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A broken heart 💔 Y’all, my momma heart is aching. Tiny pin-pricks of hurt ribboning through my oversized heart all weekend. When people tell you there’s no heartbreak like the ones your children create, believe it. My high school senior had homecoming this weekend. After being denied the excitement of high school events for the past three school years, I was giddy with excitement at the prospect of senior events. My momma heart bloomed at the thought of homecoming, senior pi

Tired momma One of my older daughters and her two tiny humans came to spend some time with us. Needless to say, this mommas heart was ridiculously happy to see her car pull into the driveway. It’s been seven long weeks since I snuggled my Ohio grand babies. I was about to hit serious withdrawal! One look at my sweet girl and I could see the tired radiating off of her. Oh how I don’t miss those days. Feeding babies in the middle of the night. The diapers. The heart breaking cr

And brought me flowers too! It’s been one year. 365 days. A full trip around the sun. 8,760 hours ago, I took Jer to the emergency room. Terrified, I checked him in and walked out without him. I didn’t know what would happen next. You know those instances where your life flashed before your eyes, yeah sitting in the parking lot I had one of those. We had just celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary that July and by the end of the month, the whole house had the bug that shall

I believe each moment is a gift. And each child a true blessing. When the hubby and I got married, he came with two little humans. Two little humans whom I instantly loved like they were my own. Sixteen years as a family later and I couldn’t love them more. They are my kiddos and I would do anything for them. Our oldest kiddo just blessed us with another grand baby. Oh, he’s perfect! The cutest chubby little cheeks and a head full of reddish blonde hair. Helping her bring hi

My sweet girl is having her second tiny human and I am over the moon. There’s nothing quite like helping your daughter bring her own kiddos into this world. It is a true blessing indeed. I feel doubly blessed because, while I didn’t grow her from scratch, she calls me mom. She looks to me for help. She wants me around. She hugs be tight. It makes my momma heart soar. I remember when she called us to tell us baby number two was on the way. Her dad and I guessed before she said

Inside of my head! I love social media. Sometimes. I love watching former students grow into awesome young adults. I love seeing their academic accomplishments. Watch them get their drivers permits and licenses. Seeing them compete in sports and excel. It makes my preschool teacher heart shout when I know I had a tiny part in the success of a child’s life. I firmly believe preschool is the foundation academic excellence is formed on. Fight me on it😎 And yet, as I watch forme

Please stand up! Parenting has been rough lately. The child I thought would be easy to guide is giving us a run for every dollar. I should have known when he was smooth sailing in elementary school there’d be trouble ahead. The high schooler has been busted for many things lately. We’ve had to turn our home into a tiny fortress. Not to keep the riff raff out, but to keep him from doing something crazy. Imagine waking up to find a window on the front of your house open to who

Away from reality. Hurt. Anger. Disappointment. Crushing heartache. In the last three days, I’ve felt all of these emotions and so many more. Parenting is indeed the the hardest thing a person will do. It hurts my momma heart that my teenager so callously disregards rules put in place for his safety. That he cares so little for our thoughts and feelings he’s willing to face whatever consequences to simply do what he chooses; regardless of whether it’s right or wrong. And poin

And her tears mark the page. Have you ever watched your child’s heart break and feel powerless to help? Watch the varying emotions of hurt, betrayal and anguish play across their face and hurt inside for them. It stirs every protective instinct within you, but you tread carefully because you know a lesson lies within the hard time. Our middle schooler has been home sick with a sinus infection this week. She miserable with headaches and a sore throat from runny draining nonsen

Moments like this!! If I had one word to describe the last eight days, it would be whirlwind! Between basketball games and tournaments, online conferences, zoom meetings, and all of the normal housework, my hours were eaten up quickly. Toss in a weekend away to celebrate my sweet granddaughter and finally spill the beans that a grandson is on the way, and yeah, I’m still trying to catch my breath. If every week we’re like that one, I’d toss my hands in the air and walk away.

