Hi friend, and welcome! I’m so glad you found your way here.

We’re a military family learning how to live lighter, freer, and a whole lot less weighed down by stuff, debt, and stress. Basically, we’re chasing simple freedom — and this blog is where I’m going to tell you all about the journey.

---

Who We Are

My husband is inching closer to retirement (yay!), and I’m working hard to make sure we’re ready for what comes next — traveling, making memories, and growing our small business, Magnetic Twist.

We have teens in the house, which means life is never boring. One minute they’re cracking us up, the next they’re rolling their eyes into another dimension. But honestly, I wouldn’t trade these fleeting, messy, beautiful years for anything.

And because we like to do things the hard way (apparently), we’ve also started building a homestead. Fruit trees, chickens, gardens… oh my. It’s part therapy, part chaos, and 100% teaching us patience.

---

Why “Unpacking Freedom”?

Because we’re literally unpacking.
Unpacking the clutter.
Unpacking the debt.
Unpacking old wounds that weighed me down for too long.

I’m learning that the more we let go of, the more space we make for the stuff that really matters — laughter, love, and the memories that last a lifetime.

---

What You Can Expect Here

This isn’t a “perfect minimalist” blog. You won’t find staged white walls and five pairs of matching shoes lined up in a row. (Though honestly, if someone could get my kids to put their shoes away, I’d pay them.)

Instead, you’ll find:

• Real stories about our family, homestead, and life.
• Simple living tips as we declutter and downsize.
• Debt freedom updates — the honest, hopeful, sometimes ugly parts.
• Healing reflections on grief, betrayal, and rediscovering who I am.
• Travel + memory-making posts, like lessons from our month-long road trip.

It’s a mix of heart, humor, and the reminder that freedom isn’t just a destination — it’s something we can chase in the everyday.

---

So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and join me as we figure this thing out together. Life’s too short to keep carrying what was never meant for us in the first place.

Here’s to unpacking freedom — one box, one dollar, and one memory at a time.