Little Bird

I have to admit, when I began Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst my attitude was a little smug: I don't need this book! I like the concept of it, but I feel great about myself and I love my friends! I am so loved! Then I remembered there are moms I hide from, or avoid, or don't try to get to know because they scare me. Last year I needed almost the entire school year before I would talk to a mom because she seemed so put together. Turns out she's really nice! And I can now say "hello" to her without feeling scared. This year I watch little ones while their mamas attend Bible Study and a fellowship group. The mamas all look so fresh, their clothes are so cute, and they all have ankle boots (booties? is that what we call these?) and now I think I need a pair ... but please don't expect me to wear makeup. Please. I just can't. I don't know how. And there I go again - assuming other moms won't like me  because I don't look or dress like the

I have to be honest: when I see a Christian publishing house imprint on the back of a novel I usually put that novel back on the shelf, but a fter reading When Mountains Move  by Julie Cantrell I want to give more fiction put out by Christian publishing houses a try! I didn't realize When Mountains Move  is a sequel, so there were moments when I was a little lost, but I still found Millie's story engaging and interesting. When Millie marries Bump Anderson she attempts to leave her past behind and begin a new life with him in Colorado. However, Millie is unable to bury the past completely and has to find a way to make her marriage survive the secrets she has kept. Cantrell's honest writing about the difficulties of motherhood, especially in an isolated situation, rang true for me. The first year of a baby's life can be so hard on a marriage and Cantrell does an excellent job exploring the tension and troubles of that time between Bump and Millie. When

 I was reading and singing to Ainsleigh before bed a few nights ago when the idea for this post popped into my head. When Ainsleigh was first diagnosed with unilateral hearing loss (she is profoundly deaf in her left ear) I didn't want to have anything to do with the community of parents raising kids with hearing loss. I was done  being part of a parenting group that was set aside because something was wrong with their child. I'd been to Holland when I expected a vacation to Italy . I had no idea what country I landed in after Ainsleigh's brith, but I knew I didn't want to see that essay again. I wanted to raise my baby without being labeled a hearing loss parent. I was already a loss parent. I didn't want to add to my resume of perceived failures. But even though I didn't want to join the community I was still pulled in because Ainsleigh needed support. Ainsleigh needed an audiologist and speech therapist. She needed regular testing and in home care to help

Well, okay, we are mostly done remodeling the small bathroom. We're still trying to find the perfect shower door, but we are otherwise done! This is what we started with. This is the best complete before shot I could find - thanks honey! It looks really bad!! Then Jon took everything  out. Except the shower. It is a custom size (very small) which earned it the right to stay. Then Jon worked and worked and planned and created and built and built and built and I stressed out about EVERYTHING and didn't like ANYTHING and worried we would never find flooring. And then this weekend it all came together beautifully and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's really hard to get a good picture of this tiny bathroom, so you'll just have to come on over and check it out! Jon had so many problems with this shower! It is not what I had in mind, but it turned out great and I am so glad the brown and tan duck tiles are gone (unfortunat