It was 70 degrees outside this past Friday evening – something almost unheard of in Anchorage. Instead of enjoying the sunshine, our family happily crammed into a narrow church pew at a local Baptist church. Thirty-five little pianists (most under the age of 10) grew increasingly nervous as they sized up the impressive crowd of parents and grandparents, all armed with digital cameras and iPads. It was show … Continue reading Piano Pride
Today my friend Jeanette added a photo to Facebook. It was taken 20 years ago at her wedding: I am Puffy Sleeves #3 and #4 to the right of the bride, and Clark is the guy behind me who used to have hair. This photo captures the day – 20 year ago – that Clark and I became a couple. Dave and Jeanette matched us up … Continue reading Twenty Years Already?!
Five weeks ago we implemented a new rule in our home: kids cook on Wednesday nights. They are responsible for planning the meal, making the grocery list, accompanying us to the store, cooking the meal, and even cleanup. I had hoped to lounge on the couch while the kids hummed through the kitchen like little Food Network stars, but it turns out I still have to be present to, … Continue reading Little Chefs
This year was a little rough for the Easter Bunny. He’s magical and all, but it’s hard to compete with eleven little Labrador puppies. Judging by the smile (or lack thereof) on our son’s face, chocolate labs bring much more joy than chocolate eggs: One of these little pups will be coming home with us on May 19, and the anticipation is already killing the kids. I must … Continue reading Puppies and Bunnies, Oh My!
Yesterday was Maggie’s 8th birthday, and this year she decided on a stuffed animal party theme. (Legos were a close second, but in the end stuffed animals won.) She sleeps with a menagerie of furry friends each night, and spends copious amounts of time rearranging them in her room each day, so we weren’t terribly surprised. For the invitation,we gathered all the kids’ stuffed animals … Continue reading Stuffed Animal Birthday Party
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that beloved books make great birthday party themes. At the age of two, our two-year-old Maggie was seriously obsessed with one book: Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose. And so it was decided: a nursery-rhyme birthday party! I had fun with the invitation wording: The Humpty Dumpty cake, on the other hand, was not so fun. I tried my best … Continue reading Mother Goose Birthday Party
Sunday was our 12 year wedding anniversary. My friend Nancy offered to watch the kids, but we decided it would be fun to get spiffed up as a family and head out to a fancy restaurant together. Just the four of us. It was a decent plan, but when the big day rolled around no one wanted to leave the house. So we scratched baseball … Continue reading Happy Anniversary to Us!
Last night I was so taken with the sunset over Turnagain Arm that I decided to snap a few pictures: I had no idea that I was also capturing a tragic moment. The Seward Highway, which parallels this beautiful inlet, has been named a National Scenic Byway because of its breathtaking beauty. Sadly, this highway is also known for deadly car crashes. As I was … Continue reading Sunset Tragedy
Last week a language arts teacher at my school asked me to write an elegy to share with her students. At first I thought she meant a eulogy, but she set me straight: an elegy is a poem honoring a deceased person, whereas a eulogy is a speech that is read at a funeral. Who knew? The hardest part was coming up with a subject that … Continue reading Seussical Celebrations
Lately I’ve spent a lot of time dangling out our living room window with a camera strapped around my neck. With views like this, it’s tough to resist! The sky is pink in the morning and orange at night. What a blessing to gain over 5 minutes of light each day right now, and watch the sunset travel across the horizon. Continue reading The View
Profoundly Ordinary 