“Mom, what makes me special?”

September 8, 2017.Reading time 7 minutes.

#2 Cherub came home from her first day of 7th grade yesterday and asked, “What makes me special?” I thought this might be a preface to her upcoming birthday, but it was homework, a getting-to-know-you worksheet from one of her teachers. (The worksheet also required her to calculate how many days she’s been alive. As […]

All the Hallelujahs

September 7, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

The Cherubs are back in school, and I’m relaxed for the first time since June :) Summers, historically, are not our best season as a family. This one was no different. Most of the time, I felt like this Bart Simpson doll: And yet, as I scroll through pictures in order to curate a perfect internet […]

Sharing a Win

May 12, 2017.Reading time 7 minutes.

I told you about the Women’s Retreat. And the CFCS Gala. But I also want to share a big family win that happened in the midst of it all. Last Friday was the first night I’ve spent away from home & the kids since they moved in with us almost two years ago. We hugged […]

The Amish Nun Strikes Again!

May 10, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

Last night we went to a Gala to raise money for Cambridge Family & Children’s Service, the awesome organization that helped us adopted the Cherubs. Last year, my friend Super-G & I went. This year, Greenhouse Mission sponsored a table. (Next year we hope to WOW THE ROOM with a 40 person roller skating performance […]

Trashed

April 28, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

If I have to pick up one more item of Cherub detritus, I will lose my mind. Last week we were all home for vacation. This week, our house is TRASHED. It’s been five days, and not only have I not restored us to a basic level of not panicking if someone knocks at the […]

The Story of Our Staycation

April 24, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

In an Easter miracle that feels every bit proportional to Jesus rising from the dead, we managed to pull off a school vacation that didn’t suck. I am awed and grateful. I’m not even sure how to describe it, so I’ll just post a bunch of pictures with a few words to record this moment […]

The First Days of Adoption

April 11, 2017.Reading time 11 minutes.

Friends of ours just met their kids for the first time!!! They’re adopting older siblings from foster care. For obvious reasons, this makes my eyes fog up. I am so excited for this new family. And aware of how vulnerable it feels to attempt this. As much as we all want to imagine these moments […]

Laughing & Crying

April 10, 2017.Reading time 14 minutes.

I didn’t realize how schizophrenic my weekend was until I sat down to write this post. First, the funny part: Have you guys noticed that the way clothes look on Pinterest & style cards isn’t AT ALL how they look on a live body? I think this is a metaphor for EVERYTHING. This weekend, Steve […]

The Full Weight of Adoption

April 7, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

I just tried on all my summer clothes. Nothing fits. Again. I have not worked out in any meaningful, sustained way in at least 8 months, and yet I’m shocked (SHOCKED!) to discover that I am facing yet another warm season with a wardrobe that consists of one pair of jeans and a single billowy […]

Power Struggles

April 5, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

Rough week here in Ryanville. One of our Cherubs truly believes she is maturing at a tremendous rate, such that she’s becoming more our peer than our child. In her mind, she, Steve & I form a triune leadership counsel, through which we lord power over her brother and the dog. She tolerates my place on […]