Salvaging the Meaningful from the Messy and Mundane
Last year our Christmas tree fell over - well, got knocked over, really - right after we had finished decorating it and were all sitting on the couch singing Christmas carols. Actually we weren't all sitting on the couch. The baby was exploring the white lights and colorful balls and strings of beads when she pulled just... Continue Reading →
After [only] three years... The biggest project I have ever attempted in my almost 11 years on Young Life staff is finally complete! Most of the writing I have done for YoungLives (Young Life's ministry for teen moms) so far has been directed at staff and volunteers. Building a YoungLives Ministry, Mentor Training, training videos,... Continue Reading →
"Here mom, you can have the rest of this. I've had enough." It still shocks me every time. Somehow my kids - in spite of their choco-holic mom - have learned to stop eating when they are full, and to give their excess to me or their dad. They even do this with ice cream. Unbelievable. I,... Continue Reading →
I am not good at "again." All those parts of mommyhood that demand repeated attention - oh wait, that's all of it - are hard for me. I get to check laundry and dishes off of my list one day, and then, just like that, there they are on my list again. And again. Every day,... Continue Reading →
My mind jumps. ALWAYS. It jumps from laundry to a 6-year old's question to a text message to Facebook to a baby crying to my job to vacuuming to church. In like a minute. And then back again. Especially when I am flipping through social media, I am not focused. My brain hops from friends I have known... Continue Reading →
When we first started considering foster care, my first concern was about our own kids. How they would handle having "outsiders" in our home... how we would handle taking care of that many kids... Now, having done a couple stints with respite, I don't know how we would do it without them!
I recently watched my daughter's middlish-aged ballet teacher (she isn't much older than me, so I really don't want to call her middle-aged... but how else you would describe us? We aren't exactly young'uns....) as she moved so gracefully across the dance floor to a worship song, performing for all of us parents and students in... Continue Reading →
"Mommy, I had an accident!!" Strip the 4-year old, put her clothes and the rug in the washing machine, and put the 4-year old in the bathtub. Get out the mop. While mopping up the "accident", decide to keep going and mop up some other nearby rooms. Check back on the 4-year old. Discover that... Continue Reading →
If you read my last post, then you may be a little peeved with me for leaving you hanging. Sorry about that. Well, not really. There's just so much to say that I couldn't imagine trying to fit it all into one readable post. Forgive me! So, without further ado, here is our latest invitation: to take foster... Continue Reading →
Walking through parking lots and grocery stores with kids in tow almost always elicits some comment from a stranger. "You've got your hands full!" (Uh... I guess? Thanks?) and "Are they twins?" (No... they are two years apart...) are the most common. But when I get the "Enjoy this time! It'll be gone before you... Continue Reading →
We just had a "nursery corner" in our bedroom when his big sister was born. We installed a ceiling track from IKEA around the crib so we could close it off with blackout curtains. Baby boy is lucky that he has his own bedroom (his sister slept in a corner of our bedroom until she was almost two... Continue Reading →
I'm generally pretty sure that I am behind the curve on technology... but just in case there are other busy moms out there who might find this helpful, below are some of my favorite free apps for iPhone/iPad (some of them may also be available on websites or as other types of apps). 1) Bible... Continue Reading →
According to statistics, I should probably be homeschooling my kids. Our family is blessed to be in the position to be able to choose whether or not to homeschool. We have a decent income, a two-parent family, a good educational background, and the time and energy to invest in homeschooling. A study by the HSLDA in... Continue Reading →
