THE LITTLE TIN BOAT THAT WOULD NOT SINK It Came in Bits and Pieces... My Grandpa's first official story.  A story about high school graduation trip he took with a few friends, a trip to catch a few fish at Yellowstone Lake, a trip that nearly ended in disaster.  A story he told me via text over about a week and a haIf. If you didn't catch the prologue to this story,[...]

It's finally finished, the most meaningful drawing I've EVER drawn. Drawing portraits has always been my preference and I'm always on the lookout for an interesting face to draw. I'd toyed with the idea of drawing my Grandpa Don in the past but never thought I had the 'right' picture to work from.  Until the day my Grandpa Don sent me his first selfie.  Finally,  I had the PERFECT picture. [...]

  I received a gift mail last week from my Grandpa Don and have to share it with the world. My Grandpa is the most innovative and resourceful person I know. He can build anything. And if he doesn’t have the tools to build it, he’ll make them. His friends and family will tell you that he is…. truly one of a kind, no one in the world compares. The[...]

Overcoming adversity... We are all faced with adversity in life. Often times it's so challenging that we question how capable we are at surviving at all. Some of my challenges have been easy to overcome and sometimes I feel like I was going to die. I know you can relate...things get really bad and you just feel like giving up. But I truly believe it is what you do and how you[...]

Asanté and Korin...Taken Too Soon I've put off writing this post for over a month because I didn't know how I wanted to start. I still don't. I was hoping to find the perfect words. But rather than wait any longer, I decided to write, perfect words or not. I have mentioned in the past that I am a teacher at Smoky Hill High School. Several months before graduation, Smoky lost[...]

I could browse Pinterest for hours, pinning quote after quote, reposting on social media, sharing with friends and family, words of wisdom and motivational pictures. This post is a short list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite quotes. I'm also including my thoughts and how I interpret or make meaning of each one. I wonder how many people I’ve looked at all my life and never seen.--John Steinbeck[...]

I recently came across a poem I saved many years ago titled "Surviving Cancer" and thought it worthy of being shared.  The poem was written by Jill Warren and was included in a book my mom gave me, Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul.  I used this poem when I was in college and had to give a presentation in a communications class. I thought it was a perfect way to summarize[...]

Just not always a GOOD reason... I don't mean to sound pessimistic but I cringe every time I hear it, someone just trying to be supportive, trying to make me feel better, trying to help explain away the unexplainable... "Everything happens for a reason."  As if simply saying it puts a positive spin on the situation. "Why yes", I want to reply. "Things do happen for a reason but sometimes[...]

I believe forward thinking is important and that it is not productive to dwell on the past. That being said, I do think it is important to reflect on the past. Thinking about the current status of my life--- thinking about how I finally decided to move forward with out looking back--- I thought I'd share with you, 10 things I wish I would have known 20 years ago. Some of them are major[...]

Meet Nancy Larsen...Mom to me, Grandma to Kira, and Super Grandma to Kayva and MacKinley. My mom is my friend, my inspiration, my role model and quite possibly the most amazing lady I know. I'd like to share her with you, so you too, can appreciate one of the most important people in my life.  My Mom is many things... Resilient Tough (I'm talking you don't want to meet her[...]

Tawnya Michelle Jones is my maiden name. A really common, ordinary name but in my case, I don't think it's ordinary at all. In my last blog, I shared that I had someone very special to introduce to you. This is someone I am excited for you to meet, someone I want to show off,  someone I owe my passion and skill to...this person is where I came from...this person is[...]

One of my favorite songs...well, it's not actually a song at all but a hypothetical commencement speech written by Mary Shmich and published in the Chicago Tribune. Baz Lurhmann is the individual responsible for turning the essay into a spoken word song. I've listened to the song countless times, I can recite it word for word. Over and over I've listened to it, in the car, at Zumba, at work,[...]