Tales Of The Wild Things

"Autism wasn't a thing in my day." "Doctors just want to diagnose everything these days. Everybody is sick with some made up thing". "A spankin' should knock the 'autism' right out of him." Oh, the things I was told in those early days of getting Wyatt diagnosed. It was probably the most insecure time in my life. I knew the doctors were onto something, but I would listen to these people talk at me and nod my head in silent agreement, and then cry in my car on the way home because of the fear that no one would accept my son for who he was if he didn't fit the cookie cutter mold of All American Boy. I also know this story is the same for just about everyone who's child receives an autism diagnosis. Because of that, a lot of families --ours included-- choose not to talk about the diagnosis. I've finally come to realize that people don't say these things to be malicious or to devalue our children. They say it because they

The New Year is just days away and, like most people, I've been thinking about new goals and reflecting on goals set years ago. It's interesting to see the things that I was successful at achieving and the things I fell short of. It became even more interesting when I realized the differences in my successes and failures came down to 4 simple things: •My "Why" •My Plan •My Support System •Grace The things I achieved, had a rock solid "Why" behind them. My superficial goals like "look good in a swimsuit" never really motivated me because I will, in fact, always choose a donut over a flat stomach. But, my goals like "Live Healthier" worked out because my "Why" was about my ability to do the things I love and setting a good foundation for my kid's health and self-image. The whole idea that your kids are always watching and learning from you, really helped me kick my butt in gear. In addition to a solid motivator, my succ

"He's on the Spectrum," she said. The words rolled off her tongue like it was nothing. Like she had just told me the sky was blue. But those words sent tears rolling down my cheeks and sucked the air from my lungs. We had been dancing around this diagnosis for over a year, but hearing the words made it so real. I knew that my son was different. I knew that he had struggles that needed to be addressed. But the big A word. Autism. My son was Autistic. I wish I could go back to that moment and tell myself what I know now. I wish I knew what a gift this diagnosis would be. I wish I knew it would open the door that would completely change Wyatt's life for the better. I think the #1 thing people ask me, is "How did you know he had Autism?" The answer is, I didn't. Not until that phone call. The reality though is that knowing he had autism, wasn't nearly as important as the moment I knew he and I needed help. That moment came when he was 2 1/2

I grew up as a middle-row every Sunday kind of Christian. Like most church kids, I knew the classic Christmas story forward and back. The virgin birth. Son of God. Wisemen. Shepards Manger. And most importantly, it's NOT ABOUT THE GIFTS. When I became a mom myself, and I started teaching my kids about Christmas, without even really thinking about it, I continued the mantra that Christmas was not about the presents. But this year as I watched the news turn from political turmoil and celebrity feuds to stories of Christmas Magic, I realized, it is absolutely about the gifts. And I believe that's the way Jesus wants it. Sure there's the classic gifts like presents and money --and those can go a long way in bringing Christmas joy -- but there are the far more important gifts that are given this time of year. There's the gifts of time spent with those who might otherwise be lonely. The gift of volunteering for those who need a hand. The random acts of kindness

I sit on the couch cuddled under a blanket with my still hot coffee in hand. Cartoons flash on the TV, and I run my fingers through my son's dirty blonde hair as he blinks the sleep away from his eyes. It's still dark outside but my husband has already been gone for an hour. I imagine they've probably settled into a spot and are carefully setting decoys for their morning hunt. I slide to the weather app on my phone that says it's still well below freezing outside and I pull the blanket up a little higher and tell myself I'm more than happy to stay home with the kids. But there's that quiet whisper at the back of my mind that reminds me that isn't quite true. I would gladly sit in a cold blind, shoving handwarmers in my boots, just for the chance to watch the ducks fly across a Colorado sunrise. My inner wild always gets a little jealous on these mornings. She's never been happy that I pushed her aside to be a mom. If I'm not careful, her little

I originally thought I wanted to talk about Holiday eating on this #FitnessFriday, but I've had a change of heart. I want to talk instead about our mental health during the holidays. More specifically I want to talk about the power that we give our relatives over our happiness. Go ahead and slip into some bell bottoms and put a flower in your hair, because I'm going to drop some hippy shit on you, but hang with me. YOU are entirely responsible for the way you let other people make you feel and YOU get to decide how much joy you take away from your holiday. And that can be a really hard pill to swallow when you are sitting across the table from a family member who you just don't vibe with. So how do you combat that? How do you push away their negativity and let yourself enjoy the festivities? The truth is, it starts with your own thoughts. In these days leading up to Christmas, take the opportunity to find the positive in the things that are about to happen. I don&#

I pulled a jacket out of the closet this morning, and before I could close the door, my dusty hiking boots caught my eye. Maybe it’s the trees changing color or the nip in the morning air, but I feel the pull to be places I’ve never been. My heart feels like it’s banging against the walls of my chest begging me to break free from the routine, and those boots are the keys to my freedom. I close my eyes, shut the door, and load the kids into the van for the drive to school. Since becoming a mom, I struggle with that pull. I feel guilty when I put those boots on because it means I had to ask someone else to take my kids. But leaving them in the closet? That doesn’t feel right either. Those boots have been a part of making me…ME. You see, those boots have followed in the footprints of the men who taught me to be a strong woman. Those boots have rested on rocks while I talked about life with my dad. Those boots have slipped on hillsides where I learned to get tough, dig deeper, an

