Alarm sounds. Roll to the left. Grab phone. Turn off the alarm. And.... Scroll. This had become my morning routine. Slowly, I had stopped getting out of bed, waking my children, and making breakfast. As they got older, their independence was a gift to my free time. I...
My dear Kelly, Your birthday card is sitting on the table in the entryway; a pale pink envelope waiting to be mailed. (2018 - Kelly and her beautiful mama). You turned 60 and celebrated in Santa Barbara with friends and family. I decided to wait to mail it until you...
This weekend mom and dad drove up to celebrate her birthday! We had such a wonderful time and it was altogether too short. If I had been more organized, I would have asked my dear friend, Leslie, to plan the tea, but the date crept up on me. My mom collects tea cups....
My garden is a ragamuffin group this year. When Riley came home for a visit this spring, he helped me plan the raised beds and he suggested making homemake pickles. I yelled "brilliant!" and we piled in the van to the local tractor supply for seeds. While Riley was in...
How are you?! No really. Summer has a tendency to bring out the extremes - hungry, tired, hot, impatient... If I'm not careful, I can be swept from one emotion to another and live the day in a constant state of damage control. The schedule has helped so much. It has...
A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a dear friend. We were talking about summer and she shared that she had created a daily schedule. "This is brilliant!", I thought and lamented that I wasn't more organized. I asked her if she would be open to sharing it with me...
*Riley has given me permission to share part of his testimony.* Sometimes the most beautiful stories begin at the end. I sat in a church service in Montana last Sunday. Just a few minutes earlier, I had surprised Riley in person to tell him that he had graduated from...
Our creative, sweet, spunky, empathetic Mary Alice turned 10 in April. In true Mary Alice style, she chose a birthday party at a park and wanted everyone invited. Yes, the entire 4th grade class. We had cupcakes and water and played two loud and glorious hours at one...
My dearest Sebastian, you turned eight in March. What a huge year for you! As a 2nd grader you received your First Communion and you won your first pinewood derby for your age group. John Paul and dad helped you build and design the car and we all cheered with happy...
An easy, Easter trifle - Let your kiddos present Easter dessert this year! The cutest, easiest trifle you ever did see! Â Years ago, when we lived in Scottsdale, we made an Easter trifle for dessert. I had seen the chocolate carrots at World Market and thought this...