As we walked home after seeing the precious relics, we sat at a cafe and talked about what we wanted to do the next day. I told Brian that I was truly happy with everything we had seen. Every place that was on our 'must see' list, we had made it to! I told him we...
Our Sunday in Rome. By now, I was beginning to get used to walking miles each day. We decided on Saint Mary Major Basilica for an early Mass to avoid walking in the heat. Before I go any further in our story, I have to tell you about Mountain Butorac. He owns the...
Saint Paul Outside the Walls Seeing St. Paul Outside the Walls was something I'd been looking forward to for years. When my father returned from Rome with Julia, Brian, and Nate, this was the place he spoke of over and over. Seeing the chains of St. Paul in person...
I kept a journal while we were in Rome. My intention was to write in the journal every night. I wanted to capture the little details of each day. When I looked at Day 3, I just laughed. There was no details, just three lines of text: Vatican Museum Sistine Chapel...
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...