• Living,  Talking

    Why It’s Important to Just Be

    Two years ago I wrote about a hilarious mishap that happened to our family while taking a hike before sunrise. Sure, the backdrop was Florence, which is pretty extraordinary, but the point of the post was that quality time can happen anywhere — absolutely anywhere — and you don’t need to go off to far off places to make those moments happen. In fact, I think that it’s imperative that you go out of your way to find little family adventures in your own neck of the woods.  And these moments don’t require exotic, “insta-worthy” locations or piles of money to make it happen. Any backyard barbecue or fire pit can…

  • Favorites,  Living,  Traveling

    Florence: A Hike Before Sunrise and Finding Quality Time

    “Quality time is found in the midst of quantity time” ~Deacon Randolph~   When thinking back on our trip to Florence, there is one memory that brings home the truth about quality time:  it’s often found in the more ordinary moments and it can happen anywhere, at anytime, and it is the glue that holds family together. Sure —  we were in Florence — and that isn’t an everyday occurrence for our family.  But the memory that I am thinking about started off in a way that many family memories start out:  a little conversation between husband and wife.  We knew we hadn’t slept much since the beginning of our trip…