Love in Family

Capturing moments

Last night, we got a chance to celebrate my only living Grandma on her 89th birthday. And when I say “we” I mean 24 of us! What a privilege it was. It was an extra special night because it was her birthday, of course, but mostly because in this season of life, getting that many people to press pause on our busy lives all at the same time, to celebrate anything, is quite a feat. It wasn’t an elaborate feast or fancy cake (the only “Master Chef” in this house is still in training), and it didn’t matter. What mattered is that we gathered to honor Grandma and her beautiful life.

And we took pictures!

It’s sort of a running joke in our family that a moment doesn’t really “happen” unless we get a picture of it. That was especially funny last night as we were really wanting to make sure we …

Our sweet Walter was born in 2004 and has been a faithful friend and companion to our family all of these years. He was my very first “baby” and now he’s the first “elderly loved one” fully in my care. As he’s getting older, we’re navigating the changes that increasing age brings for pets and the ones who love them.

If you’ve been here, you know.

We’re giving him about 12 pills a day, which keep him living his best life. I’m washing diapers on the daily. When his legs aren’t strong enough to hold him, I’m scooping him up to carry him wherever he needs to go. He’s lost his hearing, but his eyes are on high alert. If Hartley jumps up to bark at the window, he howls along from his perch in his bed. If she runs to get a treat, he’s making his way as fast as …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Love In Action Love in Family Love in Friendship Loving Others Motherhood Priorities Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

Yesterday Vanessa Corral shared the photos of our “You’re In Luck GNO” casino party. It brought me so much joy and laughter to peruse through them, seeing all the circles of women who gathered that night, to let go of the stresses of their everyday lives and invest in each other. The unique set up, with the semi-circle casino tables, seemed to bring everyone together, even more than usual.

The game of blackjack brought out their sisterly competition and with it, truckloads of laughter.

While the theme was definitely learning blackjack and betting with funny money, the real magic was happening in the connections and conversations around each table. It’s the power of women gathering. “It inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful, in a word, more alive.” (Alice Waters)

When gathering in the right environment friendships flourish, almost effortlessly.

The friendships that our hearts so desperately long for in …

by Crystal Gornto Girl's Night Out Inspiration Inspirational Women Love in Family Love in Friendship Loving Others Loving Yourself Motherhood Leave a comment chat

I don’t know about you, but over the years, I’ve employed about one million tricks/bribes in an effort to coax my kids into loving fruits and vegetables. I’ve tried everything from subbing with cauliflower or mixing in sweet potatoes to allowing, even encouraging, berries to be covered in sugar before ingesting. (why I buy “organic” fruit for this activity, I will never understand) Nonetheless, when the pediatrician asks if they’ve been eating their fruits and vegetables, at least there are a few of those bases covered.

In my book, this is #winningatmomming.

Amid all my efforts to make healthy food enjoyable, at times I must succumb to the gentle white snow of powdered sugar gracing my kitchen. From the countertop, all the way to the floor, covering at least a nine square foot area, lies the evidence of an entire pint of strawberries enjoyed in a single sitting. As you can imagine I’m …

by Crystal Gornto Inspirational Words Love In Action Loving Others Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities Leave a comment chat

We were out in the street in front of our house the other day when our neighbor came out on his front porch. (Poor guy, he can’t even open the front door in peace.) We said hello and he explained that he was checking his “bunny box”. So of course, we all descended on the porch to see what in the world he was talking about. Apparently a mama bunny thought his front porch was a safe place to leave her littles, so he built them a little box house, complete with water and carrots in hopes to lure them in so he could take them out to the woods. He was just coming out to see if they’d gone inside the box yet.

If you know me at all, baby animals are my heart.

Spring is the time of year I have to keep my eyes straight ahead. I can’t look …

by Crystal Gornto Community Inspirational Words Love In Action Loving Others Motherhood The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

Ever since we moved, we’ve had an ongoing conversation about how dirty a new house gets while they’re still building other houses all around you. There is constantly SO much dirt in the air. It often looks like an Arizona dust storm outside our windows, especially when the street sweeper comes by, or the landscapers intentionally use the blower to blow dirt. (What even is the purpose of that practice??) Hiring a window washer is expensive, especially if one is needed repeatedly. It turns out that my boys are enjoying some new hobbies that are also expensive.

As a result, we’ve been talking a lot about how they might be able to afford their newfound hobbies.

Naturally one so the ideas that immediately surfaced, was that they could start a window washing business. Even if they priced their jobs very low, it would be a great service to all the neighbors, and …

by Crystal Gornto Love In Action Motherhood Priorities Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat

Capturing moments

Learning to love

A lasting gift

Justice + Mercy, Strawberries + Sugar

Most people don’t need a hero

Let it make you better