Our new MOM and ME journal

Oh sweet girl; I love spending time with you. It’s time to ring in a new journal together.

Of course, let’s enjoy some tea with it.

What was the question today?

You bring me joy!

Ok, now time for a silly song.

Oh, little Butternut, Butternut!

Till next time.

Reflecting on 2022

Dear 2022,

A humbling, difficult, yet serendipitous year, and as much as I want to say goodbye, I also want to thank you. Growth of the HAY clan and gut health challenges/opportunities for change were two areas that definitely occurred unexpectedly. Let’s look at a bulletized (my favorite way to summarize) list and a gallery of pictures.

January

  • Tatum and I began a QT
  • Open hearted prayer
  • Gratitude box
  • Tot’s Bday party
  • Karate try?
  • Montana trip
  • Gratitude Journal NIGHTLY
  • Praxis each month: $500 each time!

February

  • Toby Mac
  • Cleveland: Dr. Nemeh
  • Tatum’s first steps in the AM: I am a child of God.. WHO YOU ARE!

March

  • Bike rides around the lake
  • Daddy’s wonderful A-Z love note to me
  • Mama coming over for BDAY and other
  • Tatum singing at SBC
  • Tempe Town Lake
  • Began Project Peace
  • Steph’s article was published

April:

  • Making money with lemonade and touching lives
  • Swimming with ZOE

May

  • Daddy working in OUTDOOR kitchen: BBQ weekly
  • Flowers for me and always blooming
  • Stay-at home dates with Daddy
  • Sugar Bowl celebrating Tatum’s grades.
  • The Grand Canyon

June

  • Top Gun!
  • Tot’s Building and architecture
  • Snowball
  • Greeting at Church..matching
  • Getting published in PRINCIPAL
  • Our Princess trip!
  • Food Bank with Tatum
  • BRACES!
  • Steph’s 2nd article was published
  • Daddy got paid $4100 in OT!

July:

  • Snowbell
  • Sedona and Helicoptering
  • Tough times
  • Hair fun: BRAIDS
  • Mom and Me to OHIO: Nemeh
  • Daddy and Tot bonding: swimming, grilling steaks
  • Me speaking at GCU conference EdKey
  • Tot and me book: Bite and Chews
  • Barbie Dreamhouse

August

  • Art in the Artroom
  • Breads for daddy
  • Starting Motegrity and Morstein
  • BRADY!
  • Tatum’s Stories
  • Tatum is a natural nurturer
  • OUR NEW small group success!

September

  • Do Over Sedona trip
  • Lots of Noah
  • Lots of TUMMY issues
  • Pokeman craze
    Strat each day with GRATITUDE
  • Dinners with Maurice and MEN
  • My POWERFUL PEN YouTube Podcast GCU

October

  • Bye Coti: WE LOVE YOU
  • Making sourdough bread
  • Crossfit with Noah
  • Loving on the GIGI house.
  • Foster care help.
  • Mama spending the night and Tatum caring for her
  • GRATE-FALL party
  • Barbie girl
  • GI appt with Jennifer: More tests
  • Tatum writing a PLETHORA of stories!

November

  • Tea Parties with Tot
  • TG walks
  • New Basketball!
  • Making Smores with HAYS
  • Puppet shows
  • Dr. Patel for me
  • Daddy got a raise!
  • Our STAYCATION: Tot out of school for 4 days

December

  • Being an Entrepreneur: Setting up the dining room
  • Tatum making the finals for a SOLO (school) and PSALM 16
  • American Heritage
  • WOODY!!!
  • Tatum and Woody bonding
  • Cool walks
  • SMIL and answers
  • Puzzles
  • FAMILY

Our adorable pets are pampered

The joy of our little ones: Woody Bear and Coopyhead

Woodrow goes pretty much everywhere with us (except a restaurant). He even came to our investment meeting with Sam DeGreen. He’s learning all he can about money today.

Speaking of money, Tatum created her own office, laptop and all. She is on a “ZOOM” call while Woody keeps the office antics at bay. She works for SONOS apparently.

See him? Cool as a cucumber as she works like mad.

When Woody isn’t working with Tot, he’s all about that birdie in the window? He’s sure cute, he thinks.

Oh, and did I. mention he’s part of a new singing group started by Noah and Tatum? Noah came over for a playdate.

And then there’s our little Coopy. What will he do when the tree is gone?

Tis the season!

Day 4 of the 7 days. Feed My Starving Children Yr. 2

We did this last year, and it was time to do it again with MISSIONS and ME and Matthew Rich.

We showed up early and got into our groups.

As a group, we would pack food boxes with these packs of food. Tatum was in charge of scooping the rice. Daddy sealed bags, and I packed boxes. What a team!
These food bags would ship out to needy children around the world.

Then we prayed over the boxes.

How many did we feed today? 79!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve.

Getting ready for the NEW YEAR!

We are ready to be done with 2022. No offense, year, but it was a tough one. Lots of humbling and learning. Lots of changing too. That is definitely WORTH IT, but, gosh, it is hard. So, I’m ready to ring in the new 2023!

HOPE.. FAITH….and JOY! And Simplicity. That is what I want this year.

Tatum got ready too. Her office is up and ready to run.

I like her reminder of JOY. Jesus. Others. You. May we put HIM first. Also, her white board. Reading comes before play. Good reminder.

Tatum and I made some wands for the evening; this would be waved over our evening to bring in the joy of the LAUNCH!


Mom came over too; we played Rummy Tile (just like when I was a kid), and we had a nice dinner.

Woody just rested, and Coopy? He chilled. I like the thought of both of these!

2023, we are ready. AMEN.

The Final Days of our 7 Days of Christmas: GIGI’s

Loving on the Foster Care world is part of our family’s heart. We want to give back to children who don’t have the luxury of caring parents; they are stuck in the system.

Our small group has “adopted” Gigi’s home to love on the girls there, and this time, we wanted to give them art supplies. Our family wanted to do this as well, so Tatum and I headed out there on Day 5 of our 7 days.

They were so grateful. We can’t wait to do more..for even more children.

Day 3 of the 7 Days 2023

Day 3? We are going to donate to St. Vincents.

Stuff comes in…how is it that SO much stuff comes in? So, stuff has to go out. We have a long way to go, but at least we can give back.

St. Vincent’s, we love to donate to you.