Insert chorus of any country song about a small town here….

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I always knew I loved my hometown and my childhood filled with neighborhood hide and go seek, walks down Vista to the drug store with my friends and the general small town “Friday Night Lights” vibe. There was no hesitation in the decision to move back here in February but the bonus perks and feels (beyond our new cozy home) have been pretty awesome to (re)discover.

This view of Mt Baker is something that I probably paid NO ATTENTION to as a child but as an adult, I am obsessed with it on a clear day. From our deck…..while I’m driving…..overlooking fields – it’s an amazing reminder of all of the natural beauty around us when we look up and take it all in. The other piece of Ferndale that I don’t know I ever paid attention to is the sound of the trains coming through town…..I have heard some people complain about the noise, but I find it extremely peaceful, especially at nighttime. I feel like both of these landmarks/staples of the town are anchors here keeping me grounded and appreciating on a daily basis where I have been (re)planted.One of the parts that I wasn’t sure about when moving back was running into people I knew when out and about – and I actually am rather enjoying this part of small town life!!! I also love that people can drop by our house to quickly exchange something or just to say hello (my dream – someone to stop by my house unannounced every single day and hang out on my deck with me…..ready GO). A few of my players have had to swing by or one of my many MOMBOSS friends delivering me whatever fabulous product I have gotten hooked on recently. Also, since both of my parents live so close, they get to stop by and see the kiddos whenever they want to!

Also….Maggies. Love it. And a new winery (Leaderblock???) I have yet to check out but it’s on my list TODAY.

I have already gotten a sneak peak of the time I will be saving by living here with our summer volleyball practices happening 2 minutes away at our high school….finishing practice and being home with time to spare before bedtime is magical!!! Getting to do some strength and conditioning with my girls down at the school, on my old track, and in the weight room is still part of my job, but brings back so many positive memories and feels that it truly feels like I’m volunteering for the pure love of it all.

P.S. They don’t do weight room max days anymore – wussies. P.P.S. My records are still on the weight room wall. P.P.P.S. My picture is up in the school and I pretty much look the same but with 100 gray hairs and WG is going to be so embarrassed every time she walks by and someone points it out to her – hahaha I love this part.

And last but not least, the one thing that has surprised me about moving here is getting excited to be planted somewhere permanently in a place where years ago, I found myself, my passion for children, and my lifelong friends…..and dreaming of that very same thing for WonderBOY and WonderGIRL as they meet a whole new crop of people this Fall. My wish for them is to find the same amount of kindness, leadership, and selflessness that my bests have inspired and poured into me for 20+ years (what what?!?!?!?) years now.

 

Moving on…..

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The end of this school year had some big transitions for our team…..as a follow up to one of my previous posts which caused some light concern by some of our tribe, here is our news. I was just hired by Ferndale School District for the following year to be a school counselor at Eagleridge Elementary…..after 8 years without school counselors, I am excited they have “seen the light” and value that elementary counselors can bring, especially with prevention and awareness of mental health concerns and general crises at that level. (When asked what Nooksack would be like without a school counselor, after the initial huge eyes and wide mouth awestruck expression, some answers included “CHAOS!”, “I’m pretty sure it would just burn down.” “The bullies would just run amok!!”). I get to work with some amazing new counselors and staffs at Ferndale AND my commute got a whole lot shorter, saving our family some general quality time at home versus in the car and on the road (5 minutes versus 40 minutes – when will I listen to all of my podcasts now?????).

This decision was not easy for me to make and already after a week with no students, I am missing them terribly. I ADORED my staff and my students and had a lot of support and leadership within my career at NV – making my mixed emotions big on the last couple of days of school. I got to sneak this epic school-wide selfie in (complete with our whole staff and parents in attendance that day).

This decision meant some heartache for WonderBOY as well since he will be no longer attending the only elementary school he has known. This was hard for him to leave his friends, beloved teacher and anticipate a new school in the Fall….so my Mama heart hurt knowing that my adult decision impacted his “felt safety.” We are both ready to take on this new challenge with all the feelings and anxieties along the way.

WonderGIRL completed middle school (all the applause and all the exhaustion here) and is off to HS in Ferndale as well (already part of the plan after we moved in February). Although this 8th grade year was a tough one for so many reasons with WG, she finished amazingly with her Breakout project on Foster Care. The amount of time, energy, and personal vulnerability she poured into this was awesome and she scored well (not surprising….she’s quite the charmer) on her final presentation!!! Here she is at their 8th grade celebration showing off her work.

Thank you for your prayers, support, hugs, and jelly bellies during this time where I personally struggled with crazy feelings of self-doubt, guilt, and anxiety – I truly feel like God is orchestrating this move in so many ways…..placing this amazing house in our path to be followed with job openings the very next school year. This simple decision of “saying yes” and doing that trust Fall into his plan has worked out for me time and time again along this winding journey of faith and personal growth and I am hopeful it will continue to do so this summer and beyond.

On our new addition…

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Meet Rexie Ralphie Hoelzle-Brown, the newest addition to our team and we are all quite smitten. We have been taking about getting a kitten for a while in hopes to teach our Wonders some more responsibility and to serve as a grounding and comfort object when big feelings and anxieties arise. He has done a wonderful job at both so far!!!

