The Military Spouse Road Trip Survival Guide (Spoiler: There Isn't One)
What should have been a simple drive home turned into potty emergencies, sketchy gas stations, a damaged tire, and one very tired military spouse. If you've ever road-tripped with kids, you'll understand exactly how this story ends.
The Day I Almost Bought a Taxidermy Raccoon Purse
My sister-in-law and I went vintage shopping looking for the perfect strange object to hide in someone's house. We found an old crow in a pinstripe suit, a taxidermy raccoon purse, and a coyote purse that brought back one unforgettable family story.
Strong Enough to Rest
Ten years ago, my husband and I rebuilt a deck. This summer, we rebuilt patio stairs. Same marriage, same tendency to fix things together, but thankfully a much wiser approach to heat, breaks, and admitting that shade is actually pretty wonderful.
Update: I've Solved the Mystery
The Tales of Captain Trashbeard continue…
Update: Captain Trashbeard has become bolder.
Captain Trashbeard and my escape from certain death.. while my dog stands by and let it happen.
I Love My Kids. I Just Need Everyone to Keep Their Pants On.
Tiny Minecraft Evangelists & Other Things Keeping Me Up at Night
A day at the library turned into a lesson about peer pressure, confidence, and one very persuasive little Minecraft salesman. Parenthood really is emotional whiplash.
The Sounds of Vacation
Vacation was supposed to be peaceful. Instead, I spent the day hauling five wheelbarrows of rock uphill while a peg-legged raccoon loudly protested the empty bird feeder outside my kitchen window. Sometimes the best vacation memories are the ones you never planned.
The Time My Brother Boiled a Squirrel in My Mother's Pot
My little brother was an excellent hunter. My mother was terrified of mice. Those two facts collided spectacularly the day he decided to clean and boil a squirrel in her favorite kitchen pot. A funny childhood story about family, city living, and the pot that never recovered.
Slow Summers and My Own Personal Global Warming
After a hectic year of moves and transitions, summer at the lake has reminded me what matters most. Between sweating through every outdoor project, nursing transplanted flowers, homeschooling, and watching my children create worlds from construction paper, I've realized these simple days are becoming the childhood memories they'll carry forever.
I Finally Stopped Looking for One Perfect Answer
I spent months trying to decide if I was a homeschool mom or a public school mom. In the end, I realized I didn't have to choose one identity. Here's why one child is heading to first grade while the other is staying home.
The Field Guide to Parenting for Mechanics
When our first child was born, I discovered that the man capable of diagnosing engine problems by sound alone was absolutely terrified of a crying infant. Children don't come with owner's manuals, Bluey can only do so much, and somewhere between deployments, bowel prep, and toddlers with a death wish, we all learn the same lesson: the goal isn't perfection. It's participation. Welcome to The Field Guide to Parenting for Mechanics.
Working Vacation: Broken Boats, Dahlias, and Family Legacy
What started as a summer escape quickly became our usual working vacation—repairing boats, planting dahlias, fixing fixtures, and remembering the grandparents who taught us that family isn't found in perfection but in gathering together, no matter how chaotic life becomes.
Apparently I Was Playing Summer on Beginner Mode
I thought years of Tennessee summers had prepared me for southern heat. Then we moved farther south and I discovered I'd only been playing summer on beginner mode. From humidity to wardrobe adjustments, here's my honest—and slightly sweaty—take on surviving a Deep South summer.
Love Her. You Fought to Become Her.
I thought strength looked like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Real life taught me otherwise. A reflection on resilience, motherhood, and the quiet fight to become who I am today.
The Day My Daughter Gave Me an Unscheduled Summer Haircut
I ignored one moment of silence during pretend hair salon. That was my first mistake.
The Family Life I Thought My Kids Would Have
I grew up with loud Sunday dinners, a blue cookie tin that never held cookies, and the kind of family closeness I thought my kids would naturally have too. This is about missing that life—and learning to build something meaningful of our own.
Another Day of Questioning Whether to Send My Kids to School
Some days I feel completely confident homeschooling my kids. Other days, I question everything. Here’s my honest struggle with choosing between homeschool and public school.
My Daughter’s Pretend Coffee Shop Includes Lattes, Sisters, and Sudden Emotional Plot Twists
My daughter’s pretend coffee shop started with lattes and ended with unexpected tragedy. Kids don’t ease into plot twists.
Mother’s Day, According to Real Life
Mother’s Day didn’t include sleeping in or uninterrupted peace and quiet. It included a 4 a.m. dog emergency, a toy-bin disaster, an interrupted bath, and one glorious locked-door nap. In other words: a very real Mother’s Day.