A Dreamer's Wife

Five Favorites (vol. 1)

I’m excited about joining Hallie’s Five Favorites link-up at Moxie Wife tonight! Sometimes there are things I’d love to share, but don’t know quite where they’d fit in, so this allows me to be a little random and have some fun!

{1}

My latest DIY rosette wreath!

I found this tutorial online at The Ribbon Retreat and customized it! I’m thinking about actually hanging this one on the backdoor in my kitchen and making another one with black and white flowers for the red front door..

{2}

My comfy Notre Dame sweatshirt!

This was a Christmas gift from my husband and it is like wearing a soft, cozy blanket! It’s my new go-to item to wear on Saturdays (and maybe Sunday afternoons, too)!

{3}

My Makeup Geek Deluxe Foundation Stippling Brush!

I am so glad that I started using this MUG brush to apply my liquid foundation! It works very well and I can actually get away with using less product! Marlena, founder of Makeup Geek, posts great makeup tutorials and helpful tips, too! If you’re interested in learning more about the stippling technique, click on the link above to view the brush and you’ll see her tutorials!

{4}

My girls’ kiddie table!

We got this Step2 New Traditions table and chairs set for the girls for Christmas! I love how big the table top is and it is very easy to clean! The girls use it all the time!

{5}

My naps with my 3-year-old daughter!

I live for my weekend naps with “C”. It’s so nice to get a few hours of extra sleep on the weekends. I’m going to miss when she gets older and I can’t cuddle up with her (and three of her favorite stuffed animals) anymore!

Tags: DIY wreath, five favorites, makeup

Comments 21 Comments
Categories Mommy/Wife Stuff

A Little More About Me {7 Quick Takes (#8)}

1 Mar

I know, right? Two 7 Quick Takes posts in a row! So… I’ve been thinking lately that I spend so much time talking about my husband’s career, books, and other reflections, that it’s probably time to write a little bit more about myself, so I’m taking a cue from last week’s post by Momma in Flip Flops and sharing 7 tidbits about me…

{1}

The most rebellious thing about me is that I have a tattoo of three pink roses on my lower-back. (Well, they were pink! I just noticed that they’re kind of starting to fade now that it has been 10 years!) It’s kind of funny to me that this is known as a “tramp stamp” since I was a virgin when I got married! Oh, and I have three piercings in one ear and only two in the other! I know, try not to fall out of your chair! Seriously, ask my parents – aside from my sassy mouth at 12-years-old, I was a pretty low maintenance child. I’m hoping that karma works in my favor, but I have a feeling that my second daughter isn’t going to make life easy on me!

{2}

When I’m not working, taking care of my two young girls, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc., I’m usually checking out coupon match-ups and organizing shopping trips. I’m not even close to being “extreme,” although I have had some moments of majorly stocking up on some great deals. I consider myself to be more of a “strategic” coupon-user. More to come on this in the future. Stay tuned!

{3}

When I’m not doing any of the steps in #2, I’m probably watching Notre Dame Football or Basketball or catching up on a favorite TV series with my husband! We really need to get out of the house more often on some dates, but we’re totally happy reclining side-by-side on our black leather love seat in our Notre Dame-decorated basement! Yes, we are a little obsessed!

Even our dog, Princess, has a jersey!

{4}

You can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take Indiana out of the girl!

Northern Indiana will always feel like home to me, even though I have lived in Tennessee for nearly eight years now. When I talk, I never know what accent is going to come out of my mouth! I have a lot of family in Michigan, I went to college with a bunch of people from Chicago, and now I’m surrounded by southern drawls! I’m some kind of a Midwest meets the mid-south hybrid!

{5}

Speaking of college, I really regret that I did not minor in Spanish! I took 4 1/2 years of Spanish in junior high and high school and wanted to continue to advance, but my advisor told me that the Spanish professor wasn’t that good, so I didn’t take any courses! Shortly after, a new professor took over, but by that time I had already decided to major in Human Services and Social Work and minor in Psychology and Criminal Justice. There was no room in my schedule to squeeze in any Spanish when I was on track to graduate in three years, so I could get married and move to Nashville! I need to break out the Rosetta Stone again! It is definitely on my bucket list to become more proficient in Spanish!

