Nipping at my Heels

Yesterday our sweet friends watched our kiddos, so Buns and I could hit up the temple.  We hadn't been to the Provo City Center Temple yet, and I was more excited than I thought I would be!  Can I be horribly truthful?  Sometimes when it comes to the nights we dedicate to going to the temple, I get bugged because I'd rather use our babysitters for time that we could go do something fun. Lol.  But every single time we go, I walk inside and feel immediate relief.  Peace and comfort.  All worries left at the door.  I feel close to God and Christ when I'm in the temple.

I feel a greater love for the people in my life, especially for my husband and babes.  I leave feeling uplifted and inspired to do and be better.  I see more clearly my identity as a daughter of God.  His child.  

Buns and I did baptisms, which I hadn't done in ages.  We brought some family names that my father-in-law gave us...ancestors from Tennessee!  I felt my testimony strengthen.  I have a very simple testimony.  But a testimony that won't be shaken.  I believed that in the temple yesterday.  And even when I don't have answers for everything, I have enough.  I have faith.  I have hope.  I believe in that burning in my heart that God is real and hears and answers my prayers.  I am his beloved daughter.  We are ALL his beloved children.

In the temple, they had the current issue of the Ensign out in the pews, and as I was perusing, I came across a little article entitled "You Are Royalty."  If you know me at all, you know I was all about that article in T-2 seconds.  Haha.

"While our family was in Argentina on assignment from the Church, our son and I often visited sites of interest in our free time. Among them was a zoo unlike any zoo we had seen before.  Rather than wander past cages of sleepy animals, visitors were invited to enter the pends and pet the animals.  Following the trainer, we made our way into the enclosure prepared for the large lions and petted them while they seemed to ignore us.

I asked the trainers how they had convinced the lions to not eat us.  They called my attention to several little dogs that likewise inhabited the pens.  When the lions were small, those yappy dogs chased the lions mercilessly and nipped at their heels.  The lion cubs became accustomed to cowering in the corner, afraid of dogs.

When the lions grew, they continued to cower in fear.  With the flick of a paw, they could easily have sent those dogs flying, but the lions didn't see themselves as they really were.  They were unaware of their regal identity and potential...

We have God's spiritual DNA coursing through our veins.  We are His sons and daughter and His heirs.  Swat away any deceiving messages, beliefs, or habits that cause you to cower in the corners of your life.  Don't let them nip at your heels and make you feel fearful or hurt.  Rise to the level of your eternal stature.  You are royalty."

(Kathy Kipp Clayton)

Goals for the New Year {2016 Edition}

I've been trying to set a time to write this post for a while, but every time I think about doing it, I hadn't really known what to write yet!  Usually I feel like I'm right on the bandwagon with all sorts of New Years Resolutions, and jump right into it.  This year felt a little different/  I had so many freaking things swimming around in my brain that I wanted to improve on, work on, and change, but I couldn't decide what was most important or what the best use of my time was.  I have a tendency to overload myself with a bunch of ideas and then only a select few remain on the bandwagon.  I always think of how much more time I could've focused on those select few goals if I would've taken the time to seriously think about what I wanted to focus on.  SO...

This year, I decided I wouldn't set my resolutions until I had thought through what I wanted to improve on personally.  What spaces needed to be filled in my heart and mind.

I wouldn't say this is a solid list or that I spent hours upon hours deciding on it haha, but when I thought about it this morning, it just felt so right!  Like I was finally able to put into words what I wanted to improve and focus on.  Our family theme for this year plays a huge role in my goals and our family goals, "Put Loving Arms Around Them." (Mosiah 18:21)

Buns and I both feel like we could do a little bit better to think of others before thinking of ourselves.  The "Me, Myself, and I" ship has docked too long in this household.  Especially with the last couple of weeks with very sick kiddos, tempers were quick and patience was nowhere to be found.  That's honestly what sparked the theme, but once we thought about it more, we decided it genuinely was something we wanted to improve on not just in our home, but in our relationships with friends and family.  We love our friends and family so much, but feel like we don't show just how much sometimes!  Just an overall effort to think more outside ourselves.  And then there's the more personal goals for me...

