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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. =)

Archive for ‘awareness’

Never Bored, Always Blessed

This is the hopeful pile I carry around the house with me. My new favorite magazine, my new journal (number 74, I kid you not,) and my Kindle. I am somewhat amazed but not really surprised that even after nearly three months of this quarantine-style living, I have not run out of things to do. […]

Sun-kissed & Things Missed

Well, we’re into Week 7 of our “stay-at-home”/quarantine. I’m not even sure what to call it anymore. But here we are. I think it might actually be getting easier. Scratch that, it’s easier. Just knowing that we won’t see the kids return to school for May and the end-of-year activities, while sad, is also little […]

Never enough

There was a Facebook post this week that I saw from a Missouri mom (Kate Lambert, of Uptown Farms) who was disheartened by people giving ideas for what to do with “all this time.” She was flummoxed by the idea that maybe she should teach her kids life skills, take an online class, learn French […]

Pivot

It’s that magical time of year when spring blooms all around us. Every day, a new flower or type of bush is blooming. I typically commute to work for hours each week, and I mark the weeks by what is blooming: the forsythia, then the ironwoods and redbuds and so on. This year, I feel […]

Grace

It’s been more than four years since I’ve written for this blog. I’ve been meaning to start back up, and I can’t think of a better time. Friends, this COVID-19 pandemic and the implications on our society are everything. It’s hard and necessary and unprecedented and inconvenient. It’s truly, truly hard to follow all of […]

Assessment

I’m just not sure what to say about the fact that I’m posting a photo from September. It’s one of my favorites from last year. And, really, last year is a bit of a blur. But we made it! I talk about this all the time–out loud, in my head, to my mother, to my […]

A New {Old} Perspective

I just spent some time reading old journals, first from Colby’s infancy and then even older ones from my college days, my early days with the man I now call my husband. And while there was strife, I closed those notebooks with a giddy happiness. We made it. And I wish I could tell that […]

Present Day

Ah, happy birthday to this little man! My Colby is four today. I cherish the day of his birth. It was my best birth experience. He arrived around 6:30 p.m. on a gorgeous spring day, much like the one we had today. I still remember our first moments, with the sun streaming through the windows […]

Bloom

Tomorrow is the day. I’ll wake bright and early, do my usual arm wrestling–maybe even a couple of body slams, hehehe–with the kids to get them dressed, brushed, fed and tucked into their places for the day. Then I’ll park my mommy ride and jump into my cousin’s van. We’ll meet up with eight of […]

A Christmas Message

I started this post on the eve of Christmas Eve, while wrapping, baking cookies and trying to find that one missing present that just had to be here somewhere. I felt peaceful and less busy than I had been and hopeful for the holiday. Friday’s snow was just the thing I needed. It was the […]