Fanny Pack Mom Gets Intentional

This summer, I decided I was going to be an intentional, fun, and (somewhat) cool mom. As my kids get older, I know we can go and do more fun things! One thing I have always wanted to do with my kids is travel. So far in their little lives they have been to Branson, Nashville, Las Vegas, The Bahamas, Florida, Oklahoma, and New York City. Not bad for an almost 3 and 5 year old!

In keep big with this theme, we started off summer by going to Branson and we went again a few weeks later. We played put putt golf, rode go carts, and went to Silver Dollar City both times. Each Branson trip was just 1-2 nights, but we had so much fun! To my kids this was like Disney World!

We also traveled to Florida, which you heard about yesterday. My kids were old enough to play in the ocean and build sand castles and we all had a blast! Another trip they loved!! (I am clearly a boy mom as seen in the below pic)

When not traveling this summer, we have made weekly trips to swim, have gone on ice cream runs, went to the park, and have had many family baseball games in the yard. More than anything we have spent quality time together. I don't want my kids to look back and think their mama just sat around wearing a fanny pack....I want them to look back on their childhood as a magical time as it should be! I can't wait to see what journeys and adventures we get to experience next!

Fanny Pack Mom Goes to Florida

A couple of weeks ago my crew and I left the driveway at 4:20am and headed to the panhandle of Florida. Fast forward a few (or 11) hours and one episode of car sickness later we had made it to the beach. Five minutes later a security guard pulls up to read us the rules. This was the start of a long lasting relationship with Security Guard Dan. The next day we walked out to the beach only to be stopped by Security Guard Dan. And by we, I mean me because crazies love to attach themselves to fanny pack mom. He told me to enjoy my morning because the rain was coming....Rain never came. Security guard Dan warned me of rain every single day. Rain never once happened. He also told me fireworks were prohibited and fireworks constantly were going off while I was trying to get my beauty rest.

We had a blast on our family trip! We played in the ocean, got some sun, and were able to ride go carts and play putt put golf. My favorite activity was shopping because listen people when you can get a Michael Kors trench coat 80% off, you are #WINNING like Charlie Sheen. (I don't really think Charlie has ever won any battle in his life but I couldn't resist to use his tag line)

We also had some wonderful meals. My family loves to eat great food on trips. It's a tradition I trace back to my Grandfather traveling to Southern Mississippi once and asking a local where he could find some good seafood. She responded, "Mister, you are in LUCK! A brand new Long John Silvers just opened up right down the street!" Long John Silvers. Down the street. I never see a Long John Silvers without laughing to myself.

Most importantly, we had wonderful family time and were able to enjoy God's wonderful creation. Only God could create such beautiful scenery. Isn't it amazing?

If you head to the panhandle this summer tell Security Guard Dan that Fanny Pack Mom says hello.

Fanny Pack Mom Gets a Little Grace

This past week the theme of my life was God granting me grace. I thought I would share my week recap mixed in with how grace was granted to me each time to (hopefully) encourage my fellow fanny packers.

Monday I was very sick with a kidney infection. I was laying in bed feeling so sick and my sweet 5 year old, Krews, came and said “Mama, can I pray for you?” God granted me grace showing me his presence in the most precious way…through my child.

Thursday I was back to work for a few hours (I work part time--some in the office and some at home) and was struggling to feel well enough to complete the things I needed to have done. God granted me grace by giving me the ability to complete what I needed to complete in a short amount of time.

Saturday morning I had a lot on my mind. I tend to overanalyze things (remember I told you in the last post---type A, oldest child, OCD) and my sin nature is worry. God granted me grace by giving me a long phone call with one of my closest friends. After that phone call, I felt reassured and more confident knowing God was right there with me.

Later Saturday, I thought  I would take the kids to lunch for a date. In my mind, I envisioned a wonderful lunch filled with peace and happiness. With a two and five year old, things don’t always go as planned. Kole (2 year old) was having a complete meltdown. He couldn’t sit still, wouldn’t eat his food…you mamas out there know what I am saying. I was getting flustered by the time we got back to the car and Kole was upset because he had thrown away his smoothie. Krews, without hesitation, said “Here you go Kole, you can have mine.” Kole turned around and was immediately a different child, he was smiling and glowing with happiness. God granted me grace. He showed me that even though my kids can have meltdowns; they are kind, giving, and love each other.

