Mom, why isn’t there a kid’s day?! My son asked me innocently. I cannot blame my kids…I distinctly remember asking my parents this very same thing. And like my parents, and their parents before them, I responded by saying, Everyday is kid’s day! As a mom, I really don’t know what to think about Mother’s…

The sky is still dark out. Even the moon lies to rest. And for once I am awake and rested at this earlier hour. I am not a morning person, even the prospect of waking early for a powder day or some epic climb leaves me unenthused and coiled tightly around my bed covers. But…

Step. Breath. My feet propel me on. My ever singing headphones pause for a moment. A good, quiet moment and then a sweet voice fills my heart: If I die young, bury me in satin Lay me down on a bed of roses Sink me in the river at dawn Send me away with the…

I dreamt of wintry sunshine dancing through the aspen groves last night. Of powder pillows under my skis. The soft whoomp of snow falling from trees and spiraling flakes that move higher and higher in the breeze. The sun broke through the blinds this morning. And it was time to go. My heart yearned for…

I sit cross-legged in the middle of my living room. Two worlds colliding. “Do you want any of this sewing fabric?” My husband asks. “No.” We are cleaning the garage. Getting rid of the old junk and making way for the new junk. Suddenly he turns to me and says, “I feel like I am…

There isn’t a parent out there that doesn’t worry about their kids. Kid safety is something we all toss around inside our heads, but often do nothing about. Recently my husband received a RoadID Slim wrist bracelet for running. You know…running lots of miles in the early morning darkness? What if you keel over on…

I like simple. I like quiet. I like still. I have three kids. So life is rarely simple or quiet or still. But I love my life. Add into this the fact that we home-school our oldest daughter, run this blog, write, photograph, are committed to a local church and cannot sit still when there…

Confession? If you’ve recently posted on FB or Twitter, “what are your 2013 resolutions?” Then I have quietly and systematically ignored you. (Chances are I am offending everyone here, cause my news feed yesterday was nothing but that resounding question…) The truth? I am not really a resolutions type of girl. It is either the…

I ran slow. The snow fell fast. Light and heavy at the same time. I ran for quiet. I ran for thinking. I ran for peace and resolve and purpose. I ran for answers, I ran for wonder. I ran. Step after step. Beat after beat. Beat. Step. Beat. Beat me up. These times… the…

But we think it should be. Don’t we? I wrote a few weeks ago, “It is infuriating to go through each day and feel as though you are not winning in any area. In motherhood, in fitness, in finances, in healthy eating, in laundry, in cleaning, in schooling… I often wonder if I can ever…

There is one side effect to becoming more active. To getting outdoors more. It is this: you will only want to be MORE active, to get out MORE. In fact, you might find yourself doing strange things like this: packing your kiddo into a kid carrier when they have the flu…cause they are just going…

I case you are wondering if kid scissors are sharp enough to slice into that favorite light-weight down jacket of yours…wonder no longer. They are. This event, which I will now refer to as the “attempted slaughter of the down hoodie,” (a.k.a ASDH) was just the topping on what has been a weak week. This is…

I have to be purposeful at most things in life. Now, if you know us, you also know that we are quite spontaneous. I am not diminishing the beauty found in sudden acts of whim. But most of life, rather most of what I want out of life, only happens if I am purposeful. Like…

For two reasons I decided to get creative last week. 1. We recently read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with the kids (and watched the movie at the end), meaning they are truly obsessed. 2. Every store we walked into they wanted a toy wand, most costing somewhere between $20-$30…for a piece of polished…

Well, we are wrapping up Expect[ing] to Thrive with one last post! And it is a good one! First, don’t miss the Beco Baby Carrier giveaway! It runs through the weekend! The winner of our Monkey Mat Giveaway is Jessica Cardwell! Congrats!! Today we are welcoming my good friend, fellow mom, climber and outdoor lover…

The Strider Balance Bike Giveaway came to an end last night and our winner is Susan Eubank! Thanks everyone! Don’t miss our other giveaways still going on: Monkey Mat’s lightweight play/park mat and Beco Baby Carriers! Today we are interviewing Amanda Tress from Fit Pregnancy and Parenting. She has been a personal trainer for eight…

Hi friends! How is it going today? Have you ever come across a smiling face, in the midst of a rather hectic day, and felt like you could smile again too? Not only could smile, but wanted to smile? Teresa Delfin is one of those people for me. We met and chatted last year at…

Maybe you are enjoying this Saturday morning, watching the leaves change out your window. Today, our friend Tanya is taking the reins and sharing her fit pregnancy story. Let her inspire you to get out an enjoy the changing seasons! She loves hiking, camping, skiing, paddling, biking and all things mountain-related. Tanya is the author of…

Today I am excited to interview Shelly Rudd, fitness instructor, mom, runner, and an all around kick-in-the-butt for all of us who need one!  She has been a fitness instructor for ten years. In addition to running, she enjoys doing pilates on the reformer, kickboxing, and weightlifting. Shelly, what drives you to remain active and…

Welcome to Expect[ing] to Thrive! If you’ve just joined us you don’t want to miss our very first post: An Invitation to Action, not Comparison and our very first GIVEAWAY from Mountain Mama! Today we have guest contributor Erica Lineberry sharing her story of pregnancy, climbing and the adventure of having a “cragbaby.” You won’t…