Goals as a Momma for Reese:

//Routine.//

//Get on the floor more to interact.//

//Smile, encourage, love, empower, and TEACH. Lots more of all these things.//

//ACT instead of REACT.//

//Never turn down when she reaches out to spend time together.  Whether that's reading, playing with her princesses, or playing hide and seek.//

Goals as a Momma for Riggs:

//Hold my lil boyfren more. #secondbabyprobs//

//Eye contact and laughter.//

//Baths.//

//Be in the moment.//

Goals as a Wifey for Buns:

//Think before you speak.//

//Small acts of love everyday.//

//Listen without thinking of what I want to say.  TRULY listen.//

//Weekly date nights. At least two of those weeks getting out of the house to do something fun!//

Goals as Ashton:

//Commitment.  To self.  To family.  To God.  To friends.//

//Things will not go perfectly.  That is OK.  Live and let be.//

//SERVICE. Put loving arms around them.//

♥, Me

Dear Reese

Dear Reese,

"You are a very special person.  There is only one like you in the whole world.  There's never been anyone exactly like you before, and there never will be again.  Only you.  And people can like you exactly as you are." (Mr. Fred Rogers)

Know that.  Embrace that.  Don't forget how true it is.

Love, Momma

I Am Brave and Beautiful

I am Brave and Beautiful - a beauty movement that is sweeping the globe. Colbie Caillat started it with her recent song and video called TRY. My blogging friend Megan of Brassy Apple wanted to push this movement along and invited women from all over to share what they looked like without make up and I joined in!! Colbie's song says,

"Take your make up off. Let your hair down... Look into the mirror at yourself, Do you like you? Cause I like you... "

Megan and her friend Cobi of Peacefrom6pieces have been the team behind this whole project. Their worldwide vision included creating their own video inspired by the song TRY. The talent of Robbins Creative made it possible for them to pull it off. You have to click play and see the beauty and bravery displayed and you might even recognize a familiar face in there;).

Me along with 101+ other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and sizes have decided to be Brave and Beautiful! You can join in this movement too by sharing what you look like without makeup on. You don't need a blog either! Just tag your photo with #IamBraveAndBeautiful on Instgram and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. ALSO, if you tag it with a second hashtag - #ColbieTRY we just might be able to get Colbie Caillat's attention since she was the inspiration behind it all!

Are you brave and beautiful?  I am!  Here I go!

"The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.  It is the care she lovingly gives and the passion she shows." (Audrey Hepburn)

Oh y'all.  Where to even begin.  I have been so excited about this beautiful vision that Megan from Brassy Apple and her friend Cobi had to emphasize the importance of inner beauty and being comfortable in your own skin.  I've been thinking a lot about how to express my feelings adequately and just how passionate I am about what this movement stands for.  And so for a lack of eloquence, I'm just going to spew out my heart a little bit in hopes that you leave this post remembering just how beautiful you really are.  And that a woman's true beauty is truly reflected in her soul.

If I had a nickel for every time in my life that I felt less than because I didn't feel beautiful in the eyes of the world, I'm sad to say I'd be a rich woman.  Like most women, I used the world's standard of beautiful to define my self-worth.  I let unrealistic standards drown me in a sea of pity parties about how I looked or how I didn't look to be more accurate.  There was one night in particular in early college that I laid in bed and cried because I didn't feel pretty.  It tore at my heart.  And it hurt.  Low self-esteem is a plague and can tear down the most beautiful soul if you let it.  It's a poison, and nothing good comes from it.  It took me a long time to realize that.  I probably didn't fully understand what I was doing to myself (all that comparing and what not) until I was pregnant and found out Reese was a girl.  And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

What kind of confidence did I want to instill in my little girl?  Did I want her to hear me talk about how I wished I was thinner, tanner, and healthier?  Did I really want that to be the legacy I left for my sweet baby girl?  Absolutely not!  I knew I need to face my fears of inadequacy head on.  I needed to get to the source of my negativity.  I wanted to be gentler with myself.  I wanted to recognize that who I was on the inside would naturally make me a million times more beautiful on the outside than any kind of makeup could ever do.  I had felt that confidence before in my life, and I wanted to feel it again.

