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
March 15, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on Dear Mom, Please Live Forever. And Please Swedish Death Clean.
Moms of the World, You are loved. We cannot imagine a day when we won’t have you on the other side of the phone to celebrate the wins and commiserate on the hard days. Who will share our joy at … Continue reading
February 1, 2019
by Maralee
1 Comment
Quitting has a bad reputation. It’s perceived to be giving up on your dreams or on yourself. It’s what you do when you’ve run out of willpower, support or talent. It’s that thing that losers do. Whatever else we do … Continue reading
January 29, 2019
by Maralee
2 Comments
My husband and I watched the “Minimalism” documentary on Netflix recently and it definitely made an impact. I immediately started looking around my house for things I could get rid of and briefly considered setting fire to the small piles … Continue reading
December 3, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Zechariah and The Impossible Prayer Request
We got a letter from our pastor about something new our church leadership is trying for Christmas this year. There is going to be a Christmas offering– something above and beyond what we would normally give to help support our … Continue reading
October 3, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Raising Kids Who are Close in Age is Easier Than you Think
I have six kids. Those six kids came to me over the course of 7 years through a mix of birth, international adoption and adoption through foster care. When my youngest was born my kids were 8, 6, 5, 3, … Continue reading
September 24, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Dear Son, Our Work Together Isn’t Done Yet
I woke up early to come wake you up. Even though you don’t need me to. Even though you’re capable of waking up on your own to your own alarm clock in your own room. Every day you become more … Continue reading
September 7, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
I’m not sure when the moment came that I started to feel a little conflicted about our current obsession with compassion voyeurism. Maybe it was the photo that went viral of a Chick-fil-A manager praying with a guy who was … Continue reading
August 6, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
My Sweet Kids, I know there have been times you have felt poor. There are vacations we can’t go on, the hand-me-down wardrobes, the times we didn’t send you to a friend’s birthday party because we couldn’t afford to buy … Continue reading
June 28, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Mary Poppins was a Foster Mom
I watched Mary Poppins the other night the way I watch most movies these days: a kid in my lap, a kid on either side of me, and a kid laying on the back of the couch behind my head. … Continue reading