I never thought I would be writing a blog about activities to do with kids while in quarantine but here I'am. I know I'm already going crazy trying to find fun activities for my kids to do, all they want to do is fight with each other. And this rainy weather is not helping! If the sun was at least shining I could take them outside to play, bu...

Enter your text here ... Mike and I, along with our three very tender daughters, adopted a two-year old Beagle several ​ years ago. The plan was to visit the shelter, gather information, and make a sensible decision to wait for the best timing on adopting any dog. Of course, all pretenses were out the window when Bindi ran into the room, tail waggi...

 With warm weather just around the corner I can't help but think about how different kids are today. I remember playing outside until my mom would make me come in because it was getting dark and close to my bedtime. I remember doing kid things, like playing in the dirt, climbing trees, catching bugs, and all sorts of stuff. Kids today wan...

Lets face it stress balls aren't just for adults! Stress balls are great for kids and are amazing sensory tools. They are great for all kids but especially those who like to fidget or stims.  For an example while your kid is doing homework put the stress ball in the opposite hand that they write with to ...

Ask any of my daughters what tugs at my heart the most when we go into a Christmas shop, and they'll tell you it's the nativity set. I've lost count of how many sets I actually have tucked away with the family Christmas decorations. One porcelain set, still in the original box, came from my husband's grandmother. Another set, piled into a Ziploc ba...

Seems like everyone has something to say about LIFE.   The Dalai Lama said "the purpose of our lives is to be happy."  Someone anonymously wrote: "One day your life will flash before your eyes.  Make sure it's worth watching."  Even the great philosopher Dr. Seuss quipped: "Step with care and great tact, and remember that l...

I don't have it all together. I wish I could tell you that I did. As the director of a successful non- profit with a graduate degree in counseling, a wife of 20 years, the mother of three healthy and beautiful daughters it may appear that I do, but can I be completely honest with you? I struggle with lots of things. I worry. I second-guess. I fear ...

As I sit here thinking about my life and the way it has gone, I'm grateful for the Lord and his mercy. My life could have turned out so much differently. I was a 16 year old girl heading in the wrong direction, with no direction if that makes sense. When I became pregnant at 16, I panicked to say the least, this was not my plan. Where do I go, what...

Today was the Mondayest Thursday ever. It started when my kids protested the breakfast I made. Mind you – they requested the breakfast. Their father gave them a good lecture and then he headed off to work, and the normal before-school routine continued. It was 8:00am so that meant it was time for everyone to brush their teeth. While all four of my ...

Every life matters. This is our 2020 theme for the New Life Clinic. Three simple words with enormous meaning. I'd like to say that people in general believe and practice this notion, but my faith in humanity sometimes wanes. Watching the 6:00 news every evening has probably fueled my skepticism. Shootings and child abuse and sex trafficking scream ...

  To say I was awkward growing up, that would be a true statement. In junior high I was the good girl who obeyed her parents and never did anything wrong. I was the definition of a "nerd" who had the glasses and braces to go along with it. Needless to say I never had the attention of any boys, and I was okay with that. Until the summer be...

Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go. With school starting back, I can't think of any wisdom more pr...

  REINDEER POOP PLAY DOUGH RECIPE THAT SMELLS LIKE GINGERBREAD COOKIES: 2 cups plain flour (all purpose) 1/2 cup salt 2 tablespoons cream of tartar ½ tablespoon of glitter 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons any oil 1 cup of hot water (added gradually) -Mix all dry ingredients together then add oil, and hot w...

  I have been wondering about writing this blog, then I saw a post on our New Life Clinic volunteer page today and thought, "yes there it is okay Lord!" The scripture was from 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." I thought this pas...

Adoption was never part of my plan. I had always heard of people adopting and thought that is was wonderful, but it was not in MY plans. I supported my friends adoption fundraisers and tried to help them when I could, but thought the cost was crazy and always wondered how they could afford to adopt. My plan was to get married, have children and the...

Our culture today is so connected but disconnected at the same time. We are connected by the internet and social media but often neglect our own family life. Don't get me wrong the internet and social media are powerful tools that can be used for good but sometimes we get so caught up in them we end up "abusing the power." Sometimes instead of...

 Sensory bottles are also known as calm down bottles! When a sensory bottle has items such as glitter, legos, or beads in it that move slowly, children are often mesmerized by watching them. They are an effective and easy way to help children focus on deep breaths and relaxing after a temper tantrum or an upsetting event. It gives th...

  Volunteer or not to Volunteer? That seems to be a question that many struggle with. We all get caught up in our own busy lives and are guilty of not giving back or not listening to God.  In 2006 I started volunteering at "In His Hands Pregnancy Center" in Blanchester. Volunteering was a new thing for me. I had always...

  As most of you know, I volunteer once a week as a Client Advocate at a crisis pregnancy center. Throughout the day today I had not 1.. not 2… but 3 young, teenage girls come in for a pregnancy test. These were girls you might see in your kid's school or at a local high school sporting event or eating a burger with their friends on the weeken...

  I was also 16 when I found myself in the same situation as Dee (If you do not know Dee, please see previous blog). But my story differs from hers in the fact that I did not seek the resources of a local pregnancy center. I honestly didn't know they existed at the time. But I would like to think my story would be different if I had known, and...