So I prayed.

I prayed with my whole heart.  I prayed consistently and honestly.  I trusted who I was praying to.  I trusted that He knew my heart.  I trusted that He believed I was beautiful.  Even if I didn't know it in my heart quite yet, I trusted in the concept.  Fake it 'till you make it, right?  And sure enough...day by day, week by week, I slowly started to feel my soul coming alive (yes, there is no other way of saying it! lol).  It was like I was on fire.  My heart slowly started to believe that what made me beautiful was not what I looked like on the outside.  My beauty resonated in my heart and how I loved the people around me.  That is what makes me beautiful.

Here is an excerpt from a recent post of mine, "I Didn't Feel Beautiful".  This is what I was reminded of after a lot of trusting and praying...

"I believe that loving, supporting, and serving the people around us makes us happy and beautiful.  You are beautiful because of the listening ear you provide for your friend whose marriage is struggling, whose transition to being a new, young mom is lonely, whose kids have all left home and being an empty-nester is lonely, or whose husband lost his job and money is tight.  You are beautiful because you texted that person to let them know how much they mean to you.  You are beautiful because you're a caring, invested grandma who wants each and every grandchild to know they're unique and loved.  You're beautiful because you make dinner every night even if it means ordering in from Papa Johns.  You're beautiful because you're a good sister who supports her family in their endeavors and ambitions.  You're beautiful because you fold the laundry and do the dishes, so when your hubby gets home from work the house is clean.  You're beautiful because instead of doing the laundry and dishes, you let your 4 year old pretend to be a chef and you were the customer at her restaurant or you let your 2 year old show you the mess he can make by being Godzilla and destroying all the toys and legos in sight.  You're beautiful because you're 15 and noticed that there was someone new at school, so you said hi, asked where she's from, and if she wanted to sit with you and your friends at lunch.  You're beautiful because you try to be a good student and good kid, even if things are hard at home.  You're beautiful if school is hard for you and you feel like you're barely scraping by because what no one knows is that you're going to be an artist, an engineer, a musician, a beautician, or some other talent that can't be measured by run of the mill "academics".  You're beautiful because you're a strong, independent, happy woman who loves to work hard, enjoys her career, and makes the workplace an uplifting, supportive community for her coworkers.  

You're beautiful because you are your own person.  

There is not one person who has the same heart and mind as you.  Don't let anyone strip that from you.  Don't let the media tell you what you should look like or how you should act.  Don't let the girl in your Chemistry class make you feel stupid because you don't understand what you're doing.  Don't let the girl on TV make you feel like you're not pretty enough.  Don't let the girls who have boyfriends make you feel like something's wrong with you because you're not in a relationship.  Don't let the mom down the street who always seems to have it together make you feel like you don't have it together.  Don't let the empty-nesters who seem to have found their niche make you feel like you don't have one.  I can't remember who said this, but whoever it was really hit the nail on the head...

“Sometimes people are beautiful.  Not in looks.  Not in what they say.  Just in what they are.”

Don't stop here. Get clicking around - its a blog hop! Below are more brave and beautiful women bearing more than their natural beauty. They each have a little bit of their heart to share with you. Some get very personal. Some share stories. For some this was very hard to do yet they gathered their courage and did it anyway. We hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of it, the empowering effect it has and that it encourages you in some way.

