Over the last year, I didn’t realize what was happening, but looking back, I was fighting a combination of fatigue and laziness. Though I still cared immensely about how our kids turn out, getting off the couch very often felt like too great a burden to ask. Being mentally engaged and physically active throughout each day with my […]

Ever wondered if the Bible has something to say about your sex life?  It definitely does. And let’s be clear: it’s not simply a list of “thou shalt nots.” Beginning way back in Genesis, we get peeks into various couples’ marriages. Throughout Old Testament stories, we see how one’s choices about sex and marital intimacy affect their entire […]

Last summer, we hiked the Wonderland Trail with our 7 kids (ages 14 down to 18 months). The Wonderland is a 93-mile loop trail around Mount Rainier, with 22,000 feet of elevation gain. People have taken anywhere from 20 hours to 15 days to hike the entire thing. We did it in 12 days. For […]

Well, hello there! It’s been a while. Allow me to share some hodge-podgy thoughts I’ve been pondering, as I approach my 40th birthday this month: (1) No matter what choices you make, life contains pain. Fear of pain can not be what rules our decision-making. God doesn’t promise easy roads, comfortable circumstances, good emotions, or […]

You’ve heard the advice. (heck, I’ve told you to do it!) “Postpartum moms, REST MORE!!” And yet, maybe you wonder… what does that practically look like? Especially when we have other children, and when they’re all/only littles, the advice can seem impractical. “HOW exactly am I supposed to do that?,” you might wonder. Well, look no […]

After last week’s topic (Should Kids’ Screentime Be Unlimited?) a reader asked: Q: how do you let them watch a video/cartoon without the younger (under 2) seeing it or wanting to see it? He’s in the same room or walks by, for example, and now he likes to watch (and asks to) at an even younger […]

{NOTE: For those readers who don’t know our family, we’re the Connells. Doug’s my husband and I’m Jess. At the time of this trip, we had 7 kids (Ethan-14, Baxter-12, MeiMei-10, Silas-8, Moses-6, Theo-3.5, Luke-18 months), and I was 6 months pregnant with our 8th child. I’m publishing journal entries, pictures, & memories from our 12-day […]

So today, I’m starting something new. In my Freestyle Friday posts, I’m going to, in bullet-form, freely share things on my mind & going on in my real life. It may be short, it may be long, and some Fridays, it may be entirely non-existent. Some readers observed (via the comments of the recent survey– CLICK […]

Ever read Genesis 3? It’s the chapter where sin enters the picture. One verse previous, Adam and Eve are frolicking in the perfect garden God crafted for them, naked and unashamed. But by Chapter 3, everything goes awry. Genesis 3 teaches me, frames my theology, and makes me long to walk with God in Heaven. […]

This is a sponsored post. One of our family traditions is to use the Christmas season as an opportunity to GIVE. Beyond our personal giving (Christmas gifts to one another), each holiday season brings an opportunity to reevaluate the charities and ministries we give to. Over the years, one ministry we have consistently participated in is Operation Christmas […]

Have you ever felt that heavy certainty of heart? The guilty pronouncement that declares: “You’re not perfect enough“?? Sadly, it seems to be more prominent in certain places. And from personal experience I can say– it often accompanies the choices we make as mothers, particularly as homeschooling mothers. Doug and I, on our way up to the top of Enchanted […]

At some point this last year (I didn’t date it when I wrote this down), I took time to try and write down, in precise language, some of the things I believe about myself. Things I didn’t want to admit, but that I could tell were impacting my choices and thinking. Tears streamed as I scribbled […]

Pandora is something I use almost every day. I’ve got a variety of playlists there, for when we’re feeling silly, worshipful, mellow, dancy, quiet, or happy. I love the control it gives me, to set the tone and go on with the day. I’ve got a question for you: If your life was a Pandora playlist, who’s the one […]

Alfinda asks: Hi Jess. Can you also share some wisdom in the area of toys and imagination play for boys, i.e. Is it appropriate to let them play with pretend swords and guns? Sure! Yes, we allow pretend swords and guns. “Mom, we’re the THREE MUSKETEERS!” Here are the basic rules in our house (off […]