Welcome to the Crowded Nest: Life as an Empty Nest Mom

My name is Tracey. I'm 51, and for the first time in my life, I'm not sure who I am.

I became a mom at 16. For the next 35 years, that was my identity, my purpose, and my full-time job, even while I earned a degree in political science, worked at Boeing, and helped build our family insurance agency. Five kids later, they’re grown, and I’m officially an empty nest mom. And somewhere along the way, I forgot to figure out what comes next.

Some of those years were harder than anyone knew. My youngest daughter has struggled with her mental health for most of her life, and walking beside her through it has shaped me more than anything else. There were seasons when I felt completely alone, searching for another mom who understood. If that's where you are right now, I hope you'll find a little company here.

My husband Trent and I have a story of our own. We married in 2002, divorced in 2008, found our way back to each other in 2020, and married again in 2025. Some things are worth a second chance.

A few years ago, we got restless. We took a trip to Oregon, fell in love, and moved there. It was one of the best years of our lives. Then, when our daughter left for college, we did something wild: we gave away almost everything we owned, bought a motorhome, and hit the road with our youngest son. We traveled from Oregon to Florida and everywhere in between. Later, we spent a year in Virginia, soaking up all that history.

But life has a way of calling you home. Our family needed us, and I have two granddaughters here who I couldn't stand to miss growing up. So we came back to Oklahoma.

I'll be honest: I didn't want to come back. And I'm not sure I'd be happy anywhere else, either. Add menopause to the mix, and that's the strange in-between place I'm living in right now. But I've had to be strong my whole life, and I've learned that I can only control myself and take life as it comes. So that's what I'm doing.

Meanwhile, the nest is full again. Three of our grown kids live with us, along with our two dogs, Zeus and Luna, who are convinced they run the place. It's loud, busy, and full, which is exactly where the name of this blog comes from. And I'm lucky to have my two younger sisters, who are some of my closest friends, cheering me on through all of it.

So what am I doing with myself? A little of everything. I'm writing a book. I draw (you may have seen some of my art recently). I bedazzle Legos, make blankets, bake, cook, and read and review books. Some days that feels like plenty, and some days it feels like I'm still searching.

Here's what you'll find here:

On the Road: stories from our years of travel, from Oregon to Florida to Virginia.

Back in the Nest: everyday life in a full house, family, finding my footing, and the honest, messy work of figuring out who I am after a lifetime of being "Mom."

The Art Table: my drawings, crafts, and creative projects, plus the stories behind them.

The Nest Kitchen: tried-and-true recipes from our kitchen to yours.

And along the way, I'll be writing about being the mom of a child who struggles with mental health, what I've learned, what I wish someone had told me, and how I'm healing too.

If you're in a season of change, I hope you'll pull up a chair. There's always room in the nest.

Tracey