To be honest, I had to scroll in my feed all the way back to May to find a picture of myself (very professional, I know). This one happened to be from Mother’s Day, a day on which I told my husband to take all the pictures, because I take them the other 364 days. I think I found a wall that I thought was cool and stood in front of it to look artsy.

I’m the owner of Cobblestone Road Hand Lettering, an online shop of my hand lettered designs and goods.

For more info: www.cobblestoneroadlettering.com  www.facebook.com/cobblestoneroadlettering www.instagram.com/cobblestoneroadlettering

Lincoln, our oldest, just entered middle-school. He’s sensitive, hilarious, smart and ridiculously compassionate. He also has the best hair in his grade. Eloise is 9, and is like a hummingbird in human form. She’s bubbly, goofy and as fierce as they come. Our baby, Billie Reid, will be one on Halloween (the most fun birthday). She mainly chews on everything and bumps her head on stuff.

I’m having to dig pretty deep into the annals of my maternal brain to recall something, because, at the moment, the baby is defiantly screaming in refusal to sleep and the middle child won’t talk to me- but I seem to recall back to Easter.

We had been doing a family study together for Lent and had really been digging into the Bible and what Easter means. On Easter Sunday, we gathered all the neighborhood kids we could find (and trust me, there are swarms of them) and invited them over for sidewalk chalk, hot dogs, and face painting. As we looked out to the sidewalk from our porch, about an hour into the event, we saw our oldest son, sitting on the sidewalk with some neighborhood kids. He was boldly sharing the story of Jesus’ death and Resurrection and the meaning for us about why Jesus died. It was in that moment I was overwhelmed with gratitude at God’s faithfulness to teach our kids His word and answer our prayers to let them be bold in sharing. That’s what it’s all about!

My kids have learned cuss words from the school bathroom stalls…and they don’t say them. ??

There is no destination, it’s all journey. I used to think by the time my kids got to middle school I would have graduated from “Padawan” mom status, to actual “Jedi”. I had this image in my head of a mom who could calmly and cooly, respond to situations with Bible verses (or at least answer questions with questions, like a true sage), and rarely had to ask forgiveness because she seldom failed. The truth is, the longer I mom, the more I realize how little I know, and the scope of my need for the Lord. There is no “arriving” at an expert-state of motherhood, only realizing in greater measure how much we need Jesus, and our deep reliance on him in each age, stage, and moment. The great news is that there is grace for each season in exactly the measure we need it.