Calydays

Wow it’s been a minute! I never meant to go this long without blogging, but life ya know? So let me update you on mine!

In November I had a sweet baby girl – Wrenley Beau! She was the best addition to our family and we have spent every day since loving her and treating her like the queen she is! She was born two days after Wade turned THREE, which seems impossible itself! He is smitten with “his sis” and loves her so well! It took a bit to adjust to her, but once he did, they quickly became besties!

In December, we moved into our new build! It is the first home that has been OURS – and what a blessing it has been! We moved about an hour from where we were living – away from friends and family – but we don’t regret it one bit! We love where we are and the convenience of Garrett being closer to work! It was our first time building a house and we learned so much! So much so, that we are already planning on building our next home…. right behind our current one. HA. Life is funny. Just a few days after moving into our home, our entire family got the big C word – and boy that was a beating. But we all made full recoveries and are thriving!

January was a month for us to just slow down and enjoy living in our new home in good health! We spent most of the day snuggled up next to the fireplace, playing, and sneaking in naps wherever we could!

In February, I decided to OPEN A BOUTIQUE! As if life isn’t hectic enough with a newborn and toddler, I threw this into the mix, but what a blessing it has been! After having Wrenley especially, I knew I wanted to share my journey of finding myself confidence and inner beauty so I could be a good example to teach her the importance of those things! Along the way, I knew I wanted to help other people do the same thing, so I founded Goldie Cays! Now I get to build friendships with women who shop my boutique looking for clothes that make them feel beautiful and confident, and it truly is my passion!

March, April, May and June flew by and we spent most of our time outside playing and enjoying our new family dynamic! That is, until we found multiple copperheads in our backyard hiding under Wade’s toys and it sent my anxiety into a bad spiral. I spent weeks scared to let Wade go outside for fear of him getting bit by a snake. We then spent a lot of time inside, which really took a negative toll on mental health in our family! This is when I really started being more open and sharing about my journey with anxiety and working towards overcoming those feelings each day. I silently struggled with anxiety for 13 years, and it felt so good to open up and share knowing so many people were going through it too! In May, we took a trip to Broken Bow as a family to celebrate four years of marriage – and I owe you the unfinished blog post of all the details – so be on the lookout for that coming soon!

July came and I decided enough was enough, and slowly, day by day, started getting us back outside each day! And gosh, what a difference it made! Not only in my mental health but in the attitude of the kids too! If you are struggling with anxiety and maybe your mental health isn’t the best – this is your sign to get out and spend some time in the sunshine each day! We all go out barefoot and let out feet touch the Earth’s soil and it is instant serotonin. I cannot recommend it enough! It was the fist time I had felt like myself in a while and it felt so good!

Now, here we are in August! And typing this, I’m seeing how fast this year is flying by, and thinking about how I should probably start Christmas shopping now haha! For the month of August, I really wanted to feel my best self! While getting outside each day made a huge difference for my mental health – I realized I was sometimes going all week without even leaving my house! So, I challenged myself to get out of the house every day of August! We are on day 10 today and WOW! It has made such a difference in how I feel mentally and emotionally! I used to have anxiety and panic attacks when taking the kids out by myself, but each day got easier, and something that we all look forward to! We have taken two trips in one week this month, too! Normally, I would’ve been so anxious and not taken two trips that close, but because we had been getting out and being away from home more often, they were absolutely great! Had I of let my anxious feelings talk me out of it, I would’ve missed out on some amazing memories. We went to the beach for a few days and then we took Wade on a surprise trip to see Paw Patrol live! They are core memories that will stay with me forever and I’m so glad we did that! You can see all of our outings and progress I have made with my anxiety on Instagram!

Now we are looking forward to September and just juggled the idea around of doing a no-spend September! Obviously we would have to spend on the necessities; groceries, fuel, diapers, our typical bills! I really think we can do it though! That means less eating out, no coffee runs, no Sonic stops, and no shopping! So follow along on Instagram and TikTok to watch those!

I am so happy to be back in this space! If you ever need a friend, or an ear to listen, especially when it comes to dealing with anxiety and depression – I am always here. You are not alone. Your anxiety isn’t YOU. It doesn’t define YOU and when you can begin to see it that way, I truly think your life begins to shift in a way that anxiety is far and few between. Love you, friend!

XOXO, Caly