BABY #5 IS….

Birthdays, Faith, Family, Mommy Blogger, Quarantine

TWINS! Just kidding just kidding just kidding. 🙂 We are absolutely having ONE more baby. Are you as shocked as we are? We had a comment that said “It always cracks me up when parents say they were “shocked” to find out they were pregnant…” Whelp even though we love sharing life with you guys I won’t get into that much of our life. I will just let you know we truly were surprised and leave it at that.

I will be totally honest when I say that I wasn’t ready. Boston was born Jan 2, 2020 and we really thought we might be complete with him. Before I get too deep into this, I want to say that I went through a miscarriage after Dakota. I was only 7 weeks when I miscarried but that was truly heartbreaking and painful. I have so many incredible women in my life who have suffered from loss and infertility so I need to be sure I choose my words carefully before I discuss the mental challenge of becoming pregnant when I really wasn’t prepared. It is something few women talk about in fear of being judged by those who have the opposite issues and I understand why. Having been through both now, I feel more confident in discussing.

Babies are always a blessing. I knew that before and I know that now. However, I felt guilt for 2 months straight when I couldn’t even mention the idea of having another without crying. I was upset with myself, I was upset with Craig, and I was confused. We found out MUCH later than normal because my body was still recovering from having Boss. I’d gotten into a groove of having 4 kids, I had gotten back to my pre-birth weight, my scar from having a third c-section finally felt good, I had really begun to settle into this life of 6. I was ashamed in myself for being sad about something so good. I didn’t want to share because until I could wrap my head around having one more, I wasn’t ready to let anyone else know. In hindsight I wish I would have shared. Community is something that has become so obviously important especially after a year like 2020. I won’t make that same mistake ever again in any aspect of my life. No one was meant to be alone or feel like they are and even though I have an extremely supportive husband, family and friend base I put myself into a position that made me feel exactly that…alone. Make note of this if you haven’t already learned it.

Craig held my hand, my heart and my mind through 2 months of sadness. We decided we would tell the kids and family around Christmas. I was ready by then. We found out gender together just the two of us. We enjoyed the firsts together as much as we could even though he isn’t able to go to all of the appointments and ultrasounds like he has before. We started pulling old clothes out and prepping together in the most beautiful, intimate way and it became a positive before I knew it. All of the fear left my heart and head through prayer and love.

So, on Christmas day, Santa secretly planted one extra stocking on our fireplace mantle with a special note inside along with scratchers from Amazon that say your surprise is a new baby. Below is what the note read. The reactions were priceless, the love was overwhelming and I can now say that HER timing is PERFECT and we are so very excited for this little baby girl due May 2, 2021. (I do tend to have the babies about a week and a half or two early which puts Craig in Texas so PRAY FOR US 🙂 Love you all, thank you for the support, stay steadfast in faith and take advantage of those around you because alone is NEVER better.

2020 has been different 

Much different than most 

We ran out of TP 

From East to West coast 

The Boyd bunch rallied 

They got creative instead 

Of sulking and crying all alone in their bed

You have loved on each other 

Through thick and through thin 

That is why Jesus and I  

Decided to add one more in! 

Scratch away and you’ll see our extra special surprise 

We love you and thank you for being angels in disguise

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

P.S Dakota Lynn every prayer was heard 

Stepmoms

Uncategorized

I have only touched on this before in one instagram post but today she was there for me while Craig was on the road so I figured it was time to write about it.

Never in my life did I think I would be a stepmom. I have two stepmoms who I love to pieces but I just figured my path would be finding a man, getting married and having babies together. Little did I know God had other plans and the man of my dreams would be a dad already. Craig and I dated seriously for 4 months before I got to meet Jax and the day I met him was the day I meant “I love you” on another level. It was the day I fell in love with my family and not just a man.

Jaxon’s mom has become one of my best friends. We have had our phone calls, texts, and indifferences but she has half of my heart because she made my oldest son. She has Jax Sunday through Thursday and we do Thursday to Sunday. This is not easy. My other two munchkins wake up every morning asking when “Bubba Day” is. But knowing he is with an amazing woman getting to hang with his neighborhood friends, he gets one on one attention that he will never get in our house with almost three babies, and he gets to do all the fun outdoors things that I can’t do 7 months pregnant right now makes everything a little easier.