>>>>>>>Important info! Blog Hops often have glitches the first day. If the link has an ERROR, simply click on the HOME button for each site, or google the blog name next to the link, and you should see their brave and beautiful post there. Links will be updated as soon as possible.<<<<<<<<<<<<

1. BrassyApple 2. Peace from 6 Pieces 3. Is this Really My Life 4. Among the Young 5. Love Me Dani Marie 6. Sweet Charli 7. Kim Orlandini 8. XO, Ashton Tilton 9. She Calls Me Mama Leisha 10. Raising Memories - Canada 11. A Little Tipsy 12. Amy Cornwell 13. A girl and a glue gun 14. My Craftily Ever After 15. Maybe I Will 16. WhipperBerry 17. Paging SuperMom 18. All Things Thrifty 19. Ashlee Marie 20. The Project Girl

21. One Little Momma 22. Entirely Eventful Day 23. Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl 24. Tips from a Typical Mom 25. Utah Sweet Savings 26. Flats to Flip Flops 27. One Krieger Chick 28. What Meegan Makes 29. Simply Kierste 30. Live to be Inspired 31. HoneyBear Lane 32. Pretty Providence 33. Ma Nouvelle Mode - in FRANCE 34. MomEntity 35. Serger Pepper - in ITALY 36. Kiki and Company 37. Girl Loves Glam 38. Thrive

39. The Potters Place 40. Crafting in the Rain 41. Cooking With Ruthie 42. Delineate Your Dwelling 43. The Pennington Point 44. Bakerette 45. The Happy Scraps 46. Shannon Baird Photography 47. Tried and Tasty 48. Lionesses at the Gate 49. Fry Sauce and Grits 50. Lolly Jane 51. That's What Che Said 52. Sugar Bee Crafts 53. Your HomeBased Mom 54. Happiness is Homemade 55. The Crafted Sparrow 56. R&R Workshop 57. I Should Be Mopping the Floor 58. Sassy Steals

59. Let's Eat Grandpa 60. Being Spiffy 61. Sumo's Sweet Stuff 62. Ginger Snap Crafts 63. Bless This Mess 64. Apronista 65. Dreaming About Someday 66. Frenchie 67. Tastefully Frugal 68. Four Marrs and One Venus 69. Your Sister Circle 70. Over the Big Moon 71. See Vanessa Craft 72. Infarrantly Creative 73. Family StoryTelling

74. Albion Gould 75. Life as Mrs. Larson 76. Tried and True 77. Play.Party.Pin. 78. Bite of Delight 79. Ink Happi 80. ObSEUSSed 81. U Create 82. My Mommy Style 83. Find it Make it Love it 84. The Contractor Chronicles 85. Novae Clothing 86. Mommy Makes Things 87. At Home with Sweet T 88. We Like to Learn As We Go 89. House for Five 90. Organize and Decorate Everything 91. Sassy Southern Gurl 92. The Creative Mom 93. Keep Moving Forward with Me

94. The Benson Street 95. Mom 4 Real 96. Sowdering About 97. illistyle 98. The Crafty Blog Stalker 99. A Fiery Red Life 100. Cupcakes & Crowbars 101. One Sweet Appetite 102. My DayLights 103. Restless Risa

104. Sypsie Designs 105. Vintage Mother 106. Like Mother Like Daughter 107. 30 Handmade Days 108. Queen Bee and Me 109. Apples by Ashley 110. Boutique Cafe - in CANADA 111. Just My Little Mess 112. Bombshell Bling 113. Sarah Tyau 114. Taradara Make it 115. Capturing Joy 116. Ivory Lime Photography 117. Jenkins Kids Farm 118. Free Time Frolics 119. Bella Storia 120. Dana Ohlsen Photography

Ready in join in?Snap, hashtag and share! Tag @BrassyApple and @Peacefrom6Pieces if you can too!

Also follow our Bravery and Beauty PINTEREST board for more inspiration!

