Cake Pops! Or, Why I Am "Calamitous Cook"

A couple months back, I saw a friend’s gorgeous pictures of cake balls on her facebook page. Then I started seeing cake balls and cake pops everywhere. Finally I tracked down the source to Bakerella’s site. The cake pop pictures are amazing, and they look so easy! So I picked up some popsicle sticks at Wal-Mart in hopes of giving this a try. Ever since then, my oldest... Read More

The Trouble with Indoor Photography: Time to Start Shooting RAW?

My oldest daughter is like I was as a child in one particular way: She has a somber, pensive personality. I’ve made it one of my primary goals in life to get her to laugh as often as possible. And it would be the icing on the cake if I could catch it on camera! The other evening the kids and I were lounging around on the bed, and I was probably occupied with folding laundry... Read More

Of Felines and Phonics: Teaching Preschoolers to Read

My older daughter is enamored with cats lately. Here she is, below, with Aunt Annie’s remarkably patient cat: This is more than just a brief, passing phase. In the house, she crawls around looking for bowls of milk. When she takes a bath, she’s a catfish. When she gets hurt, she cries, “MeOW!” This is serious. I wasn’t worried until one day when she... Read More

Hey There, You with the Light in Your Eyes

I’ve taken a break from the photography section of the blog. I knew that was a mistake when I hit a long lull… I’ve decided to tuck the photography section into its own little corner (link in the lower right hand corner of the blog). Anyone interested can come peek in, and others who aren’t quite so obsessed with buttons and dials can feel free to pass it... Read More

Bucket Lists and Checklists: Our Vacation

As promised, I have vacation pictures for you! I blew it on the book review, though. I’m slowly learning never to promise anything to anyone in April and May; they’re by far the busiest months of the year for my family. This vacation could be called “Checklists and Bucket Lists.” My husband’s parents have had, “Take the Family on a Cruise”... Read More

A Homeschool Preschool Schedule

I think that if I never had children, I might have flown through life by the seat of my pants, accomplishing things in bursts of energy followed by down times. God apparently thought it was a good idea to give me a child who is different from me. My oldest girl thrives on schedules. She stretches me as I try to serve her. We don’t follow a schedule every day. But even doing... Read More

Windows of the Soul

Last week I was away from home, house-hunting. I have a bit of catching up to do and some thoughts to record, so you get two posts from me this week (second post is coming). Thanks, as always, for reading… I live among scrub oak, short pines, and rock on the side of a mountain at 7250 feet. I know that the people who have lived here all their lives couldn’t be torn... Read More

Gearing Up for A One-Year Homeschooling Trial

Most endeavors – even the most fun ones – hit a lull at some point. I hit one recently with my section of the blog. I can’t describe how much I’ve loved “meeting” with friends and family each week to talk photography, kid antics, and even the occasional identity crisis. 🙂 This has brought some positive things to our home, and I’m thankful... Read More

The List: A "Typical" Homeschool Morning

Each morning, I hand each of my kids a clipboard with a list attached to it. This list, folks, is a pipe-dream, a wild hope that they can manage to get through all of their assignments before 4:00. It rarely happens. But, after seven years of homeschooling, I still hope. And, after most-of-their-lives of homeschooling, they still react with shock and dismay to The List. Our... Read More

Her First Haircut is DIY

The other day I was busy getting ready for a trip into town, and the kids were occupying themselves nicely and being quiet. They were being very, very quiet. It was one of those “I know something’s going on, but I just want a moment of peace” times. My younger daughter has never had her hair cut. I think she’s simply gorgeous, and I was beginning to develop... Read More