Musings on life, parenting, Jesus, and more...

That might be a little overly dramatic, but I know I’m not the only mom feeling this way. Over the last few weeks I’ve had conversations with a few other mom friends who have been feeling similar frustrations. Screens are addicting. We know that now, but in many ways it seems like it’s too late, the damage is done. We are a world addicted to screens. It’s not just a kids problem, and I’m aware of the irony as I sit here on my own screen and write this blog post, while my kids happily splash around in our friends pool. I feel like a hypocrite telling them to get off their phones and screens and enjoy the real world, while I type a way on mine, but I do also see the value that technology has brought to my life. Without the internet, the cloud, and mobile hotspots, I wouldn’t be able to have the business and career that I have, that allows me to do things like spend afternoons at the pool with my kids in the summertime. But it does make it difficult to ask them to do something that I can’...

I came across this letter in my drawer the other day while I was cleaning out my nightstand. It is so meaningful and profound coming from my teen or tween (I think my daughter was 12 when she wrote this to me.) The adolescent years are tough. I wouldn't want to go back and repeat them, and I want to make sure I am healthy and equipped to be a good mom and role model during this transitional time in their lives. I want to be able to look back and re-read this during the challenging times that I know are ahead as I enter the next 6 - 7 years of having at least two teenagers in the house. Thank you my dear, sweet daughter for taking the time to write this. You are right, WE'LL get through this together and despite the challenges of adolescence I am so honored and blessed to be your mom, and I truly love your company (most of the time). lol Love you so much and I will always be here for you no matter what!

Not hostile. Hostel.  Definition: an inexpensive lodging facility that usually has dormitory style sleeping arrangements and sometimes offers meals and activities.  It might seem a little strange to share a room with a bunch of strangers, but I actually love it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good hotel room all to myself with a private bathroom and if I could afford my own private soaking pool somewhere, I would certainly enjoy that as well.   But hotel rooms have gotten expensive. $300 - $400 a night! I just can't afford that for a quick weekend getaway. Airbnb's are great, I'm not opposed to renting rooms on there either but I guess I just like the feel of hostile style lodging.  I didn't realize it until I got here, but I think my first experience in a hostel was with my dad when we were backpacking around Europe together in 2002.  Being here these past couple days has been a special time of reflecting on his life, the good times we had together and how much h...

It’s out of control. Almost every day I’m hearing statistics about how much more we are paying for groceries, utilities, and insurance than we were even a few years ago. Inflation. I won’t get into the political side of things, but I will just say, this is what happens when the government gives away money that it doesn’t really have to begin with. I don’t know who in our history ever decided that was a good idea, but honestly it needs to stop. Our country needs to learn to live on a budget just like you and I need to live on a budget in order to be wise and healthy financial consumers. Anyway, I digress. Back to the cost of living. It’s out of control. Real estate prices are insane and add in the crazy high interest rates right now, homeownership can seem pretty unaffordable to many. A year ago, my ex-husband and I decided to buy property together and convert the daylight basement to a separate apartment. That way the kids could see more of each of us, not have to split their time, and...

Anniversaries help us to remember and acknowledge things in the past. They might not always be happy memories, but I do believe that remembering and reflecting is important. It was a year ago this Memorial Day that I found out my dad had cancer. Three weeks later he was gone.  These pictures were all taken about 2 years ago. We had no idea then that these would be the last memories with Grandpa.  I’ve wanted to write about his passing for some time now, but I just wasn’t ready until now.  His death has been hard for me to process in a lot of ways. I know death is never easy, and cancer can be a horrible way to die, so I don’t fault my dad for his decision. What I do wish in hindsight is that it wasn’t illegal in Idaho to end your own life, in cases of terminal illness. That’s the choice my dad made, rather abruptly in my opinion and like all grieving children I would have given anything to have more time with him. But I think he was afraid. I think he was afraid that he w...

Yesterday would have been my Dad’s 76th birthday. Today I celebrate my first Father’s Day without him, and Thursday will be the anniversary of his passing. In a way I’m glad the three are so close together, but it is proving to be a hard week, that’s for sure 😭😭😭 My dad was the best Grandpa and we miss him so much. He was a great example of how to love your neighbors, love the planet, and just love life. He was always down for an adventure and I love that I also inherited his adventurous spirit. From taking our family to Mexico when I was a kid for a month long immersion, to backpacking around Europe with me in my early 20’s, to coming back to Mexico in 2018 to help me and my 3 kids move back to Oregon (and many of his own trips to Costa Rica, Guatemala, México and Hawaii) he often seemed to live his life like he was on vacation. I love that attitude and have tried to make my life feel like a vacation as much as possible 😎 thanks to him. We don’t know how much time we have here on ...

I don’t consider myself an anxious person. I have suffered from anxiety at times in my life, but thanks to therapy I have been able to lead a pretty peaceful life for the last few years. I consider myself an extroverted introvert. I enjoy meeting new people and the occasional social gathering, but i definitely need my alone time to recharge and clear my head. I regularly meet with people for work, either new clients, potential clients, or professional referral partners. I rarely have any anxiety about these meetings.  I don’t have anxiety about going to my kids’ school or the grocery store, although those places use to trigger lots of anxiety before therapy. But the strangest thing happened earlier this week. Actually, it’s probably not all that strange. In fact, I’m venturing to say that maybe quite a few of you reading this post may have experienced something very similar (it will make me feel better if you have. lol) Last Wednesday, the pickleball club in my town was hosting a “...