Money Saving Mom®

David’s officially in Kindergarten!!! We are SO stinkin’ proud of this boy!

When his team approached me early in Spring about moving him into Kindergarten after three years in the inclusive PreK program, I struggled a lot with reservations. Would it be too much? Would he be as safe and loved and cared for as he had been in PreK? Would he be made fun of or called names? Would he get the one-on-one attention he would need? Would he be disruptive in a classroom? Would a full day just be too long and too tiring for him?

We met with his whole team and his new team for Kindergarten and I was genuinely blown away at their thoughtfulness and intention and how much they listened to my concerns and sought to fully address them.

We made a plan together for how to make it happen and they were over-the-top accommodating so that David could be in a traditional classroom but would have all the extra supports he would need.

And WOW! We are just deeply touched by how much our boy is being loved and cared for but also gently pushed to learn and grow. And he is LOVING it!! He gets so excited to go to school and comes back soo happy.

Since he can’t communicate verbally, we look for cues in other ways and one of those is eating. He typically only lets people he knows, trusts, and feels very safe with feed him… and often it will take a few days or weeks to build that. But he ate two full pudding cups the very first day of school!!! When his aide told me that, I was like, “What???” I didn’t expect for him to eat anything the first few days in protest of a new environment. So I knew he felt so safe if he was eating like a champ! And that was exactly what my mama heart needed!!

Also: the second day of school, his teacher read a book on Down syndrome & inclusion to help all his classmates get to know David more and to be able to be a better friend to him.

Truly, we cannot express how much we are deeply touched by the way our boy is being loved and championed in his school!

Kierstyn has been having library assignments from school so we have been having a weekly library date. I’m teaching her how to search for books on the computer.

She loves reading and learning and it is so fun to watch her!

The last two Saturdays, I got to volunteer at the state fair with Kathrynne (she was in charge of staffing the booth for her boss!) It was SOOO fun!

I got to interview Ruth Chou Simons and Susie Larson for upcoming podcasts this past week. I cannot wait for you to hear these episodes!

“The more you learn to live into the most total, most genuine sense of who you are in Christ Jesus, the more miraculous your life will be.” – Susie Larson

The more that I understand how much I am loved by God, the more I rest in that love and love others freely and wholeheartedly.

The more I understand the goodness of God, the more my soul is so satisfied in Who He is and I don’t need to try to chase after filling up my heart with things that will never satisfy.

The more I understand the faithfulness of God, the less I walk in fear.

The more I understand the power of God and how I have His Spirit in me, the more I rely in total dependence upon Him and get to see Him do great and mighty things on my behalf!

Walking with Jesus means I get to go throughout my days eagerly anticipating how He is going to show up and do more than I can ever even ask or imagine on my behalf!

If this resonates with you and you want to know more how to experience this miraculous life, I highly recommend Susie Larson’s book, More Than You Can Imagine! I just interviewed her for an upcoming podcast episode this week and you do not want to miss it!!

I remember that first year of marriage when we struggled with infertility. We never thought we’d be able to have kids and doctors didn’t have many answers for us.

I remember those ten years of secondary infertility after we had our first three kids. Again, doctors didn’t have much help or hope for us.

And I look at our very full and often chaotic life with six kids now and think — this is such a gift! The challenges, the laundry, the dishes, the needs, the tiredness… this is a gift! It’s all a testament to answered prayer and I am so grateful!

Look around and see the gifts and goodness of God.

What a privilege to have a full plate or a full schedule or a full house or full arms or a full sink of dishes or a full laundry basket… it bears witness to the faithfulness of God.

This right here has been the catalyst for incredible change in relationships for me! If you want stronger relationships, less overanalyzing, and to love people more wholeheartedly, here’s exactly what you do…

Assume the best. Yep. Instead of making up a story or projecting onto a situation, give someone the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping immediately to being hurt or offended. 

Let me give you some examples of what this can look like. Let’s say you’re going through a difficult season and your friend doesn’t reach out. Instead of being hurt by it, choose to believe that maybe they don’t know you’re struggling, or they’re going through a rough time themselves, or they want to help but feel awkward and don’t know what to do.

You could also reach out and just be honest. You could say, “I’m struggling right now and would love to see you or hear your voice. It would mean so much.”

Or you’re at an event and your friend acts in a way that feels stand-offish
Instead of feeling hurt, assume the best. Maybe they re going through a rough time, or they had a bad headache, or they’d just gotten some unsettling news.

Stop yourself from making up stories and pulling back. Try to lean in and check on them: “I saw you last night and missed talking to you. How are you?”

