the mental challenge: by mike

I worry about writing on this topic.  Simply because my intention is to solicit your thoughts, ideas, and experiences through the medium of this blog, rather than pontificate about myself and my particular situation.  Therefore, as I write this please consider your personal situation and circumstance and be ready to share or respond - or at the very least commiserate with a like-minded soul!

Multiple Sclerosis.  That is my personal El Guapo. 



Your personal El Guapo may be something entirely different, but there may be some commonalities running through our individual experiences and challenges.  

With everything that comes with this disease and its distinctively unique signature, there is one overriding challenge that I can’t seem to successfully navigate.  To employ a horrible pun, it may be the most crippling portion of my disease.  

I’ve always been a big believer in ‘mind over matter’ - or at least my own version of mind over matter.  I’ve always been pretty good at dealing with pain and discomfort.  Physical challenges were opportunities I relished.  Athletic competition and pushing one’s body to new heights was always something I enjoyed.  I have finished a soccer game after damaging the ligaments in my knee.  I injured my back making a diving catch in a intramural flag football game and finished the game (I couldn’t walk for a week after that night).  I have finished a soccer game after knocking heads with another player, cutting my head open, and being knocked out.  No pain, no gain!  I take pride in having mastered my mind over matter mantra.

So when I was diagnosed with MS, I thought to myself.  I can handle this.  I can handle the pain, the fatigue, the loss of equilibrium and balance.  I’ll even handle the loss of mobility.  I take it as a personal challenge to walk miles around Disneyland with my children and forcing my legs to take one more dragging step.  And then one more.  And then one more.  Well, as time has passed, my condition has progressed and I am now relegated to a motorized chair at Disneyland.  I can’t play soccer in the backyard with my boys without threat of serious peril! (I fall easily and cannot brace myself because I don’t know how I am falling!)

What I was unprepared for was the mental challenges that have come with this disease.  As a man, I take my responsibilities to provide for my family seriously.  I take my commitment to my wife to be equal partners in raising our children seriously.  I take my desire to serve others and lift the hands that hang down (Hebrews 12:12) seriously.  To fail at the most basic of commitments, the most important commitments, is unacceptable to me.  And I am fighting to find some sort of understanding.  Some sort of balance.  My expectations don’t match my physical ability (not to mention my mobility!).  

I am struggling to find a mentally comfortable balance between my responsibilities and my limitations.  How does one make a transition from things that were and always have been unacceptable to accepting that you are limited in critical functions/areas?  

How to accept the unacceptable?  
I have not found a ‘How-To’ guide for these mental challenges.

How do you accept limits without limiting your worth?

It makes me angry that I cannot clean the kitchen without completely wiping myself out.  I rely on my oldest son to take care of so many tasks and chores that I should be doing and that’s not fair to him. And I could go on. But that’s not the point.  The point is simply how is it possible to find peace?  

To feel comfortable with a contribution that is so significantly limited?

I have deep and abiding faith in God.  I know that this is temporary and confined to this life.  This area is not where my concern lies whatsoever.

However, as my own harshest critic, it is hard to sit on the sidelines of life and feel worthy.  It’s difficult to stand by and watch others carry disproportionate loads because you are unable.  Feelings and thoughts of worthlessness, shame, and embarrassment invade my mind.

This is a work in progress.  Mentally, I am trying to get my arms around this challenge.

What insight do you have?  What wisdom might you share?

one word wednesday: project

this morning through one word wednesday

i am able to give you a little preview of one of the projects that i have alluded to 

a project in which i will be selling my original handmade designs

see my first little sneak peek here

i am a project oriented person

i love having a project

it gets my creative juices flowing

a rush of enlightenment and excitement

its an outlet for feeling like i am unleashing a part of me that is contained from the daily tasks of normal life

it is essential for my balanced life

i am in love with 'the new' when it comes to projects

creating a new design

the thrill comes in the planning and dreaming process

seeing something original take form

that is just about where my attention span lies

creating a few of a single design

before my thoughts are already racing about the next new thing

this is the process i hope to capture and expound upon

the new

one after another

after another

i will be selling new designs week after week

in very limited quantity

and it is going to be fun

very, very fun

and i can't wait for you to see all my ideas

and hope you'll all be 'dash'ing to see what the next week's design will be

this little sneak peek is of the design that will be my very first release

and i'm so giddy about how these are turning out

any guesses as to what they are going to be???

