Come climb the hill with meCome and be still with meCome watch the sun sink awayIf you will with me Come watch the garden growDown by the gravel roadCome warm your hands in the goldOf the afterglow Into the peace of these wild thingsInto the wild of this graceInto the grace of this blessingSpeak in… Read More Cooper Mountain Family Photos
Thanks to Stephen, the kids will soon have the coolest clubhouse to play in…right in their own backyard. We had talked about this treehouse for a while, but I didn’t realize it was going to be quite so epic! After this, we can move the boys out there and charge them rent! When Mom and… Read More The Most Epic Treehouse
September was a month of no white space. No margin in our lives. One of the hardest parts was being apart so much. Brynn was gone for over 2 weeks, Stephen took a work trip to Phoenix for 5 days, and Thatcher and I flew to Pittsburgh for 3 days at the end of the… Read More September Starts
Hug Point, just south of Cannon Beach, was our playground for the day. It was a bright sunny day for Stephen’s birthday celebration and Thatcher’s first time at the ocean. I’m now so accustomed to gray, windy beach days that I didn’t take our beach umbrella! We made do, and even dipped Thatch’s toe in… Read More Birthday at the Coast
One of my joys is watching Stephen as a daddy. Seeing him become. Stephen’s always been very involved in the practical, emotional, and spiritual care-taking of our family, but this season has deepened that. With my pregnancy taking such a toll on me, Stephen has jumped right in to the shoes of a stay-at-home dad… Read More Fatherhood Moments
Cooper was the “star student” early in the school year. So fun to see what he and his classmates say about him. Brynn has really been liking taking pictures of me–which is kind of nice since I’m always behind the camera. These two play so well together–lots of imagination and common interests. Us in… Read More Just Some Pics
Stephen finished the front siding project this past fall, and I’m so proud. He re-sided the three walls of our garage. Since it happens to be the most prominent part of our home, I’m happy it’s beautiful now. He widened the pop-out window above the garage to add trim around the window. He hung new… Read More Accomplishments
It feels like we can start breathing again–now that we’re nearly half-way through October. These days are flying by! So many things begin in September that it’s perhaps more of a “new year” experience than January. School has been the easiest transition. We’re so proud of Cooper taking on the challenge of kindergarten, navigating… Read More The September Sprint
It was Cooper’s turn for a “man camping trip” with Daddy. Cooper will enter kindergarten just one week from today, so Stephen took him on an expedition early this month to make memories, to provide space for good conversations, and to nudge him toward more grown up experiences. I’m thankful Stephen makes these bonding times… Read More Cooper’s Expedition
As man and wife. As lovers, best friends, partners, teammates. United in covenant. I’m coming to realize how profoundly similar Stephen and I were when we entered marriage. We were both raised in conservative Christian families with habits of learning, frugality, sacrifice, and commitment to each other and to Christ woven into the fabric of… Read More A Dozen Years