Hannah Morrison

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My First Trip to Walt Disney World *at 28 years old!*



March 4, 2021

I honestly didn’t know if I would ever go to Disney World – Partly because we never went as a kid and partly because the idea of a theme park (as I know them) just doesn’t sound exactly appealing to me anymore. Sweaty thighs sticking to yucky roller coasters, an unclean environment, and just the general yucky theme parks we all know… I just didn’t believe Disney World would be THAT different.

BOY WAS I WRONG.

They are clean, kind, everybody loves their job, and the park literally smells like donuts. Everything I dislike about a Six Flags is what Disney does WELL. Disney workers own that they get to make somebody’s day magical and you can see it in every single person employed at the park, from the person driving you on the bus to the coffee carts, to the dancers and characters themselves. They all love that they get to see you that day. There’s just nothing like it.

Our trip was one of 7 best friends, most of whom it was our first time ever at Disney. I will be rolling out a Disney Series since it’s just so much information, but in general… it was amazing. Disney is as much for adults as it is for kids. Tip: Our bestie, Kristen, is a Disney travel agent and can help you with your own trip! Her services are ZERO extra cost, and she can book/plan your entire trip to any Disney park. She could walk these parks with her eyes closed, and would truly help you plan an entire trip that is best suited for your family. From an itinerary to where to stay, and everything in-between!


FAQ’s

How long was your trip? Thursday-Monday

Where did we stay? POP Century! This is a bargain resort on site at Disney and was amazing. It is newly refurbished and was top notch. We ordered our breakfast here every day and then went to the busses or sky liner depending on where we were going that day.

What parks did you go to? Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot

How much did it cost? This is entirely dependent on when you go and your group size, so it’s hard to say. But, our trip averaged out for 2 people at $1464 for a 3 night stay with 2 day park tickets that included park hopper. We also paid this over the course of a year… so it literally felt like I went on a free vacation. This cost doesn’t include food, but I would average $40ish a day for food. This is why booking with Kristen is so helpful, because she can find you deals and save you money.

Did masks bother you? TBH, not as much as I thought. It’s hot and humid, and certainly not ideal. But I was having such a blast that it just didn’t bother me too much! When it does start to bother you, you are allowed to remove it for active eating or drinking… so just keep food on hand and find somewhere to sit and eat to remove it! 😉



Daily Itinerary

Night 1: Disney Springs

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Day 2: Hollywood Studios/Epcot (Park hopper pass)

Day 3: Off-site at Universal Studios for Harry Potter World (will do a separate post for this one!)

Night 3: Disney Springs for Dinner

Day 4: Disney Springs for shopping before flying back

 






CATEGORIES ~ Blog, Disney Leave a Comment

Building a Home & Financial Tips



February 23, 2021

We are just WEEKS away from moving into our new home, and I am over the moon. We close on our current home next week and will prorate rent it from the owners (who happen to also be some of our BFFs hehe) until we get the keys to our new place. To be honest, this transition couldn’t be easier and I know it won’t always be the case if or when we ever move in the future, but dang I am thankful. It’s been so fun walking this building journey together, and I wanted to put the most asked questions here about it for a reference sheet in the future if ever you build.

I wrote about picking your builder and location here a while back. Today I wanted to focus a bit more on the logistics and financial side of it all! Of course, there are many different avenues in which you can buy and build, so do note as you read that this is just one of many. We are buying with an FHA and closing in advance on our current home sell so we don’t have any looming contingency clauses of any kind. Those aren’t bad by any means, but since we could sell to our friends with such flexibility it REALLY made this all so much better. If a seller is flexible, you can ask about a contingency as well for in between buying/selling. Often times, people will do a contingency with 60 days if they  put an offer on a home but need to sell their current one to be able to actually purchase the home. For us, we are stoked that we can pay off our current home loan, have our equity sitting in our account and pull the trigger the moment our builder tells us the home is ready for us to move in.

What did you have to put down? We had to put down 3.5% of the home as our earnest money. Your earnest money is essentially a down payment that you can’t get back if you back out of the build at any point. It’s securing your home and tells the builder you are serious about building. Fully custom builds require more down because it’s more customized and in theory tougher to sell if you were to back out of your contract. Make sense? The best part about it all though is we paid our earnest money (and over 3 months, which we totally didn’t expect the option for!), and instead of having a check written to us at closing of that amount, we are opting for it to transfer to the builder as our down payment. So when you buy an already built home, you need your down payment AND closing costs all at once. But, since we’ve really already paid our downpayment, we’ve had this entire year to put money away for our closing costs *which is far less than the down payment.* You tracking?

