Happy November! We made a Fall Bucket List — now it’s time for a Holiday Bucket List. :) I used to be a No Christmas until after Thanksgiving person. No decorating, no Christmas music, no holly jolly until Black Friday. But that has changed as I’ve gotten older. I think this is partly because everyone
family
How to Write a Family Mission Statement
Back in the fall our small group at church went through a parenting study called Ready to Launch that our pastor and his wife put together. It goes through the Bible to seek wisdom about parenting, discipline, the role of the church, and shaping a child’s heart for the gospel. One of the first week’s
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family
Fall Bucket List
Autumn is my favorite season. There’s such a renewed energy in the air and I love everything it brings — harvest festivals, pumpkins, cozy sweaters, boots! Do you ever feel afraid that a season is already passing you by before it ever begins? I’m so afraid I will get to January and realize that my
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family
Miles & Molly
I sat down to write Molly’s birth story and realized I couldn’t share it without sharing about her buddy Miles. So this is the story of Miles and Molly. It is a story about answered prayers. I found out I was pregnant January 2, 2017 with a September 7 due date. After the shock
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family
Back to School Shopping for Preschoolers
To me, there are two parts of summer: before July 4th and after. Before July 4th, there’s a lightness about the season. It’s finally warm after a long spring, so you welcome the heat. You slow down, pare back your commitments. Say no to structure and yes to spontaneous summer fun. After the 4th, however, there’s
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career
Deciding Whether to Stay at Home or Go Back to Work
I found out I was pregnant on January 2 of this year. So literally since the second day of the year, I have been wrestling with this decision: Should I go back to work or stay at home after the baby gets here? It has been a question on my heart all year. The plan
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family
How I am Preparing for Baby #2
I am 37 weeks pregnant, which means any time in the next few weeks this baby is expected to arrive! Pretty crazy. When people ask me if I’m ready to have the baby, my answer is normally: Yes? I’m ready to not be pregnant, but I’m not ready yet to enter the crazy, sleepy world
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family
The Story Behind Lenora’s Name
Like most couples who plan to have children, J and I would discuss baby names off and on in the first few years of our marriage. I learned very quickly that we did not agree on names. Like, not at all. I liked old fashioned names and he liked more modern, popular ones. We decided
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family
A Baby Girl Nursery Tour
Welcome to one of the only rooms in our house that is fully finished: the nursery! As I am 28 weeks pregnant with our second daughter, I realized I never shared pictures from the nursery right after L was born. So while I am thick in the nesting phase of my pregnancy and decorating