Or they leave a comment on social media that feels a little like a jab at you,
Instead of feeling hurt, try to read it in a warm and gracious tone of voice. Maybe they just didn’t communicate their heart well through written text.

Reach out and say something like, “I saw your comment yesterday, and I’d love to talk more about that. Can you tell me more about what you were thinking?”

Give them the benefit of the doubt. Give them an opportunity to share more.

I’ve discovered that the more I understand how deeply I am loved by God, the less I feel offended by others.

The more I rest in who I am in Christ, the more I can see that what I used to take as critical or hurtful is actually my friend working out her own grief or hurt, or crying out for love and compassion.

And the more I understand and rest in God’s love for me, the less I need to chase after the approval and affirmation of others.

This frees me up to just focus on loving fully and wholeheartedly, instead of psychoanalyzing how I’m being perceived or stressing over saying and doing everything just right so that she’ll like me.

So the next time you feel hurt, offended, or tempted to make up a story about what someone meant… pause. Assume the best. You might be right. You might wrong. But you’ll almost always feel kinder for it.

Exciting News! The Podcast is Back!

After taking the summer off, Jesse and are back this week and I have a full schedule stacked for the fall!

This week’s episode is all about my first 10k and how I’m kind of apprehensive as to whether I can actually run a half marathon in October!

Earlier this year, my daughter Kathrynne asked if I wanted to run a 10K with her. There was just one problem: I wasn’t a runner. I had never run more than a couple of miles without stopping and had spent years believing I simply wasn’t capable of running. But I said yes — and less than ten weeks later, I crossed the finish line.

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about the training plan that helped me go from barely running two miles to completing a 10K, what surprised me most about race day, and why this experience ended up being about much more than running. 

Completing the 10K challenged those beliefs in a way I didn’t expect and gave me a newfound confidence that has spilled into other areas of my life, and believe it or not, now I am training for a half marathon!

Come listen in as I share what this experience taught me about preparation, persistence, our bodies, and being willing to discover that we’re capable of far more than we may realize!

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading…

I’m currently reading: Reimagining Church as Family, Capable (SOO good!), Take My Hand (it’s been heartrending but so good so far!), House Hushing, More Than You Can Imagine, Moving with God, and This Moment Matters (I’m prepping for 4 different podcast episodes!)

What I’m Watching…

Jesse and I started the second season of The Mole and enjoyed it. If you like reality shows that keep you guessing and Who Done It sort of mysteries, I think you might enjoy it. Note that it does have some language in it.

I also watched Father of the Bride and Cheaper By the Dozen with Kierstyn and Micah and they really enjoyed it.

What I’m Listening to…

I started listening to Glad You’re Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Breaking Fences this week and I am really loving it! Thank you to whoever recommended it!

How I Finally Found Food Freedom

After years of struggling with disordered eating/dysfunctional views of food, I finally found food freedom. In the summer of 2025, I made a decision that I honestly didn’t expect to have such a big impact. I signed up to meet with a Nourish dietitian. 

After I started eating more (at the encouragement of my dietitian), I discovered that it was a big struggle for me. I realized I had a lot of fear around food and had put a lot of stock into what the scale said. My joy or frustration for the day and how I felt about myself was often very tied to whatever number the scale showed that day.

I am slowly finding such freedom when it comes to food. My brain feels much quieter around food and it feels weird but also so amazing!! I love that I can find joy in food and eating without needing to constantly analyze, stress, or feel like I’m not where I need to be.

I’m chasing strong not skinny, nourishing myself not a number on the scale — and it’s been incredible!

It’s emotional work, too. But so, so worth it.

If you’re wanting to make a similar change or just learn how to fuel your body well, I highly, highly recommend meeting with a Nourish dietitian.

It’s been SO freeing and truly life-changing for me, and it’s totally FREE with most insurance plans! 

Read my full review here!

In Case You Missed It — Links from Recent Weeks: 

• For Those Who Never Want to Miss a Deal — My team sorts through hundreds of deals every day to find the very best ones! Then we send the top 10-15 straight to your inbox, usually once in the morning and once in the evening. If saving money is one of your goals, this is one of the simplest ways to stay on top of the best deals that tend to go fast.
  
• How to Start a Savings Plan that Works — As you know, I’m passionate about helping you save money in practical, everyday ways. But there’s another important piece of the puzzle that sometimes gets overlooked: having a plan for the money you save. When you intentionally direct those savings toward specific goals, that’s when your savings will start to actually give you breathing room and peace of mind. This post will help you get started! 
  
• I shared this quote on Instagram that made me laugh — It also made me think: Give people grace… maybe they’ve had a software update since the last time you saw them!