Today is my 45th birthday so it only feels right to share one of my latest dreams with you. Back in 2017 I felt lost. Without purpose. My girls were all in school now and as a Stay at home mama keeping an immaculate house began to feel superficial and hallow. That says a lot […]

2020 & 2021 have taken their toll on me as they have many of you. I truly believed I’d survived the discomforts and heartbreaks of 2020 until my dad passed away this Spring. It was somewhat expected as he’d held onto a life with diminishing health for a solid 15 years and truly a quarter […]

Recently I had my eyes checked. Let’s face it… age is catching up to me and things just aren’t as clear as they used to be. Despite the lessons from 2020 and gaining clarity around so many things in life~ my eyesight wasn’t on that list. Of course, I couldn’t drive after they dilated my […]

How do you know when you’ve found the right fit in life? This is something I’ve been working on personally lately. As the mama of 3 busy teens (well… 2 teens and 1 on the cusp) and wife to an in-demand lineman (read, “no consistent work schedule”) this sis somthing I’ve put considerable effort, energy […]

Meet Ruby! She returned from Seattle after her liver transplant and received one of our kits at a follow up at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. That smile says so much doesn’t it?! She’s one of my daily reminder of why I do what I do with Tough As Nails. A lot of my time is […]

This was one of my favorite holiday crafts I did with my girls when they were little… a snapshot in time with their handprints and one I hang on our walls every year! Hopefully you’ll cherish it as much as I did. {PS… it makes a great gift for parents or grandparents 😉} Materials Needed: […]

One of my favorite aspects of running Tough As Nails is the contacts I’ve made along the way with the most amazing people who do their jobs with so much love and inspiration! Katie Rongey is definitely one of those people. Katie is the Associate Art Therapy at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital & has been […]

Meet John Halter and Larry Massey… their families have been there. They’ve watched their daughters fight leukemia and for their lives. They’ve spent months in the hospital, nights awake and hours upon hours praying on their behalf. They know personally the little blessings in the help, love and generosity of family, friends and strangers. Larry […]

When I brought my first daughter home I was full of confidence. I knew just what to do to love and care for this beautiful soul. I felt it deep in my bones… this is what I was meant to do. I didn’t know the immense depth of love until those first few minutes with […]