My Umbrella

After school today, I stood outside at the parent pick up line with a huge umbrella.  Two other teachers stood with me, braving the afternoon rainstorm, with smaller umbrellas.  I admit that I was a bit pouty and not particularly thrilled... Continue reading →

What a beautiful thing it is to love…

Perched in one of the Bradford Pear trees in the courtyard of the school that I teach at is a beach ball. No one knows exactly how long the beach ball has been there. Most seem to think it got... Continue reading →

Florida and Japan: A Welcomed Distraction

I have never wanted a year to come to an end as much as I have 2014. To help keep our minds occupied during the final weeks of 2014, Matt and I decided a while back to do some traveling.... Continue reading →

Isabelle’s Airport Miracle

Our trip home from Japan was quite possibly the worst traveling experience that I have ever had. Our little St. Isabelle Clare provided what I would consider to be a miracle to get us home, and for that I am... Continue reading →

A Christmas Rainbow

Leaving our house for the holidays has felt a bit like I am leaving my daughter behind while we are going off to celebrate Christmas. I have struggled a bit with these emotions even though I know that our daughter... Continue reading →

The House is Quiet

The stress and busyness that comes with the holidays has left my mind fairly distracted this month. It has been a delicate balance of keeping my mind distracted yet still honoring the memory of my daughter in small ways. The... Continue reading →

Carry Me

  These two pictures define the last few weeks for me. The first is something that I received in the mail. Notice how the stamp says, “Please do not bend,” and it has clearly been bent to fit inside my... Continue reading →

Isabelle’s Stocking

My husband comes from an Italian family with many traditions. There are certain movies that are watched, foods that are always made, and a certain ornament that is always licked (EW!) each Christmas. My own family’s traditions are a bit... Continue reading →

Like a 6th Grader on the First Day of Middle School

Yesterday, I attended a daylong professional development filled with team building activities and group planning time. At the beginning of the day, one of the facilitators shared a quote from motivational speaker Karen Kaiser Clark. “Life is change. Growth is... Continue reading →

Being Thankful is a Choice

In years past, on Thanksgiving, I enjoyed many wonderful meals with family while we shared all of the things for which we were thankful.  I can recall numerous childhood Thanksgivings surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Some were spent in... Continue reading →