Two years ago in February, our twin daughters Maggie and Abby were born. As identical twins, they had developed a complication called twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome. They needed to undergo in-utero surgery to try and save them. The surgery was unsuccessful. The girls had to be born via c-section at only 24 weeks old. Maggie lived one day.… Read More
This post contains affiliate links. Three years ago, I said yes. (A small yes. More like a “sure, why not?”) I never expected it would change my life. When a friend asked if I’d be willing to check out another blogger’s new idea – to create an online ministry devoted to Scripture for Catholic women –… Read More
“Brothers!” He calls after them. As if he lives in a monastery, my mom laughs. “Brothers, wait up!” All day long the sacred word is intoned. That is the brothers’ room, the brothers’ school. Not just from the youngest looking up. The oldest gathers his confreres with a single summons: “Brothers! Time for dinner!” All… Read More
“Here is your ice cream cone,” he declares. Satisfied and soapy, he hands me a cup full of bubbles. He eyes me intently, underneath wet curls. “What flavor is it?” I know to ask. The joy sparks: she sees it, too! “It is chocolate-ish strawberry vanilla. It is served in a cone and a dish.”… Read More
Dusts off blog. Tap tap, is this thing on? What better way to round out a year of writing than to share a few favorites? I love a good listicle, and I bet you do, too. Even though other writing projects (like this book) took time away from blogging this year, I vow to frequent… Read More
He laughs now, this rolling plump of a babe. Chortles like a chuckling gentleman when I tickle under his chin. The laughter is intoxicating; we are all addicted. His doting brothers swarm the changing table for a chance to coax out another. In the instant when his round eyes brighten and his soft mouth opens… Read More
Right now is a season of harvest. That’s what I keep telling myself. It seems strange, to start a blog post like this: here’s another book I wrote. As if I am pulling these out of the oven and sliding them onto the cooling rack with only a flick of the wrist. Far from it.… Read More
It’s steadily fall now. Even I can admit it, a summer-loving girl who hates to kick the flipflops to the dusty back of the closet. The light is lower each afternoon, the mornings darker. The seasons have turned again. I’m trying to soak up what’s good about this one. The splash of colors on trees,… Read More
So what do you do after the hurricane hits? It’s a worthy question to ask. Because grief rocks everyone’s world, eventually. None of us gets out unscathed. (We just prefer to presume we might.) The question becomes: how do you find hope again, in life after loss? One unexpected gift of the past year was the… Read More
Last week we watched Irma, that swirling monster of a storm, with twisted stomachs and sick hearts. Friends we love live in Florida. We wanted them to be safe, their homes to stay dry, their schools and workplaces untouched. We read their anxious updates, prayed for protection, watched the weather forecast. It looked like the… Read More