Planning for the 2020 Holidays: Remember What’s Most Important

Today is the first day of fall and already I am planning for the holidays. I’m not one of those people who starts watching Christmas movies in July or has all their gifts wrapped by Labor Day. I am thinking ahead and planning early because our Christmas will look different […]

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When Relationships Get Messy at Our House

We’ve had this sign longer than I can remember. I remember the store I bought it in, but I am fuzzy on what town it was in, who I was with (a dear friend, I think), and what year. Most days I barely notice it. But this morning it spoke […]

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When Your Kids Keep Making Decisions You Don’t Agree With

Yep, it happened again. One of my kids made a decision that I didn’t agree with. In fact, I was absolutely against it. When she shared her plan with me I gave her my reasons why her plan was not a good idea. My wisdom did nothing to change her […]

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A Conversation with the Family Looking Up Moms and Myself–Loving No Matter What

Last week I was delighted to be a guest on the Family Looking Up podcast. These three mamas–Andrea, Camille, and Beth–have thirteen kids (my best count from their pic) ranging in ages from baby to high school. They have lots of hands-on mommying experience. All of this contributed to our […]

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Celebrating the Holidays with Adult Kids and Less Stress

I hate to sound cliché but the holidays are upon us. Yes, we are only in the first few days of October, but you know I’m right. Christmas decorations have taken over Hobby Lobby; even Target has started a small section for Christmas lights. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here […]

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What Comes Next: When Your Adult Kids Face Difficult Times

Sometimes I think back to the struggles and hard times Gene and I have had in our marriage, especially the early years. I remember feeling hopeless and helpless. I remember wondering if the situation would ever change. Then I try to remember what brought about change. Was it a piece […]

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What Comes Next: When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don’t Agree With

I wrote Love No Matter What: When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don’t Agree With after our oldest daughter launched. Katie was in her early twenties and both of us had been in process to grow our relationship and make better choices. Lots of life has happened since the book […]

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How I am Building a Lifelong Relationship with My Kids

“Without relationship you have nothing.”* This quote is from my book, Love No Matter What: When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don’t Agree With. The older I grow the more I realize its truth. Without relationship we have nothing. Relationships are the core of life. The first and most important […]

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Be Ready for the Talk

In case you missed it, last week I was thrilled to have my first op-ed published in The Christian Post. I discussed having “the talk” with your kids about sexual abuse and harassment. The key to these conversations is the condition of your relationship with your child. If your child doesn’t […]

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One of the Best Parts of Releasing Your Kids

Sitting here after a tiring day of running here and there, I’m thinking what is worth writing about today? What was the best part of my day? That’s easy—talking to all three of the girls in the same day and that happened today. Yesterday I talked about the grief of […]

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