And the answer is...

Drumroll please......

I've had a few guesses as to the false statement in the previous post. 
David T. suggested that they were all true. :)
Ruth V. said - "I almost moved to an island in Alaska."
Kristin V. submitted - "I didn't get my license until I was 18."
Kathryn J. kept her submission secret but said she's sure of the answer. 

I'm sure you're all on pins and needles waiting for the answer. So without further ado...  

The one false statement is "I was homeschooled all my life." 

So that makes all the other ones true! (You might want to read through that list again...)

I doubt some of you will be shocked, but I was considered a serious dork back in the day. I was and still am a book-nerd. Words and the use or disuse of them is very important to me. I have a continuous grammar-check and spell-check going in my brain. Since having kids, it has calmed some, but every now and then my nerd-self has a flare-up. :) Writing and striving for the perfect blend of words to illustrate an idea in bold color make for more flare-ups. I think it's just who I am. 

It took long enough, but I'm finally okay with my nerdiness! I'm not cool - I'm just me. :)

The exercise of writing this list came from my recent journey of coming to terms with my life experiences. I'm sure there are, at the very least, several posts in there somewhere! Some are difficult, some are sweet, some heart-wrenching, some have long-term side-effects, some are the best things ever, some (like my hair in school pics) I'd rather never think about again... but sifting through each one has been good - hard - but in the end good. 

In fact, I'd highly recommend it. 

Make a list of facts about your life. Facts that some people may know or not know. Stuff maybe you've never said before. Compile it. Look at it. Read it. Those things make up who you are today. For better or worse. Look at it and see beyond those things the God of the universe who loves you.

God is not limited by your experiences. If He was, well let's just say He wouldn't be God. But since He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords - He's BIG enough to even orchestrate the events in your life to create the person you are now. Taking the pieces of yourself you don't like out of His tapestry would leave ugly gaps and spaces. He has designed you and even used your worst moments to show His power. 

Let God be God. We're not.
He has the ultimate right over your life - and He's better at it. :) 

So as you're "Carpe Diem-ing" and dancing in the rain... remember He's still working because He loves to take messed up people and show His glory! 

Do you ever feel like this?!

I’m tired of the mundane. 

I’m thankful for my husband, children, family, friends, even my daily tasks, but it seems so mundane to write about. And the “big” issue isn’t up for writing just yet. 

(No, I’m not pregnant… for those curious minds.) 

It's frustrating. I feel like I’ve hit a wall. What I do write feels silly and ridiculous compared to real life. I want to write fiction so I don’t have to feel the need to write the autobiography I should.

And even looking back over what I’ve just written… way too many “I’s” in there. That’s just the point.

It feels like I’ve lost the touch. The ability to put words to my thoughts and feelings, describing events and pointing back to the important things… it’s gone.

Don’t know where it went. Maybe it’s covered up by something else.

I have no idea, but that’s why this blog has been silent as of late. 

So this is me... I'm still dancing, but it's slow-going. 

How's your dance?

I want YOUR feedback!!

I've decided to up my posts to 3-4 times a week. Like I mentioned before, it's quite scary to lay that out there because now you know if I fail. But since we all know that each one of us fails in some form or fashion, I'm stepping down from the pedestal. :)

But - what to write???! 
That was by far my greatest deterrent to that many weekly posts until I thought about it.

You all know that my degree is in elementary education and I used to teach 2nd graders. But what you probably don't know is that my favorite part of being a teacher was connecting whatever I was teaching back to God. For example: "Why will 8 + 7 always equal 15?"  Answer: "Because God never changes." Now... here's a much harder one... :)  "Why do the grammar rules in English ALWAYS change?" Answer: "Hmm... (insert story of the Tower of Babel). Mainly because English is one part of every other language in the world put in a blender on high!!" Another one of my favorite moments was in Science - teaching about the Solar System. My chalkboard (no SmartBoards for this school!) perfectly clean, I would take a piece of chalk and make one very small barely discernible dot on it. Then I would turn around to the class and explain (choking up half the time) how that's us compared to God. He created our immense universe yet, He died for us. That one concept can turn your mind inside-out in a hurry! I loved watching the awe cross their faces.

God's creativity in action!

Those times made teaching worth it. Watching their faces grasp a new understanding of how intricately they were made or how creatively God made the animals and insects, better yet, blowing their minds with how big God is and yet how personable.

