As many of you know, we have a very small hobby farm and it’s been a while since I’ve shared about our animal adventures. Raccoons- We have two that are not pets, but that have taken to eating off our back porch. The kids call them No-Tail and Yes-Tao;, for […]
2022 Goals
It’s a new year! It feels like every time I turn around a month has gone by and now another year. I used the word “years” in reference to covid not long ago and we all paused, amazed that it’s been so long. Who thought we would be saying “years” […]
Thoughts About Bravery
As a kid I thought the bravest people were those who did dangerous things and seemed unphased by it. I’m not ready to completely abandon that definition (there are super brave firefighters and mountain climbers) but I’ve also realized that my definition was severely lacking. In the past two weeks […]
A Smell, A Sound, A Memory
In Yours Truly, Thomas there is a scene that takes places at a community social. In this scene there’s a huge table full of food that the townspeople have brought to share. Penny, our leading lady, catches a whiff of the delicious aroma and she gets swept away by memories […]
Yours Truly, Thomas is Here!
Yours Truly, Thomas has officially hit shelves! In my recent newsletter I asked for ideas of ways to celebrate this book’s release. Some of my readers are so creative!!! I loved reading all the responses. Here’s how release day ended up going: Tyler snuck out for work letting me snooze […]
Things Worth Savoring
“I’m gonna grow up and I’m gonna move away and be a daddy.” My three-year-old says this almost every day. It’s my fault because I reacted the first time so he keeps at it (he has one of those personalities). This new favorite statement of his is both a blessing […]
How to Raise a Reader in 10 Easy Steps
1. Model reading- Whether you read on your phone, tablet, or in print let your kids know you are reading a book. Let them see you get excited about it. Let them hear you say how good it is or what you’ve learned about it. Let them see you prioritize […]
Books for Boys (or girls) recommended by Boys
I’ve had a couple of people message me for book recommendations for boys. I asked my eleven and thirteen year olds what some of their favorite books are or have been in recent years. These books have our approval but I’d still encourage you as the parent to make sure […]
Great Family Games
When we aren’t reading (or writing) we love playing games together. Raise your hand if you’re a game playing family too? It’s fun, right? Sitting around laughing, enjoying one another’s company while you try and win. Here are a few of our favorites in no particular order. Grandpa Beck’s Games– […]
Valentine’s Day Event and Giveaway!
One of my favorite things to do is to get together with a bunch of friends and hear their love stories. Everyone’s is unique. Some are quick, some are slow. Some people saw it coming from the start, others were friends first and the love crept in. Some have had […]
Real Honest To Goodness Orphan Train Sisters
The Hope of Azure Springs is a fictional story about former orphan train riders and what their experience may have been like. While researching I read that siblings were often separated in an attempt to find the children homes. I imagined that being hard even if it was necessary at […]
The Six Month Pause
If you’ve read The Hope of Azure Springs, and if you made it to my author’s note, then you know that during the writing of this novel my son Titus was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy. The months surrounding his diagnoses were incredibly challenging months for our family. We were very afraid […]
Writing and Baby Chicks
We hatched baby chicks in an incubator this last month. We were only moderately successful but we all enjoyed the process of rolling the eggs and watching them peck their way out. I always feel so bad for them when they have just their beak out and are chirping but […]
Learning Backwards
We got our four year old a balance bike a few months ago and he flies around on it. It’s the cutest thing and I know from friends that learning to balance and then pedal works so much better than learning to pedal and then learning to balance. I’m wishing […]
Embarrassing Moments
I have several stories from my childhood that my children think are so funny. Listening to them giggle over my mishaps makes me excited to someday work them into a book but for now I’ll share one with you so you can be an insider if it ever pops up […]
One of My Everyday Heroes
My oldest son Garret is almost a teenager. (How is that possible?) He’s a great kid that likes to pick on his little siblings, be outside, and enjoys reading a good book. He’s funny and smart and I think he’s a handsome kid. But someday he’s going to be the […]
Ravioli and Writing
Just the other night I sat on a bar stool in my kitchen as I watched my children and husband make homemade ravioli. I pitched in here and there but mostly I observed. It went something like this. The first batch of dough didn’t turn out right so they laughed […]
Tyler Versus the Raccoon
We have a lazy tom cat that likes to sit on our back porch. He has a cushioned bench that is all his own and the kids feed him pretty much any time they notice his bowl is empty. We all love this cat. He’s the perfect cat in many […]