Trip to Mexico in 2001 with some other high school students

{6}

When I actually get some rare nuggets of time, I like to read. I usually use my long commute back and forth from work to listen to books (gotta love the text-to-speech feature on the Kindle)! The automated voice isn’t anything to be excited about, but I have gotten through like 95% more books than I would have if I just read them with my own two eyes! (Yes, I know there are audiobooks, but they are usually more expensive and not all books are available in that format!)

{7}

I’m planning to expand the focus of my blog a little bit. Since pursuing dreams usually requires money, I’m planning to start some kind of series that includes cheap, easy recipes, money-saving tips, inexpensive activities, etc. I’m thinking about calling it, Keep Your Change! I come across so many useful ideas that I should probably share them! I guess I have put this off a little bit because there are so… many great blogs out there that focus on all of these topics in depth on a regular basis, but, oh well! I’m going for it!

I’m also going to dive back into a project that I started at the end of last year! I can’t wait to share it, because it’s going to take what I love to talk about – dreams and doing God’s will – to a whole different level!

Read more 7 Quick Takes posts over at Conversion Diary! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tags: 7 Quick Takes, Stefanie Shick

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Mommy/Wife Stuff

February’s Bloggers in the Spotlight {7 Quick Takes (#7)}

22 Feb

7 quick takes sm1 7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 207)

I’m linking back up with the 7 Quick Takes crew at Conversion Diary today! It’s been awhile, so I’m glad to be a part of it again! This is also the fourth Friday of the month, which means it is Dreamer in the Spotlight time! So, once again, I’m combining both to bring my list of seven awesome dreamers – blogger edition!

Since I have focused on the topic of vocations quite a bit this month, I figured that it would be fitting to showcase seven amazing bloggers who inspire me with their dedication to fulfilling their vocations. You probably are aware of some of these blogs already (many are regular 7QT-ers), but hopefully there may be one or two that you aren’t familiar with and can check out! Let’s get started!

1. Humble Handmaid

This blog by Erin Franco is one of my absolute favorites! Her tagline pretty much sums up a big reason why I chose to feature her today – “Writing about my “yes” to God’s plan for my life, one late night blogging session at a time.” As a mother in my twenties myself, I can relate to a lot of what Erin discusses. I love the honesty of her posts about trying to be a good parent, wife, and Catholic. Erin’s passion for her beautiful family is evident all over her blog! If you are a young wife/mother and don’t already follow her, DO IT – NOW!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

2. Moxie Wife

First, I have a confession to make! I haven’t read Hallie Lord’s book Style, Sex, and Substance yet! It is on my to-read list for this year, though! I love how Hallie writes as if she’s a friend just filling you in on a great new product she found or linking you to an amazing article, in addition to sharing great advice about being a good wife and encouraging your husband! This is a lovely blog that embraces married life as the vocation that it is!

3. Biltrix

Obviously, blogs are a great way to evangelize and Biltrix is one of the best sites that I have found that does this very thing! The authors- James Stone, Fr. Jason Smith, Fr. Jose LaBoy, and Fr. Joseph Tham- use Catholic teaching and a little bit of humor to shed light on current events and enhance awareness of a variety of topics. Be sure to check out their blog to find out what a Biltrix is!

4. Life Happens When

This convicting, joy-filled blog is courtesy of former English teacher, wife, and mother of two, Leanne Willen. She is also a regular 7 Quick Takes participant! Just like Humble Handmaid, I stumbled upon this blog on Catholicmom.com when she wrote a contributing post that I connected with. She is another woman that I feel I can greatly relate to, since our kiddos are about the same ages! Leanne is frequently challenging herself and others to step outside their comfort zones and enjoy the blessings in life, especially family. I had the privilege of guest posting on Leanne’s blog back in November!

5. The Veil of Chastity

Okay, all you single ladies (repeat and sing it in your head, “all you single ladies”) out there! This blog is for you! Soon-to-be-published author of The Veil, Cindy, blogs about the vocation of single-hood and chastity. (And, also participates frequently in 7 Quick Takes.) She states on the sidebar of her blog, “I pray this blog provides wisdom and hope for single girls!” Cindy did not get married until the age of 38, so she can relate to all the single Catholics out there who are hoping to find that special someone! There is a lot of truth in this blog and it is definitely worth checking out!

