do you come here often?

If you're new here, welcome.

My name is Adriel. I'm a thirty-something music-loving, beach-going, family-advocating, mom-supporting, travel-adventuring, mountain girl (and city-lover) from Oregon who just happens to live in hot, humid tropical Australia with a hunky, spunky Aussie bloke - my husband Ryan.

yes, we were on vacation. nice huh? and no, we haven't had tans like that since,
which is why i chose to use this photo. we look vacationed and i like that.

He does manly things like mowing the lawn, fixing stuff, flexing his muscles, watching football (and basketball and cricket and...), building things in his man cave, fishing, cooking me breakfast, washing the dishes, changing pooey diapers, watching NCIS, and giving himself foot soaks and face masks.

I do girly things like blogging and writing, shopping (and deal-hunting), decorating, planning, toddler-chasing, reading, current events and politics-following, photo-taking, baby-growing, breastfeeding, teaching, yoga-stretching, DYI-ing, accessorizing, endless laundry folding (not by choice, just by necessity), and HGTV and Modern Family-watching.

And dreaming about sleeping in. Can't forget that. I'm always dreaming about sleeping in... and taking naps.

So yeah, that's us - the Bookers: a young-at-heart, cross-cultural, family-first, faith-filled, volunteering, slightly "special" couple who can't believe we found one another.

And apparently the America-Australia combination is a good one because we came out with one of the most gorgeous children you will ever lay eyes on. His name is Levi and he is 14 months old.

careful, he's a heart-stealer.

He does things like guitar playing (he's slightly obsessed), reading storybooks, banging things, walking around the house with a mini hockey stick and my new belt, wrestling with daddy, plowing into and over things, holding my eye-lash curler and pretending he knows how to use it, grunting, giggling, asking for crackers, playing with (and in) anything involving water, and stick-collecting.

He is seriously cute and adorable and hilarious. (Kinda like your kid I bet.)

In fact, he turned out so well that we decided to give him some competition, due to arrive in about six months:

And the Memos?

I write about all things mom-ish.

Sometimes my writing gets a little gritty and sarcastic and feels a bit like this:

Other times it's mushy, sentimental, and reflective and feels more like this:

And still other times it feels a little more "tipsy" and instructional and feels something like this:

And then there's the times that it's a tad less wordy and looks kinda like this:

If you'd like to read some of my best, click over to my besties page or check out the "most clicked" post list on my sidebar. 


I blog to connect, remember, process, encourage, entertain, inform, inspire, equip, challenge, record, relax, have fun, question, provoke, support... and to help me think beyond myself, tap into my creativity, and network with other women - primarily moms and mamas-in-the-making.


Thanks so much for stopping by. Please be sure to introduce yourself!

looking forward to connecting,


p.s. Dear regulars, if you haven't already linked up, consider checking out the Ultimate Blog Party 2011!

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

two stripes means positive

Yes, it's baby-growing season in the Booker home.

Thank you so, so much for all of your congratulations and comments and emails!

The most fun part of my announcement was that after I posted I got four emails from other pregnant moms who've yet to announce publicly, but wanted to let me in on their secret. Soooooo fun!!! (And don't worry ladies, your precious secret is safe with me. *wink, wink* I can't wait until you're "public" and we can all track together.)


And to answer your questions:

No, it wasn't an accident.

Yes, we were trying... or not, not trying to be more accurate. (Only this last month by the way - we aren't completely crazy... just a little.)

Yes, we were still incredibly shocked that it happened SO FAST this time around.

Yes, even though we were shocked we were also RELIEVED that it didn't take months of tracking and trying and waiting. (We are so, so blessed and we know that and don't take it for granted.)

My due date is October 7th. That means I'm seven weeks along.

Yes, I'm aware that it's early to be sharing our news... but we'd rather people know about our little one and be praying for him/her and me through the early days.

Yes, we will find out the gender when we can.

No, we won't keep it a secret.

Yes, we have a girl name picked out.

No, we don't have a boy name decided yet. (We both think boys names are way harder to come up with!)

No, we probably won't share the name. (I would, but Ryan prefers to keep it for the big day - you know, to have a Lion King moment - and I'm totally okay with that. Give the man his moment - he deserves it!)

Yes, it would be sweet to have a girl... but I love Levi so much that the thought of having another boy is very appealing too.

