I have an unhealthy obsession with the end of the world. There is nothing better than a disaster flick--the cheesier the better. In my head, the end of the world comes about in many ways, but it always has a contingent of survivors, and, of course, my family is among them. Sometimes there's a zombie outbreak. Zombies scare the crud out of me and the older I get, the more nightmares I have. In my magic Abbyland, my house becomes a zombie-proof self-sufficient fortress. But we don't need to ... Read More
Adventures in New Zealand: White Island
New Zealand is full of amazing adventures, unbelievable scenery, and experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime. We were able to do so many things that will stay with me forever. There are many more adventures on my list, but I must admit that there are some that I will happily repeat over and over. Visiting White Island is one of those. This post contains affiliate links. Scott first took me to White Island on my initial trip to New Zealand in 2005. I'm not really the outdoor type and ... Read More
Our New Zealand House
I have been missing New Zealand desperately lately. There's always those aches and pangs for it and for the most part we've made our peace with our decision to stay in the States for now, but the desire to be there has been very strong this winter. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the constant snow, freezing temperatures, and very sick kids. We reminisce over Our New Zealand house constantly. Even four kids in, we still daydream about picking up that house and moving it with ... Read More
Housekeeping Tips from a Domestic Failure
I hate my role as the main cleaner of the house, but I love having it clean. I've talked about needing to have my surroundings clean in order to really accomplish anything, so I've made keeping a better house a priority. I've been frustrated with feeling that I'm always in maintenance mode and it being so much work that I don't have time for new projects or "me time". I'm working hard on changing my habits and wanted to share simple tips that are helping me keep a cleaner house without ... Read More
Crafty Resolutions
I have missed crafting so much at times that I've been in tears. One of my many goals this year is to solidly get back to it. I have more supplies than a store, am surrounded by inspiration and desire, and it's time. As I've been working on the constant unpacking, decluttering, and organizing, I've come across all sorts of things that I've made that I had forgotten about. I honestly haven't done any major crafting since about halfway through my pregnancy with Madeline when the pre-eclampsia hit ... Read More
A Tale of Two Decembers
I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past year and making grand plans for 2014 along with the rest of the world. 2013 was a wild ride. It was heartbreaking and rough, joyous and beautiful. I probably learned more about myself and who I want to be in that time than I have at any other point in my adulthood. I had such plans to start 2014 with a bang. I had a specific list of goals. I had a plan in place. And then family drama happened. The van broke down in spectacular fashion ... Read More