Kids – Hive and Nest

Oh, hey! Remember me? The thought of editing all my daughter’s wedding pictures to put on this blog caused me so much stress that I never did it. Procrastinating is my superpower! So here it is exactly three years later and I figured that I might as well just get… Read More The summer was a whirlwind. I didn’t post once because I was trying to savor every second of it. But here’s a quick rundown of what happened. Photo overload! Finn graduated from high school. Graduation ended at noon and every picture we have outside has me with my eyes closed because… Read More Well, after sixteen days, Finn received his mission call. When you agree to go on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, you have absolutely no say in where you will go.  The church leaders who make the assignments prayerfully consider the file of… Read More On Sunday it Mother’s Day which can be a good day or not so good day, depending on your situation. If you have a child on a Mormon (LDS) mission, though, it’s one of the best days ever. When a child is on a mission, you get to talk to them… Read More I can already see your raised eyebrow and hear you muttering, “There isn’t one magic thing that we can do to make our children happy.” But there is! And, surprisingly, it doesn’t involve sports, music lessons or going to church. It’s eating dinner together as a family at least four nights… Read More I am proud to say that in twenty-one years of raising six children, I have been a soccer mom for a total of four months. In case you didn’t know, I don’t like being outside when it’s cold. Or hot. And being a soccer mom entails sitting outside in all… Read More After what must be 3 billion class Valentine’s Day parties, my days of doing kid’s valentines are over. Jasper is in fifth grade and we made our very last valentine box. While this doesn’t make me even slightly sad this year, I bet I’ll feel a little melancholy about it next… Read More Today my second-born child, York, turns 20. I am down to having only two teenagers again. York has been getting his butt kicked down in Brazil (metaphorically speaking!) and learning piles of humility and patience. Hoo boy, has he needed that! Of course, York is still York and he told… Read More Do you know what happens in thirty-five days? My daughter, India, comes home from Brazil! She has been gone for nearly eighteen months! Can you believe it? The first few months dragged by. And about a year ago she had a bunch of really difficult struggles that made me wonder… Read More We have a sofa in my family room that I dislike.  We bought it at Crate and Barrel many years ago and it was the cheapest sofa at the store. Instead of wondering why a particular style of sofa would be so much cheaper than everything else (it wasn’t on… Read More Unlike most bloggers these days who have a charmingly dressed toddler and a sweet baby who is constantly and adorably photographed, I have tweens and teens and a couple of grown up kids. We moms of older kids are more of a silent bunch. Not because we don’t have anything… Read More