No, I don't know "how" I will have the baby yet. I only know that my (unplanned) c-section disqualified me from future births at my local birthing centre. BUT I can still receive partial midwifery care through our regular hospital. (I still have much to learn/research... so let me just digest the fact that I'm pregnant first. *grin*)

Yes, I am totally freaked out by the thought of having two babies twenty months apart.

Yes, I like the idea of having children close together in age. Very much.

No, I wouldn't change a thing... even though I am a little nervous.

Yes, I am glad to have the next several months to try and prepare myself... and to try and take a nap.

Yes, naps have moved waaaaaaay up the priority list as of late. (I should be taking one now in fact.)

No, I can't possibly begin to imagine loving another child as much as I love my first born treasure... but all those more experienced than me tell me that my heart will grow with my belly. And I believe them. :)

Yes, I totally looked at the baby clothes section when I was in Target this weekend. (Looked, just looked.)

No, I'm not done pinching myself to make sure that it's true.

No, I don't feel sick. Just a little tired and a couple of headaches. And hungry. Always hungry.

Yes, we are ABSOLUTELY THRILLED.

Dear friends, thank you again for all of the congratulations you've sent my way via comments, facebook, and emails. It's meant a lot to me and I'm so glad you're excited with us! Now, did I cover all of your questions??! ;)

letting it all sink in,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

in love

I am in love.

In love with this boy.

His smile. Those perfect lips. His long, straight lashes. That vanilla skin. The sparkle in his deep, dark eyes. His sweet giggle. His funny hair-styles that are birthed from days spent sweating in the tropics. The chubby little fingers that can often be found intertwined in miniature guitar strings these days.

I love that he loves music and comes alive when he's given a guitar or a drum or a little piano. I love that he can't hear music over the radio or on the stereo or on television without stopping whatever he's doing and dancing... or just waving his little hand in the air as he gets his groove on.

I love that when he's dancing--or jamming--he glances at me with a glimmer in his eye to make sure that I'm watching, approving, admiring.

I love that he is not only my boy but he is the son of my husband - my beloved, the man of my dreams, my Gift From Heaven.

I love that he is a part of me, that he is from me, that he represents the best of me.

I love that he is a part of us, that he is from us, that he represents the best of us.

I love that God trusts us enough, believes in us enough, to let us care for and shape such a precious being.

I love that he's taught me how to be a mom.

I love that he's teaching me how to love more, believe in myself more, and enjoy the small things in life more.

I love that he's paved the way for our Newest Joy to enter the world and grow my belly--and our hearts--even more than we've already known.

I love that his guitar was a gift from my parents and that he sits in his "big boy chair" - a gift from Ryan's parents. Four more of the extra special people in my life.

Yes, I love this photo--and all that it contains--for so many reasons.

In love, I am.

Dear friends, there is so much to love... I've only skimmed the surface here with this photo and its description. What are you in love with at the moment?

in love,

Linking up with the lovely Jhen:

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

from work to home or home to work: speaking up about the transition process

{This post is part of the Moms Who Work series.}

When having a baby, every mom is faced with decision time. How much maternity leave should I take? Should I become a stay-at-home mom? Should I continue working? Maybe I should try to work from home? I wonder how many hours I can handle? How will we meet our budget? Can I afford to do what I prefer? How will my husband respond? What will my friends/family/colleagues think? Will I go crazy at work while my kids are in day care? Or at home while my friends all work? How will I cope?

So. Many. Questions.

So much to consider.

For me, the answer included a combination of staying home, working from home, and working at the office. But largely I’ve become a SAHM (even though I do continue my work part-time). And when people ask, I normally just tell them I'm a SAHM because that's easier than trying to explain how it all works.

As a child I never would have thought I’d become a SAHM. My mom worked (and enjoyed it) and I always thought other kids’ moms who stayed home were kind-of weird and old-fashioned. (Not that my mom or anyone else taught me that. It’s just that I was a child during the 1980’s when powerful women were considered the women who were working in corporate America.)

And besides, I was going to be a rock star/broadway wonder/pediatrician/attorney/politician depending on what age you asked me.

What in the world would I do at home all day? Cook and clean?

No thank you.

But as I got older... and older... and was still single, my desires started to change. I wanted nothing more than to get married, get pregnant, and be at home raising babies.

At 30 I got married (to an amazing man, so worth the wait). And at 32 I had my first child. For me, getting to stay home with my baby was something I had looked forward to for a long time... So, the decision to stay home came easily.

But I do continue to work, which I find good for keeping me connected to life outside my home’s four walls. (And besides I really care about my work and have a passion for it.) I'm blessed because my work allows me to continue on a very flexible schedule where I can set much of the pace. I realize not all women have this luxury, but I'm thankful that I do.

