Chasing Blue Skies
A Letter to My Daughter: What I Want You to See in the Mirror
May 17th
Dear Faith,
Today the last of the single digits find you: Happy 9th birthday, Faith.
You know I usually spend the weeks leading up to your birthday making jokes about skipping it, how you will not turn the next number. No way no how. You may or may not know I haven’t always relished you growing up.
But this year changed all that. This year, I am not mourning your birthday.
I still marvel at how the days pass slowly but the years fly by. Every mama knows all about that. But if this last year has taught me anything, it’s that nothing’s gained from More >
When You Want Others to Really Like You
May 15th
“I’m learning to care less about what people think and more about people, period.” Emily P. Freeman
My man is technically an engineer in the United States Air Force, although for this assignment he teaches at the United States Air Force Academy. He also has a PhD in something I can’t really pronounce. And just like that, y’all probably make assumptions about him. Because that’s just our nature. When you mix our nature with stereotypes about different occupations and the personalities of those doing them, you make assumptions. While you might guess he is a tech wizard, you might be surprised More >
What We All Need in Life {and Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!}
May 11th
I grew up with comfortable familiarity wrapped around me like wide-blue skies around my Oklahoma prairies. And because I grew up in the same town and literally had family for neighbors, not once did I work to meet people or make friends. So, when my Air Force man put a ring on my finger and moved me to the moon {aka Ohio}, I had myself quite the adjustment period. And quite the cry fest. Or fifty.
As a freshly minted Air Force wife, my husband’s Aunt Hetty handed me encouragement in words spoken and on paper. Not only did she know what it was More >
What My Mama and Every Mama Deserves to Hear
May 9th
Daddy often said I could never be a lawyer. For all my back talkin’, I’d be held in contempt of court.
You’d just nod your head in agreement, maybe let out an “Mmmm hmmm” and for good reason. I had myself a mile wide sassy streak, and I liked to have the last word. And that must have driven you to your knees a hundred times and then some, praying for wisdom on how to show grace to a girl with a wild tongue and a flare for dramatics.
Much later, when the hard contractions set in before your twin grandsons made their entrance More >
How to Let Go of Mama Guilt :: at (in)courage
May 7th
I plumb forgot to tell him you never, ever mess with a dog while he’s eating. That is, until it was too late.
And just as I opened my mouth to tell him, the dog we were dogsitting snapped at my just-turned 4 year old son and knocked him down. In the longest few seconds of my life, I snatched him up from under the dog’s teeth and lay him on the counter. I frantically called my husband who thankfully worked within walking distance of our house. He rushed home and took Ethan to the ER while I stayed with his twin brother More >
Your Weekend to Revisit a Favorite
May 4th
During that precious time between homework finished and dinner ready, she’s been a blur of blowing hair and peddling feet. Yep, it’s been a big week here, one full of unsuspecting triumphs in the form of resumed bike rides.
So while she’s a blowin’ and a goin’, I take the camera and snap pictures. Old favorites revisited are worth capturing, dontcha think? I have a feeling she’ll be revisiting her best friend bike all weekend long.
Whatever your weekend holds, I pray you have time to revisit a long lost love. Whether it be something you had a forced hiatus from and now have More >
When You Need Your Heart Put Back Together
May 3rd
They say time heals all wounds, but I don’t believe it.
Our Faith walked around with a broken neck for six years, something we were blind to until a gymnastics fall brought it to light. I still cry when I think of all the ways God’s hands protected her spinal cord when her broken vertebrae did not. How God brought us an amazing pediatric neurosurgeon {in our very own town!} who worked His miracles on her neck. And today, the vertebrae are fully fused and healed. She can do more activities than we thought possible, including riding her bike.
But sometimes, broken More >
(in)RL in Pictures
Apr 30th
When I hear the front door latch turn and the clomp-clomp of combat boots on wood floors, I know my man is home. And after a kiss and a “Hey baby. How was your day?” I can count on him shooting me a second question:
“Did you talk to anybody today?”
And I’m sure-fire certain he likes it when I answer yes, because then he knows his verbose wife won’t barrage him with a torrent of words. Because for every 1000 words my man speaks, I speak about 5ooo. Ish. He also insists that when I’ve been able to talk with other More >