I don’t honestly know how Craig and her do it. I can’t imagine being away from my littles BUT I do know that they both have a lot to get done on their time without Jax so when Jax is home at either house he gets quality time. It takes really amazing people to do what they do and even though they weren’t the right match they have handled this life with grace. They made it easy for me to come in and she accepts me as Ms. Taylor. I am thankful for my husband, I am thankful for my stepson and the brother to Kota and Gray and Boss, and I am grateful to Natalie for trusting me with her baby half the week.

Now all seriousness aside, everyone always asks if we are sisters because Craig has an obvious “taste”. She is a badass bike rider, she is a blonde haired spitfire, and she is an independent woman. I am a kind of badass softball player, a lover of all things music, and an independent woman. We have so many random things in common and when people ask if we are sisters we laugh. When we are at the BMX track people question which is Craig’s wife and it has been asked so many times now that at this point we will probably just say to you we both are. It is not conventional, it is not anyone else’s normal, but it is ours and we are living our best life doing it.

Cheers to the stepmoms and to the moms who live with stepmoms. It’s tough. We do our best knowing that our kids deserve the world and ain’t nobody got time for anything other than happiness and love.

Teamwork makes the Dream Work

Birthdays, Humor, Mommy Blogger, Working Mom

Birthday parties. To most, two birthdays in three days doesn’t sound like that big of a deal but two birthday parties with THREE KIDS… it’s like herding cats. Craig was home this weekend so it was MUCH easier because he is amazing but there are still so many obstacles and circumstances that can affect family outings. This post will be the most relatable one yet whether you have one munch or six.

The first was Friday night at a gymnastics place for Jaxon’s buddy Wyatt. I planned my day out perfectly so that I could utilize the most of my morning/afternoon working. But then my one year old puked in his bed because he picked up the “crud” that everyone has had this winter which includes a wet, snotty cough. Then a model had a scheduling conflict and I had to scramble to replace her. Then my daughter peed her pants 2 times (potty training=THE. WORST). Then my husband had some excellent opportunities come through that we had to work on (Stay tuned!) THEN we had to pick up Jax from school (45 minutes there 45 minutes back) and pick up a gift for the party because I like to procrastinate. All the while we have to dress (matching always) the family, crank out dishes between emails and calls, run the barf sheets through the wash so my house didn’t smell like sour milk and feed these little humans decent meals so they don’t get hangry (a very real thing in my house). And I haven’t even gotten to the party part yet…

Make it to the party with work wrapped, present in hand and my babes looking like rockstars. I feel confident, I feel that fourth cup of cold coffee kicking in and I feel ready to take on this rainbow room of amazingness. Jaxon is six and pretty self sufficient. He is incredible on trampolines so I try and keep eyes on him in fear of missing the sweet flips. Craig stays with him so he can get video and pictures. I take the two littles to the other end of the gym for bounce house and foam pit fun. You would think that a one year old isn’t that difficult and that my precious three year old is a perfect angel that stays by my side. HA. Dakota is a tiny independent monkey and this is her Mecca. She starts jumping into every pit, running from one obstacle to another trying to keep up with the big kids, all the while my “baby” is climbing the third row of a rope net. At this point we have lost a shoe, a hair bow, my sanity and I am now visibly sweating. That’s when the “team” stepped in. My girlfriends came to the rescue tag teaming, busting out baby wipes while a teething baby Gray was leaving a trail of drool on the mats, and one jumped into a germ infested bounce house to rescue the rogue bow. AND it’s not just mommys. Our super dad friend took Kota around with the big kids so she could feel included and made sure she got a piece of pizza and cake. Overall, kiddos had the best time, we made special memories with special friends and we all slept like babies that night.

Party number two tonight was “Sabannah’s” bowling birthday! Again, we leave the house confident, everyone’s dressed in purple and we are ready to party. It started at 3:00PM so naturally Graydon fell asleep at 2:50PM just in time to be woken up and forced to stay awake because mommy forgot the stroller. Strike one (and not the good kind of bowling strike). We walk in knowing daddy and Jax were bowling and Kota, Gray and I would be cheerleaders. As the guys are getting their shoes Kota throws a miniature fit because she wants to wear clown shoes too. We spend the $4.00 on the damn shoes because I am not about to get into an argument with a three year old boss lady in public. Strike two. Fortunately there wasn’t actually a strike three except that daddy ended up getting three strikes!!! The Henson family knows the hectic that comes with a musician’s life because their daddy is one too. That and they have been around our babes since they were born. So when my thighs are burning trying to bounce baby Gray to sleep Allie tags me out so I can take a break and she can smell his baby breath. When my glass of wine is down to it’s last sip Amanda is right there with the refill or something stronger depending on the stress level she can read on my face. When Jaxon needs more quarters to play arcade games Josh is already putting them into his hand. People like this are gold and when you find them KEEP THEM.

