I got to go to Lebanon on Tuesday to hang out with my girl since I’m officially on my summer schedule and not doing meetings on Tuesdays. (Mondays and Tuesdays are my meeting days but I gave my whole team the summer off from meetings so we could all be more present with our families – we usually have a slower, more relaxed work pace in summer with more flexibility since we all have kids!)

We joked that it was Take Your Mom to Work Day! Kathrynne was so kind to let me bring my laptop and just hang out and work and also get to watch her in her world.

It was so impressive to see her handling all the various things that came up throughout the day. She’s learning some new positions this summer and this week she’s filling in as Office Manager – which means she’s doing all kinds of different things to keep the office running and oversee different projects.

We took the kids to a parade and they had the best time! David didn’t want to get out of his stroller but he loved watching the bands and horses. Kierstyn and Micah brought a bag and tub to collect candy and they sure got a LOT! They came home and shared some with the older kids, which was so sweet!

Turns out what I thought was just my personality was actually my nervous system stuck in fight mode.

I’d been living on adrenaline for so long it had just become my normal… I thought the constant pushing and producing and filling every open space was just who I was.

My functional medicine doctor helped me see what I couldn’t and it has been a process to figure out how to stop. But I’m slowly untethering myself from the habits and patterns that got me here.

Here’s what’s been helping…

Sleep
Challenging myself to be in bed for at least 7 hours every night, if not longer.

Breathing
Actually learning how to breathe correctly. Sounds simple. It is not. But it’s been so good.

Reading Fiction
This has been so calming for me and really helps me slow my brain down in a way nothing else does.

Embroidery + Crochet
Something creative that challenges my brain to focus on one thing. No productivity. Just making something with my hands.

Running
This has been incredible for my nervous system!! I genuinely look forward to it now in a way I did not expect!

Shutting Down Early
I’m rarely working past 8 or 8:30pm now… and often earlier than that. It has changed so much!

Time With Friends
Face-to-face when I can. Lots of voice texting when I can’t. Both matter much more than I realized!!

One Down Day a Week
At least one day where I don’t work much or at all and do intentional, fun things. Non-negotiable now.

Watching Shows like When Calls the Heart
Calming, joyful, wholesome. Sometimes your nervous system just needs something that feels good.

Laughter and Play
Making space for this on purpose. It sounds so simple and yet it’s been one of the most healing things of all.

It’s been so nice to discover who I truly am when I actually give myself grace. If you feel like you’re running on empty… maybe that’s your sign to pull back, too.

A single friend of ours recently started fostering and just said yes to a newborn baby girl. She goes back to work soon, so we are going to be helping her with childcare three days a week. Our kids are SOO excited and Jesse and I are thrilled to get to help care for a little baby again. We have started taking care of her one day a week and David has really taken such an interest in her and has such a gentle spirit towards her.

Fridays are our “Sabbath mornings” (we try to have Sunday be a Sabbath, too, but with six kids, it’s not usually super restful or quiet!). We have a babysitter come watch David and Jesse and I got do something fun together. We are usually offline and it’s time to just connect, hang out, and be together.

We do different things every week, and this past Friday, Jesse had the idea for him to do my run for the day with me. So we ran 3.5 miles to a coffee shop and then got drinks and walked home. It was perfect!

Silas wanted to have a family party at TopGolf for his birthday and he wanted his sisters and their boyfriends to get to come, so we had to wait until last night to make it happen. We left the little boys at drop-in daycare, but Kierstyn got to come with the older three and she felt like such a big kid!!

Silas has gotten really into golf this past year. It’s a brand-new sport for him and it’s been fun for him to have a sport that is totally a hobby, not something that he’s competing in. Plus, he has some good buddies who are all into it, too. He started working at a golf course so he has unlimited range time and earns free tee time every week!

Kathrynne, Kaitlynn, and Will (Kathrynne’s boyfriend) aking advantage of that perfect lighting!

You’ve been lied to. You’ve been told that God will never give you more than you can handle.

But the truth? He absolutely will.

Because if you could handle it all on your own, you wouldn’t need Him.
And He wants you to need Him – to lean fully on His strength, not yours.

When we are weak, we get to see Him be strong.
When we feel inadequate, we get to see Him be more than adequate.
When we don’t have what it takes, He is Enough.
When we feel overwhelmed, it’s an opportunity to see His faithfulness.

You don’t have to keep holding it all together on your own. Let Him meet you in your lack. Let Him carry what you can’t.

Watching these boys play together just makes my heart so happy. I could have never envisioned this a few years ago. But God knew! I share more about this here.