Fabulous Friday Feature: Michelle Petersen

{Photography by Heather Bliss Photography}

Michelle Petersen from The Mumsy Blog:  Today, I'm so excited to share the heart of the other half of The Mumsy Blog!  A heart that's passionate about motherhood, teaching, creating, and living life to the fullest.  Her happiness is contagious and quite literally shines from the inside, out!  Michelle is a co-owner and co-writer for The Mumsy Blog.  She graduated with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and has three little nuggets of her own.  How does she find the right balance between family, blogging, and what she loves to do?  Because not only does she have a love for being a momma and blogging, but she enjoys travel, the performing arts (piano and dancing in particular), and socializing.  There's nothing quite as important to her as maintaining meaningful relationships with loved ones and finding the opportunity to celebrate life's joys with them.  I asked her to share her thoughts on what led her down the blogging road and how it transformed her into the woman she is today.  Life can take us down paths we never thought we'd go down, but sit back and enjoy this mumsy's perspective on how to navigate that journey, making the best of your circumstances while staying true to who you are.

"Since I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher and a Mom.  In that order.  Being the oldest of 5 children, my mothering instinct kicked in when I was very young, and I ceased as many babysitting opportunities that I could.

  As I got older, my love for little children navigated me down the path of becoming an Early Childhood and Elementary educator.  Becoming pregnant with my first child during my first year of teaching, I was able to squeeze in one more year of teaching half day Kindergarten before my second child came.  Yep, you read that right.  I had my first two children in 17. 5 months.  Something I definitely didn't plan on!

Personally choosing not to send my kids to daycare, I knew it would be too hard for husband I to both juggle working and raising a family, so I decided to stay home.  As much as I loved being a teacher, I loved being a mother more.  So, the transition was fairly easy.  However, I somehow didn't realize just how hard being a stay-at-home mom would be!  Sure I knew it would be hard.  But, since I had acquire two different degrees that covered all aspects of child development and how to nurture/educate children, I thought I had this parenting business int he bag.  Boy was I wrong.  For some reason, I had completely forgotten about the possibility of having Colicky babies, eternal sleepless nights, outfits that were constantly being accessorized with snot, barf, and poop, demonic temper tantrums, getting nourishment only  from granola bars and my kids leftover scraps of food because that was all I had time to eat, donning the same hairstyle and make-up on Thursday that I had started out with on Monday because I was too tired to do anything else but sleep the night before/too busy the next morning to still do anything about it, and oh so so soooooo much more!

By the time I had my third child, the once bright eyed and bushy tailed woman I'd once been, had transformed into someone I almost didn't recognized.  I still loved being a mom...most days...and loved my children with all my heart.  But, I had lost the person I once was before I became a mom, and I desperately wanted her back!  After pondering how I could do this, and still be a fully devoted wife and mother, I finally came up with the idea of becoming a blogger.   Through this venue, I, and my children, would be able to rediscover the hobbies/talents I once loved doing, openly discuss the challenges and joys that come with being a mom, and create a greater outreaching connection to women that didn't just live in my neighborhood.  And that, is how the Mumsy blog was born.

Yes, I could have probably done all of this without venturing into the blogosphere.  But, through being a blogger, I now have more than just my inner voice motivating me to get out there and really live and experience life with my children.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

At first, blogging was a way for me to find myself.  Now, it is a way for me to encourage other women to step outside themselves and find joy in the lives they are currently living.  Life is hard, but we aren't in this alone.  Thanks to the inventions of the internet and social media each mother out there can find the support and motivation she needs to create a life of love and fulfillment for her and her family."

