Finding Joy on the Journey in Faith, Family, and all Things in Between.
My kids ran everywhere. Racing the shoreline and dipping their toes in the shallow pools that collected when the tide went out. Sun, hot and foreign to the Oregon coast danced on my bare shoulders. Our coast is a fickle mistress, quick to turn frigid in wind and wave. So when she beckoned at 80 degrees with full sun I scoured the internet for a rental house and last-minute deals. We packed for … [Read more...]
My foot always landed with part of my heel over the line or my toe inching into the next box. I blame the fact that my feet outgrew my body and while I jumped and landed solidly, my sturdy little frame balancing in the boxes, I always seemed to be not quite in the right spot when my feet touched the ground. We'd dump the carton of chalk, always white never the rainbow hues, and scratch out our … [Read more...]
It's day 13 since I met my goal for my Dress for Change Project and as promised, I'm doing my first ever dress for the day link up. It's an interesting social experiment. My daily routine now includes picking out clothes, putting on makeup, and fixing my hair before we start school, run errands, or make breakfast. I guess pretty much what normal people do. I've been blown away by … [Read more...]
I didn't jump on the meal train. Every time I opened my email that subject line nagged at me. She had recently given birth. No family close by. Certainly she was worthy of a casserole or at least a big pot of spaghetti. I know how much a warm dish on a night when you have nothing left can comfort a tired soul. Finally, the guilt that I wasn't being a good servant and neighbor overwhelmed … [Read more...]
I closed the door behind me and melted to the floor, my back against the wall. I pulled my knees into my chest and sobbed, my cries rising in sync with the furious wails of my baby. I didn't know what else to do. I had thrown up all morning, my throat raw and burning even as I cried. I couldn't do this anymore. How did anyone do this? I couldn't even handle the baby I already had and a … [Read more...]
She sits crisscrossed on the bed next to me. Tears have trailed down, dampening my pajama top, and it's her tiny hands with the chipped sparkly polish that push back my greasy hair and grasp at my cheeks. She turns my head to face her, still clutching softly with her fingers. "I'm sorry you're hurting so much, mommy." And my heart breaks anew. Tears keep flowing and I murmur thanks for her … [Read more...]
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I clicked instantly with Megan's superwatt smile and Laura's warm and genuine conversation. We met at my first blogging conference, Blissdom. The conversation trailed into the new book they were co-authoring and I knew it was going to be great, not just because of their gorgeous hearts, although that's evident in the pages, but also in the fact that they could have been telling my exact … [Read more...]
I've gotten better at saying no to obligations or requests that don't work for our family or my schedule. I'm less inclined in my thirties to worry about people pleasing in general, and am able to set more realistic boundaries concerning things I am willing to commit my time and energy to. But with my kids, sometimes my yes is yes and my no is no. But often my yes, is maybe, or let me think … [Read more...]
I can hear the soft rustle of her feet as she pads sleepily down the hall. I see tiny hands with chipped pink polish, lifting the blankets edge and then the softest wisp of a breathe on the side of my cheek as she nestles into the curve of my arm and settles where my heart beats. She is so beautiful to me. Her soft hair flowing over the pillow. He pulls up on the bed, grasping with tiny … [Read more...]
Write for 5 minutes flat-no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. Her coughing vibrates through the walls. I wake, wondering if she’s going to come in and climb into our bed, again. I am weary worn from all this sickness. We’ve been hit hard this season with fevered foreheads, runny noses, aching tummies. And even more than the bodies that are drained, my spirit is tired. This … [Read more...]
Some of the first advice I received years ago as a first time mom was "pick your battles." Being a first time mom, I was determined to do an amazing job. I read the parenting books. I got this, I thought. I watched the temper tantrums that occurred in grocery checkouts over skittles and lollipops and vowed that my child would be well-disciplined, respectful, and obedient. I couldn't … [Read more...]
Often, I forget the purpose of educating my children. I lose perspective and see it as a daunting task filled with chapters to be read, reports to write, phonics to sound out, number charts to memorize. I get caught up in the mundane. The teaching of ordinary stuff. I am drowning under waves of lesson plans, memorization, and the constant need to prod my children along in their learning. … [Read more...]
I have tried in vain for years to prioritize my life. I pursue interests and ideals with an almost manic passion. But like any mania, the fall from the mounting anticipation and excitement is almost always depression, exhaustion, and the cry of the perpetually overwhelmed. It all seems worthy of my attention and energy. I am an eager volunteer joining ranks with all the other overcommitted moms … [Read more...]
I'm idealistic. I am inspired. Unfortunately, I am NOT a good multi-tasker. I can do one thing well. What thing is that, you might ask? It's whatever I am most focused on at the time. I can home school my children and teach them in ways that make their little minds open and swell and burst with information and excitement over things learnt and tried. I can disciple them and bury God's … [Read more...]
I'm a sprinter. Being that I lack coordination and fall down while standing still, other sports were pretty much out of the question. Run real fast in that direction. Ok, I can do that. Run and kick, shoot, dribble or catch something... not so much. So, I ran the 25 and 50 yd dash. That's it. No hurdles, no batons, no distance, and I was good at it. Really good. When my coach decided it … [Read more...]
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