Teamwork truly does make the dream work. My dream has always been to have a big family but once you have more than two, you are outnumbered. You need to be sure you have a foundation of friends that know the secret SOS parent code. I thank GOD we do. Parent or single, friend or stranger, lover of kids or lover of cats… I hope you all know that when you pick up that bottle that my baby threw, when you open that door for my giant stroller, when you compliment us on our twinning efforts or my kids manners… you have made my day. You give us parents the courage to conquer the next birthday party, the next restaurant or the next movie. Just kidding about the movie… I have three kids under six years old I’m brave but hell I’m not stupid.

Intro to BoydsRUs!

Fashion, Humor, Mommy Blogger, Music

Alrighty everyone (you will learn I refuse to say y’all…) I’m doing it. Biting the bullet. Taking the polar plunge. I am joining the army of mommy bloggers. Now I’m not doing this for the fame or the Fab Fit Fun boxes. I’m doing it because I don’t have the time to sit at my window, gazing at the sunset, quill and leather-bound journal in hand, Josh Groban playing in the background as I write and reflect on each day…Typing in bed at 11PM when everyone is finally asleep, dishes are no longer in my sink, maybe I showered maybe I didn’t, and of course with a hefty pour of red in my hand is my reality.

Fair warning: I’m a little sarcasm, a little nerdy, a little blonde and a whole lotta love wrapped up into one 5’7, 130 LB package (Ok ok 135 after the holidays). Born and raised in Southern California I am now based in Nashville and LOVING it. I am an almost 30-year-old mama of three munchies named Jaxon Wayne (6), Dakota Lynn (3), and Graydon Scott (1). I work for a Los Angeles based modeling agency (Yes I will talk about this often, NO I can’t get you a date). And my husband Craig Wayne Boyd is a country artist who won season 7 of The Voice (#yaller!!!)

There are super highs and plenty of lows that come with this wild ride but I try to keep our life on a steady “live love laugh” roll. I won’t preach at you, I won’t judge you, I won’t give you advice because I’m learning as I go too. I went from eating Top Ramon every day with Sriracha on it to trying to keep three humans alive. I am the last person who should be giving advice. I just figure we are all in this together so I’ll throw my $#!+ out there and hope a few laughs come from it. Cheers to 2019 let’s do this!!!

PS Expect a ton of posts the first couple of weeks then they will dwindle because #life. My goal is 1-2 a week.

PSS If anyone has any WordPress tips please share. This is a foreign language to me. SOS

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I Brought Five Kids to the Opry

Country Music, Family, Mommy Blogger, Music, Tribe

You read that right. I brought five kids ages 9, 6, 4, 2 and 9 months to the sacred Grand Ole Opry. Am I an insane person? Maybe a little… But here are my reason why and my tricks on how.

Reasons… Their daddy got to debut his new trio at one of the most remarkable venues in the United States. This was not Craig’s first time playing there he has been blessed enough to sing in the circle at least 7-8 times. We have pictures of Jax meeting Randy Travis, Dakota being doted on by Mickey Guyton and Jeannie Seely and Gray was in the womb when daddy and I sang “Somewhere in There” together. It wasn’t the first and I definitely don’t think it will be the last. This was too special for any of them to miss. What Texas Hill did that night from the first note to the standing ovation is something my littles will never forget. After two years of not getting to see their dad be remarkable on stage, this was a night I wanted marked in their memories. Would I have enjoyed it more had I planned a triple date night with the wives Kelli and Jenny…? Maybe. But there is nothing like three cowboy hats bobbing their heads, Dakota dancing in the aisle and Blakely shimmying on my lap. It wasn’t easy but thank goodness for moms/ mother in laws and patient fans.

