still a work in progress
Christmas Eve is just over a week away and that means it’s time to start thinking about one of our favorite traditions of the season. Because once the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and the children are nestled all snug in their beds, my husband and I like to sneak away and find our Naughty Stocking. Continue reading “The Naughty Stocking 2”
Our 25th anniversary came and went last month without a lot of hoopla and celebration. I posted a couple cryptic pictures on FaceBook. Our closest friends and family wished us a happy day with many more to come. Continue reading “Twenty-five and counting”
A couple weeks ago we took our son, Trevor, to Las Vegas to celebrate his twenty first birthday. Getting to celebrate milestones with adult children is new and fun and different and exciting. Gone are the days of themed parties like Buzz Lightyear and Spiderman, with cupcakes and party hats, party games and pinatas. And I’ll miss that. But it has been replaced by something new. Sharing. Camaraderie. And common experiences. Continue reading “Vegas Vacation”
Parenthood. The best job. The hardest job. It is not for the faint of heart. It will pull your heart in many directions at once. At its worst, the job of parenting is fear, paid through anxiety and questioning. At it’s finest it is non-stop hours, paid through grace and love and moments when you see that you got something right. Continue reading “Parenting: Big Job, Big Reward”
On this day twenty-five years ago, we got engaged. In a tiny, little beach cabin, with the wind blowing outside and the Oregon rain falling on the windows, we sat eating dessert by candlelight. The calm after the storm. My husband-to-be took a deep breath and pointed to a small seashell strategically placed next to the candles. “Your ‘real dessert’ is in that shell.” Continue reading “Seashells and Butter Knives”
God works to soften hearts in unusual and mysterious ways. Sometimes it is even through a tiny little kitten named Fenty. Continue reading “The Prescription”
“I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline — not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.” ~Ephesians 4:3 Continue reading “Pour Love”
Last night we went on a date. Yay! Our first date of 2019. Hopefully the first of many. In twenty-four and a half years of marriage we have never been good at having Date Nights. That might come as a surprise since many experts say that is one of the keys to staying together. And we’re still together. But we’ve never been very good at it. Continue reading “6 Fun and Fabulous Date Night Ideas”
I’m not the first to say, “love is an action word.” I’ve heard it from motivational speakers, marriage resources, and sermons. It means that in relationships, love is not just a feeling. It is something you do. Actively. It takes effort. It’s not passively sitting back and waiting. It is contributing. It is taking action. Continue reading “Love is an Action”
Staying married. People ask us the secret to staying married so long. Because in 2018, twenty-four years is considered a long time. It’s not really a secret. And it hasn’t always been a picnic. There was no mysterious marriage recipe that was handed down to us from generations past. I will say that there have been only a few divorces in our families. So divorce doesn’t initially come to mind when times are tough. But there have been many times one of us wanted to leave. I have personally packed a bag, ready to leave, a few times. I’ve also been “asked” to leave. Continue reading “Staying Married”
Unmastered 