9.13.14 Iowa…you make me smile.

We spent a considerable amount of time in Iowa this Summer.  I’m quite certain that it is the most consecutive days I have spent in Iowa since my time living there…which I have affectionately termed The Cold War. A.  It was cold. B.  I was at war.  Internally.  During that short phase of life…I had […]

8.28.14 Farmhouse Kitchen

Today was the fourth day of school and the kids are home and are doing well.  The first day of school and all of it’s pressure has come and gone…and I have permission (from myself) to sit back and relax into the rest of the year.  Perfectionists, like myself, will understand.  The first day of […]

8.25.14 Back

I took the Summer off.  From so many things.  I just took off. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before…not that I recall, anyway.  I’m not a runner.  I never have been.  And I don’t mean “runner” like…fitness runner.  I mean… “there-are-too-many-things-that-are-hurting-my-heart-so-I’m-getting-the-heck-out-of-dodge” running. The past year has been the hardest of my life.  And […]

6.12.14 Recitals and an Ending

The girl wore my old tap shoes.  There’s something about this that makes me very happy.  Those were my actual tap shoes.  That I wore.  When I hated dance.  When I was 4. And she loved that she was wearing them.  And I loved that she was wearing them. I also think that I might […]

5.14.14 Dear Aiden

Dear Aiden, This year…your birthday came on the heels of a great sadness.  You…along with the rest of us…had to say goodbye to Claire.  Claire was so special to us all.  She was your little sister’s best friend.  And she was like a little sister to you too.  She loved you so much, sweetheart.  And […]

5.2.14 For my friend tonight…

For my friend tonight… God, I know you are there.  I know you have not turned your back to the cries of your children.  I can’t pretend to know the depth of your emotion when you see them hurting…us hurting…but I know it must hurt you too.  And when I see my own children in […]

4.24.14 Changing Focus

Forrest Gump has been on T.V. an alarming number of nights in a row.  I recorded it on our DVR because it’s a movie that Chase has been wanting to see.  Couple Elvis Presley music and Tom Hanks playing the lead and you’ve got yourself a little piece of movie Heaven in the eyes of […]

4.15.14 Tiny Dancer

Even though Ballet was never my thing…didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be hers.  However…it wasn’t.  Ever since week 2…she’s been saying she didn’t like it. “Ow want to go back to gyn-natics.” I feel ya.  I did too.  But…we are ones to finish what we start.  We are also ones to give something a chance.  […]

4.8.14 Whatever is Lovely…

There are some nights when Annslee crawls into my bed at bedtime instead of hers.  On this particular night…I crawled in next to her.  She started talking…because…let’s face it…if she’s awake, she is talking. She lifted my left arm and saddled up into the crook of my shoulder, my chin resting on her head…in that […]

3.29.14 heartache and happiness

I’ve been thinking a lot about this life on Earth…and how we are conditioned to do everything we can to avoid pain.  We think that we should not have to hurt.  We spend all kinds of time learning how to build walls around our hearts to protect them from pain.  This morning…Chad and I looked […]

SPONSORS