How did I do it you ask…? Moms/Mother in Law and patient fans 🙂 Snacks are a must, a beer to relieve the anxiety was a plus, and timing dinner, naps and playing hard to make sure everyone wasn’t too wound up was helpful too. I woke up that day and we put outfits together so I could dress and go. I started my makeup (which takes all of 10 minutes with peace) about two hours before show time while the kiddos were watching a movie with Mimi. Taco Bell came in clutch for dinner during that 40 minute drive to the event. The ritual of pre-outing pep talk always happens and goes a little something like this… “Make sure you are always holding a hand, say your thank you’s, yes ma’ams and sir’s and boys, hold the doors when you can.”

It was a lot don’t get me wrong. It always is. But we now have the below pictures to show them when they can truly understand the magnitude of what happened for their daddy and our family that night. We DEBUTED AT THE OPRY. Texas Hill was a dream we never knew we had or needed. This night was magic, they are magic, and our kiddos got to see the magic. The best part of the night aside from crying tears of pride were the compliments I got from everyone who watched the kids expecting the worst. The people in front, behind and next to use were buckling down for mayhem as the lights dimmed and curtains opened. Instead they witnessed the sparkle in five blues eyes when they watched their dad and his brothers do what they do best. I will never get a better compliment and I will never be more impressed by five little humans than I am my own. My entire life I thought I had to make myself proud and happy and I know I do at times, but this pride… this happy… this life is something I couldn’t have even dreamt. I love all six of my tribe with every inch of my being. Thank you all for your continued support and for those who were there that night… Thank you for making it magic.

Lesson learned: DO NOT have children wear cowboy hats at an indoor venue unless you plan on carrying them later in the night.

Advice and Things I Wish I Would Have Been Told About Having Five Kids…

Baby, big family, Family, Mom Humor, Mommy Blogger, Tribe, Uncategorized
  1. Getting in and out of a car will take at least 30 minutes and you will always forget something… always.
  2. If you can, space them out age wise accordingly, do so. Having a little Boss that can’t talk yet and tell me how he is feeling about a new baby Blakely is tricky. He is getting there now it just takes a whole lot of one on one and cuddling.
  3. Diapers. So many diapers. I take down at least 6 diapers after one nights sleep.
  4. Date nights will be non existent for a bit and thats ok. Just appreciate the time alone you do have together and remind yourself that one day you will have built in babysitters.
  5. Consignment stores are everything especially when you are trying to match 7 people all the time.
  6. Costco is your best friend.
  7. Set a reminder on your Alexa to clip the 100 toenails and fingernails once a week.
  8. Moms have a gift of prioritizing every second of every day so while running up stairs to wipe someones bum grab a few things to take up with you so you don’t have to go up and down an extra five times out of the six hundred you will.
  9. Kids are helpful. They want to help if you explain that you need it and why. At five I have Dakota helping with dishes, Jax is taking care of trash and the three oldest are cleaning up toys when I ask. Don’t be scared to ask them to use those cute little hands.
  10. You will always have throw up or poop in, on and around you. Get used to it and have perfume in every diaper bag.
  11. Being in public will feel overwhelming but on lookers will either laugh or offer help. Take the help. Let the guy behind you in line at Target pick up the shoe that your kid kicked off.
  12. Don’t ever order your own meal at a restaurant because you will have six to-go boxes if you do. They never finish their food. Order the margarita instead of the meal.
  13. Sleep isn’t a thing right now so don’t expect it just have really great coffee on deck.
  14. Surround yourself with friends that encourage the chaos and enjoy your time together. Someone is bound to pull down their pants and pee in the front yard, spill a drink, get crumbs in a couch etc. True friends who invite you over with that many humans know the drill.
  15. Train the olders well and the littles will follow.
  16. Laundry is life. Have a glass of wine while you do it. Make it fun!
  17. You will be exhausted and you will blame your spouse for said exhaustion. The only way to fix this is by making that time for the “special special” but don’t have too much “special special” because then you may get another surprise bundle of joy.
  18. They will all look exactly like your husband. Don’t take offense you are in their personality somewhere.
  19. Time to yourself will seem non existent because it is but if you can take the bath or shower alone, if you can play a game of Candy Krush on the potty, if you can tan for two minutes without another being on top of you, remember to appreciate those moments.
  20. LOVE HARD ON THEM NOW. This is a season and it is flying by so through the tears, the lack of sleep, the fight over green beans, the gallon of Gatorade spilt on the floor by your eager toddler… love it all. Write it all down. Don’t ever forget that you dreamt of these moments all your life. The good, the bad and the goofy.