amanda- oh my little dears  /   jenna - jenna lou designs

we have had some exciting things going on the lives of our other blogger friends who weren't able to squeeze one word wednesday in this week.

check out bethany's move from kuwait to santa cruz, ca

leslie's new foster baby arrived

jessica's announcement of baby #2 on its way

one. two. three. four. five. six.

thank you to all our readers who participated in our first week of one word wednesday

looking forward to more joining us on the challenge this week

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: GROWTH!

life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother

life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother
i love that
how often do we wish for a manual for life
instead the moment we enter this life
we are given a mother

this video beautifully honors those mothers we love
and summons desires for us to become the mother we hope to be
i love that it emphasizes that it is the little things that truly matter
and compound to make up the grandeur of the bond between mother and child
tucking them in at night
being home to answer their call, 'mom'
dancing around the room
helping them with their homework
butterfly kisses
washing their hands
putting your arm around them
tending to their cries
fixing a necklace to put the clasp in the back of her neck
tucking their hair behind their ear

there in good times
there in hard times
there in the details of life

enjoy this two minute video that will enlarge your heart
and conjure gratitude to those mothering figures in your life





as i reread my last year's post 'to my mother'
i was amazed how its theme is so very similar in nature to the things that touched my heart about my mother and motherhood this year
that the little things matter
it was a testimony to me to the truthfulness of this idea
not just an idea but a lived-out and experienced fact

as i have observed my mother over this past difficult year
i have seen the small things that make her the incredible faithful woman she is
getting out of bed each day
wearing a smile
tending to my needs
being a grandma to my children
attending our church's temple frequently to feel of its peace and perspective
teaching women about the Constitution
quietly serving others
loving and missing my Daddy
making plans for her future, one very different than she imagined

oh how i thank my Heavenly Father each day
for granting me to be her daughter
i'm grateful for her life being a true manual for motherhood

here's to mothers...by mike

Here’s to Mothers!

"Here's To The Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the
square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have
no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the
human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world - are the ones who DO !"

~ Apple Computers ~

Here’s to the Mothers!  The Counselors.  The Teachers.  The Taxi-drivers.  The Soccer moms.

  

They might be more round than they were before!  The ones who see our children differently.  They cling to rules, and they have tons of respect for routine.

You can quote them, tease them, glorify or argue with them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.  Because they raise our children.  They push the human race forward.  And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see Heaven in them.

Because the mother’s who are crazy enough to think they can mold our children - are the ones who DO!

Ok, so that was a little clumsy.  And maybe slightly offensive on the riff about roundness...and we’re moving on!  

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and one can’t help but think about the mother’s in ones life.  In my case: My mom and My wife.  From a boy’s (and man’s) perspective, a mother might be the most important, most uniquely suited figure to shape and mold a man.  

Please allow me a little personal indulgence.

I grew up in a family of 7 children.  I was right in the middle at number 4.  My dad was and is my hero.  I spent countless hours studying him, his mannerisms, his way of writing, and practicing on his ten-key calculator.  Having said that, my mom was and is special.  There is no substitute for Mom.  She was a fierce defender of her children.  Loyal and Loving. Always.  She was (and still is) my champion.

That is the overriding memory and feeling I have of my childhood about my mom.  She was always my champion.  She always had my back.  She was constantly building and encouraging and helping me to grow and develop what she saw as my talents and abilities.  And for that (and so much more) I can never repay what she gave me.

Some say that we men marry people similar to our mothers.  And in at least one important way that is true of me.  My wife and the mother of our children is also my champion.  Over the past 15 years, I have found it comforting (and also humorous) to know that she is always on my side.  She has always been incredulous that I lost a soccer game or didn’t score any goals, or failed at work or whatever.  She is always looking alternative reasons for my coming up short because surely it couldn’t have been a result of me, or my effort, or my shortcomings or weaknesses!  And I love that about Briana.  She thinks the world of me.  And that means the world to me.

