My husband and I met in middle school but lost touch in high school & college only to reconnect because of the start of "The Facebook". After our first date we both knew we would marry. We dated long distance and when I flew to visit him where he was stationed he flew us to Paris to propose. We spent our honeymoon in Jamaica.

I have been to the 6 of the 50 smallest countries in the world by land area. I have been blessed to live abroad with my husband and this made our travel in Europe and Asia so much simpler when I was first married. We attended a wedding in Cyprus for my college friend, we traveled to Malta, we spent our first Christmas vacation on a bus trip to Italy and went to the Vatican for a service for Christmas Eve. I worked all over South Korea and Japan at military bases. A very special trip was to Dubai before our first child was born.

My kids were born each in their own decade because of their spacing apart. The first was born abroad at a military hospital and the others both locally. They all have made me a better human. Helping me grow and change in ways I didn't know possible.

I am sentimental about the connections and moments that make life beautiful! I find so much joy in small things—like the way a smell can transport you back in time or how a song holds not just a story but memories connected to it. I have a deep appreciation for storytelling, nostalgia, and emotion. I treasure the things that make me excited, whether it’s a podcast/audiobook, a nostalgic song (80s classics, 90s country, boy bands—yes, please!), or the thrill of thrifting, I love award shows for the fashion and the raw emotion of acceptance speeches. Speaking of speeches wedding toasts are a GEM! I look forward to the beautiful stories I hear about the couple from their loved ones. I truly LOVE all things weddings. And when I love something, I will absolutely want to share it! Weddings are full of meaning, connection, and once-in-a-lifetime moments so they are the perfect thing for me to love as much as I do!

I have long loved to thrift and shop for things to give them new life and new purpose. My favorite thing find and reuse is glass platters or dishes for my plants to have a prettier way to catch water when draining. Maps and Globes are another favorite thrift find. They represent my love of travel and those deep connections we weave as humans. Books are another thing I LOVE to thrift can't resist a fun and colorful book for my kids

When I first graduated from college, I didn’t fully appreciate how much there was left to learn. Over time, I’ve come to realize just how much I don’t know, and that realization has sparked a deep love for learning. There’s an endless world of knowledge to explore, whether it’s diving into history, uncovering the reasons behind significant events, or simply discovering something new in pop culture.

Traveling, both the places I’ve been and the ones I dream of visiting, has only deepened this passion. Every destination offers an opportunity to learn more about the world around me, from the cultures and histories of the places to the stories behind the landscapes. Museums are a treasure trove of knowledge, giving us a glimpse into new worlds and experiences, so I never pass an opportunity to go to a new museum in a new city.

Over a decade into my planting and gardening journey, it began with a 4x4 garden box and two blueberry plants in the back and a few native plants in the yard. Over the years, I’ve expanded my garden, planting a variety of vegetables and flowers and native plants around my house. Among my favorite is my fig tree, it always leaves me with more fruit than I can eat, so I love sharing it with friends. In recent years, I’ve moved my focus more to a variety of cut and native flowers I can enjoy throughout the entire year.

My amazing friends own Birchtree Bookstore & Foliage Plant Shop. It is for sure one of my favorite shops in town!

I am in multiple bookclubs but don't always finish the book. LOVE a good historical fiction. The Women & Frozen River are my two favs.

The Iowa state capital has a BEAUTIFUL library with stunning spiral staircases. Since I was born in this state, I have a special love for it. Of course DC has some amazing ones too! Let's go take your picture there!

I have been to Paris more than any other city in the world outside of the US. I went first for a college summer course abroad. I was engaged there and traveled there multiple times when we lived in Germany when we first married and we took our older two there when we lived in the UK for a few months to meet up with family!