I savor the sweetness of the moment. My visit has just begun.
Truth to remember in the moments you feel defeated at home.
As I write this letter, I have lived the majority of my life without him.
Every adoption is unique, but these questions may help if you're considering it.
It's a time when we’re expected to open up, maybe more than we really want to.
Here are some tried-and-true ways to pursue peace, even in the chaos.
Darling's Editor-in-Chief shares a few special "firsts."
There are days, no matter your situation, when all you can do is laugh.
If this is your current scenario, or may soon be your current scenario, don’t despair.
Emma and Claire Laukitis are two Alaskan-bred sisters who had anything but a traditional upbringing.
I was learning something I didn’t see coming. Before he was ‘Dad’, he was ‘Ricky.’ Before there was me, there was this place.
Eight months ago my husband and I made the life-changing decision to sell everything for an adventure around the world with our two kids. At the time my daughter, Dorothy, was almost three years old and my son, Manilla, only one.
I hope this post doesn’t come across pretentious and proud. There are many things that my children miss out on from not having a permanent home and the beneficial consistency that comes with that. I’m super aware of those. Like every mother, I question myself all the time — if I’m doing the right thing for my family. But, in an effort to be more positive and confident, I will share a few of the things that I can see in my own children that make me feel like I’m doing an okay job. If you’re considering some travels with your own kiddos, I hope you will gain some insight from our experiences!
I think we can all agree that the older we get the more we realize just how much our mothers had to put up with while raising us. From chauffeuring us to tennis lessons and dental appointments to bearing with our adolescent angst and taking care of us when sick, it seems like there’s nothing our moms weren’t willing to do for us.
For many, our moms remain our number one fan, and our relationship with them will forever be one of the strongest bonds we have. Yet, as influential as mothers are in our lives, how often do we stop and actually let them know what they mean to us? Chances are, not enough.
Designing a room for your new baby is fun and exciting, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. These seven steps are my go-to when I am designing a nursery. Hopefully they can help you stay stress-free during this process!
Here is an easy and organized approach to creating the nursery of your dreams:
I think it started around 1995, when the Oasis album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? was released, and I became obsessed with everything England. Something about the culture, the creativity and the history spoke to me. I knew that I wanted to spend time there, and I also knew that a vacation wasn’t going to do it. I wanted to live there.
Over the years my desire to live in England waxed and waned as I went to university, got married and started my career – but it never left me. I remember bringing up the idea to my husband and his less than enthusiastic response. He initially didn’t share my desire to live abroad, but over the years he warmed up to the idea and eventually became the driving force, applying for a work transfer that allowed us to make the move.
This morning I sat at my dining room table sipping my coffee, watching my seven-year-old daughter eat oatmeal. I smiled when she looked at me, almond shaped eyes behind perfectly round glasses. She smiled back and then took another giant bite, sweet drips of cinnamon and sugar milk on her chin.
She’s the eldest of three and mornings here can be crazy. Yet, I find myself day after day taking the time to sit and watch her and marvel at the simple gift of sweet cinnamon oatmeal.
She taught me how to do that. How to stop. How to slow down. How to enjoy something as simple as oatmeal for breakfast.
My daughter has Down syndrome.
Our twenties are often a time to learn who we are, to try out our talents and gifting in the world, and to develop meaningful relationships. The focus is on moving forward and creating a life that makes you feel alive and getting to know yourself as an independent adult.
But while we move into the next life stage, so do our parents. As we age, so do our parents. Very few of us consider the impact of our parents aging on our young adulthood. How do we create an independent life and stay appropriately connected to our parents? How do we balance our goals with our parents’ needs?
Here are a few ideas on how to navigate early adulthood with our parents in mind.
He stood 6′ 3″ with thick, salt and pepper hair. His face was rugged from years of sun despite the shade his cowboy hat offered.
He was a cattle rancher, well respected, well liked and hard working. He came from humble means, but believed education provided opportunities, so he became a scholar and worked his way up to a PhD. Over the years he was on bank boards, school boards, and even the former regent of a state college. Twice a year he’d lobby in Washington D.C. for the future of agriculture.
He carried himself with a quiet confidence, never seeking out praise. Long winded stories were never his style. He spoke with purpose and intention. He loved his wife and daughters, the Texas Rangers, War World II books and old movies. He preferred the countryside to the city life, five dollar Walmart shirts to Ralph Lauren, and Ford pickups over Chevrolet. He made others laugh with his light hearted nature and dry sense of humor. He looked for the good in others and always fought for the underdog.
His name was John, and he was my father.
I visited my grandmother at her nursing home last week. It’s been almost three years since I saw her last, and I wasn’t prepared for how much she had deteriorated. I knew she had dementia, but as I sat by her bed holding her wrinkled hand I struggled to connect the rosy-cheeked, cheerful woman I remembered with the pale, skinny form lying next to me.
She didn’t remember who I was and I didn’t expect her to. In fact, she slept almost the entire time I was there. To help pass the time a nurse mentioned that a hymn-sing was scheduled for 2 o’clock, which pulled a bright memory to the front of my mind.
I’m sitting on a piano bench next to my grandmother in the sunlit study, fumbling through “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The chords feel too big for my hands, but she belts straight through my blunders with the determined gusto of a freight train.
Yes, let’s go to the hymn-sing.
She’s probably the first person we phone to share news with of all kind – good or bad. She’s a partner in crime when we’re up to a bit of mischief, and she’s certainly all ears when we exchange classified information. She always takes our
We are in the throes of the magical holiday season, a time filled with family and friends and lots of opportunities for memory-making. It’s likely that you (or someone you love) is traveling to spend the holidays with family and time is condensed as you
Think dreamy melodies and nostalgia, and you've got The Hunts' catchy new single "Make This Leap." Led by vocalists Josh and Jenni Hunt, these seven siblings from Chesapeake, Virginia, play Americana, indie-inspired folk. Between a mother who is a classically trained violinist and a self-taught guitarist
As people with Ph.D.s, my husband and I are researchers at heart. So, when we found out we were pregnant with our first child, we began researching and planning how our life would function once she arrived. We took classes on breastfeeding and infant care,
As one of nine children, I'm never short of a sister to call for advice or a brother to hang out with when I'm bored. There are several other perks of having a lot of siblings, too, but the best part is just the sheer
Before our daughter was born, my husband and I traveled regularly and widely. Both his job and our personalities influenced the value we place on traveling; exploring a new city is one of the top things we enjoy doing together. When my daughter Ella was
Making a decision as a couple to have – or not have – a child requires enormous consideration. In reality, despite societal assumptions that all couples will eventually become parents by default, having kids is something that may not be for everyone. To be a
I married an emotional man. From the outside, you would never know it. I certainly didn’t know it when we got married. In fact, I missed it entirely while we dated, I missed it during our engagement, and it took the first year and a half
One of my first memories is having my head cracked open by a toddler wielding an Etch-A-Sketch. As soon as I felt the blood running down my forehead, I began sobbing hysterically. My mother calmly collected me and held me in her lap as she
Families come in all shapes and sizes. What intrigues us about them is that no two are alike, no two are composed of the same people, the same talent or, commonly, not even the same genetic makeup. Sometimes, families come together easily while others take
- 1
- 2