We've had a few people ask, "Why would you take a 6-year-old girl Elk hunting?" The truth is, because I want her to know she can. My daughter craves adventure. I love that about her, and I want to stoke that fire in her soul. So when she asked to come hunting, saying "No" didn't cross my mind. See, we tell little girls that they can be whatever they want to be. Hairstylist? Get it, girl! Scientist? More power to ya! CEO? Put those boss skills to work, chica! The trails have been blazed, and little girls know they can do it all because they've watched the women before them do it. The thing about being an outdoorsman though is that it teaches little girls (and everyone for that matter) not just that you CAN be self-sufficient, but that you are CAPABLE of being self-sufficient. By camping and waking up before sunrise, she's learning that some things are worth showing up for. By going on challenging hikes, she's learning that sometimes hard

"Ugh, I suck. I'm the worst. I'm not good at anything." I've gotten on my daughter 100 times for talking to herself like that. "Would you say that to your friends? Then don't say it to yourself." I just could not wrap my head around where my confident daughter was learning to talk to herself like that. And then I heard it. On my last hunting trip, I was lucky enough to have a friend record the hunt. At one point, things weren't going the way I had planned. I remember mumbling to myself how upset I was. I remember jokingly saying I wasn't as good as we thought. I remember calling my husband, still breathing heavy from the hike, and joking that I was too fat for this. When we retrieved the elk, I remember being congratulated for the shot, but wondering if I could have done better. I was hard on myself for needing help with field dressing. I was physically ill that night because I was so worried I might not be strong enough to pack out

I listened to a fantastic podcast this week by She Thrives Radio called Fearing Fat. I absolutely think everyone should listen to it because it opened my eyes to a lot of habits and preconceived notions I had. Fair warning; she's pretty sweary. I love it, but if F-bombs aren't your thing, she might not be your thing. Moving on. Her podcast inspired me to talk about something a little different on this #FitnessFriday; The Mom Body 🎶Dun Dun Duuuunnnnn🎶 Let's take a second and really reflect on the way we treat new moms. Somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks after the baby is born, she is "cleared" to get back to exercise. Shes inundated with questions like "What diet are you doing?" Or "What type of workout program are you following?" "I have a great product that will make those pounds just melt off!" Even the way we comfort new moms about weight gain is asinine! "Oh sweety, it took nine months to put it on, it'll take nine

Autism Spectrum Disorder. The name even implies that it is a spectrum of diversity, but still when most of us hear the word "autism" we imagine a socially inept savant who adheres to strict schedules. The thing is, while that may describe a number of people with ASD, it doesn't define them all. The spectrum was made even broader in 2013 when conditions like Aspergers were added to the definition of Autism. Wyatt falls somewhere between high functioning autism and Asperger's. His initial diagnosis in 2017 was "Autism", but in 2018 more therapists started throwing around the term Asperger's. I've researched them both, and the lines between the two are fuzzy, so I've started using the terms interchangeably since his care providers seem to do it as well. Much like the stereotypical characteristics of autism, Wyatt becomes intensely focused on his favorite things, which are trains and dinosaurs. He also stacks or lines up EVERYTHING. His speech

My husband and I have been married for 7 amazing, trying, blessed, and chaotic years. We met at a stoplight when we were teenagers, and after falling in love with someone I met in such a fate-type of way, I started to believe we were unbreakable. We were so destined to be together that God timed our lives down to the exact second that a light would turn red and gave both of us the courage to talk to the stranger in the car next to us. I've truly believed that we could face ANYTHING because I had the partner I was meant to have. Maybe it's the 7-year itch; Maybe its postpartum hormones; Maybe it's watching some close friends go through a divorce; But this year, I started to falter in that confidence. I started to wonder if there was such a thing as fate or destiny. Maybe every couple had their breaking point. That fear effectively turned me into a crazy person. I was hell-bent on "fixing us." I listened to podcasts, I read, I took quizzes, and I asked for advic

Confidence is a funny thing isnt it? In some ways it's like we feel the need to get permission to be confident. Like you have to earn it somehow. We think "If I could just achieve this goal, or be in this place, or be friends with these people, I'll finally feel good about myself". Let me tell you something I've finally learned. None of these things will give you confidence because none of them will change the voice in your head that's telling you that you aren't enough. Nothing external is going to give you permission to be confident. That comes from you, and you alone. You get to love yourself at a double digit pant size. You get to feel strong AF, even if your max is someone else's warm up. You get to be proud of the things you create without someone else validating it. You get to feel beautiful regardless of the "likes" you get on Instagram. You get to feel like a good mom no matter what Kathy from the PTA thinks. You are GOO

