I just finished editing the last Global Grit of 2022 for FCA’s team. This month’s column was a reflective piece about if you’re sad or glad to see the end of the year, and what story you want to tell next year. I’ve edited this monthly column for several years now, and this one really […]
Read MoreIt’s been nagging at me all week: I should write on my blog. Today when I realized that May 1 kicks off both Foster Care Month and Mental Health Month, I couldn’t ignore the tug any longer. It’s been awhile since I put my fingers to the keys to share a life update. I could […]
Read MoreThe past few months have been some of the hardest of my life, which is saying a lot since I’ve faced colon cancer twice. My health’s been great, and my family’s still in-tact. But we’ve faced a lot of other stuff, hard stuff, and I’ve got very few words to show for it. This blog […]
Read MoreDo you remember the sweet taste of nostalgia we were experiencing this time last year? I do. I was one of those people who dug up pictures and journal entries from as early as 2010 and posted some highlights from the decade. A few of the highlights, like becoming a parent, accepting a dream job, […]
Read MoreHere’s why this will be my final post for National Adoption Month unless my daughter chooses otherwise. Ten years ago in November 2010, I excitedly opened my laptop and began pecking away on a post that would announce big news: We were adopting! In a world that was saturated with creative pregnancy announcements and surprise […]
Read MoreAbout six weeks ago, our daughter Mae heard the words she never expected to hear. “We’re getting a puppy!” I know this because after the shock and excitement wore off she said, “I didn’t think this would ever happen.” She was quite surprised. You see, she’d lived with a dog her whole life—Joey (a dog […]
Read MoreGrowing up, I had a maternal grandma, a paternal grandma, and a pretend grandma. “Grandma Eva” is what we called her. Although she was technically related through marriage (her husband was my great-grandma’s cousin), she was simply “Grandma” to me. None of my other grandparents lived in Kansas City like us, but Eva did—just down […]
Read MoreI live in a house that was built in the late 1920s. It’s a super cute, charming spot in a historic downtown neighborhood of a suburb I’ve called “home” my entire life. Many people who come over make comments about the house’s character and charm. “I love your front porch!” many will say. Others drool […]
Read MoreStarry-eyed and lovestruck, it almost seems wrong that 15 years later, I’m writing a post on “surviving marriage.” We were some of the millions who got married in 2005 pledging to love for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health. Yet just like every couple who is married for longer than a few days, […]
Read MoreIf you were to ask me, “How are you doing?” I’d probably smile and say I’m good. I’d likely mention the juggle many other working parents are experiencing—the one incorporating homeschooling into my already-full work day. But today as I woke up, quite a bit later than usual (but not a surprise since I’ve worked […]
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