Family Life

Our family Labrador, Bruce, went missing in July of 2016. The emotional toll it took, specifically on our son Nixson, was devastating. He spent those two-and-a-half years praying for Bruce every single night; and in February 2019, his prayers...

We lost our first baby yesterday. Our first fur baby, that is.  We adopted Rocco on August 28, 2004, when he was just eight weeks old. The humane society had an adoption day at a local pet store and my...

I jumped at the chance to write a post for National Middle Child Day! And then I hesitated . . . this is something close to my heart, navigating, as a first born, raising a middle child.  Honestly, I...

One of the easiest ways to teach young children responsibility is to teach them to do chores. In addition to responsibility, teaching young children household chores helps them learn self-reliance and competency. When we give young children chores, they...

It's time for “Back-to-School,” which means you are likely getting pulled in every direction! On top of your typical parenting responsibilities, you're also meeting teachers, completing paperwork, buying new clothes and supplies, managing busy schedules, shuffling kids from A...

Lost Art Maybe it's because I'm from the South, or maybe it was because my mom always insisted we do it growing up, or maybe it's because I'm an introvert ... but I love writing thank you notes. I noted...

When people find out how many children we have, stares of confusion and lots of questions usually ensue. As foster parents, the number of children living under our roof changes regularly. Today that number is 13. Although the days...

Father's Day used to be a hard reminder of what my children didn’t have. Every year, the daycare would send home a craft that was made for each child’s daddy. I can still hear my kids saying, “Mommy, you...

It's Okay to be Connected. Let’s have a moment of truth: we allow our children to use electronic devices. Day after day they use phones, tablets, video games, and laptops. While the length of usage varies from family to family,...

Pregnant, doing yoga at the YMCA during my lunch break, I caught a glimpse of an employee. A young lady with Down syndrome. She rode the bus by herself to work. Focused on her job, she would fuss at...