Twenty. That's how many absolutely horrible, no good, very bad Mother's Days I've had. If you know me, you may respond...Wait, isn't your oldest only ten? And, you'd be right. But, my Mother's Day misery started well before I ever read "pregnant" on a little...
Motherhood
Body Image and Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be a rough time on our body image. Rebekah Hargraves helps me dig into the challenges of body changes during and after pregnancy. Rebekah had her first baby in her early 20s, while I had my first in her early thirties. We compare stories and experiences...
How Cleaning Your House Like Crazy Connects to Your Body Image
I caught this slightly crazy but totally funny video on For Every Mom. (You'll get the gist after the first fifteen seconds. Why is it so funny? Because it's true . . .at least for me it was. Years ago we planted a church in our house. Yes. Our church met inside our...
Wasted Worry: What the Gospel Says to a Mother’s Worry
I worried he’d be born on Halloween. With an October 30 due date, it certainly could have happened. He’d have to share his birthday with trick-or-treaters, candy comas, and scary movies. I detested the concept and avoided all labor inducing activities for a full...
How Victoria’s Secret Impacts Body Image: A Letter to My Daughter
I wrote this quick letter to my daughter about her value a few months ago, the evening that the Victoria's Secret swimsuit special aired on national television. I think our girls have it tough on the body image front in this Victoria's Secret world we live in. I...
How Do I Help My Daughter With Her Body Image? The First 4 Steps
I don't know at what exact moment it all changed. But I remember in third grade when I stood in front of the gold-trimmed, full-length mirror in the corner of my room and made an assessment that I would carry with me for decades: My thighs were large. This thought...
What Happens After Day 31: Hope if Your Habits Falter
This is Day 31. Thirty-one days ago we started school. My house was clean. My freezer meals were prepped. My desk looked like a professional organizer stopped by. And, our routine was rock solid. I made a schedule and we stuck to it. This is what homeschool moms do. I...
Are You the Villain in Your Own Story?
Yesterday I watched the movie Tangled with my kids. It reminded me of how powerful fairy tales are at telling stories and how they assist us in recognizing good and evil in the real world. C.S. Lewis put it this way, regarding fairy tales, "Since it is so likely that...
Healthy Summer Kid Snack Recipe: Peanut Butter Balls
Okay, so I'm not exactly a food blogger. No Pioneer Woman here. And if you saw my epic bake fail on Netflix, you may be hesitant to follow my food recipes . . . BUT . . . I do have four children who are ALWAYS hungry. Especially in the summer. An hour of swimming and...
Little Mirrors: Encouragement for Moms
Here's a post from a few years back . . .a good reminder for all of us moms! He yells, "Don't do that!" and sounds serious (and maybe a little mean). He gets exasperated when things aren't just right and yells, "ARRRGGGH!" Too often, he tells his younger siblings what...