6. Captive the Heart

For those single ladies mentioned above who are about to get married, this blog is your next stop! Stephanie Calis, also a contributing author at Ignitum Today, shares great ideas for wedding fashion, receptions, and ceremonies. She also writes wonderful spiritual reflections, and- bonus- I just love her joyful attitude that comes out in her writing! 7QT-ers will probably be familiar with this blog already, but if you are not, be sure to click on her site!

7. Conversion Diary

So, I have to give a big nod to Jennifer Fulwiler, who hosts 7 Quick Takes each Friday! For those reading this who aren’t already aware, she is an atheist-to-Catholic convert and somehow finds time to write, speak, blog for the National Catholic Register, manage a household of five kids (with one more on the way), and, oh yeah, star in a reality show! How does she do it all?! And with such a great sense of humor?! Thanks, Jennifer, for giving all of us Catholic bloggers a place to connect and support each other! (All episodes of her show are now available via her website!)

Of course, there are many more blogs out there that I would love to highlight, so I’m sure a Part II and Part III will be coming in the future. As usual, if you know of someone that should be featured in my Dreamer in the Spotlight series or if you’d like to write a guest post to share your own inspirational story, please contact me!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Who’s your favorite inspirational blogger?

Tags: blogs, faith, inspiration, vocation

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Dreamer in the Spotlight, God, Faith & Inspiration

The Greatest Vocation of All!

15 Feb

I ran across the above quote last weekend and had to share it! It expands perfectly on my post about vocations from last Friday! It’s also timely, considering yesterday was St. Valentine’s Day – a day all about LOVE!

For the Year of Faith, I signed up for the daily e-newsletter, Read the Catechism in a Year, and Day 122 held this amazing paragraph by Jeff Pinyan.

If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn’t lack the noblest of all; it must have a Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members to Church to act; if it ceased to function, the Apostles would forget to preach the gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT’S A UNIVERSE OF IT’S OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE – IT’S ETERNAL!

In addition to reading this last Saturday, I heard a visiting Franciscan priest speak about this same topic at Mass on Sunday. He emphasized respecting others as the way to show love.

No matter who we are or what job we have, we are all called to love one another. Sometimes we get caught up in finding our passion and the right career, but no matter how old or young, rich or poor, etc., we can always make it a priority to show love through our everyday actions and treatment of others.

Have a great weekend full of love, everyone!

Above background image courtesy of Phaitoon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: faith, God's will, inspiration, love, vocation

Comments 1 Comment
Categories God, Faith & Inspiration

Embracing Our Vocations: The Key to Joy

8 Feb

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes pursuing dreams can be selfish.

We may be so focused on achieving what we want to accomplish so that we can make more money, be recognized, feel valued, etc., that we risk damaging relationships and destroying our faith.

So, how do we know when our dreams are good or when they are detrimental to us or others? I think the answer comes when we take a look at what it means to have a vocation.

The past few days especially, I have been thinking about this quite a bit. It’s been a consistent topic of conversation between my husband and me as we navigate what God is calling us to do. And guess what? I received a newsletter from DynamicCatholic.com this past Saturday with a special message from Matthew Kelly regarding this exact thing. Here is what he wrote:

The Peace and Joy of Unique Ability

A few nights ago my little girl, Isabel, came into my office at home after her bath. With a huge smile, she walked over, grabbed my phone, held it to her ear, and said, “Call me, daddy!” I played along for a few minutes and then she came over, got up into my lap, buried her head in my chest and gave me a big hug. It was one of those times when I was able to be completely in the moment… and I was happy.

If I think back a few years, I was not so happy. I wasn’t unhappy. I loved my work, but something was missing. I didn’t have the deep peace and joy I have today. What was missing? Vocation. We talk a lot about it, but too often our talk is sterile and dispassionate. But vocation really is a thing of beauty. It is that thing that helps us make sense of everything. It is the feeling of finally being at home in our own lives. It is that place where your unique ability explodes usefully. It is the thing of great worth.

It also requires tremendous work.

How are you doing with your vocation? This Lent, I would like to encourage you to either search more rigorously for your vocation or give your vocation another look and recommit to it. Take it to the next level.

The world and the Church need more people who love life and live it with passion and purpose. Vocation animates us – brings us to life. Vocation fills us with a peace and joy that is immeasurable if we embrace and dedicate ourselves to our call.

