Hi, my name is Heidi and I started The Busy Nothings 8 years ago when I rediscovered my love of writing and photography after having my first son. It’s been quite the journey and I’ve been many things here on my blog over the years to find myself where I am today.
I live in Northwest Arkansas and I love it here- it’s beautiful with the mountains, lakes and rivers. I love the distinct seasons, changing weather, whatever the season, makes my heart pound! I am married to my college sweetheart Ben and we celebrated 12 years recently. We have two little boys: Summit (Bear in some blog posts) who is 7 and has a rare and amazing genetic disorder called William’s Syndrome that changed our lives for the better and Sawyer (Bug in some blog posts), my insane little preschooler who happens to be one of the most phenomenal humans I’ve met, even at the young age of 4.
My blog started as a place to share fun stories and cute photographs of Summit for family but that changed as I began documenting the devastating discovery that he had some major health issues. It took almost 18 months to find out that he was born with a rare generic disorder; months filled with confusion and surgeries. This began a difficult time period that extended past months and stretched into several long years and only in the last year, we feel we are on the other side of.
I now somewhat jokingly refer this season as the 7 year drought. Years that felt like famine.
Philippians 4:11 (NIV)
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
We aren’t who we used to be only older.
I’m such a very different person today than the person who started my blog that I’ve considered deleting it and starting fresh but realized it’s the journey and process of becoming who I am that is powerful. I take no credit for my life and am daily humbled and grateful. I remain in a state of child-like awe. Today, my blog has returned to it’s roots of life sharing and photography, mostly because this is a busy season and also because
life living comes before life sharing now.
It’s not been easy, these years since 2007, but it’s worth it. Ben and I have a better marriage now than we ever did but that is after walking through some very, very hard times that we didn’t know if we’d make it though. So much of my blog is like a journal entry, places of pain and grief that most people can relate to and I hope you feel the community in our brokenness. I want that for my blog still- to be a place of respite and relaxation for the weary and wounded, so I genuinely hope you find it here.
More than simply relating to me, however, I want you to see the thread of hope tying all my stories together.
I want the hope to echo from all my stories and be the thing that stands out the most. If we only relate, we have someone to sit with and at least we are not alone and that’s a beautiful community BUT- if we are able to share the hope that we have after going through some of life’s hardest moments- that is transformative.
My life still has many challenges but I have peace, beyond understanding. If where you are is a dark place, I understand. I’ve been there. I also can confidently say that there can be a rich, abundant life on the other side of 7 years of hell. Don’t loose heart, don’t loose courage- lean into the reality that life is very painful and become stronger from it. Sometimes God will give you much more than you can handle because it’s there, in that space of a decision and anxiety, that you have the very simple choice of whether to turn to him or not.
Regardless of how you choose, life will be hard. I can share confidently that choosing God doesn’t make life without conflict or problems but gives the true peace and confident joy to thrive and be content during them because he is with you. Be encouraged, friend.