And even though staying home with my baby was highly anticipated, I still had to go through a transition process of learning what it means to spend the majority of my time with a little person who can’t yet hold a conversation, and have my days filled with things that I had no idea could possibly eat up so much time. I used to add up the hours spent breast feeding alone and about die thinking of all the other things I could be doing. (Don’t even get me started talking about the laundry. Ugh.)

I’m no cooking or cleaning fanatic (and a very far stretch from being a domestic goddess), so just learning how to stay on top of life with a baby has been a steep learning curve – the absolute hardest part of the transition process. I imagine nearly all new moms go through that whether they are working at home or working away from home.

Overall, however, the transition has been a fairly smooth one for me. I attribute that to the longing that had built up within my heart for so many years... along with a healthy dose of God’s grace!

Of course every woman experiences the transition differently. And that's why I've asked you to weigh in on the matter.

Here’s what some of you had to say...

On transitioning from work to home:

Walkers said...

I'm a stay at home mom. And I just wanted to share a little about the difficult transition I had. I suffered big time with post partum [depression], I really wanted nothing to do with my sweet baby. I thought I was majorly crazy. But as the time went on, I got over my post partum [depression], but there are days that I still just want to break down. It’s definitely not easy being a stay at home mom. I think it’s the most rewarding job, but at the same time it’s emotionally draining. I think sometimes we forget to stop, and take time for ourselves. We're just constantly trying to take care of our child, which can be really hard at times. Another thing that is still really difficult about being a stay at home mom is juggling the time with your husband as well. I know that sometimes I can really neglect him, but its really hard to have a child hanging on you all day, and meet their every need, and than at the end of the day, try to give some of your time to your husband. I know that me personally, by the end of the day, I don't want anyone touching me, I just want a break from being needed. So it’s definitely been a super hard transition that I'm still working on, and will constantly need to work on.

A Little R&R said...
I am a work-at-home mom. [The decision to work at home] was non-optional with me. Since I have to work it must be at home. The transition was not difficult for me - I began working at home when I was 7 or 8 months pregnant. 

Mandy said...
I am a stay at home mom that works part time doing photography. It wasn't a hard decision to stay home, but it was definitely foreign. Growing up, I never thought I'd be a stay at home mom. I really thought I'd be out in the work force. But it's the best decision I ever made. Granted, I am a photographer part time, but I consider it more of a hobby than a profession. And being a Mom is definitely harder work. :-) The transition has been smoother than I thought it would be.

cooperl788 said...
I'm a stay-at-home mom. This decision was something my husband and I went back and forth about for a long time. As far as leaving my teaching career, it wasn't difficult. But living without that (small amount) of money was something that was difficult for us to try to reconcile. The transition to staying home wasn't too hard, but going from 0 to 1 kid was really hard! It was like going from 0 to 100 in one minute. One minute I was my own person, and the next I was living for someone else. That slowly got better, and I learned to fit myself into the schedule, but the first months were really difficult.

Baby Boberg & Parents said...
I am a stay-at-home-mom. My mom stayed at home with me until I was school age and I loved having that special time with her and I knew I would do that with my children as well. I was a nanny for the past five years before my baby was born. If anything the transition was from a hard job to a bit easier because of caring for one child instead of two or three.

HRH Mommy said...
I work as an Adjunct Professor at a local college and took 5-6 months off after Ryder was born. The plan was that I was going back to work in June to teach the summer semester. In April hubby and I talked and we decided that I would stay home to be a mom. It was exactly what I wanted. David would take on the responsibility of making $$. Then work dried up (he's self-employed) and a few days after rejecting the job offer for the summer we regretted the decision. Things are incredibly slow at the moment, so I am returning to work in the Fall. I'd prefer to stay home, but it's only 2 hours/day of teaching, so it's not that bad. And no, the transition wasn't difficult. I LOVED it. With my pregnancy with Ryder, I stopped working 6 weeks before my EDD. This was the end of the Fall semester. It gave me 6 weeks to solely focus on Kai. 6 weeks of one-on-one time, time with my only son, before I would have 2 boys. They were 6 weeks in which Kai and I grew so much closer. It was perfect. Then, when Ryder was born, the transition went smoothly. It was perfect.

On transitioning from home back to work:

Kristen T. said...
I’m a working mom -- full-time. I never wanted to stay at home. It drives me crazy. I'm a better mom by working. The transition to motherhood was difficult! The transition back to work -- not so much.

