Amber Dawkins
Amber loves jellybeans, morning snuggles, and new adventures. Personality tests peg her as 93% extroverted. She loves to write, but most of the time, you’ll find her behind her camera lens. Amber left her teaching position in 2016 to turn her passion into a full time photography career. She now spends time photographing homes for real estate agents, updating headshots, freelancing for local magazines, and creating branding imagery for businesses by capturing their spaces, products, people, and processes. She also does portrait sessions for families, children, and high school seniors. Amber recently got married in a small pandemic friendly wedding. As mama to one and stepmama to four, she thrives on the happy chaos of a large, blended family. Amber lives with both Cystic Fibrosis and CF Related Diabetes and thanks God daily for His blessings and the medical advances that continue to keep her as healthy as possible.
Thermostat Battles
I think my husband is a grizzly bear. And I'm not just talking about his snoring or the way he hibernates in his man cave for what seems like days on end. I'm talking...
Cherishing the Littlest Moments in the Midst of a Big, Busy Life
The library books are overdue (again). Groceries are spilling out of plastic bags strewn across the kitchen counter. The checkbook needs to be balanced. Text message alerts are pouring in from the phone, which...
Twas the Meal Before Bedtime
I love those mommy moments where you look at your baby (no matter the age) and suddenly, time slows to a crawl. The rest of the world fades away and the smallest of details...
Omaha Road Trip: The Family Getaway I Didn’t Know I Was Missing
Oh, Kansas City. You will always reign supreme as my home, my favorite city. However, if I’m being totally truthful, a recent weekend visit to another popular Midwest location almost had you dethroned. First,...
When Mommy is Sick: Balancing Serious Health Concerns and Motherhood
Each and every minute with our children is precious. But, for very different reasons, each and every minute of alone time holds great appeal, too. When we’re not just binge-watching Netflix (guilty), we try...
A Change in Priorities: Remembering the Importance of Marriage in the Midst of Motherhood
My mind has been spinning with questions since May 4, 2012.
It started the moment I finally saw the word "pregnant." First, my questions revolved around what I was putting in and on my...
Parent-Teacher Conferences: The Unspoken Truth
Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner.
What if I told you that bubbling right below the surface is a conversation that your child's teachers would love to have with you – but probably won't? It's a conversation...
Extra Cuddles: Filling Up in the Stillness
Toddlers are exhausting. They are sweet, funny, adventurous, quirky and surprising. But they are also constant, moving, needing, questioning… exhausting. Mommies do a lot more giving than receiving, and at the end of the...
ThingLink: Organizing, Managing YouTube Favorites
Oliver’s first YouTube experience (see the end of this post for my ever-evolving take on screen time) probably involved a compilation of cats doing funny things. My child is obsessed with cats. His viewing...
Sleep Training: A Nap Battle from Baby’s Perspective
New moms usually have one or two (or 57 million) things they stress and obsess over during the last trimester and the first three months of life with a newborn. For me, my No....
Stepping Out of the Boat: Facing My First Day Jitters
As a teacher, the surprise ending of the children’s book First Day Jitters always brings a smile to my face. Amidst all the back to school mania – shopping for school clothes and shiny...
Wracked with Guilt: Why We Should Share Our Mommy Mistakes
It was July 2.
Oliver was just shy of 6 months old and I was still getting the hang of being out in the world with him. This particular afternoon involved grocery shopping at Target. We had...
Back to School: Be Routine Ready!
Life is busy. Extracurricular activities, social events, sports. Our time - and our children's time - seems to be filled with more demands than ever, and the demands of a new school year and the...
