The very first day that the girls came home with us, I posted this on Facebook: After our first day of officially being a family of 5: Chris: I am exhausted. Me: What did you expect having 3 kids to be like? Chris: I thought the baby would sleep and the two year-old would listen.
February 2, 2020: Day 1,000 as a family of five. 1,000 days. 142 weeks. 32 months. Nearly 3 years. 1,000 days of childhood and parenthood. 1,000 days of lessons learned. 1,000 days of eye rolls. 1,000 days of coffee. 1,000 days of tears. 1,000 days of laughter. Time has flown by and yet, it seems
There is always something to be thankful for. Can that saying be any cheesier? Maybe. But it’s also very true. And the more I lean into motherhood, the cheesier and sentimental and emotional I become. As my seven year-old would say, “Just being honest.” And if I’m being honest, I always have the best intentions
“Be kinder than you have to be.” It’s such a simple but impactful idea, to be kinder than you have to be. In reality, we don’t have to be kind at all. We can choose to be unkind. And we can choose to be kind. Our choices and acts of kindness (or unkindness) are more
Did you know that November is National Adoption Awareness Month? Neither did I. Does it make me a bad mother for not knowing this until a few days ago? Maybe. Or maybe it just means that there are so many national awareness months to celebrate, that I can’t possibly keep track of them all. But
We celebrate one another. We celebrate one another’s accomplishments, big and small. And we definitely celebrate birthdays! Growing up, birthdays were a big deal in my house. My mom and dad went out of their way to be sure my sister and I felt very special on our birthdays. We always had birthday parties with
What does self-care look like for you? Is it a bubble bath at the end of a long day? Is it taking time for yourself away from the kids when they’ve been screaming at you all day? Or are those things a privilege and something more like “treat yo’ self” activities? Is true self-care something
Life can be extremely difficult some days, some weeks, and even the duration of many seasons. Chris and I are just coming out of a few weeks that have been extremely difficult. Actually, we’re coming out of a few years that have been full of difficulties. On Sunday, September 8, 2019, Beverly Willard – aka
There’s a saying I hear often in the adoption community: love makes a family. As the Willard Family of Five celebrates our one-year family anniversary, I’ve had this saying in my head for the past few weeks. I’ve also been trying to hold on to this incredible life-giving saying, which truly fills my heart with
Ok. Snacks are not just for the weak. Snacks are for everyone. But one Saturday morning while watching tv with the girls, I asked BW if she wanted a snack. Her response? “Snacks are for the weak, not for me.” I’ve loved that line ever since. Before we became the Willard Family of Five, I
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