Meet Cori

Everything you need to know about me can be boiled down to these three things: I have an insatiable appetite for reading, learning, and cookies.

But this blog isn't about me, it's just viewed through my lens. I'm the "Keeper Of The Stories". The real reason I started this blog was for my children for when they are older. I wanted a written record of how happy, silly, creative, and fun they were as children.  I wanted them to see the capacity to love and learn that they exhibited when they were young and in my constant care.

All the stories fade with time in my memory. But if I record them, they stay in the present. Those same emotions, scenes and memories come flooding back bringing the moment alive again. I want to preserve those moments. This is our family at its most vulnerable. This is the real us. We have no pretense.

Child rearing goes by in the blink of an eye. As Trace Adkins says, "You're gonna miss this."

I know this is such a small sliver of time in the expanse of my life. That’s why I want to remember to enjoy to it’s fullest, even when exhaustion overwhelms me, or I feel more like a cabbie than a mommy, or when child training becomes monotonous and hard. Life is more than right now. It was my husband and I at the beginning and will be us at the end.  I want to remember to keep that relationship priority so the children can see what love looks like.

In this journey of life, it’s more than teaching them to clean up their toys and potty training and what extra-curricular activities we should choose - it’s teaching them to be independent adults, who know how to love others deeply, how to make wise decisions and know how to give of themselves and sacrifice. I respect my children. I like who they are. I miss them when they are asleep or away.

As for what I value: I desire to act mercifully with those around me, to be known as one who stands up for justice for the marginalized, and live out of a constant state of humility. I mess up everyday and am in desperate need of grace and patience. I'm the Queen of Sticking Her Foot In Her Mouth.

My goal is to do small things with great love everyday (nod to Mother Teresa).

I absolutely adore being a wife and a mom. It's my favorite (nod to "Elf")!

I am forever learning. Curiosity fuels me. I thoroughly enjoy researching - everything and anything.  I can't read enough. I devour books like cookies (except I probably eat more cookies than I do books). Reading to my children is one of the most treasured, precious times we share together. And as they've grown older, talking about what books we've each read is a source of great joy.

I love to be outside and soak in as much sun, fresh air, and natural beauty as much as possible. Sunrises and sunsets make me so happy I could cry each time I see one.

I love decorating, furniture, fabric, and making things look pretty.  I have an innate sense of symmetrical balance. This is a gift and a curse (nod to "Monk"). I can see if something is 'off' by a quarter of an inch and feel the need to fix it (even if it's not mine).

In my 40s I went back to school to become an Adult ESL instructor.  I admire, adore, and appreciate each and every immigrant and refugee I've had the privilege of teaching. They have opened my eyes and heart up to new ways of thinking and seeing the world. I learn from my students every single day. I am a better person for having the opportunity to know such beautiful, courageous, and amazing people.

I am a bleeding heart. You cannot work with the fringe of society and not see the need for social justice. This has become the path of my later years as my children leave the house to live their lives to the fullest. My fullest life is in shining a light on the injustices of the marginalized.

I have many passions I could write about…and maybe one day I’ll have the time. But right now my passion is my family…the fun I have with them, the things I learn with them and from them, and the joy I have living life with them.

Carpe Diem!