If you surveyed one million people and asked them to define “love”, you’d probably get thousands of different answers. Love is a hard concept to pin down. It can be romantic or familial (but not both, people). It can suggest fluttery butterflies or a deep bond of friendship. It could be the contentedness of a…
Tag: family
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Have you ever been to a beach town in the mountains? I can now emphatically say “Why, yes. Yes, I have.” Gatlinburg was one cool place! There was tons to do, and no way to squeeze it all into four days. We stomped our feet at the Dolly Parton Stampede, rode a single rail Mountain…
Kids, Parents, and Cardi B: a novel
Imagine a world where parents never instructed their children. No discipline, no guidelines. What if their aim was to be the child’s friend and they didn’t dare impose their values or common sense in fear of upsetting the child’s delicate psyche? Well, in some cases we don’t have to imagine. But, for the most part,…
Life and Laundry in Glen Allen
Something I have been terrified of for most of my adult life has become a reality. I’m married and parenting in the suburbs. Please send help. I grew up in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, and I hated it. Everyone seemed to live life on repeat: work, school, homework, tv, wash the cars, mow the…
Open-ish
Happy Tuesday. So, because I’m not exactly sure what to write about this morning, I thought it would be a great time to tell you something I’ve avoided talking about. My hooha. More specifically, the improbability that I will be able to have a baby without divine intervention or some pale person in a lab…
What a Character!
In twelve years she will be an adult. The same girl who told me last night she didn’t feed the cat because her ears weren’t working when I asked her. It’s crazy to think about. On one hand, it feels like we have so much time left with her. She’s still finishing out her kindergarten…
A Couple Little Things
Ok, so first of all, my weekend without social media was great! I didn’t miss it, actually. So what did I do with my time instead? I read Anne’s House of Dreams (the fifth book in the Anne of Green Gables series). I just love the way L.M. Montgomery’s characters take on life..you can see…
Confessions of a Not-So-Wicked Stepmother
Why do they call it a “step”-parent? Hold on. Going to Google. “The term stepfamily is preferred because the derivation of the prefix “step-” originates from the Old English word “steop-” which means “bereave.” The term stepchild used to refer to orphans who lost their parents, and stepfather/stepmother used to refer to individuals who became…
Contentment
Last night, gathered around our couch and enjoying country-style donuts and a delicious Meritage from New Kent Winery, a small but awesome group of friends read through the book of James. There is such a sweetness in simple fellowship. Food, friends, God’s word and good conversation. It was an anchor in a week where I’ve…
Forty, Unsporty, and Thriving
41. The year you get a bird feeder for your birthday. And the terrifying thing is, you asked for it. It’s also apparently the year when I’m naming the different terms for “love” found in the Bible and I forget the word “phileo” (Greek for brotherly love) and instead say something that makes my co-ed…
Living Well 