Chris wanted to go back to the basics for this episode, so he, Ryan, and Kayla talk about that most important organ in the body: the brain. They dissect—not literally—the components of the brain and talk about how parents of vulnerable children need to pay attention to how things are working in the minds of [...]
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We’re Better Together
Marriage is tough and it takes an intentional investment to make it thrive and not just survive. We are seventeen years in and we feel like we are still learning so much. Ryan and I recently had an opportunity to speak at The Sparrow Fund’s annual marriage retreat for adoptive and foster families on staying connected in [...]
Incorporating Play into Everyday
Chris, Ryan, and Kayla continue the discussion on the importance of play with our kids, this time by providing practical examples for incorporating play. Topics range from finding the time to turning everyday activities into games.
Progress Over Perfection
In August we started a new diet. I actually hate to call it that. It's really been more of a lifestyle change. Diet implies something you do for a time to lose weight. To fix a problem. Then you go back to your old ways, leading to another diet down the road. This program is [...]
From Pep Rally to Reality
I love going to conferences. Adoption and foster care, home school, women of God, marriage, you name it, I'm there. I love spending time learning from people who are experts in their fields. I love hearing stories from those who have tried and failed and kept trying until they found a solution. I always walk [...]
What To Do When You Get Home From a Conference?
Even if you haven't been to an adoption and foster care conference, such as Empowered to Connect or CAFO Summit, you may have attended a seminar or one-day class that had you coming out of it thinking, "Yes! I can do this! I'm going to change the way I parent my kids!" But the excitement [...]
Immeasurably More
I'm still "re-entering" after our most recent Together Called weekend with The Sparrow Fund. It's the seventh year we've had the privilege of serving adoptive and foster couples at this spectacular marriage retreat event. Each year always carries special memories, but I think 2019 has been my favorite to date. We experienced such deep conversation [...]
Love is Powerful
Valentines Day is the perfect day to remember that love is the most important form of therapy we can give to our kids. Healthy loving relationships are healing relationships.
Our Kids Share Their Thoughts on Compromises
I asked three of our kids what they thought about compromises. Here are their thoughts. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/5Yl3nRP0584
Big Family Dynamics: Connection, Chores, and Creative Learning
Big families are hard. Big families are wonderful. So many moving parts and so many messes. So many tears, and so many laughs. How do we keep it together? How do we schedule our time, yet leave time for spontaneous fun? Start with a routine It doesn't have to be a minute by minute schedule, [...]