Pretty powerful stuff! Being an involved parent and spouse requires a lot of sacrifice, but it is also extremely fulfilling! This is exactly why my husband Adam tells people that he is the happiest that he’s ever been! I’m sure the same can be said for anyone who has responded to God’s call for their life. This is where we find our purpose, passion, and as Matthew Kelly stated, “peace and joy.”

Maybe, though, you are still saying “What is a vocation or how do I know what my vocation is?” I did a quick little Google search to find a definition and stumbled upon the website Vocation.com. While it is geared to those contemplating religious life, I found a great little article worth sharing titled, Is it a vocation or a job or a profession? Below are a few paragraphs…

[…] when we use the word vocation we introduce a vertical dimension into our life, especially into our thinking process and decisions, since the point of reference when we talk about vocation is God’s will – what we believe he is calling us to do with our life, the purpose for which he created us as it relates to the salvation of our own soul and the salvation of others. So a vocation is not something you switch out of on a whim, since it is not something you go into lightly. In following a vocation the main question is: What does God want? and not: What do I prefer? So it would be a major mistake to approach a vocation to the priestly or consecrated life, or to marriage, thinking only of ourselves and not being willing to commit ourselves to it, “for better or for worse” because we know God wants us to see it through.

And so, if there is ever a conflict between our profession and our vocation, it is always the vocation that has to win. A married person who knows that a career opportunity that opens up to him will most probably destroy his marriage must opt for his marriage vocation even if the price is his career. A baptized doctor who risks losing his license if he refuses to do certain immoral procedures will follow his Christian vocation and even at the cost of his medical career. A priest who is a great success in a particular field of ministry and is asked by his bishop to serve in a different area must follow his priestly vocation which includes obedience to his bishop, rather than his “success” in a particular field.

I think the key when evaluating our dreams, is to always be sure that our aspirations are under the umbrella of our vocation. Just as the article above mentions, if our goals are at the expense of living out our vocation, then they must be abandoned or reconstructed.

For us personally, the re-working of goals is why many of you may have been wondering why Adam’s website isn’t up yet or why we haven’t been promoting any new songs. In addition to a lack of ample time, we have been going through a process of identifying priorities, finding nuggets of truth and wisdom, and assessing how everything fits in with our vocation of helping each other get to heaven and raising holy children. I firmly believe that God wants to use Adam’s musical talents to reach people, but just how that all is going to happen is still in the works! I have already seen how much grace and peace he has given us especially in the past year, so even though the road ahead is a mystery, I have no doubt that we are on the right path.

When we stop trying to do things our own way and embrace God’s plan for our life, we will find true joy that is unattainable anywhere else!

Tags: dreams, DynamicCatholic, faith, God's will, inspiration, joy, Matthew Kelly, music, vocation

Comments 5 Comments
Categories God, Faith & Inspiration

A Father Who Gets It

1 Feb

Let me just start out by saying that I am truly blessed to be married to my husband, Adam! In this world of broken marriages, fatherless children, and faithless families, I have a man who desires to do God’s will and be a loving, engaged husband and father. When asked by other musicians about what he has been up to lately, Adam tells them, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been” despite not having much time to focus on anything musically.

Are our lives now quite like we envisioned they would be eight years ago? No…and yes! No, Adam is not where we thought he’d be in his music career right now. We are both working full-time jobs. We live in a house with too many crazy issues that we have to spend more money on than we’d like. Yes, because we get to be the parents of two beautiful, silly girls. Adam writes meaningful, amazing music. We’re able to pay the bills. We work together as a team to take care of our home and family. We’re continuing to grow closer to God and discuss his will for our lives.

Most recently on this journey of discovering what God is calling us, particularly Adam, to do in regards to his career, Adam has found what he is really passionate about – Being a good father and encouraging other men to do the same. When our oldest daughter was born, he read Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Dr. Meg Meeker. He loved it! In December, he stumbled across the documentary, Absent, by Justin Hunt on Netflix. Absent is about the effect that disengaged fathers have on their children and how this lack of a relationship affects society. We also recently watched Courageous, a movie about this same topic. What’s interesting is that independent of these movies, Adam was already thinking a lot about this. These two films just reinforced that God is trying to show him something!