Maryline said...
I am a working mom, went back to work when my son was eight weeks old. Broke my heart, but so glad I did! "What makes mommy happy and balanced is GOOD for baby!" is my philosophy. It was a hard decision emotionally, but I had always known I was going to return to work. It worked out great because until now I was able to work from home two days a week, and because we have a nanny at home, I get to see my little guy more! The transition went okay, but the first week, I wanted to quit :) I hear this is pretty common!

Chef Eureka said...
I am a working mom. I work full-time in a hospital in a supervisory role. I have always needed to work. When I was married we needed both incomes to keep us going. Now that I’m divorced (and also widowed) I have no choice but to work, us single moms need to put food on the table. I’ve been working since I was 15 years old. It’s all I’ve known really. I was placed on bedrest with my second pregnancy and had to spend a few months at home with my toddler. I thought I was going to go insane. I didn’t think I had the gusto to be a stay at home mom.

Laura Elliott said...
I work part-time (four days per week) and I'm just about to start studying again, yikes! Initially I felt guilty because I tried to be a SAHM but I really missed working. It took me a while to get re-established at work and into a routine. Now it's just second nature though I'm inevitably exhausted by Friday! But who isn't?

Transitioning to working from home (or a combination scenario):

KDC Events said...
I work 3 days a week out of my home and 4 days a week in my home. It was a hard decision financially, but it was more important for me to be with the kids. Yes, [the transition was hard] but only getting used to less money in the checkbook.

Nya's mom said...
I am a wahm and work-in-the-office mom. I work at home three days out of the week and in the office for two. [The decision] was very difficult. I talk about it a lot on my blog, but to sum things, my mom was a sahm, and even though I had imagined myself being a “career mom” (whatever that meant), when I had Nya, my whole perspective changed. I no longer wanted to work or contribute to anyone else's bottom line as that which used to inspire me to do so, or my "American dream," I realized, was only a facade. While unpaid and without any tangible accolades to name, as a stay at home mom, I enjoyed spending my days at home with Nya as her mommy and “being there” for every moment of her childhood. I ended up deciding to go back to work after much debate because in addition to being Nya's mom, I realized that I also enjoyed my work, and with my current schedule, I assumed that I could have the "best of both worlds." The transition wasn't too difficult because of my schedule. As I said previously, I work from home three days out of the week and am in the office for two days out of the week. Adding a full time job, however, onto being a wife and mom, even with this flexible schedule, is still something that I find a bit challenging. Some days are better than others in this respect, but I am learning as I go along. 

For further reading in this series:

• All moms work hard
• How to be a stay-at-home mom without losing your marbles
• Mom on a wire: finding balance and sanity in a home with two working parents
• Readers speak up about the best and worst of... being a working mom
• How I became a pediatrician turned stay-at-home mom
• The pros and cons of being a work-from-home mom

Dear mommy-friends, if there’s one common theme I’m hearing come though in many of these responses, it’s the guilt associated with our decision-making! Some feel guilty for wanting to work away from home. Others feel guilty for not bringing in any income. And yet others feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed by the mere responsibility of being a hard-working mom... in whatever capacity they've chosen. How was your transition from work to home or home to work? Did you struggle with guilt? Do you still? What advice would you give a new mom for her transition?

learning as I go,

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

did you know i'm friends with nirvana mamma?

Could this week get any more exciting with all the guest posting and swapping going on?! So fun.

Today I have the great privilege of writing on Nirvana Mamma.

I met Erin through the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge (she was really the one that made it all happen... wow!) and am so glad that I did. Erin is a great writer and great blogger (those two aren't one in the same, you know). She inspires me and already I've learned so much about blogging from her. Having the opportunity to write for someone I admire is, well, pretty amazing!

I hope you'll go check out my post called I Wanna Be A Rock Star When I Grow Up, and while you're there, check out Nirvana Mamma's blog as well. No doubt you'll love it... and become friends with her too.

dreaming of a stadium filled with my adoring fans,

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 

do not reproduce without written permission

who's growth spurt is it anyway?

Growth. Spurt.

No thank you.
                    
And… yes please.

Any mom who’s successfully navigated one of their little one’s growth spurts knows how dreaded these beasts are: the fussiness, the constant feeding (including the wild protests when—gasp—there’s no milk left in there!), the all-over-the-place nap times, the crib parties at 8pm, 10pm, midnight, 2am, 4am… you get the picture.