🎶 It's the most wonderful time of the year🎶 Or is it? Go talk to any family who has a child on the spectrum or who struggles with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), and they will tell you that this time of year is ROUGH! I think sometimes we get so caught up in the spirit of Christmas and the traditions, that we forget this time of year is stressful for some people.     Let's take a second and go back to the basics of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or SPD. These kids usually struggle with lights, sounds, noises, textures, and people.     That is literally what Christmas is!!     Put yourself in their shoes a second.     It's flashing lights, and mobs of loud people and music all crammed in one spot so you can go sit on some weird old dude's lap, whose wearing a suit that feels strange, and you're in clothes that aren't comfortable. He's asking you what you want and if you've been good -- and for young kids on the spectrum they might not even k

Last week my little #FitnessFriday piece was geared mostly toward moms, but this week I'm coming for everyone else. As I mentioned before, in 2016 I was training hard, following a fairly basic leg day regimine (squats, leg curls/extensions, and deadlifts). Still, I struggled with pain in my hips when I hiked and I honestly thought that this was just the way my life was going to be. It was the price I paid for motherhood. Thank the good lord, I was wrong. I started following The Transform App which I highly recommend for anyone looking for a new routine. It focuses primarily on SINGLE leg work and A LOT of glute work. While I've done more than my fair share of lunges on this program I think the two lifts that have made the biggest difference for me are 🍑Bulgarian Split Squats 🍑Weighted Hip Thrusts

Hands up if you deal with hip pain after having kids 🙋‍♀️ This one is for you. After kid 1 and 2, I really struggled with pain in my hips. Even when I was training 6 days a week (sometimes twice a day), the hip pain was there when I went hiking or snowshoeing. During my pregnancy with kid 3 I started struggling with Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). To sum it up, I felt like my pelvis was going to snap in half. At the recommendation of friends who had been there, I sought out a physical therapist. Hannah Gray with Pelvic Health and Wellness gave me some really simple at-home exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor. I did different variations of 🍑 Glute Bridges 🍑Squats 🧜‍♀️ Slutty Mermaids (I think normal people call these clam shells, but whatever...) People. This was life changing! In May, I hiked a 14er and for the last mile I basically drug my leg and used my walking sticks as crutches. Just 5 months later, I was running up the mountain chasing elk and was able to p

I hope you're a man who cooks. When it's time for you to move into your own home, I hope you're a man who can take care of himself. I hope you can do your own laundry, clean your own home and cook your own meals. I hope when "The Girl" comes into your life, that you will be the type of man who will appreciate when she does these things for you. I hope you're the type of man who does these things for her. I hope you're a man who cooks. I hope you're a man who works. When it's time for you to leave our home, I hope you're a man who does more than just earn a pay check. I hope you take pride in what you do and do it with purpose. I hope you're the man people can call on for help. I hope you're the man who never stears away from a challenge just because it's hard. I hope you're a man who works. I hope you're a man who prays. When this world is unforgiving I hope that you have a forgiving heart. I hope you live your life

"You can't pour from an empty cup, so fill your own first." The words paint such a beautiful picture of how life should be. When you start to feel empty, everything just magically stops so you can "refill your cup." But life doesn't work that way, does it? In fact, it seems that when we need that break to refuel the most, is when there is absolutely no time for yourself. There are chores to be done, sippy cups to fill, butts to wipe, practices to make, dinners to cook, bills to pay, and the very last thing on that list is "fill your own cup." And what does that even mean anyway? How does one fill their metaphorical cup? As women, the formula for success is pretty clear. To be the best version of yourself you need to wear fashionable clothing, have your hair done, drink iced coffee, wax, contour, cardio, drink a gallon of water, avoid sweet treats, yoga, meditate, and substitute all your carbs for cauliflower. Let me tell you, friends, I sp

I have a confession to make. When I was a mother to just one precious little angel, I was a judgy mom. I had my nose in the air and firmly believed there was no excuse for children misbehaving in public, or worse yet, children who ran their home. Nope those parents just needed to look at me and my perfect child to know how to be a good mom And then The Honey Badger was born. My son wasted no time serving me a big ole slice of humble pie. Now, to be honest, I spend my days worrying about how people judge me, or even worse, how they judge him. I've thought about having a shirt made that says "I know we're a shit show. Don't feed the animals and keep moving". So today as I'm dropping off my son at speech, I see this mom and her son who are new to the therapy office. I just want to hug her because I see all the same things on her face that I wore on my own when we started this journey with Wyatt. Exhaustion. Shame. Anxiety. Reluctance. And all of it u

I've talked a lot about how Ladies of the Wild continues to grow and evolve as I find it's purpose. The beauty in that is that I have evolved as well and found what I love, and that is to write. I have looked up to so many of the big names in the hunting industry and aspired to be like them, but ultimately, they are them, and I am me. I have a unique story to tell. I have a deep love for the outdoors, and my three crazy kids. My life is dirty boots and diapers. Pine trees and Paw Patrol. Mountain Therapy and Speech Therapy. I'm a Wild Mom, and I want to share the whole picture with you, not just the outdoor highlight reel. Thank you all for the support and encouraging me to follow this path ❤