A few weeks ago, I went to the baby shower for a friend’s daughter. (She actually used to babysit my kids—talk about full circle!) I remember noticing that the shower was filled with women of all ages—some other mothers older than I am, some closer to my age, definitely moms of young ones, those who
We are now one month into summer, and I’m sure many of us are starting to wonder why we were so anxious for school to get out. Sure, we like the slower pace, the lack of homework, the later mornings, and days spent by the pool, but we may also be noticing that many of
Recently, some friends of ours let us use their beach house. This particular beach is not fancy, but their house is at the beach I grew up on, and I love how it is situated here on the Gulf of Mexico. It was so nice to get away and have a change of scenery. My
Yesterday, my kids were enjoying riding bikes outside when my seven-year-old son came bursting through the door, howling in pain. “My arm, my arm, I can’t feel my arm,” he cried. He writhed in anguish while I called my husband, Kevin, who quickly rushed him to the ER. There he was made to stretch out
I am positive there must be at least a million ways for your family to humiliate you during Mass. I am also positive Jesus does not care as long as you get them there. Jesus tells us, ‘Allow the children to come to me, and do not be an obstacle to them. For to such
Oh, how full motherhood is! We are full every which way right now—full of days spent playing with my littles, full of driving my teens everywhere, full of the sound of exciting games and joyful giggles amongst my children and my friends’ children, full of the clashing of wills from all my very headstrong children,
I used to struggle to see Mary as someone to relate to. Her status as both Mother and Virgin was an inherently impossible standard for anyone, including myself, to live up to. She was born without sin, and if I am being honest, I envied her for that special grace. When I struggled with insecurities
It’s that magical time of year when we are showered with thoughtful gifts, told to relax, rest, and enjoy the season. Meals appear as if by magic right in front of us. The children decorate the house to make it feel warm and inviting. All we have heard in the last six days since Christmas
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine pulled me aside and quietly asked if I were pregnant. My hand instinctively went to my four-kids-stomach-pouch, and she said quickly (as if she could read my mind), “Oh no, you don’t look pregnant. You just look tired.” I assured her that I was not pregnant,
The alarm blares from my side of the hotel bed. There’s no time for snooze. I pull my overworked body, groggy and underslept, to a sitting position, one foot at a time to the floor. I can do this: another full day of meeting, greeting, and talking in a new town, towing the three kids
Having adult children is a peculiar place to be as a parent. I remember, as a young mom drowning in babies, fantasizing about what it would be like to have children who could buckle their own seat belts, get their own snacks, tie their shoes, and go to the bathroom without me. I stopped shutting
Things are changing within me. I am over fifty and no longer fear my fertility. I know not everyone fears fertility, but I did. In hindsight, I dreaded the long darkness of postpartum depression that followed every pregnancy. Yes, I love all the souls God sent to me, but there was still a lot of
My husband and I have a favorite breakfast spot in downtown Dallas. It’s not a fancy place by any stretch. Open twenty-four hours, it features a vast menu that caters to all types of palates, mostly of the “hung-over” variety (grin). Our favorite table is by the self-serve coffee bar. In the many different seasons
While standing on the street in downtown Indianapolis waiting for Jesus to come, thousands of priests, religious, and bishops processed by, leading the way for our Eucharistic Lord. And thousands more people dropped to their knees as he approached. How beautiful! Yet my mind goes to another time in history when Jesus entered Jerusalem with
“Train up a child in the way he should go, [and] Even when he grows older he will not abandon it” (Prov 22:6). Little things in life can make a big difference. When my days were busy with littles, I grew discouraged with the whining, grumbling, and foot-dragging when I asked a child to do
My youngest sister and I are very close, which is surprising because there is a seventeen-year age difference between us. We housed her for a brief time when she attended the University of Dallas, clearing out a bedroom in our crazy house, so she could enjoy some privacy along with the occasional home-cooked meal. She
The other day, I was watching a TV show in which one of the main characters was preparing for her wedding day. At the bachelorette party, they were playing one of the traditional games where a question is asked of the bride, then her answer is compared with the groom’s in order to gauge how
My grandmother, husband, and I often quote back and forth to each other, “Gratitude changes everything.” We’ve been doing this for years, ever since we got married and first spent the better part of the day sitting in my grandma’s living room visiting with her. Naturally, we talked about family, and she told of her
It was the third night in a row my husband was traveling for work, and the youngest of our three children, who has special needs, was awake after only an hour of sleep. I had finally nestled into bed, the blanket around me was the right temperature, my pillows were adjusted comfortably, and I was
There is an exhaustion like I’ve never experienced in motherhood. Crying, fighting, picky eating, pee on the ground in front of the toilet (but not in it), and mismatched mittens as we scurry out the door to preschool flood my attention and spill over my emotions, pushing me to the brink and beyond what I
Our two oldest children are getting married within two months of each other this year, so I am officially entering a different stage of motherhood. This time of transition has given me an opportunity to reflect on my journey of learning how to mother our seven beautiful blessings from God. If I could go back