Sunday morning Kyle was out of town on a work trip. I was determined to get the kids to Sunday school and church by myself. I prepared the best I could by having clothes ironed and laid out for all of us. Satan always attacks on Sundays to keep us from attending church. We had several little roadblocks that led to us miss Sunday school and being a few minutes late for the church service. God granted me grace by getting me to the church service and allowing me to hear His word. It was one of those days the message spoke strongly to me!

Sometimes God uses bad situations in our life or even just little annoyances/setbacks simply as ways to show His grace and love. I encourage everyone to always look for the good and for God in everything you face each day so you can see His grace. How has God granted His grace to you recently?

Life of a Fanny Pack Mom Begins

My name is Audra Wray and I am a fanny pack mom. A fanny pack mom? You may be wondering what that could possibly mean......allow me to explain.

I am the oldest child with a type-a personality. You know, the kind of person who is OCD and plans everything for everybody. One day my crew headed to float a river about 2 hours from home. Naturally, I show up to the trip wearing a long sleeve shirt to ensure I didn't get too much sun because that could lead to sun spots (I am prone to them and also thought tanning oil with SPF 2 was REAL sunscreen in my teenage years.) In addition to protecting my skin, I wore a fanny pack. And this is where life of a fanny pack mom was born.

Who wouldn't find it logical to wear a waterproof fanny pack on a float trip? My punk beauty queen sister, that's who. Abby (punk beauty queen sister) found it hilarious and immediately snapped a pic featuring her flawlessly wearing a bikini and me in the back of the canoe, flawed (sun spots I tell you) and sporting a fanny pack. Punk beauty queen sisters think they are hilarious by posting photos like this to their Facebook page. Mind you, at this point I didn't even have a Facebook page to defend my fanny pack ways.

I have great friends.....Great friends who love to make fun of fellow fanny pack moms. After PBQS (Punk Beauty Queen Sister) posted the photo they LOVED it. Not in a look at my new Michael Kors purse, I love it kind of way. In a I love the fact that PBQS posted this hilarious photo of her sister in all of her fanny pack glory kind of way. Everyone got a good laugh out of it. The next day Abby in all seriousness came to me shocked because she had more comments and likes on this picture than any other previous post. I was quite surprised. Background information you need to know is PBQS is popular. Abby is a former Miss Teen Arkansas USA and works as a model for places like Marshall's, Dillard's, Saks 5th Avenue, and TJ MAXX (she's a maxinista.) Homegirl has a cult following including 28,600 twitter followers. Anyway the point of telling you this is that I learned people love hearing a good fanny pack mom story because it's so relatable.

Fast forward two days later and I see one of my friends at my oldest sons tennis lesson. She is still laughing about and loving the fanny pack photo. She tells me I should start a blog called Life of a Fanny Pack mom. We laugh and go about our day. Fast forward again and I get a Facebook account. I started it out of necessity because I needed to be the administrator of a new Facebook page started for work. However, I had so much fun interacting with friends!

While on vacation I started thinking about Life of a Fanny Pack Mom seriously. I kept thinking to myself what it meant to be a fanny pack mom each day as I packed up my fanny pack and got my crew on the beach everyday. Fanny pack moms initially sound funny. Stereotypically uncool. But to be a true fanny pack mom it shows you are organized and prepared to have the supplies you need to take care of yourself and those around you. It shows you are well traveled based on a story my grandmother always told. "Everyone on the train in Europe got robbed except me because I slept with my money... In a fanny pack." It shows that you are confident enough to go on an adventure and not care what you are wearing because hello you are wearing a fanny pack.

Don't worry, this blog isn't to showcase fashion editions of fanny packs. It's to tell my adventures in life as wife, mom, and friend.....some of which require the use of fanny packs.