picking a warm peach off the tree and putting it my yogurt and granola for breakfast
his walking from outfield to the dugout only clutching his mitt
google flight. need i say anything more?
beating the clock by 8 minutes!
finding a cord for him that works
both of us choosing number seven (when the stakes were very high)
being able to share my thoughts and words on this lovely new project!
and what it did to my heart to ponder those questions
her words in my ears, the moment i woke up, to be gentle
very, very gentle to myself
finding all the papers i thought i had lost
anticipating witnessing God moving in mighty ways
remembering that the heaviness that comes with this side of heaven is not ours to carry
having so many wonderful fun things going on that i am overwhelmed
how i just know that may is going to be a fantastic month
being such an idiot with Luke and having him laugh about it:
going to the checkout at target after putting nothing in my basket and asking him to get the scanner gun which he refused. because he knew that there was nothing to purchase
bright yellow illuminating our house
teeny tiny goals for today like showering and going to costco and folding laundry
holding onto the hope that if we go to Costco today, he won’t wake up at 4am tomorrow morning, too excited for the outing
how he’s a lot like his Papa in that way
choosing to stay hopeful, even if i can only muster a glimmer
realizing for the first time ever that there is a huge difference between peacemaker and peacekeeper
how my sore toe isn’t sore anymore
and (as always) the smell of freshly baked sourdough wafting through the house

Subscribe now

this photo was taken at a Sabrina the Teenage Witch Christmas Party, soon after we started dating in 1999.

have you heard the story of how my husband and i met?

well, you can now hear him tell it you!

same goes for Monsoon and Did You Hear About the Jankowskis?

(and if you’d rather, you can listen to them all on apple podcasts)

Subscribe now

the next time you are on a beach and you see seashells, at first glance, you may think that they are all the same sort of blah color.

but my friend showed me that if you look, you will find the colors. because they are there.

i promise you that if you look for them, you will find them.

and you will never see seashells the same way again.

which is exactly what happens when you experience the Greatest Love of All Time.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Isaiah 6:3b

Subscribe now

what is it about vacation grocery lists? they are simply the best. what is it about them that make them so glorious?

and are you like me? you leave your house on a monday, drive two hours and you have no idea what day of the week it is anymore.

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

being almost half way done
gems of friends who text with great big ideas
seeing God move mightily in the midst of really hard and dark situations
him sending me podcasts
and asking me laundry questions
and his friends coming up with the best name for me: mother of Smother or GrandSmommy are my two faves
that glorious sun shining yet again
and those perfectly white clouds
figuring out what the things are that fill me up
having her tell me that i should take a gap year for old people
passing on the curriculum i made
date night
documenting, not curating this life
two projects (almost) finished
being able to do one thing in the place of the other
sushi night with our littlest guy
clipping his toenails while he is still in the bath
a movie with him in my bed
seeing the beauty in even the folded napkins
working hard, but more slowly
getting things figured out
being seen
the best tangerines
back to back slumber parties at our house
orange dreams every night
when you see your red picnic table on the guy’s website
and all of the wonderful memories come flooding back
the new yellow rotary home phone
how she answered it with hi
the absolute loveliest people on my team
an abundance of sewing needles
the clean counter
how the city looks like a sea this morning
the delight i receive from noticing the wooden paper towel holder
the blood in the oranges
that all the lights are not flickering
and figuring out the perfect perfect perfect color
the laughter that i hear on this end of the phone
and how it is almost unbearable
what a sweet, sweet gift her girls are
how the first conversation she has on her landline is telling her friends about her cousin’s most precious dream about heaven and Joe

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

is there anything much greater than picking a bearss lime off of your tree, still warm from the sun, slicing it and putting it in a cold dr. pepper or today’s version of that, a mr. pib?
no.
there is not anything much better than that
certainly takes me back to the good old days
i can’t stop thinking about how this moment is the greatest
and this one
the colors of the sky this morning
the drive to pick up my boy
the most perfect coffee shop and her brilliant wisdom, knowing best where we should stop
anticipating a weekend full to the brim and overflowing
this car
wiping away her tears before school
Will’s special visit with us
and the laughter and joy that he is
orange dreams… always and forever
seeing him thrive with my very own eyes
being Smother’s mother
and laughing all the way
being done!
slipping out without anyone else’s permission
driving my girl to school
chasing the tangerine tiger sunset home
how she seamlessly and so very talentedly switched him to his new glasses
the way the light of the setting sun landed on her at that exact moment
others seeing and delighting in luke laughing hysterically at the talent show
how she affirmed that his hair had properly grown out by the event
the most spectacularly best photo ever from his most precious nurse
how she had to really adult it at the three airports today
how in our little town you can park on main street and open your car door and people greet you by name
receiving the very best voice memos
having a daughter who takes 3 shoes to outdoor ed
intentionally
oh wow, how i missed those clothes behind the bathroom door
this feeling right here
how bummed she was that pointe class was cancelled
how i am inspired to write a substack post entitled “i am not looking for your honesty” (as the recipient of such thinking)
being reminded to breathe
everywhere that i go
and in everything that i do

