• Wells Early . You’ve been with us for just over a week now, and I’ll refrain from saying all the cliche things parents say at this time. In some ways, they’re true. But there are deeper truths at play that are far more profound than any cliche could ever come close to capturing. Because this experience, our story is as unique as you. One in infinity. . Wells—a geographic marker, a source of life, a sign of flourishing and a place for gathering. As followers of Jesus, we believe that He is the wellspring of life and offers a peace that transcends all understanding—“it is well with my soul.” . From the moment we knew about you, we prayed to surrender you. Your life has never been ours to keep or to control, it is a gift that we are to steward. And through every hiccup and scary moment of pregnancy we uttered our surrender, loosening our grip on any faux sense of control we might have clamored for. That’s even more real now that you’re here with us, and it will be the thing we must practice every day of your life—it is well. . One day, I’ll tell you about the significance of actual wells in my own life, but for now, know this: . It was May 25. The air was crisp and there was still snow on the trail. We had subbed our date night hike tradition for an early morning saunter in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. From our very first date, hiking has been a hallmark of our relationship. Some of our deepest conversations, biggest decisions and greatest dreams get worked out on hikes. Including your name. . It was always a topic of conversation on these recent hikes, and during the car rides to and from. Running through the possibilities and rationale for every one, at last we had traipsed through a meadow, meandered through a forest and rounded a corner with a large rock outcropping on our right and a beautiful, wide open view of the Rockies in front of us. And there it was. Wells. For all of the reasons, all of the meaning above. And we knew. . Early was easy. Your dad always loved the name and it’s been in my family for more than 6 generations, and we’re proud for you to carry it on. . Welcome to the world, Wells. We adore you.
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    Wells Early . You’ve been with us for just over a week now, and I’ll refrain from saying all the cliche things parents say at this time. In some ways, they’re true. But there are deeper truths at play that are far more profound than any cliche could ever come close to capturing. Because this experience, our story is as unique as you. One in infinity. . Wells—a geographic marker, a source of life, a sign of flourishing and a place for gathering. As followers of Jesus, we believe that He is the wellspring of life and offers a peace that transcends all understanding—“it is well with my soul.” . From the moment we knew about you, we prayed to surrender you. Your life has never been ours to keep or to control, it is a gift that we are to steward. And through every hiccup and scary moment of pregnancy we uttered our surrender, loosening our grip on any faux sense of control we might have clamored for. That’s even more real now that you’re here with us, and it will be the thing we must practice every day of your life—it is well. . One day, I’ll tell you about the significance of actual wells in my own life, but for now, know this: . It was May 25. The air was crisp and there was still snow on the trail. We had subbed our date night hike tradition for an early morning saunter in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. From our very first date, hiking has been a hallmark of our relationship. Some of our deepest conversations, biggest decisions and greatest dreams get worked out on hikes. Including your name. . It was always a topic of conversation on these recent hikes, and during the car rides to and from. Running through the possibilities and rationale for every one, at last we had traipsed through a meadow, meandered through a forest and rounded a corner with a large rock outcropping on our right and a beautiful, wide open view of the Rockies in front of us. And there it was. Wells. For all of the reasons, all of the meaning above. And we knew. . Early was easy. Your dad always loved the name and it’s been in my family for more than 6 generations, and we’re proud for you to carry it on. . Welcome to the world, Wells. We adore you.
  • No pretty words. Simply gratitude.
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    No pretty words. Simply gratitude.
  • I’m here, I’m engaged. . As I prepared for my return to social media, I knew I wanted to say something. Taking a few weeks off meant time to process, to think, to engage in real life with my people, my circles, my relationships, my mind and my soul. There’s been a lot of reading, listening, thinking, talking, sharing, writing, praying—and no, not the “thoughts and prayers” kind. The crying out, deep belief, lamenting, reflecting, faith-filled, scripture-breathed, action-and-change oriented stuff of warriors. (If you’ve never heard of, experienced or received this kind of prayer—ask me or anyone close to me. I have much to share, and I think they’d say they’ve had much to witness.) . Knowing that this audience is largely white, I hope the stirrings of this cultural moment have moved you viscerally to heartbreak, lament and the burden of this broken world, our broken society, our terribly broken systems. And if they haven’t, I hope that you’d reexamine…especially your heart. . Borrowing wisdom from conversations with dear friends, this is a marathon, not a sprint and much of the work is long, hard and personal. We must rise to our strengths, our gifts and our unique callings to do our part effectively. . Through all of this, I’m reminded that words are one of my strengths and female empowerment especially through the birth space is one of my passions. Power oft comes at the intersection of strength and passion, so here I am. . I’ve long been aware of the disparities across the U.S. when it comes to maternal and infant health. ESPECIALLY for BIPOC. It’s atrocious, appalling and utterly disgraceful. Some of my favorite journalists have done an incredible job of covering this issue, and more and more folks are helping bring awareness to it. I’ve learned even more over the last few weeks through personal anecdotes, my own birth reading and through the discovery of this extraordinary set of Black pioneers in this space (thanks for sharing, @lilynicholsrdn !). List in comments!
