Twirls 'n Curls

Like many of you, we've had plenty of time lately with our furry (and not-so-furry) friends at home, and they've been teaching us a lot. Augie is our good-natured Golden Doodle who is about ten, and Ginger is Amaya's four-month old bearded dragon. (We still technically have a 5th grade class fish named Pancake too, but she's not quite as much fun as the others.) They have definitely helped fill these long summer days, and they both seem to enjoy the extra attention they're receiving... most of the time, anyway. Here are few lessons we've picked up from them along the way, about doing life together at home:  1. Respect each other's boundaries. People often ask me how we've survived the pandemic cooped up with a fairly large family. My motto: "Give 'em grace, and give 'em space!"  2. Go where the fun is. If you're lonely and someone else looks like they're having fun, just join in! (Keeping in mind of course, Rule #1) Boredom ha...

I saw it.... in the way my nine-year old came up beside her sister during the worship service, circled her arm around her sister's waist, and began singing softly.  I heard it.... she was talking cheerfully to a roomful of preschoolers,  "Okay now, in 5 minutes we're going to clean up, and I need you all to help, ok?"   Two minutes later, with strained politeness, she added: "Let's be sure we're talking nicely to each other, ok?!"  I felt it... at 9:00pm, just after I'd tucked her in, when her eyes flew open in panic, "My spelling! I forgot to to my spelling! Mom, I CAN'T turn it in late. I have to do it NOW!"  I flinched, knowing she came by her perfectionism honestly.  The good, the bad, the sweet, the ugly. My girls are mirror images of me and my parenting, with smatterings of my husband thrown in. The way they speak to each other, take care of each other, and leave trails of discarded activities behind so...

So young... and so clueless! Order. Efficiency. Productivity.  These are words I'd use to describe my life... before kids. Back when I crammed 4 years of college into 3 years, or worked 40 hours a week plus spent 20 hours each weekend helping start a church in Los Angeles. I was stretched. I was exhausted. And I loved it. Just before we had our first child, my husband took a job as the senior pastor of a small, rural church, and I stepped down from my job in a busy office to be home with the baby and help him at the church. I’d read some books on motherhood to prepare myself, but all in all, I wasn’t too worried. I mean, I’d been taking care of executives for quite a few years by that point. Their needs are much more complex than a tiny baby’s.  How hard could this be, really?   As it turned out, much harder than anything I’d ever done.  What I remember the most about those early days was the overwhelming frustration of not being able to get anything ...

Pretty much any parent will tell you, our kids teach us MUCH more than we could ever teach them. Here are a few lessons they've had on display this summer that I just had to share: Character Traits Empathy : the art of making your expression match someone else's for awhile   Industry : Our willingness to learn from the generations before us  connects both teacher and student to something bigger than themselves.      Serving : Learning to do things for yourself is great.  Learning to do things for others is even better. On Style      Flair : There are certain mundane tasks one simply can't avoid in life.  However, one always has the choice to do them with style. Uniqueness : Be proud of who you are, quirks and all. "Today you are you! That is truer than true.  There is no one alive more you-er than you!" - Dr. Seuss     Tech-Savvy: ...

S ome Christmas down the road, my towering pine  Will have matching ornaments, all in a line,  And red ribbons cascading down tinsel of gold; But that's some Christmas down the road. O n that same Christmas, my Nativity Scene won't come from Fisher Price,  And no one will ask, "How long till Christmas?" more than once or twice. No fingerprints in my fresh-baked fudge, no meltdowns from sugar overload - But that's for some Christmas down the road. T hat festive season yet to come will hold no reindeer ears  Blocking my view of the Christmas parade, no childish games that end in tears. No holiday parties with tokens or tickets, and no cheap "treasures" bestowed... But that will be Christmas down the road. T his year, I'm holding on to the mistletoe kisses,  My handmade crafts and those batter-smeared faces. I'll take smudges, bad jokes, and a mismatched tree If it means having Christmas again with ...

A coworker was having a rough week awhile back, so I told him that I'd been praying for him. His response struck me - he simply said, "Keep doing that. I live an incredibly blessed life... the correct prayer is for me to recognize it far more than I do." For some reason I was thinking about that conversation tonight after I sleepily went through the motions of making lunches, putting the kids to bed (and back to bed again..and again), and picking up the house. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the keychains we'd picked up for the girls on our recent trip to California. They reminded me of how much fun we had, how many friends we saw, what great memories we made...   That's when it struck me, I am so blessed! The signs are everywhere, I just need to wake up and see them . So, being the literalist I am, rather than going to bed early as planned, I grabbed my phone and began snapping pictures around the house of more things that remind me of how amaz...

Hi! You haven't heard as much from us lately with new schedules and activities and jobs to adjust to, trying to get back into the swing of things though. I thought I'd start with some highlight activities for our family the past few months, what we've been up to since our transition to AZ. Activities : It's been great having more family time since we moved, especially on the weekends. We go hiking at least monthly, which is totally fun and addicting. I never get tired of the desert mountain view! The girls do great too, and we usually try to drag at least one or two people with us, so that's an added perk. Hannah loves collecting rocks on our hikes! New rule: she carries them down herself :) Phoenix Skyline We also have fun doing "city" things we haven't ever really lived near before, like having a zillion movie theaters and restaurants to choose from, and more stores than I could visit in a year (although I'm trying!) Our lo...

 Why I Love My Family: #1: They care about me, even when act like a monster. #2: My family loves me, just because I'm me. #3: And when I can't quite see what the next step should be...    ... someone is always there to lift me up.   #4: My family knows how to make me feel special,  and they're never afraid to show a little love.    #5: No matter what lies ahead,   I know my family will see me through... 'cuz that's what families do best!