I Left a Piece of My Heart at OC

Ten years ago when I started this journey, college was nowhere on my radar. This past weekend, my baby–the youngest of my three children–moved off to college. I am honestly still in shock, uncertain how it’s even possible that she’s is 18 and a high school graduate. But, here we are, watching my baby leave […]

To My Son on Your Wedding Day

Oh, my sweet Blake! How can it be that you are now a newlywed? It seems like it was only yesterday that you were that precious little 6 lb 12 oz preemie that surprised us a month early. Now, here you stand before me, towering over us all, a man instead of a precious baby. […]

To My Soon-To-Be Daughter-In-Law

We are only one week away from you officially becoming family, and I am so excited! I remember the first time Blake introduced us. I was captivated by your natural beauty and your quiet, gentle spirit. I knew there was something special about you, even before I had the opportunity to get to know you. […]

To My Daughter As You Graduate from High School

My dear, sweet Cassie, I don’t even know how to start this letter. The tears sting my eyes already as I begin to think of all the emotion that is pent up inside me. It seems like just yesterday I learned I was having a baby girl. After two rough and tumble boys, I was […]

Beating the Statistics

Children raised in single parent families have the odds stacked against them. According to one study by BMC Public Health, children is single parent homes are more likely to end up in the lowest educational and socioeconomic regardless of parental status. Pretty sobering for those of us who raised our kids alone. Monday evening, I […]

To My Single Parent Friends

Today, March 21, is National Single Parent Day. For many years, I had no idea there was such a day. For many years, I wouldn’t have cared that there was a Single Parent Day. But, after eight years as a single mom, I would like to take a few minutes just to explain what being […]

The Final Walk

Have I told you about my son’s pigs? When my son was in high school, he showed pigs. Yes, live, eating, drinking, pooping, smelly pigs. Cole decided to join Future Farmers of America (FFA) in the 8th grade, and he excelled! He showed pigs and sheep. He judged livestock. And he was surrounded by some […]

When You Have a Prodigal Child

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them […]

Pivot

Pivot. It has become a common word in my vocabulary as of late. To pivot, by definition, means to turn on or as if on a central point, pin, or shaft. In other words, when we pivot, we swing to a different direction. Pivot has become a key term in the medical field over the […]

The Never Enoughs

Today is my baby girl’s first day of her senior year of school. Let me clarify. She is my only girl. She is also the baby of my three children. I’ve walked through senior year with my two boys (although my younger son’s senior year was cut short because of Covid). Today is my very […]