Taking life one sip at a time...

Around 10:00pm most evenings it dawns on me that in approximately eight hours I get to have my first sip of coffee. That's how strong my love of coffee is; it's the last thing I think of as I'm falling asleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up (Sorry, Wade). I love the smell as it's percolating. I love the sound as I pour it into my cup. I love how it mixes with my creamer to create the perfect color of delicious silk. And I love the first sip. The first sip is my favorite...

But that first sip is my favorite for more reasons than just the taste (ohhhh, that sweet, smooth, glorious taste). That sip wakes me up. And while I love coffee, I love many other things as well. Of course, I love my husband and my kids (who wouldn't?) and after my first sip (alright, my first cup) I'm ready to happily (ok, fine...) greet them all as they enter the kitchen each morning. I also love hanging out at the bus stop with the other parents, going to the Y for my workout, walking in and around my neighborhood, going to Valley (my grocery store) or wandering around Target allowing myself to be tempted by all the unnecessary items. I'm perfectly content to watch my kids at their sporting events or meet a friend for dinner (or, of course, coffee!!). I don't love cleaning my house, but I do love when it's clean. I love texting. I love my job, volunteering at church or school, reading stories to my kids or walking to the park. I love reading a good book and then chatting about it with my book group and a glass of wine. I love to knit. I love going for boat rides at Rabbit Lake or sitting at the kitchen table with my in-laws.

As I've entered my 30's I've realized that I spent most of my life nodding in agreement with what other people said, even if I didn't necessarily agree. I don't want to be that person anymore. I have thoughts and opinions and I'm finally ready to start sharing them, apparently publicly and on the internet. I don't consider myself to be an offensive person. Or someone who will try to start an argument just for the sake of arguing. But I have realized that there is nothing wrong with sharing my opinion and it's also just fine if not everyone agrees. I'm a mom, but I don't define myself as a mother. I'm also a wife, sister, daughter(-in-law), Christian, volunteer, vice-president, tutor, friend and now, hopefully, somewhat of a writer. This blog is going to be about all of that. I don't want it to revolve around my kids, but they are a huge part of my life and so they will probably play a large role in my writing. However, this is also an escape for me. And chance for me to explore my beliefs and challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone.

That's what I want this blog to be about, not just coffee. I want to write, and I want to write about my life, my ideas and perspectives. This blog is for me, but you're welcome to follow me on my journey. And it all starts with that first delicious, eye-opening sip of coffee.