I stood off to the side, a common place for me, and watched her arms raise and hips gently sway. The sparkles on her low-cut, v-neck, blue sequence dress flashed in the lights. Her tall silver heels and spiky hair, not to mention her signature blue eye shadow, led me to believe she felt good. […]
Read MoreI opened my eyes only for a second before I wrapped up tighter in the the 11-year old quilt that my grandparents gave us for our wedding. My husband’s winter beard scratched my face as he leaned in to whisper. “Happy Birthday.” I closed my eyes again and tried to drift back to sleep. Of […]
Read MoreTen years ago as a starry-eyed first-time home buyer, I walked into each room of our farmhouse and dreamed of its remodeling possibilities. New paint, updated curtains, furniture and furnishings. While the 1920’s-era house had so much character already, I wanted to add our special touch. The kitchen provided a great opportunity and we decided […]
Read MoreIt’s not very often that an adoptive mom posts a birth mother’s story. But, our open adoption is something special, and it’s an honor to share this piece of our story with you. From the night we first met our birth mom to today, a peace has followed us. Her strength is what helped our […]
Read MoreNever did I dream I’d be writing a post about Disney princesses, adopted Disney characters, and blended family movies, but kids change everything, right? At age two, my daughter loved Dora. Soon after that, the Disney princess obsession hit. While Barbies and other “big kid” toys now fill the Christmas list, she still stops to […]
Read MoreWe couldn’t afford it. His middle school math teacher salary and the income I brought in from my small freelance communications business paid our bills, but it didn’t leave us much wiggle room for much of anything else – especially an adoption. “When you accept the call to adopt, God will provide… trust us.” Our […]
Read MoreAs a family impacted by adoption, we wanted to share our open adoption story for National Adoption Month. We thought it would be fun to capture our 6-year-old daughter’s thoughts this year, and to interview our birth mother as well. Who better to tell you about adoption than the adoptee and birth mother? Open Adoption […]
Read MoreAttended a writer’s conference over the weekend that was hosted by the Heart of America Christian Writer’s Network (HACWN). I learned I have maybe 60 seconds to convey my message right now so I’ll make it brief. This was my biggest “aha!” moment: A Christian writer who blogs is a missionary all over the world.” […]
Read MoreI had a dream… it was that one day my beautiful Fiestaware dishes wouldn’t be hidden by a drab oak cabinet door. A day where my old house’s kitchen would reflect its true charm and character. A day where I put everything I need to cook right in front of my face, letting the creative […]
Read MoreI tried to stop writing about colon cancer a little while ago. Well, sort of. I moved away from writing on my Semicolon Stories blog – a site I began after my second diagnosis. Its musings and content mostly focused on “life after colorectal cancer.” I took an active step away from blogging about my […]
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