Plot Points #46 💌
Baptism, cool teens, Kibbe body types, and motherhood
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Hey hey! Happy Friday! Glad to have you here.
Our sweet girl made the decision to be baptized a few weeks ago and we just received the photos from our church. I’m a crier by nature; it’s my reaction to all big emotions, happy or sad, and during Lucy’s baptism I was a mess, y’all. A big ol’ snotty mess.
See for yourself:
This is the mildest of the six that were taken. In another one my face is scrunched up like a fat baby’s as I try to hold back a sob. It’s adorable. But since we don’t show our kids’ faces on these here internets, this is all you get. You’re welcome.
We understand that this is the beginning of a long faith journey for Lucy, not the end, and our prayer for her on both this day and every day is that she will be led deeper and deeper into friendship with Jesus. No matter what doubts come her way, or what trials she faces, I hope she always knows she’s safe with Him.
We love you, Lucy! We’re so, so proud of you.
Point #1: Teenagers are pretty cool.
When I was a teen, I loved hanging out with my parents. They listened to me and respected my ideas, even if mine sometimes clashed with theirs. This post from on ways to love your teen right now, right as they are, is such a helpful navigation tool for parents of young adults. Lucy is only ten, but she’s already deep in the pre-teen stage and I know I’ll be revisiting these gracious tips over the next few years.
Point #2: Motherhood is not the enemy of womanhood.
This reflective and thoughtful post from makes such a good point about how motherhood is the only calling in which culture claims we “lose” ourselves, but rarely is that claim made about other vocations. This statement about “losing” also assumes that motherhood should not change us, but it absolutely does…and it should. As Amber writes so beautifully, we have to be “willing to be a student of motherhood.” So many great thoughts to unpack here!
Point #3: I’m a Flamboyant Natural.
Of the Kibbe body types, anyway. This system has been so incredibly helpful for me to find clothes I love and feel good wearing! It’s much more detailed than those old fruit classifications (“apple", “pear-shaped” 🙃) and I have a much deeper understanding of what suits my long, wide lines now. Ellie-Jean’s channel is the best I’ve found at explaining Kibbe and she has so many smart, detailed videos on how to look and feel your best in the body you have.
Point #4: No smartphones until the age of 18.
Can you raise a teen without a smartphone? This woman did, and she tells exactly how and why in this post making the rounds all over Substack. We have the same rule for our kids—no smartphones or social media until they’re adults—and it’s so encouraging to see how it’s worked out for other parents.
Word of the Week ✍🏻
Meliorism: (n.) The belief that the world gets better; the belief that humans can improve the world.
Receipts from a No-Buy Year 🧾
Laptop: $253.34
Aside from our joint spending on the house, the only purchase I made this week was a refurbished MacBook Air from Amazon for $250. The 2018 MacBook Pro I bought from a friend back in the fall died on me within a few months, and since Apple considers anything more than a few years old to be vintage (??!) it was going to be more expensive to fix than buy new. My friend graciously gave me a refund and I snagged this one online. I haven’t had much luck with Macs lately, so fingers crossed, third time’s the charm, and all that 🤞🏻.
Total: $253.34
Reading in The Nook 📚
I’m finally reading book one of the Regency Vows series I loved so much earlier this year, and it’s as just fun as the rest! I won’t spill any more ink on my love for snarky, spicy historical fiction, but just know you’re probably going to keep seeing books like this on my posts. Gird yer loins.
What are you reading right now? 👇🏻
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“Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
—Mark Twain—
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