Authentic Living
31 Days of Real Life [10/29/16]
We celebrated Caleb’s birthday with a small group of friends and family. Usually, we make a big deal about birthdays, but I was overwhelmed by grief and never got around to doing any kind of decorating. Even though Caleb usually badgers me until we decorate, he graciously forgot and had a wonderful evening. I was…
31 Days of Real Life [10/28/16]
It was a terrible day. The kind of day that wants to make you avoid days and people and responsibilities for a month or forever. I didn’t feel well. The grief was overwhelming. The kids were not compliant and whining is my nemesis. I let a few friends know that I was struggling and one…
31 Days of Real Life [10/27/16]
The first snow! It was a bit strange seeing snow and fall foliage at the same time, but I was so excited. I’ve never been one to get excited for snow, but I’ve noticed that since Keith died, I start bouncing off the walls. I think he left me with a bit of his obsessive snow…
31 Days of Real Life [10/31/16]
Halloween. An exciting day for the kids, but a hard day for me. Dad died four years ago. It’s hard to wrap my mind around that reality. I really struggled this year, missing him in so many ways. He would’ve been best buddies with Caleb and I don’t think he would’ve ever stopped laughing at…
31 Days of Real Life [10/30/16]
On each of his birthdays, I’ve taped streamers over his door. It’s so fun to start his special day with such joy and delight. These are the moments I hope to remember. Birthdays are the hardest grief days for me, but I want to remember their childhood with visions of all these wonderful moments of…
31 Days of Real Life [10/25/16]
One of my goals for this series was to take a self portrait. I’m not really sure what to say about myself. I look at these photos and there’s something foreign about that face. It’s me, but it’s a version of me that I’m still getting to know. There are pain and scars in those…
31 Days of Real Life [10/23/16]
This is my family. We don’t look like how I imagined (aside from the fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair – that was not a surprise since that’s how Keith and I looked as children). Honestly, as much as I wish Keith were here, I can’t imagine us looking like anything else. These kids…
31 Days of Real Life [10/22/16]
From the moment they met, when Libby was just a few days old, they’ve been inseparable buddies. When I walked in and saw him reading to her, I was overwhelmed. When Keith died and I was still pregnant, I was angry that I’d be bringing a baby into a broken family. What I didn’t realize…
31 Days of Real Life [10/21/16]
The darkness can be overwhelming. And it’s hard to motivate yourself to keep moving. But it’s so true. There is light and you can have hope. That’s exactly why I started my podcast, Stories of Unfolding Grace: to remind us all that there are good things during difficult times. Since we are all wading through challenging seasons…