Several weeks ago, spring began its gradual, hesitant return to Minnesota. On a particularly warm day, the streets were filled with people walking dogs, parents pushing strollers, and kids riding bikes. It seemed as if the whole neighborhood was emerging from a long hibernation as we greeted one another with smiles, waves, and head nods, …
Life is full of both: it is hard and it is full of joy. There are painful accidents and there are also New Year’s Eve cookies and conversations. There are feelings of helplessness and fear and also feelings of gratitude and connection. Life is full of complexity. Life often has an and.
Several weeks ago, while visiting my parents in rural Minnesota, I braved the morning’s subzero temperatures with the goal of capturing a photo of the beautiful sun dogs that surrounded the sunrise. Despite the face-numbing cold, I enjoyed the peaceful outdoors and listening to the birds and squirrels moving audibly over the crisp, frozen leaves. …
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.
When I think about it, it makes sense, this goal for both being in the moment and dreaming about the future, because today’s moments are a result of dreams from previous years. And, the dreams I have today will, hopefully, lead to future moments to be thankful for. I wish you all the best as we continue this new year. Happy 2024!
Merry Christmas from the Unexpected Ever Afters! As we celebrate with our families, we wanted to share two Christmas posts from past holidays. Enjoy! We will see you back here in the new year. -Wendi and Jessica Jessica: I wrote The Comfort of Christmas in 2020, a Christmas which was full of celebrations that looked …
As I re-read previous posts that Jessica has shared on The Unexpected Ever Afters, I was struck by the wide variety of topics and full range of emotions that she has written about. Her ability to articulate experiences and perspectives with clarity, authenticity, and insight has provided tremendous help and comfort in my own journey. …
This year, my focus shifted to another aspect of Advent, the opportunity to intentionally seek out and protect space to prepare my heart in joyful anticipation for what is to come: Christmas Day.
The black dot analogy connects to many of my life experiences. Specifically, the reality that parents and kids often remember experiences differently. It seems that moms are often harder on ourselves than our kids are on us. It makes me wonder, are kids somehow able to keep their focus on the whole page while parents struggle to see beyond the dot?
Love is so complex. It includes feelings, emotions, choices, actions, words, and paradox. SO MUCH paradox.
the unexpected ever afters 