It is a glorious April afternoon which, here in southern Oregon, means that spring has finally sprung and summer has already begun flexing its muscles a bit. Yesterday reached a high of 85, and as I write it is currently approaching 80 degrees. I am not a fan of summer heat, but I do love this transitional stage with warm sunshine and cool breezes.

Vivian loves to play outside – especially with her young uncles, who live next door. There is ample space for them to roam and explore, a pond to throw rocks in, a gravel pit perfect for dump trucks, and a playset with just the right number of swings. I am so excited to enjoy the nice weather and let her soak up the sunshine.

I have lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, growing up in the Portland area and moving further south when I was on the brink of turning thirteen. I love the mountains, the green, the rain, the diversity of the seasons. There is so much beauty everywhere you look.

I come from a family of thirteen (yes, I have ten siblings), and have been married to my amazing husband Andrew for two and a half years now. Living with one’s best friend is even better than I had imagined. We have certainly gone through trials and stressful situations, but despite all the adult responsibilities and real-life difficulties, we have so much fun together. I am terribly grateful for him and all that he has brought to my life.

Our beautiful daughter was born a few weeks after our first anniversary, and thus began my journey of motherhood. It was not how I would have planned it (more on that in another post), but God is infinitely wiser than I. Vivian is one of the greatest blessings in my life. I honestly couldn’t have imagined the deep and fiercely unique love of a mother for her child. Every day with her is a joy.

Over the course of this blog I hope that we get to know each other well. I wanted this first post to be an introduction of sorts, to let you know a bit about me and where I come from.

The long and short of the “why” of this blog is simple. I believe in an all-good, all-powerful God who always works with purpose.

The long and short of the “why” of this blog is simple. I believe in an all-good, all-powerful God who always works with purpose. Although I am young, I have experienced a lot of life – including a lot of hardship. I believe that everything in my life has happened for a divine purpose, that through these things God has grown and changed me. But what if one of the purposes for all that I’ve gone through is blessing others through my words? Through sharing those very experiences, speaking what God has taught me, and proclaiming His faithfulness. What a beautiful redemption for every ache and every dark night.

I want to share my thoughts with you, in hopes of bringing you a little hope, making you laugh, lending you some encouragement or inspiration. I want to tell you about the wars I’ve fought, because you need to know that you’re not alone and that there is light ahead. I want to have raw conversations about motherhood, because it’s beautiful and it’s hard and sometimes you just need to talk with someone who gets it. I want to share ideas and products that have added to my life, because who doesn’t appreciate an honest recommendation? My desire with this blog is to glorify God and to bless people.

Well, that’s a little bit about me. Go ahead and introduce yourself in the comment section – I’d love to get to know you!