How did you save up for the home? We have been on a financial journey for a couple of years, and it’s actually been fun to be honest. I like to say we’ve been doing the Dave Ramsey-ish plan with virtual envelopes. Paul is far more educated on all things Dave Ramsey than I am. But, I took the envelope system and ran with it. You can read about our banking system here. It always has felt odd to me to talk about money, but I genuinely have learned I love it and have enjoyed helping my friends reach their own goals. This post about our banking hack has been one of my most read and asked for posts ever. I believe that says SO MUCH about you and this community – we mean business with our finances! So even though it feels taboo to talk about it, I have learned talking about money is really helpful for us. So, top thing, the banking hack has been HUGE for us. In addition to that, we started paying massive payments toward debt (appliances we’ve purchased/medical bills/cars/etc). This has freed up our monthly income as well as heavily spiking our credit scores. For the first time in my life, I have a credit score over 700 and I feel like I can take on the world hehe. To reach our goals, we’ve been living entirely on one income as best we can for over a year and putting all surplus into our savings.

So… I have a savings… now what? TBH this part is hard for me and where Paul is smarter. If it were up to me, I would keep my savings account untouched and save it for a rainy day. BUT, there are far wiser things to do with it. 

Investments

We have had money off and on in stocks, and it’s been a huge help as we’ve prepared for buying our new home. We basically start with a number and continue to invest that amount, sending the surplus to us as an income. Though we have chosen not to has investments running for a while due to the state of the market/world, we will be starting this back up once we move with some of the money we have saved up. Paul trades with MT Options.

Debt Snowball

Paul has a plan in place for us *with Dave Ramsey* to do what he calls the Debt Snowball. We have really big plans for our savings to put toward debts like paying off cars and school in the next 3-5 years. Ultimately, putting what we’ve saved toward those assets and debts will free us up from monthly payments early in life and be essentially worth more than owe. Two years ago, I would have thought the idea of paying off a car in two years sounded like insanity… now, it’s very digestible to think about when you follow the plan. *But… trust me, I would be lying if I didn’t challenge Paul on it multiple times a week because it DOES feel scary to pay such large amounts* But, honestly, it’s just true… Dave Ramsey is onto something. Our whole life shouldn’t be paying debt… It should feel weird that our society has made it so normal to live in debt and on payment plans.

Our NEXT big goal that I am dreaming about *and I mean dreaming, hehe* is to start property investments! We will see… it’s a very early stage thought. But, my BFF and I have some plans 😉

I hope this helps you navigate your own finances! What are your goals? Write them out and start taking steps TODAY toward them.

CATEGORIES ~ Blog, Building a Home, Life Leave a Comment

Anthropologie Finds



February 7, 2021

Anthropologie has their newest spring line out, and I am so giddy about it. My goal in the new house is to invest in pieces I LOVE and simplify my kitchen. Toss the random mugs and serveware from college and curate a display for hosting (while keeping my mugs with character still that mean the most to me!) My plates are the cream Levi dinner plates with the Currant shade as the side plate. I mixed in a different line of bowls and mugs for fun and texture. I am all about neutrals with pops of pinks and blues. These three serve boards are stunning and I think pair really well together, though all very different. I love mixing and matching, if you can’t tell. 😉

Shop my top picks below I have in my cart currently for the new home!

CATEGORIES ~ Blog, Building a Home Leave a Comment

I was pregnant and had a baby during a pandemic



February 4, 2021


Can you believe it has been a year since the word “pandemic” entered all of our lives? A word once found only in our history books has become a reality, and it’s weird. It’s sad. It’s confusing. It’s, well, a lot of things. I surely never in a million years thought I would have to navigate pregnancy let alone deliver a baby in the midst of a pandemic. I never dreamed of having to get video of my ultrasounds for my husband as I ventured into my appointments alone. I never dreamed of wearing a mask while gasping for breath in between pushes. It’s been a lot to process, even 6 months later.

There were days I just cried on the table in my OB’s office. She would encourage me and found herself, among all her other tasks as a doctor to so many, counseling and caring for the hearts of her patients through the unwelcome situation we all found ourselves in.

And then, I had a baby. In a pandemic. And then, a day later had a baby in the NICU. In a pandemic. Then, I was stuck at home with a baby. In a pandemic. It was easy to be angry. It was easy to feel overlooked. It was easy to feel lonely. And I definitely felt all of those things at some point.

