The Bright Eyed Brunette

 Happy New Year, friends! Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve. We had a very low-key one here. We went to church, then over to my parents for snack food and games, then we ended the night with a little relaxation in the hot tub. Just what the doctor ordered! At the start of every year, I try to choose a word-not as a trend or slogan, but as an anchor. Something to return to when motivation fades, plans change, or life feels louder than expected. This year, the word that kept rising to the surface was Steady Not flashy. Not ambitious. Not dramatic. Just steady.  I'm learning that I don't need constant momentum or huge breakthroughs to be growing. Sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from simply showing up--again and again--at a pace that's sustainable. Steady looks like staying grounded when life feels noisy. It's choosing consistency over perfection and faithfulness over burnout. It's trusting that small, daily choices matter, even when they don'...

If there is one thing that I've learned over the years, it's that one planner rarely does it all. Life is layered--family, faith, home, goals, work, creativity--and trying to force everything into a single book usually leads to burnout or abandoned pages by March. Enter: The Planner Stack. My 2026 Planner Stack First up, is the main planner, or as I like to refer to it: My Life Planner. This is the backbone of my system. I fell in love with this one the minute that I laid eyes on it. It is a LiveWell weekly/monthly planner by Bluesky. It is in a vertical layout and runs October 2025- December 2026. It is made like and Erin Condran and I purchased it at Wal-Mart.  I am using it to keep up with appointments and commitments, our family schedule, weekly meal planning, and important dates. This planner will go with me wherever I go. It's the one I check daily. My next planner is my Goal/Growth Planner. I have been using this one since April of last year. It runs through June of ...

 This year did not unfold the way I imagined it would. There were prayers I prayed with confidence that didn't receive the answers I expected. There were moments of deep gratitude mixed with seasons of stretching, waiting, and surrender. And somewhere along the way, God taught me that growth rarely comes wrapped in comfort.  I wanted clarity, I wanted timeliness. I wanted explanations that made sense to my human heart. Instead, God often gave me peace without answers--and I'm learning that peace is sometimes the greater gift. This year also taught me that gratitude changes everything. Even in hard seasons, there were blessings tucked into the ordinary quiet mornings, answered prayers I almost overlooked, lessons learned through love and loss. God was faithful in ways I didn't recognize until I looked back. Most of all, this year taught me that God is patient. Patient with my questions. Patient with my growth. Patient with my shortcomings. He wasn't rushing me--and He is...

 Merry Christmas friends! I didn't do a great job of blogging or taking pictures of Christmas this year. Here are a few from all of our Christmases: Wrenley with her cousins Peyton and River at the Garrett Christmas. Wrenley at her school Christmas party. Maggie Mae, the Christmas dog Ready for our church Christmas program! Just a little angel, casually waiting. Four generations of strong women. Grammy with Savvy and Wrenley. They are best friend cousins💓 Wrenley got a little crazy with her stickers. They have been missing each other since school has been out. My family with Grammy (and Toby) My Grammy with all of her kids/spouses minus one. One of the only pictures I took at my parents. Trey got a pair of Ugg slippers.  Wrenley got a new baby and stroller from Nanny and Pop On Christmas Eve we traveled to have Christmas with Carl's family. They are about an hour and a half away. We took Carlie and Wrenley with us because Caleb was on shift. I think we watched the little merm...

 We had the gender reveal for Carlie on the first week of December. Makena had known for over a week and somehow kept it a secret. We had pizza and played scratch offs that revealed the gender of baby Price #2. It's A BOY! We are thrilled to be getting a grandson in June. We love you so much already, Wesley Dean, and we are praying for a healthy delivery and baby💙💙 Wrenley wasn't happy about it at all that night. She threw a huge fit, in fact, but she has come around to the idea a little bit. She said, "my have a brudder in momma's tummy. I'm gonna dress him like a girl."  She will love him and be the best big sister. Our family is changing, stretching, and growing in the very best way. And while we know that life will look a little busier (and a little louder), we also know it will be sweeter. We're so thankful for this new life and all the moments to come. Much Love,  Beth

 Some blog posts are carefully planned. Others are born from scrolling through your camera roll and thinking, "Huh..this feels like a moment worth remembering."  This is very much the second kind. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my dad and my nephew, Elijah ran the Duck Race 5K in our small town. They were pumped, can't you tell?! I'm not sure how Elijah finished, but my dad got first place in his age division! We are proud of Pop! I am proud of them both! Wrenley loves to watch the neighborhood kids get off the school but when she stays here. She thinks she wants to ride the school but when she gets big. This night was so cold, I think I had icicles on my eyelashes. Caleb got the Rookie of The Year!! We are proud of him. My mom's dog, Toby.  He is the most spoiled dog you have ever met, but he gives the best birthday presents! Carl's great nephews (twins), Carter and Cooper. They are so cute💗 There's something comforting about random photos. They don...