The girls have been helping us introduce Ben to Sesame Street and as we were perusing some of the Elmo options, we ran across this one that describes and teaches about including others. The idea is simple: the sheep are dancing without Elmo and when Mila points out that it makes Elmo sad, they stop …
Three years ago, Willie Nelson Neely Harrelson came into our lives and home. It’s funny to think about how little he was! And it’s hard to believe that this was three years ago. As he has grown, he has gained a puppy brother, a job as a therapy dog, and now a mini-human to take …
I’ve been reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler and in one of her chapters, she describes how she feels about getting older. She explains that she does not feel middle-aged, but she knows she is approaching middle age. She reflects that although she is nearing middle age, she still feels like she has work to do. …
Dear Mama, That’s your new name now. There are moments of panic wondering if you really are going to be able to do this, but there are no email or text message alert to let you know today was the day you were going to become Mama. It doesn’t work like that. You might think …
As 2015 comes to a close, there are more than resolutions on my mind. With the end of the year, my maternity leaves also ends, and I join the ranks of working moms who are trying to balance the demands of a professional life as well as a new baby. I started reading on the …
We’ve been celebrating the Christmas season, savoring every minute of having our three kids together by baking homemade treats, watching the Star Wars movie, and wrapping presents. As we have, I have been overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude that we had extended time to spend with our girls after a semester of school schedule and after …
I can tell you whether the outfits in the diaper bag are clean or dirty. I can tell you the last time Ben ate and the last time that his diaper was changed, but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you where my work bag was. This is becoming more and more important …
I have to confess that before I met Sam and before our girls started to watch and become fans of the Star Wars canon, I knew very little about Star Wars. I knew the main characters, and I knew I had seen some of the original trilogy, but I had never seen the prequels nor …
Yesterday marked the second year I have been living this life as an ordained minister. I took time to reflect and read the encouragement offered as I took that step two years ago. I took time to reflect on how I had changed as a person and as a pastor, and I took time to …
All is calm. All is bright. We don’t have many Silent Nights around our house right now. They are interrupted with shuffling feet, Willie Nelson playlists, and diaper pulls during nighttime feedings that make it hard to determine whether it is night or day; but in the midst of these noises, there is a peace …
