I really like filling out forms. I know that’s weird. Most people hate paperwork. But to me there’s something so satisfying about clearly printing important information in the little provided boxes. It’s like taking a quiz I know the answers to! Name, age, address, phone number—that is, until I reach the boxes for occupation, employer, […]

Three years ago, I married my husband, Dan. I vividly remember standing at the altar, saying our vows, “for better, for worse, in sickness and in health,” promising to love and care for each other, even in the tough times. But, like most newlyweds, I never could have anticipated what the future would hold. And […]

photo by: Lawren Rose Photograhy When Brooke Fowler was admitted to the hospital 23 weeks into her pregnancy, she never imagined she’d be giving birth to her son, Charlie, just one week later.  Brooke was diagnosed with hypertension two weeks prior, and prescribed bed rest at home. But while on bedrest, she noticed that her […]

Santa Claus gets some bad press these days. I encountered plenty of it while trying to sort out Christmas traditions for my own young family. He’s too materialistic with all those toys. The secular icon detracts from the Christ Child. The fantasy ruins critical thinking skills. The deception breaks the bond of trust between parent […]

“Hitherto the Herb of Grace had been to them a summer home; they had known it only permeated with sun and light, flower-scented, windows and doors open wide. But now doors were shut, curtains drawn to hide the sad, grey dusk. Instead of the lap of the water against the river wall they heard the […]

Before I became a mom, Christmas gift giving was simple. I could count on gift cards from my parents, a book from my brother, and a sweater from my mother-in-law. The amount of stuff I brought into our home after the holidays was always manageable. But Christmas with children, I soon found out, was a […]

Like many families living in suburban, new-ish, generic-ish builds in Texas, we have a giant wall in our living room. It’s not that wide, but it is very tall because our living room is open to the loft above, which can be challenging to fill in a way that feels cozy but not busy, meaningful […]

When it comes to buying gifts, there will always be those people that are impossible to shop for. They seem to already have everything or say they don’t need anything.  Well, if you’ve found yourself in this position with a certain someone — here’s your solution: get them a good book! Everybody reads. All you […]

Here we are mid-December, and the countdown to Christmas is on. (My 5 year old has been counting down since about September!) Whether you’re looking to buy gifts for your own kids or composing wish lists for generous grandparents, sometimes the sheer amount of options is overwhelming. But we’re here to help. Books make great […]

This interview is part of a mini-series we’re doing on adoption. The decision to parent a child through adoption is a beautiful and loving way of building a family, but for many couples, the process can seem overwhelming and maybe even a little intimidating. How do I know if adoption is right for our family? […]