Parenthood

If you have ever lived or been stationed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, you know "the mountain." It is Mount Rainier, the snowy volcano that towers at over 14,000 feet in elevation. It is the tallest mountain in...

“A feeling normally as individual as the ache of separation from those one loves, suddenly became a feeling in which all shared alike and, together with fear, the greatest affliction of the long period of exile that lay ahead.”...

Sometimes when we travel we are unaware of how different some of our daily behaviors are seen in other countries.  The natural ways in which we conduct ourselves are so embedded in our activities that we don’t stop to...

There should have been no surprises when I attended a “Favorite Things” party last month I brought gift cards to a bookstore. I love books! The only New Years' resolution/goal I make is to set a reading goal for...

“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness.  When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe.  You relinquish that position to your children.”  --Jessica Lange Losing My Identity I won’t say that as a kid...

10 months is a long time to be without your spouse...or your dad. 10 months is just short of a year. 10 months will be almost half of our youngest’s little life. 10 months of deployment is no joke....

I've been secretly watching my preteen a little closer lately- not because she's bad. In fact, quite the opposite. She is young, impressionable, and naive as many "good girls" are. She is the teacher's pet; the overachieving hard worker...

Tragedy, neglect, addiction, manipulation - all these words can describe "The Con Man's Daughter" by Candice Curry. Yet, this memoir is so much more than this. It is a story of triumph over tragedy, love over pain, and forgiveness...

When I was growing up, I had a bit of an attitude. I was assertive (insert stubborn) and knew what I wanted (still do). I loved to test the limits. This gave my parents, especially my mom who was...

I was in the pediatrician’s office the other day getting my son’s 4-year-old checkup. He was happily playing in the “laundry” area of the waiting room—moving fabric from the pretend washer, then to the dryer, then ironing it with...

One in five Americans – more than 54 million people– have a physical, sensory, or intellectual disability. This makes the disabled community the largest and most diverse minority group in the country. Yet when it comes to talking about...

I love summer. I'm a big fan of having loosely-structured days and going to the pool and enjoying popsicles on the porch. Yes, there are chores that my children need to get done on a daily basis. And my...