Things I Love (May 2025 Edition)

when things feel easy, walking distance, summer peaches, pilgrimage to the sea

Friends,

I have missed writing. For the first time since I started my substack about two and a half years ago, I have taken a couple of weeks off. These weekly writing appointments are one of the ways I process and understand my life, and they mean more to me than anyone can know. The ability to share words and ideas is something I cherish. The fact that I have supporters who make this weekly meeting with my own thoughts and with God a non-negotiable habit, and that I have reached a season in motherhood where I can lock a door and work with infrequent interruptions is a blessed relief and a gift that I do not take for granted. You may have missed my last post, (Losing Myself), where I share some thoughts from the first trimester of my 11th pregnancy. My mind has been a virtual swampland, as it always is in early pregnancy. I have been sick and slow. In the midst of it all, we have been planning for a grand family vacation, which we took last week.

Every month, I post these Things I Love pages, where I share the small things that make my life beautiful and sweet. After a week at the ocean, I have so many things on my list of loves. I think it is worth saying, before I start, that every month, I could write an equally long list of Things I Hate, or Things That Are Hard, or Questions That Have No Answers. Life is complex. Parenting is beautiful but incredibly hard. Pregnancy is exquisite joy, but it is a season of non-negotiable limits of the mind and body. When life feels hard, I find that turning to the practice of naming the things I love is more important than ever. It reminds me to be grateful for the breath and life within me. To thank God for the beauty that is all around me. Eyes to see. Ears to hear. A heart to understand and accept the love of God.

Things I Love:

The ocean. I am going to write about this soon. I don’t know why the ocean stirs up so much longing in me. I sobbed like a baby when we left the island. Going to see the sea feels like a pilgrimage to see the beauty and holiness, mystery and wonder of God. The way the shore turns up its treasures, the sky that is filled with color and sun and sparkle and seabirds in flight. I will never get over the wild beauty, the rhythmic heaving of the waves that feels like the sound of the whole world breathing.

Walking Distance. We stayed at a house with a view of the sea. The ocean was a few hundred feet and a flight of stairs away. In a huge family with small children, walking distance changes everything. It means that we don’t have to deal with car seats or packed lunches every time we want to be a part of the beauty. We don’t all have to go together, and tired babies can come back and nap with a parent or an older sibling. It means we can go see the ocean six times a day if we want. And the ones who don’t can stay home. It was worth waiting three years to take a family vacation to stay on the beach.

Meals Made Ahead: I have a friend who is an amazing chef. My kids love her food better than any restaurant. Earlier this year, we worked out a barter for her to make 4 precooked meals for us that we could pop in the oven while we were on vacation in exchange for music lessons for her son. This changed everything! It gave me the ability to truly rest and enjoy this vacation. It was the luxury of luxuries.

Riding Bikes: We got free bike rentals for the week, and I rode for the first time in about 20 years. To celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary, Randy and I biked a mile and half down the island to see the sunset over the bay. I’ll never forget that experience as long as I live.

When Things Feel Easy: Because of the grace of God, and because of lots of pre-planning and packing everything we would possibly want or need (ask me how many musical instruments we brought…), I knew when we drove onto the island, we wouldn’t be leaving until the trip was over. I knew there was plenty of food, meals were all taken care of, we had even packed wrapped birthday presents for Rune, who was turning six at the beach. This level of preparedness allowed me to truly rest and relax and enjoy my family. It felt so easy to be there. I also realized that all the time we have been working on consistent rhythms at home translated to being away. The kids stepped right into their normal jobs. I felt so free to just enjoy being there. This was the first vacation I remember since becoming a mother that felt easy. I will never take that for granted.

Summer Peaches:
I have been waiting for these. Bought at a local produce market, these South Carolina peaches have that sharp sweetness you want in a peach and must be slurped after each bite. The best peaches are messy and noisy, but no one cares. They are soooooooo good. God didn’t have to make fruit this incredible. Can you taste his love in every bite?

Homeschooling, You’re Doing It Right Just By Doing It
This book! I have loved Ginny Yurich for several years. Her podcast is my go-to. I feel so aligned with her vision to give our children real childhoods, full of analog play and real life experiences. Her podcast and her writing is like a friend putting an arm around your shoulder. Her new book about homeschooling is encouraging me deeply. If you are a homeschooler, or if you are curious about homeschooling, it is an incredible resource on the benefits of homeschooling, with personal stories, science and statistics to back it up. One of my top ten homeschool books that I will surely come back to over and over again. Highly recommend.

The Innocence Mission Live
One of my family’s favorite bands of all time, The Innocence Mission, played a concert for the first time in 27 years. Life goal is to make it to one of these shows if they continue. You can see the full concert here.

Las Mananas:
I shared an album that we have been loving a few weeks ago by Argentinian duo Manu Estrach and Sebastian Tozzola. Our 12-year-old son, Remy, has internalized this music and has been making his own arrangements of the songs on piano. Here is a video of their song, Las Mananas, arranged and performed by Remy at our beach house last week. (Backup dancing by Haven, age 4, wearing a fanny pack and tattling on his sister who was eating the chocolate pretzels.)

Thank you for being here. I pray that in every season, you will find things to love and name them. Our God is beautiful. And the evidence of his love is all around us.

Sending love and the colors of sunrise over the sea,

Mackenzie

Upcoming:

Family Show at The Clarkesville Library: Local friends, mark your calendars! Next Thursday, June 5 at 11:00, we would love to see you at our family show. Many of our children will be playing music with us, and it is always a lot of fun to be at our local library as part of the summer reading program.

Rosie goes into the studio tomorrow! Stay tuned for news about her music as we put it all together and out into the world in the weeks and months ahead.