Vocation, such an empowering, yet overwhelming, slightly idealistic word. Merriam-Webster provides the definition as “a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action.” From the Latin root vocare, to call, vocation is often used as a beautiful encouragement to pursue jobs that utilize specific gifts and skills to meet a need …
Author: theunexpectedeverafters
The Day I Felt Like A Runner
I often used to daydream about being a runner. A confident, strong runner who could run for miles and never lose her breath. I would close my eyes and imagine stepping outside to start my run, a gentle breeze blowing the loose strands of hair out of my eyes. I would picture myself shaking out …
The Birthday of Unexpecteds
Another round of birthdays is currently in full swing at my house. As I prepared gifts, cakes, and decorations to celebrate my kids’ birthdays and make their days special, I reflected on my own birthday and how the past few have been filled with unexpecteds. I don’t usually make a big deal out of my …
Messy Everyday Life
Exciting new, The Unexpected Ever Afters, now has a pinterest page! You can find us at https://www.pinterest.com/theunexpectedeverafters/. We are excited to have another way to reach readers and to share our stories and experiences! As Wendi and I were putting together our Pinterest page, we added a brief description of our blog: “The vision behind …
3 Month Blogiversary
We wanted to take a brief moment to recognize our three-month blogiversary. The Unexpected Ever Afters has officially been live for three months and we are excited and grateful! When we first started discussing this endeavor almost a year ago, we had no idea what might be in store. We have enjoyed the opportunity to …
Finding Compromise Together
Disagreements are a part of life. Even when we feel like we essentially share everything in common with someone, we ultimately still disagree on something. Sometimes, disagreements turn into frustration over the conflict, disgust with the opposing viewpoint, or apathy and avoidance if the difference feels insurmountable. Sometimes, disagreements provide an opportunity to listen, communicate, …
Wandering Thoughts of a Semi-Bored Mom
This past weekend, I played the game Hungry Hungry Hippos with my kids. This is the exceptionally straightforward game with four colorful hippos and a ton of marbles which create a lot of noise and chaos for about a minute while each player tries to gobble up marbles before the game comes to an anticlimactic …
My Break from Facebook
Facebook and I recently took a long break from each other. To clarify, I’m not a Facebook hater. I maintain the same account I opened over ten years ago when my alma mater joined the community. I used to enjoy posting updates and photos. It was exciting to see the number of “likes” increase and …
Be the Person You Want to Be: A Day In the Life of a Social Worker
I experienced a particularly tough day at work. I am a school social worker, so my job is full of ups and downs. But, this day was especially heavy on my heart. The day was full of minor frustrations, the kind that wouldn’t be too much on their own but together they compounded. Then an …
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Making a Difference through Love
We are fully immersed in the winter season here in Minnesota, complete with dangerous windchill that discourages outside exposure longer than five minutes. Through these frigid months, I’ve been searching for beauty. Something to bring joy in this cold reality. Somewhere in this search I started thinking about the similarities between weather and people. Specifically, …
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