{No thank you.}

And yet these same growth spurts are exactly what we want to see: our little one growing strong and healthy, gaining weight, acquiring balance, learning new tricks.

{Yes please.}

Levi recently finished another growth spurt. Whoever said they come at four weeks, eight weeks, four months, and six months certainly forgot to inform my son. In this house it feels like as soon as we’re out of one, another one begins. (Does anyone else seem to have these things monthly??) And I’ve also read that they usually last about two days. Again… make that four to six days in this happy little home.

Growth spurts have caused me to do a whole range of things from questioning my supply to acquiring rug burns on my knees as I ask God for mercy. I’ve pumped like crazy, and gone days on end with what any sane person would call “catnaps” through the nights. I’ve cried. I’ve laughed. I’ve gotten angry. I’ve gotten silly tired. I’ve been confused. And I’ve asked my husband a thousand times, “this is normal, right?”

This last growth spurt was a doozy. It came at about five months and one week… and stayed for daaaaays. We had almost an entire week of being up six or seven times a night… on a good night. I was frazzled and seriously ready to hire a nanny and go back to “work” (which, in fact, was sounding more and more like a holiday). There were lots of tears... from both of us.

And then I realized the real reason the growth spurt was so painful: Levi wasn’t the only one growing.

Yes, my son was stacking on the pounds – I’m sure of it. He was eating more and growing like crazy right before my eyes. He was forcing me to—yet again—swap over his clothes, putting some away for good and pulling out bigger sizes. {tear} He was indeed having a growth spurt.

But the real reason it felt so painful was much more personal: I, too, was having a growth spurt.

Through the constant feeding, the sleep deprivation, the questions reeling around my first-time-mommy brain… I had to (again) make the choice to be second in line. I had to (again) set aside my preferences and to give up my personal rights. {Free time? What’s that?! Sleep? Huh?! Energy? Where'd it go?!} I had to put someone else’s needs ahead of my own.

Of course I like to think I’ve done this before… and really, I have. But any parent will tell you that doing it in your role as mommy (or daddy) will take you to a much deeper level of sacrifice than you’ve ever known before. I never understood—never could understand—it on this level until now.

{So this is what it means to “grow up”?}

I don’t know how many times in that week that I moaned and complained (even if it was sometimes just under my breath). I’m not sure how many times I felt sorry for myself and wanted to swap places with my husband or my working-mom friends. I don’t know how many times I fantasized about a weekend away—completely alone—with just a stack of books and a huge bed with lots of blankets and pillows… and room service.

And I don’t know how many times the thought crossed my mind that I really am selfish.

Selfish. Ugh, such an ugly word… such an ugly attitude.

Yes, baby growth spurts are hard (and yeah, they definitely get cranky… making momma cranky), but in the grand scheme of things they are just a few tough days packed in between a whole lot of good ones.

But my growth spurt… I was being stretched! I was—I am—growing, changing, learning even more how to be selfless, flexible, adaptable, giving. I don’t think I was a horrible person before becoming a mother, and yet in doing so I have seen that I also had a lot of character flaws still to be worked out in my life. {God help me!}

I’m being refined as a woman like never before. I’m stepping up to the plate when I’d rather just sit the round out. I’m facing my fears and insecurities and anxieties (that I didn’t even realize I had) with a new resolve and boldness.

I'm still making mistakes, still having hard days... but more and more I'm also finding peace in the chaos.

I’m growing up.

So, as Levi eats more to sustain his growth and take him to the next level, so do I. It’s just that my “eating” looks a little different. My “food” is prayer, breathing deeply, talking the challenges through, making time to think and reflect, taking things in stride, being deliberate about “rolling with it”, choosing humility and sacrifice, and choosing to become a better woman.

We are both growing.

Painful? Absolutely. {Ugh, no thank you.}

Productive and healthy and necessary and good? Most definitely. {Yes... yes please.}

Dear mommy friends, what are your biggest challenges as you're being stretched to become a "bigger" woman? In what ways do you feel motherhood has caused you to "grow up"?

Want more? 

"You're a great mum." (Can you please tell me again?)

Oh Nap Time where art thou?

Hang on for the ride

Love us? Vote here!

introducing a little girl in a land far, far away {a photo story}

Once upon a time, Little Girl was born in California on a hippy commune called God’s Army. {Sounds a little crazy… but it wasn’t. It was just the 70’s.}

When Little Girl was three she spent the next year and a half living with her parents and grandparents on a sailboat in the South Pacific.

