We walked to St. Peter's Basilica. In 2015, Julia and Nate were invited to sing for Pope Francis on New Year's Day as a member of Pueri Cantores at St. Bernard's of Clairvaux in Scottsdale. Brian, Julia, Nate, his parents, my father, and my brother traveled to Rome....
I wasn't able to sleep on the plane. I've always been able to sleep on flights. Years ago, I traveled from Phoenix to Baltimore very often. I'd read a book for two hours and sleep for three hours. I'd arrive refreshed and ready to see everyone! This time, I'm not sure...
It can be awkward to talk about vacations. You don't want to be the annoying girl at the 7th grade table who shares another story, but at the same time, you want to share the joy and the process and the gratefulness that came from those moments. So, at the risk of...
I missed the birds. I love the desert so much, but I missed sitting on the back porch and hearing birds all the time. Spring brought a family of cardinals to the yard. They were so sweet and shy. They would wait for other birds to leave, then swoop in to eat while the...
Some say that Saints choose you. St. Dymphna, a saint I had never heard of, literally showed up in my home. I tripped over a prayer card on my bedroom floor. No one had been in our home. No one left it there for me to find. To this day, I do not know where the...
The day after Julia and Nate came home for Easter break, I asked who would be willing to take an adventure to see bluebonnets! Julia said 'yes' so of course Mary Alice and Sebastian wanted to come. I always feel like I'm inconveniencing everyone but then I'm always so...
It's easy to feel justified in our "correct-ness". We make excuses. Well, they cut me off in line. Well, they forgot to invite me. Well, they said something that hurt my feelings. But we are free. We are free to love without convincing people to love us back. We are...
Every year the kiddos have a choice for their birthday celebration. Would they like a birthday party with friends or a family adventure? Family adventures can be a nice dinner out, a movie, a road trip, or whatever they have their heart set on. This year, Sebastian...
Mary Alice opted for a party at home with her classmates. It was an hour and a half of giggles. Very, very loud giggles. She is into all things sharks and unicorns right now. If you give her long enough, she will tell you all about sharks and rays. She loves the ocean...
This sweetheart turned five last month. His heart is bigger than his smile. And he loves to tell me that he is on God's team. I'm not sure where he picked up that phrase, but I absolutely love it! Nate and his roommate were here for spring break and that made...
I want to remember how very loved Riley is. I want to remember that I sat in a room at his school with his educational team and listened to every person talk about how Riley soared the past two years. Riley advanced five reading levels this year. Five. His team has...
12 years seems to be a significant number throughout my life. There are 12 years between Nate and Mary Alice, when we were told having children was impossible. There are 12 years that called Arizona our home. And now, 12 years completes my photography business...
Painted nails (pink, pink, white, pink, pink), curled hair, and sparkly shoes. This sweet little lady stole our hearts again last night as she dressed up for her very first daddy daughter dance. I'm not sure how she became such a girly girl, but it is so much fun to...
Riley's 5th grade classroom has a pet gecko lizard. I've heard about Coco since day 1 - you can't be too loud (genius Mrs. Williams, genius!), you have to be gentle, and no sudden movements. Riley began to talk about bringing Coco home over a weekend. I wasn't exactly...
My sweet mama knows how to make memories. When she asked me what we would really love for Christmas, I was very open with her about just wanting experiences with her and dad. She knew that we loved the Phoenix Zoo Lights at Christmas, so she kicked it into high gear...
On Brian's side of the family, we've had the amazing gift of time with cousins the past four years. My mother-in-law and father-in-law have given us the gift of staying at the beach over the Christmas break. Watching the cousins play and grow and laugh together has...
Do you choose a word of the year? Since 2008, I’ve chosen a word to reflect on throughout the year. *The idea of a word of the year was first introduced to me by my dear friend Heather. Once upon a time, she had a lovely blog full of beautiful inspiration. I’m very...
The two Mary Alices. These two light up an entire room with their smiles. Thanksgiving was magical. All of my mother's siblings were at my grandmother's home. The food spread was incredible. In addition to the usual turkey, my cousin made a Greek spread of rack of...
"Some stories aren't yours to tell - even when you're a key player. Even when the story ends well... You will want to testify about the grace and the redemption that will get you to the other side of each dark day, but it's hard to describe without describing the pain...
The words used to come pouring out of me, onto paper, onto this space. But when you have a kiddo with emotions that fill up your days and your prayers and energy are spent praying for his peace and healing, your nights shift into taking care of what didn't get done...
Months ago, I found this dress on clearance. I thought it would be perfect for my girly-girl, but it hung in her closet for months and she wanted nothing to do with it. One night, she proudly announced that she was going to try it on. I ran to grab my camera and asked...