“You’ll never finish that!” My brother in law’s words sounded like a challenge. I was trying a new pizza and though it was personal sized, it was loaded. The toppings were piled higher than the crust and by the first bite, I knew I wouldn’t be taking any home. Loaded with veggies and spiced with …
There’s No Place Like Home
Traveling with small children is always an adventure. We pack up our entire house to make our home away from home as familiar as possible. We try to stick to familiar routines. We save and splurge to provide memory making opportunities. This week, my girls and I loaded up the kids to visit my sister’s …
Ready Or Not
I met my husband after one semester of college. We were engaged after three semesters and married after my third year. Working full time meant taking fewer courses so I took two additional years to finish my degree, five years in all. I worked in the accounting field from my graduation until the birth of …
Corners First
Normally I wash and dry the bed linens and they go immediately back on the beds, but this week, with temperatures suddenly in the eighties, the flannel sheets had to go. Folding the king sized sheet set to put away means tackling the fitted sheet, corners first. Once you get the corners right, tucking the …
Willing Stewards
“Is Ella coming outside?” Thomas asked as we emptied the new bag of sand into the sandbox. The tears welling up in my eyes as I replied surprised me. “Not today, buddy.” Jake was already loping around the yard, sniffing at spots where Ella rested the day before. The last six months have been difficult …
Exclamation Mark!
https://videopress.com/v/JJCADgtT?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true “Poppy, I’m coming!” Thomas hollered in what he calls his Poppy yell. When his family spends the night over, it’s what motivates him to transition from bath time to bedtime without a fuss. Once he’s said goodnight to his mom and dad and baby brother, Timothy, he starts across the house to Poppy’s room. …
Fishers of Men
No. No. No. It had been that kind of day for Amelia. Did she want peanut butter and jelly? No. Would she like oatmeal? No. Turkey and cheese? Yogurt? Cheese pizza? No. No. No. We were both tired and she needed to eat dinner, but true to what her mom and dad told me before …
Casting Cares
I asked Thomas to help me get the mail from the mailbox. Our box is exactly his height at present because of an incident the week we moved into our home. The postal carrier back over our box, taking the entire post down. My dad and my husband repaired it but as a result, the …
A Huge Mistake?
Our baby boy will be twenty-six when his son is born. He has been blessed with a wife and daughter who adore him, and now God has chosen to give him a baby boy of his own. He has no idea what adventures await. We surely didn’t! One thing my husband and I have always …
Really, Not Really
“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I told my daughter last night. Quick as a flash, Thomas quipped, “Not really jump, Lolly!” The quirky smile on his two and a half year old face proves that he has his Poppy’s wit already. Maybe he gets it from his mom and dad, but who’s to …
A Fitting Reply 