In November, when's Scott's boss (and our former pastor) was named the new Bishop-Elect of Monterey, California, we were equal parts elated and sad. It's never easy to let another good priest go, but our country and our world are in dire need of the good and holy ones like Bishop Danny. At first we joked that we should go to his installation Mass because, HELLO, it's Monterey, California. Then, we looked up direct flights from Austin to San Jose ($79?!) and we got serious in a hurry. The five days we spent in California came during such a chaotic and hard season of parenthood. In just a few short months, our oldest leaves for college and our youngest starts kindergarten. Oh, and I'm publishing a book and Scott is in the middle of running an $85M capital campaign for our diocese. As soon as we stepped foot off the plane, we almost broke into dance. Our days were spent exploring state parks, taking beachside walks, driving the infamous 17-mile drive, listening to bagpipers at Spanish Bay at sunset (what?!), partaking in divine food, climbing lighthouse stairs, getting lost, … [Read More...]
Live Big, Love Bigger: The Book Cover is Here!
There's a whole, big, beautiful back story here, but I know you came to see the cover. So, let's just show it first, shall we?! 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... SURPRISE! Please tell me you love it as much as I do! Did Ave Maria nail it or did they #nailit? The back story goes something like this. I'm a freelance graphic designer so well-designed pieces are a big deal to me. I had this "vision" … [Read More...]
You’re 18! And How I Feel About It…
Eighteen. Can we all just sit with that number for a quick second? I (a mom who still doesn't feel that old) have an adult child. And it sure happened a helluva lot faster than I thought it would. I mean, time sure seemed to slow down that one time when Will was two-years-old and kicking and screaming in Sally Beauty Supply because I wouldn't let him buy that flat iron. "He sure is unhappy," … [Read More...]
Lent, and what it’s NOT
Ash Wednesday is um, Wednesday. As much as I'd like to give up winter for Lent (dang you Texas spring, where you at?!), I think God wants me to dig a little deeper. I've written a lot about Lent here on the blog over the last decade. I've chatted about how to make it meaningful for your kids, why we keep missing the point and why I want the world to know what it means (a la sassy … [Read More...]
Cleaner, Safer, Better
If you've been following me over on Instagram, you know that our family recently embarked on a major diet change. For two of our family members, it was medically necessary. The learning curve to cut out gluten has been steep (oh pizza, I miss you), but it's something we've been contemplating for more than a year. Well, that and a few other changes. As the mom of six, I've always been … [Read More...]
The Book! (and a title to boot)
I realized, after looking through all my 2018 posts, that I never "officially" shared on the blog that I'm writing a book. #badblogger So, yes, it's actually happening. I could not be more thrilled or more terrified. At first it sounded so cool to share the deepest recesses of my heart and then I panicked. What if people hate it? What if *I* hate it? What if, what if, what if. I knew, deep … [Read More...]
Happy 15th aka “Almost Street Legal”
John Paul is 15 which means the insurance rates just went up, again. That's okay, he's cute so we'll let it pass. It's time for the first birthday letter of the year. Let's get to it, shall we? Dear John Paul (the Great), You're halfway through with your freshman year and already I'm thinking, 'where did the time go?' I wish it was possible for me to adequately convey what a … [Read More...]
2019 Word of the Year
Resolutions and words of the year are my spirit animals. But, truthfully, they don't mean much unless you actually take the time to implement them. Every year, about mid-January, we hear about folks falling off the wagon, so to speak, with all those good intentions. But you know, we never hear about those that get back on it, even though they fail. January gets a lot of press for being the … [Read More...]