After raising 6 kids, here’s the one thing I’d tell every mom of a 4-year-old.

Let them help. Even when it’s slow. Even when it makes more mess than it fixes.

Six kids have taught me that the 4-year-olds I let try – even when every instinct told me to just do it myself – became the teenagers who can actually run a household.

It didn’t happen by accident. I put together a list of 15 things a 4-year-old can actually do around the house. Comment CHORES and I’ll send it to you!

Here are a few to get you started:

1. Vacuum – a lightweight vacuum or attachment works perfectly for little hands
2. Mop – child-sized mops exist and they will absolutely want to use one!!
3. Simple meal prep – cereal, toast, PB&J. My kids learned these at 4 and it was a game changer
4. Rinse dishes and load the dishwasher – stand them on a chair, remove anything sharp, and just let them try
5. Fold laundry – sort out a small pile of washcloths and hand towels just for them. They will feel SO proud!!

My first ever 7-mile run is in the books, guys! If you had told me three months ago I would be running 7 miles for fun and would be thinking about signing up for a half marathon, I would have told you you were nuts. But here we are!!

Things I’m learning:

1. Bring water!! I use LMNT and just got a Nathan water bottle to bring with me on long runs. (Also, make sure to hydrate well the day before a long run and drink 20 oz. or so of electrolyte water after the run for every pound you lost while running. For instance, I lost almost three pounds – from sweating – on my 7 mile run!)
2. Carb up the day before! I’m adding an additional 100 grams of carbs to my nutrition plan the day before my long runs. Once I get to even longer distances, I’ll need to increase that even more.
3. Eat before you run. I’ve found 45 mins before is ideal for me. I usually have a piece of peanut butter toast or a Honey Stinger waffle.
4. Eat something right after you run. After my 7-mile run, I had a glass of chocolate milk. And then had a full breakfast a little later.
5. Eat while you run. If you notice, there’s a lot of fueling involved with running. But it is hugely important! I started bringing Honey Stinger Energy Gummies and I’ll eat one every mile after mile 4. Just a little something to give an energy boost.
6. Eat more food in general. I slacked on my nutrition for a few weeks and it really showed in how I felt – I had a lot more water retention and tiredness after my runs, I had more tiredness in general, and I had different aches and pains. This past week, I upped my calories to 2000 to 2100 a day on normal days and 2300+ on the day before and of my long run and noticed a marked difference!! Fuel your body, people!!
7. Take a rest day! Not only am I prioritizing sleep, but I also am making sure to have one full rest day per week. I’ve been scheduling it before my long run day so I’m well-rested for that.

Runners, what else would you add?? I’m learning so much and appreciate all of your input!

P.S. I’m using the Runna app for my training program and it’s been super helpful in teaching me how to pace and prep and the different types of runs to do every week! Use code CRYSTAL2 to get 2 weeks free!

Books I’m Reading

Right now, I’m reading:

Rooted in Wonder

The Compassionate Christ

Capable

The Correspondent

What I’m Watching

I finished When Calls the Heart this week — I started it in January and to make it through all 13 seasons was pretty exciting! It’s a quiet and slow show, but it’s been so fun to watch while I’m working on different work projects that don’t require much thought or brain power but need to be done every day. It makes tedious tasks a lot more enjoyable. Kierstyn and Micah have really gotten into the show and love watching it with me.

I’m planning to start Hope Valley 1874 next. Have you watched it?

What I’m Listening To

I’m almost halfway through this audiobook and I still have no idea where it’s headed or what I’ve gotten myself into (Jesse keeps hearing me listening to it with all the math and science lingo and is like, “What are you listening to?? Are you okay??”), but I’m so intrigued and have to keep listening. Please do not tell me any spoilers!!! (I’m listening to it with the free 30-day Audible trial.)

This Week on the Podcast: Raising Capable & Confident Kids with David Thomas and Sissy Goff

This episode’s guests might take the cake for most frequent appearances on my podcast — Sissy Goff and David Thomas are back! Throughout this insightful conversation with them, a question kept pulling me back: are we protecting our kids or are we accidentally preventing them from becoming capable? That is the heart of both this episode and their new book, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience!

Listen in as we unpack why so many loving, thoughtful parents are exhausted from carrying responsibilities their children are actually ready to begin taking on themselves. From chores and homework to conflict resolution, independence, and even sleeping in their own beds, we talk honestly about how resilience is built… and it is not through perfection or pressure but instead through practice, discomfort, and trust.

One of the most eye-opening parts of this conversation is our discussion around “coddling.” We don’t talk about it in a judgmental way but in the very real sense that fear can quietly shape our parenting more than we realize. We discuss why boundaries don’t damage attachment, why kids need opportunities to safely take on challenges, and how confidence grows when children are allowed to solve problems instead of being rescued from every single difficult moment.

