If you’ve never had to house camp before, it can be tricky to think through it. House camping is when you’re still at home but without all your things. This can be on the leaving end, either after your stuff is in boxes or after it’s on its way to your next duty station. Or …
Years ago, I had a regular habit of documenting what I was learning. Although it fell off for a while, it feels important to come back to. Maybe it’s because my kids are young and so many of our days feel the same. It can sometimes be hard to keep track of how we’re spending …
It’s spring! A season of reawakening and new energy. These days, I look at spring like I used to look at the start of a new school year. As nature wakes up, so do I. I find myself with more energy and eager to dip into new projects. And this past week, I have been …
It’s October. I’m at my parents’ house, the house my dad built with his own hands from the ground up. I lived in this house from age 2 until I moved out at 25. But I’ve had roots on the property since before I was born. Like any good child, I left some (many) things …
Like many young adults, I didn’t do much cooking until I moved out of my parents’ house. I shared my first apartment out of college with a friend from work. It was a great setup, and I loved the time I lived with her. But I didn’t have a lot of money. I quit the …
This is the house where I’ve felt the least at home. In the 10 years I’ve been a military spouse, this is our 4th house. Some of the unsettled feeling is likely because I’m finally getting used to this transitory life. I know we will move again. Why get too attached? Why unpack all the …
Years ago, on our first overseas assignment with the military, I had a really lovely habit of creating and reflecting regularly. An author that I love, Emily P Freeman, used to host quarterly link-ups for bloggers on her website. She would write a post about what she was learning, and followers could post links to …
Well, friends, it’s finally happened. After 10 years of living this military life, I’m just now starting to let go of the awkwardness of asking a new friend for her phone number. Oh, how I’ve waited for this day. A few weeks ago, my kids and I, along with one other mom and her kids, …
This post comes from January 2010. During my senior year of college, I took a class entitled “Life Journeys.” Part of our grade involved keeping a journal and submitting “small writings.” Small writings had particular requirements, including printing enough copies for everyone in the class. We played a song, passed around our writings for everyone …
I found this writing in a folder from a long-ago (and very short) stint of writing for a small local magazine in my hometown. I had titled it “Bread is Like Life,” which I still think can be true. Originally, I wrote it in 2013 after spending the morning in the world’s tiniest kitchen trying …
