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Ordinary
This weekend we swam in the pool and ate burgers and laughed with friends. We went to church and planted flowers and read books. Kyeler started calling me “mommy” instead of “mama,” and CJ learned to say (I swear) “probiotics.” It was all so ordinary and wonderful and I couldn’t help but think—this is the […]
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The beauty of unexpected things
A soccer ball in the laundry basket. Thomas the Tank Engine on the dish drying rack. An astronaut action figure in the front yard flower bed. These unexpected sights never fail to act as exclamation marks in my day, making me shake my head and smile. I mean, have you ever gone to water your […]
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Invitations
One of my spring (summer?) goals is to start a small garden in our front yard. A neighbor recently told me about a nearby nursery with a great plant selection, so yesterday afternoon I decided to pack up the boys and check it out. At 3pm the kids were snacked up, changed, and waiting expectantly […]
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Robin’s egg blue
“Maybe I have been living much too fast, too restlessly, too feverishly, forgetting to pay attention to what is happening here and now, right under my nose. Just as a whole world of beauty can be discovered in one flower, so the great grace of God can be tasted in one small moment.” -Henri Nouwen […]
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Swim trunks & time
Monday was sunny and hot, with a high of 82. I fed Kyeler and CJ a quick snack (cinnamon teddy grahams and grapes) after their naps, then wrangled them into swimsuits so we could meet some friends at a nearby splash pad. I zipped the boys into their matching light green swim shirts, the ones […]
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Giving and Receiving
My counselor sits across from me in a green wingback chair, her eyes wide and kind behind black cat eyeglasses. Instead of meeting her gaze, I steal glances at the bowl of brittle potpourri to my left. The too-squishy couch feels lopsided beneath me, as unmanageable as my emotions. I’ve spent years trying not to […]
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I don’t want to forget
I don’t want to forget how, the first time I gave Kyeler a raisin, he held the tiny wrinkled thing up to me and proclaimed, “Football!” I don’t want to forget the Easter egg hunt we had in the backyard with our neighbors, how the weather was perfect, and how we made up games to […]
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Woman enjoys kid-free date night without crippling anxiety
Winston-Salem mom of two, Megan Hogg, was spotted at local restaurant Mozelle’s on Saturday evening with her husband. Shockingly, there was nary a toddler or Cheerio in sight. Perhaps it was the sauvignon blanc, or the natural high that comes from finally using a gift card from last Christmas, but Megan appeared uncharacteristically relaxed and […]
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On creativity & comparison
CreativityIs vulnerability—A giving of self *** If I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling a little discouraged about my writing lately. It seems like everyone else is doing it better, and as Josh gently reminded me: a lot of them are. That’s just the nature of things—there will always be someone better than you. Getting bogged […]