When life gets stressful and you feel like there's too much on your plate, what's the first thing that gets pushed off? Self-care. But I'm working to make it a priority again. This last year has been incredibly hard on our family. Just over the last few months we moved from Pennsylvania to Texas, my husband started a new job in a field he's never worked in before (one of those 8-5 jobs he's … [Read more...]
Your Story Isn’t Over Yet!
Wouldn’t it be nice if God would show us what lies ahead? Do you know what I mean? I’m betting you do. We all have multiple questions to ask of God at any given moment: Are my kids in the right schools? Will they be safe there? Will we be able to pay for my child's therapies? Will you use my life, Lord, to make a difference here in some way? Should we move? Should we stay? Will I find … [Read more...]
Making Little Things a Big Deal
Self care, toileting, showering, direction, staying on task, meals, etc. are just a few of the little things for which our son (Joey, who is 34) needs our help. Often he gets “into some groove” making it hard for us to get him out of it. It could be: getting in the groove of some negative conversation that we can’t steer in a different direction. watching his team losing and we can’t do … [Read more...]
It’s Way Beyond Me …
"You make it look so easy!" This crazy life looks easy? I am so thankful people are gracious enough to tell me that I make caring for Evan look easy. But hold your horses, folks. Most days are a marathon that we have to pace ourselves to get through. This life? It's way beyond me. But I totally get this. Many people who do things often enough are able to make them look easy. Surgeons. I … [Read more...]
Letting Special Needs Kids Grow Up
Parked at a crowded curb in front of the middle school, I watch as my girls get out of the van, tie shoes, check hair in the side window, glance to see if anyone they know is nearby. I should drive away, I think. I should leave and make space for another family to unload their kids. But it's not just the parking spot. It's the admission my girls are growing up. They walk away from the minivan. … [Read more...]
The Lovely Wreckers
My mother used to say, “I can’t have anything nice with kids in the house!” She didn’t so much say it as she did wail it. We were the kids who came swinging in through the kitchen window feet first from the eaves of the roof, or accidentally lit the garage on fire. The security system in the house was basically just a trigger mechanism for the neighbor’s rage. His first thought, I’m guessing, … [Read more...]