{I should mention here that she always wanted to be a mommy.}

At five years old, she moved to Oregon – the beautiful place she’d grow to call home. {Fast forward a few years.} And then as soon as she was able she went off to explore the world… After traipsing all around Europe and Asia and a few places in between, Little Girl found herself settling down in Australia. {Crikey, the crocs!}

And then, after 29 years on her own, Little Girl finally met Hunk-of-Spunk. {So worth waiting for.}

Then Little Girl and Hunk-of-Spunk fell madly in love.

Soon after, on a very hot night in tropical Australia, Little Girl got engaged to Hunk-of-Spunk. {They were pretty flippin' happy about it.}

And before they knew it, the two were married on a little beach cove in Australia…

{They also took photos in the city... cause the beach and the city are two of Little Girl and Hunk-of-Spunk's favorite things.}

And then {lucky} Little Girl got to wear her dress again in America... for another {sort-of} wedding celebration with all her American friends and family. {Cause they didn't want to leave anyone out of the fun.}

And after the wedding, and the second wedding(ish) gathering, Little Girl and Hunk-of-Spunk found a place to live Down Under where they could have nice weekend picnics. {They really do get to live here.}

They have a fun relationship and try not to take themselves too seriously too much of the time.

After a year of holy matrimony, Little Girl and Hunk-of-Spunk went for a visit to Spain, a very beautiful place...

...and apparently a very fertile place too. {Deliriously happy.}

After their time in Espania, Little Girl’s belly began to grow...

And grow...

And grow.

And then, Heart-Stealer was born. {Pretty much the best day ever.}

Little Girl thought her heart would explode as love seeped out from all directions... She had to change her name to Heart-Stealer’s Momma.

 Hunk-of-Spunk became even more hunky as he became Daddy to Heart-Stealer.

Heart-Stealer was incredibly cute from the very beginning...

... and keeps getting cuter all the time. {Kinda like his Daddy.}

Heart-Stealer’s Momma couldn’t be more glad to have begun her little family. She realizes that she’s all grown up now… even though she sometimes still feels more Little Girl girl than like Heart-Stealer’s Momma. 

But, she is learning... She is growing... She is glowing... She is glad to finally be a momma, even though it's a pretty tough new gig.

Oh yeah, and she’s thinks every good conversation, or read of a blog, goes best with a nice cup of coffee {or hot chocolate… whatever}, which in Australia is called a "cuppa".

.THE END.
{for now}

So mommy friends, this is my story up until now. I hope you've enjoyed getting to know my family and I a little bit more personally.

Adriel + Ryan = Levi (Didn't we do a good job?)

And, just because, here are some other things about me:

• When I was a kid I wanted to be the first woman president of America... or a rock star. I now find myself as a teacher and a mom. (Not all that different if you ask me.)
• I love photography, but I still have very little idea about digital photo editing (though I really want to learn… in my “spare” time).
• I am a Christian and my faith is a very important and central part of my life.
• I love following politics and keeping up on current world events.
• I love the beach, but have never had less of a tan since becoming a mom.
• I’m obsessed with all things Asian – the décor, the art, the food, and ohmygoodness the people. I’ve been doing volunteer work as well as teaching in Bible schools throughout Asia on several occasions throughout the last 10 years, and I’ll jump on a plane headed there at any opportunity I get.
• I enjoy writing and reading… and am seriously trying to make time for both in order to stay sane and to keep being deliberate about growing as a woman.
• I love slippers and I probably own seven or eight pairs... even though it's often too hot to wear them here. (For years I've not taken a single flight without a pair in my carry-on bag... and I fly a lot.)
• I don’t think I will ever get sick of movies or live music, bean burritos or grilled cheese sandwiches.
• I've lived in California, Oregon, Fiji, NZ, Europe, Malaysia, Egypt, and Australia... and have worked as a preschool teacher, nanny, waitress, PR exec in a government office, and full-time volunteer with a non-profit before becoming the Director of Childhood Development in our home. (Best, hardest job yet!)
• I love my family – the one I was raised in and the one I’m creating with my husband.
• I've lived overseas for ten years and I still get homesick.
• I think that perhaps grace is the most important force we could ever pursue, embrace, receive, and give.
• I am frightfully tired, deliciously happy, hopelessly in love, and incredibly grateful for my life.

And lastly mommy friends, have you written an "about me" page? If so, please link up here. I'd love to get to know you more personally too!

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