THANK YOU!!!

Faith, Family, Mommy Blogger

I wish I could say we are always happy. I wish I could say things are easy. I wish I could say we are strong and nothing affects us. BUT I can’t. We have been sad as a family and I have been exceptionally sad as a wife/mother/daughter/sister/friend. I pray, I have faith, I wake up with high hopes every morning but lately all of it feels overwhelming. 

Yesterday I asked Craig to grab bulk diapers from Walmart on the way home from picking up Jax because we needed diapers and right now we need cheap ones. They did and I was thankful. This morning I was woken up with a thank you card from Craig and the babies. I didn’t sleep well last night with a teething one year old. I am also not a morning person. But waking up to a card with a personalized note from my husband and each of our kids who are old enough to write’s signatures, was something I didn’t know I needed. My heart crumbled, my fears disappeared, exhaustion seemed like the least of my concerns and I felt full. 

Later I found out that Jax read five different cards himself to pick the one he knew would melt me the way it did. The fact that my husband spent the time with not only our son but my stepson showing him the ways of being a good man to a woman melted me even more. Hence additional tears. After I read the card, my five year old daughter brought me her favorite unicorn stuffed animal to cuddle with. My three year old son brought me an ice pack from the freezer because he’s the klutzy one who usually needs a good icing after a fall. My one year old didn’t know what was going on and that was fine. BUT knowing I have this kind of support in my house will keep me going happily and strongly for another year. 

Partners, especially those who are struggling financially, it just takes a card. I put so much unnecessary pressure sometimes on date nights or adult time but a home-made or bought from Halmark for six bucks card  is perfect. I can’t explain the fuel that I have from those simple words and signatures. It was just too special to forget and too special to not share. LOVE to everyone. Pray, have faith, and write a card for someone you think might need it right now. 

As For Me and My House

Family, Foodie, Humor, Mommy Blogger, Music, Quarantine, Working Mom

I haven’t written in a while for two reasons. Lack of inspiration being one and fear being the other. It is difficult to be inspired when you fear the opinions of others especially in a creative writing space. Something shifted as we listened to an incredible church service yesterday, then last night we got to jam with the trio and the icing on top was watching “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” this morning. The feel good vibes are strong today because I got to feed my soul with all the things. So, I thought I would tell you about them 🙂

Church. The message was simple. “I Believe”. If you are reading this you know that me and my house serve the Lord. He is our center and my children are being raised Christian. If you do not agree I don’t judge. That’s what it’s all about. BELIEVE in your faith, yourself, your family, your friends just believe and do it with conviction. Shut off the news, don’t get involved in the rumors or the arguments on Facebook, don’t waste the precious time we have being caught up in the crap. I believe in being informed and drawing my own conclusions from there. I try and steer clear of any news that is opinion centered. The Pastor yesterday basically said all of these things (except he didn’t say crap) and it was so refreshing to be reminded. So I will continue posting and writing and keeping it light and fun because that is us. I do it in hopes of bringing some smiles to you whether you are wearing a mask or aren’t wearing a mask, whether you are red blue or green, whether you watch Fox or CNN, whether you think Whataburger is better than In and Out. Actually, if you believe that last one you are wrong but I love you anyway. I digress…

Jam sesh. There is nothing better and nothing I love doing more especially with Adam, Craig, Casey, Jenny, Amanda and Kelly. The talent on the porch last night was insurmountable. The conversations and the hearts are so good and kind. The way the music made me feel and the food/drink was perfection. 2020 has really brought to light the importance of being kind and present. I was so present last night in every conversation every laugh and every vocal lick. I am just so grateful for good friends, for this time of stillness, for our health and for the exciting things happening in our life musically. I am trying to focus on the positive otherwise the negative can get so overwhelming I start to drown. I choose to focus on the good and it is a choice I make every morning when I wake up for myself and my family. Having a fun night makes the choice easier and the bad lighter. So get out there you crazy cats and kittens. Go read the book, drink the wine, get the tan… whatever makes you feel good and recharge your sanity battery during the weirdest year of all time.

