These stories have been shared with permission, in the hopes that our walk through these times may give someone hope to say the right thing, smile when you want to scream, and keep on loving. A few weeks ago, I returned from a weekend conference. I was tired and the...
Family
All Hallows Eve – 2016
I received gift cards from At Home to facilitate our annual All Hallows Eve party! It is my honor to share news with you from a company that I enjoy and support! #MyReason #AtHomeStores Well, another amazing year is in the books! We had such a great time at our annual...
Playing together
Riley and Mary Alice have reached the golden age. They play together! He makes her laugh, and then he feels like a million dollars because he is making her laugh. It is the most beautiful cycle to watch and I'm loving every minute. What an  amazing thing to be their...
It’s how you pour the punch
A few weeks ago, I attended a leadership rally for women's ministry. Jessica Neil, the minister to women, at Scottsdale Bible Church gave the most beautiful talk. Her words have rolled around in my head and have settled into my heart. She talked about pouring punch....
Mary Alice and the reluctant volunteer
Last week, Mary Alice was my helper while I took school pictures for my children's school. She was completely captivated by all the big kids. A dear friend entertained her while I told people to relax and smile. As much as I'd like to pat myself on the back for...
Adoption, Honesty, and the Learning Curve
There is a beautiful openness that happens in the adoption community. People talk about the hard things. People share the words said in the middle of the grief and the hurt. In so many worlds there is supposed to be a lovely scene with confetti and cupcakes and mint...
Granite choices and dark cabinets
So, I think I've picked out the granite for the kitchen. I now know more about movement and patterns that I ever have. It's like picking out fabric. Some people just have a knack at looking at fabrics and choosing what goes together beautifully. Others of us pray that...
The unintended kitchen remodel
This is how my kitchen looked until July 10th. Then, the drain pipe behind the dishwasher burst. Contaminated water in the cabinets to each side. Now, this is how my kitchen looks. Do you know how thankful I am for that temporary sink? So, so, so incredibly thankful....
Miss Mary Alice
Oh this sweetie pie. She is fiesty. It's probably my fault for naming her after her grandmother. She is sweet as apple crumble, but you better believe she has an opinion. She loves airplanes and birds. Both of my grandfathers were pilots, so it makes me wonder if they...
How to order Julia’s album…
Thank you so much for your kind messages and notes about the post yesterday. I don't know why it feels strange to share this detail - I guess we are feeling a little shy about it and wishing we could just give it away to everyone! The CD will be $15.00. It will be...