{Left} My little sister Sara and I with our horse Smokey. {Right} A tisket, a tasket, I have puppies in a basket.
Welcome!
When I remember my growing up years I picture Oklahoma prairie skies.
They go on forever and at my childhood country home, there were endless possibilities of play underneath them. Picnics in pastures, swimming in creeks (or my cousin’s up-the-road pool), fort-building in woods, house-playing in brick piles. With sisters and cousins or just by myself, I did plenty of dreaming and scheming while looking skyward.
Now I’m a Mama of 3 precious young’uns who has lived in Ohio, New Mexico, Hawaii and Colorado as I follow my Air Force man around this country. The blue skies may change with the landscape, but the fresh-air hope I find in looking up does not.
Why Chasing Blue Skies? Because blue skies represent joy and I am always on a chase for joy. Not in a Pollyanna, everything-is-sunshiney-wonderful kind of way. Everything is most assuredly not sunshiney. Life is good. But dang it, life is hard. More accurately I am talking about chasing down the good in every circumstance, seeing how God is present in the good, bad and ugly.
Why the Country Girl? Because that’s what I am. No, I’ve never roped anything or worn Wranglers. But ask anyone who’s known me for 5 minutes if I have an accent, even if I haven’t lived near the South in 15 years. I was the only gal living in Hawaii that said, “Y’all” or used expressions like, “What in the Sam Hill are you doing?” But it’s not just southern accents or cultural euphemisms that make me a country girl. In the country, life moves slow and relaxed. It offers room to spread out your arms like Maria from The Sound of Music and swing around in circles or sing at the top of your lungs or run free. Or all of the above. You can breathe deep the good smells as you relish being exactly who God created you to be.
Even as a current city dweller, I carry this in my heart. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.
I hope you find this space one where you can be yourself as you soak up fresh-air encouragement. If you really keep readin’, you’ll see I’ll be keepin’ it real.
His work in progress,
Erin @ Closing Time says
Kristen, I’m so excited about your new bloggy home. I love encouragement and keeping it real. I think I’m your first subscriber! 🙂
Kristen says
Erin, you were a dream to work with! Thank you for everything, sweet friend!
Sharon @ HikingTowardHome says
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am turning over and new leaf too and in the next day or so I will be leaving hikingtowardhome.blogspot.com to become HikingTowardHome.com!! on my own domain!
Kristen says
YAY! I can’t wait to check it out, Sharon! Beautiful, beautiful name you have!
SomeGirl says
Love the new place and your heart poured out through your words! You’ll do GREAT on your own (but never alone…you are indeed surrounded by friends)! Lots of love to you!
Kristen says
Phew…so good to know! Thanks for reminding me! 🙂
Lisa-Jo @thegypsymama says
Kristen! Picture me running in slo-mo toward you across big green fields, leaping daisies and cow pies, before launching into a flying hug tackle fest! LOVE this new space of yours. So looking forward to visiting with you here! Adding you to my google reader in 1, 2, 3…..
Kristen says
Holy smokes, I laughed so hard reading this the hubs came in to check on me! HA! As one girl who has leaped over (and in) many a cow pies, I say let the tackle fest begin!
LeAnna says
Love the pictures, as a fellow Okie the one with you and the puppies on the bike speaks home to me. Crunchy brown “grass” and vivid green wheat fields with silos splattered here and there. That is Oklahoma prairie. Love it! Looking forward to following your new blog.
Kristen says
So nice to meet you, LeAnna! You know I haven’t been to visit my family in Osage Co, OK in THREE years and I am missing the area SO much! Thankfully, we will rectify this tragedy this summer. 🙂 I can’t wait to see those wheat fields and the silos. It’s the little things, isn’t it?
Stacey says
Welcome home Sweet Kristen! Praying this space not only encourages the hearts of others – but you meet Him here, in this wide open blue sky!
Really, very lovely!
Great job Erin!
Kristen says
Isn’t Erin da bomb??
Thanks, Stacey! I am meeting Him here. And it feels good!
David says
Beautiful!
You get my vote!
😉
Hallee the Homemaker says
How exciting for you! I look forward to your posts!
Hallee
Kristen says
Hallee, I always appreciate your support! Thank you so much, friend! Have a wonderful day!
Melissa says
Kristen – Love your blog – got here from Holley Gerth’s post. I had to tell you that the photo of you on your bicycle – we could have been twins! Hair, bicycle, basket, country girl!! I will be back every day – thanks for posting your heart.
Kristen says
Oh the hair…that’s one memory I’d like to forget. HA!
So nice to meet you, Melissa! Thanks for visiting me here in my neck of the woods.