Finally Mr. Rogers. If you have not yet seen “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” stop reading my blog right now and go watch it on Amazon Video FO FREE. It was totally different then I thought it would be. It’s a reminder that love is always the simpler choice. Covid has made a lot of people really bored, angry and depressed. Give them grace. This is my Corona mantra. When Craig is having a rough day I give him grace. When I am having a bad day he gives me grace. When some dingleberry comments on a picture of our son to cut his hair because he looks like a “sissy” we give him grace. I still call him a dingleberry because I am not a saint. Again, I am working on my Mr. Rogers mentality not quit there yet.

BELIEVE. BE KIND. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE.

Thank you for reading this it’s a reminder for me and if one person finds some comfort in a word or two I will be a happy camper. xo

A MUST DO during Quarantine

Family, Foodie, Humor, Mommy Blogger, Music, Quarantine, Working Mom

We have been getting pretty creative around here during quarantine. Some of our fun activities have included making “spongey soap” (super cool and handy in these times), “Kite Fishing” (using a fishing pole as your kite string), metal detecting, I have mastered the art of french braiding which has been a goal of mine for YEARS, teaching kids under 8 years old to sing harmonies together, potty training a two year old (basically letting him be naked all the time and peepee on plants), playing a pinball video game in the late night hours as a “date night”, Dakota Lynn our 4 year old is officially incredible on a bike with no training wheels, Dakota is now skating too, Jaxon can do skate tricks, Graydon digs for worms that we use to fish…. Guys I could go on with all of the weird pointless but oh so fun things we are doing at the Boyd Bunker. That being said, my ultimate favorite thing we have done since being quarantined is… get ready for it… OTG!

Craig and I went OFF THE GRID for a full day. I am not sure if it was the phone update that tells you how many hours you are using your phone a week OR maybe he had just grown tired of the Tik Tok posts BUT Craig woke up one day last week and said “We are putting our phones on the night stand and not checking them again until 6PM”. Folks… this is HARD. My first thought was we don’t have a land line so what if an emergency happens and no one can reach us (in hind site that was a reasonable fear and we probably should have at least checked them once). Second thought was, what if my three month old says his first word or starts walking or learns to read today and I don’t have my camera to document it??? Then I remembered, he’s three months old.

Once I got over my fear, put down my adult “choopy” (Our family calls pacifiers “choopy’s”… no clue why) aka phone and my eyes adjusted to the real world and not the virtual one, I began to really REALLY enjoy. I did not one, but TWO puzzles with my kids and just FYI the patience it takes to do puzzles with a two year old and four year old is unimaginable. We didn’t talk business, money, pandemic or dumb posts ONE TIME in the day and it was the most beautiful breath of fresh air. During lunch I found myself laughing and flirting with my hubby because I was present. At the end of the day our kids told us it was “the best day” and there is no amount of likes or views in the world that could ever beat that type of reach.

If you can, if you are currently unemployed, if you are feeling the weight of stress pushing down on your shoulders or if you just need a good mental detox, I am telling you now go OTG (off the grid). It is probably one of the few times in our life we are able to without feeling terribly guilty. You won’t be missing out on anything because there is nothing to miss out on. You will absolutely have several moments throughout the day of peace and I guarantee you will smell some flowers you would have normally missed. In fact, I was so inspired by a day without technology that I have decided to become Amish if this thing isn’t over soon. If you need to reach me I will be out in the country churning butter, harvesting my own wine, gardening, and sewing. WTH is happening to me??? #quarantine

