Last weekend my sister and I took a quick trip to Seattle to see family and attend a memorial for our Grandma Ries. Rosemary’s story was often a mystery to us. I’ve been told her life was not an easy one. I’ve always wondered why she disliked and avoided having her picture taken. I feel … Continue reading In Loving Memory
family
Dear Children
Your resilience knows no bounds. In new places, surrounded by new faces, you keep showing up. You shine and you sparkle. You reflect God’s love and you give Him glory. You persevere; you don’t give up. You make a decision, and you move forward boldly toward your goals. You overcome negativity and naysayers. You triumph, … Continue reading Dear Children
Practical Ways We Deal with Emotions
Life has been a little busy lately, which means emotions have a tendency to run wild. Multiply that by four kids, and you have an incredible opportunity to practice what you preach. I’m an advocate for expressing emotions and feeling your feelings, but we have definitely come across some helpful tips and tools along the … Continue reading Practical Ways We Deal with Emotions
Valley After Valley
Recently I’ve been reflecting on our different seasons and chapters, our various moves and the similar challenges in each new place. It was then that I realized: I’ve spent the majority of my adulthood living in four different valleys. I lived in the same small town for 21 years (Marysville, Washington). And then my family … Continue reading Valley After Valley
Stories
Our house is fairly immersed in the Winter Olympics. We’re so glad to be back on the west coast (meaning we don’t have to stay up as late to watch the primetime events)! After dinner each night we have a rhythm of settling in to watch the athletes compete. The mom in me cringes every … Continue reading Stories
A Few of My Favorite Things: December
With Christmas just a few sleeps away, I wanted to repost two of my favorite Christmastime blogs – they are filled with some of my favorite things! The 12 Days of Christmas Movies - Something we started last Christmas, that we are making our preparations for now! 12 days of movies with themed activities and … Continue reading A Few of My Favorite Things: December
The 12 Days of Christmas Movies
2020 was a long and difficult year, and our family experienced an especially hard winter season. Uncertainty lurked in the shadows, while weariness began to take root. God brought a book about Advent into our lives that November, and we had an incredible time navigating the adventure together. (I highly recommend Tsh Oxenreider’s book, Shadow … Continue reading The 12 Days of Christmas Movies
My Race to Run 