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3 Tips on how to read your Bible when you have young children
Before I had children there were certain rhythms in my life that came easily. I had a job that required occasional long hours and frequent travel, but for the most part alone time was available whenever I wanted, to do as I pleased. Even with the demands of a job, being a wife, and keeping our home in order, reading and studying my Bible on a daily basis was attainable. With motherhood a lot of things changed and reading my Bible was one of them. I wasn’t guaranteed any moments of quiet, and I was often too tired to use any quiet time that I did have for Bible…
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What to believe when you feel like there’s nothing left to give
We didn’t register for a lot of fancy things when we got married. I picked out a china pattern and some flatware, but we didn’t place crystal, silver pieces, or cut glass on our registry. However, I married a man from the South and one of the sweet ladies from the church where he grew up gave us a beautiful pitcher. It was lovely, but what was most significant about this gift was the note included on the package. She wrote to us explaining how this pitcher represented what she prayed for our family. It was her hope that we would invite people into our home and show love, acceptance, welcome…
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When your soul feels dry and empty
I used to picture deserts as endless rolling hills of sand. Hot, dry, the blazing sun, no people or cities in sight, maybe a camel or two ambling along. My visions had been shaped by movies, I’m sure, and there was an almost romantic feeling to it. Then I moved to the Middle East and experienced the desert. Yes, those romanticized parts do exist; the sand is red and goes on forever, the nighttime sky is brilliant with stars that are unhindered by any kind of man-made light, and it truly is as beautiful as I had imagined. But there is also a desert that looks like this. Cracked, dried…
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3 Ways Ramona Quimby Helped me to Be a Better Mom
Being a Mom is one of life’s greatest joys and struggles. I love my children, and yet they drive me crazy. I want to do fun things with them, but I’m often just too exhausted to put forth the effort. The bottom line? I want to be a great Mom. But it’s really hard. The girls and I recently read through most of the Ramona books, by Beverly Clearly. It was so fun, and as I read through them, light bulbs kept going off in my head. Ramona’s character is mischievous, outspoken, and quite frankly bad. But what I love about Ramona is the way she expresses her thoughts and emotions.…
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My Approach to Summer
As I think about summer I’ve found myself realizing that I identify with Olaf. You know, the snowman from Frozen. He sings about Summer as being his favorite thing, although he’s never experienced it. And so the other characters in the movie know that if he was ever to get a taste of summer, he’d be sorely disappointed: he, of course, would melt. In some ways summer as a Mom with children at home all day is much like this. The idea of summer is wonderful: rest, reading, enjoying the beach, lazy days. The reality of summer is that the extra space can birth craziness. The constant challenge of meeting…
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Dear Mason // A Letter to my Son on World Down Syndrome Day
Dear Mason, From the moment I first laid eyes on you my heart was overwhelmed with joy. I remember thinking over and over in my hospital bed the night you were born, We have a son! Daddy had gone home to sleep, to be with the older girls, and I was alone with my thoughts. The nurses took extra good care of us that night. I had lost a lot of blood and was too weak to get out of bed, so they washed me and took you to the nursery so I could get some sleep. I woke up the next morning eager to hold you and…
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Goals in Review: January and February
This year I’m trying to weave goal setting into my daily, weekly, and monthly routine. In college I was a planner. Always mapping out my semesters by which assignments were due when, and making sure that I paced myself throughout the semester for each course. I worked for three years before having children and even with my job I enjoyed having a systematic approach to my projects and deadlines. Somehow having children seemed to erase my ability to plan anything beyond a grocery list and weekly menu. I have always purchased daily planners, but after a few weeks of writing in them, they usually sit in my purse untouched. Yes,…
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Hello, Thirty Four
Yesterday was my birthday. It was fun in a number of ways. Bradley brought me coffee in bed AND got breakfast ready for the whole family. The kids helped him wrap my gifts and it was so fun to watch their excitement over celebrating Mommy. The ladies in my community group took me out for a much-needed girl time lunch. We ended the day with having some friends over for a fish taco dinner. It was truly a great birthday. For some reason, though, turning 34 has been hard. 30 wasn’t really a big deal for me; that just felt like another year. But THIRTY FOUR. I’m officially in…
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Cooper’s Birth Story
I love looking back and remembering the births of each of our children. Each one is unique and special. Writing about it here is more for my sake than anyone else’s, but in case you would like to know how Cooper entered the world, here you go! December 7, 2015: I had an OB appointment scheduled for Monday morning, the day after my due date. All week I had prayed that we wouldn’t make it that long without a baby, but there we were sitting in the Doctor’s office waiting to see if they would decide to induce me or send me home. Bradley had worn his birthing shirt…
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Life with 5 looks like this
The top question we get asked these days is “So, what is life like with FIVE?” I don’t always know how to answer because it’s complex. It’s wonderful and it’s awful. I love it and some days I just want to crawl into bed and hide from everyone. Bradley keeps saying, “We did this to ourselves.” Yes, yes, we did. For those who have asked and maybe didn’t get a full response and for those who are just curious, here’s what life with five is like right now: It’s messes in almost every room of the house. It’s diapers, boxes and boxes of diapers. Hello, subscription for diapers and…
