Musings

We recently watched The Polar Express as a family. I remember loving the slideshow of it as a kid--the elementary school librarian would show it each year before Christmas. Our oldest daughter is four and we've had many conversations this year about Santa. As over-analyzers, Matt and I can't just go with the flow and try to convince her that Santa is real. Many talk about the "magic" of Santa, and how they don't want to ruin that for their kids. I'm not here to argue about what you should tell your kids about Santa, but I do want to share my thoughts on this "magic" business. Our daughter, like most four-year-olds, is really into pretending. She also loves watching shows and reading books. Often, she gets that hopeful sparkle in her wide eyes and asks things like, "Are superheroes real?!" or "Are unicorns real?" On a basic developmental level, she's forming an important life skill of being able to differentiate between wh

A few years ago I found a "copycat recipe" online for Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi soup (anyone else love that bottomless soup, salad, and breadstick lunch special??) and have modified it a bit each time I've made it. It's my go-to meal to take to friends with new babies because everyone raves about it and big brothers and sisters love it too!  The measurements can be adjusted a bit for your preferences, but here is how I've been making it: Ingredients: 2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I roast them with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning blend) 6 cups chicken broth (I make it with Better Than Bouillon) 2 cups cream 1 cup celery, finely diced 1 1/2 cup carrots, finely sliced 1 cup onion, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped  1 tablespoon avocado oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound potato gnocchi* Parmesan cheese, as desired Heat up a sto

Sometimes I don't feel much. Life feels like a continuously expanding to-do list, and I get in "task mode" and wonder why I want to pull away from everything. In the moment I struggle to put my finger on it, but I know I need a break. And then something awakens my senses and it's the epitome of refreshment. Last night, it was listening to Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Part , the song I walked down the aisle to, which Matt and I often listened to in our little studio apartment in Chicago. It also reminded me of the times I picnicked at the Pritzker Pavilion while listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on amazing summer days in the city. There's something about old memories that help me be less detached from myself. As I talked to Matt about this, he said something along the lines of, "that's why art is so human." Because it reminds us that we're not just here to do tasks and stay alive. Art seems like an extra, because it's not

Whenever I hear people talk about trying to view parenting as ministry (or even your most important ministry!), I think of things like family/bedtime devotions, and serving--because our babies and toddlers need our help with most things. So, we read the children's Bibles and theology flash cards and pray together and I clean the children and all the things and make the food and carry them and get up in the middle of the night, etc. And I definitely have room to improve with the discipling and serving. But what good is all that if my interactions with my children throughout the day are not loving? Parenting a toddler has made it exceedingly clear to me how much I struggle with patience and gentleness. I feel like Paul in Romans 7, because I hate the thought of talking down to my kids or yelling or expressing my frustration or annoyance... but I struggle to stop doing what I hate!  This past weekend I was at a marriage seminar with teaching from Dave Harvey, and the idea that