The "Funny Farm" of the Cowles family.
This "whole blog thing" started with letters to my girls. It began as simple notes to them when they were babies. I wrote about their milestones and how much I loved being their Mom! As they grew, my writing grew. The simple notes turned into letters for their big birthdays and things I wanted them… Continue reading Letters to my Daughters
I cried myself to sleep the other night with feelings of nostalgia. I was thinking how quickly the girls have grown. I remembered how every birthday I would trace their little hand, and see how big it had gotten that year. I was thinking about how lately they are driving all over the place and… Continue reading A Family Promise
I've heard it said that when you get married, you marry the whole family. For some people that is terrifying. For me it wasn't. You want your spouse's family to like you and it can be so nerve-racking when you "meet the family". Hubby kept telling me "they will love you" but of course I… Continue reading Marrying the WHOLE family
My sister is one of the strongest, funniest, sassiest, beautiful women you will ever meet. She is goofy, and fun and tries makes everyone have a good time. She hates awkward moments and will try to make a joke and make the moment more lighthearted. I lived with her for almost 22 years and she… Continue reading What I’ve learned from my Little Sister
T! How in the world are you 16? How is it possible that tiny, little 6 lb baby is now taller than me and is so fiercely independent? I have learned so much from you, my girl. You were a serious baby. As a newborn you were "taking it all in". Your eyes wide, looking… Continue reading What I see in my 16 year old, T
My Dad is going to be 70 this November. Besides the basic needs in life, he has taught me that a girl can do "boy things" like checking the oil in your car engine and how to mow the lawn. I've learned a lot from my dad in my 41 years. My dad is one… Continue reading Things I’ve learned from my Daddy
I think it only appropriate that since I wrote "letters" to my girls telling them what I wanted them to know before they turned 10, that I write one to my hubby before he turns 40. Babe, I know I don't say these things enough, and I COULD NEVER say them enough, but I mean… Continue reading Hubby, Before you turn 40
My sweet precious girls, I was determined. I was determined to not "let it beat me". I was determined to not let the fear take over... Looking into the face of a doctor, a man I had come to respect, and see the fear in his eyes, (even though his mouth is saying he's "not… Continue reading The Waiting Room
As with every kid, when the girls were little, they liked to jump on furniture. Bed, couch, chairs, coffee table...it didn't matter what it was, they jumped on it, and as with every mom, jumping on the furniture is huge no-no! One day, I caught them jumping on T's bed, and told them to get… Continue reading Jumping on the couch
I have a fear of just about everything under 1 lb. I'm o.k. with dogs, cats, guinea pigs even, but MICE, oh my word, neighbors 4 streets over can hear me scream if there is mouse in the same building with me. The girls have hamsters as pets, and I'm o.k. with them in the… Continue reading Scary Little Critter
I was saying goodnight to the girls and I was in S's room and I asked my regular nightly question, "what was the favorite part of your day?" S told me and I told her my other "regular", "wake me if you need me." She smiled and I added, "because you know when I'm old… Continue reading “Wake me if you need me.”
(Ironically, this pic was just snuggling, but I thought it looked like they were choking each other. 😉 ) As I sit here in our sunroom, I'm in awe of how the girls can go from one minute of practically RIPPING each others heads off to, giggly, happy girls the next. Their fights have never… Continue reading Learning to Argue
My husband is a cereal killer. He barely gets 3 bowls out of one box of cereal. He eats your traditional "cinnamon life", "Chex", raisin bran, and "Special K", but one of his favorites is this cereal which I have labeled "soggy cardboard". He used to eat it in Kenya when he was a kid,… Continue reading Cereal Killer
Over the summer months, the girls and I plan a surprise day for their dad. At first it was a day for fun and to let him know that we were thinking of him and wanted to do something special. Over the years, it has turned into "Get Dad!" The first summer (JULY 2010) we… Continue reading Annual “Get Dad” Days
I found a letter like this on pinterest and loved it. After I wrote one for T, I wanted the same thing for S. I took S out for ice cream, and I gave her this letter. I told her that she could read it to herself, or I could read it to her. She… Continue reading S, 10 things for you to know before you turn 10!
As a mom, it rips your heart out to see your child cry. Whether it be something simple as a skinned their knee, fear of a bug, or just plain mad, no mom wants their kid to cry, but let’s face it, skinned knees are easier to fix...being mistreated...not so easy! After a recent letter… Continue reading Bullying hurts the WHOLE family
You know that Subaru commercial, where the girl “grows up in the back of a Subaru”? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENr4J8zwcI I CRY EVERY TIME!!!! I see my girls in that straight haired girl’s face and her “WHAT?” is what I hear from them, when I just STARE at their OLD faces! We are coming up on another round… Continue reading Time is not waiting on us….
T and S, Did you know mom had a life before you? No seriously! I can hardly imagine my life without you girls now, but I went to school, had parents and a sister who loved me to the moon and back, had a curfew, had a few (sorry Daddy) car crashes, had boyfriends, and… Continue reading Invisible
I don't know how many times people have said to me, "You always have a smile on your face.". It took probably 100 people to tell me until I finally realized that I must have a smile on my face all the time. I am a "wear your heart on your sleeve" kind of girl.… Continue reading I Will Be A Difference Maker
I love blankets! We have tons! At least 3 in every room in the house! When I got pregnant, I was blessed with friends and family who showered us with many gifts. I was given a lot of receiving blankets and baby blankets, or I would pick up another one if I thought it was… Continue reading Repurposed Baby Blankets
I am blessed with a wonderful husband who notices when things are piling up around the house that I can't get to. He will enlist the help of our girls and the three of them can bang out, so it shouldn't be a shocker when I walked in the door and I see that the… Continue reading Housekeeping vs Home-Keeping
Right now, I'm sitting here listening to my girls play with their Barbies, but I'm "NOT ALLOWED" to listen! Most of the time when they play, they want P and I out of the room. They don't want us listening to them play. I guess it's embarrassing when we start cracking up at their high… Continue reading “Supermom bug killer”
Another letter to my girls.... Your dad and I met at church when he came here to the States to go to college. The first time I saw him walking his Nana into church, I thought he was really cute! We were in the college and career class together and we did a lot of… Continue reading Happily Ever After / Invested Forever After
My facebook post on Dec. 18th, 2013 “I have seen such sweet compassion come from my hubby this week by doing things for our failing Max. I have seen the gift of "comfort" in both my girls as they try to coax him to eat or drink, or by covering him with their blankets. Today… Continue reading Max’s Death
T, turned 10 last May, and this was a letter I wrote to her. I took her out to go shopping, on a "mommy/daughter date", and gave her this letter. I found one on pinterest and loved the idea. 1. It is not your job to keep the people you love happy. Not me, not… Continue reading T, 10 things for you to know before you turn 10
Cowles Farm 