A good portion of my marriage I have been physically unwell. Between surgery, difficult pregnancies, challenging postpartum recoveries, and my bought with c. diff, Andrew has pulled a lot of weight taking care of us. During many of these periods I spend a lot of time apologizing and feeling guilty for not matching Andrew’s work…
Thoughts
Achieving Inbox Zero
My relationship with email has changed dramatically over time. In middle and high school getting an email was as exciting as a letter in the mailbox. In college I had it open almost constantly, answering emails as they came in. I only deleted junk mail, leaving everything else in the inbox so I could find…
How Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf), Charlotte Mason, and Essentialism are Shaping My Role as a Mom
I struggle with the open-endedness of motherhood. Diaper changes, feeding, cleaning, and sleep take up a good portion of the day. But there are at least six unstructured hours of time to fill. I often default to just sitting on the floor with the kids. My mind is wandering or stressing about what I want/need/should…
A Fixing Day and Our Winter Routines
The transition to winter has been tough for us. During Spring, Summer, and Fall we fell into an easy rhythm of being outside with friends during the majority of waking our hours. We tried to continue our schedule as the temperature dipped into the 20s. Emily doesn’t seem to mind the cold above single digits,…
“If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God”
We have been watching #LIGHTtheWORLD videos each morning followed by a bible video. Emily’s absolute favorite video is Lazarus being raised from the dead. My first impressions were on how Jesus knew how to meet each individual’s needs. With Martha he listened to her testimony and taught her a little more about the resurrection. With…
A Season to Organize
When I was watching the Mom Conference in October I came across a free webinar on the Power of Moms all about organization. The tagline read, “Are you ready to tame your task list and get things done in a stress-free and efficient way WHILE prioritizing motherhood?”. YES YES YES! I dedicated 50 minutes of…
Update on Becoming: Present, Simple, Inspired, Intentional
Last April I mentioned four words that are providing focus for who I want to become. This journey of seven months has already taken surprising twists and turns. Here’s a benchmark of where I started, where I’m walking, and where I’m heading. These ideas of living a present, simple, inspired, and intentional life not…
A Season for Running
In March, Phoebe and I began running three times a week pushing our two kids in the stroller. My pelvis was still sore and my muscles weak from the months of recovery of c. diff and a physically difficult pregnancy. We walked every hill and took frequent breaks while I built up some strength and…
From Minimalism to Lifegiving and A Fall Dinner Celebration
Growing up I always had this conviction that I didn’t want a lot of stuff. We moved a lot and I viewed my things as a burden to pack and unpack, yet each item was filled with sentiment. After my freshman year in college I decided it was time to lighten my load, so I…
A Little Bit of Everything
I vaguely remember Emily wanting to take a picture and Andrew helping her, but I was surprised to find a picture of me on the camera. It has been a long time since I sat down to write a blog post. I’ve done a mediocre job at keeping with with major things, and that’s about…