Glancing back, moving forward: 10 years in Oklahoma

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I never imagined that I would drive down the highway, a Carmelite nun in my passenger seat, after attending Mass at a shrine dedicated to a modern martyr. I never imagined that five young children would also be in that van, three of whom were born at home. I never imagined that I would eagerly be pursuing self-publishing. 

Yet, there I was on a recent afternoon, chatting with a nun as I drove us from Mass at the Blessed Stanley Rother shrine to a local home for the dying. A book manuscript sat on my laptop at home, waiting to be sent to a freelance editor. My five young kids filled the van with their happy chatter, and I grinned in disbelief. I was living an ordinary day, and the gifts of the moment were incredible. 

Ten years ago, when my husband and I moved to Oklahoma in an unusually rainy summer, I did foresee any of these blessings. 

I hoped to find a good community, grow as a writer, and welcome children into my home. I hoped to have fun adventures with my husband and make good memories. When we drove down to the Oklahoma City metro, all of our belongings (aside from two boxes of books that didn't fit and had to be mailed) packed into a sedan, I had dreams for the future--but no idea how they would be fulfilled. I did not foresee the incredible blessings God pours into the ordinary days of my ordinary life.

 

I had no idea how this new adventure would challenge me, either. 

I could not imagine the deeply difficult experiences I would undergo physically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. God has used countless moments and experiences to expand my love, sacrifice, and trust. He has poured down mercy and grace and love again and again. 

He has brought incredible people into my life; some of whom I don't see often anymore, some of whom I've grown close with over time, some of whom I see more frequently in some seasons than others. I've discovered delightful communities and places across the Oklahoma City metro area. My husband and I have grown in and through a beautiful marriage movement that we never even knew existed until we had lived here for a few years.  

An Open Book: June 2025 Reads

Somehow, it's July. Where did June go???

Last month was packed with many wonderful things, including a large reading stack! I mostly read fiction in June, which was a great way to relax and unwind. I'm linking up with An Open Book as I review my recent reading adventures. Let's dive in!

An Open Book: May 2025 Reads

Another month has arrived, which means I'm linking up with An Open Book to talk about what I read last month. Buckle up, because there are A LOT of books here, courtesy of a non-napping baby who just wanted to cuddle and nurse. Homeschooling, werewolves, postpartum life, Vatican II, and the U.S. military are just a sampling of the topics I read about, both fiction and non-fiction. Let's dive in! 

Habemus papam

Messages flooded the screen, stating that there was white smoke at the Vatican. “Sorry kids, Anpanman will have to wait,” I said as I grabbed the laptop and switched from a video streaming service to a livestream by a Catholic news service. We looked at the huge crowd that was gathered and the clusters of cardinals that stood on balconies, a hint as to who wasn’t the new pope.

The days following the death of Pope Francis had felt odd; we were mourning the death of our father, while also knowing that sometime--probably in the near future--we would have a new Holy Father. The sorrow had mixed with a joyful anticipation. Now, the white smoke had shown that our wait was over. 

A man stepped out onto a balcony and declared: “Habemus Papam.” Tears sprang into my eyes. As my children chattered, I tried to listen for a name. I couldn’t catch it, but suddenly, there on my screen was a picture of a cardinal I had never heard of…from America! Moments later, that same man walked onto the balcony and blessed the crowd as peace flowed from his youthful gaze.I was stunned and ecstatic, and a thousand and one questions whirled through my mind. However, my kids had been waiting to watch their movie, to I started Anpanman and left to rest with the baby. 

Later on, slightly more rested, I knew that I needed to do something. How could I sit inside and field countless questions from my other kids about Pokémon or Star Wars when we had a new pope? I glanced at the backyard and suddenly knew what to do.

An Open Book: April 2025 Reads

A new (and very rainy) month has arrived, so I'm linking up with An Open Book to chat about my recent reading adventures. I didn't read many books, but the ones I picked up were a fascinating mix of fiction and non-fiction. Let's dive in!

Life Offline

An e-mail about yet another online Lenten retreat caught my eye. 

Hosted by a well-known Catholic priest whose writing and speaking I enjoy, I knew it would be a good event. Not only that, but it was free!  The computer cursor hovered over the registration link as I thought about how incredible this opportunity was. Yet, before I clicked that button, I paused. The thought hit me, unbidden: I didn't actually want to participate in this online event. As great as it was, why would I carve out time to sit in front of a laptop when I was about to attend a daylong retreat with other people in my local area? 