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

how walking into a hot garage brings back all of the best childhood memories
how the fresh strawberries add so much pizazz to my breakfast
learning how to nerve floss
the gentle rattle of the glasses in the dishwasher
a super hard workout with the best of gals
getting a text from my girl
while her song is on my speakers
just enough time to get ready before heading to her school
how he always turns the lights on as a bringer of light
a false alarm with the call
and the laughter that ensued
the fullest and most spectaculars of weeks
being able to speak truth into the hard parts of a dear friend‘s life
oatmeal for dinner
followed by ice cream cake
those little purple flowers that i have never noticed before
how the rock only shattered the bottom of my windshield and not the center
being able to deliver that bread
and having her eat a slice right in front of me
being in the car all by myself
always
how the sun came out for their visit
having 14 people stay with us this weekend
no cavities
the magical face stuff
all. her. voice. memos.
entertaining me wildly on our drive back from LA
how the world is still spinning even though i haven’t sat at my desk for a week now
her noticing how perfectly orange my second favorite coffee mug is
being so deeply touched by the words on the page
her heartfelt tears during our appointment
and being able to hear more of her story
a green envelope in the mail
always.
how i got to leave him home during my pt
hearing every little detail about how exciting and wonderful and wild and fantastic her college days are
and how that does not include hearing about one ounce of schoolwork
how the sun keeps breaking through
the silhouetted trees on our early drive this morning
getting to drive her to school
her soft tears for some of the kids in her class
the rainbow circle in my rearview mirror
how the carts are facing a different direction at tj’s
sneaking in a nine minute nap

Subscribe now

talk to Him.
and listen.
don’t hesitate in going to Him.

don’t say, “gosh, i really need to pray about that. i really need to ask God what He thinks that i should do.”

just ask Him.
right here.
right now.

invite Him in when you are putting your mascara on and when you are throwing in a load of laundry.

when you are at a stoplight and when you are fixing dinner.

talk to Him throughout your day.
remember that He delights in being with you.

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

(more this week because my heart + my head need this)

us sharing songs with each other while she’s in the air
coming home!
how her talk was so truthful + encouraging
the kindest of words by others
God answering my prayer before the words were even read
someone else getting to take the lead
her enthusiasm and words “phenomenal”
being reminded all night of her life-changing encouragement
being able to see her in person with my oldest girl
my most favorite (and irreplaceable) coffee mug
driving anywhere by myself (yep, because then i get to have my loud music on)
receiving a photograph of her with mud all over her face, assuring us that she’s having the very best time
the voice memos (aka her podcast)
and the fabulous photo to go with it
simply the best
all of her dress choices!
my littlest guy who wants to make sure that he doesn’t miss the moment when i wake up
about thirty thousand times
the lupins scattered on the hillside, basking in the morning light
my hearty laughter when he stated that i must not be ready to be grateful yet
hearing the best news about our dear friend
meeting a new mom at school and hearing her faith story and being reminded yet again how powerful our God is
having so much time to talk to God throughout the night (a.k.a. Luke waking up at 3am, 4am, 5am and 6am because he’s so excited to see his sister who is coming home from college)
only having to get myself ready this morning
that first sip of coffee
that last sip of coffee
knowing what i must do
being reminded that He wants to be glorified
and that He will be glorified
and that He always has the last word
and that He is victorious

Subscribe now

her idea for me to take a gap year for old people
sitting in my car and texting with (almost) all of my people
being asked
Luke only reading my parts of cm book with Missy
tears
you know it’s a good day when you can see beauty in the dishwasher
seeing her hug her former teacher through my rear view window at school drop off
such a gift
the greatest non-party party
laughing for days:
“how did it sound?”
“well, when i played the saxophone, the lady told me to face the wall”
using an orange pill container to take portraits (stay tuned)
listening to my airplane song while he is in the air
taking a hot minute to put my feet up (so necessary)
a new song
leaving comedy bits on friends voice memos (podcasts) and waiting to hear that they almost spit out their coffee
laughing out loud about her God-given identity
because He’s funny
and how my car reads her name out loud now
working on a life-giving project in my mind while trying to (and unsuccessfully) getting a mysterious stain out of someone’s shorts
catching sight of that one white butterfly
the magnificence outside
loud loud music
being all by myself at home

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

the other day, i asked luke,

“how is it being around someone as funny as i am all day?”
“is it exhausting?”
he replied, “no.”
“is it funny?”
he replied, “yes.”

so there you have it.
and just know, i take this job very seriously.

Subscribe now

sometimes when you are just in it and life is so full, it is hard to reflect. but i know that taking notice and taking note of thing that i am grateful for is the very best thing in the world for me.

tearing up while on the phone with a handyman
running into her at the grocery store. such a gift
how there hasn’t been any time for much else
the paper towels fluttering away in its stand
being reminded again again that God withholds no good thing (For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless)
how hard things have the opportunity to change you
and to change your perspective
seeing it as an utter privledge to cut his medication
figuring out which photos to edit
being inspired by the colors
knowing which shirt is best
how they did the entire project all on their own
how well they love our dear, dear neighbor
how much she loves them
trash night at the beginning of the week
getting the chores done before the sun went down
listening to a great cover
how he is tackling the flickering lights. again and again
how God always knows when i need to stand up
being able to hold her heart
how God showed me that i was made for some of those hard things
finally getting the printer toner to work
her forgetting what she was going to talk to me about

Subscribe now

having kids in college is kind of like feeling the sun and then having it go behind a cloud.

you are shocked and delighted and surprised when it pops back out and you feel its warm rays on your face once again.

Subscribe now

my husband has written the most beautiful words about this holiday (and honestly, about every day).

SILVER CORD STORIES

The Little Things

My wife LOVES hearts. She sees them everywhere. In soap bubbles on the sink. In stains on kids’ clothes. In peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And every time she sees one, she screams like she’s just discovered a human head in the dishwasher…

Read more

3 months ago · 26 likes · 9 comments · Bob D. Smiley

Subscribe now