Dottie, Lacey & Life™
Many people spend their lives searching for their kindred spirit.
Mine arrived the spring I turned six. The afternoon the first daffodil popped through the melting snow, my new baby sister was placed in my arms—and the search was over before it began.
✨ Presenting: Dottie, Lacey & Life™
A delightful new storybook series born from the real-life magic of my childhood adventures with my sister—afternoons spent playing dress-up, turning every picnic into a tea party, and whispering secrets by flashlight during endless bunk bed pillow talks.
We first wrote these stories together—as two new moms, reminiscing about our own childhood while raising children of our own. What began as late-night calls and nap-time notes became a beautiful series. Years later, while packing for a move, we found them tucked away in a box in the attic. After all the years… all the seasons… the timing felt just right to share.
These charming tales follow Dottie and Lacey, two girls whose adventures capture the sweet strength of sisterhood and the everyday wonder of childhood. With story, scripture, and space to write along, this series invites readers of all ages to celebrate the beauty of a connection you had no part in placing together—Go God!—and every part in sharing.
💫 Here’s a peek inside the world of Dottie, Lacey & Life™—where truth is tucked between tea parties and snowflakes, and the best lessons are wrapped in wonder.
🍉 Dottie, Lacey & Life™ – The Picnic
A springtime story
Dottie’s Big Sissy Tip
“Go first when you can. Let someone hold your hand when you can’t.”
Lacey’s Little Sissy Tip
“Sometimes the best adventures start with walking beside someone braver.”
🚲 Bicycle Built for Two
The beauty of riding a bicycle built for two is that it turns a solo experience into a relationship. Always choose an ample-sized bike basket, as you will now be carrying double the items.
A Springtime Life Note: If you are inclined to sit on the front seat, choose the back seat on occasion—just to see what happens.
(Of course, this means the person inclined to sit in the back must now take the lead.)
Dottie spent most of the morning in the kitchen. Whenever I tried to push the swinging kitchen door open, Dottie urged me to wait behind it.
“Patience, Lacey. How many times must I tell you? Everything is better when delivered as a surprise,” she said tenderly.
I wasn’t quite sure. My stomach always flip-flopped while anticipating, but I trusted Dottie implicitly. So, I sat with legs crisscrossed and waited.
I could hear drawers opening, cupboards closing, bags rustling—and then silence.
“Come on, Lacey,” Dottie finally called excitedly.
I pushed the door fully open and peered inside. She was standing in her denim overalls—the ones Mother embroidered with yellow daisies on the front left pocket.
“You can take anything a boy owns and simply add a flower,” I remembered her telling Mother the day she rescued them from the Goodwill bag.
I immediately glanced down at my soft lavender dress. Somehow, I hadn’t mastered choosing the right outfit for Dottie’s surprises. I longed for the days she would lay out my clothes atop my canopy bed—then I never risked getting it wrong.
“What a beautiful dress,” Dottie exclaimed. “If only we were going to a tea party—but we’re not. We are going on a picnic!”
My eyes immediately focused on the pecan-colored basket on the counter.
“What is a picnic?” I asked.
“A picnic is an outdoor adventure with food,” Dottie replied. “Run and change. I’ll meet you out front.”
Acting on her gentle command, I scooted upstairs, grabbed my overalls—the ones with yellow daisies on the right pocket—changed, and met Dottie at the designated departure place.
She picked up the pace as we began walking side by side. I wondered, What if my little legs can’t catch up? How would I know where to meet her? But then I realized—a picnic must be something you can’t do alone. Dottie would wait.
We walked hand in hand, my right in her left, as she carried the basket.
“What’s in the basket, Dottie?”
“All of your favorites, Lacey. One must always bring favorites on a picnic—favorite foods, favorite quilt, and of course, favorite people.”
I never had to doubt I was at the top of Dottie’s list. She reassured me so often, I sometimes wondered if she had penned it on her daily to-do list.
Then, suddenly, she released my hand and stopped.
Had we arrived? I glanced at the sandy dirt path and understood the need for the overalls.
“Go ahead, Lacey. You go first,” Dottie said, as if we’d practiced this moment many times before.
I froze. My heart whispered, I can’t, but Dottie’s eyes told me, You can.
So, I went first—for the first time.
“How will I know when to stop?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s easy to lead on a picnic. Simply walk until your stomach says stop.”
So, we walked and chatted. I noticed whenever I slowed down so we could walk side by side, Dottie slowed too. Somehow, I always ended up ahead.
Then I spotted a meadow full of wildflowers—just as my tummy gurgled. I stopped. Dottie took three more steps and stopped too.
“What a beautiful spot, Lacey.”
“Thanks,” I said, relieved my stomach can make wise choices, even when I couldn’t.
We spread out the quilt and ate our lunch of peanut butter and marshmallow crème sandwiches, red grapes without seeds, and pink lemonade.
Then Dottie pulled out three tiny white paper cups and a stack of paper dinner napkins from the hutch Mother kept for special guests.
“Why three cups, Dottie? There are only two of us.”
She pulled a handful of jellybeans from her pocket.
“We’re going to paint,” she replied, dropping a red jellybean, a blue one, and a yellow one into their own little cups.
Then she pulled two small paintbrushes from her other pocket.
We painted watercolor pictures using jellybean juice on napkins until the candy ran out.
“Remember, Lacey, you can create all the colors in the rainbow from these three colors. That’s why they’re so important.”
✝️💗 For the Bible Tells Me So
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
—Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
✏️📄 Write Along with Dottie & Lacey
“Writing helps you remember what your heart already knows.” — Dottie & Lacey
1. A moment I was brave (or followed someone brave):
Think about a time you were nervous to try something new… What helped you take the first step?
2. Someone who walks beside me:
Write about someone you trust. What do they do or say that helps you feel safe and strong?
3. A time I waited for something special:
Was there ever a moment when you had to be patient for a surprise?
What did you do while you waited — and was it worth it?
Do everything in love.
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