The night before Maggie’s birthday, we were more patient than usual with her bedtime shenanigans. No matter when we send her to bed, she always finds a reason to come back downstairs. Oops, she forgot her water. Ooops, she forgot her book. Oooops, she forgot to take her asthma medicine. Her last trek downstairs is always with open arms, simply asking for another goodnight hug … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Maggie Style
This is not a post about Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. There are already plenty of those, and since I was one of the early voters it’s out of my hands anyway. I’ll avoid making judgments today and wait for the wisdom of hindsight. Instead, this is a post about our son Sam and our dog Kodi. The events in this post happened eight years … Continue reading Election Day History
On Sunday Clark decided to take the kids hunting. A light dusting of snow had fallen the day before, so apparently the conditions were ripe for tracking without trudging. Clark has been dreaming about this day since the kids were conceived (probably longer) just as much as I’ve been dreading it. Don’t get me wrong: I’m grateful Sam and Maggie have a dad whose greatest … Continue reading Bunnies and Pachyderms
“Our plan for this gorgeous day was the removal of some of our animals from the world of the living into the realm of food.” ~Barbara Kingsolver, from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Sometimes it bothers me that I’m married to such an avid hunter. How can he look into the eyes of a beautiful piece of nature, only to pull the trigger and watch it die? … Continue reading The Realm of Food
We have lived in our new home for about 18 months now. I’ll never forget the day we found this place: it was a crisp, clear January afternoon. Clark had found the listing online that morning, and we decided to do a drive by. Imagine our surprise when we discovered there was an open house, and we could tour the home that very day! We … Continue reading Blown Away
Growing up, I would often hear women refer to themselves as “football widows.” It never resonated with me, since college football was more of a lifestyle than a hobby in my family. My mother and grandmothers and aunts were very much alive and present on game days, cursing and screaming throughout every play. In fact, when I look back, the whole world seemed a few … Continue reading Classic Marriage
“When dogs go to Heaven, they don’t need wings because God knows that dogs love running best.” ~from Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant I pray those words are true, because today we sent Bailey to Heaven. The pain in my chest cuts clear through to my spine tonight. I didn’t know how hard this would be. Last weekend Bailey walked out to the fire pit, … Continue reading Profoundly Difficult
I rarely do the Facebook status update thing, but I did post today. Here is what it said: “Eight years ago today Ronald Reagan died. I know this because I was in the hospital, fuzzy with nearly 24 hours of labor pains, wondering why the muted tv in the corner kept flashing Reagan’s images. Had I been in labor since the 80’s? It felt like … Continue reading The Kingpin is 8!
Few words today – I will let our newborn visitors speak for themselves. This new family slept next door last night, and wandered around our yard this morning. What a gift it was to watch them frolic and nurse. They were close enough that we could hear them too… chomping leaves, cracking branches, and whimpering at each other. The twins are adorable, but I was … Continue reading Duece Moose (+ Mama)
If I recall correctly, I typed my last post with dirty fingernails and weary muscles. Well, tonight I type with nearly severed tendons. I think that is worse? It all started this morning when I decided to make the kids blueberry muffins (just from a box, so don’t go all Supermom on me). I reached into the fridge for the eggs, and somehow flipped a … Continue reading One Fine Day
Profoundly Ordinary 