- A VERY SPECIAL TREAT TODAY!

- Join me as I chat with my daughter this morning and she shares her valuable insight with us!

- Ava talks about how she used to view life and how the changes our family has made in the past 4 years have changed the way she now sees the world.

- Ava talks about her cat, shares some of her past fears, and even tells some personal stories of how she has learned to accept her big feelings.

- Her candidness, honesty, wisdom, and humor make this episode absolutely DELIGHTFUL!

Here is the song that Ava recommends everyone listens to this week: "The Fun in Life" - by Elton Castee, Pierre Bouvier, Scotty Sire

This episode is confirmation that kids have way more insight than we usually give them credit for :). Help us share the goodness by sharing this podcast with your friends and family! Even kids will benefit from listening to today's episode!

- Today I bring to you an absolutely delightful conversation with Jennifer!

- How it feels to be half a century old :)

- What Jennifer would say to her 25-year-old self

- Getting stuck in guilt and how to combat the negative messages we tell ourselves

- What her therapist said to her about "second chances"

- How Jennifer fits into the LGBTQIA+ community and why she feels honored to belong to it

- Internal and external goals moving forward into this new and beautiful stage of life!

Jennifer's Bio:

Born and raised in California, Jennifer is a beach girl all the way. She moved to MO to attend Ozark Christian College where she got her degree in Biblical Literature and Psychology. She married young and after years of infertility, she and her husband adopted 3 children, one with special needs. Besides raising children, she also taught foster parenting and adoption classes and worked for Rapha House as International Director of Client Services including living in Cambodia for 2 years.

After almost 25 years of marriage, Jennifer began to realize she was in an abusive situation and did not want to spend the rest of her life trapped and unhappy. Through a strange turn of events, Jennifer discovered her queerness when she met and fell in love with Abigail. This was the beginning of Jennifer finding herself, and building a life she loved.

Jennifer offers life coaching to individuals struggling in their lives and needing someone to walk alongside them. She is a gem. Her life experiences give her the ability to understand the struggle but she also helps people discover their value and can empower them to pursue a life they desire.

You can contact her by email at [email protected]

- Jaden's unique experience growing up in the village

- The exciting but lonely move to CO.

- Struggling in his junior year of homeschool

- The decision to go to public school for his senior year and what it was like for him

- The college Jaden plans to attend and why

- What starting to "adult" feels like for this graduated 17-year-old and how parents might help their young adults transition ;)

- How Jaden's view of what he wants to do has expanded since his parents are no longer religious

- Advice to teenagers!

- Update on Dayo and the things we take for granted... like couches

- Today I read my latest blog post which is a story of how turtles are teaching me to be a better mom. The blog is coming out on 5-23-23 and has my thoughts and feelings about my son graduating the day after I wrote it. Check out biketotype.com to read it for yourself or to share it with a mom who may be able to relate!

- It's hard letting go of our kids sometimes and trusting that they are ready to go adult on their own. This week I am realizing that my son is about to spread his wings and will be off to college in Illinois this fall. It's scary and I'll miss him like crazy. But it's time.

- This podcast episode is a vulnerable look into my heart as I reflect on the past 12 years and struggle to let my son go make his way in the world.

- FYI - I won't be back for two weeks due to taking my son on a graduation trip. If you miss me too bad, go back and listen to your favorite episode while I'm gone. 😊 Or email me with an idea of what you would like me to podcast about at [email protected]

- Why Mother's Day is both hard and good for me

- The message I was raised with about the most important job in the world

- My first pregnancy and the truths I could never tell anyone for a very long time

- The conversations that I have with my kids now...

- You're never too old to pursue the things you love

- Why I do NOT think mothers are the most amazing people in the world

- This morning all my horses came over right away to check in and say hello:)

- I am tired of saying "It's been a week."

- Realizing I needed to stop and figure out where I had lost myself.

- "As different seasons come, the need to re-calibrate comes."

- The signs that it's time to relook, reaccess, and reset.

- "How can I keep doing all the things I love and not burn out?"

- Recognizing I had given my piece of the pie away...

- Story of trying to train for a half marathon and bring all of my life along with me ;)

- How my chickens are teaching me to look for another option

- Learning to find gratitude in the middle of all the shit that life throws my way

- I read the lyrics to one of my favorite songs in the history of songs

- Dance recital last weekend and some observations that Nate and I made

- Why I love this song and how it is helping me live my life in a way that makes me feel alive

- Finding the little things that I can do in my daily life that are honoring to who I am and who I want to be and the life I want to live

Now, everyone's homework is to go immediately and listen to the song "Chasing the Sun" by Sara Bareilles. Play it loud. Feel it in your bones. And if you dare...dance to it.

Today's episode kind of surprised me and brought out some emotions. But it is an important part of my healing journey and I am learning to allow myself permission to feel :).

- How I plan to answer when someone says "So tell me about you..."

- Learning to separate "who" I am from "what" I do

- Digging into why I feel so driven always to accomplish

- The mean voice in my head that is scared of being lazy

- Learning to give love to myself as I struggle to make new pathways

- Listen to the end to find out what my tea bag is teaching me...

- Change of plans due to Zelle having a swollen eye

- Come alongside me as I groom Zelle and explain the use of each brush and how to properly use them

- Why you should groom your horse often and the benefits of it

- Finding ways to give back to our horses and how Zelle tells me she loves it

- Rewiring Zelle's brain about the mounting block and how I am teaching her that it's a good place to be

- A short lesson on desensitizing a horse using my training flag

- Story of the camouflaged bird

- How nature is teaching me to keep looking for the answers :)

- Last random thoughts about why I love nature and what a flock of crows is called...

- I discuss why it's a good idea to take small risks every day and how it can benefit you

- My frustration with learning to juggle online finances, moving money around, and keeping track of different accounts.

- Why I think it's healthy for us to push ourselves outside our comfort zones and be willing to learn something we suck at :)

- How being nonmonogamous has made me a better human and why I love it so much!

- You have the ability to not only change your life, but you can also literally change who you are. Never settle for a boring, dull, stagnant life.