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everything else

Chris’ camping cobbler

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hanging out around our trailer {family pics}

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Chinese Hot Pot {with Ruth Chou Simons}

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I counted 39.

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the guys’ room {a tour of the updated boys’ room}

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About me

Alongside my husband and 5 kids, I'm a fan of hometown roots and passport stamps. Our days revolve around the idea that building tables is better than building fences, cookies should be shared, and adding more color is always good.

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underthesycamore

Saturday morning whim. I figure if I don’t like

Saturday morning whim. I figure if I don’t like it, it will be really fast and easy to paint over!

Supplies: cardboard cereal box cut up as a template and paint I had on hand. Took approximately 30 mins.

The first time I visited @philbrookmuseum, I was a

The first time I visited @philbrookmuseum, I was an elementary school student. Many decades later, I still look forward to slowly meandering among the art. This time I planned my visit for when Patrick Gordon was live painting in an exhibit showcasing his work. He answered questions and spoke about wanting his work to bring joy to others. As sat watching, a video nearby played an interview with him. “My quality of life is pretty good and I want yours to be on par with mine.”

Earlier this year, a friend who works for a non-pr

Earlier this year, a friend who works for a non-profit introduced us to a family that had recently arrived in town as refugees. She knew we attended a bilingual church and had friends in the Spanish-speaking community. The new family didn’t know anyone, and we had the honor of being one of their first contacts in a new place. For a season, we were able to give them rides a couple of days a week, and in my attempts at conversation, I said the most random things using my limited Spanish vocabulary. The language barrier was and still is great.

Over the weekend, they invited us to their son’s 11th birthday (even though we’d be the only ones whose first language was English). As I sat in their living room, surrounded by the friends they had made, trying to pick up on as much of the conversation as I could, I felt a deep gratitude for the opportunity to know them, to be considered a friend, and to be welcomed. I was also grateful for quick tips from ChatGPT 🤣

I recently heard a quote about the kind of hospitality that involves being uncomfortable is the kind of hospitality Jesus showed. When the language barrier is massive, hospitality can feel very uncomfortable. My friends extended it to us anyway, and as a result, my weekend was so rich.

The end result was fun, but I might’ve liked the

The end result was fun, but I might’ve liked the process even more. Breese and I spent a few slow evenings sitting in the living room and adding a little craft paint to plain frames for her gallery wall. Thankfully, we still have more to paint!

The two biggest hurdles in our house for getting p

The two biggest hurdles in our house for getting pictures off phones and onto walls are: taking the time to print the photos and overthinking how to hang them. Thankfully, @mpix has an app that makes ordering prints super easy. I’ve ordered all my prints for nearly 20 years from them! As far as planning out the wall, I’m more of a ‘just go for it’ girl.

My daughter wanted a colorful gallery wall of her favorite photos, and plain frames were not an option for her. We spruced up basic frames with craft paint and opted for a hodgepodge wall instead of a perfectly spaced one.

We could have easily used command strips, but I had nails on hand, and if you know me, I’m constantly patching and repainting walls!

I started a new part-time job last week, and I am

I started a new part-time job last week, and I am spending the rest of my free time immersing myself in all things Spanish. Both provide me with opportunities to engage with different demographics in my community and offer a front-row seats to witness kindness, compassion, and beauty, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

It means a readjusting of how I spend my time, but it’s a change I’m welcoming.

Notes to Strangers spotted in Cartagena, Colombia

The face of a guy that just told the waiter to onl

The face of a guy that just told the waiter to only speak in Spanish to me…”Queremos fajitas, por favor.” The fajitas were excellent. My Spanish was not.

We may have eaten ramen for dinner, slept on sandy

We may have eaten ramen for dinner, slept on sandy mattresses on the ground and skipped showers for a few days, but we were rich in time, and I cherished it.

The 2nd image is the intro to the Egypt chapter of my book. The 3rd is a video from that intro. The final image is the last page of the chapter. Every chapter has a similar Wisdom & Wonder page.

I added questions to each chapter, hoping they’d spark conversations among families and friends reading it together. If you are reading it with others, I’d love to hear how your conversations are going.

Signed copies of my book are available online from @magiccitybooks

For the first time, my family joined me for an int

For the first time, my family joined me for an interview (and book signing). They each wrote essays included in the book, but those are far too short. They have so much they could share! I loved sharing that couch with them, and others enjoyed hearing their perspectives, too. It was a sweet gift for me, for sure!

It is a strange season. An unexpected season. Anot

It is a strange season. An unexpected season. Another season I am figuring things out as I go.

My days have been looking very different recently. I was a guest on three podcasts this week. Tonight, I’ll be doing a book signing, and next week, a local news station will be visiting my house. It is weird, but also…I get to talk about all the beauty in communities around the world, so that is fun.

