Whether you are exploring Fargo or visiting another vacation destination, I encourage you to check out the local library. Bring a journal or a book and spend a few minutes connecting to a place where so many other learners, explorers, readers, and writers have been.
When I think of bodies of water, I think of my childhood spending summers at the river and lake in my home state of North Dakota. The Missouri River, the longest river in the country, flows right through North Dakota and Lake Sakakawea offers hundreds of miles of shoreline. Growing up, many weekends were spent boating, fishing for walleye, and swimming in the lake.
About 30 minutes west of Bismarck, ND on I-94 is a delightful destination. Let me introduce you to Salem Sue, the world’s LARGEST Holstein Cow.
Spring brings new growth as well as a sense of fresh beginnings. Ideas and goals that hibernated during the winter months slowly peek back out as the days get longer and the sunshine and fresh air provides much needed mental rejuvenation. As I reflected on my spring season, I have found that helpful, small reminders accompany the feeling of new beginnings in this season.
I cannot pour from an empty cup and neither can you. Remember who you are, remember what is good, remember to take care of yourself, and then do what you can
As I prepared to write my 2025 post, I thought to myself, this year is going to be different, I am going to write about slowing down and living in the moment. Except as I re-read my past New Years posts, I realized that in essence this has been my theme all along. It is a reminder of how easy it is for me throughout the year to get pulled into the hustle culture and catch phrases on how to successfully do it all, that I forget to remember that I previously decided not to buy into it. Nevertheless, this New Year I am recommitting to continuing the journey of enjoying the day-to-day life I live.
This month we celebrate our fifth blogiversary of the Unexpected Ever Afters! We are thrilled to mark this milestone and we wanted to take this opportunity to share our “5 Top 5 for Our 5th! ” Thanks for joining us on our journey.
I just wanted to share this post for all the mamas that are also drowning in worry. A soft landing spot on the internet for the middle-of-the-night “Am I worrying too much?” or “Will my anxieties ruin my kids?” searches. You’re not alone.
This summer, I have been exploring with my kids one of my favorite hobbies, reading. As my kids’ interest in reading has grown, their literary journey has gotten me to think about books from my childhood and their significant impact in fostering my love of reading. It is fascinating to recall ways that a handful of stories unexpectedly influenced my hopes, dreams, and life goals.
I enjoyed soaking up the start of summer with some extra time to spend with my family as well as additional time to relax. I found myself reading more, laughing more, and even sleeping more soundly. In the blink of an eye, the month was over. As I transitioned into July, I thought about a reflection practice that I learned from a favorite author of mine, Emily P. Freeman.
the unexpected ever afters 