Two years ago this week, we received an email from an adoption recruiter in Ohio regarding a sibling group on her caseload. At the time, we were considering our six from Nevada and were in the process of planning a visit and being matched with them. We replied to the email and didn't think much… Continue reading Where two pages meet…(SURPRISE!!)
Monday Menu Madness: Week of 9/5/2016
This week, I challenged myself to cut our grocery budget in HALF. Eek! Between home remodeling projects, school starting, football season, grad school, and never ending piles of laundry, my grocery budget has grown exponentially due to lack of planning on my part. When the grocery store employees know you on a first name basis… Continue reading Monday Menu Madness: Week of 9/5/2016
Why Adopt Again…?
Recently, a worker in Ohio asked to share something we wrote about adoption a while back when we were adopting our six from Nevada. We were honored to be asked if she could share it and hopefully it will find the person wondering if adoption has been planted in their hearts. Domestically or internationally, there… Continue reading Why Adopt Again…?
How Do They Do It: Birthdays
Welcome to the birthday edition of How Do they Do It! Between July and September, we will celebrate ten of our 14 children's birthdays. Yup. 10. Ten sweet and treasured individuals to celebrate and a whole lotta cake! Honestly there have been some years when the birthday slide came around and I failed miserably.… Continue reading How Do They Do It: Birthdays
The Answer to What’s Going on with Big Ben
Last Monday, Big Daddy had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. It was a planned surgery and what we thought would have a relatively easy recovery. Because of how late Ben's surgery was and that his surgeon was not able to do the surgery laproscopically, he was admitted to St. Luke's and we figured we… Continue reading The Answer to What’s Going on with Big Ben
Feeding the herd: Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
You know you have a big family when a regular sized bag of Krusteaz isn't enough for Saturday morning breakfast...not even kidding. Forget boxed cereal. I'm pretty sure that only feeds three or four. Not to mention the cost of convenience foods multiplied by many! We would literally break the bank if most of our… Continue reading Feeding the herd: Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
Boden Update — SLC Primary Children’s Trip 1
4am on Tuesday morning Boden and I hit the road. Our appointment was scheduled for 6 hours later in Salt Lake. I don't think I slept the night before -- I was worried I'd miss my alarm and I was excruciatingly nervous about the outcome of the appointment with Dr. Butterfield that we had waited… Continue reading Boden Update — SLC Primary Children’s Trip 1
7 Ways to Help Your Kiddo Cope with Grief (& helps for big people, too)
When Mark died, Ben was only 8 years old. They were best friends and buddies, and he was Mark's little shadow. And, he didn't cry. We were worried. I sought advice from a counselor, researched a little on the internet, and then followed my mom instincts. "If I had been sleeping on the couch, I… Continue reading 7 Ways to Help Your Kiddo Cope with Grief (& helps for big people, too)
Saying Goodbye
Last Monday, after several days on a ventilator, I said goodbye to my Dad and watched him slip peacefully in to the eternities. It's been hard...and surreal...and exhausting...and heartbreaking...and tender. We are grateful for our faith and knowledge we have of eternal life and while we are devastated that we lost him here in this… Continue reading Saying Goodbye
The Why’s
We hear it all the time and sometimes it’s just written all over somebody’s face, “I don’t know how they do it”, when they see our large family. What’s typically not said, but generally in their undertone is this sense that we’ve got to be crazy. (And I don’t know that I would dispute that… Continue reading The Why’s
