Category: Family
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More Than Just a Beach Vacation
When people ask about my favorite childhood vacations, my mind immediately goes to the beach. Every year, my family spent a week at the beach. We stayed in the same place, visited the same beaches, and followed many of the same traditions. While it may not sound exciting to most,…
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A Sick Day and the Kind of Love That Matters
I had been fighting it for a few days, telling myself it was just allergies. A little congestion, a scratchy throat. Nothing I couldn’t push through. Or at least that’s what I kept saying. But this morning, my body decided otherwise. I woke up achy, the kind of ache that…
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A Moment I Wish Could Last Forever
Some moments are so small they almost slip past you. The other night, my husband and I were winding down for bed. Nothing special about the evening. Just the quiet end of an ordinary day. He had the TV on in the bedroom, watching some show I wasn’t really paying…
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A Lovely Little Sunday
Sunday felt like the first real sign that spring had finally arrived. After weeks of gray skies and cold mornings, the sun finally showed up in full force, and my husband and I decided it was too nice of a day to stay inside. We grabbed the dogs, tossed their…
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The Quiet Joy of Being an Aunt
There was Mickey Mouse everywhere. Red and black balloons. A huge cake with bright icing. Gift bags and boxes piled in the corner of the room. My nephew, freshly two years old, sat in the middle of it all with frosting covering his fingers. He didn’t care much for the…
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Trying New Recipes
One of my favorite things is trying out new recipes. I get bored eating the same meals over and over, and cooking has become a small way to break up the routine. Lately, my husband and I have also been trying to make healthier choices, which can be a challenge…
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If Valentine’s Day Isn’t Your Thing
I’ve never been a big Valentine’s Day person. Restaurants are overcrowded. The menus are fixed, the prices are inflated, and suddenly everyone is trying to squeeze romance into a two-hour reservation. Gifts cost more simply because the calendar says they should. And every year, it feels like we collectively agree…
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Marriage in Hard Times: Financial Stress, Depression, and Connection
Lately, my husband and I have been in a hard season — one where love is still there, but everything feels fragile. We argue more easily, recover more slowly, and sometimes struggle to recognize each other beneath the stress. It’s unsettling to see how quickly life’s pressure can turn partnership…
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Fresh Snow, Two Dogs, and Winter Joy
I’m a Florida girl. Born and raised. Experiencing my second winter in Nashville still feels surreal—especially when the first snow of the year transforms the city into a sparkling winter wonderland! Fresh, fluffy snow brightens everything: streets, trees, lawns, cars—all coated in clean white that somehow makes the world feel…
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Finding Purpose (In Smaller Places)
For a long time, I thought purpose was supposed to feel big. Like a clear calling I could point to and say, this is it. Something impressive enough to justify the effort of being here. I assumed if I didn’t feel that pull—toward a career, a cause, a clearly defined…
The Lovely Ordinary 