There is so much more I could write.  So much more to explain.  So much to praise.

However, my favorite way to write about mothers is to do it with one word.

Thankless

Beautiful

Relentless

Messy

Tiresome

Incredible

Rewarding

Loving

Joyful

Difficult

Profound

Exhilarating

Crazy

Tedious

Frustrating

Hilarious

Hopeful

Fulfilling

My word is CHAMPION

What is your word?

one word wednesday: pink

pink

this one really made me stretch

over time i have grown to embrace the softness of pink

or even the occasional wowsers hot pink like this chair

but as a young girl and into my adulthood i took a stand against pink

embracing all the other colors of the rainbow

pink symbolized mediocrity and conformity to me

though i wouldn't have used those words as a young girl

liking pink meant being the same as all the other girls who liked pink 

because that is what little girls were supposed to do

{and boy does my little girl}

i always prided myself on being a little different

wanting to stand out a little

not too much, just enough to be noted as different but accepted

maybe it began with being named briana

a name which at the time was very unique, which i loved

but had one downfall, i could never find it on a bike license plate or a pencil

upon finding out i was having a girl after three boys, i was thrilled

and did my best to avoid pink

but it was destined to come

because for whatever reason it is ingrained to be loved by most normal little girls

{ones who aren't worrying about individuality at the age of 5}

so it has been embraced in our home

because it is Felicity's favorite color

tutus, princess wands, pajamas, blankets...pink abounds

i have now grown up

and can enjoy the femininity that accompanies pink without feeling like i am jeopardizing my individuality

i am cracking myself up at how absurd this all is

pure absurdity: ridiculously unreasonable

Felicity's frills of pink were not what my non-pink-conformist eye was drawn to for this week

my eye was captured by the beautifully subtle pink of my boys' lips 

my handsome boys

don't forget to link up your blog and/or tag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 in instagram

can't wait to see your expressions of pink

next week's word: project

if you are new to one word wednesday be sure to click over here for a little introduction

top: Me - sweet dreams are made of these | Jessica - living the swell life
middle: Jenna - jenna lou designs | Amanda - oh my little dears
bottom: Bethany - rinse repeat | Leslie - my happily ever after

thank you to all our readers who participated in our first week of one word wednesday

looking forward to more joining us on the challenge this week

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: PROJECT!

the parable of the swing

despite having a to-do list that may run the circumference of the earth several times
i heeded Felicity’s repeated plea to go to the park this morning after dropping all the boys off at school
the low lying clouds creating a hush all around the neighborhood
and the emptiness of the park itself
led to a quiet, serene moment just Felicity and i
the feeling of quietude, especially within the walls of my own mind
has been rare these days
i am grateful that i broke myself away from the agenda

Felicity of course headed straight for the swings
the big girl swing
on her tummy she hopped up
she asked me to push her faster
her legs were dragging so i told her to lift her legs higher
upon her obedience, this attempt produced a colossal fall for her three year old body

i reach down to pull up and hold my crying little girl
brushing off the dreaded playground bark
i found myself saying the words that i needed to hear
its ok, you just fell, you can get right back up and try again
here sit on my lap, we can swing together

as i held my bark clad daughter on that swing
my mind raced with the deeper meaning of my words

as i have explained to you through various past posts
i am in the midst of a life transition
accepting of my husband’s disease
continuing to understand and fulfill my role in our family
working to help support us through various avenues such as this and that
i have felt a lot lately that i just keep trying to lift my legs from dragging on the ground to reach new heights
only have to fallen off that swing
some falls i have been able to quickly recover from
but sometimes i just want to sit there amongst that bark and just chuck it around and cry
these colossal falls have required someone else to pick me up and offer to swing with me
i must understand that its ok to fall in my trying
that i just need to keep getting back up
and rely on the Lord more to help me stand up and try again

i have been praying for help from the Lord in acceptance and in opportunities
and now that i have my answers
i need to get to work
i need to not be afraid to fall
i need to stop letting each setback get me down 
but realize that its just a little setback
and i have someone there who will raise me up and swing with me

grateful that even in the everyday bits of life
such as a park trip with my girl
the Spirit can touch my heart to find deeper meaning
and answers to the yearnings of soul

when have you found meaning or answers in something unexpected?

