Dear heart, There may come a time when the weight of the world becomes unbearable. When darkness pushes so intently on every side that you begin to doubt that light is true. That love is steadfast. That holy, beautiful things can exist alongside so much pain and suffering. I plead ceaselessly that God will let Read more
I’d spend it in my Grandmothers hammock. Suspended between giant old trees swaying gently in the heavy summer air. Reading through the distant sound of thunder until the raindrops start to fall. Or at the top of her magnolia tree. Initials carved deep into the bark of branches so thick they cradle me as I Read more
Since starting this blog, I’ve received many uplifting comments about the lifestyle we’ve chosen, usually accompanied by a question: “how did you decide this was the life you wanted?” In the past, I’ve struggled to answer this question. I’ve written volumes on why it’s the right fit for us and how having children helped us Read more
As I write this from the playground on a glorious fall day, it’s easy to remember why this advice, received from many sources, is so important. Yet a week ago, in the midst of overwhelm and sleep deprivation, even these simple tasks seemed insurmountable. Most of us have heard that the “basics” of caring for Read more
We love our National Parks! They are quite a departure for our city-loving personalities, and they have provided us with some of the time and experiences that we value the most. In honor of the 4th of July, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned over two years visiting our nation’s best Read more
Jeff and I have a running joke that planning life-altering trips is our guarantee of a new baby on the horizon. Oddly enough, life keeps proving this true! After 18 months of waiting, we found out one week before a trip to Ireland that we were expecting Molly. Apart from a resort stay in Jamaica Read more
One of my most-asked questions about flying with kids is, “how do you get them to sleep?” The short answer is, we don’t. We have made a handful of key decisions about travel that make all the difference in our ability to relax and enjoy the time we have together as a family. Packing lightly is high on Read more
After 43 flights with at least one child, 37 of those with two children, and all with at least one lap child, I thought I’d share some of what we’ve learned and what gets us confidently back in the air time and again. Unsurprisingly, we take a minimalist approach to flying. On Molly’s first transatlantic flight Read more
A couple weeks ago, I read this article by a man whose brother was at the Istanbul airport during the attack several weeks ago. As I read the short text message from the author’s brother, I realized how many times, in how many circumstances, I have already crafted *the* text. The one to send to those Read more
I’ve received a few questions recently about how we plan for trips and what we decide to do in cities with children. Of course what we do depends somewhat on the city, but the two places we consistently make a point to visit are the art gallery and the cathedral. Since art books have made Read more