The Tale of a Musician’s Wife

Family, Mommy Blogger, Music, Working Mom

I wish you well

I wish you more than you can tell

And I hope someday we’re crying

At the mention of your name

I hope for peace

At the bottles release

You’ll lose more than you’ve gained but

Memories will stay the same

You are worth it

You are better than you think

You’ve climbed the mountain tops

And you’ve spent time on bare feet

Don’t forget it

You are better than a song

And one day when they all sing along

Just remember

That you are worth it

I’ve seen the best

And I’ve been through the worst

When you think you can stand high

This town will knock you down

It’ll bleed you dry

But you’ve overcome

Years of try and try

One more saying no is one less yes

than tomorrow’s better buy

You are worth it

You are better than you think

You’ve climbed the mountain tops

And you’ve spent time on bare feet

Don’t forget it

You’re better than a song

And one day when they all sing along

Just remember

That you are worth it

Keep thinking big

Keep dreaming harder than I did

The heart I fell in love with

And still fall for is you

You are worth it

You are better than you think

You’ve climbed the mountain tops

And you’ve spent time on bare feet

Don’t forget it

You’re better than a song

And one day when they all sing along

Just remember

That you are worth it

Felt inspired tonight. It’s been a crazy journey and I pray it’s not over for us or anyone else. We are going to come out of this more creative and inspired than ever before. This is not just a hobby for most of us it is a way of life. The way he writes, the way he dresses, how he handles social media, how we raise our kids it’s all one in the same… through music. I’m so proud and inspired by fellow musicians who have created a working outlet in a time where you can’t do your favorite thing in the world which is play live in front of fans. Knowing that we can at least play in our homes for everyone right now (sweats and all) is our saving grace and we love each and everyone of you for it. Craig Wayne Boyd going live tomorrow Friday April 3 at 9pm cst. Can’t wait to hang with you all again.

NASHVILLE STRONG

Long Hair Do Care

Family, Fashion, hair, Humor, Mommy Blogger

The first time I ever cut my hair pixie short was when I was modeling and I made $2000 doing it. I walked out of that shoot feeling like a much more confident version of myself. I remember getting in the car, looking in the mirrors over and over and running my fingers through my healthy locks. I walked into my boyfriend’s (at the time) house and the confidence was crushed the second his brothers called me Justin Bieber. I vividly remember this incident because if it happened now I would have made a joke about it then dumped the boyfriend on the spot for not sticking up for me (heck yes to that 30 year old woman confidence).

Fast forward to me having children of my own and growing out everyone’s hair whether they are boys or girls. This is not a Craig choice. This is not a Taylor choice. We have babies, they have really great dark hair when they are born until it starts to fall out, then we shave it and let it grow. Jax went through a phase of wanting short hair so Craig and him cut their hair at the same time in similar styles. CWB got a lot of back lash for it from fans but he also got a lot of love. Jax liked the response from his peers at school with short hair but then he went to the BMX track, a ton of the other boys still rocked long hair and he missed his. Jax now loves his man buns and we have taught him to tell kids who react negatively to make light of it or say “You are welcome to your own opinion”. Gray, our two year old son, let us shave the sides because his hair is so thick but he will not let us touch the top long parts. He may throw a fit when I have to brush him but if you ask to cut it he will give you a stern “No!”. Dakota Lynn cries every time we cut anyones hair and wants hers to grow like a princess. We just shaved Boston’s sides this week and once he gets a little fuzz growing back we will buzz the whole thing and see what happens. All of this to say, once they grow into their own preferences we listen and let them do whatever they want to their hair (with the exception of coloring :).

What hurts my heart is when someone assumes wrong. My dad always said assuming typically makes an “Ass” out of “U” and “Me” and there is something to that! We recently had a family situation where Jax was in a class without us for an hour and during the entire class a teacher insisted that he was a girl no matter how many times he corrected her. He had on black cowboy boots, a suit jacket, black jeans and a sweet belt buckle along with a name tag that said “Jaxon”. She called him “her” for an hour in front of kids he was just getting to know. I am so proud of him for standing his ground and continuing to correct her no matter how humiliated he might have felt. When we went to pick him up he immediately told us what happened at the door. Craig addressed it kindly with her and her response was “Whatever works”. Absolutely wasn’t an acceptable response and believe you me they got an email after that. I basically had to quietly pull Craig Wayne Boyd out of there by his long hair and we all calmed down in the car.

My point in saying all of this is we have no problem when people make a mistake and use the wrong pronoun on one of our long haired boys or our daughter dressed in black. There have been countless times at dinner that one of my kids has been called the wrong thing and corrected it themselves or Craig and I have…politely. On social media it happens daily and our #yallers always come to the rescue to clarify. I understand when you go against the grain some might not always approve. I respect that back in the day long hair wasn’t as common on men or might have had a negative connotation. People often come back with “they are just so beautiful” when our son is mistakenly called she and what better a compliment than to hear that! One day when they start growing facial hair it will become a non-issue but until then I would like to kindly suggest that if you are ever unsure just skirt your way around it.

Parenting is so stinking tough. This has been an ongoing situation I have been learning to navigate for the past 5 years and will continue to work on so that my munchies don’t feel wrong for having a personal preference about their appearance AND so they don’t feel ashamed for preferring to be a little different. What are some parenting challenges you have faced???

