Some days are harder than others. We don’t do change. You, too? And in our house routine is key. We mostly get up at the same time. We eat the same foods (cheese quesadilla, thank you very much), at the same Mexican restaurant. We watch the same television shows and go to the exact same…
I don’t know about you, but I’m already beginning to feel pressed by the approaching holiday season. The expectations of others have already commenced their slow, grinding, painful squeeze on my psyche. Will Grandma be in suitable condition to leave assisted living for Thanksgiving? Does Auntie need a ride from the airport? Where is everyone…
My kids have taken an interest lately in watching our wedding video. It has been a fun thing to indulge in with them. They get to see the faces of friends and family they know so well, and grapple with comprehending how they weren’t even alive yet. It’s also been bittersweet. We have been married…
Parents, God has not forgotten your dreams. Our dreams may lie dormant for decades, but if they’re His dreams for us, they will come back to find us when we least think them possible. They will come back in some way—to prove to us that not only does God see our special kids, but he…
I remember years ago when my son Charlie was just under two years old, before his autism diagnosis, we had started a 529 Savings Plan for both of my children to help save towards college. I was excited that we were starting early and hopeful by doing this we would be able to pay for…
You’re supposed to say you’re thankful for Jesus and your favorite book of all time is the Bible. But let’s be real for a second. As parents, let’s push aside the Sunday School answers for a minute and be honest about what we’re really thankful for this year. I’ll go first. 10 things I am…
Have you ever planted a fruit tree? I’ve always wanted to but never have gotten around to it. I have done a little research, though. Do you know if you plant a two-year-old apple tree, it could take another five years to bear fruit? Pear trees can take another six years and cherry trees up…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’re on the cusp of all things holiday and fun. The festivals. The fairs. The pumpkin patches. And the promise for more parties and holiday spectaculars just around the corner. It’s the kick off to a magical—if not insane—season, made all the more magical—and insane—with kids. Not…
“How do you deal with the possibility that you could be a ‘forever mom,’ that is, that Polly and Evangeline may never leave home?” a young mom asks me after I finish sharing our family’s story with her MOPS group. I get this question often. It makes sense. I have children with special needs. We are…
I can’t help but reflect upon how different our parenting journey was from theirs. Our first child was born in 1982. Hours after our son’s birth when he was diagnosed with a life-threatening birth anomaly, every expectation we had for him and for ourselves as parents crumbled. Other parents were choosing which kind of diapers…