One of the most sobering HFPE meetings I ever put together was when I had the local fire department come give a presentation on fire safety. They showed a video that was scary -- The time from first flame to total engulfment and death was less than 5 minutes.

Becoming a grandmother is the most wonderful thing I have ever been. I used to be a firm believer that becoming a mom was the top of the mountain, but I was wrong, there is more to the mountain after all and it's called "grandparenting".

Ashli-Marie came into the world, during the San Francisco earthquake, and the ground has not stopped shaking for us since.  Ashli was always a watcher- reserved and observing. 

In the morning, there is a rush of excitement getting ready for numerous tasks.  Kid's lunch, husband off to work, pets wanting out, chores, meals, etc. the day is packed with things to do. Once everyone is taken care of, there is a moment of silence to concentrate.

Someone once told me, when we had a dog and no children, that if we could train a dog, a child would be easy.  They were wrong.  Maybe we got an easy dog and a hard baby, but in my experience the dog was much easier.

I wanted to take one of my first submissions from the quote that Shiloah uses in her tagline. "Having a toddler in the house is like having a blender with no lid!" --Unknown

Have the whole family go into town and take pictures to make into an album for someone with special needs or maybe for a new church member.. This could be a future  family service project.

Hello friends! As a new year begins, I highly encourage each and every family to prepare a family mission statement. It can be of great value during the tough times which are surely to be a part of life’s experiences.