• Family

    Muted

    May 6, 2020 - By 

    Day 51. This quarantine has been, more than ever, a time of high highs and low lows. While I recognize the immense privilege that enables me to stay sheltered at home, that does not make it any less isolating. That does not mean my longing to return to normalcy is diminished. I can recognize both the beauty that has come – quality time spent with my family; and the hardship – the isolation, the fear of what the future might bring, what it might look like. The joy of slowing down, the fear of the ultimate slowdown. And on a…

  • Family

    Acreage

    June 26, 2019 - By 

    While I believe that it is fair to say most everyone’s life is in a constant state of construction, this holds literally true for the last seven years of our family’s life. In 2010 we bought a house in Arizona as part of a short sale. It needed things, like paint and carpet and new tile flooring. Chris and I poured our time and efforts into that project every weekend. In 2012 we decided it was ready for an interior remodel performed by professionals, and at that same time we also decided to build an addition – the guest house…

  • Family - Farming

    Field of Dreams

    May 6, 2019 - By 

    Tonight I was reading the boys bedtime stories with the windows open, enjoying the fresh spring breeze, when we became distracted by a noise outside. It was the sound of our neighbor running his tractor through the field. The boys and I looked out Aiden’s second-story window towards our backyard, and the field that lay beyond. That field was corn that first fall when we moved in, and soybeans last year. Which means due to the mechanics of crop rotation, this year it should be corn again. It was strange, looking out that window and watching him work the ground,…

  • Family

    The Vanity of Foresight

    April 18, 2019 - By 

    I’ve taken the liberty of modernizing these lines from Robert Burns’ famous poem: But little Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Often go awry. “To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough”. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_a_Mouse We are moving (again). To Kansas City this time. It’s a bittersweet time, filled with promises for the future and sadness for the home and family we will leave behind. We had planned to stay on our Iowa acreage as our “forever home.” We had planned to host gatherings…

  • Family - Parenting

    Milestones

    November 9, 2018 - By 

    There are many important milestone’s in your child’s life. We all discuss the firsts: first words, first steps, first day of school. We compare accomplishments: ditching the diapers, eating solid foods, learning how to ride a bike. But there are some milestones that, while not often discussed, are just as important. Here is a selection of them, to give you an idea: When they are old enough to tattle on you to the other parent (Mommy hit the mailbox with the car!) When they outgrow the baby hangers and you have to buy them full-sized ones (how did my little…

  • Fun

    Goodbye, Arizona

    March 22, 2017 - By 

    Arizona will always hold a special place in my heart. That is a super cheesy thing to say, but – well – it’s the truth. Arizona is where I learned to reach outside of my comfort zone to make new friends. It’s where I met my husband, fell in love, bought a home, and started a family. It’s where I watched my tiny babies grow into little boys. Their first smiles, first steps, first “I love yous.” But things change. The one constant about life is that it is never constant. And as our little family grows, we find ourselves…