In the old days, a woman would bring a dowry with her into marriage. This was typically property or money or a combination of the two that was then given to her husband and, if you have ever read a Jane Austen novel, you'll know it was commonly used as leverage to give her the best options for a good match. In 1998, I brought a kind of 'dowry' into my own marriage in the form of property. It was a 20+ year old refrigerator that had belonged to my parents and my new husband was just as ... continue reading...
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It’s Not the Same
Out of all of the stages of motherhood so far, never have I felt the need for a support system more than during this season of raising tweens and teens. And I am incredibly grateful for a tribe of friends who are in the same stage because this is HARD! Recently I met one of these amazing friends of mine for lunch and we were both unburdening ourselves as we shared some of the struggles our kids were experiencing, particularly in their friendships. More specifically, what our daughters were ... continue reading...
Winter Decorating
A few years ago I decided to give myself an early Christmas present and it's honestly one gift that I never get tired of receiving. As I begin to plan out my Christmas decorating, I intentionally think ahead to when it's all going to have to be undecorated and I get really, really strategic. With every plastic storage bin that is opened, I'm thinking about how much work is going to take place on the other side of the season; how much will have to be undecorated. Because, let's face it, the ... continue reading...
Can This Be My Word of the Year?
Happy New Year my friends! Is it still ok to say that when it's already almost the middle of January? I hope you all had a lovely season of celebration and that your transition into the new decade has been a smooth one. I don't know about you, but as I scrolled through social media on January first (second, third, fourth) I couldn't help but notice that everyone was announcing their 'Word of the Year'. It seems that this has replaced the traditional resolutions as the thing to do to welcome ... continue reading...
The Imprint
Every year, when I begin to decorate my home for Christmas, I am absolutely flooded with feelings of nostalgia. With each box that is pulled from the attic, I'm transported to another place in time. There are the four stockings I bought when we were only a family of three but my heart longed and prayed for a sweet girl and by the very next Christmas she had arrived and that extra stocking was put to good use. There's the Little People nativity set we purchased for my son when he was two ... continue reading...