A Beautiful Birth | Dean Forrest Collie

September 27, 2019.Reading time 20 minutes.

Dean Forrest Collie was born Tuesday night at 11:12pm on September 24, 2019. He was a hefty 9.8 pounds and 21 inches long, so it seems he took his time in utero very serious. He came prepared for a famine, but pretty sure he hasn’t been hungry for a second yet. Our Birth Story Since […]

Valleys, Community, the Hope of Heaven in our Pain

June 14, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

Today our friends will live the holiest hardest day of their life thus far. I’ve relived our experiences 14 months ago this week over and over thinking about the days that lead up to today. Praying for them and also knowing that God’s grace is enough to get you to and through the next thing. […]

The Other Side of Pain

August 22, 2018.Reading time 16 minutes.

Yesterday was a great morning, so I thought. It was our first day of school with the kids, so everyone was on their A game waking up, getting dressed, making lunches, cooking a healthy breakfast, and everyone with their cute selves were out of the door on time at 7:30 to head to school. I […]

We are living our greatest fear.

July 29, 2018.Reading time 19 minutes.

To my grief readers: I realize my place in my journey with grief is mine. Today feels hopeful. Tomorrow I might want to say one million eff words. You never really know and it really is all a journey to embrace the feelings, memories, and find hope. As I have learned these few short and […]

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I’m glad you weren’t perfect.

May 14, 2017.Reading time 12 minutes.

Mother’s Day seems to mount in both its meaning and sentiment the older I get. The more I get to know my mom, the woman, rather than simply as my mother, the more I am deeply grateful and incredibly impressed at what she has both sacrificed and experienced. As a kid our worlds are small […]

Does Shaming People Work?

August 31, 2016.Reading time 11 minutes.

I try to keep my “opinions” to myself…or at least keep them in environments I know are healthy or engaging and a two way street of dialogue. I rarely blog these days. I have too many businesses and jobs to chronicle life and one of these days I am going to finish that book…. […]

30 never looked so good…

April 25, 2016.Reading time 18 minutes.

Well, if you’re reading this then turning 30 did not kill me. So that’s something to celebrate. You’re either thinking two things right now: OMG SHE IS 30 – I DON’T WANT TO BE THIRTY What? The thirties were the best time of my life! **If you hated your 30’s – no need to […]

How We Write | From Expert to Ordinary

April 25, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’ve been sifting through lots of words the last two years. I stopped writing for a quite a large portion of that time. I sensed God calling me into stillness and intentional silence. It’s been pure love and hate. Silence can be deafening and stillness uncomfortable. I have asked the Lord more times than I […]

Love Big or Go Home

April 25, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

Grown up love is all kinds of magical. It’s hard. It’s committed. It’s relentless. It forgives so many times it loses count. It keeps showing up – in smile and in tears. It pushes through. It plows through the uncomfortable and messy. It disregards self and chooses someone else, regardless of how that someone will […]

Ponder: think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion.

December 31, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

After the birth of Jesus, there was a whirlwind of life and activities and events. So much busyness. Guest and celebrations. Honor and reverence. Recovery and adjustments. I cannot imagine the blend of feels going on. New life as a mother, trying to comprehend being entrusted with the Savior of […]