LeAnne Olive
Family Photo Day—where I'm stressed that everyone's hair is done and clothes are not wrinkled and we are on time! But we sure do smile pretty for Nila—our favorite photographer!
And here we are Valentine's Day—where we are having chocolate fondue and clearly hair and clothes don't matter. This is us much of the time.
Welcome! I so hope you find this blog to be full of real life. A little about me (LeAnne) so you can get a glimpse of this journey I'm on. Moved out of my dorm room my junior year and in with the handsome man above when we said "I do" during an elopement over spring break. Growing up with him has been the second best thing to happen to me. Jesus will always be the first.
Those two girls keep life full and real. Oh how we fall short every.single.day.of.life. in raising them but Jesus keeps on extending us the grace we need. They are 6 and 9, so we are what I call in the "sweet spot of life" where they are pretty self-sufficient but still love to be at home with us.
Teacher by nature and education, now I have the joy of volunteering in the spaces God has placed me. And I love it. I'm Type A (personality and blood). I'm a get it done, organized, clutter-free gal who is always meeting someone for something. Reading is a passion of mine and I am usually reading 3–4 books at time. I am a mostly non-fiction kind of gal because I love learning. I recently started singing with the praise band at The Hill, Salem's Saturday night service. Those young twenty year olds on the stage keep me passionately praising Jesus and feeling energized.
I really do enjoy feeding my family whole foods and more plants than processed which is why Dawn and I started this blog. I've learned to enjoy being in the kitchen and have come to terms with washing dishes a lot if I am to feed my family good food. My husband and I never want to come across as legalistic—in any manner—so my kids eat some sugar and we go to Moe's most Saturday nights with The Hill people and we all survive.
My true passion is Jesus. That's so easy to say and write, but living it out is a whole other story. Oh how many times I fall short with my people, with tasks, with life. Yet, I'm consistently amazed at the ways God pursues me into relationship with Him. This makes me know He's real and alive and that His love for me is unchanging. Through His word I'm encouraged to keep on living for these five minutes I've been given. Life is precious and I want my days on this earth to count towards a greater eternity.
So join us as Dawn and I blog and make the most of the life we've been given.
—leanne
Dawn Mendez
A High School Math teacher turned full time mom, Dawn is now CEO of her happy family of five, in the suburbs of Raleigh. She has four passions: Jesus, raising her three kids, whole foods and fitness. She loves music, a day at the beach, and Cuban food. A paintbrush and blank canvas is her guilty right-brained pleasure. And she feels life wouldn't be complete without coffee. Read Dawn's Story to learn how she got here.
