A Coat of Arms

During a recent visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival, our boys set their hearts on shields. These weren’t the high-dollar shields gilded and adorned and safely on display in one of the many weapon shops at the festival. They were the high-dollar cutouts of pine, void of decoration and character. I placated our 8-year-old son, saying I would make him a shield at home. I knew I could easily make a simple shield to match the one he had set eyes on at the festival.  My heart, however, was set on making something grander. In the days that followed I Continue Reading …

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

We live easy lives now—fast lives that demand as much of us as we expect of them. We can drive in one hour what it took six for us to travel on that train. I am so thankful for the access we have to the technology of this day, but want also to appreciate that it hasn’t always been, and doesn’t have to be, like it is today. Continue Reading …

Play All Day

Recently, my children have each insisted to me, passionately and frequently, that I do not play with them enough. They’ve actually said, “you NEVER play with me,” which I’m sure isn’t true, but their general protestations aren’t completely unfounded. I do let the busyness of my days carry me away. Faced with an opportunity to wrest some cleanliness and order into our home or sit and play a game, I most often choose cleanliness and order. But I do listen to our precious ones, and I have planned fun and play on this trip!! When we pulled into our first Continue Reading …

Disconnected Reconnection

When we bought our lake condo, we decided not to install TVs there. Until Julianna was 4 we didn’t have one at home, and there are ways in which we miss the absence of one (though we are thankful for the distractive quality of it, and for Blippi of course 😉), so it followed to forsake the TV in our getaway place. The first few stayovers, the kids would get bored and ask for a show, and we would shrug and suggest an activity, to their many protestations. This Christmas week was the first time they didn’t ask. (Oh, what Continue Reading …

Sankta Lucia

Luciakrona, Starboy hat, pepparkakor, and Dala Horse gummies (just for fun) are ready for our early risers. This year, Julianna and Elijah have set an alarm so they can bring Mommy and Daddy treats in bed to celebrate Sankta Lucia day tomorrow. Next year maybe we’ll make Lussekatter to add to the tradition, but this is a good start!

Climb On!

Seeing these kiddos climb to the top amazes me! They struggle, question their journey (“Is this high enough? Can I come down now?”), stand still for a while on the way up with legs SHAKING from exertion…but they continue on. I think I love this so much for them because it is life. This is me, every day. I want to rise, but I get stuck along the way. Don’t we all? And still, we rise through the struggles, all in our own time.

Summer Reflection

Last night I was so incredibly tired, not from lack of sleep (Tim owns that sort of tired), but from a summer of activity and moderating and mediating, that I sat down in bed right after we got the kids to sleep and didn’t get up again. This morning, when I went downstairs to get breakfast started, I was greeted with yesterday’s mail, including the memory book from our RV trip in June, and it is Beautiful!!! It brought back all the feelings: the quiet, the excitement, the joy, the satisfaction, and the wonder of that time. As the moments Continue Reading …

You can do it all by yourself.

I am so impressed with this little girl (all the time)!! She has been asking to make banana bread from a recipe she found in The Little Big Book for Moms, and today she did it! This is a failing of mine, but when my kids have previously asked to help in the kitchen, I have said no. Cooking isn’t my strength, so I struggle even more managing little hands and feet in the space. Today, I said, “Yes, you can do it all by yourself. Let me know if you need help.” And she did it all by herself! Continue Reading …

Christmastime is here…

To give credit to our sweet Julianna, she is now sleeping in 3 hour blocks at night. We couldn’t resist, however, and captured Julianna in one of her finer moments. This shot was taken Christmas Eve. The shirt reads “All mommy wants for Christmas is a silent night.”