• He’s my favorite. 👨🏻 I think all the time how grateful I am that he is and does all that he does for us, but man, when he’s gone, I am *really* aware of it. It’s just not the same without him at home. Thankful for this life we live.
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    He’s my favorite. 👨🏻 I think all the time how grateful I am that he is and does all that he does for us, but man, when he’s gone, I am *really* aware of it. It’s just not the same without him at home. Thankful for this life we live.
  • I’m seeing lots of kids and tech posts again as we all settle into new routines with Christmas gifts and school and all that comes with the new. 📱 I wanted to share our approach again as well as a little tidbit of encouragement. 🕹 I’ve shared before that we do not allow phone games in the house—only out of town car trips. Previously, 30 minutes of electronic time could be earned for Friday. Over the Christmas break, the boy had some new Switch games, so I was allowing a little more time to use them than just Friday. It quickly turned ugly—it was a constant ask, “Can I play Switch?” 🤦🏼‍♀️ This is not a new thing. This is why the guidelines we have exist. So, rather than just imposing the guidelines again, I asked the boy what he thought was fair—now, remember, we have had limited tech since he was about 2. I expected him to ask for 30 minutes a day or something much more lenient—nope. He asked to compromise on 45 minutes each Friday. Done. ✔️ Even if it’s hard to start sometimes, and even if we get a little off track sometimes, guidelines are good for everyone. As we prepare and condition our kids for what works, they are learning how to fit that into their big scheme. As an added precaution, we don’t allow any of the chats, friends, etc on any of the games. He is to contact us immediately if someone reaches out to him on the game so that we can verify settings. What’s your tech strategy at home? If you’re feeling compelled to change it, I encourage you to do so. It might be tough at first, but our kids are worth it.
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    I’m seeing lots of kids and tech posts again as we all settle into new routines with Christmas gifts and school and all that comes with the new. 📱 I wanted to share our approach again as well as a little tidbit of encouragement. 🕹 I’ve shared before that we do not allow phone games in the house—only out of town car trips. Previously, 30 minutes of electronic time could be earned for Friday. Over the Christmas break, the boy had some new Switch games, so I was allowing a little more time to use them than just Friday. It quickly turned ugly—it was a constant ask, “Can I play Switch?” 🤦🏼‍♀️ This is not a new thing. This is why the guidelines we have exist. So, rather than just imposing the guidelines again, I asked the boy what he thought was fair—now, remember, we have had limited tech since he was about 2. I expected him to ask for 30 minutes a day or something much more lenient—nope. He asked to compromise on 45 minutes each Friday. Done. ✔️ Even if it’s hard to start sometimes, and even if we get a little off track sometimes, guidelines are good for everyone. As we prepare and condition our kids for what works, they are learning how to fit that into their big scheme. As an added precaution, we don’t allow any of the chats, friends, etc on any of the games. He is to contact us immediately if someone reaches out to him on the game so that we can verify settings. What’s your tech strategy at home? If you’re feeling compelled to change it, I encourage you to do so. It might be tough at first, but our kids are worth it.
  • Just because I love him and this pink cardi makes me happy. ✨
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    Just because I love him and this pink cardi makes me happy. ✨
  • It became all too real to me this break that the years with this guy home are ZOOOOOOOMing by! 💨💨 Next Christmas he’ll be ten. We’re half-way done with his time at home. Yes, there will be college or whatever he decides to do before he is fully grown and gone, but our time with him home is limited, regardless. It makes me want to lean in more. Talk more. Savor more. All the while, he is growing and learning to become more independent. He outwardly wants less and less of us. This is why you see us on the sidelines, in the dugouts, with a car full of kids. We want to know who has his ear when we don’t. We want to know the kids and parents he is with when it’s not us. We want to be parents his friends know and trust. It’s an absolute honor and gift to get a front row seat for where ever this kid is headed. I’m glad he’s ours.
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    It became all too real to me this break that the years with this guy home are ZOOOOOOOMing by! 💨💨 Next Christmas he’ll be ten. We’re half-way done with his time at home. Yes, there will be college or whatever he decides to do before he is fully grown and gone, but our time with him home is limited, regardless. It makes me want to lean in more. Talk more. Savor more. All the while, he is growing and learning to become more independent. He outwardly wants less and less of us. This is why you see us on the sidelines, in the dugouts, with a car full of kids. We want to know who has his ear when we don’t. We want to know the kids and parents he is with when it’s not us. We want to be parents his friends know and trust. It’s an absolute honor and gift to get a front row seat for where ever this kid is headed. I’m glad he’s ours.
  • 19 years. I mean, what kind of 16 year-old knows who she is going to marry? Even when he didn’t know. I knew. In my heart of hearts. You were the one God had planned for me all along. I could never have dreamt or imagined this life, though. This love. It’s bigger, better, and more real than anything I could have ever planned for myself. It’s hard to imagine being old enough to have been doing anything for 19 years, but here we are—old enough. I’m thankful to have had you to learn with and grow with all these years. I’m proud of who these two kids have become.
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    19 years. I mean, what kind of 16 year-old knows who she is going to marry? Even when he didn’t know. I knew. In my heart of hearts. You were the one God had planned for me all along. I could never have dreamt or imagined this life, though. This love. It’s bigger, better, and more real than anything I could have ever planned for myself. It’s hard to imagine being old enough to have been doing anything for 19 years, but here we are—old enough. I’m thankful to have had you to learn with and grow with all these years. I’m proud of who these two kids have become.
  • Create. For many years now, when I start reflecting on the past year, the new year starts to come into focus. When I start thinking about how I have shifted my thoughts or actions to walk where I feel called to be, I start seeing the next pieces of the path. Even when I posted about creating earlier this week, it wasn’t my word yet. Not even on the radar. This year’s word, CREATE, feels a bit scary to put out into the universe. But it’s a different type of create than the initial reaction lends to. I see us continuing to create, make, and do as a family. I see us creating space for more time with friends and family. When it first came to me, it was almost as a version of curate—taking and making things and spaces be what they are designed to be to utilize them the way God wants. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ NLT
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    Create. For many years now, when I start reflecting on the past year, the new year starts to come into focus. When I start thinking about how I have shifted my thoughts or actions to walk where I feel called to be, I start seeing the next pieces of the path. Even when I posted about creating earlier this week, it wasn’t my word yet. Not even on the radar. This year’s word, CREATE, feels a bit scary to put out into the universe. But it’s a different type of create than the initial reaction lends to. I see us continuing to create, make, and do as a family. I see us creating space for more time with friends and family. When it first came to me, it was almost as a version of curate—taking and making things and spaces be what they are designed to be to utilize them the way God wants. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ NLT