July 3, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on The Kind of Mom They Made Me
I have a serious issue with baking bread. In my mind the world is divided into two kinds of women: those who bake bread and those who don’t. I have happily been in the “those who don’t” category for my … Continue reading
March 28, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on My Daughter Made My Father the Dad he was Meant to Be
At a recent Chick-fil-A visit my kids got some cards with questions on them that were meant to spark dinner discussions. As we went around the table answering these questions, my nine-year-old daughter pulled a card that said, “Who gives … Continue reading
February 15, 2019
by Maralee
6 Comments
My youngest child is four. I’ve given away almost all of the baby clothes and supplies. It’s been years since I changed a diaper or mashed a banana. I’ve forgotten what used to feel second-nature when it comes to mixing … Continue reading
January 16, 2019
by Maralee
1 Comment
Full disclosure: I did not want to watch “The Good Place.” And I didn’t watch it for a long time. Something about a depiction of the afterlife without any kind of theological accountability made me itchy. I still have itchy … Continue reading
November 13, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
Adoption changes your world. You may not know it when you first start researching adoption. You may not even fully understand it the moment you become an adoptive parent. But the longer you live life as an adoptive family, the … Continue reading
September 26, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
I came home late from a work meeting the other night. I snuck into the rooms of my sleeping children and kissed their sweet cheeks. As I tiptoed into the room of my six-year-old it struck me how big he’s … Continue reading
September 12, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
Three of my kids celebrate the anniversaries of their adoptions this month. It’s a time of year we tend to have a lot of big and small conversations about adoption within our family. We talk about what know about their … Continue reading
July 27, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Adoption and The Truth as Best We Knew It
Last night my son brought out the adoption scrapbook I made for him just before we flew across the globe to bring him home. We’ve looked through that book together many times. We’ve wondered at the pictures of the tiny … Continue reading
June 6, 2018
by Maralee
3 Comments
I think it’s supposed to make me feel better, but somehow the current motherhood mantra of the day is having the opposite effect on me. “You are enough, Mama! Just as you are. You are enough for your children. You … Continue reading
May 29, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
In July of 2016 it became apparent to our family that there were some problems in the way the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was interpreting the rights of siblings in our state when it came to their … Continue reading