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    I’m here, I’m engaged. . As I prepared for my return to social media, I knew I wanted to say something. Taking a few weeks off meant time to process, to think, to engage in real life with my people, my circles, my relationships, my mind and my soul. There’s been a lot of reading, listening, thinking, talking, sharing, writing, praying—and no, not the “thoughts and prayers” kind. The crying out, deep belief, lamenting, reflecting, faith-filled, scripture-breathed, action-and-change oriented stuff of warriors. (If you’ve never heard of, experienced or received this kind of prayer—ask me or anyone close to me. I have much to share, and I think they’d say they’ve had much to witness.) . Knowing that this audience is largely white, I hope the stirrings of this cultural moment have moved you viscerally to heartbreak, lament and the burden of this broken world, our broken society, our terribly broken systems. And if they haven’t, I hope that you’d reexamine…especially your heart. . Borrowing wisdom from conversations with dear friends, this is a marathon, not a sprint and much of the work is long, hard and personal. We must rise to our strengths, our gifts and our unique callings to do our part effectively. . Through all of this, I’m reminded that words are one of my strengths and female empowerment especially through the birth space is one of my passions. Power oft comes at the intersection of strength and passion, so here I am. . I’ve long been aware of the disparities across the U.S. when it comes to maternal and infant health. ESPECIALLY for BIPOC. It’s atrocious, appalling and utterly disgraceful. Some of my favorite journalists have done an incredible job of covering this issue, and more and more folks are helping bring awareness to it. I’ve learned even more over the last few weeks through personal anecdotes, my own birth reading and through the discovery of this extraordinary set of Black pioneers in this space (thanks for sharing, @lilynicholsrdn !). List in comments!
  • We bring good news of great joy! . Baby Ferg due September 2020 at 5,280’! . The first time we hiked Quandary was July 2, 2017–newly homeowners, new to Colorado, dogless and very certainly without a child even on our minds. (Though 2 weeks later I did get my Craigslist pup, thanks to a girl I met on this hike!) It was our first 14er together as Coloradans. . This time, it was March 15, 2020. Seven years to the day that I gave Thomas a book of Colorado maps and 14ers with a handwritten note that read, “Here’s to big dreams and big adventures as vast as the Colorado skies.” That same day a few years later, in 2017, I waved to Thomas as he drove off to make our home in the Rockies and those dreams would be realized. . And now, we’re here—on a new journey, a new adventure with even bigger dreams and more joyous memories to come. Don’t let Syd fool you, she’s stoked. 📷: @denverwildwoman
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    We bring good news of great joy! . Baby Ferg due September 2020 at 5,280’! . The first time we hiked Quandary was July 2, 2017–newly homeowners, new to Colorado, dogless and very certainly without a child even on our minds. (Though 2 weeks later I did get my Craigslist pup, thanks to a girl I met on this hike!) It was our first 14er together as Coloradans. . This time, it was March 15, 2020. Seven years to the day that I gave Thomas a book of Colorado maps and 14ers with a handwritten note that read, “Here’s to big dreams and big adventures as vast as the Colorado skies.” That same day a few years later, in 2017, I waved to Thomas as he drove off to make our home in the Rockies and those dreams would be realized. . And now, we’re here—on a new journey, a new adventure with even bigger dreams and more joyous memories to come. Don’t let Syd fool you, she’s stoked. 📷: @denverwildwoman
  • I sat on these beautiful photos for months, scheming their holiday card grandeur. I even have an image of penning the message—my favorite part—on a train from Vienna to Munich. But time slipped, as it does, and so did my motivation. “A New Year’s card, then? It’s a shame to let this one go by,” we said. . But we did. Because we know I’m not gonna do it—not for New Year’s, not for Valentine’s Day, not for St. Patty’s day. Heck, we still have a stack of 100 unmarked from last year (sorry if you’re in the stack, it was a good one). . You know what’s better than a tiny generic card from Minted that people will throw away? A bunch of giant prints and a book for our home, our rooms, our legacy. Handwritten notes throughout the year to the ones we hold dear. A phone call when our people come to mind at just the right moment. . While I still love receiving and displaying yearly photos and updates from others, I’m gonna keep doing us—the real, get-what-ya-get-when-ya-see-it us. Sometimes it’s real ugly, sometimes it’s cranky or “off” or silly or late or chaotic. And a lot of times it’s really, really vibrant and beautiful and wild. Always, it’s true. . So, here’s to a wild, vibrant year (decade) behind us and an even better one before us. And a huge, heartfelt thanks to you, @carolineroro, for capturing the real us celebrating 5 real years.
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    I sat on these beautiful photos for months, scheming their holiday card grandeur. I even have an image of penning the message—my favorite part—on a train from Vienna to Munich. But time slipped, as it does, and so did my motivation. “A New Year’s card, then? It’s a shame to let this one go by,” we said. . But we did. Because we know I’m not gonna do it—not for New Year’s, not for Valentine’s Day, not for St. Patty’s day. Heck, we still have a stack of 100 unmarked from last year (sorry if you’re in the stack, it was a good one). . You know what’s better than a tiny generic card from Minted that people will throw away? A bunch of giant prints and a book for our home, our rooms, our legacy. Handwritten notes throughout the year to the ones we hold dear. A phone call when our people come to mind at just the right moment. . While I still love receiving and displaying yearly photos and updates from others, I’m gonna keep doing us—the real, get-what-ya-get-when-ya-see-it us. Sometimes it’s real ugly, sometimes it’s cranky or “off” or silly or late or chaotic. And a lot of times it’s really, really vibrant and beautiful and wild. Always, it’s true. . So, here’s to a wild, vibrant year (decade) behind us and an even better one before us. And a huge, heartfelt thanks to you, @carolineroro, for capturing the real us celebrating 5 real years.