We all know the value of in-person interactions.  As many of us experienced in 2020, we know, in the deepest part of our being, that watching someone on a screen, online, is not the same as being physically with that person. How many times have we participated in a video call with a loved one and desperately wished that we could reach through the screen and share a hug? 

We also know that internet technology provides amazing ways for us to connect with others. It provides a path for us to meet a variety of people and learn from them. It offers resources for enrichment and growth, especially if we live in an area with few of the resources that we desire. For example, if we live in a place where Catholics are few and retreats are unheard of--or if we are homebound--then an online retreat is a tremendous blessing. 

Being able to access countless resources and information online is a great gift, and I'm grateful for the ways in which the internet has helped me find tools to grow as a daughter of God, as a writer, and as a homemaker. From nalbinding tutorials to recipe websites to Church documents, the internet has aided my lifelong learning. 

However, it’s become so easy to live and pray and grow online that we struggle to live offline. 

An Open Book: March 2025 Reads

March somehow completely flew by, and it's hard to believe that Easter is almost here! I'm linking up with An Open Book to chat about the books that accompanied me last month. There was some great nonfiction about the Lenten season, as well as a fun mix of fiction books. Let's dive in!  

An Open Book: February 2025 Reads

It is finally March--and Lent! I'm linking up with An Open Book to chat about the books that took me through the wild month of February (what is it about that month???). I didn't read many books, but some of them were pretty big and I really enjoyed all of them. Let's dive in! 

An Open Book: January 2025 Reads

The new year is quickly slipping by and it has been pretty intense so far-so I'm doing some rapid-fire reviews from January's books (let's see how long my baby stays happy so I can type haha!). I think the coherent theme of January's books is "Books I'd Been Meaning to Read for A While."  I'm linking up with An Open Book; let's dive in! 

Life, Death, and the Year of Hope

When I first moved to Kansas, people told me: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes, and it will change.” I’ve heard this same sentiment in Oklahoma, too. The weather is unpredictable and constantly in flux. It can be cold and snowy one day—to the extent that the public library system closes down—and just a few days later, we stand outside in t-shirts, watching snowmen melt in sixty-degree weather. 

The changeability of the weather makes me think of hope—because if you truly don’t like the weather you’re currently experiencing, it’ll change in a minute or two. The cold won’t last forever; it won’t even last long. The short month of February always seems to contain both an ice storm and a seventy-degree day or two. Overcast, drizzly days don’t come often, and I know that after a few days of grey skies, the fierce sunshine will be back in full force. It's like life with small children. It's like life in general. There's darkness and light, gloom and joy, all smashed together in a wild jumble. 

My children and I were in the living room at a local home for the dying recently; it seemed like a fairly normal weekday. Letter flashcards were strewn across the floor, one child worked through a math book, other children chatted with volunteers in the kitchen. I held my baby up to one resident as we enjoyed watching the baby’s smiles and coos. Everything was peaceful, all was serene.

All at once, everything shifted. One child got scared of a (very gentle) service dog that entered the building. Another child made a mess and needed assistance in cleaning it up. The peaceful air was suddenly tinged with frenzy as multiple children needed me at once. 

A nurse dashed up to me. “How can I help?”

I thrust the baby in her arms and turned to the other children. Soon, everyone was taken care of and all was peaceful once again. A different caregiver walked up, holding my baby. I thanked her and remarked that everything always seems to happen at once.

“When things get crazy, I usually don’t even have time to stress-text my husband,” I said, mentioning that things seem to quickly bounce back and forth between chaos and calm. Little did I know that within the next week, I would see this reality play out in a dramatic way. 

It was late in the evening the next day when I received the message:

A flight from Wichita crashed.

Wichita? 

2024 Reading & Writing Recap

Once again, it's that wonderful time of the year when people share their yearly reading lists. So, before we get too far in 2025, I want to take a moment to share some reading highlights from 2024. As usual, I don't pick the "best" or "favorite" book each month, but I want to highlight a notable one (and sometimes it is my favorite book from that month). Looking at my reading recap of books read in 2023, I'm struck by how much less fiction I am highlighting this time around. I guess I tend to read more fiction in some years than others? 

Anyways, moving on. I read 92 books in 2024, and they were a fun mix of fiction and non-fiction, books geared towards children and books aimed at adults. From werewolves to economics to mathematics to Amelia Peabody's adventures in Egypt (such good comfort reads!), I dove into a variety of fascinating topics. It was a really fun reading year. Here's one book highlight from each month, followed by a short writing recap :)