Clayton is 30!
How is it possible that my son is 30?! 30 is how many years I was married! The decades of life pass too quickly, don’t they?! I am not sad or nostalgic as I look back, nor do I wish for a flux capacitor-driven DeLorean to whisk me back in time to re-live my darling…
Happy Birthday 36 to my favorite son in law
Dear Connor, Happy 36th Birthday! I wanted to take this special day to tell you how much you are loved by me and appreciated in our family. Watching you over the past few years has been a joy—you are a dedicated husband and a truly wonderful person. I am so grateful for all the love…
My Baby is having a Baby!
So, I can now spill the beans….. Clayton and Amanda are expecting their first baby – my first grandchild in August 2026. Most of you know that I have never made any comments about my kids and their life choices because it is their life! I am thrilled – of course – but just as…
Twenty-Seven
My Daughter in Love has a birthday today. When I consider the short years I have known her and the depth of relationship and love in that same short season I am humbled at how much more it will be. This girl is stunning inside and out. She is smart and kind. She loves well.…
Thirty Three is Overwhelming
Dear Emily, When I turned 33 you were one week old. Now you are 33 and in one week I will be twice your age! When I was 33 I was overwhelmed at the prospect of being a mom. I am still overwhelmed, but not with worry or anxiety, nor with sleep deprivation or with…
My Coda
In music a coda is the satisfying elaboration at the end of a piece of music that offers a sense of resolution. If I got the chance to have a final word, I am not sure I would have the wherewithal to come up with all the right words in the moment. But I am…
Chicago 2025
When Jim died we made the decision to honor his life and not his death. It seems a moot point since he died 3 days before his birthday but that is not my point. The only death we want to commemorate in an ongoing way is that of Jesus. We decided 5 years ago, however, …
2 years
Dear Clayton and Amanda – It is only 2 years in but it is already hard for me to remember the life before you were married! The work that you have put in and the relationship you continue to forge is a sweet thing to observe. I would remind you that the marriage is best…
Tenacity
I wish I could add pictures to the definitions of some words in the dictionary. If I could I one to tenacity it would be a picture of Emily in her cap and gown. When Emily graduated from high school and started at Biola in 2011, Jim had not been dead very long. Not only…
10 years Ago!
April 11, 2015 is the day that my daughter married. Since that day they have had ups and downs and, in my opinion, more downs than are reasonable. They have persevered in all that bad “weather”. They love each other more now than they did when they began. I made Connor promise to never give…