10 things your lifeguard wants you to know

Sunglasses perched on my nose, sunscreen (let’s be honest — tanning oil) slathered on my arms and legs. I spent my high school summers soaking up sun, but I wasn’t a pool rat. I was making the big bucks as a lifeguard. Now that I’m a parent, I’ve been reflecting on my three summers as […]

style inspiration for the rest of us

My sweet, creative, and stylish friend Katie, along with two of her best friends, recently launched a new blog, 3 Average Girls, and I can’t wait to tell you about it — well, or let her tell you about it. It’s a fashion blog for the rest of us — for the real world ladies who don’t […]

law school & seminary & marriage

This weekend, Jonny will don a cap and gown and enter into a new season of life, graduating from seminary with his M.A. in Christian Thought. It’s an end of an era, and as I reflect on our journey together during his post-graduate education, I’m humbled by the way he has continually served and loved me, how […]

big news and diaper duty

(I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of MomCentral Consulting for Huggies. I received product samples to facilitate my review and to thank me for my participation.) I have big news — Asher is walking! (When he has the need for speed, he still stops and drops, but for the most part, my baby is […]

easy style for busy moms

Style for busy moms means choosing pieces that are aren’t only fresh and fuss-free, but comfortable and versatile, too. Inspired by some mixing and matching from my own closet, I came up with a little inspiration for you mamas out there who might be finding yourself in a spring style slump. Spring weather in Iowa is […]

when beauty blooms

As I sip my coffee and watch the sun rise above our quiet town, I think about the beauty that surrounds me. The rainbow of tulips blooming, my one-year-old’s wobbly steps, the dripping icing on the cinnamon rolls. These beautiful things are gifts that often blur into the business, splashes of color that get muddled on the canvas […]

when are we old?

Jean jackets are all over this summer. I recently dug through my closet and unearthed a light, cropped Levi’s jacket I had in high school. Praise the Lord, it still fit. I was feeling pretty awesome about myself when it dawned on me that I am now old enough for a trend to happen and […]

here's to the mothers

http://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/74f29cnvpw I watched this video in church this morning, and I could not stop the tears. It’s based on a beautiful blog post by Lisa Jo Baker, and it’s a must-watch for anyone who is a mom or loves a mom. Mamas, you are so precious. And you are braver than you think. So here’s to […]

cultivating a happy mother's day

I’ve been wanting a vegetable garden for awhile, and this weekend, Jonny and Joseph are building me a custom vegetable garden for Mother’s Day. It has been so sweet to see them work together, and it has really been a labor of love. And Joseph has been really fascinated by the tomato thingies. (Thingies. That’s the best […]

first birthday circus theme party

It’s pretty tough to believe that Asher James is already a year old. (It seems like I just wrote this.) To celebrate, we had a circus first birthday party with a few friends and family. Asher loves to give us his ROAR, so we went with a tiger as inspiration for his first birthday bash. Our life […]