Today I’m…
…drinking Buzz-Free 365 Organic Decaf with frothed unsweetened almond milk. I’m hoping I don’t regret my decision to be buzz-free today, when we’re already down an hour, and a parent. …missing Chris who is returning from a four-day business trip. I’m hoping he’s missing me too, because if he is, that means I’m doing something right in this whole really loving someone well thing. …savoring the girls playing together like dear... Read More
Postcard from the Peas: Disneyland
We are home from our whirlwind vacation to Disneyland. I am so happy and so exhausted. But I’m also excited to share a few iPhone photos from our trip and a few observations. Lower your safety harnesses and hold onto your hats and glasses! (Disclaimer: no expectant mothers, individuals with heart conditions or children under 42 inches should read this post.) Facts: Four days of walking overtakes age appropriateness when it... Read More
Holding Onto The Promise
It’s been a rough few days. Of course, national tragedies are always difficult to deal with, but they’ve all seemed so far away. But what happened on Friday while somewhat ironically I met with my Moms in Prayer group—a group of friends from my girls’ grade school dedicated to covering our children, our teachers and our staff in His protection—the tragedy that was unfolding while we gathered, it has rocked me to my core. Because... Read More
Follow The Star
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 I am a planner. A color-coded-calendar, checklist-on-the-white-board, multiple-alarms-set-for-ungodly-hours, scheduled-it-two-weeks-ago-and-set-a-reminder planner. It goes without saying that the next few weeks leading up to Christmas are meticulously planned so things go off without a hitch. Tonight, our plans got hitched. Tonight,... Read More
Advent: Days One and Two
I can’t think of words that are beautiful enough. Words that are thankful enough. Words that, on their tippiest of toes and with outstretched arms, even start to touch a single branch of the joy I feel in this Advent season. Days One and Two were a precious beginning to preparing our hearts for the celebration of our Savior’s birth: Our church’s Advent Night, complete with Gigi’s reading of the meaning of the Christ candle in the Advent... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Alley Cats
I’m a big fan of new traditions. Oh, we had the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, we’re having it for the third time tonight. Can I pack stuffing and mashed potatoes in a lunchbox? Watch me. But I think my favorite new Thanksgiving tradition is going to be where we spend our Black Friday. You can keep your crowded malls and packed stores. I get itchy just thinking about them. No, from now on, come the day after Thanksgiving... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Sweet Gifts
It’s been nearly three weeks. Three weeks since that beautiful night that we traipsed around at dusk, pretending to be superheroes, cheerleaders, cowboys and Egyptian queens. Giggling and running down the street, plastic jack o’ lanterns, Target bags and Yoda robes flapping in the wind as we raced to be the one to press the next doorbell. To hold out our hands for all the sweet gifts we could carry. It’s been nearly three... Read More
Sunday Snapshot: A Letter From the Tooth Fairy
We’ve got the day off of school tomorrow. And thanks to her father’s jaw line, Gigi’s got her first round of dental extractions in the morning. We’ve got popsicles. We’ve got new dryer sheets and blankets at the ready. We’ve seemingly got every computer-animated movie produced in the last five years. (I might have to hide Madagascar 3. There’s only so much “Circus Afro” a girl can take.) Luckily, Gigi also has something even... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Warm, Heavenly Blankets
I don’t know what made me think of it. Maybe it was Lulu shivering from the bath, her stringy wet hair soaking into the shirt of her fuzzy pink hippo pajamas. Maybe it was Gigi in her long underwear from last winter, her having grown so big that the ankles of the snug bottoms were hitting her mid-calf. Maybe it was the memory of bringing them both into this world. Holding them close. Loving them recklessly from their damp heads to their tiny,... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Worth It
Halloween was never my favorite. There were a lot of things not to like. Wet, muddy clothes from the Pumpkin Patch. Wet, slimy pumpkin guts on little hands and clean kitchen surfaces. Wet, freezing, shivering me from trick-or-treating. Candy negotiations. Wrapper hiding. (Guilty as charged.) Even this year, so much of it is kind of yucky. But somehow, I’m enjoying so much. The post pumpkin picking muddy puddle stomping. The post pumpkin... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Fearless
We are no strangers to dentists around these parts. Between beach-towel-over-the-head run-ins with fences, teeth-first collisions with little boys’ heads in P.E. and husbands for whom a simple sandwich bite is more difficult than the New York Times’ crossword puzzle, we’ve spent a good chunk of 2012 in the chair. And 2013 is shaping up to look like more of the same. Go ahead and splurge on that new car, Dr. Marc. We’ve got you... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Moments of Influence
If ever a day of rest was needed, it’s today. Like our weekend, I’m full of moments. Joyful moments spent reuniting with dear friends (like Jenna and Polly), filled with priceless and effortless conversations that could only be better if they happened more frequently. Joyful moments with inspiring women (like Jessie, Rachael, Kacia, Cassie, Ashley and so many more) who figuratively and literally hug you like they’ve known you your whole life. ... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Every Day
It’s not every day you find a little person at your bedside, asking in a kind and quiet voice if they can please crawl in and snuggle. It’s not every day a tiny head shares your pillow and smiles at your sleepy face, close enough to smell baby shampoo and see last night’s toothpaste crusted up in the corners of their mouth. It’s not every day you crawl from the sheets and see the orange, fiery sun just breaking into a crystal blue sky. It’s... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Make Room for Joy
That was one busy weekend. I thought I had my favorite moment of the weekend pegged. We had a wedding to attend yesterday as a family. One daughter was watching intently to make sure she knew exactly when to turn away to avoid witnessing lip-to-lip contact. One daughter was wiggly, thirsty, bored and did I mention wiggly? She tuned in to the pastor, however, when he said, “In marriage, one plus one equals one.” To which Wiggly Pete piped... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: The Great Rescue
A Great Rescue is underway. Yesterday, we helped out with the car wash to raise money for Heath’s adoption. Now that all the tallies are coming in from “Heath Day” (including our car wash’s $849.00!), we’re discovering he is getting so very close to having his adoption be fully funded. It is, in a word, miraculous. The miracle isn’t just in the number of complete strangers that came by and left generous donations yesterday,... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: God Sightings
I live for God sightings. I’m not talking about seeing the face of God on a tortilla or a grilled cheese sandwich, though I’m not doubting that would be awesome (and delicious). I’m talking about moments when you know, without question, that God is showing Himself to you to give you a message, some direction or reassurance. He can use the words of others, He can use seemingly miniscule events or He can just hit you over the head. Literally. They... Read More
Snapshot Sunday: Success
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” - Francis Chan May your weekend be full of failure in all the things that don’t matter at all, and full of success in all the things that truly do. ************* Snapshot Sundays are my attempt to recapture Sundays as a day of rest. Feel free to participate (read more here)…or just rest. Read More
Snapshot Sunday: From Night to Day
Happy Sunday, friends. Usually I post a recipe on Sunday nights, but unfortunately that means that my Sunday days are spent in the kitchen and on the computer, and aren’t spent riding bikes, drawing on sidewalks with chalk or painting the pears on our trees blue. Don’t ask. So in attempt to recapture my Sundays as a day of rest (and preventing more drive-by fruit graffiti), I’m going to start posting Snapshot Sundays! And if you... Read More
