

Meditate 
     - you told have to be good at it, just try to think about yourself and your feelings, or try the                  headspace app

Be grateful
     - when you think about the good things in your life you are happier

Spread joy
     - do good, feel good, feel good, do good

Let go
     - go with the flow, things will work themselves out

Eat better
     - the better you eat, the better feel, the better you feel, the happier you are

Have deep conversations
     - this gives you purpose and allows you to be meaningful

Create a bed time routine
     - this will let your body know when to start calming down and prepare for sleep

xoxo,
     MK