Sparrow & Hearth Living

Friends,

I wanted to check in because it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve shared anything here. Thank you for your patience while I stepped away for a little while. Sometimes life has a way of demanding our full attention, and these past few weeks have certainly been one of those seasons.

It feels like the punches have just kept coming.

Many of you know that a few weeks ago our six-year-old chocolate Lab bit our youngest son in the face. By God’s grace, our sweet boy is healing so well. His stitches are out, the swelling has gone down, and every day we are reminded of just how thankful we are that the injuries weren’t even worse.

The healing on the outside has been much quicker than the healing in our hearts.

After many tears, long conversations, and more prayers than I can count, my husband and I made the heartbreaking decision to put our dog to sleep. It wasn’t a decision we made lightly. We knew we could never fully trust him around our boys again, and as parents, their safety has to come first.

That truth didn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

I had him from the time he was just eight weeks old. He grew up right alongside me through so many seasons of life. He was there before marriage, through moves, through becoming a mom, and through countless ordinary days that somehow become the memories we cherish most. Losing him felt like losing a chapter of our family’s story.

One of the hardest decisions was whether our twelve-year-old should come with us to the veterinarian. I wrestled with it, but ultimately decided to let him choose. He told me he wanted to be there.

Afterward, he quietly said he was glad he came because he was able to say goodbye.

As hard as that moment was, I’m grateful we faced it together as a family. Grief isn’t something we can shield our children from forever, but we can walk through it beside them and remind them that it’s okay to cry, to remember, and to mourn what we’ve loved.

In the middle of all of that, another big life change has been unfolding.

I’m in the process of starting a new job. I’ve finally been approved to move forward with the hiring process, so now I’m waiting on things like the background check and drug screening before everything becomes official.

It’s exciting… but if I’m honest, it’s also stressful.

I’m not someone who enjoys waiting, especially when so much feels uncertain. School starts in just a few weeks, and I’m finding myself wanting every answer right now. I know Scripture reminds us not to worry about tomorrow and to trust the Lord with every step.

Sometimes living that out is much harder than reading it.

The Lord has been gently reminding me that my future isn’t resting in a hiring timeline or a phone call. It’s resting safely in His hands. He’s never been surprised by a single detail of my life, and He won’t start now.

I’m still learning to surrender those anxious thoughts every single day.

Even in the middle of the hard things, God has also been planting new dreams in our hearts.

Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have been talking about transforming our little one-acre property into a small homestead. Just saying those words fills me with excitement.

I picture raised garden beds overflowing with vegetables, herbs drying in the kitchen window, fresh eggs one day, fruit trees growing alongside our boys, and a home that continues to become a place of peace, learning, and simple living.

It won’t happen overnight, and I’m sure there will be plenty of mistakes along the way, but that’s part of the beauty of building something slowly.

I can’t wait to share that journey here with you.

If there’s one thing this season has reminded me, it’s that life can hold both heartbreak and hope at the very same time. We can grieve deeply while still looking forward with expectation. We can cry over what we’ve lost while thanking God for what He’s preparing next.

That’s where I find myself today.

Still grieving.
Still waiting.
Still trusting.

And slowly, little by little, watching God bring beauty from places that once felt broken.

Thank you for continuing to follow along here at Sparrow & Hearth Living. Your kindness, prayers, and encouragement mean more than you know.

Until next time,

Taylor