Shoalhaven House

Harvesting for next season.

I thought about my kids starting school again and the seeds I’ve planted which will help them thrive in their new environment.

It gave me hope for another season to come; though it’s still a bit of time away. To know there will be another opportunity to plant, nurture, and tend to my garden.

The pruning I did today will help the plants continue to grow into tomorrow and the rest of summertime.

I tried not to take off every bud dead or dying at once, so not to shock the plant from the pain of the loss. But the buds no longer served the plant and we’re beginning to weigh down their branches.

It is not lost on me how the simple act of nipping off the dead flowers to prepare for a season in the future, will bring about new growth and life in so many ways.
It’s the necessary part of keeping a healthy garden 🌷

🎉NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON 🎉
A fun book of short stories!

For all ages and stages of life, pick up this short read of stories with surprise twists that we believe, will leave readers feeling entertained. 🦋

Announcing!! 🥳Homeschool and online youth Write Your Story Workshop ✍🏼
Follow website link in bio to Register!

~Based in Bend, Oregon; Karen and Ruth are available for coaching online or in-person~

We both lived overseas, are raising families, and have experienced forward movement in our lives when coaches walked beside us. We are both certified and seasoned coaches.

We understand expat life, major life transitions, marriage, military life, and family… but sessions are about you and where you are.

We don’t have to understand your life journey to coach you well.

We need only walk beside you and trust the process.

Love Mr. Goff and this message of love.

It begins with how we think and what we practice.

Puppers helping with the laundry on this Sunday of partial snow and sunshine.

Much like the weather we can’t decide if we’d rather hit the slopes for a few more weeks, or step into warm air and shorts!

A little peak at my nightstand, once again littered with books!

Reading is a great hobby to learn, few entertained, grow your vocabulary, and relax.

We always recommend reason at least 20 minutes per day, something not so is media or a news outlet, if you can help it.

Reading is just fun and with all sorts of books, magazines, and graphic novels to choose from, you can find your niche in reading.

This is hard for some to hear. When to let go and just wait.

It’s important to take time to assess; to know when to relax instead of push through, and not interfere when we might want to jump in.

It’s okay to wait for clarity; in fact it’s often wise.

We are all works-in-progress.

We’re all a work-in-progress.

It’s in our imperfection that we grow stronger and show an example to our kids of what self-care, working on ourselves, and being human looks like.

Hello… how are you today? No really—how are you?

I’m Ruth Deaton, one of the coaches at Shoalhaven House.
For over a decade I’ve sat alongside women and mothers who changed me into the person I am today.

Their vulnerability led to me to grow passionate about creating safe spaces for women to gather.
Their hearts for healing gave me a deep understanding how we are all broken but hope to grow in those broken spots.
And their friendships sustain me, even now, although many of them no longer physically stand by my side.

No two stories are ever the same so let’s break down the walls built from comparing and expectations.

Let’s build bridges towards empathy and community.
I’ve watched women who would otherwise never be friends, connect in lasting and meaningful ways when they share a safe space.

I am a writer by trade and love all things books, biographies, outdoors, kids, and comedy.
In this space, I am here to listen and come alongside you during your walk of life.

I believe God guides us but it’s up to us to do the work, to reach out for hope, and to choose joy in every day.
Some days we’ll struggle and that’s okay too. It’s how we learn to recover, pick ourselves up through faith and friendships, and give ourselves grace as we navigate the path each of us is on.

We hope to see more of you here.
Warmly ~
Ruth & Karen
Shoalhaven House

[you can read more about our bios and the meaning behind Shoalhaven House on our website]

Once upon a time, I read one too many parenting books.

Parenting books are great and I’ll happily tell you my favorites but as my kids get older, I see that in order to be the mom I hope for them, I have to do the work inside me first.

Let me say it again: to be the mom I want to be, I first need to work on healing myself.

This gem of a book is helping with grief in powerful ways, in my life and for those who’ve read it.

I also recognize the word “grief” may have just triggered you and if it did, I encourage you to explore that further.

Triggers, like anxiety, are warning signs that something is off and needs to get back on track, however that looks for you.

Books are just one tool we can use to help get us there ♥️