The path that we are exploring now includes possibly recording a CD of his latest real, positive music and putting together his own story for Catholic Men’s Conferences. This would allow him to do what he loves and spread a message that can inspire others. Adam relates to people very well and would be a great speaker. This is definitely just the tip of the iceberg, but we feel that God is definitely giving us some sort of direction.

There are so many question marks and mysteries ahead of us, but I know that our priorities are in order. I know that Adam has the right perspective on what is important in life. The following quote from Courageous, when character Adam Mitchell speaks to a church congregation, sums it up. (Adam rewound this sentence twice!)

You can’t fall asleep at the wheel, only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do.

Please pray for us as we continue to discern God’s call in our lives. We will do the same for you! Let’s also pray that more men will have the courage to be good fathers to their children! Thank you to all the wonderful men out there who are already amazing husbands and fathers! Your value in this world is priceless!

I’d like to also say a special thank you to my own father. Thanks, Dad, for always finding time to support my interests and challenging me to be the best version of myself!

(Above photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net)

Tags: Absent, Adam Shick, Catholic men's conferences, Courageous, faith, Fatherhood, God, music

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Adam's musical journey, God, Faith & Inspiration

The Grand Opening of Creative Crumbs {January’s Dreamer in the Spotlight}

25 Jan

This month’s dreamer may sound familiar to you! She was the first person featured in my “Dreamer in the Spotlight series back in August 2011! Due to some exciting new developments, I thought it would be great to update you as amazing baker Abby Head climbs to another (cake) tier in her journey!

Photo courtesy of Nate Uhl Photography

Last Saturday, Abby held a grand opening celebration for her new bakery, Creative Crumbs! For the past several months, Abby has been doing a lot of work researching, planning, and negotiating in order to make this dream a reality! It was so exciting to see the finished shop and I’m very ecstatic that Abby is able to do what she loves!

Creative Crumbs is an upscale bakery in East Nashville specializing in wedding, groom’s, and custom cakes.

Photo courtesy of Nate Uhl Photography

In order to catch everybody up with what she has been doing, I asked Abby a few questions…

What inspired you to take Creative Crumbs to the next level?
Starting my own shop was always something I had dreamed about, but I was concerned about starting a business that would directly compete against the bakery where I had been working. I just didn’t feel like that was an ethical decision. But when the bakery that I was working at decided not to continue in the wedding cake business, that opened the door for me. It was honestly a solution I had never considered. The only two options I could see were either to quit or get fired! And neither of those was a good thing. So it was truly an example of God’s plan being bigger than anything I could ever imagine!

What “God moments” have you experienced during this time to let you know that you are on the right track?
There have been too many to count! I wish I had taken time to write down all the little moments along the way. The first one was a random encounter with an older gentleman at Starbucks. Without knowing anything about me, he asked me if I was going to start a bakery! I answered, “Well it’s something I’m considering thinking about.” He responded that that was the wimpiest answer he had ever heard and that I should either go for it or do something else! The next day, my former employer told me she was not going to continue the wedding cake business, and I knew then that it was time to make my dream a reality! Orders started pouring in, sometimes more than I could handle, and I found a location that met every single criteria I had prayed for plus more.

Abby Head greeting patrons of Creative CrumbsPhoto courtesy of Nate Uhl Photography

Abby Head (center) greeting patrons at the Grand Opening
Photo courtesy of Nate Uhl Photography

What has been your biggest challenge so far?
There have actually been two areas that have been very challenging. The biggest obstacle has been finding confidence. Since I built the company, everything is mine…my designs, my recipes, my thoughts, my “intellectual property”. If a customer doesn’t like one of my cakes, it’s hard not to take it personally. I struggle with finding a balance between caring about the business but separating it from who I am.
The other area that has been challenging has been keeping my business decisions in line with what I say I believe. Even though it’s a business, I don’t want to lose my witness. I had to decide early on what type of events I would or would not do. I’ve also really been challenged lately to return the focus back to marriage, not just weddings. There is so much focus on planning a wedding, but so little on preparing for marriage.

What has been the most exciting moment?
The most exciting moment so far was when I passed my final site inspection, and I officially received my permit to open. I still had some work to do to finish decorating, but at that point, everything was official – I was in business! I was so happy, I actually cried. I had dreamed of owning a bakery since I was 9 years old, and there I was, standing in my very own bakery! It was an amazing moment!

