I have had a few parents ask me my opinion on whether or not their child should get a tattoo. Of course I suggest seeking God’s desire, but I too know the value in gathering intel from other God seeking people when decision making - as God uses that to communicate with us too! “Mom and Dad, I want a tattoo” drifted out of the soft spoken lips of our then eighteen year old daughter who was a Senior in High School. Our first reaction was not … [Read more...]
College Visit, Random Observations
This past weekend was Family Weekend at my daughter’s university. Her father, brother and I happily attended this annual event and were eager to spend time together as a family to recapture some of the mojo we miss on a daily basis. Oh wow...it was glorious. The missing element to our family dynamics returned, that sweet, sometime snarky, always genuine, rapport was back and somehow turned up a notch because our girl has a unique relationship … [Read more...]
Messy Kid Doomed To Episode Of Hoarders
When she became a tween and through her teen years my daughter’s room was the safest room in our home. The very room we should hide all of our valuables in, for if our home was ever broken into even the thief would be so overwhelmed upon entrance to her room he would have shuddered and made a fast retreat to a more organized part of the home. What the heck happened to my “clean up, clean up...everybody, everywhere...clean up, clean … [Read more...]
Moms Of Boys Reality
The little boy I have cuddled with, zoomed cars with and built towers tall with is no longer a little boy, he is a young man who now towers over me. His sixteen year old boyish grin is outlined by a scruffy beard, his shoulders are broad, his voice deep – yet still filled with kind compassion as he reveals snip-its of his day with me. He has always been so willing to share his thoughts. Someday he will have a wife who will be blessed by his … [Read more...]
God Did That!
We had guests over the weekend. My favorite kind of guests – teenagers. My daughter came home from college for the weekend and brought three friends with her. There are only two weeks left to their Freshman year in college so it was a sweet time of lots of good home cookin and many rich conversations - a year in review reflections and the sharing future dreams wonderings! On Saturday night we had a couple of adults join us, as I always … [Read more...]
New Mom Territory, Instruction Needed
Laughter and revelry fill my warm, cozy home for a few days when we have college guests. Not so much more than when other guests are here. Just sweeter somehow. She was home again. My daughter. My “I’m a freshman in college” daughter. Who is more woman than girl now. Who is more reflective and forward looking now. This is new territory for me. Territory I knew was coming, yet as with any challenging journey no matter how well prepared one … [Read more...]
I Am Back In College
At least that's how it feels! At this very MOMent I am sitting in my daughter's dorm room, on her bed to be exact. I am experiencing a VERY surreal flash back in time to when I was sitting on my own dorm room bed. (Many, many years ago...yes, two many's!) Familiar sounds of voices down the hallway, the creek of a bathroom door opening exposing shower sound echoes and hair dryer whirring and the shuffling of flip flops. Neighboring female … [Read more...]
Stay The Course?
When your first born goes off to college there are so very many challenges. Letting go, trusting God, an empty bedroom, a smaller ketchup bottle, no more long brown hair stuck in the vacuum cleaner brush, one less place setting, a sad cat, less conversation - I could make a lengthy list. I could cry me a river too. But I choose not to - I have spent the last 19 years training her for this time in her life and quite frankly, she is ready. She … [Read more...]
Texting Pick Me Up
I was moseying along during the day yesterday, minding my own business - actually I was cleaning a bathroom. Such is the glamorous life of a mom expecting a house full of couples for a good old fashioned deep Biblical discussion. Part of me wanted to fore-go the cleaning and just let my son's mess speak for itself - "This is our home, we do live in it and our guest bathroom happens to also be my 15 year old son't bathroom and he nor I have … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Changes
As you may recall, my daughter started college a few months ago. That has led to changes and a new normal around here. She certainly left a big empty space in our home upon her departure, but God is graciously filling that void. Having the capacity to embrace change, even one so very close to one's heart is a choice - and I am choosing to accept, adapt and grow. I have been counting the days until Thanksgiving and then CHRISTmas so I can … [Read more...]
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