finding beauty, confidence, and rest in motherhood
Yes! That’s me on a bike! Jemma LOVES riding her bike and usually she is stuck riding loops in our neighborhood while I run with the stroller and Max scooters between us. She’s never asked to go on a longer bike ride, but I knew she would just love the freedom of going and going […]
After a long hiatus from Target – AKA the moneysucker, I ventured in with the kids for a few necessities. We left pretty unscathed. Only a few bonus things jumped in our cart :) We all showed so much restraint! Somehow we rolled through Target and the only photo I snapped was of Kate DiCamillo’s […]
On my birthday run I got to thinking. Mostly about how gorgeous the weather was – clear, crisp, just a slight breeze – and how it won’t last. In October things tend to turn in the PNW. The rain comes. The sun sets earlier. I end up on the treadmill more often than not. Which, […]
Today, we had a home day. And it was glorious. For being homeschoolers we don’t seem to be home very much. I mean, we are. We have a pretty strict nap time each day so are almost always home for lunch and rest, but home days where we just get to be and work on […]
We have discovered the very best toy in the whole entire world! An impossible feat? Nope! Ya’ll the Nugget is perfect in so many ways! Now, when you see the Nugget your first question is probably, “Is that really a toy? Isn’t it more like furniture?” Well, yes and yes Have you noticed that kids gravitate towards […]
The big kids and I went to the first ever Seattle Children’s Book Festival last weekend. It was so wonderful and we can’t wait for next year! We went specifically to meet LeUyen Pham, the illustrator of the Princess in Black series. These books are a top favorite for both Jemma and Max and we […]
It’s birthday week! Jemma and I celebrate just three days apart so early October is BUSY and FUN and AWESOME around here! Even though fall officially rolled in and we are well underway with our school year, in my mind, I’m still wrapping up summer. I need to work on a photo book of our […]
I love exploring new shops and businesses when traveling, don’t you? I mean, I obviously appreciate the consistency of Target as much as the next girl, but Target is Target is Target everywhere you go. Small businesses, on the other hand, are unique and so regionally-minded. They give a true glimpse at life in their […]
This fall I started Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God Bible study. I knew it would be good. My mom and sister both did this study a few years ago and continue to rave about it. As they should. It. Is. Amazing. If you need a personal study or want to suggest one to your church’s […]
A special thank you to The Buttercup House for gifting our family a set of chore magnets. We have gone through many a season of chore charts. Honestly, I feel like I’ve tried them all. The only thing I haven’t tried is a traditional allowance for completing chores. I’m very much in the camp of […]
You guys, I’m so excited to welcome my daughter, Jemma, as a guest author on my blog! For those of you who have been around since the beginning of That Mama Gretchen you’ll understand how surreal this is. I started blogging when I was pregnant with her as a way to keep my mom and […]