Four weeks ago, on Friday of Labor Day weekend, I rolled up to my family's cottage expecting to meet a locksmith. Instead, I met four dear friends of mine; four (of six) girls from college who have seen me at my very worst and love me anyway. Girls who celebrated with me on my wedding day. When we moved, I stumbled across a pile of inside jokes from college: I unwrapped a wine glass with a note that said "because...
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Last week was a whirlwind. My sweet and sassy grandma passed away. Patrick, Maddie, and I packed up on Saturday evening and headed down in an attempt to see her one last time. We didn't make it. But we are grateful for her peace and God's true presence and provision in those last hours of her life. We realized Maddox was sick as we were nearing Illinois so I knew we were in for quite a treat. After a nasty cold...
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I often tell myself that I won't blog unless I have something thought-provoking or funny to say. But I don't want to forget these little moments that are actually very big. I don't want to grow old without remembering this beautiful (yet messy) life of mine and the wonderful people who fill it. So here is a diary entry of sorts: I got to spend the weekend with my very dear friends from college. There were six girls, five babies, and...
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“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you," Maya Angelou. I had a miscarriage in August. I have set out to blog about six times since my last post. Even perusing the drafts I've written is proof that it's been a struggle. Titles like "Lifeless" sit looming - half written and full of empty words. I've attempted to write about humorous or exciting things that have happened in my life because I really do acknowledge and appreciate them....
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Yes, I did just make up a word: Framily. It will be trending by Friday. In late July I found joy in spending time in Washington DC with friends who are more like family. I am one of the rare pastors' kids who got to spend a long time in one place. I grew up in a small lakeside town in Michigan, and I still maintain several relationships that I developed there. One of those relationships is with the Harrington clan....
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Our lives have been absolute chaos lately. We've moved (a mile away) and have had several youth events since my last post. Camp. Camp. District Conference. Holland. A missions trip. And countless hours around bonfires with friends and students. And to top it all off, my husband got ordained in the Wesleyan Church almost a month ago. And while I can sit back and soak in what this day means, what it felt like to sit with friends and family and...
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It has been over a month since anything has been posted on Harris and Willow. Part of this is severe procrastination. But mostly I have been overwhelmed. In just a few short weeks, our friends moved, we've begun to move, and I'm prepping for (very minor) surgery tomorrow. As an obvious introvert, I have come to thrive in quiet moments when I can pour some iced coffee and dive into my writing. But this month Patrick and I have both been on the...
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"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This proverb is all too true for a business called Under the Tree in Northern Uganda (with business operations in Northern Wisconsin). What began as a simple way for the Gulu women to create beauty turned into a means of supporting their families. It's the brainchild of two friends, Kelsey Kidder and Caylin Muehlberg. They began their entrepreneurial journey in...
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Alyssa insisted we do the shower today. I told her I wasn't ready, but all the guests told me this was the only day that could work. So we approached the cafe that I had never seen yet booked, a dark building with hardly any windows. They didn't close the cafe for us. Not only were we not alone, it was also the early bird special so the Q-Tip tour had packed it out. The walls and chairs were covered...
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Work was less of a success and more of a minute-by-minute juggling act one week last month. Most evenings had busy meetings or demanding commitments. Being an introvert and also fairly new to working again, I was in desperate need for alone time. I get energy from cozy blankets and quiet atmospheres - quite opposite of Patrick, who craves people and busyness. The movie "The Martian"? That will be my heaven. Jesus will be like "Here's your own planet. Holler...
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