Jill says: A week ago last Friday I had knee surgery for a torn meniscus. The first few days I was pretty much attached to my recliner and Mark served as a wonderful nurse. Just a few days ago, Mark injured his back at work. He’s been down for the entire weekend...
In October 1988, President Ronald Reagan Proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Today’s post was written by Emily Fawcett who understands the reality of infant loss. I asked Emily to share how a mom can help another mom who...
Jill: Since the release of my book No More Perfect Moms, I’ve spent the past four years asking moms to stop comparing their insides to other women’s outsides. When we do this, we perpetuate what I call the Perfection Infection where we have unrealistic expectations of...
Understanding ourselves and understanding others are two key components in improving relationships. Do you have a friend who drives you crazy? She probably has a different personality style than you do. In our book Better Together, my daughter Anne and I talk quite a...
Jill: A week ago Mark and I took a motorcycle ride with friends. As we rounded a corner I suddenly realized we were driving by a place where deception in our marriage took place five years ago. I immediately began to have a physical response. My heart rate increased...
It took forever for me to understand that taking care of ME is taking care of my FAMILY. I hesitated spending money on attending a conference or a class that bettered me. I said no to opportunities to spend time with girlfriends because “my family needs...
Mark: We’ve all seen them on a hot day. Up ahead, it looks like there’s a sheet of water on the road. As we get closer, we realize there’s no water there at all. It’s a mirage caused by the heat mixed with light in just the right way. Jill: We’ve all experienced soul...
Mark: Fall is in the air and that means the major holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. Have you talked with your spouse about your plans for the holidays? Jill: It may seem too early to do that, but we’re not talking as much about...
Mark: “Recalculating,” states the voice on the GPS unit. “Recalculating,” she repeats once again as we find ourselves off course on a trip. It’s a scene most of us are familiar with in some way now that smartphone map apps and GPS units are built right into our cars....
Jill: This week I’m on the road speaking. While Mark travels with me much of the time, it didn’t work for this trip. So we’re already looking ahead to a re-entry plan. Mark: Military families are schooled on the concept of re-entry after dealing with...
It only took ten months, but we finally finished! Bless Mark’s heart, he would do remodels all day for his Sawhorse Homes business and come home to do our remodel on nights and weekends. It was a labor of love for all of us, but particularly challenging for...
Mark: It’s Labor Day. For some of us it’s a day filled with family, friends, and picnic food. For others, it’s a day to work on home projects. And still others are just enjoying that extra day provided in this 3-day weekend. Jill: Labor Day signals...
Jill: I remember the day well. It was about a month after Mark had moved back home. He came home from work, smiled, and said to me, “Do you know what I realized today?” “No, what?” I replied. “I realized I’m happy. I’m actually happy!” he...
I was a stay-at-home mom for over twenty years. In fact, my first book, Professionalizing Motherhood was written specifically for moms at home. It’s still in print and making a difference in the lives of moms at home all over the world. Today’s post was...
