Living To The Fullest: Adventure In The Sunflower Fields

January 1st, 2020 if you asked me how many adventures I planned to take my three littles on this year, I would have rattled off a seemingly endless list. This was supposed to be OUR year of travel. This was supposed to be OUR year of adventure. But here I am, nearly to the end of the year and we've gone absolutely nowhere. And the "January 1st Mom" version of me would have felt like this year was a complete wash. But one thing I've learned this year is that so much magic can be found in the simplest moments.

So, here's a peek into our day in the sunflower fields. A simple yet magical little adventure that will forever be one of my FAVORITE days.

The sunflower fields here in Kansas are gorgeous, but do require a little coordination to catch them in full bloom. My plan was to adventure AND take family pictures (because at the end of the day, the mom in me CANNOT miss a good picture opportunity).

With outfits coordinated, snacks packed, and everyone loaded in the van we were on our way. But in true mom fashion, I looked down and realized the gas tank was on EMPTY.

Lucky for me a Phillips 66 was right around the corner! Any gas station that can get me in and out quickly with as little contact as possible is my go-to. With the My Phillips 66 app, I use mobile pay to pay in my car before pumping gas. Less time and less contact is always a win! The My Phillips 66 mobile app also offers featured deals that give me major savings on gas!

Shout out to Phillips 66 for not only a full tank of gas but a gentle reminder with their "Live To The Full" initiative to cherish each day, find joy in life's journey and intentionally live to the fullest. With a full tank of gas, we were off on our adventure!

After a bit of a drive and a few missed turns we finally made it to the sunflower fields. Being the city people that we are, farm life was SO intriguing. We stopped for a moment to admire the chickens and within five minutes the kids had given them all names.

Full disclosure, my idea of an "adventure" in the sunflower fields turned out to be the complete opposite of my boys' version of "adventure." My plan was a relaxing walk through the fields while snapping a few pictures. Their idea was crawling on hands and knees through the dirt.

So, we did BOTH and it was a win for us all....once I stopped stressing about the massive

amount of dirt they would be proudly displaying on their faces AND clothes.

Slowly, I released control of my expectations or idea of what the adventure "should or could be" and began to enjoy what was. Watching their eyes light up with joy and freedom running through the fields was exactly what my mama heart needed; and what they needed after months of staying indoors. In that moment I realized this year wasn't a failure or a complete "wash." And although the list of places I'd planned to adventure with these cuties will have to wait, living to our full is something we can do no matter where we are or what life has to hold. Living to the fullest is a choice; choosing to recognize beauty in the mundane and joy in the journey. Choosing to see life as a gift even when it doesn't go exactly as planned.

So there you have it! Our adventure in the sunflower fields ended with a few tantrums, faces

smudged with dirt, a small bundle of picked sunflowers and very full hearts! I'll end this little tale with a gentle reminder to find YOUR own little adventure ( small as it might be), find joy in the simple moments and live life to your fullest!

*Blog post in partnership with Phillips 66® but all thoughts and opinions are mine. To learn more about the Phillips 66 Mobile App, find the nearest Phillips 66 gas station and more, head to Phillips66gas.com.