• Family - Food

    Tend Your Garden

    September 28, 2021 - By 

    This is my second year gardening at the Kansas City house. I’m probably what you would call a “hobby gardener” – although due to the size of my garden this “hobby” is rather time-consuming in the summer. I’ve been gardening on and off for most of my life, although this garden here is by far the largest undertaking. I’ve learned some superficial gardening lessons over the years but the ones I’ve learned these past two years are impactful on so many levels. Or maybe I’m getting wiser in my 40’s, who knows? Each spring, I start daydreaming about seeds. I…

  • Fun - Travel

    Laughing out loud on an airplane

    August 24, 2021 - By 

    I recently flew – by myself – on an airplane. There was a time in my life where this wasn’t such a novel experience. (In fact, this one time it was a dual novel experience. Ha ha. Sorry not sorry.) ANYWAY. So I’ve done my fair share of flying but ever since having young kids people look at you all weird if you pretend you don’t know the toddlers at the airport and try to board without them. (I’m joking. I’ve never done this. And luckily my kids are remarkably good fliers as long as you ply them with enough…

  • Family - Fun - Marriage

    The Things that Bring Us Together

    August 14, 2021 - By 

    “Mom,” my oldest son asked me, “why are you taking a picture of your shoes?” “Well bud,” I replied, “Do you know I haven’t worn these shoes in a long time? Do you know the last time I wore these shoes?” He shook his head. “My wedding. When your dad and I got married.” His eyes got big. “Yep, over 10 years ago. Before you and your brother were even born. So, I took this picture to remember how much has changed since then. And how much I love everyone and everything in our lives.” Okay, so maybe being at…

  • Family - Parenting

    Real Life and Cookies

    August 2, 2021 - By 

    Do you know what it is? It’s chocolate-chip cookies, mid-mixing. You see, the boys and I were making a batch of cookies. Which sounds like a lot of fun. Some of my own favorite memories from my childhood including making chocolate-chip cookies with my mom. “But why,” you may ask, “isn’t there anyone actually making cookies in this photo?” Well, my friend, because my cookie-helpers are currently taking a 5-minute quiet time in their rooms. Sometimes they get along so well. And sometimes they bicker like cats and dogs over Every. Little. Thing. They fought over who got to break…

  • Fun - Throwback

    That time I met Shaquille O’Neal at a Denny’s

    July 19, 2021 - By 

    As we’re currently in the last games of the NBA finals, it seems like an appropriate time to reminisce about that one time I met Shaq at a Denny’s restaurant. The year was 2002. Shaquille O’Neal was a pretty big deal. I mean, he’s still a pretty big deal but this is the same year he was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. Shaq played for the LA Lakers at this point in his career, and after a 7-game series, they had beaten the Sacramento Kings and won the Western Conference Finals. The date – May 27,…

  • Family - Parenting

    I’ll Hold Your Hand

    July 16, 2021 - By 

    My oldest boy is over 4 feet tall. It won’t be long before he’s taller than me. Before he’s a tweenager and then a teenager and perhaps he will be embarrassed of me and roll his eyes at me and be convinced he knows it all. But for now, he’s still a snuggler. A hand-holder. An “I love you so much mom” hugger. Yesterday, when his younger brother had a playdate, A-man and I got some much needed one-on-one time. And as we walked across the parking lot to the big box store (in search of a toy he wanted)…

  • Family

    Welcome, Kinnick

    April 26, 2021 - By 

    Things that happened the month of April: We brought home our new puppy, Kinnick. He’s the cutest. And the sweetest. And the naughtiest. Like all puppies are. It snowed. It un-snowed, that afternoon. And one week later that it was 80 degrees and sunny. We installed our dock project. The pond renovation was (FINALLY) completed. We planted asparagus and worked on the garden. Aiden told me his favorite animal was a shark. Also that he has two talents, singing and dancing. The boys ate their first adult (non-Happy Meal) at McDonald’s. Per their own request. Connor celebrated his birthday with…

  • Family - Parenting

    The $3,500 Piece of Gravel

    April 9, 2021 - By 

    So the year was 2019. You remember 2019? I bet you do. We all want to forget 2020. Anyway, the year was 2019 and my youngest was four. He’s always been fairly mature for his age – keeping up with the older bro and all – so sometimes there are things in life that I assume he already knows. Like: we don’t put rocks in our ears. IF YOU HAVE KIDS DON’T YOU EVER ASSUME ANYTHING. Especially when it comes to their prefrontal cortex development, AKA these skills: reasoning logic stopping impulses This is why, when you’re four, and you’re…

  • Family - Marriage

    Journey Cake

    March 14, 2021 - By 

    Today marks 12 years of marriage for me and the Husband. If I can say one thing about marriage is that it’s not an event. It’s not even a state of being. It’s an evolution. Okay, that was three things, but they’re all connected. This is because marriage is a union of two people – two imperfect people – and therefore marriage, by default, is an imperfect union. A happy, fulfilled marriage doesn’t just “happen” to you. Instead, you happen to your marriage. What I mean by this is that, as a person, I grow and change throughout my life.…

  • Family

    Pandemic Anniversary

    March 5, 2021 - By 

    We are approaching the 1-year mark that our nation has been in the throes of the Coronavirus pandemic. And this one is for the teachers. My oldest son has a framed picture of his elementary class last year. The one that was normal, until it just – wasn’t. When he was dismissed for spring break and never returned that school year. He loved that class. In fact, sitting at the kitchen table for the start of the following school year – the first one in which his younger brother will be joining him as a kindergartner – he professed to…