The way you love me🥰 My hubby and I do not celebrate Valentines Day. We never have. It’s just another day of the week. We work. We cook. Kids go to school. Normal stuff happens because it’s just another day. We show each other love each and every day. I’m pretty sure our aversion to Valentine’s Day stems from childhood traumas of constantly being the new kid, ignored and left out by kids in our classes. We grew up before the days of the bring-something-for-everyone era began

Who I am inside?? Oh sweet girl, it already does. As the mom of a middle school girl, I’ve come to learn a few things. First, the world is both exciting and terrifying to a middle school girl. There are so many new people, trends, and things to dive into when you’re a middle school girl. Suddenly, you aren’t one of the little kids anymore. The little kids are looking up to you. It’s thrilling! And, yet, the trends in clothes, hair, friends, and such change so quickly, you ar

For love! And my kids! We have a unique family dynamic in our house. We have three grown children off and running plus two who still live at home. Toss in two grand babies and the fun just escalates. It’s a challenge to watch the older kids navigate life from afar while guiding the younger ones still under our roof. Our oldest daughter is a military wife. Having served herself, she understands that deployment is always a possibility for her husband who’s still enlisted. We ju

My throat! Ahem! Ahem!! Ahem!!!! Alright!!! It has come to my attention that there are some who perceive me as fake. Excuse me while I laugh uncontrollably…….. Okay, I’m back. Fake. Now, for clarity, the person who had the thought to utter such a ridiculous claim doesn’t know me. They don’t know my life. My joys. My struggles. My triumphs. My defeats. My fears. Nothing about me. Nothing. So, the claim of falseness is laughable. Ten years ago, my reaction would have been very

Last year wasn’t too bad! Now, I can only speak for myself when I say 2021 wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it wasn’t 2020. Am I right or am I right?! Last year I helped organize and execute an amazing three day spiritual conference that touched lives. I sang so hard I split the seam in my jeans and lost my voice which was amazing! I met wonderfully amazing people who touched so many lives in those three days. Singing worship all day long Last year I celebra

The hardest word. I’m not a particularly loquacious person. I like to sit back and watch the action happen. I interject when I feel it’s needed but I love to people watch. But, when I have something to say, the words come. Family trouble with many in my family usually means the silent treatment. Stubborn bouts of long held silence are used to teach the other party a lesson. Nothing says I’m ticked at you quite like saying nothing at all. Ha!! The silent treatment used to hurt

What to do with myself! There comes a time in ones life when they must face certain realities. Living in the upper Midwest means snow is inevitable at some point. Construction season is a year long occurrence. Pizza is good no matter what style you choose. My personal favorite though, you can’t please everyone. As a recovering people pleaser, this typical reality is a hard learned one. At times when I thought I had made progress toward recovery, I learned I had simply shifted

A lot like CHRISTMAS!!! And I couldn’t be more excited!! Now, I know what many of you are thinking…. “Oh my gosh, she decorated before Thanksgiving?” Yes! Yes I did indeed!! This is the second year my Christmas decor graced my home before the fifth of November. And it makes me just as happy this year as it did last year! Typically, I waited until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate. In fact, I would turn my nose up at those who dared to so much as hang a light before the t

She’d still be a tiny human! Around our house there’s a running joke that our youngest is sunshine mixed with a hurricane. She makes everyone she meets smile while leaving disaster in her wake! Just look at her room for confirmation! Watching her grow up, helping her understand this crazy thing called life, has been a learning experience. She’s like having multiple children wrapped into one adorable bundle of insanity. I never know what parenting adventure I’ll embark on from

And now he’s 17! I lay in bed this morning thinking about a similarly chilly morning 17 years ago. A cloudless day dawned to find me pacing my mothers living room, breathing deeply, terrified of what was to come. I remember my head spinning from the hundreds of questions I knew couldn’t possibly be answered. I walked into my kitchen, after reluctantly dragging on workout clothes, to find him sitting at the table bent over his usual bowl of cereal. We met eyes, did our usual h