There are some movies you watch and enjoy… and then there are the ones that stay with you. The kind you think about long after the credits roll. For me, that movie has always been August Rush . I’ve watched it more times than I can count, and every single time it hits me in the same place—deep in the heart. Not because it’s just a beautiful story, but because it reminds me of something I’ve come to believe...: Love knows. And a mother… a mother always knows her child. Music T

The other day, one of my children said something that stopped me in my tracks. Not because it was obnoxious and loud. ( which he has a super power in at times) Not because it was dramatic. (Because, well he's 13). But simply because truth was spoken. We were talking about prayer—about asking God for something we desperately want—and he quietly observed that maybe when prayers come from anger and frustration (which he gently reminded me is not a word used in the Bible) instead

Some people leave fingerprints on your life that never fade.For me, that person was my grandfather—though calling him my grandfather feels too small for what he truly was. In every way that mattered, he was my dad. My steady place. My encourager. My compass. My heart’s first home. I was his first grandchild, and from the moment I entered his world, something unspoken and unbreakable formed between us. His eyes would light up the second I walked into the room—as if I carried t

What ignites a person’s very existence? What is the one thing that sets the world ablaze with desire and passion? What allows a soul to breathe beneath the crushing sea of doubt and despair? How does one know a life has truly been lived? Not everyone is blessed with the answers to those questions.But somehow, I found them—not once, but twice. Throughout my life, I’ve worn many names: daughter, mother, sister, wife, and friend. Just as naturally as I have always known myself t

There are stories we carry that change the shape of our hearts forever.This is Addison’s story—one of the hardest and holiest parts of my life. Addison came into this world with a fight already ahead of her. Born with spina bifida , her tiny body knew more hospitals, therapists, and surgeries than most adults ever will. The first time I held her, I remember thinking how small she was—and yet how powerful her spirit felt. She had this quiet strength about her, a softness wrapp

The days surrounding June 2nd 2010 were a total whirlwind of emotions; excitement, concern, love, thankfulness, pride, wonder, praise, more love, more concern and complete and total exhaustion.  My 20 year old was going to have a planned C-section on this blissful morning and I was blessed and honored to be in the room when precious little Addison Miller Clay graced us with her precious present with a joyful cry to the world.  We were told months earlier that Princess Addison

Remembering Addison: The Little Girl Who Changed Everything Some stories are written softly—whispers of love that echo long after the moment has passed. Addison’s story is one of them. There are days on the farm when the sunlight hits the pasture just right, or a baby goat presses its warm little head against my chest, and I feel a tug deep inside—a reminder of a life that touched mine with more force and tenderness than I ever expected.That reminder is Addison . Addison wasn

Welcome to It Starts With Grace . I’ve dreamed about this little space for a long time—long before the goats, long before the idea of a dairy or therapy program, long before I ever imagined that healing could come through muddy hooves, stubborn personalities, and the quiet rhythm of farm life. This blog isn’t just about homesteading or animals or even my family—though you’ll meet all of them along the way. It’s about grace. Real grace. The kind that shows up when life breaks