Twirls 'n Curls

People often ask me what it's like raising 4 girls so close in age, especially working full time. I always mention a lot of emotions, a lot of fun memories, and a little bit of crazy. A few months ago, on a particularly hectic Thursday, I decided to chronologize a few of the events, to give you a glimpse into my life:   Wednesday 11:50pm - Finally decide to call it quits on turning 300 chopsticks into wands in time for the Harry Potter-themed dance on Friday at my kids' school. Thursday 6:50am - Hit snooze again on my alarm and realize I have lost any potential morning time sans kids by choosing to decorate said chopsticks until midnight. 6:57 - Roll out of bed to wake up the kids. On the way to their room, note that my oldest, Linsey, is sitting in a yoga pose on the bathroom counter, doing her makeup. 6:58 - Turn on shower to get warm because It. Takes. Forever. 7:01 -  Weigh myself and vow to do better than the takeout I had yesterday. 7:02 - Check on kids...

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: ...

To bring you up to speed on our lives: This week, my youngest started kindergarten, and the other two started in 2nd and 4th grade. This week, my mom left after a two-week stay here where she did all my dishes and laundry. (Thanks, Mom!) This week, my husband went on a week-long backpacking trip to Colorado while I stayed home to get the kiddos off to school.  (Thanks, dear!) We're also in the middle of buying a house and becoming foster parents. Like, right now. One life event never seems to be enough in our family, we prefer juggling two or three simultaneously. But, I digress. Lately all these changes have caused me to think about defining moments in my life, moments that clearly outlined the path I knew I wanted to take. 9 1/2 years ago, I felt like my life should look like this all the time: Regal, intellectual husband who "abounded in the work of the Lord" as the senior pastor of our small church in a rural town Modestly clad, doting wife who spent hour...

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...

Dear Nattie, As my youngest, my heart is torn watching you grow up. I love it - and I hate it. I love that you're getting more independent and doing more of those things "the big girls do," And I hate that this means you don't need me as much as you used to.   I love that you're old enough to have your own style - But I hate that it often conflicts with mine (and that of mainstream society!) "Mo-om, I'm ready for school!" So after much thought, I've decided: if you will agree to stay little, just for an extra decade or two - here are some of the perks I can promise you: You will be able to eat all the chocolate you want and never gain weight (trust me, this is a big one!!) You'll never get too big to sleep with your candy cane Christmas blanket, which you've slept with every night since you stole it from Linsey's room as a baby. (she didn't mind!) Additionally, I promise t...