Category: family
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A Love Note for Moms

Recently, friends in my hometown organized a baby shower. As a special touch, they gifted the guest of honor – a first-time mom – with a booklet of love notes from folks near and far. As a mom, I appreciated their thoughtfulness. Extra doses of lovingkindness are spot-on for new moms who feel excitement one…
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Weary, But Worth It

Hard to believe my last blog post was 8 months ago. The culprit? A tiny human with 2 teeth and a serious milk habit. His happy eyes and easy smile are downright disarming. And, his giggles? Like sunshine for your soul. My last post was just weeks shy of Josiah’s birth. To say that life…
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Endings & Beginnings

It’s hard to believe that we’re quickly nearing the end of this very special pregnancy. I think back to last fall, when my eyes kept adjusting to the pink lines on the home pregnancy tests (I took 2, remember?). In shock, all I could think was, are you kidding?!? I have more than enough “life”…
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At This Moment

“Are you getting ready for the baby?” (Pause) “Uhhh . . . no.” My response to this popular, well-meaning question has likely surprised some folks. So, let’s be clear: We are over-the-moon happy and excited for Baby Dancy’s arrival this spring. And we’re equally grateful for a healthy pregnancy and growing baby in my tummy.…
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The 4th Reaction

Ever since sharing our surprise pregnancy at age 47, my hubby and I have received quite an assortment of reactions. He has his own stories of responses from guys (let’s just say they involve a lot of high-fives). For me, reactions from women have varied but ultimately fall into 1 of 4 categories: 1. “Wow.…
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Expecting the Unexpected

My hubby and I are ardent planners. Over the last 19 years, we’ve come to value having a roadmap for our journey together. Buying a one-story home we can easily maneuver later in our golden years? Yep. Having two kids, 3 years apart so “they could play together?” Uh-huh. Career moves that let us balance…
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Road Bumps

So, the other day, I messed up. Hubby was out of town overnight, so I was parent-on-point. I looked at the calendar. Only one Saturday morning activity? No problem, I thought. I got this. Well, it turns out that I didn’t “got this.” Our son was scheduled to play his first game with a new…
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Bees & Buttons

I’ve always been industrious, busy as a bee. As a kid, I could keep myself occupied for hours by creating art using typing paper, tape and crayons. As a teen, I stayed busy with homework, school clubs, music, and church. And none of that changed as a young adult. Yet, I’m not a high-energy person.…
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It Ain’t Over

At 86, my dad is playing checkers again – after at least a 65+ year hiatus. My sister and I have never, ever seen Dad play checkers. He was way too busy raising us – cooking, doing the yard work, fixing whatever was broken, serving at church, working as a school principal, making visitors feel…
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All Shook Up

Do you ever wish life only offered lovely sunshine and little birds singing – you know, skipping the blizzards and buzzards of life? I do. But Life chuckles and says, “Blizzards and buzzards show up because easy moments alone won’t help you grow.” And I gotta agree. We can be oh-so stubborn, especially when…