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What My Grandmother Taught Me About Faith, Family, and Unconditional Love
My paternal grandmother was truly my hero. Honestly, I want to be just like her when I grow up. She was sassy, loving, wise, and deeply rooted in her faith—and she had me in stitches constantly. When I was younger, I’d spend weekends with her. She introduced me to crime shows and gave me my love for reading the Bible. As I got older and life filled up with school, sports, and driving, she’d call and say it was time for a grocery run. She didn’t ask—she told—and I always said yes. Time with her was sacred. But what made her so incredibly special is that she wasn’t my dad’s…
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There’s Something Special About Farm Kids
I’ve said it time and time again—there’s something special about farm kids. They truly are a breed of their own. And if there’s one week that proves it, it’s fair week. Fair week is a time when farm kids come together and live in a world that feels entirely their own. At the county fair, you’ll see them up early, wearing boots and shorts, caring for their animals. They make sure the animals have food, water, and a clean place to rest. They walk them for exercise and prep them for their upcoming shows. Some kids are laser-focused—locked in, maybe a little frantic—as they get ready to enter the show…
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Keeping The Spark Alive
Keeping the Spark Alive with a Roadside Flower After eighteen years of marriage, it’s easy for the spark to fizzle a bit. Life gets busy—we’re wrapped up in parenting, work, farming, housekeeping, and, let’s be honest, just trying to survive until bedtime (or sneak in a nap). Somewhere in all of that, we can forget to pursue one another. Every now and then, my husband gently reminds me to reflect on whether I’m still pursuing him. He doesn’t do it with words. He does it with a daisy-looking weed. (Daisies are my favorite.) The other day, we were at our farm when he got back in the truck holding a…
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Why Coffee Dates with Friends Matter -Even if You Don’t Drink Coffee
One way I’ve been able to reconnect with friends is through coffee dates. I don’t even drink coffee! But we’ll head over to our favorite local coffee shop, grab a tea or smoothie, and sit there and chat—catching up on life. I do this with one friend as often as I can, which seems to be about once a year now. We sit and talk about anything and everything. One time, we even sat by the window watching people try to parallel park. It was just as fun as you’d think—especially with our commentary! It’s such a peaceful environment to connect. Today, I met up with four friends I used…
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When Failure Feels Constant
“How many times a day do we fail—whether in life, parenthood, or marriage? How many times have we unintentionally let others down? I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count them all. I fail constantly. I feel like I fail as a mother when I’m on a time crunch or working on something, and I snap at my kids for asking me to do something they could do on their own. I fail as a wife when I don’t put my husband’s needs before my own—or even before the needs of our children. I fail when… I fail when… It’s a constant battle.…
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We Don’t Do Sleepovers
In our family, we don’t do sleepovers with just anyone. It’s not you—it’s us. I have trust issues when it comes to others being responsible for my precious babies. The invitation to stay the night is appreciated, but if I don’t know you, I don’t trust you. Trust takes time—especially when it involves my children. I’ve seen too much in my career, read too many heartbreaking stories, and watched too many crime shows to casually say, “Sure, you can have my child overnight while she’s sleeping and at her most vulnerable.” No way. Even if your intentions are pure and the situation is completely innocent, I still have the responsibility,…
