Children

  • "Life" Books,  Adoption,  Children,  Mommy,  My Little

    Life and Lollipop Toes

    I am going to jump right in today, and lay out what I believe with great conviction and also find important to make clear before moving forward today… I know that was a lot to get to what I actually want to write today, but my hope was to make clear where I am coming from and where my heart is. November is National Adoption Month. So this month I hope to bring some light to some areas of adoption that may be new or a little less familiar to you. Today, I want to share one of the very real and heart breaking realizations I discovered and researched that…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Grief,  Memories

    What ever happened to PLAYtime?

    Play. What are the first things you see, feel, smell, taste, hear when you think of this word? Color. Smiles. Activity. Concentration. Comfortable. Welcoming. Happy. Play-doh. Finger paints. Goldfish. Juice. Giggles. Conversation. Pitter-patters. Music. Squeals. These are just the beginning of what pops into my head when I think about “play.” Children have the raw instinct to just know to play. They don’t need instruction, they simply begin. They start by learning the noises and voices that are safe and familiar. Then slowly they begin to develop their focusing skills, and start to discover their hands, feet, and those around them. They gradually learn they can kick, grab, roll over,…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Jesus,  Mommy,  My Little

    Take time to Look Up!

    Happy Fall, Ya’ll! Fall and winter are my happy places 😊. I love the weather, the clothes, the feelings… I could go all day, but I know that most people don’t share my deep love for these seasons, so I won’t drag it out 😂. Seasons of Life. Some come and go, some come to stay. It is all in how we choose to welcome them, isn’t it? The picture above is my niece during our first visit to Build-a-Bear. I love this picture, and when I say love, I am over the moon in love with this picture. Let me tell you why. First, the awe and wonder in…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Family,  GRANDparents,  Memories

    Those Who Make Our Lives GRAND!

    Grandparents. Special older influences. The people that make you think, make you smile, make you slow down for a while. Front porch visits, a pack of nabs, a Pepsi, an episode of the Andy Griffith Show. This coming Sunday we celebrate and honor, these very special people. And as I have experienced as a child, and as a Mommy and Aunt, I love children’s art no matter the occasion, I want to slow down and reflect on what really is so GRAND about the investments they make! GUIDE with grace: The beauty of grandparents guidance is that they have experience. In the eyes of a child, it seems like they…

  • Children,  Jesus,  Pass it On...

    Heart of Urgency

    As I mentioned last week, my niece and nephew were with us for almost a week, for what we like to call Camp Palmer Pines Jr. We took a little journey to the Billy Graham Library Teddy Bear Tea, and had fun staying in a hotel, with a tv in the bathroom mirror, I might add 😂 (The other TVs are no longer fascinating 😊) After our little adventure, we had some “taking it easy” time at home. Each summer we have, what my nephew named, “Bible School.” Just 30 to 45 minutes of talking about Jesus and God’s Word, which we repeat, “The Bible is the MOST important book…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  Grief,  Mommy,  My Little

    Celebrate? Now? How?

    As I walked back into our house, into complete silence, I wept and couldn’t catch my breath. I just remember thinking, “when will I be able to come back up for air? This hurts so bad!” As I crawled into the bed that I now couldn’t remember her not being beside me in, I wrapped myself in every blanket that was hers and cried and breathed, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” A deep breath in and breath out, Jesus. Repeated until my heart rate was somewhat normal. Although my head felt as if it was going to explode. I would be lying if I said this was a one time thing. The…

  • Children,  Consider This...

    Head.Shoulders.Knees.Toes.

    I come to you all today, fresh from urgent care. No alarm! Just some massive mouth sores/blisters that are hindering my eating, talking, and well, day-to-day life. Good news: nothing serious, just something I ate, or allergy, or irritated. And thankfully was given something to relieve the pain enough to nourish myself, and sit down and write a little… My mouth frustration has had me thinking (since talking has been very rare). I been pondering a few things that I would like to share and ponder with you today. I’ve been told that I have the gift of translating for “new talkers” aka understanding toddlers conversations. Enjoying the company of…

  • Aunt-ing,  Children,  Chronic Illness,  Migraines

    Peace in His Presence… ALWAYS

    Let me take you back to when I was little. The time in life when any performance, or sport, or school project, etc, was ultimately about the snack at the end of the game, or the flowers, or trophy at the end. And beyond that, what left the greatest impact on me, for life, was who showed up. Grandparents. Mom. Dad. My brother. Family. Close Friends. After the snack and flowers and trophies are gone, the lasting impact, are the people, who thought I was worth dropping all other things and decided to take the time to come see me. It was a gift to know my people would be…