Boys will be Joys

Not everyone knows that my husband works at UPS. And here’s another fun fact you might not know:

Husband who works at UPS = a lot more “alone time” during Christmas.

While most families are juggling packed schedules and holiday chaos, UPS season means long hours for him—and long, quiet stretches for me. This past holiday season, I decided to use that unexpected alone time in the best way I knew how: finally finishing some children’s books that had been living in my head (and heart) for a long time.

For years, I’ve carried around story ideas—scribbled notes, half-written rhymes, characters I loved but never quite had time to bring fully to life. This Christmas, I finally did.

In October, I published a book called Socks on a Walk.

What started as a simple, playful rhyme was inspired by something very ordinary: the long black socks one of the grandpas in our family has to wear each day for medical reasons. Those socks became the spark for a story—and before I knew it, that single idea had grown into a walk around the block with the whole family.

In Socks on a Walk, each family member wears a different pattern of socks, and each pair represents their own personality and the special moments they share along the way. It’s a story about noticing small details, enjoying time together, and finding joy in something as simple as a walk around the neighborhood.

At its heart, Socks on a Walk is a celebration of family, togetherness, and the everyday moments that often mean the most—something I didn’t fully realize until I finally had the quiet space to sit down and write it.

I’ll share more about the creative process later. In the meantime, you can check out my website: http://www.therennertshelf.com