News & Current Events

  Losing your home and your things isn’t ideal under any circumstance. Tossing out our children’s toys was about as heartbreaking as tossing out ruined family photos for me. My kids didn’t deserve to lose what they lost. They aren’t able to grasp the reasons why this has happened to us. I kept silent about it for the first week. They knew we weren’t staying with family “just because.” They saw me cry and they heard conversations, but they never knew what was really going on. I took them both aside one morning before we headed back home to start demo. I told them that things would be different and the furniture we had would be replaced. I told them it...

We are all moms here, generally speaking, and we all probably laugh out loud at the thought of self-care. I know my idea of self-care is using my regular sitter at least one Thursday a month so I can enjoy a $4 margarita with college friends at Zippy’s. There are no massages; very rarely is there “me time” and I’m sure I’m not the only one still hoping to lose two-year- old baby weight … but when is a single mom supposed to work out?! Where and when and how does self-care happen? Well, about a month ago I decided to join a gym and shoot for a weight loss challenge. I was making time for ME to get healthy...

Do you ever watch those prescription drug commercials, and listen all the way to the end, only to hear the announcer speak at auction-house-speed about all the terrible side effects the medicine could cause? I know you have. My favorite is when they say, “and death.” Death, no thank you! You get the point.  The disaster that keeps on giving… Once the water began to recede you think to yourself, the hard work of rebuilding has to begin and that will be the worst of it. I don’t think anyone prepares for the side effects of such a traumatic experience. Even if you expected to have some struggles, most people have no clue what to expect. I know I never dreamed I...

In the past two weeks, our community has suffered immense tragedy. So many families have lost a lifetime of memories and are now struggling to return to normalcy. As the waters receded, and even still now, the demand for basic human necessities (food, water, shelter, clothing) have been high. My family has been immensely blessed as our home was not directly impacted by the flooding. As we watched in horror as surrounding communities were submerged in destructive flood waters, we counted our blessings and immediately began searching for ways to give back and help others who were in need. As a parent, I couldn't even fathom evacuating (many by boat) with small children, let alone, attempting to explain the...

Yep. We flooded, too. I jokingly called that pic above our "floodie." It's our street, after we hiked it to our house to assess the damage. We're smiling because we're together - and WHAT ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!? I'm writing from my in-law's kitchen table after everyone is asleep. This is the ninth night away from my house and we haven't reached a new normal yet. My children aren't in their own beds and I'm headed for the pull-out sofa to join my husband after I finish this, but I'm SO thankful for a place where everyone is safe. I'll go to work again in the morning (first day back was yesterday) and come home to my husband...