A letter to my daughter We found out we were pregnant with you in June. It was warm. I was with the kids in Utah, visiting our family. Dad was starting his new job in Ohio. And even though Dad and I felt overwhelmed by having so many kids to love, we loved you already … Read more

I am so excited for this month! Our gratitude traditions are already in full swing, and I am happy to report they are working. If you want to know how to teach kids to be grateful, you may be in the right place. All of our toy catalogs came the last few weeks and my … Read more

How can we possibly measure success with love? I’m still figuring that out. But I wanted to share an experience I had that helped me learn that the best approach to feeling accomplished as a mother is by measuring success with love. An Early Morning My toddler wandered in during the darkness of early morning … Read more

I want to share today how God can individualize our motherhood. I feel like I talk a lot about walking with God in motherhood. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how the revelation and help He gives is individualized to me. If my motherhood is completely the same as someone else’s then it isn’t mine and … Read more

Learning how to shut out the ideas of everyone else and use my individual strengths can be really hard for me. Anyone else ever overwhelmed by the pictures of mothers picking apples or baking with their kids or all the activities their kids are involved in and feel a bit inadequate? Comparison has been a … Read more

We know that there will always be spirits and people who deceive. I’ve always been a little concerned about this. Raising God’s children in a world where there is so much deception is not an easy task, and while I definitely feel that God has called me to this work, I know I can’t do … Read more

I wanted to send out a newsletter every month this year. I was doing really well until July. We were visiting family for most of June and I didn’t quite get enough done to have a lesson plan ready to send out on July 1. I tried to have it ready by the 2 and … Read more

The world has been loud and getting louder. And while there have been many voices calling for changes to bring about more peace, the increasing unrest has really tugged at my heart. The pain that so many exhibit. The odds stacked against so many. The failing values, the increasing selfishness, and the overwhelming inequity of … Read more

We are all busy. I know it. If the last year has shown us something, it might be how full our lives were 12 months ago. I know that making time to teach the values family lessons is the hardest part. With school, meals, free play, activities, and work all taking up prominent positions in … Read more

Holidays are often a stressful time for me, and I don’t like to get too busy, but I’ve found that having simple ways to focus on Christ with my kids at Easter time is incredibly meaningful. Here’s a good description of the timeline of Holy Week, which I found helpful for my own study. And … Read more