If you've been following my blog for a while, then you might remember all of the sunset photos I would post when I first moved here to rural, small-town Minnesota. This was over five years ago! I was in awe of the endless horizon, the sea of fields around me in every direction, the expanse of the sky above me. It honestly blew me away. I've always been quick to turn to thoughts of worship when it comes to natural beauty around me. It's just an inclination that many of us have. We look at the … [Read more...]
My Favorite Baby Products (Months 6-9)
One of my favorite things to read as I was preparing for Sophie's arrival last fall was any kind of blog post with baby product recommendations from real moms. I feel like a lot of ads pop up on Facebook (or in your inbox!) for new parents, with every company vying for your attention! It's really hard to know what's out there, and what's actually helpful. (This is something that's been getting on my nerves a lot lately; we have so, so many choices at our fingertips, and there are so many … [Read more...]
55 Must-Have Books For Your Child’s Library
Friends, I am so, SO excited about this post! I've been thinking about it for a long time now, but I just had to collect all the information and double-check things first before sharing it all with you! If you don't know already, Bjorn and I are HUGE fans of books and reading. I always thought I loved to read a lot, until I met my husband. Bjorn is probably the most busy person I know, but also the most productive lifelong learner I know. He's always intentional with his time and despite all … [Read more...]
Friendship in Marriage (After Having a Baby)
My husband Bjorn and I are best friends. And there's weight behind those words. This is my personal opinion, but I think that some people whisk their way into marriage without evaluating the question of, Can I truly do daily life with this person? It seems that so many people love "how he makes me feel" or how in love they feel - expressing how constantly exciting and dramatically uplifting it is for them to be in love! That's all wonderful, in a way...but I don't think we should overlook the … [Read more...]
9 Things That Tell Me My Husband Will Be An Amazing Father
This Father's Day was a fun one! We spent time yesterday with several important fathers in our family, including Bjorn's two grandfathers. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it up to my parents' place to wish my own dad a happy Father's Day, but we are no less grateful or thankful for him and his influence in our lives. Dads are great! Fathers have an incredible impact in this world. Their presence, decisions, demeanors, and love (or withholding of it) affect children and families so much … [Read more...]
Why I Read Parenting Books When We Don’t Have Kids Yet (+ a peek at my book list)
*Affiliate Links - Amazon links included here are affiliate links. This means that a click may result in a small commission of the sale, which helps me keep this site up and running at no additional cost to you. Thanks! I've enjoyed learning about and studying things for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would get up early on Saturday mornings and peruse craft books, looking for a fun new project to try. My favorite nonfiction book was (and still is) Children Just Like Me … [Read more...]
Just Us: Living the Pre-Motherhood Life With Intention (Part 3)
I’m getting a bit more vulnerable here on the blog with today’s topic of life before kids – thanks for your openness in entering this discussion with me! Today's post is Part 3 of the Pre-Motherhood Life series - Click HERE for Part 1 (which also provides some background), and Click HERE for Part 2! In Part 2 of this series, I delved deeper into the particular "heart things" I'm working on in this special season. I wanted to continue with that a bit in today's post, talking specifically … [Read more...]
Just Us: Living the Pre-Mom Life with Intention
I'm getting a bit more vulnerable here on the blog with today's topic of life before kids - thanks for your openness in entering this discussion with me! My husband Bjorn and I really look forward to becoming parents. We are both teachers so we currently spend all day with children! Each day brings us important experiences with hilarious kid stories as well as instructing and disciplining children. Bjorn has had to lovingly correct and guide 12-year-olds, and I've worked through countless … [Read more...]