Photo courtesy of Nate Uhl Photography

Any advice you have for others who want to start their own business?
Treat everyone with respect. I have met so many truly amazing people through this journey! The success of my business is directly related to the wonderful people God has brought into my life.

Anything else to add?
I looked back at our initial “Dreamer in the Spotlight” interview, as I had forgotten exactly what we talked about. My goal then was “to start an upscale bakery and café”. I hadn’t thought about that particular question since we did the interview, but the sign above my door now says, “Creative Crumbs, an upscale bakery”…literally a dream come true!

Thanks, Abby, for sharing your journey with us! So many exciting things to come! Everyone, be sure to check out her website to see photos of some of the amazing cakes that she has made! And yes, those cupcakes in the picture above really did taste as amazing as they look! Yum!

Tags: Abby Head, bakery, cake, Creative Crumbs, Dreamer in the Spotlight, nashville

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Dreamer in the Spotlight

Revisiting 2012’s Most Popular Posts

11 Jan

Now that 2012 has come to a close, it’s fun to look back at all that happened last year. Here are my top five most popular posts from the past year. Did you catch all of them?!

5. Renewed Hope: God Speaks Through a New Friend

This post discussed one of those little a-ha moments for Adam along his journey this past year. Be sure to keep checking back at least monthly for updates as he discovers what God is asking of him in regards to his music.

4. August’s Dreamers in the Spotlight

I was so excited when I found out about Dignitas Magazine last summer! Then, I was able to interview the founders of the magazine for this blog! How awesome! Thanks again, Abby and Catherine!

3. 7 Quick Takes #2: Dreamer in the Spotlight Edition!

So many inspirational people in one post! And quite a variety!

2. 7 Quick Takes #3

Half-way through 2012, I set some simple goals for myself regarding the blogging world. I began posting weekly, following other blogs on a regular basis, and I started participating in a link-up on occasion which has allowed me to get to know so many great Catholics via the blogosphere! This was one of those posts.

1. 10 Inspirational Quotes about Following God’s Will

Words can be so powerful! I love coming across great words of wisdom. This post includes some of my favorites so far! Apparently, other people like words of wisdom, too!

Can’t wait to see what God has in store this year! What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Tags: inspiration, top posts

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Categories Miscellaneous

The Shick Family Christmas {7 Quick Takes (#6)}

2 Jan

I hope everyone had a blessed holiday season! We had a great time with our family and friends over the past two weeks, but it was a rather eventful Christmas! In order to help me step back and laugh at the situation, I thought I’d put together a little multiple choice quiz of our crazy vacation!

Here are the choices for the questions below:
A. Adam
B. Stefanie
C. Big Sister “C”
D. Little “A”
E. All of the Above

1. After being on the road for only 2 minutes and stopping to get gas, who spotted a tire low on air that ended up having a nail in it?

2. Who had intestinal issues for most of the weekend that caused horrible, painful diaper rash?

3. Which family member spent all Christmas Day in bed due to lower back pain?

4. Who had to be taken to urgent care due to a scratched cornea caused by a pink headband?

5. Which person did all the driving and most of the loading/unloading of luggage (included 20 total hours and stops at four different family members’ houses)?

6. Who got delayed one day of traveling back to Tennessee due to winter weather in Indiana?

7. Which one had a major meltdown once we finally arrived back home that included locking her bedroom door and refusing to open it for several minutes?

Answers 1. A; 2. D; 3. B; 4. D; 5. A; 6. E; 7. C

Even though we faced some challenges, there were many blessings mixed in! First of all, Adam was able to catch the flat tire prior to us getting very far and all tires were replaced due to worn treads. Secondly, I was able to rest my back an extra day due to the blizzard that caused us to delay our drive back. Thirdly, Little A’s eye healed 99% in less than 24 hours despite a bad scratch that was visible without dye. She left the patch on an entire day without much fuss! Finally, we arrived home safely!

Be sure to check out the other 7 Quick Takes posts at Moxie Wife this week! Thanks, Hallie! My prayers are with you, Jen!

Tags: 7 Quick Takes, Christmas, family, travel