Sissy and David get practical too, sharing some simple, age-appropriate ways that parents can begin shifting responsibility to their children, whether they’re toddlers, elementary-aged kids, teenagers, or even young adults. We cover natural consequences, teaching children to ask for help, encouraging self-advocacy, and how over-monitoring can unintentionally communicate, “I don’t think you can handle this.”

This episode is all about becoming a steadier parent, and we discuss the importance of modeling courage ourselves, letting our kids see us try new things, fail, recover, and grow. If you’re reading this and thinking, “I didn’t do this soon enough,” I think you’ll find a lot of hope in this conversation too. 

I hope that you enjoy this conversation with Sissy and David, and, as always, please feel free to reach out to me with your own thoughts!

Click here to listen to this episode.

In Case You Missed It – Links From This Week

Summer Movie Coupons and Cheap Movies — Looking for frugal fun this summer? Be sure to check out this round-up of all the best discounts on summer movies for kids!

My Favorite Audiobooks — With a good audiobook, I can clean a bathroom, wait in the carpool line, or fold a load of laundry — and suddenly it actually feels like me-time. If you’re ready to hit play on your next favorite audiobook, here are my top 7 audiobooks I can’t stop recommending! (And, don’t miss the Audible deal above!)

Quick & Easy Mini Calzones Recipe ($10 Family Dinner Idea) — This is such a simple, pickiest-eater-approved dinner idea! Whether you’re rushing out the door to practice or just want a quick budget-friendly meal, you’ll love adding these easy Mini Calzones to your meal rotation!

   

If you’re looking for summer reading programs for kids, this is our comprehensive list of all the completely FREE programs for 2026!

{Looking for other fun summer deals? Kids can bowl for free and skate for free at many participating locations this summer!

The Best Summer Reading Programs 2026

Believe it or not, it’s almost that time of year again — when school is out and summer reading programs abound. Yay!

Note: We recommend calling your local stores to verify that they’re participating in these programs this year.

Do your kids love to read, too? If so, this is our big list of all the FREE summer reading programs that are available nationally!

Summer Reading Programs for Older Kids

Half Price Books — Half Price Books is hosting Summer Reading Camp for kids 14 or younger. Kids are encouraged to read 15 minutes per day to reach a total of at least 300 minutes. After that, they can turn in their completed reading log to their local store to earn Bookworm Bucks to spend. Each week they will also offer fun new printable activity sheets of all kinds!

Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Program — Kids ages 18 and under can select a list from the grade level bands listed. Print the list and track each book you read by checking it off and recording the date it was read, along with a rating. Submit your list to receive a recognition certificate and T-shirt!

Pizza Hut Camp Book It — In addition to their annual school year program, Pizza Hut also has their summer reading program called Summer of Stories! Simply track your child’s reading during June, July, and August. Once they reach their monthly reading goal, they can redeem for a free one-topping personal pizza at Pizza Hut!

Sweet Sora Reads — Geared toward K-12, this program will run from May 12th through August 25th and offer a collection of free, simultaneous-use ebooks and select audiobooks.

Local Libraries — Above all, don’t forget about your local library! Most of them offer fun summer reading programs with prizes and more.Bonus: Don’t forget about the Pizza Hut Book-It Program that runs each school year!

Why Do a Summer Reading Program?

Summer reading programs are a great opportunity for kids to keep reading (and learning) even when they’re not in school.

Plus, they’re free and something your children can do anywhere and at any time!

With the added incentives and prizes offered, it’s a win-win for kids and their families!

Why are Summer Reading Programs Important?

It’s good for their brain development and can help them to retain more of what they learned during the school year.

Reading is also a great way to pass the time — time they might otherwise spend zoning out to screens!

How to Encourage Kids with a Summer Reading Program

The best way to encourage your children to do anything is by modeling the behavior you want for them — so start reading!

Ask them what types of books interest them and then ask your librarian to suggest similar books at the child’s reading level. Or, select books you can read aloud to them.

Make reading time fun with special snacks, by reading outside, or by letting them “stay up late” to read one more chapter.

FAQs for Kid Summer Reading Programs

Download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack!

Looking for a fun way to encourage and motivate your kids to read more? Or need a creative way for your kids to keep track of all the books they read through summer reading programs this year?

Be sure to download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack! It comes with a reading challenge, reading time tracker, and fill-in-the-blank summer reading list.

Do you know of any other Summer Reading Programs we should add to this list for 2026? Let us know in the comments!