be crafty workshop coming to California May 18th

i am so happy to announce that Be Crafty Workshops are on the road from Minnesota and coming to California 

join the infamous queen of eye candy & happy mail packages, Amanda and I 

at my home 

May 18th

from 1 - 4 pm

in making 6 cheery crafts:

1. Chicken Wire Frame 

2. Washi Tape banner 

3. A set of 4 Magnets: glitter and flower cabochons 

4. Cabochon bobby pin + earrings 

5. Glitter mini clothes pins 

6. Wood stump chalkboard wall decor

$35

ALL SUPPLIES and TREATS included.

FIRST 10 to register will receive a swag bag full of wonderful goodies!!!!

Workshop will be held at my home. Directions will be sent out before workshop.

Lets give Amanda a warm, sunny reception here in Cali.

SIGN ME UP!!!

* sorry no refunds for cancelations.

to see photos of the Be Crafty Retreat i went to in Minnesota click here

to see photos of their past workshops visit here

can't wait for you to join us here in California:)

minnesota be crafty retreat: the overnight craft-a-thon

prepare yourself for an eye candy overload

if that is even possible

feast your eyes upon a Be Crafty Retreat

these girls give attention to each and every detail

yes it has taken me waaaaayyy too long 

to show you part 2 of my Minnesota Be Crafty Retreat

if you missed part 1 be sure to read about the incredible women behind it all here

at this beautiful home in Lake Minnetonka

we stayed up to the wee hours of the night

decorating and chatting about anything and everything

instant friends i tell you, instant friends

i just adored getting to know these girls

we had so much fun preparing the house to welcome the rest of the attendees

it was an intimate event with a total of six crafters

and two angel mothers who joyfully cooked and cleaned for us

i love Minnesotans or Minnesotites... 

so kind, so friendly, so service oriented

i didn't take any photos of our late night crafting

because, well i was completely wrapped up in meeting these women

asking them all about themselves and their passions

i was in heaven chatting with them

their passions were my passions

some of their expertise were the things i desired so much to learn

we chatted and crafted

and crafted and chatted some more

til eventually

one by one we headed upstairs and flopped into bed

our bunk beds

loved it, except i was worried that i may snore and annoy my new friends

in the morning i was the last one to rise

crafting continued the entire day

and despite this all day crafting

i found that i didn't even get to complete all of my projects

due to my aforementioned chatting and questioning 

here are the fruits of my labors

top row - porch pillow: customized silhouette cut word on freezer paper made stencil, sewed and stuffed

i want people to stay or linger when they come to my home.  that's a goal of mine!

2nd row - doily valentine's bunting  |  valentines, oh these were so fun to make... to many choice for papers and letters and ribbons...

3rd row - painted wooden bead necklace

bottom row - painted frame with chicken wire, i loved using this power stapler.  i need one!!  see my giddiness in the video below.  |  glitter clothespins, i've never seen so many glitter choices, made a bunch not shown  |  watercolor of my favorite scriptural phrase ' brightness of hope'

amanda and our two angel moms made a darling pink ombre cake for jessica

who was celebrating her birthday a few days away

these girls are the best of friends

as i look at the photos it makes me so happy to see that after this workshop

i have remained in touch with every single one of these girls

some through Instagram, some through Skype, 

i have received mail packages, coaching emails on SEO, encouragement in my hour of need

some of them have joined with me in the new weekly photo challenge One Word Wednesday, check it out here

these women are incredible 

each of them have such amazing talents and hearts of gold

this weekend changed my life

and i am so grateful to my mom and amanda & jessica for making it possible

me and my new friends:  me, jessica from jeff loves jessica photography & living the swell life, laura the great from laura livingood, amanda from oh my little dears, tara of a day in provence floral who did that gorgeous tablescape above, and jenna of jenna lou designs

