If I’m being completely real with you guys, the activity I’m about to write about came from a fear of not doing enough. When I think about the mom I want to be, there are SO many things I want to do with my kids on a consistent basis. Some of these things may sound…
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Family Christmas on my mom’s side wrapped in Arkansas yesterday. It’s an event that’s been part of my regularly scheduled Christmas programming every year since my arrival in 1988. If your family ever needs lessons on how to conduct a proper game of Texas Christmas — more commonly (& possibly offensively) known as Chinese Christmas,…
Read MoreGrowing up, I was infatuated with Christmas. The lights & music & gatherings. The tree & giving special presents to people. The candlelight & hot chocolate. I loved it all. My mom made lasagna from scratch on Christmas Eve, & we got to open one present that night. Even though I never believed in Santa,…
Read MoreLast year’s family pictures was typical for Texas. Outside. Sweaters. Christmas décor. 94 degrees outside. This is what we have come to know & understand as part of our Texas lives. The season of fall skips over us. I kick & scream about it every year (so maybe I haven’t exactly come to know &…
Read MoreI was sitting at my vanity in my bedroom putting on my makeup last Friday morning. It’s a rare thing to put on a full face of makeup these days—I was taking the kids to Tyler for the day because I was attending a gala for an organization for human trafficking that evening. Blake was…
Read MoreMy dad is one of the most generous people I’ve ever known. And the thing is, I probably don’t know the half of it. But I do remember seeing him push a tv on a cart down my elementary school hallway & learning he was donating one to every classroom. I remember he’s the one…
Read MoreI trick-or-treated for the first time when I was in the fifth or sixth grade. We went to church fall festivals before that– you know the kind–where if you’re dressing up as a clown, you’d better be a cheery one because nothing nightmare-inducing allowed. And no cobwebs because those are of the devil. I love…
Read MoreThis is a simple story, but it’s one that’s repeated itself over & over again with little variation. Blake goes to work. I stay home with the kids. Ten hours pass. Blake comes home tired & can give a summary of his day by meetings attended & problems solved. I am also tired but unlike…
Read More** Background: I have three children– my oldest is biological– my middle is adopted– my youngest is biological. I think it is important to note that I have experienced becoming a mother in both ways for this story. ** One of the biggest mistakes I made when we were in the process of adopting Emma…
Read MoreA few months ago, Blake & I were on the phone while he was driving from one work meeting to the next. He said there was a family on Instagram he knew I would go crazy over, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell me because I would want to do all the things.…
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