2022 Partner Gift Guide
Here's a very specific thing Chris Graham likes to do every day: shop the clearance section of his favorite stores. He rarely buys anything, but if he receives an email about a deal, he will diligently check the links and read all the details on every item. He is an email marketers worse … [Read More...]
2022 Favorite Things…
I always laugh when I make these shopping guides because they are so very specific. Do you like to garden while listening to murder podcasts and then at night turn on a lamp while wearing old man pajamas? Well then, do I have some gift ideas for you. Disclosure: affiliate links … [Read More...]
Honduras & Mexico…
I would not call myself a cruise person. It's just not really my style. But I took a cruise a few weeks ago, and I had such a good time. Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was the lack of parenting responsibilities. Maybe it was the sunshine. Maybe it was the afternoon naps. Maybe it was all … [Read More...]
what is real…
One of my favorite memories with Chris Graham is of a date we had. I think it was 2016. We went out to dinner, a wings place near our house in the city, and had the best time. We had been missing each other, busy with life and kids and catching up felt exciting. We didn't run out of things to say … [Read More...]
addiction in five stories…
"Shawn met a woman, and she sobered him up," my dad said. My aunt said. Everyone said. "That's not normally how that works," I said, as gently as possible. I understand the desperate desire for this to be true. The sudden death of his mom in a car accident, years of addiction, the loss of … [Read More...]
the best rice crispy treats you’ll ever eat…
That's a bold title, but I'm actually really confident in this assertion. These are the best rice crispy treats you'll ever eat. Just do exactly as I say and you, too, will be the hit of every party, gathering, or after school snack. A few things before we begin. (I'm not going to tell you a … [Read More...]
In the Jordan’s water or any other…
Dennis called on Thursday to talk about Harper. "She wants to be baptized," he said as middle schoolers talked and yelled in the background. "She expressed interest last night during service." This wasn't unexpected. My daughter has wanted to be baptized since late 2019. We were making our … [Read More...]
a fresh start…
I removed over 1,000 posts. It was time. I've done this before, whittling down the blog posts that live here. I've been writing on this blog since 2008, and we—this blog and myself—have seen some things. In 2014 (I think?), I paid someone to redesign my blog and move it to a bigger … [Read More...]
on my porch swing…
In July, the rain finally came, flooding the little pockets of bare earth under the trees lining the cornfield. It got hot, but we opened the windows for a few days, letting in the breeze and letting out the stuffy, stale air. I sat on my porch swing. I drove to doctor's appointments, … [Read More...]
New York City Birthday Trip…
4745 days676 weeks156 months13 years She’s been here for 13 years. All the cliches about time fit here. All of them, insert them right here: ___ We surprised our soon-to-be 13 year old with a trip to New York City in February. When the girls were little, and we were very poor, we dreamed … [Read More...]
2021 Holiday Movie Guide…
In November, the Graham girls (Ellie, Harper, and myself) decided to dedicate ourselves to hours of movie watching for the sake of others. We are nothing if not givers, and we decided a great way to use our precious time would be to watch as many holiday movies as possible and then tell others about … [Read More...]