My goal was to help them see that in everything they must see beyond that "thing" to God. That skill is one I desire for my own children. They must learn to think critically and wrestle with issues and search God's Word for wisdom.


I find that my world becomes so narrow and unattached as a mom unless I purpose to wrestle through topics/events in light of the culture contrasted by God's Word. It is strenuous but it also gives me a chance to engage my mind and process what is going on around me. 

I'd also like to do the same with books. I have a severe love of the book as a general entity. I've read many of them and have lots to say, good or otherwise, on each. A fellow blogger, Leanne Penny, said "Some books are candy - once in awhile it's okay but it's not good to have too much." It's important to sift through and discover what the author believes. Each and every person has a worldview. Guaranteed it will come out somewhere if you look long enough. :) I've begun something already in this area with The Book Basket. As you can see, there are quite a few "in progress" and as I come across tidbits that I find interesting, I will share!

This isn't a DIY site, but every now and then I find a really awesome recipe or project that is just amazing and demands to be posted!! 

I will continue to post my thoughts each week on The Dance. Each of us moves in our dance - whether the sun is shining or it's pouring down rain. Sharing keeps things real... it's too easy to start forming a nice little plastic mask.


Each one of you no matter where you are has a voice. :) I would love to hear from you!! Jot a quick comment below with questions/ideas/topics/books that interest you. If there's something you'd like to see a post on, let me know.

Keep on dancing!!

Try, Try Again!

It has been a long time since I’ve been in this place… listening to silence, facing my dear laptop and pouring my heart out through the pressing of these keys. The holidays, busyness, birthdays, death, the everyday of life… somehow pushed this passion of mine to the side. The “How” is pretty routine… the “Why” is more disturbing. Why did I not make this a priority? Why did I let the other stuff crowd out the habit of strengthening this gift? It’s hard not to “shoulda” myself, as a good friend reminded me yesterday… there’s nothing to be gained in berating myself for what has happened.

Just pick up and go on. So, this is me going on!

I don’t want life to swirl and then fly away and find me still sitting here doing nothing with what was given to me. I desperately want to chronicle what God has done and is doing even in the little everyday things. It’s a way to wrestle with and process what I really think as well as thinking big thoughts about life and God. I do know, however, that thinking big thoughts is not a new concept and there are a lot of really amazing Big Thinkers out there. I want to Think Big with the attitude of Doing Big. How do these big thoughts make it to doing big things? Now, of course… big is relative… sometimes big in my world is reorganizing a frustrating part of my kitchen and discovering a much more efficient workspace! Big might could also be processing the issues in this election and watching a debate through my worldview of Christ. As my prof would say, “Everything is Theological!” There is no dichotomy of spiritual and secular. (Thank you Mr. Eckel!)
I don't want to simply Think without the Doing part. Words without action??? Hey, didn't a guy named James write about that?! 

Hence the blog.

Yesterday, Chloe brought in the mail – which consisted of the local free newspaper. I opened it, looking for a coupon or advertisement from our local thrift store for their weekly deal. Along with the “buy one children’s clothing, get one free”, I found an article on a 78 year old local author who has written books based in Michigan as well as her travels to different states. She’d been telling stories to her children for many years, but she began to put down the stories in her mind and came up with 4 novels. WOW, is all I have to say! She described how she loved to take walks around her neighborhood and think up people who she could envision living in the houses she passed and soon she’d have a story and plot!

Now, I don’t fancy myself a novelist of any sort and I don’t typically tell made-up stories to my children, but I know I’m a writer who has to figure out what it is that she’s supposed to write. I’m pretty sure that means experimentation. As I tell my little boy who becomes very distraught if his first attempt doesn’t work, if at first you don’t succeed, try try again!

So, my reader, you may find yourself reading fictional stories of my imagination or hearing me process the election or just a funny story regarding one of my children… this writer needs to “try try again” to find her niche.

And as I do, I hope you enjoy the journey!

Making Time

So... I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't posted anything in a VERY long time, but hey, when you combine a week long 4 hour a night VBS, 3 kids in full summertime fling, cousins visiting from Florida, and general busyness - you get... well... silence!

I would love to just "sit down and write" when I felt the inclination, but alas, that is for well adjusted Franklin Covey planner people who apply those 7 Habits to their lives and discover they've got 5 hours leftover at the end of the day.

Since that never happens to me - nor will it - I'm just putting a quick post to let you all know that I'm still in existence and will post and write and load pics and whatever else that hits me at the moment as soon as I can make time. :)

Thanks for being patient! :)