Most days this spring, at least one of my children races into the house, clutching a warm squished fistful of blooms from the yard:   already brown, wilted dandelions   stubs of orange and surprisingly fragrant pansies    the first petal from a rose bush   balls of flowers the size of oranges The first few (or several)…

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Joy is my middle name. No, I mean it. I go by my middle name. Most people who meet me say it fits perfectly. I say that’s debatable. Except that maybe, just maybe, it’s easier to find and revel in everyday joy when you’ve languished in grief, loss, fear, and long long labor with little…

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I’m participating, again, in the Saturday Evening Blog Post, hosted by Elizabeth Esther. It’s a once-a-month chance to highlight one post from the previous month. We skipped March because it fell in the middle of Lent, so today we can highlight one from March and one from April. In March, I had One of Those…

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We had a rare free Sunday afternoon and evening this past weekend. Usually, I indulge in a long nap, then stay up too late that night, and start the week out totally wiped out. Brilliant, I know. This weekend, the kids and I enjoyed a long afternoon of cookie-baking. No freak-outs by me. No tears…

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