It’s a tough time Summer can be an extra tough time for balancing work, family, and faith. Between the kids being off from school, nice weather, possible vacations, and new schedules summer is it’s own unique challenge. While some employers are more understanding during the summer months, that’s not true …

Balancing Work, Family, & Faith During the Summer Months Read more »

Planning Summer Fun At the end of each school year, I ask my sons what they want to do for the summer. I ask them (separately) what they really want to do with their time off from school. Learn more about that planning process here. Their list generally includes a …

Summer Fun & How to End Empty Promises Through Planning Read more »

Right now the kids have about 3 weeks until school lets out. I don’t know about yours, but mine is READY. My college son just arrived home today and he’s exhausted. It was a rough, but good, semester. Most kids and teachers are bouncing off the walls in anticipation of …

How to Keep Christ at the Center of your Summer Vacation Read more »

Wise Advice I remember several years ago my sister was talking with me about “lasts.” She commented that when our kids are little, we celebrate every first – first giggle, first tooth, first steps – you get the idea. And on and on. Even through college. But we rarely take …

Don’t miss the “lasts”* Read more »

MISUNDERSTANDINGS I hate it when misunderstandings happen. It’s so frustrating! I know we all want to communicate successfully. Often, however, the end result is not as satisfying as we’d like when we are plagued by miscommunication. Effective communication is one of the most important skills for human beings, yet it …

One source of misunderstandings & how to avoid them Read more »

Hi Friends! I hope your new year is off to a great start. As you saw, I took about a month off from my website. I was taking time at the end of the year to regroup and pray about the direction for my website. I ended up realizing that …

Happy New Year: New focus in 2024 Read more »

In 2013 my dad had a series of events that led to him having vascular dementia. The nine years that followed were bittersweet. He was no longer the dad we knew – but he was better in so many ways! My dad was… My dad always had a strong sense …

A Tribute to My Dad in Heaven: 1 Year Later Read more »

One of my family’s stories is about the holidays. Every Christmas Eve, my family celebrated a Polish tradition, handed down from generation to generation. The meal includes seven homemade courses and a couple of side dishes. It’s a pretty stressful meal to make, but we love it. Every year my …

Inside Jokes: How a Good Story Helps Family Satisfaction Read more »

Planning time A few times each year, I take specific time to plan as we shift from one season to another. Typically this is at New Years, end of school/beginning of summer, end of summer/beginning of school, and birthdays. Taking time to touch base with my kids during these seasons …

It’s time to plan the next season…AND connect with your kids Read more »

The Late-Summer Crazy The kids are arguing…again. The dishes aren’t put away and the floors need attention. Don’t even ask about the status of the bathroom. The sheen of summer break has grown dull and now we’re in the countdown to school. I know many moms are about crazy from …

Kids driving you crazy? Here are 5 parenting sanity savers Read more »