Misty Rice takes great care in all things.

She tells me, earnestly. 

"Usually it's within our community; providing backpacks for children, donating school supplies. Sometimes we're volunteering at an animal shelter or rescuing wildlife. I keep an animal rescue kit in my trunk at all times." It's another sunny day in Parkland, Florida; with clouds so perfect you'd swear they were painted onto the sky.

This is the place Misty calls home. The community she is committed to caring for.

Misty calls herself a servant at heart. She grew up with an appreciation for acts of service by looking to her parents, who were active in their community. She now exemplifies that same spirit for her two children to follow.

But altruism isn't the only way the family stays active. The crew is always on the go; there's hockey and lacrosse, and volleyball and baseball. There are trips to the beach and Misty's newest love, pickleball.

Such a full life means an equally full trunk and the need for space. Enter the other member of Misty's party: the Discovery.

Misty explains that even an empty Discovery is useful, remembering the time a thunderstorm interrupted a family trip. The sight of nieces, nephews and grandparents, as well as Misty's own children, waiting out the storm in the back of the vehicle is one she'll never forget.

While Misty recounts this memory, she drives us to a nearby preserve. "Being so close to the Everglades, anywhere you look, you're going to see some sort of wildlife." Almost on cue, she points out a tortoise. "I tend to have an eye that's always on the lookout. I've rescued raccoons, baby possums, many, many turtles." She smiles and adds, "They can be pretty feisty."

We turn down a long, gravel-covered road leading to the preserve where a spectacular, almost otherworldly landscape stretches out before us. Misty points out a heron perched in the distance and mentions we may be lucky enough to see an alligator. The stillness of the coast reminds her of some of the most valued moments with her family. 

"I have many cherished memories of driving out to watch the sunset with my kids and my dog. Just quiet moments when we'd roll down the windows and let the breeze blow through our hair. Letting our hearts and minds wind down."

Now that her children are getting old enough to drive themselves, with one even heading off to college, these sunset drives have become rare. The prospect of a soon-to-be empty nest is bittersweet for Misty, but she's eager to find out what the future holds.