Samuel Jay is seven years old. He has red hair and a spray of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Everyone calls him Sammy except his Grand Pap who affectionately calls him Little Red. Sammy doesn’t mind; in fact, he secretly loves it. His Grand Pap is the only other person in the family …
Homeschoolers, Let’s RISE!
My report card came in the mail in a sealed envelope addressed to my parents. I was expecting its delivery, so when I saw the mail truck driving down our street, I bounded down our rocky driveway to intercept it. In my bedroom, I held it up to my lamp to see if I could …
Pay It Forward
It was just after the New Year and my resolutions were still elbowing me in the ribs. My alarm sounded and I groaned in anticipation of the next hour: don my workout attire; wake my darlings; load us into the cold car for a cold drive across our cold town. My boys were on board …
Close to Home
Gray skies hung low over South Denver this week and tears poured from the heavens. Snow fell on daffodils blanketing signs of new life. The flowers bowed their sunny heads, weary from the cold. Another school shooting. Media footage showed frantic parents packed into a nearby gymnasium, phones in hand and eyes imploring its screen …
Waiting Room
I sipped hospital coffee under florescent lights in the cardiology waiting room. I was alone save for a man pacing by the windows and a hospital employee who meticulously polished surfaces of tables where no one sat. I settled into my cold, vinyl chair in the corner and pulled my journal from my bag. As …
Stroke of Insight
Two Saturdays ago we were discussing built-ins. Shiplap or reclaimed wood? Would white built-ins in the living room contrast too starkly against brown kitchen cabinets? Maybe we should have our cabinets painted dove gray to tie into our driftwood accents. Or should we scale back the underlying nautical theme and go more for a mountainy feel? …
Picture Perfect
On New Year’s Morning, 2013 we descended through a layer of cloud cover and into the sunny, Denver sky. I was wrapping up a work trip and eager to be home. My spirits soared and I was as radiant as the sunlight that poured through the portal window next to my jump seat. After months …
Head Above Water
I’m not entirely unconvinced that Zach didn’t encounter God the day he nearly drowned. The image will never escape me: his forehead several inches below the surface tilted upward towards the heavens, and his eyes fixed open and unblinking. Our boy has always possessed wisdom beyond his four years, but something awakened in him that …
30 Seconds of Mercy
It has been two months since Zach’s incident at the pool. We’ve experienced the whole gamut of emotions, especially hours and days following. (To read what happened click here.) Eric accompanied Zach in the ambulance to the emergency room and I darted home to retrieve a few items…dry clothes, phone chargers, Piggy Blankie and …
Drowning in Fear
I’ve never been a helicopter mom. Maybe it’s because I have two thrill-seeking, risk-taking, energizer-bunny boys and I don’t have time or space to hover. Or perhaps it’s because my boys are already demonstrating athletic aptitude and are remarkably unclumsy. Possibly it’s because I believe the process of falling down and getting up is useful …
Dramatic Paddocks 