Tag: Gratitude
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Beating hearts
When Kyeler was discharged from the NICU, we received a long list of specialist appointments to make for him. One was a cardiology follow up at 3 years old. Kyeler was born with a patent foramen ovale, or PFO, which is really just a fancy way of saying “hole in the heart.” It sounds scary,…
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12 things Tuesday (Valentine’s day!)
I’ve seen a few bloggers doing “12 things Tuesday” posts and thought it would be fun to hop on the trend today! It’s just 12 off-the-cuff, in-the-moment thoughts. Here goes! 1. I’m sitting at my little desk drinking homemade hot cocoa (that I mentioned in my last post) and it’s super bright and sunny outside…
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January favorites
At times, January has felt like an enveloping darkness. Other times it’s felt like a fresh, bright new beginning. Often it has felt, paradoxically, somewhere in between. There’s a poet I love named Drew Jackson who puts it this way: “Not all darknessis the darkness of despair.This may be the darkness of the wombthat is…
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Quiet courage
Today I went back to the pool for the first time since our miscarriage. While I’m not a swimmer by any means, last summer I started going to a Monday morning water aerobics class at the Y. I was the youngest person there by a solid two decades, and it was great. I loved the…
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December 2022
-Making a birthday cake for Jesus -Playing tee-ball in the front yard -“Chains shall he break / For the slave is our brother / And in His name / All oppression shall cease” (I love this version) -Rereading Harry Potter -The boys singing Away in a Manger (which Kyeler most definitely thinks is called Away…
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The family I have now
Josh recently suggested that we get some family photographs taken. He learned of a coworker who has a photography business on the side, and thought it would be a nice way to capture our family in this season of life. I found every reason to say no. Winter isn’t always an ideal backdrop, not to…
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The Invisible Woman
She spends her days as an invisible woman. An unseen force who toasts waffles, drizzles them with maple syrup, places them on high chair trays. And then, poof—whisks away the dishes, wipes clean the sticky hands.She buckles flailing children into car seats and drives them safely to the pediatrician for their checkups. The invisible woman…
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This too shall pass
When I was going through something difficult as a child, I remember my grandma often reassuring me, “This too shall pass.” On the surface, the phrase seems almost trite, another platitude among many. But as I’ve thought more about it, I’ve realized that it actually touches upon a very deep truth that so many of…
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Fair love
I went on my first blind date at the state fair. It was a Sunday afternoon—October 19, 2014—and our best friends set us up. The sky was bright blue and the temperature so quintessentially autumn that I had no choice but to wear my favorite green flannel shirt. My date was fun and easy to…
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A prayer of thanks for fruit roll-ups
Thank You, Lord, for the simple joy of fruit roll-ups. Thank You for the ease with which I can pull them out of my diaper bag, and the immediacy with which they appease my children. Is there any quicker way to improve a toddler’s mood? I love seeing the look of unparalleled delight on my…