Welcome to my new blog, my first blog, Life in the Van.  Let me explain the title.  No, we don’t live in a van.  My kids were concerned about that one.  However, as the mom of three active boys, I do feel like I live in the van at times.  Life happens in that van.  Great talks.  Laughter.  Off key singing.  Often the van is the first seat after a celebration.  It’s the place we exhale.

This blog is meant to be a way for me to share the things that are on my heart, a way to pass along some encouragement, and a way to remind each of us that there is great joy to be found in the simple things in life.  For me, those things are faith, family, food, and fun!

So who is the one behind the wheel of the “van”, behind the words on the page?  Here’s me in a nutshell:

Faith: For me, it’s all about my faith in the Lord, my relationship with the Lord, and my daily walk with Him.  It’s about knowing that only by His grace, only by His love, and only by His forgiveness can I get up each morning to a fresh new day where his mercies are new.  Under the Faith category I’ll share what the Lord’s been teaching me, what I’ve been wrestling with, and some encouragement for our daily lives.

Family:  These are the people you laugh with, cry with, grow with, and learn with.   For me, that’s my husband and three boys.  We’re a simple family, kind of down-to-earth.  We love to laugh and goof around.  Our house doesn’t look like a Pottery Barn catalog; we don’t dress in designer duds; we don’t travel the world.  We’re focused on building relationships that will last a lifetime, working through life’s challenges, and having some fun while we are at.  I guarantee that we share many of the same struggles as you do, too.  Under the Family category I’ll write about topics like marriage, parenting, and home life.

Food:   I’ll be up front here: there is no gourmet food rolling out of my kitchen.  You won’t see my favorite foie gras recipe because I don’t have one.  There won’t be photos of exquisitely set dining tables.   There won’t be reviews of our favorite high-end restaurant.  What you will see are family friendly meals that are satisfying, fresh, nutritious, and budget friendly.   I will also share allergy friendly recipes, as we deal with several different food related allergies in our family.  I firmly believe that you can have “safe” food that is also delicious and nutritious.

A few years ago as I was looking to earn some extra money from home, I stumbled into the world of competitive cooking.   I’ve been blessed with a few successes here and there, and it always seems that a win comes at just the right time.  I’ll share some of my competitive cooking adventures and give you a backstage pass to some of the coolest cook-offs around.

Fun:  Tossing a ball in the yard.  Long bike trips.  Hiking a new trail.  Dropping a line in a local river.  Camping.  These are some of the things that we call fun.  Our family is most comfortable outside enjoying whatever the season has to offer.     Board games.  Movie nights.  Football.   Yep, those are some of our favorites as well.   Entertainment for us is simple and low-tech.  We have one television, one family computer, no smart phones, tablets, iPods, iPads, or the like.  We think getting back to basics is where it’s at.  I’m all for kids filling the yard, building forts, and digging for worms.

So there you have it.  Me.  Dry sense of humor, sarcastic at times, happy with life’s simple treasures.

I hope you will check back regularly to see what’s new.