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Summer 2025 Recap
At the end of every summer, I write a reflection on how it was, what we did, and the overall feel of that particular summer. You can read all about last summer here. Last year, I wrote about how especially the early days of summer felt hard and overwhelming as it was my first summer…
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The Perfect Christ-Centered Easter Basket Gift for Kids
Easter is right around the corner and I have been working on coming up with ideas to fill my 3 boys’ Easter baskets this year. I usually do things like art supplies, matching pajamas, new sandals, bubbles, books, snacks, etc., but I always like having one thing that feels more meaningful and faith-oriented. Last year,…
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How to Make Valentine’s Day Magical for Kids: 8 Fun Ideas
Happy February! Valentine’s Day is always a fun one for me. I like it because it feels not as overwhelming as Christmas or Easter, in terms of making things feel magical and special for kids. I do a few things every year to make the holiday memorable for the kids and it doesn’t drain my…
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Celebrating My 31st Birthday
A few weeks ago we celebrated my 31st birthday! It was a good day and has been a good string of days. This year I felt an extra amount of gratitude for all that I have. My twenties felt like a lot of newness and figuring things out: marriage, teaching, mothering, faith, etc. While I…
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The Magic in a 20-Minute Run, December Things, and Godly reminders from My 6-Year Old
Running Update Since the marathon, life has been full with holiday things and daily life with the boys. It has been a welcomed break to take a big step away from training. I took two full weeks completely off from running. I’ve been following more running accounts and have noticed these girls seem to jump…
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Summer 2024 Reflection
Summer again went by in a blink, but this summer in particular felt both hard and wonderful. There were some amazing highs (our Kauai trip was definitely the highlight) and some tougher lows (H had a tonsil surgery that was a much more difficult recovery than expected). Summer really started in my head early June…
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When December Doesn’t Go as Planned
Somehow it’s already December 15th and let me tell you, December has not gone according to my carefully laid out plans. We haven’t taken nice Santa photos (the ones you want to frame) or seen Christmas lights or attended a single Christmas plan I had written down in the calendar. I knew this Christmas season…
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Summer 2023 Reflection
Even though it still feels like summer, the school year has officially begun, so it is time for my annual summer reflection. I do this every summer. You can read my reflection from last summer here. This summer held a lot of ordinary days with a few wonderful unexpected blessings. This summer taught me that…
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Summer 2022 Reflection
Summer 2022 was a good one. It was full of a lot of slow, simple days. As I wrote last year, I was not ready for summer to end. I wanted more summer. For some reason, this year I feel ready for fall. Not that summer was bad, it definitely wasn’t. I think I’m just…
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Our El Capitan Trip in Santa Barbara, CA
We just got back from a lovely few days away in the Santa Barbara area. We went “glamping” at El Capitan Canyon and it was wonderful. It really was the perfect 2-night getaway with our boys (4 years old and 1 year old). This was our one big trip for the summer and it was…
This Mama Needs Grace 