Luke (like most children!) loves any book he can interact with. Whether lifting flaps to discover various species of birds, sliding a finger to move a puppy’s ears and tail, or unfolding flaps to discover opposites, that’s what most of these December-January favorites have in […]
5 of the Most Beautiful Board Books
I own and love each of the following books (in fact, I purchased the first one before Luke was born, before I was even married, because it was just so deliciously beautiful). The texts in the following three books are simple and not story/narrative-heavy, but […]
Joy: A Celebration of Mindfulness
This simple board book by Kate Wilson is enormously helpful in reminding me (not to mention my toddler) to give thanks in all areas of life. Through asking the readers to “find joy” in many repetitive, daily tasks, the book urges us to be present […]
Luke’s Top Ten Board Books (1-16 months)
Luke loves to read, and it brings my mama heart such joy. Sometimes, I’ll follow a path of unusual silence only to find Luke sitting quietly on his bedroom floor, surrounded by the books he’s pulled down from his shelf. He also loves to read […]
Last Stop on Market Street
This is one of my favorite books, reminding me of my days taking the bus into the inner city as a special education paraprofessional. Last Stop on Market Street also happens to be a #1 New York Times bestseller and was awarded a Caldecott Honor, […]
Receiving Rest—a meditation on Psalm 127
I am one of those people that has always had trouble going to bed. For one thing, I’m not a “morning person.” For another, there’s just so much to do at night—there’s clean up, and exercise, and reading, and writing, and show-watching, and a husband […]
Cultivating: Finding Meaning in the Mundane
I am being like my Father when I squat in the soil and dig my tool into the cracked earth, working it down beside the long root, wiggling the spreading dandelion leaves to loosen the root before the final pop and pull. As I dig […]
Before Morning
I have been SO excited about this book, a recent library find. Rarely will I give a book a 15/15 rating (only Jabari Jumps has so far received that rating!), but this book gets pretty close. Before Morning marries poetry to intricate illustrations, creating an […]
My Top 10 Products for Breastfeeding
Before I had Luke, I didn’t realize what a big deal breastfeeding would be. It takes a lot of time; depending on your baby’s age and how well he/she feeds, you’re feeding your baby every couple hours, which means you need to find a semi-private […]
Trust, the Gettysburg Outlets, and Free Chick-n-Minis
Today I’m posting something I wrote just over a year ago. It’s not perfect—(of course) it’s not my complete thoughts on letting go and surrender—but I’ve prayed about it, edited it (for a while 😉), and I’m posting it, even though I know feelings of […]