We had been squeezing our loud, messy, homeless family of five into my parents' modest four bedroom house for several months, and I hoped to God that my parents hadn't noticed the palpable tension between Michael and me; I'd neither spoken more than three words nor looked my husband straight in the ... Read More about 5 Powerful Marriage Habits for When You Feel Like You’re Just Roommates Taking Care of the Same Kids
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A mother is a sailor
I was lying on my couch recently, sort of stress-paralyzed. (Maybe you're familiar with that feeling?) And as I lay there, I felt like the laundry and the dishes and my lesson plans and my to-do list and my bickering children were sort of swirling around me, untamed, leaving me further behind by the ... Read More about A mother is a sailor
Five Spiritual Books that Changed My Life in 2019
This year was a year when God spoke deep healing and peace into my life. He reached me many times through books. It's funny how in some seasons, I can barely find time and energy to shower, let alone read a book! But then the seasons come when there's a little of God making the time and little me ... Read More about Five Spiritual Books that Changed My Life in 2019
Hey introverted moms, we didn’t get the short end of the stick
I always imagined that being an introvert was something I'd grow out of. As a kid, I always wished I were more fun and outgoing. In general, I was happier to curl up in my room with a good book or spend hours alone with my horse at the barn than go to a sleepover with my friends. However, in ... Read More about Hey introverted moms, we didn’t get the short end of the stick
A good day
I will not regret leaving the laundry and the dishes and the schoolwork undone on this beautiful, cool afternoon. I’ve lived here in the Deep South all my life, and these precious first few afternoons of breezy fall weather have filled me with a special joy ever since I was a little girl. This is no ... Read More about A good day
Some call it chaos…we call it family
So much of this motherhood gig seems to be learning to live from one now-THATS-what-I-dreamed-this-would-be-like Happily Ever Moment to the next, and not letting the incredibly messy, hard work in between make me forget them. So much of this life of mine seems to be about choosing thankfulness and ... Read More about Some call it chaos…we call it family
When I just want God to love me a latte
Everybody was in a bad mood. Five hangry children milled in and around my kitchen, bumping into each other occasionally, sparking fireworks of tears and bickering. We had been quarantined in the house for the past few days with a mild stomach bug that had been oh-so-slowly moving through our family. ... Read More about When I just want God to love me a latte
Hey grumpy stranger, thanks for being part of my village (and I actually mean it)
We were the last family in the parking lot after an afternoon activity recently, and I was struggling (by myself) to load up my five rambuctious and/or whiny and/or hungry children into our 12-passenger van. I rolled my double stroller to the back first, and decided to just let my wiggly ... Read More about Hey grumpy stranger, thanks for being part of my village (and I actually mean it)
5 Reasons Why I’m Teaching My Kids about the Lives of the Saints
Happy St. Patrick's Day, ya'll! The stars have aligned and I spontaneously carved out some time this afternoon to finish this post on the saints that's been in my drafts for a while. So...did you know that St. Patrick wasn't actually an Irishman? He was actually born in Britain, but was ... Read More about 5 Reasons Why I’m Teaching My Kids about the Lives of the Saints
Please Don’t Put a Cape on Me
I was at our neighborhood park one evening by myself last spring, with then four-month-old Aidan in a carrier on my chest and my older four children running (and swinging, and jumping) wild and free. While we were there, a beautiful young family pulled up with three children in tow, all under four, ... Read More about Please Don’t Put a Cape on Me