❤, Michelle Petersen

Friday Night Lights: The Possibilities

Current Obsession:  Because who doesn't love Friday Night Lights and this pair right here?  Tyra is by far my favorite character on the show.  I've always had this soft spot in my heart for Tyra (yes there is room for a TV Show character in my heart, lol!) because she never seems to think she's good enough.  For a while she always sells herself short and doesn't expect that great things could be in store for her.  She settles.  She lets how others view her and her circumstances define who she is.  Until she doesn't.  She finally sees herself as something worthwhile.  She sees herself as someone who can accomplish great things.  In the episode Buns and I watched last night, she's writing her college essay, and her loyal buddy Landry asks her when the change happened.  The change from not caring about her future to deciding that she was going to reach for what seemed impossible.  If you're a big ol' blubber-butt like I am, you'll cry.  An onslaught of tears, haha.  Because what she says is amazing.  And something that I hope anyone who is afraid to reach for the stars remembers.  Something I hope Reese remembers as she grows up.  That the sky's the limit.  

"Two years ago, I was afraid of wanting anything.  I figured wanting would lead to trying and trying would lead to failure.  But not I find I can't stop wanting.  I want to fly somewhere on first class.  I want to travel to Europe on a business trip.  I want to get myself invited to the White House.  I want to learn about the world.  I want to surprise myself.  I want to be important.  I want to be the best person I can be.  I want to define myself instead of having others define me.  I want to win and have people be happy for me.  I want to lose and get over it.  I want to not be afraid of the unknown.  I want to grow up and be generous and big-hearted, the way people have been with me.  I want an interesting and surprising life.  It's not that I think I'm going to get all these things, I just want the possibility of getting them.  College represents possibility.  The possibility that things are going to change.  I can't wait."  -Tyra

❤, Ashton Tilton

I Didn't Feel Beautiful

Hinckley. My little pal.  The little guy I'm about to tell you all about.  Here's a picture I took of him when he was 2 years old, about 5 years ago.  Driving home from Brassy Apple's Secret Project (launching September 29th) last week, I was reminded of a memory from when he was this old.  It came flooding back, and I remembered everything about that day like it was yesterday.  It brought me to tears just thinking about it.  It hits close to home, but I don't ever want to forget it, so here goes!

My whole life, I struggled with acne.  Oh yeah folks, we're talking Struggled, with a capital "S".  It plagued me as a teenager.  It got a little better as I went to college, but still bothered me and never completely went away.  I always noticed the clear skin of other girls or celebrities I saw in the media.  I'd always wished for that smooth, blemish-free skin.  I was embarrassed by the marks on my face, especially the uneven redness of it.  I never went anywhere without makeup on.  I always tried to cover the acne up, but it never quite covered it the way I wanted it to, and it definitely couldn't take away the rough, unevenness of it.  It was a major insecurity of mine and often the source of low self-esteem.  

Y'all I had tried it all.  I had been to the dermatologist a million times, and every new "procedure" or "daily face routine" failed.  Nothing ever worked.  Shocker.  My skin has always been extremely sensitive and more often than not, I would break out from the new "daily face routine" suggested by said dermatologist.  So. Freaking. Frustrating.  Not to mention incredibly hard on my hopeful attitude that this routine would be different.  This time it would work.  This time I would come out on top.  This time I would finally have that perfect skin I'd been dreaming of. Ha...ha.......HA. 

Well, one time in particular coming back from the dermatologist with a new procedure in tow, I got home, ran upstairs, and couldn't wait to get started.  Even though it would've taken time for it to show results, I wanted to get a move on with that ish.  But sure enough, not even ten minutes after applying the cleanser, toner, and cream (sweet merciful, I wish I knew then what I know now about skin care...simplify, simplify, simplify), my face broke out like cuhRAZY.  I was a mess y'all.  A freaking hot mess.  I'd never had my skin break out so terrifically horrible before.  I was swollen, red, itchy, and my acne was magnified ten fold.  I remember it like it was yesterday, looking in the mirror and being so unhappy, embarrassed, and completely mortified.  I didn't even want to show my face to my family.  I was so painfully embarrassed.  

So I cried.

I cried so hard and so long.  I cried because of my insecurity.  I cried because it didn't seem like I would ever add up.  I felt like no one would think I was pretty.  I felt exposed.  I cried because I didn't feel beautiful.  

