Sandwiched between the credit card offers and jewelry advertisements, I found an envelope addressed to my daughter. The handwriting on the front was what I can only describe as a happy scrawl. I didn’t recognize the return address. Holding the envelope in my hand, I could feel the bulk of something stuffed inside. I was […]
Hey Babe, let’s not do Valentine’s Day this year. Seriously. Don’t let your buddies convince you I mean otherwise. This is not a trap. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. Let’s not do Valentine’s Day. I don’t want a fancy floral arrangement delivered to me on February 14th, but I […]
Alex and Emma were diagnosed with Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration in 2009. Shortly after, our girls were referred to the Make-A-Wish foundation. In a matter of weeks, we had been vetted through the proper medical records and doctor recommendations. Then we were then visited by volunteers who sat with our girls and helped them brainstorm […]
17 years ago today, Drew and I became parents. We welcomed a baby girl named Alex and she was amazing. When she was 6 and her sister was 4, they were diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder. Alex died on January 1, 2014 when she was 11 years and 5 days old, less than […]
I hope this Christmas is amazing for you. I hope you’re surrounded by loved ones and that you feel safe. I hope you don’t have to talk politics around the dinner table. I hope you have so much family at church that you have to squish to fit everyone in the pew. I hope the […]
The tradition was simple. Mom made the treats. We ate the treats. My brothers and I sorta, kinda helped, and by helped I mean that we inserted ourselves into the process just enough to splatter food coloring and cover all things in sticky marshmallows. When I went to make my first batch as an adult, […]
Your dreams and plans. Your goals and aspirations. Your ambitions and desires. Your people and relationships. They are worth fighting for. Please don’t be discouraged by all the times it wasn’t quite right. Please don’t stop trying just because it hasn’t worked yet. Please don’t assume the best is behind you. Please don’t give up. […]
Many moons ago, I was a young wife and mom of two littles, excited to host my first Thanksgiving. I cooked for days, making what I could ahead of time and prepping ingredients for recipes that would have to be assembled on Thanksgiving morning. This might be a good time to mention that I […]
400 miles of highway separate me and my youngest brother. On one end I live with my family. On the other end he lives with his. A few times a year we take turns making the trek to visit one another- to step into the other’s world for a day or two. We watch our […]
Apply lipstick and wear your biggest earrings. Haven’t washed your hair in four days? Doesn’t matter. Pulled your blue jeans from the dirty laundry hamper this morning? No big deal. Just realized your t-shirt has a semi-permanent arm pit smell? We’ve all been there. Put on a little lipstick and add giant earrings. Ta-da! You […]
