We went to the woods… Last month, I chaperoned a freshmen retreat at our high school. For three days, 100 of us lived differently—in cabins, walking miles across the camp, eating meals together at long tables, challenging ourselves with archery, rock climbing, and epic games. The most significant challenge? No phones. Suddenly living with each...Continue Reading
Dear Lord…. Here we are, God. Year 2. Lord, You keep working Your perfect plan, and I continue to be grateful. Thank You for being with Catie through freshman year, God. You were right there with her—through the nights she stayed out with new friends and the days when she was homesick and weary. Through...Continue Reading
Two realities defined this summer: Texas suffered a terrible heat wave and you ran hundreds of miles. Running and running and running. When the temperature stayed in triple digits? You ran. When you needed to unwind? You ran. When your legs throbbed, you still ran. You ran at 5 in morning, 5 at night, and...Continue Reading
Thank you, sir, for this Summer of Ping Pong. The hundreds of games we played together (ping! pong! ping! pong!) set the summer tone. You are bouncing between full-teenager (your first phone & mission trip) and full-kid. This was a hard summer to be the baby of our family. You hate feeling left behind as...Continue Reading
Dear Elisabeth (on your first day of 10th grade)… Today, two of your teachers announced that theirs is the hardest class in high school. For the rest of us, this warning would worry us. But you love a challenge. Love it. Case in point, lifeguarding defined your summer. You heard the city pool needed guards, and the...Continue Reading
Before you book a VRBO or AirBnB, here are 5 lessons we’ve learned as owners. 1. Read the Reviews (Carefully) Everyone reads the reviews before they book. But the reviews on VRBO and AirBnB are complicated because not all of them are accurate. After you check out of a rental, the owners receive a survey...Continue Reading
Please excuse the over-the-top passion in this love letter. I’m a local, a writer, and in-love with this island. This little sandbar has given so much to our family—and gushy praise is one way to celebrate it. Many years ago, my parents were Texas transplants (young teachers who were called to teach at St. John’s...Continue Reading
This year, I’ve traveled over thousands of miles, all over the United States, to lead women’s retreats. Every place I go, I see the same need. Women are starving for real, face-to-face connection. Over and over, they share stories about feeling lonely and stuck–and they’re looking for answers. A women’s retreat is the answer. Here’s where women...Continue Reading
Maybe it’s just me. But lately? My first reaction is to be cynical. Or bitter. Or weary. This is a change and I don’t quite know what’s caused it. The more I talk about this–the more people seem to feel the same way. What’s going on? Maybe this dark cloud is leftover from the confusion...Continue Reading
Truths I learned from our freshmen twins & their first Homecoming… Some things change. After Catie’s four Homecomings, I kind of felt like a Homecoming veteran. I am not that. Because HoCo is really different as a mom of one independent girl than it is for two freshmen—especially when one of those freshmen is a...Continue Reading
