Today is my birthday.  My wonderful friends and family wished me an awesome, blessed, fabulous, fun, fantastic day.  Even the Illini gave me...

It's Super Bowl Sunday.  You're not going to a party and you're not hosting one.  You know your husband will be checked out toda...

Last Saturday my husband surprised me with a once in a lifetime opportunity.  He is a church music director and we both have been musicians ...

Sometimes it's good to go home.  I'm getting to that middle age when you only get to see your extended family at funerals.  Last wee...

I know my blog is called "Straddling the Gap," but these days my whole family is straddling lots of huge gaps.  The kids are so bu...

We were in the Verde Valley area of Arizona during Labor Day Weekend.  The Verde Valley is in Central Arizona, south of Sedona and about 90 ...

We're getting closer to the end of the Olympics now and my DVR is full.  I'm sure I will miss it when it's over, although I must...

You would think when you live in one of the hottest places in the United States that schools wouldn't get started until after Labor Day....

Everybody has household chores.  I'm lucky I have a great husband who does a lot of them. One job that I was forced to do  have is to ...

The last week has been scary. I've been disoriented and disconbobulated.  I've been without a phone! More accurately, I've bee...

Here's a summer page to get you feeling warm.  I'm not sure why I didn't get a picture of the entire page when I photographed th...

There are some places that you know immediately by sound and smell even if you can't see them.  They instantaneously create feelings and...

This weekend, we are going on a trip to California for my husband’s business.  He is a church music director and his children’s choir is sin...

We saw The Adventures of Tintin today with the kids.  First of all, Tintin is not the dog :)  It one of those rare movies that appeals ...

In 2011, my craft/sewing/crochet/scrapbooking activities blossomed.  I think my husband would say they exploded.  Right now I have a large a...

The last time I posted about my weight loss journey, it was right after Thanksgiving as I began the "stabilization" phase.  During...

We're in the thick of it now.  It's like a tidal wave that will carry you away if you're not careful, and you'll end up on t...

It's not going to happen this year.  I am not going to run like a mad woman doing for the sake of doing.  I will have a meaningful holid...

For those who have not seen the variety of beauty in Arizona, it can be breathtaking.  Sedona is one of those breathtaking places.  It's...

A couple of weeks ago when the kids were on Fall Break, Kentster took them to the Arizona State Fair.  Yes, the State Fair here is in Octobe...