“Fill your mind with what is good, and there will be little room for what is evil.”

Fill your mind with what is good

“Fill your mind with what is good, and there will be little room for what is evil.”                                                                                               –Life Application Study Bible, notes for Titus 2:15 and Philippians 4:8 I found this in my […]

» Read more

The Great Toy Overhaul

My successful Mom’s Night was made possible due to the Great Toy Overhaul. What’s that, you ask? Prepare to be shocked: This has been bothering me for about 8 years. Five different rooms with toys in them, all reachable by children, all mixed in. Cars in the blocks box, dinosaurs in with the Little People, and basically not a single fun set because what makes sets fun is having the whole set together. But how???? I’ve re-sorted toys a billion […]

» Read more

A Day at Sea with the Dolphins and the Whales

We’re having Field Trip Week at Pacific Christian School. See, Alan is out on Fall break, so the timing is perfect for maximum family fun. First, let me tell you about Abalonetti! This place has an exciting local’s menu, food that every single one of my children like (as in yes, they have pizza), and delicious sea food. I’m the kind of person that picks a favorite restaurant and then stops going to all other places. I have now picked […]

» Read more

Messy is the New Beautiful Photoblog

This is beauty to me: my sweet ten-year-old in his new arm cast. I’m not saying that I’m happy my son broke his arm, but you have to admire his all-in-spirit. It reminds me of that quote from Finding Nemo: Dori tells Marlin, the helicopter dad, “Well, you don’t want nothing to EVER happen to him, because then nothing would EVER happen to him.” Never underestimate the power of beauty. Beauty! “Joy is a net of love by which you […]

» Read more

“Home Should be Heaven on Earth”

Home should be heaven on earth

I just have to record this moment. I was leaving the laundry room, and Joshua was in the kitchen digging around for his mid-morning snack. He hit gold when he found leftover Papa John’s cheese pizza in the refrigerator. And then he said it: “This house is like Heaven!” Yeah, I know. He mostly said this because I was letting him eat pizza at 9:40 am and watch Garfield on t.v. But still! This filled my heart with joy. Of […]

» Read more

A California Summer is THE BEST kind of summer!

A California summer

That’s quite a claim to make isn’t it? THE BEST? Is it really the best? Surely something is better. I said it myself that Destin, Florida looks like this: Well, you know, you gotta love the one you’re with, and Northern California IS 70 degrees. 70. In July. I’ve decided something. “I ain’t leavin’!” No, I’m only kidding, but I do get to live here for a solid year yet. We have been doing the whole ‘lazy days of summer’ […]

» Read more

10 Reasons to Go to Destin this Summer

I have talked to many of you, over the years, of the many reasons for my love for Destin, Florida. And I got to go there this year for the first time since 2012. Wahoo!!! In fact, I went twice! So without further ado, allow me to explain: 10 Reasons why I love Destin, Florida so much: #1. There is SO MUCH to do! Even if you just go from pool to beach, pool to beach, with outings for food, […]

» Read more

“No, really I’m from here!” One perfect trip South

I’m so happy to tell you that our flight was a smashing success. JD is now a veteran flyer. He took his very first turn on an ipad on this trip. It kept him occupied for all of like ten minutes. Yes, he insisted on riding the airplane barefoot. He is a boy after my own heart. I will never fully understand you shoe people. 😉 But that’s okay. You can wear your shoes, and we can wiggle our toes […]

» Read more

Visiting Northern California, Our ‘Neck of the Woods

visiting Northern California

As soon as I get back from my Alabama and Florida trip, we have company arriving!!  We LOVE hosting our friends and taking them sight-seeing. When we lived in DC, we hosted about 7 families/year. California is so far off from most of our friends and family that this happens a lot less. We are all so pumped to have friends come! Joshua has a countdown going. There are endless things to do, right here within two hours of my […]

» Read more

Day #4: San Diego Zoo and a Throwback to the Capstone

On day four of our vacation, we went to the San Diego Zoo. I even managed to arrange to meet my college roommate and her family there. I was so excited and nervous to see them! I haven’t seen Jason and Heather since 2002! They don’t know Alan! Weird, huh? Many of you know that I met Alan in college, where we began dating. Most of you don’t know too much about my life before Alan, and digging up all […]

» Read more
1 2 3 4