i am sooooo excited to give you a little teaser

amanda of be crafty workshops will be flying out here later this month to host the very first

be crafty workshop in California

we will be announcing all the details very soon

would love to have you join us

'about me' by my husband the new co-blogger

i am giddy today
something i have been working on for a long time is taking its first introductory step into the blogosphere with this post and its difficult to contain my excitement
i have a vision for my blog that i have shared with you
and have been overwhelmed by the support you have shown me
but i haven't exactly shared with you my vision of how that is going to happen
it will be revealed piece by piece
my goal is for you to be along for the transformation
not just one day hop on over and see something new and completely unfamiliar
this vision will enfold day by day, month by month
a spark igniting another spark
so that it will seem like a naturally blazed trail

well i won't be doing this journey alone
i never have really
with my family and dear friends behind me and you loyal supporters beside me
but now there will be another voice and point of view to this radical ride that is the life of the Johnson crew
i am honored
and ecstatic
to share that my incredible husband will now be a co-author on 
Sweet Dreams are Made of These
my blog becoming our blog
soon to have a new name and a new look
as i mentioned to you before

Mike will be blogging here more and more regularly
and i know you will just love him
he has guest blogged for me before here and received great response from you all
please leave a comment below today to show him a warm welcome

i have asked him to write an introductory 'about me' post
he really was quite perplexed on why i would want to him write about himself
or what really there was to tell
he thinks of himself as simple
and in some ways he is
but i want you to know more about the ins and outs that make him get up in the morning
make him laugh
and make him cringe

i happily introduce
my man of steel

Hi, my name is Mike.  And this is gonna hurt.

When you cruise by Briana’s blog, you expect to see a certain style - a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ - that pleases you.  It’s soothing like that blanket you carried around as a child.

Well...I don’t and can’t write like that.  (Ok, I’m actually thinking right now that maybe I should take a crack at it one of these days and hack Briana’s blog and post something in her style and see if I can fool anybody.  I better start studying...)  

I just came upon the first thing ‘About Me’.  I’m like the dogs in the movie “UP”. “Squirrel!”  My line of thinking is constantly zigging and zagging.  The chances of me ‘guest blogging’ for Briana and putting together something linear and coherent are similar to Jim Carrey’s chances with Lauren Holly in the movie Dumb and Dumber

I think I just stumbled upon another ‘About Me’ tidbit.  I love movies...well quotable movies to be more precise.  And they probably need to be movies from the 80s and 90s.  In almost every conversation you have during any given day, you can work in a movie quote seamlessly.  Seriously you should try it.  I have and I was successful.  It used to be a game I played with customers at Barnes & Noble.  Try and weave at least one movie quote into your conversation.  It’s loads of fun and seriously rewarding when someone recognizes the line.  But prepare yourself mentally for the fact that your lines are rarely recognized.  Another fun exercise is to text a movie line to a friend, brother, or whomever and see how long you can carry the dialogue before you forget what comes next.  This is especially fun in group texts.  I am confident in my ability to quote large portions of Fletch, Fletch Lives, Dumb and Dumber, Clue, The Princess Bride, The Three Amigos, The Fugitive, Christmas Vacation, Anchorman, and Jane Eyre (just kidding about the last one!).

Where was I? Oh yes, ‘About Me’.  I have this strange feeling that Briana has somehow created this image of me that is somehow more than I really am while at the same time portraying me as helpless and crippled. Which, when you think about it, is particularly stunning and quite an accomplishment.  Now that’s a talent.

The truth is I’m just a normal, boring guy.  And Briana, if she had to testify under oath, would admit to accusing me of being boring tens of times - if not hundreds!  I’m a homebody who likes to play and watch (emphasis on the watch due to the aforementioned helpless and crippled state my body is in) sports and Wipeout with my children.  I like to curl up with a good book and lose myself in the imaginative worlds of brilliant creation by talented authors.  I like to sit and think about nothing and everything and sometimes even important things.  I like to help people, but it seems I am on the receiving end of help more often than not.  I like to teach, motivate, and inspire people to be their very best self.  I’m a dreamer.  I’m a believer.  I’m an optimist.  I believe laughter is in fact the best medicine.  I like to smile.  And see people smile back.  Eyes light up with a genuine smile, and I yearn to see that in everybody I meet.  I believe in greatness.  I believe you are great.