So tonight I tried to steer clear of Corona and talk about a parenting issue that happened most often when we were out and about. Honestly, for the time being I am trying to find anything to talk about other than Covid-19 . Any “normal” topics we had about being parents before we were confined to our homes with minimal human interaction would be welcome! Love you all, wash yo hands and try and stay as healthy and happy as possible during this crazy madness. I might blog in a week, I might blog tomorrow to be honest some days I am inspired and others I am trying to keep from feeling overwhelmed. If there is anything you want to chat about or hear funny stories about let me know that might be just the inspiration I need. Keeping this blog does more for my personal health than you know and I just thank anyone reading. xoxox

A Mom’s Take on Coronavirus

Family, Mommy Blogger, Music, Working Mom

I don’t even like saying the word and as I type I am still unsure of what to talk about so no one takes offense. The past two weeks in Nashville and our county have been strange. We have experienced a tornado hit our beloved town then only days later we are seeing the unimaginable happen in our country/world. I have seen love, support and community come together in the most beautiful way and then an entire shift to panic. There are so many views, so many articles, so many posts happening that I have tried to stay offline as much as humanly possible yet our lively hood revolves around current events and public appearances. Here goes something…

Craig left for Austin, Texas today to play a festival in Round Rock. Do we post about it? Do we share with people that he is on his way to do his job? We did. Not sure if it was the “correct” decision but as a family we made it. We decided that because it was outside of the metropolis that is Austin and because the cases are few nearby, and Craig’s fans are attending that driving (rather than flying) and playing an acoustic show while being as conscious of cleanliness as possible was a must. He/We are absolutely aware of the importance of being “quarantined” and respect everyone’s thoughts. Every mic will be sanitized, there will be elbow bumps instead of hugs, and when he gets home there will be a lot of laundry to do but this situation will be handled in the most cleanly and safe way possible. I hope his fans and our friends know and respect that.

We have also “stocked up”. We have enough toilet paper for two weeks, formula, diapers and wipes for two weeks and food for TWO WEEKS. I am the most protective mom on the planet but we did not go shopping in bulk for anything. We shopped responsibly knowing that there are other new moms out there who need exactly what I do and there are elderly people looking to have food in their fridge too. This panic is scary. This shift in our economy is scary. We aren’t sure we will get deposits or any new shows in the next few months and THAT. IS. SCARY. Prayer and family time has been the only thing that seems to keep me from grinding my teeth at night.

My personality has always been the “half glass full” kinda gal. My figurative glass is half full knowing that I have enjoyed three days with my tribe. No phones, no news, just outdoors, cuddles and close friends. We have taught Dakota to ride a bike with no training wheels successfully and I am so stinking proud of her. Jaxon has learned two new songs on piano and is now honing in on his drum skills (SOS Johannes!). Graydon is learning colors and has mastered the rainbow with the help of M&M’s. Boston has us all smiling with every one of his new smiles. Craig and I are talking less and loving more. If I wasn’t so worried about our careers and humanity I would chalk this moment in time up as precious. That being said, my literal glass right now is half full because I don’t think I could experience this many emotions without a glass of wine or two.

Yesterday I needed out of the house so I went and detailed our car from front to back. Aside from wine, reading and praying… cleaning has become my new therapy. I needed a moment to reflect. Afterwards, I found myself going to Dollar General for ice cream for our kids because they are absolute rockstars. The other day Dakota and Gray were playing and Graydon came running into our room saying “Mommy there is a Mado (tornado) outside”. In that moment I realized how much they hear, see and absorb. In that moment I knew that my tension was rubbing off on him. Then Jaxon came home clinging to a stuffed animal which he has never done. His school was flattened by a tornado two weeks ago and now he knows that he won’t be going back for a while because people are getting sick. I asked Craig if we should take the “stuffy” away and he said “No. They are kids and they have feelings bigger than ours.” Moral of all of this… Love. Let people feel. And know that children are hearing and feeling all of the emotions that you have. I don’t think anyone should hide them but they should be talked about and then cover everyone in enough kisses and hugs to make the scary disappear. It is difficult, I am not saying it is easy but remember you are the leader of your pack and you want to make that pack as strong and comfortable as possible. (I say this to myself as I type because this is new territory and I am obviously learning as I go to).

Love you all, wash your hands, and share with me any creative ideas you might have for adults and kids alike to stay sane during this time of chaos. xo