“71 Toes” began in 2007 as a way to keep a record of family life and to stay in touch with family members sprawled across the country.  Our family looked like this:

As you can tell by the current pictures, a lot of life has happened since then! And I’m so happy to have so much of it recorded here.

I have always been an avid journal keeper so back then, the “newfangled blog idea” seemed like a perfect journal step-up to keep in touch with our extended family.

Since then this blog has become a way to share parenting ideas, photography , to promote the joy of motherhood, has become a place to “meet” people from all over the world who have opened my mind to all kinds of different ideas and ways of thinking.  It has helped me be more deliberate about my mothering.  I believe that good parenting and strong families make our world a stronger place, so it feels good to share the parenting ideas I’ve gathered through the years (many of them from my extraordinary parents). 

I feel so grateful for wonderful blog readers who have helped spread our story and who have buoyed us up as we have braved our way through tough stuff, the inevitable ups and downs that come with the journey.

Although I share ideas and opinions here, I realize I have so much to learn.  I’m so grateful for all the ideas that I gather from others on a daily basis.  They make me deliberate and aware.