Blog

Oct 8, 2015•2 min read

The rhythm of the day

Each day has a rhythm, or a cadence, if you will. On my work days, and even on some days off, tasks clutter the hours and it's supper time before I can blink. These busy days are loosely ear-marked in a disorganized way, only when I catch a glimpse...

Oct 6, 2015•4 min read

Autumn favorites

Last year, I wrote a post including our seasonal Christmas favorites and it was fun! I'll do another one closer to Christmas, but for now, these are some of our favorite autumn things.

Sep 29, 2015•2 min read

Twenty-five (a birthday post)

It's my birthday week, and I'm not usually that person who tells everyone, It's my birthday! because that might upset or weird out people and I'm all about preserving harmony.* However, I did think it would be fun to do a little post with some facts...

Sep 24, 2015•2 min read

When the words don't come

I don't have many words to type today. I've been trying to write a post all afternoon, but the words won't come.

Sep 22, 2015•3 min read

September's visits

Yes, it's true, even here in Austin. September brought little bits of autumn's debut. We won't have consistent sweater weather for quite some time, but the trees are beginning to change a bit and the evenings bring a reprieve from the day's heat.

Sep 16, 2015•2 min read

Lessons from night-shift

Below is a photo from an early morning run a few weeks ago. Speaking of mornings...

Sep 10, 2015•2 min read

Zucchini bread (gluten-free)

I've been watching a fair amount of Call the Midwife lately. One of the many things I enjoy about the series is the culture, specifically, the practice of offering tea to all visitors. I appreciate the little rituals of hospitality and how...

Sep 5, 2015•2 min read

A thoughtful grip

I have relatively small hands. When Nicholas and I bought our wedding bands, the clerk said, "Your children will have small hands!" We're still laughing about that. But lately, I've been mulling over this simple truth: We can only hold so much.

Aug 30, 2015•2 min read

Coffee table scenes

You can tell what occupies our time by what's on our coffee table. I mentioned this over a year ago, back when we lived in Indiana and had a different coffee table. I find myself taking pictures of our table, not because it's all that interesting,...

Aug 27, 2015•1 min read

Go-to recipes

Not too long ago, I wrote a post on how and why I meal plan. In that post, I said I'd write about our favorite, frequently made meals. While I enjoy trying new recipes, I love having a set of "go-to" recipes that we know we love. Also, as dorky as...

Aug 24, 2015•2 min read

My (slow) blog

When I first started writing blog posts, I felt some pressure to utilize quotas—like three to five posts per week, and at least two should fall into weekly, repeating categories, because that's what would produce the best reader response, they said....

Aug 18, 2015•3 min read

Two years of us

Yesterday was our second anniversary. Two years of change and growth and love. To celebrate, we did a mini series of local dates (his idea!) and visited our favorite places in Austin.

Aug 10, 2015•2 min read

Joy for ordinary days

It's a Monday, but that doesn't mean it has to be a bad day. I'm off work and a lot of my day's activities aren't particularly exciting. But something about ordinary, everyday activities makes me reflective. Today's to-do list included:

Aug 5, 2015•5 min read

How (and why) I meal plan

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Aug 3, 2015•2 min read

Choosing Heaven-mindedness over like-mindedness (and comfort)

After more home remedies and a trip to urgent care, Nicholas is steadily recovering from his poison ivy, (yay)! To entertain ourselves while he tried to not think about the rash, we watched episodes of Lost, made homemade macaroni and cheese (with...

Jul 28, 2015•4 min read

A goal update & daily life around here

Naturally, a whole bunch of little everyday things are happening over here lately. In particular:

Jul 22, 2015•3 min read

Sriracha spinach egg medley bowls

I wanted to share a meal that is quickly becoming a staple in the DeVries home. Of course, it involves eggs, because we like inexpensive, nutritious, protein-based meals. And it's a fast meal, because life is busy (a lot), but that doesn't mean we...

Jul 21, 2015•3 min read

Visiting family & San Antonio adventures

A few weeks ago, Nicholas' family visited us in Austin (of course, they're my family too)! Whenever we have visitors, we take them to our favorite spots, and usually explore some new ones with them.

Jul 13, 2015•3 min read

Pulled to love: On getting unstuck

Do you have periods of life where you can't seem to gain traction in anything? Okay, yeah, me too. Life has been lots of work and then lots of play, and now I'm in the midst of transitioning to a (more normal) blend of the two. But in the midst of...

Jul 11, 2015•4 min read

What it's like being a Registered Nurse (from my perspective)

I don't write about work very often, aside from how it intertwines with our daily life. But I wanted to write a brief post about "what I do" and why. I've discussed the very basics: 12-hour shifts (really, they're more like 13-hour shifts) at night....

Jun 29, 2015•2 min read

Life in the in-between

Hi! For some reason I scheduled myself four shifts in five days, oops! So I've been at the hospital a lot this week. However, I wanted to write a brief post about the bits of life between shifts and sleeping. If I'm not intentional about those...

Jun 22, 2015•2 min read

7 things I'm learning about myself (or: thirsty souls)

I've read these verses dozens of times, but I've never read them in an identify-defining way:

Jun 15, 2015•4 min read

June joys, with reservation

This is a delightfully uneventful month, in the sense that we don't have too many extra events aside from our normal work/church schedule. However, there have been so many small moments in the last week or two that make me pause to appreciate a...

Jun 9, 2015•3 min read

Necessary adjustments: spending, food, & social media

Every several months, I notice a sluggishness in my life, a need for refinement of my priorities. I'm of the opinion that generally, conviction has a purpose & should lead to a change in behavior.

Jun 3, 2015•5 min read

Speaking another language

Friendships, marriages, and family relations all need investment, maintenance, and love. What I've learned and observed in every relationship is that it matters how I invest in and maintain relationships and how I love the people around me.

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