Female Fridays
“Mommy, why is there a man sleeping on our back deck?” asked my oldest daughter. “That’s actually a funny one!” I said, dismissing her as I unpacked the groceries. “No, seriously, there is a man on our back deck!” I looked out and there sat a very scary looking man, fast asleep in my deck chair. I immediately called 911, set the house alarm, and snapped a few pictures of him with my camera. Almost two weeks had gone by since my husband left on a military deployment. He is in the Reserves, so we were completely blind-sided by his [...]
Mommy Mondays
It came out of nowhere, slamming into me like a train. I stopped cold in my steps, tears stinging, chest frozen, just staring at my son. Running toward the swings, Jake tripped and fell and a normal day at the park yielded one of the most transforming, terrifying moments of my entire life. As he got to his feet, he turned back over his shoulder, sunlight filtering through his blonde hair, and shot me one of the most brilliant smiles I’ve ever seen. And that was it. The moment when I knew I would be an utterly wrecked and ruined [...]
Female Fridays
I am an over-committer. I say yes to everything. I say yes to anything. I say yes if it sounds fun. I say yes if it sounds boring. I say yes if I am bored. I say yes if my calendar is packed. I say yes if I think I am capable. I say yes if I think there is some shred of hope I could figure it out. And this week I hit my wall. I’ve hit my max. This morning while trying to get it all done, I had to swing back by our house to pick up something [...]
Mommy Mondays
I can’t even count the number of books I’ve read since becoming a parent. My night stand used to be filled with books that challenged my soul and mind. Now they range from breastfeeding to discipline to yes, even, potty time. But there is one thing I’ve learned that books can’t tell me: Only Chris and I will know how best to raise our kids. I don’t say that to sound prideful or conceited. I certainly don’t say it because we are experts in all things parenting (or even a few things). But I have been convicted that at some [...]
Thirsty Thursdays
I awoke in the darkness and knew right away something was very wrong. It was cold. So cold. I turned to check the time and could see my breath in the glow of the alarm clock. I made my way downstairs as the temperature dropped with each descending step. My head was pounding and my thoughts were fuzzy. Was it the cold? The early morning? “Mom, what happened? Why is it freezing?” I asked, painfully squinting in the light. “The pilot light blew out…again. Last night’s storm was awful,” she sighed heavily, “and Richard can’t come and relight it. He’s [...]
Thirsty Thursdays
One hot, summer night at an amusement park, I heard the words I’ve been dreading. “Mom, I want to ride that roller coaster, and I’m tall enough now.” My anxiety set in. What if she is traumatized? What if the seatbelt doesn’t fasten correctly? My mind was spinning out of control. Even though