I don’t need convincing to eat ice cream, al pastor, and oreos.  I don’t like haircuts, dentists, or that goop that forms in the corner your eyes.  I don’t like Manchester United, the Vancouver Canucks, or hooligans.

I struggle with walking, balance, and things that I once took for granted.  I struggle with cynicism and sarcasm.  I struggle with the boundary between confidence and arrogance.  I struggle with the use of the word ‘seen’ when used in place of ‘saw’.  I struggle with the placement of various nuts in main courses, brownies, and ice creams.  

I am unabashed about my love for my wife and children, my God, and my fellowmen.  Similarly, I love hockey, football, soccer.  I love the tv shows: Elementary, Psych, Person of Interest and Suits.  My favorite piece of literature is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo whose tomb I have visited. (And please don’t tell me you have read Les Miserables if you count the abridged version. Stop it.  Invest the time and read the full version.)  I love Hong Kong, its vibrancy and its people.  I also love Paris for its intimacy as a city and its romantic ambience.

I miss Hong Kong, distant friends and family, the candy bar Whatchamacallit, acid-washed jeans, mullets, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg, Chevy Chase when he was young and funny, my Darth Vader punching bag, running, and my father-in-law.

I don’t miss braces, acid-washed jeans, mullets (I know, I know it’s a love/hate thing),  stinky tofu from the streets of Hong Kong, broken elevators, short shorts, middle school, and mononucleosis.

I hold to a firm set of beliefs and ideals that are inviolate.  One of these rules is to never write about myself for more than 1000 words.  Another of these rules is that I believe Sour Patch Kids should always be ingested while watching a movie (not Peachy-Os, Briana).

one word wednesday: a new weekly photo collaboration & challenge: morning

i consider myself extremely lucky to have come in contact with some of the most amazing women through blogging and social media
women who are living their lives with purpose and filling it with words, images, and products of true beauty and deeper meaning
and the best byproducts
real life friendship
creative collaboration
ongoing inspiration

each week i will be teaming up with an incredible group of women to bring you a little photo inspiration and challenge
one word wednesday
we are calling it

one word
six bloggers
six photos
one huge chance for you to join in on the fun

every wednesday we will share with you six photos inspired by our word for the week
as well as next week's word so you can join in on the photo challenge
via your blog or instagram

jessica from living the swell life says it best,

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: PINK! 

so join us
start today with MORNING
next week's word: PINK
make sure to leave your blog link in the comments below
and/or tag my instagram username @briana6 along with the hashtag #onewordwednesday
i will be featuring my favorites from my readers here on the blog each week

be sure to visit all these fabulous women's blogs and let them know you came by
from Sweet Dreams are Made of These

cereal backwash

tate never ceases to be in the delivery of some story, some joke, some laugh

and some laugh it is

no exaggeration here when i tell you that my tate has the loudest laugh of any child

it is quite infectious though

and you can't help but smile when you here it...from across the neighborhood

the kids have been on a cereal kick lately

they seem to go in spurts with their breakfast food choices

smoothies

bagels & cream cheese

frozen waffles

mutmeal {oatmeal}

life, special k, and honey nut cheerios adorn our pantry right now

what are your favorite breakfast foods over at your house?

so happy to introduce to you the other ladies joining me on the photo collaboration and their MORNING photos

top: Amanda from oh my little dears

middle: Bethany from rinse repeat   |   Leslie from my happily ever after

bottom: Jessica from living the swell life   |   Jenna from jenna lou designs

can't wait to see your photos as you join us in this challenge

doesn't need to be anything fancy

just capture a moment you feel depicts the word of the week

join in the fun

don't forget to leave a link in the comments

and/or tag your instagram photos with @briana6 and #onewordwednesday

and check back to see my favorites from your submissions