Big Kids

"Don't worry, it gets easier, this is just a season of your life, enjoy it." Yes, this is a season. Hurricane season. The first time I heard this sweet phrase I thought they were very kind words.  I pondered them...

We’re working really hard, but it’s easy to keep our family as our focus. My job isn’t overly demanding, and my husband is at home with our kids all but 12 hours per week. Our children aren’t involved in a bunch of extra-curricular activities because they’re one and four years old. Right now, my children love nothing more than spending time with me and my husband, and that’s pretty cool. It's also very fleeting.

**UPDATED 2017 INFORMATION COMING SOON!** “Summer is taking FOREVER to get here!” My 4 year old says this to me at least twice a week after he asks if our neighborhood pool is open yet. I keep having to tell him...

When Kim and Dale Nuss began their journey as foster parents in 2012, they had no idea how deeply their hearts would be touched or how monumentally it would change their lives. Most of all, they never would have...

I tell my daughter to look in people's eyes, shake hands, speak so they can hear her, and a host of other things to help her socially in the world. In turn, she has little trouble making friends and...

Growing up, my dad gave me the nickname "Little Bit" because I would always plead, "just a little bit more sleep," when he would attempt to wake me up in the morning for school. That nickname still applies today--especially...

Knowing these incredible families who have lived all over the world, whose kids are resilient and strong and know how to be good friends in a short amount of time is so worth the pain of saying goodbye. We have the most beautiful memories to hold onto. Pictures to look back on. And social media to keep us connected as the next journey begins.

  It begins at the moment those two faint pink lines appear on the fifth pregnancy stick we used that week. Sometimes, it starts earlier- as we spend hundreds of dollars on ovulation tests, Clomid, and IVF. It begins when...

Because I'm a struggling perfectionist, I often convince myself that these different hats must all be worn perfectly. And we all know how that ends. Worn out mama with an empty tank. 

If I'm honest, this season of toddlers feels too long, too raw, and too close to every single source of insecurity I have. It feels endless and personal. Every meltdown, angry response, or missed potty-training cue (so many missed potty training cues) makes me feel like a failure at the only job I have right now.