breathe

Let the rest simmer

This brisk autumn air in Texas is bringing me all the feels for my very favorite time of year. It reminds me of this moment in Central Park last fall when my sisters and I were celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday in NYC. Nearly the same moment we stepped into the park my eyes locked in on to this golden beauty and my heart lept. (and a ridiculous photoshoot ensued) I can’t fully explain the love I have for this season.

Fall is everything to me.

The changing colors of the trees. Warm sweaters, fluffy blankets, crackling fires, and steaming mugs of anything warming my cold fingers all make my heart feel comfortable and calm. The top is off the jeep for the foreseeable future. There’s a Simmered Cider candle poured in a copper mug sitting on my kitchen countertop. In this very moment, I can feel a long, slow exhale …

Last week, after an unusually difficult day, I hit the road to head over to Coppell for the 30th annual Coppell High School Lariette Spaghetti Dinner. I didn’t go because I was craving spaghetti, although it would have been fabulous had I not accidentally doused it in Italian salad dressing because my head was too full to think. I went to Coppell that night because I love my niece Sophia more than I can explain and I love her Mama more than is rational, because she’s my sister. (Which I think makes it rational, but either way, I digress.)

The point is, I was emotionally exhausted and barely holding it together on the surface.

I got tied up in another conversation in the car on my way in, which made me late after I’d worked so hard to be on time. I took a long, deep breath, wiped my eyes one last time …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Loving Yourself Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

While dropping the “boys” (a.k.a. teenagers!) off for summer camp, our usually family photo ops didn’t turn out quite the way I would have liked. Everyone was hot and sweaty. One of the boys, who shall remain nameless (hint: it’s not the one pictured), was not very happy with Mama. Of course, I really wanted to get some good family pics, but I could tell it just wasn’t gonna happen. So rather than trying to force it and make everyone pose with fake smiles and side rib jabs behind the camera, I just took a few “candid” shots. Like this one, I took on the covered wagon, on the way to their cabins.

Lovely, right?

While we were making beds and getting them settled in, they were cranky and really didn’t want my help. At first, I persisted and just kept trying to hang and organize all the things the way I …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Loving Others Loving Yourself Motherhood Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

Have you ever caught yourself rushing through the mundane, ordinary tasks of life, only to suddenly notice something beautiful? That happened to me over the weekend. I was bent down, sorting the stinky socks from the grass-stained paints while the water was filling the washing machine tub. (The same tub I’ve had for the last 17 years, mind you.) When I stood up, the soap was dancing across the surface of the water, creating a beautiful work of art.

I completely stopped what I was doing to watch it dance.

I instantly judged myself, thinking that it was a silly distraction from the work at hand. But I was drawn back in. Distraction or not, it was beautiful. I ran to grab my phone for a pic, hoping it would still be there when I returned. Lucky for you, it was. *smiley face*

But my laundry soap doesn’t always dance.

Most days its just white …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Words Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

If your family is anything like mine, things can get a little crazy at holiday gatherings. Like this one time we started a conga line through the house for no apparent reason at all. (Okay, let’s be honest, that wasn’t the first time.) Moving on. The point is, all families have their own kind of crazy and most of us have “feelings” about what it’s going to be like to gather with the ones we love over the holidays. This is especially true when it involves gathering with people we didn’t grow up with.

Because seriously, their kind of crazy just isn’t normal.

Just ask Scott. I don’t think he grew up dancing in a conga line through the house. I’m thinking he probably didn’t do family olympics on Friday nights in the front yard for all to see either. He’s had a lot to adjust to, spending time with my family …

by Crystal Gornto Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Loving Yourself Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

It’s almost Halloween, the holiday our society lightly mocks death and the grave, but this day reminds our family of just how quickly life can change.

It’s a day we remember, with still broken hearts, the loss of a life so incredibly well lived.

On this day in 2005, our brother-in-law, (and Scott’s dearest friend) Kyle Lake, tragically left this world. His light was so bright. His heart was so big. His zeal for life was so contagious.

And yet, in an instant, he was gone.

The day of his unexpected passing, Kyle shared these words with a packed auditorium in Waco. They were his last. May they resonate deep in your heart, make you laugh, and simultaneously, remind you to treasure each breath.

May Kyle’s legacy fill you with gratitude for the life and people you love today.

” Live. And Live Well.

BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply.

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Let the rest simmer

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A peaceful place

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You get what you get

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My laundry soap doesn’t always dance

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Their kind of crazy

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Life is, most definitely a gift

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