I’ve been honest all along in sharing my Year of Me journey, so I won’t stop now—the wheels fell right off the bus with my blogging. For the first half of the year, I was cruising right along with faithful monthly posts. Then somewhere after July, life took the wheel, and suddenly I blinked, and months had flown by. Oops! Let’s just say this detour wasn’t on the map.

July was especially memorable because my family from Texas came to visit, and for the very first time, all three of my precious granddaughters were together. It was such a joy to watch 11-year-old and 20-month-old bond and to share special experiences with them. The one-month-old opted for sleep! We spent time exploring Garden of the Gods, soaking in both the beauty and the history of this gorgeous public park. We also tested our teamwork skills at a local escape room—let’s just say we needed a few extra clues, but we managed to break out just in the nick of time! Most importantly, we just spent time hanging out.

One of my favorite moments, though, was a quieter one: my oldest granddaughter and I worked together to create birthday cake “boxes” for the local food bank. It was such a sweet service project to share with her, and it reminded me how important it is to pass down the value of giving to others.

August and September gave me the gift of time with my middle granddaughter and my parents. From many trips to the park, to splashing in the toddler pool in our backyard, to having sweet little tea parties, those everyday joys were some of the highlights of my summer. Of course, if I’m being completely honest, another big highlight was the much-anticipated return of college and pro football. Saturdays and Sundays were spent with my husband, dad, and son Kyle yelling at the TV while my dogs gave me their most unimpressed looks.

To top it off, Kyle and I checked something off my bucket list—we went to see Nate Bargatze at Ball Arena in Denver. It was my very first comedy show in an arena, and it did not disappoint.

These months taught me that self-care isn’t always about consistency; sometimes it’s about flexibility and giving yourself grace when life gets busy.

As I look toward the final stretch of my Year of Me, I realize this journey has never been about being perfect, it’s been about being intentional. Even though life pulled me away from writing for a while, the truth is that growth and self-care have continued in their own ways. Now, I’m ready to press the reset button and finish strongly.

For the months ahead, I want to focus on physical health related to strength training and flexibility, as well as spending more time water walking. I also want to say yes to more creative activities that allow me to learn new things and socialize. Finally, I have some trips scheduled for the end of the year that will allow me to spend time with family and friends, visit one new place, and one I have been to a few times. My goal is to keep things realistic, so instead of aiming for perfection, I’m choosing consistency over intensity, grace over guilt, and presence over pressure.

I also want to be intentional about during the upcoming holiday season to focus on spending quality time with family, making memories, and practicing gratitude. These are the areas that bring me joy and fill me up, and I don’t want to lose sight of them as the year winds down.

As I move forward, I’ll be checking in with myself and with you here, sharing the honest moments, the wins, the struggles, and the lessons learned. Because if this Year of Me has taught me anything, it’s that self-care is a journey, not a checklist.