Two little girls stood staring across the screen door. Curious. Hesitant. Surveying each-other. Both wore ridiculous dresses adorned with miles of ruffles. Both had disheveled blonde hair and cheeks flushed red from exertion. They could have been looking in the mirror. […]
I pulled into my driveway weary. The kids were grouchy, antsy and griping that they were hungry. I pleaded with my daughter to take her brother sledding while I made dinner. They both moaned in protest and launched a negotiation […]
I can’t think of a better place to people watch than the county fair. All God’s children show up to enjoy the exhibits and food. So do their parents and grandparents and even their dogs. And I’ve come to the […]
Anyone who’d ever stayed at Bonnie’s raved about her gift for hospitality. As I set my bags down, I quickly understood why. The guest room pulled me in like a warm hug. The bed was piled with soft pillows and […]
I’m a ninja at turning my schedule into a game of Tetris. And I am good. Very, very good. Since I knew a two week period contained multiple long meetings and deadlines, I artfully scheduled golf camp and horse camp around […]
For several years, I hosted the same boys over and over again. These kids counted my home as their second home and my family as their extended family. They were familiar with my quirky sense of humor and squealed with delight when […]
I got the message while standing in the checkout line. We’d be hosting a nine-year old girl over spring break. I was excited to be welcoming a child into my home again and announced the news to my younger son and […]
My childhood home was no showcase. The walls were covered in brown wood paneling, the carpet was frayed berber and the hand-me-down furniture was shabby. But still, it always seemed like a great place to be. No one cared about […]
We sat on the couch at 4AM, sipping coffee. My body was numb from exhaustion and the caffeine wasn’t helping. As rain pelted the windows and the wind whistled against the house, my husband and I tried to talk him […]
It was just a silly breakout at a women’s conference. At least that is what I thought. The speaker had wrapped up her talk and issued a challenge to turn to the person beside you and share your thoughts. I […]