After wetting a rag and patting my face, and trying to remove any sign of my hysterics, I finally braved going downstairs.  As I walked downstairs, my sister, her hubby, and my brother were playing a board game.  I'd half expected them to look up at my red, puffy, acne-filled face and drop their jaws at the horror.  But of course they didn't.  My sister looked up at me and said, "Finally!  Wanna jump in on the game?"  She didn't stare, and she didn't say a word.  I told her I'd sit out for this round and hop in the next.  So I sat on the piano bench and watched as they played.  

And that's when it happened.  

My sweet little nephew, Hinckley, climbed right up on the piano bench next to me, and completely caught me off guard.  Unexpectedly, he pulled himself up onto my lap and cupped his little hands and fingers around my cheeks.  He looked me straight in the eyes with the most sincere, sweet look on his face, and said, "Ashin, you are BOOOtiful."  

Yep.  That happened.  Bring on the falls, Niagara Falls.  Right then and there, my 2 year old Nephew taught me one of the most valuable lessons a girl needs to know.  And sure enough, I cried again.  

To that little 2 year old, I was beautiful not because of what I looked like on the outside but because I was his aunt.  Because I hugged and kissed him every time I saw him.  Because I laughed with him.  Because I cuddled and watched Backyardigans with him.  Because I played toys with him.  Because I loved him.  

And I believe that.  I believe that loving, supporting, and serving the people around us makes us happy and beautiful.  You are beautiful because of the listening ear you provide for your friend whose marriage is struggling, whose transition to being a new, young mom is lonely, whose kids have all left home and being an empty-nester is lonely, or whose husband lost his job and money is tight.  You are beautiful because you texted that person to let them know how much they mean to you.  You are beautiful because you're a caring, invested grandma who wants each and every grandchild to know they're unique and loved.  You're beautiful because you make dinner every night even if it means ordering in from Papa Johns.  You're beautiful because you're a good sister who supports her family in their endeavors and ambitions.  You're beautiful because you fold the laundry and do the dishes, so when your hubby gets home from work the house is clean.  You're beautiful because instead of doing the laundry and dishes, you let your 4 year old pretend to be a chef and you were the customer at her restaurant or you let your 2 year old show you the mess he can make by being Godzilla and destroying all the toys and legos in sight.  You're beautiful because you're 15 and noticed that there was someone new at school, so you said hi, asked where she's from, and if she wanted to sit with you and your friends at lunch.  You're beautiful because you try to be a good student and good kid, even if things are hard at home.  You're beautiful if school is hard for you and you feel like you're barely scraping by because what no one knows is that you're going to be an artist, an engineer, a musician, a beautician, or some other talent that can't be measured by run of the mill "academics".  You're beautiful because you're a strong, independent, happy woman who loves to work hard, enjoys her career, and makes the workplace an uplifting, supportive community for her coworkers.  You're beautiful because you attend church every week.  You're beautiful if you don't go to church and hike with your family instead.  You're beautiful if your beliefs are founded in goodness, reflection, and unity.  You're beautiful if your beliefs are founded in God.  

You're beautiful because you are your own person.  

There is not one person who has the same heart and mind as you.  Don't let anyone strip that from you.  Don't let the media tell you what you should look like or how you should act.  Don't let the girl in your Chemistry class make you feel stupid because you don't understand what you're doing.  Don't let the girl on TV make you feel like you're not pretty enough.  Don't let the girls who have boyfriends make you feel like something's wrong with you because you're not in a relationship.  Don't let the mom down the street who always seems to have it together make you feel like you don't have it together.  Don't let the empty-nesters who seem to have found their niche make you feel like you don't have one.  I can't remember who said this, but whoever it was really hit the nail on the head... 

“Sometimes people are beautiful.  Not in looks.  Not in what they say.  Just in what they are.”

Cheers to being who you are because it's a waste of time to be anybody else.

Hope y'all are having a fabulous day, and if not, then no worries because tomorrow's Friday! #holla

❤, Ashton Tilton