Luke is 8 today. And with that sentence comes all the feels. If you've been hanging around here for any amount of time, you know that he's our miracle preemie, with a serious backstory. He's getting older, though. His story is becoming less mine, and more his. That's another blog post for another day. Today? Well, we celebrate all the awesome that is Luke. This year's birthday letter, comin' at ya. Dear Luke, You are one cool kid. Not cute, as you remind me daily, but cool. You started second grade this fall and you're *pretty* excited to have your own desk, enjoy art as one of your specials and spike up your hair every morning. I'm seeing a budding comedian in you. Perhaps it's because you want everyone to see you, not your small stature, but you. If I could take away all the terrible horrible you had to endure as an infant and replace it with smooth sailing, I would. But I can't. So rather than lament about all that crazy, I hope you continue to see and know the miracle you really are. And if it comes in the form of bathroom humor jokes or arm farts, then so be … [Read More...]
4 Way to Help Our Kids Navigate Social Media
Gone are the days at the pool, mornings filled with singing Vacation Bible School songs and evenings eating ice cream and chilling with neighbors. Summer is over and no one is sadder about that than me. It’s like a vacation from my real life. Time to buckle down, though. School is in full swing and my planner tells me I’ve got lots of places to be. It’s so easy to get lost in the … [Read More...]
Before & After: The Boys’ Bathroom
I had dreams, big dreams, of beginning renovations on our master bathroom. Enter: toilet paper and a fiesty 7yo. Spoiler alert. That never ends well. To make a really, really long story short, Master Luke thought it would be fun to shove toilet paper down the bathroom sink. Not only did it clog the sink, but it backed up the A/C unit that drains through that same pipe, and then proceeded … [Read More...]
Before & After: The Master Gallery Wall
It has been a hard, HARD week in Texas. If you've been following me over on Instagram, you know that the devastation along the Texas coast from Harvey is profound. There is work to be done, for a long time to come. We're choosing to be the tortoises, as we know this effort is a marathon, not a sprint. If you can't physically be here to help with the cleanup effort, I invite you to donate, if … [Read More...]
When You Get Sucker Punched
About a year and a half ago, I had a long conversation with someone I trusted. Someone I admired. Someone that provided beautiful spiritual counsel to me. And through the course of that conversation, she said something that has lingered on my heart for far too long: "You need to walk away from sharing your life publicly. You need to stop writing." I 100% believe that her words came from a … [Read More...]
The Summer Trio You Need
If you're thinking pool, beer and good BBQ, this is almost as good. Ha! A few weeks ago I discovered the sweetest little company, Farm Wife Naturals, via a friend. Julia, the owner, sent me some samples of so many things to try and I have la-loved them all. You know me, I only brag about things I think you'll love, too. We are wrapping up our family vacation today (serious sad panda … [Read More...]
The 10 Commandments of Family Roadtrips
We've been taking car trips with our kids since birth. Mostly, that makes people question our sanity. Trust me, when we were in hour 36 of last summer's vacation from Texas to California and back, I thought the same thing. Sometimes we have banner days and sometimes we swear off ever doing another road trip again. All those hours on the highway have taught us a few life lessons, though. Our … [Read More...]
The 10-Year-Old Trip to Disney: Part Five
When our children turn ten, we treat them to a 10-year-old trip. To catch up on the full story with Clare, check out part one, part two, part three, part four and part five. And, if you want to follow our escapade on Instagram, just search the hashtag #clarecelebrates10atdisney The final day. You made it! WE made it! Originally, we were scheduled to fly back on Friday morning, but after … [Read More...]
