This month’s spotlight is about my stunning (inside and out) neighbor, Nan Blair. She is a mother of two (almost three) girls. I wanted to spotlight her because we often find ourselves in the driveway chatting away while our girls are playing. Every single time I leave our conversations, I feel heard, uplifted, inspired, and happy!
I am confident after you read Nan’s spotlight, you will feel the same way. She is so wise, well beyond her years. She is very graceful in her parenting. Nan’s an incredible mother.
Also, through this spotlight I learned she loves The Office and Parks & Rec. Nan- you just got even cooler in my book!
Thank you, Nan, for taking time to do this for me and my blog. Your support of this blog has been so special to me. I feel like if you like it, I must be doing something right.
Let’s get to the good stuff!
Enjoy, y’all!
I’ve known of Kari for a long time. I’m four years younger than her and we went to the same school. She was in my older brother’s grade and I always thought she was so cool. Fast forward many years and I now have the privilege of actually knowing Kari (spoiler: I still think she’s so cool) since we’re next door neighbors!!
Riv, AJ, and Mads = Cuteness OVERLOAD
I married my high school sweetheart, Cole, and we’ve been married almost 11 years! We have two little girls, River (4) and Annie James (2), and another little girl joining the crew in September! We live in Andover, KS next to so many friends and family. Cole works remotely from home and I stay home with our girls!
Nan’s “Girl Gang” = Most beautiful women!
Dependable– I place a high value on my yes meaning yes and my no meaning no. This lends itself to if I say I’ll be there or do the thing, I will.
Learner- I try to approach life with the posture that I always have more to learn and areas to grow in. You can usually find me geeking out over a hobby, parenting book/podcast, social issue, or the like.
Genuine- I love the Forrest Gump quote “Do you ever dream Forrest, of who you’re going to be?” and he replies, “aren’t I going to be me?”
Galatians 2:21- “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
As a quote on quote perfectionist, I wrestle with trying to earn my favor or relationship with God. This verse reminds me that it is ONLY because of His grace that I can be in the right relationship with Him. All my efforts will fail, no one is righteous, not even one, and I need to rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ!
Down Bad (clean version) by Taylor Swift. I’m a total swiftie!
High School Sweethearts
Go to bed angry. Okay I know you think I’m missing a word but I’m not. Cole and I are both verbal arguers who see things very black and white. Most of the time, we both see black or we both see white. When we don’t, and we’ve tried to work it out and it’s just not clicking, we need fresh eyes and new morning mercies! Go to bed and when you wake up, you’ll have a softer heart towards your spouse and a better ability to see where they’re coming from.
In the summer, cold brew with 1 pump of whatever syrup I’m feeling that day + half and half.
In the colder months, cafe au lait with 1 pump of vanilla syrup.
I have four: the Lazy B Ranch (Cole’s family ranch in Atlanta, KS), a garden nursery, on the couch with my best friends with nowhere to be and the beach.
It’s from a Steffany Gretzinger song (No One Ever Cared for Me like Jesus), when she sings “let my children tell their children, let this be their memory, that all my treasure was in heaven and You were everything to me.”
If not every song by OG Taylor Swift then Crank That (Soulja Boy)!
Make a schedule/to-do list on my phone. I’m very structured and like to look back at a day and see how it was productive. This is sometimes hard as a mom, but I think the to-do list helps me see that “take the girls to the pool” is just as important to cross off as “put away the laundry.”
By memorizing scripture and going through/doing hard things. No one ever wants to go through valleys or intentionally seeks them out, but I’ve found that in seasons where I’ve stretched myself outside my comfort zone or God has held me in a waiting period, I’ve grown the most in my faith and in my ability to trust Him. To trust Him, I have to know Him. To know Him, I have to be in His word and meditate on it.
I don’t watch much TV but when I want something mindless I’ll turn on The Office or Parks and Rec!
The Car Pool podcast– I come from a family with sisters so I love this podcast with sister banter and all things motherhood!
Raising Boys and Girls podcast– a Christian parenting and child development podcast
Tiny Theologians– if we aren’t listening to music, this is what the girls and I listen to in the car! They love it and so do I!
I wake up starvinggg so first things first I drink a full cup of water and eat two Kodiak cake dark chocolate muffins. My second breakfast is usually coffee and scrambled eggs with cottage cheese!
Martha! I resonate so much with her. In Luke 10, we see Martha unable to stop what she’s doing to just sit with the Lord. I often lose importance of what is the priority: being with Jesus. I love Jesus’ gentle rebuke to her in this passage.
When people bail on plans or just don’t prioritize things I think they should ha!
I visited all 50 states by the time I was 25! I set the goal when I was 21 years old. At that point I had been to 17 states so I put in some serious travel time in 4 years!
WOW- I didn’t want this one to end! SO FUN learning more about my neighbor and friend! Nan- you are a true gem. God’s grace and love are so easily seen through you. Thank you for sharing your heart with all of us!
I hope y’all have a blessed weekend- I will see you next week in the blog world!
Checkout my first ever Spotlight Post, about my BFF Danielle!