In January of 2017, our family took a leap of faith and moved to Forest Ridge for my husband’s job at QuikTrip. He had been a consultant for 6 years and had travelled to Broken Arrow for training. When he came back home to Tucson, Arizona he went on and on about how nice people were in Oklahoma, the beautiful seasons, and a much slower pace of life than in Arizona. He would ask to move at any chance he got. 

At that time, we lived 5 minutes from my mom, just lost my dad to cancer, and lived 7 minutes from his parents. We were high school sweethearts, welcomed 2 amazing boys into the world, built a life with our family and best friends and built our dream house. I was working as a NICU flight nurse and loved my job, but missed my boys’ first Christmases, birthdays, and holidays. I dreamed of having more time with my boys and needed a break from the stress of nursing. 

After years of my husband asking, I finally agreed that if it worked out, it was meant to be… and it worked out! We purchased our current home, sight unseen, in Forest Ridge from our dining room table in Tucson with the only recommendation from our realtor that Highland Park was an excellent elementary school. We received an offer on our home in Tucson in 1 day and in 15 days we packed up all our memories and drove out into the face of an ice storm with a 3 year old, 6 year old, and a 7 month old golden retriever to see our new home for the first time. 

We've never been happier. The pace of life, the kindness, the neighbors, the safety allowing our boys to play outside, we were able to grow and thrive where we were planted. There have been many challenges along the way but everyone on our street has been there for us like family. 

Since moving in 2017, I have been able to explore new hobbies and different types of jobs to keep me busy while the boys are in school. In 2023, I found sourdough. It started as just a hobby sharing free loaves with everyone that would take one. I took them to the schools, handed them out to delivery drivers, the post man, and every neighbor on my street. The feedback was incredible. I worked for 2 years to perfect the loaves and try new flavors. Then with lots of support from my family and neighbors, I finally created an in-home sourdough microbakery. Due to health problems I was not able to make large batch orders, but thanks to 2 amazing surgeons in town, I am now healthier than I have ever been and was able to fire up my bread oven and start baking again in November. 

All that it has grown into today, is a result of our neighborhood and friends sharing my bread with their families and friends with now over 100 customers that order from me regularly. 

At times it’s been difficult not to be in the hospital or helicopter where I was most comfortable for 20 years as a nurse, but for now, the option to stay home and spend time with my boys is everything I could ask for.

Despite it being a leap of faith, we are so grateful to be living in Forest Ridge and now sharing bread with everyone. Thank you to everyone in this neighborhood that has helped me build my dream microbakery in my dining room from just flour, water, and salt. I can’t wait to share many more baked goods with you all in the coming months. You have truly helped a mama find a much simpler way of life in this sometimes chaotic world. 

If you would like to be notified of sales, please go to www.hotplate.com/simplicitybreadco and sign up for text alerts. I will be doing at least 2 large porch pick up sales every month.

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