The temperatures are getting cooler, the leaves are changing color and Fall is in full effect. Not warm enough for swimming, but not cold enough for building a snowman. There are plenty of fun activities to go do with your family, but maybe money is a little tight. Why not try out these fun inexpensive…
My first family goal was to get off welfare.
Even as I write that goal down, I feel a little sadness that it took me hitting rock bottom to realize the importance of creating goals for my family. I never made a conscious decision to become a welfare recipient. It just happened when my family…
One thing I never have enough of is time.
I always have the best intentions of accomplishing everything I want to do, but time still gets in the way. I am always re-prioritizing, always trying to squeeze more into the 24 hours I have each day. It never works. Something is always left undone…
Boys have feelings, too.
The media’s message is that boys are destructive, uncaring, and sometimes just plain dumb. Our society is buying the lie that boys don’t have feelings and that lie is hurting our sons. Mom, you have a vital role in your son’s life. Boys need their dads to teach them how…
After Ron went to prison
I became intensely aware that my children were more at risk of going to prison. It scared me. I never wanted to visit my child in prison. Not EVER. Every time I heard another statistic, the reality of the battle for my children’s future slapped me in the face. I…
I stood in a room full of people, but I felt completely alone.
Laughter drifted past me, and voices carried the pain of my loss as they floated around me. Pain and grief were my constant companions. My husband was in prison and I had been left alone out here to carry a heavy…
When Ron was in prison...
I invested heavily in my sons to help reduce the pain of living with only one parent. I made plans to take them places so we could spend time together building wonderful memories despite Ron’s incarceration. I was intentional about creating memories together. Ron came home, and I must confess…
I love buying presents for my family.
I also love to save money, so I often find those two passion are in conflict. Saving money and buying presents don’t always go hand in hand. When I can get a great deal on the “perfect gift”, it is a great experience for me — but…
Making decisions together as a couple is important.
Life is full of options and opportunities. You have to make decisions every day as you are indeed setting the course for your future. When you include your partner in the decision-making process, you honor his place in your family and pave the way for your…
Teenagers are fun.
I mean that. They are so much fun! I have loved every stage of development my children have gone through in their race to become adults, but the teen years are the most exciting. It was such an adventure to raise Blake and Brandon through those teen years. Now, I am…