Hi readers, thanks for stopping by and getting to know me better!
My name is Esther from northern California. I’m happily married to Chris, my trustworthy and big-hearted guy for 19 years and counting. A mutual friend of both moms played matchmaker and we got married the next year. He’s the exact opposite of me with his tech savviness, realist outlook, and planning personality, but somehow it all works out and he’s my forever.
Now I’m a homeschooling mom to 2 silly and curious kids, Elliot (15) and Ellis (13). Life is busy raising kids, and it constantly reminds me the need for God’s help and the challenges of raising godly children.
Our family life took a wild turn when our youngest child was born with a congenital heart defect: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Suddenly, we lived in a bubble where we said goodbye to normalcy. We started forging our own normal; for years, I called it the “5-mile radius” phase of my life.
My blog posts various subjects: motherhood moments; teaching & learning; faith moments; my daughter’s medical journey; depression pains; highs, lows, and the mundane of life; nature photography; our 2 pets, a Holland Lop rabbit named Teddy and a Leopard Gecko named Dart; our homeschool outings; and whatever beautiful things I discover that I think would make you smile!
Prior to becoming a multitasking mom, I earned my Ed.D in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University, as well as an M.A. in Religion and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to that, I aspired to be a psychologist and got my M.A. in Psychology at Pepperdine University as well as my English Literature undergad degree there. People teased calling me a professional student. Well, after graduating in my early 30s I felt like fish out of water, bewildered by real life outside of school. It took me some time to find my groove, but once I had my kiddos, it was clear that I wanted to be a stay-at-home and homeschooling mom. The rest is history~
I hope that you will enjoy reading, be encouraged, be inspired (maybe?), and laugh a little. Thanks for visiting and reading my posts! Totally happy you are here. God bless you!