here's our house; we think it's so cute! I'm really looking forward to a fresh coat of paint at some point next year / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus and Rod and Gun Park Yesterday we woke to rain. Glorious rain. When we checked the rain gauge on our deck in the afternoon it read nearly 1.5 inches which is a bit shy of a quarter of our annual rainfall in Arizona. I've become relatively acclimated to the very extreme climate in Arizona and so now marvel at the most mundane weather. We still have two weeks left in Wisconsin... Read more →

This post is also available as a podcast in which I read the post. Search for "rising shining" on most podcast platforms to listen. For the boys' fall break we took a family adventure to Colorado Springs and had a great time! Unfortunately the trip wasn't with the whole family as we had planned. Two days before we left, Maeve came down with RSV and a double ear infection, poor gal! So Chris stayed home with her so that I could go enjoy the trip I had spent so much time planning. After the initial disappointment of not having Chris... Read more →

At the beginning of November Chris attended a conference in Philadelphia and I tagged along. We enjoyed the city so much and ate such great food; it might have been one of the best culinary trips we've been on. I had no idea Philly was such a foodie city – I stand corrected! What made the trip extra fun was the bonus of spending time with cousins. My cousin Scott lives in Philadelphia with his wife Jen and teenage daughter Lily. I don't get to see them often so it's always a treat when I do. I love talking to... Read more →

camping at Christopher Creek campground outside of Payson Did you go camping when you were growing up? As a kid there's no better adventure than spending all day outside exploring the woods followed by roasting a hot dog, eating s'mores, and then snuggling into your sleeping bag in a tent. When I was growing up my family went on one or two camping trips each year. I also went camping with my Girl Scout troop. I have such fond memories of those trips with my family and friends. I loved being outside, helping to lay a fire, taking notice of... Read more →

In March, spring break felt like the theme of the month even though it was just a week plus a Monday. Dash got pretty sick over spring break too so instead of parks and adventures we had several cozy couch days watching movies. It wasn't how I expected to spend the week but I did feel very thankful not to be dealing with trying to take time off work to be with a sick kiddo. On the creative front last month I was productive but always want to do more. I'm reminding myself that I'll probably always feel this way.... Read more →

I have fond memories of family camping trips growing up: roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire, using a pocketknife, and looking at the Milky Way with my dad. Now that I have a family of my own I've been eager to continue the tradition of camping but it's intimidating to make the transition from "being taken camping" to "adult in charge of a camping trip!" Luckily the stars aligned and Team Wharton went on our first camping trip a couple weeks ago – to great success! What really gave us the push we needed was tagging along with... Read more →

Recently, I traveled to San Francisco for work to attend a (fantastic) writing workshop. And I was reminded of something: I love to travel by myself. I kept my hotel room, which overlooked the bay, ridiculously tidy just because I could. When I needed to be somewhere I could get ready leisurely but arrive in plenty of time. At home I'm so accustomed to the long list of tasks that must be negotiated and completed before we leave. To suddenly only worry about myself felt laughably simple. I also find being in an unfamiliar place slightly disorienting in a pleasing... Read more →

In October Chris and I took our first trip without the boys since Cedric was born. We chose the Pacific Northwest because it's so completely different from where we live in Arizona. Although we're learning to love the desert we still crave trees that are tall and abundant, green, rain, cold and water. We knew we'd find it all in the Pacific Northwest. And we did. Visiting our country's national parks is something I want to spend the rest of my life doing so we set our sights on Olympic National Park with our last night in Seattle to visit... Read more →

Last Saturday, in those long hours between nap and dinner, the boys were getting restless and so was I. Chris was happy to be at home with Cedric and so Dashiell and I made plans for an outing. First, we headed to the library where we walked hand in hand through the doors and Dashiell returned our books through the slot, one by one. We stopped by the giant doll house behind glass and searched for the hidden pumpkins, as is the theme this season, before combing the shelves in the children's section. After filling our canvas bag and checking... Read more →

Last weekend, Chris and I escaped the Valley heat and spent two nights in Flagstaff, just the two of us! It was our first time to go away together since Dash was born and it. was. awesome. I took a paltry three photos so I fail as a blogger but as a gal spending a relaxing weekend with her husband I think I get an A+. The weather was perrrrrfect and by that I mean NOT HOT. I wore jeans and (!) longsleeves. The air smelled fresh and crisp and piney. We ate amazing veggie burgers and fries at Diablo... Read more →