Several weeks ago, Eloïse and I were playing a very giggly round of jumping around on mommy's bed, when she suggested that we play "tomb." She would hide under the cover and be dead...
Read MoreI was fortunate to come of age in the company of two proper Belgians (my now husband and the best man at our wedding), so when I first learned to drink beer, I benefitted from their expertise. What this developed for me was not necessarily the most refined beer palette—I still consider myself quite amateur—but rather a solid sense of the varieties of beer I like and what is not worth ordering for myself, no matter how trendy. But since we recently traveled to the motherland, I took the opportunity to try as many different beers as social responsibility for a person of my stature would allow. Here, I offer my completely amateur opinions of the experience...
Read MoreIt's a quiet Saturday on the coast of Southern California, and a sunny beach day is our gift to the visiting inlaws. The kids dance with delight in the shallowest fingers of the waves, their shovels and buckets abandoned before me. I am charged with guarding the blanket, which is my own delight. My black yoga pants draw in the sun and its warmth prickles my skin, the ocean breeze a balancing cool on my face. Familiar sounds. Familiar smells. I gaze out to infinity.
Read MoreIf you don't think of caring for the disenfranchised when you think of Christianity, take a listen to the latest sermon in our series on the Imago Dei...
Read MoreI am glad that I asked for books instead of cards at my first baby shower. I didn't know how much of a reader Eloïse would be, but it has certainly worked in our favor to be well stocked. And still, two children over the course of four years have put a substantial wear and tear on our collection...
Read MoreI do miss singing. With life as it is lately, there aren't a ton of opportunities for me to really belt at the top of my lungs like I might have in high school or college. There were more places for that, then, and there was less NPR.
Read MoreI spent many summers and Christmases in this small town Tennessee home...
Read MoreToday I sit in a small garden on the campus where I work, admiring the blue skies and imagining the beautiful scene above them. While my family, miles away, attends my grandfather's funeral, I join them in spirit.
Read MoreWe got back last week from camping* with the family, which was our most successful trip ever. There was family napping, good food, lots of relaxing in nature, and even a little bit of pinterest-inspired nature crafting. It was so good that even a double-vomit situation on the drive home couldn't derail it. Now that we've been camping with the kids in a variety of different settings, I think we've finally found a good groove. With that in mind, here is my working list of Storrs Family Camping Hacks...
Read MoreI was halfway through my first pregnancy when my OB's archaic sound device couldn't find a heartbeat. She seemed non-plussed and suggested a follow up with the ultrasound tech. I had already seen and heard my baby at previous appointments, already announced to overjoyed friends and family that we were expecting our first child in June. At nearly 20 weeks, I found the her referral odd, but I didn't know enough to be worried....
Read MoreI should be careful how I begin this post. Princesses weren’t as much of a craze during my childhood as they are for 4-8 year olds today, but I, too, was captured by their allure.
Read MoreToday I dropped Eloïse off at her new preschool. I put on a brave smile, as if my heart wasn't stuck in my throat. Armed this time with pull-ups and a bento box, Eloïse is transitioning into the next level of her pint-sized education...
Read MoreJuggling doubles makes it hard to find time for writing, but I still enjoy the opportunity so much when it arises. Take this post, for example, which I am typing with my thumbs via the WordPress app while my baby nurses. Whatever works, right? I recently started my first gig blogging for another site, Cornerstone West LA, which has altogether different thrills...
Read MoreOn Monday, I took Eloïse and Anderson to their two-year and two-month check ups, respectively. Probably not the best way to spend her birthday, getting shots, but Eloïse was a trooper. Now that we are a couple of months in to being parents of two, I feel like I am getting a real sense of Anderson's personality and the dynamic between the kids...
Read MoreLittle chubbers now clocks in at 10 lbs 1 oz and 21.5 inches long. His eyes are that deep navy blue that Eloïse had so we think they may turn out blue after all...
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