One takeaway: the girl who always helps me test my mic (my youngest daughter) needs to host a podcast. She is witty, asks the best questions, and keeps things very real 🤣. I want to be her guest!

The girl got a lot of iced coffees and baked goods

The girl got a lot of iced coffees and baked goods with me 😆♥️

You won’t find my book on the shelf at a major r

You won’t find my book on the shelf at a major retailer (yet 😉). Those spots are typically for big-time authors. It is in all those stores online, but not in person. However, if you visit Oklahoma, you can find it on the shelves of independent bookstores. It made the list of Oklahoma bestsellers. The Tulsa County Library currently has 25 copies with “Bestseller” stickers stuck to the spine and 37 holds (a sign fellow Tulsans have requested it a lot!). Wild. I’m incredibly honored by the local stores, new stations, libraries, and magazines that have supported me. I spend a lot of time in the book talking about community as found around the world. There is something extra special about my own community cheering me on!

When she was little, we watched as a local cupcake

When she was little, we watched as a local cupcake truck became a quaint brick and mortar bakery. We’d regularly walk over for coffee and cookies, where she’d spend most of the time by the kitchen door, dreaming of being on the other side. She held to that dream and worked hard to develop her skills both in and out of the kitchen. The quaint bakery grew and became a central hub in our community. The little girl who once stood at the kitchen door now walks through the “Employees Only” entrance. These days, you might find me at the kitchen door trying to get a glimpse of my favorite cake decorator.

“Don’t let someone you don’t know keep you f

“Don’t let someone you don’t know keep you from someone you could know.” About a week ago, my pastor spoke on the topic of immigration, and his words have stuck with me. The statement applies far beyond a single topic or group. Listening to those we don’t know - a news anchor, someone on social media, a politician, a celebrity - and allowing their words to divide us from those we could know, robs us of so much beauty and joy in life. There is a world outside my front door, full of people and stories very different than my own. I have the chance to be intentional in broadening my circle and getting to know them. It’s pretty exciting, actually.

When we left for a year of backpacking the globe,

When we left for a year of backpacking the globe, my kids were 10, 12, 14, 16, & 18. We each took one carry-on-size backpack. Except for my youngest, I gave them free rein to pack whatever they wanted. I did request they include one pair of pants and a nice shirt - just in case. They were old enough to pack their own bags, and micromanaging isn’t my thing.

My 14-year-old packed a basketball and a pump. At the time, I wasn’t sure it was the wisest choice with such limited space. However, it became the MVP of our trip. In countless communities across numerous countries, my guys showed up at courts and were immediately welcomed into games. It made the year exponentially more fun for my sons, and those they met on the courts gave us insight into the communities in ways we would have never gained otherwise.

A basketball & pump - I would have never packed them, but I’m sure glad my son did.

Our neighbor turned three over the weekend. I some

Our neighbor turned three over the weekend. I somewhat begged her mom to let Breese and me make her birthday cake. It was a ‘Wild Child’ theme. I had way too much fun making party hats for the elephant and zebra. Last week, I was asked in a podcast interview what is bringing me joy in this season of life - I mentioned my neighbors (all along my street). I’m immensely grateful for the sweetness of backyard chats, driveway waves, and now watching little ones grow.

*If you are reading my book, this cake is for the newborn mentioned on page 252. We missed her first year, but sure are loving getting to watch her the last two.

Mr. Rogers and flowers from the garden ♥️

Mr. Rogers and flowers from the garden ♥️

There was no way to include all the places, storie

There was no way to include all the places, stories, and photos from our year away. As you read each chapter, don’t forget there are IG Highlights that give more visuals to each place. It will take some scrolling back, but you’ll find them!

I know a lot of older kids and teenagers are reading the book along with their parents - the videos in the highlights would probably be fun for them to see.

First day of school for me, too. College Spanish 2

First day of school for me, too. College Spanish 2 (I took Spanish 1 & 2 in the 1900s. I forgot basically everything I learned back then.)

Today, a classmate made the statement, “It is important to do hard things in order to connect with those around you.” I grabbed my pencil and wrote it down. I’ll learn a ton of Spanish this semester, but I will also be gaining wisdom from my (mostly younger) classmates. It felt good to be back...mainly because I didn’t get called on to answer anything in Spanish. That part I dread, but it is the hard thing that I know I need.

Take it slow. Soak it in. Pretty good advice for l

Take it slow. Soak it in. Pretty good advice for life.

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Latest posts

I've Never Been Here Before {my book}
July 11, 2025
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June 26, 2024
Tips for staying in a hostel as a family
December 26, 2022

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