There are also so many parallels in caring for a pet and parenting that we love to point out to WB and WG when processing hard feelings or negative self-talk. Especially when WB loses his temper, his next reaction is remorse and shame in acting out aggressively or meanly. We use his own feelings and love for his kitten and how unconditional that is (even he scratches and bites you 1 million times, you still love him just the same) to show him how we feel about him each and every day.

Our doors are always open if you need a little kitten love and cuddling in your life – come on over and meet him (proof of his love through scratches and bite marks included free for all our visitors).

Intentional Summer 2k17

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We loved our intentional summer and daily schedule calendar so much last year that my wonders were super excited to fill it out this Memorial Day weekend for a fun annual summer kick-off tradition. Aside from the benefit of seeing a visual overview of our individual camps and family adventures (and when Daddy works), the daily schedule keeps us all accountable for the structure WB and WG crave. I, for one, want nothing to do with structure during my summers of rest and rejuvenation…..but in order to get that R&R, my kiddos need to be regulated. Win-win for all of us. I am sooooo looking forward to this summer season in our new house, enjoying our new surroundings and exploring a new side to the county during these beautiful PNW months. 

Want to get your own calendar? They are available for purchase from the brilliant Elizabeth McKinley here. Many friends asked about this last summer and I’m so excited she created some of others to purchase!!!!

on my “new lips”

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I have totally become smitten with the Lipsense products and have been experimenting with different lip colors at work. Usually I wear nothing to work so sometimes this “fancier” me is shocking to students. When I wear my favorite color (BELLA), students often notice and comment. The other day, my favorite compliment was “Mrs. Hoelzle I LLOOOOVVEEEE your new lips.” Hehe….yep, my lip transplant with a darker color really hit the mark with this 3rd grader.

I have never been a big fan of chapstick and really never thought it actually worked. This arsenal of products keeps my lips nice and soft and adds a little pop of color to a minimal makeup routine. Here is my run down of favorite products:
Elf Lip Exfoliator (got from Target): This is a lipstick made of all sorts of shmutza that help exfoliate your lips. I usually do this after the shower to keep all of the rough skin away.

Correct-X: This stuff is liquid gold (but only costs $12) with amazing oils like lavender, frankincense, and helichrysum I use this on my lips when dry and my cuticles too. It is similar to Neosporin but is all natural and in my opinion, works way faster.

Lipsense: I’m sure many of you know about this product but it’s lip color that stays on all day with natural ingredients, made in the USA, everything about it is awesome, etc. etc. etc. So far I only have Bella and Bravo but am looking for a more purple-y/wine-y color for my next purchase (like at my upcoming #momBOSS party coming up June 14th my house). I have been super impressed with these colors so far and I also enjoy supporting all these fun ladies selling it to make a little fun money on the side as well.

May what?!?!

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This month is seriously blowing by. We are on a serious summer countdown around here….closing down the school year and planning fun summer shenanigans is upon us! This weekend we get to write out our intentional summer plans….the kiddos love this visual of the adventures that await them.

Since there is only one week left, let me drop this quick image of an amazing deal you can still get for 6 more days. Get these freebie points while you can…..enroll with any kit over 100 and then $50 in products is yours for the taking! This particular mixture of products shown below are staples in our home (and in my volleyball gym). Message me and we’ll go from there to find a package perfect for you and the fam. 

Braces life hacks

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Have a teenager with braces in your life??? Here are a few “life with braces” hacks that have made my WonderGIRL not only manage her braces with ease but with minimal discomfort. Just in case this might help you too….here ya go!Life hack 1: The food stuck…..the floss is painfully tedious……the solution? The waterpik is an awesome tool to help lazy overly stressed teens get that food out of there and floss (PSA from my sis-in-law dental hygienist – dental floss is still WAY better but just in case, the pik is better than nothing). After the flossing though, there is always food bits stuck all over her sink. Soooo gross……

Hack #2: We got these cheap brushes at IKEA and keeping one by her sink encourages a quick wash every night versus hard scrubbing days after. Win-win!
Hack #3: After getting her braces tightened, the ensuing pain is always hard. For our little one, this pain can be extremely distracting during school and makes it even more of a negative impact. We did some research and used the clove essential oil to make a quick spray she can spray onto her gums/teeth to numb the pain. Deep blue on the outside of her jawline also helps ease this pain and discomfort. She can bring these tools with her to school also which helps with the distraction piece.I can’t believe how much her smile and face has changed as a result of her year in braces. She is going to look so much older when she gets them off in a few months!!!

Quotes I live by (Thursday)

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A tension to manage, not a problem to solve – unknown but whoever you are, you are an absolute GENIUS in my world/book

As many females and moms can relate to, we like to FIX problems. When something comes across our realm of reality that is uncomfortable, we tend to rally ourselves or our troops to help fix it. Also, as a counselor, I feel compelled to listen deeply, empathize and then HELP OTHERS do their own problem solving.

But some problems are not merely fixed with an easy one-stop, solution. Some problems may not be problems at all, but just constant tension that just needs to be managed or eased through certain actions. This quote plays in my head when feeling pressure to act or fix or cure, especially when there is a timeline attached (real or perceived)….and it lessens the pressure by just thinking about these negative stressors as something to be coped with on a lesser scale of action.

Some examples of these tensions that might not be “fix-able” in the short term that show up in my life on the regular:
– unease about my children’ future
– my children’s deficits in __________ (school, social skills, following directions)
– the balance of work and family life
– social media/technology dangers for young people
– trauma triggers at home from all members of my family
– a constant pull towards being creative, with a constant nag that something else is more important