Now, as we approach the one year mark of this insane time in our world, I find myself looking back at all that has happened. Sure, I am a mom who faced just about every hurdle possible this year, and I certainly tripped over them more than once. But I also am a mom who – regardless of the circumstances- carried and birthed a perfect little boy who conquered the NICU. I am a business owner who stayed afloat through a pandemic and managed to build a dream home in the middle of chaos. See, if this year has taught me anything, both in motherhood and life, it’s that our circumstances do not have the power to define our outcome. We do. Our joy and our outlook on life are in our hands. When everything is so out of control, our perspective is something we do have the reins on. With God as my source of unshakable joy, I can say this year has actually been the best year of my life in so many ways. Not because the circumstances set the stage for an incredible year, but because I see the good in everything that has happened. Perspective is everything. I choose to see the good. I choose to see that I am a warrior mommy who had a VBAC with a mask on and delivered a baby boy in 13 minutes of pushing to avoid a c-section again. I choose to see that when it looked like I should have lost all my work, it doubled. I choose to see that I got months of extra time with my husband and sons before the rest of our life as pastors of Cadence Church.

There is good to be found. Always.

My body and mind have been through the ringer, I suppose, over the last 12 months. And if you’re a mommy who also had a baby in 2020, please hear me say you’re a freaking champion. It’s okay to feel sad and happy all at once. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by what the year brought. It’s okay to grieve that the first year of your child’s life has looked anything but normal. I have family who have yet to meet Rory, and it sucks. It shouldn’t be this way, and yet, here we are. It’s okay to be disappointed. Also, hear me when I say this, it’s okay to need help. It’s okay to want to process what you’re feeling with a counselor or therapist. Everything you’re feeling is completely valid. Seeing a Biblical counselor has been the best thing I ever did for myself. 2020 was freaking hard.  Every little detail of my life was not NOT affected. But I have also been effected in ways that have shaped me into a new woman. I have grown into a new version of me as a mom, as a wife, and as, well, me.

I will be a statistic in history books, I am sure, as a woman who had a baby in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. Rory will be a number in records as a baby born in a pandemic. But it certainly doesn’t define either of us. It is simply part of our story, and is one we will tell.

CATEGORIES ~ Blog, Life, Mommy & Me Leave a Comment

Mommy and Me Valentine’s Day Shoot



February 1, 2021

Arguably my favorite shoot I do each year, it’s time for our 2021 Mommy and Me photos. Next to Christmas, Valentine’s Day is my FAVORITE holiday. Who doesn’t love pink, candy, and an excuse to tell all the people you love that you love them? Our anniversary is the 15th, too, so it’s just always a big hoopla at our home! Being a boy mommy has somehow made me love the holiday even more now. There is just something mushy about loving on tiny Valentines!!

I always love sharing styled shoots like this, not only because they’re special to me, but because I love giving you inspiration for your own special shoots with your families. In your annual budget for your family, I cannot stress enough how much I think photos should be on that list. I love that I have photos of us from every single stage of life. From Christmas card photos to mommy and me photos you will cherish forever, I hope you always feel inspired when you see the incredible shoots Cottonwood Road Photography comes up with.

I seriously tried to narrow down the photos to share… but it was very difficult when there were so many amazing images… haha. I do sincerely hope the plethora of shots helps you with poses and outfit ideas, though! The key to shoots with babes… time. Would you believe we did this shoot in under 20 minutes?? YUP. A studio is the way to go for a shoot with babies as well, because you don’t have to worry about one running off into a ditch or off with the horses in the field over *this has happened with us… haha* Hannah H., my photographer, is so amazing at getting kids to laugh and show their personality. She has them be kids… just on camera. She has cookies, flowers, and encourages them to dance and have FUN. I always know a shoot with Hannah H. is in good hands because she just somehow ALWAYS gets the best shots. My favorite shot of us three *the one as the blog image you clicked to get here* was captured from Hannah telling Knox to sneak up on me and scare me! If you’re local… hire Hannah. She just is simply the best!

My Outfit

*exact top and bottom not sold anymore, but I linked almost identical pieces!* 

My exact hat is from Landry Kate! A more expensive version is the beautiful one from Cara Loren x Gigi Pip, here.

Boys outfits are both from Zara Kids!







CATEGORIES ~ Blog, Fashion, Mommy & Me Leave a Comment

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Hey, I am Hannah!

Hey,  I am Hannah!

Hey y'all, I’m Hannah Morrison. Welcome to my corner of the internet! I hope to encourage you to be your best you, know Jesus more, and spread kindness like buttercream frosting- generously and without reserve.

xoxo- Han

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