lauren shaw

Small Purple Hippos

Small Purple Hippos

I was shopping in a fun boutique in Saugatuck not long ago, admiring the unique clothing, jewelry, and home décor.  As I was browsing, I spotted this small purple hippopotamus.  He had white polka dots and an impish face, and just looking at him made me smile. I picked him up, smiled again, and wandered […]

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Recovery

Recovery

My kids and husband just got home from a super fun vacation to visit their grandparents in Vermont.  The trip back involved about 19 hours in a truck.  Nineteen hours in a truck with three kids, one adult, and a dog.  They busted out of the truck like their lives depended on it, stir crazy […]

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PSA

PSA

Today is the most gloriously beautiful day.  It’s warm, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the tree outside my window has tiny green buds on it.  Spring is here. This tends to be the time of year when our collective mental health starts to improve.  People start to feel better in the […]

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Winter-Winter

Winter-Winter

There are four parts of winter in the Midwest. There is fall-winter, Christmas-winter, winter-winter, and mud-winter.  Fall-winter is what happens when it snows on Halloween, when you realize you need a serious coat, when the sharpness of the air starts to take your breath away.  Christmas-winter is when you dream of snowflakes and relish twinkle […]

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On Your First Day Of Middle School

On Your First Day Of Middle School

Dear Travis, One day when you were brand new in the world, I sat holding your sweet, tiny self and realized that some day you would be a middle school boy.  I burst into tears.  Your papa came home and found me crying, as I lamented that you would have to go through middle school […]

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