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erin

erin

I'm Erin Jo. I'm thinking, writing, dreaming, mothering, loving, living, praising, BLESSED to be Fiona to my Shrek and Mommy to my four amazing kiddos.

dave

dave

Shrek is "like an onion with many layers" but has a heart of gold. He's my husband and my friend, and we just get better all the time.

lily

lily

Lily is my first baby and only girl. She's smart, funny, tall and kind. Keeping up with this girl is a challenge and a joy. She's terrific!

max

max

Max is one part ogre, two parts lover and all boy! Our little man has a temper but gives the best hugs of anyone I know!

colby

colby

Colby is as ornery as he looks. He flirts shamelessly, even with strangers. He's all mouth and curls and the loudest by far.

luke

luke

Luke is the baby of the family, but holds his own. He's happy and adorable. And he's a terrible sleeper. =)

New Normal

All pictures from yet another awesome hike today. This time, at our beloved Lake Tweet.

There’s been a bit of a shift lately. I felt really great on Sunday. Like I was truly able to see this pandemic situation at face value. The answers seemed easier. I felt a settling in, a sense of calm.

I’ll admit I’m not quite as zen after two full days of working at home while trying to mother and manage my children. I’ve cussed a little, screamed a lot. But did I get my hours in? Yes. Are we all sitting here on the sectional couch, watching “America’s Got Talent” and feeling peaceful and well-fed? Yes.

But also, is one kid hacking? Yes. Has another kid had a low-grade fever for a couple days? Also yes.

Such is life in this crazy time. Find a little peace. Lose it. Trust in your Maker. Be filled with doubt and fear. Love the time with your family. Yearn to run far, far away.

But then, you get a hug from one of your kids out of the blue, connect with a coworker in a video call, watch your kids willingly pass on the last slice of pizza to give it to the teenage man who lives in our house that can’t get a deep enough dish at the moment.

And you feel OK. You realize everything’s fine… that this moment in time will eventually end, though no one yet knows when it will end. You see the perfection in being imperfect.

Sometimes you realize that your lunch break is going to have to be extended and completely repurposed as physical education class. And you give yourself that grace. You convince your kids to put on actual clothes and mud boots and get in the %$#*@ van. Time to go, people!

So you meet your sister and her husband and her gaggle of homeschoolers and you hike to a place you’ve been every spring of your life: to the old homestead of Jess’s, just out back of our beloved Lake Tweet. You traipse in mud and let all the world go for a bit… You hike to a little patch of wild daffodils to find the answer to the entire family’s annual question: “Are they blooming yet?”

Yes. Yes, they are….

You pick through the mud and catch the smiles. You don’t worry about the past or the future; you just live in the present.

You love the way your kids are delighted with their cousins, their first friends, their family land.

You take pictures, you get some fresh air, take the joke photo with two of your siblings that whatever three always takes when one of us is missing….

And then, you walk back up the hill of your childhood. You pack your kids back up in the van, listen to some country music on the short drive back home and finish your afternoon of work with a little bit more peace.

You find your new normal.

2 Responses

  1. Megan M Lang says:

    Love this and love you! We are hoping to get a hike in today and connect with nature. Keep shining Erin, you are offering more joy then you know.

  2. Great blog as usual! Your post was almost as good as being there. It was so nice that you were able to just get away! Walking down in that “hollow” always makes me feel like we are the only people in the world! It is so quiet, peaceful and beautiful! Thanks for the post. Another positive for the “stay at home” time in our lives is the resurrection of your blog!

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