Does this Roller Coaster ever stop?
"The ups and downs are usually not that bad, but it's the damn twists and turns that get me every single time." – J. Hasamear
It's been almost six years since we lost my stepson in a four-wheeling accident. And after recently watching Grey's Anatomy and watching the fictional Meredith Grey have to sign the papers to disconnect her husband, "McDreamy," from the machines keeping him alive and standing by his bedside as he took his last breathe, my life was... Continue Reading →
My three-year-old is one of those children who is always surprising us because we never know what to expect when he opens his mouth. When children are little, they are still figuring out how to put words together to make sentences and they are definitely still figuring out this whole thing called the American-English language.... Continue Reading →
Since I am quickly approaching my 38th birthday in a little less than two months, I have to stop and think about what I would tell the 23-year-old me if I had the chance to stand in front of that wide-eyed young woman who was ready to take on the world of journalism, fall in love... Continue Reading →
Even though I was only 23, I can still remember everything about walking into the newsroom for the first time and that feeling of actually being a daily news reporter. I had worked for a local weekly suburban newspaper for about a year and made the right friends and connections and had found my way... Continue Reading →
At times, I still expect Timothy to burst through the front door, full of energy like he was just away on a long trip. A part of me thinks it's crazy after nearly five and a half years. But there are some things that the mind won't let go even with time, or maybe it's... Continue Reading →
Each year like clockwork, Tim grumbles about having to lug all the Christmas decorations down from the attic the weekend after Thanksgiving. It has been our tradition to put the tree and all the decorations up on this day for at least the last 10 years. When my stepkids were younger, it was usually Taylor and... Continue Reading →
Nearly 15 years after I first walked into my husband’s life, it is hard to fathom that my stepdaughter is now a mother of her own after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl this week. There are both perks and downfalls to being a stepmom. Over the years, I have tried to not over... Continue Reading →
There are literally hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars of all shapes and sizes taped to my boys’ ceiling. When their light goes out for bedtime, their room still glows like the night sky at the request of both our boys. But what I didn’t know until recently is that the boys have given certain stars to... Continue Reading →
The smell of my mom’s chili filled our entire house a few nights ago. And for a second, I felt like I was a little girl again with pigtails, sitting around the dinner table with my mom, pop and brother, eating chili mac, corn muffins and salad – a staple in our house in the fall.... Continue Reading →
It was a beautiful Saturday evening in June, and Tim and I had decided to get out of the house for a little while. I remember that we were walking down Main Street in Collinsville when my phone rang. Tim was carrying Sweet Pea's pumpkin seat in one hand, holding my hand with the other... Continue Reading →
Does this Roller Coaster ever stop? 