We are usually a pretty busy family, but February 2014 stretched us in ways we hadn't experienced before. It almost did us in. In addition to all of the usual things we do (you know food, laundry, school, etc) we had to deal with games and rescheduled games, cancellations, and late starts because of snow, ice, and temperatures [...]
Category: Home
Great and Other Expectations [Re-post]
One of the greatest sources of conflict for any of us is unmet expectations. So many of the low moments in my life are when people didn't behave the way I thought they should or hoped they would. At the same time there are an equal amount (if not more) of moments where others are [...]
Homemade All-Natural Deodorant
I’ve become more and more crunchy over the years and I may have finally gone over the crunchy edge...I’ve started making my own deodorant. I know some of my non-crunchy friends just gasped and are vowing never to stand near me on a hot day again. But before you write me off as one of [...]
Why a Strong Community is Important
com·mu·ni·ty /kəˈmyunɪti / [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] noun - a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by the): the business community; the community of scholars. We recently had the opportunity to share with a [...]
May I Have a Compromise? [updated]
When people hear our kids ask, "May I have a compromise?" they tend to look at us a bit funny. They seem completely confused when we respond to our kids as if requesting a compromise is normal. But at our house it is very normal. In fact, it’s a question we hear no less than [...]
Fostering Hope. Fostering Connections
We are looking forward to speaking at this Saturday's Tapestry event. We will share some of our experiences as foster parents and some of the lessons we've learned along the way. Here is some more information taken from the Tapestry website. Join us on Saturday, February 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, in Room West [...]
What’s the Impact?
Someone told me recently that she and her husband want to foster when their biological kids are older. She told me they have a heart for foster kids and a background in counseling, so they think fostering would be a great ministry. But they don't want foster kids to negatively affect their children. This is [...]
The Wounds You Don’t See [updated]
I recently read a study that highlighted the difference between our ability to recall images versus words. There were two control groups. The first was shown a picture of a circle. The word “circle” was written down for the second group. The groups were re-convened 72 hours later and asked what they were shown. The [...]
The Healing Power of Garlic [re-post]
Recently a friend said something to me that really made a lot of sense...God created us and didn't leave us with no way to treat our ailments. He created food for medicinal purpose as well as nourishment. He created natural cures for aches and pains. I remember as a child, a friend's mom who had [...]
5 Things I Keep Stocked for Cold and Flu Season
I hate being sick! Of course who likes it (besides kids who get a low-grade fever with no other symptoms and get to stay home and watch movies instead of going to school...they like it). I also hate going to the doctor and taking medicine. Over the past few years, our family has tried hard [...]