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Read This
Read this …… it’s better than anything I could put up here anyway. All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.I never had a selfless thought since I was born.I am mercenary and self-serving through and through;I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn. Peace, reassurance, pleasure are the goals I seek,I cannot crawl one inch outside…
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The Peacemaker
It is both curious and humbling to watch your children develop traits and characteristics on their own. London Eli is growing into quite the Peacemaker or Conflict-Avoider. She seems to be always keeping her eyes open for opportunities to smooth over situations between her siblings before conflicts get out of hand. At a recent lunch at the lodge, after Bergen…
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What’s That?
After church Sunday I had to stop at the grocery store and I knew every little person in the car was hungry and that by the time we got home it would be later than our normal lunch time. No one likes that – right? And I didn’t feel like creating some great meal nor did I want to drive…
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Happy Birthday Bergen
Bergen turned four this weekend. Celebrating with Bergen Hawkeye . . . . – When you tell him “happy birthday” he responds by saying, “Happy Birthday!” – Kevin made him his own special Wolverine claws. Quite an undertaking, but well-appreciated. – After his birthday party, Bergen would thank his guests by shouting “THANK YOU FOR COMING” through a mouthful of…
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This is My Day
Everyone was playing happily outside. It was so nice and quiet inside. I should have known better. After all these years and all these kids . . . . I should have known better.
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Poop and Potential
Every morning it is my privilege to enter little Willow’s room to give her a good morning kiss and hug and to see her sleepy, sweet eyes light up when I enter the room. And nearly every morning the same smell and the same words greet me as I enter her domain. “Poo Poo,” she declares, pointing to her itsy…
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Weeping May Occur
I wrote this when Mosely was but a younger lass, moving from her beloved crib to her big girl bed. When reading the Bible I often find certain verses that I think apply directly to my own children. Sometimes I chuckle to myself at the verse’s real intention and the intent I jokingly like to apply to it. “Whoever loves…
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Never Say Never
I always told my English students to avoid using cliches in their writing. I accused cliches of sounding predictable and boring. I encouraged my young aspiring writers to strive for fresh words and intelligence in their writing styles. Don’t misunderstand me here – I thoroughly believe that avoiding cliches in writing is still good advice. And working to find new…
Keep Reading . . .
In Praise of Small Homes
close to midnight/ sisters
thirty years of July Fourthing.
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I Don’t Understand
Why does this look like so much fun but imagining fifteen-year-old Riley behind the wheel seem so terrifying? (Okay, so I know the reasons why…….but isn’t it a little alarming how few blinks it takes to get from one stage to the next?)
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Are You Happy?
I wrote this piece when London was a toddler. Enjoy. “Are you happy, Mommy?” It’s a question my two and a half year old daughter asks repeatedly throughout the day. I’m not sure where she first heard it or why it has stuck in her mind so. Who can explain the vast intricacies of the toddler mind? Who would even…
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Little Creases
The little creases on Piper Finn’s body are one of my favorite things about that kid. You know the creases I am talking about. The one at the wrist. The one at her elbow. The itiest creases surrounding each knuckle on her teeny hands. The crease where her ankle connects to her foot. Her neck creases. I love those little…
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It’s Official – I Am A Parent
This is an older piece from the early days ………… When was it that I officially became a parent? Was it when I adopted my first daughter? Was it when I gave birth to my second daughter? Or was it when I licked my finger and rubbed smeared banana off my then seven-year-old daughter’s chin? What about the time I…
