I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I LOVE the season of summer, especially in Oregon. Fresh blueberries, warm (not hot) evenings with outdoor meals, gorgeous sunny days with green everywhere you look. I also love not having to worry about homework battles or making lunches every day. But I also dread summer break. My […]
I wrote this post several years ago, and stumbled on it recently. The ages of the players (namely: me and my offspring) have changed, but not much else. I’m still a sinner raising sinners, and we all have really rough days. I hope this still resonates with you as it does me. **** That picture […]
Something bizarre happened to me the other day: I had a calm and kind conversation with someone who doesn’t necessarily agree with me about Covid vaccines. I KNOW! It was refreshing and noteworthy. For many reasons, our family has chosen to take advantage of the Covid vaccines available, both for Trent and me and for […]
I have three kids, and only two of them grew in my tummy. Our youngest son, Asher, was born in Thailand and joined our family through adoption when he was 22 months old. Our adoption journey has been amazing, challenging, beautiful and heartbreaking. It is a big part of our family’s story, and yet most […]
(I originally wrote this a few years ago when I had someone in poopy diapers but the sentiment still fits.) This weekend Trent and I were able to join over 1,000 adoptive and foster parents at the Refresh conference near Seattle. It was a great weekend, spending time together with no kids and connecting with […]
When I was in a high school, I was big time into “Youth Group.” That’s what we called church for teenagers back then. Partly because it was expected by my parents and partly because I actually liked it, I attended every Sunday morning worship service, every retreat, every camp. It was my jam for most […]
I haven’t done a book review for Friday Favorites since last fall, and I’ve got a GOOD one! I’ve been writing the review up in my head since the first few pages, and I devoured the rest of the book in just a few sittings. I like it so much that I’m giving away a copy! […]
Is it just me? Do you have certain problems in your life, and in the daytime they are bothersome, but at night they are LIFE SHATTERING? I have such insomnia due to over-thinking that I have certainly lost weeks worth of sleep. Usually I fall asleep just fine, but if I am awoken for any reason (usually […]
If you didn’t read part 1, check it out here. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about the comments people shared with me and why so many people that don’t usually respond took the time to jot something down. I have a lot of thoughts, but they don’t necessarily come in an orderly fashion. […]
Last night I put a pic up on instagram and facebook after dinner sometime, and when I woke up in the morning, the picture had over 200 likes and 50 comments on the sites. To some bloggers, that’s nothing, but it’s more responses than I usually get for a simple instagram photo. Today I’ve been thinking about […]