Kristi Bothur
Kristi is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer, and former public school teacher for English for Speakers of Other Languages. She grew up all over the United States as an Air Force brat, but moved to Columbia in the 1990s to attend Columbia International University, and has called the Midlands “home” ever since. Her days are kept full with the antics and activities of her children - homeschooling, church activities, American Heritage Girls, and Trail Life - as well as writing and leading her Columbia-based pregnancy loss ministry, Naomi’s Circle. Kristi is a contributing editor for “Rainbows and Redemption: Encouragement for the Journey of Pregnancy After Loss” (www.rainbowsandredemption.weebly.com) and a co-author of “Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother“ (sunshineafterstorm.us). She shares her thoughts about faith, family, and femininity on her blog, This Side of Heaven (www.thissideofheavenblog.com).
27 Days of Thankfulness :: A Thanksgiving Craft for Kids
One thing our family is doing to focus on what we are grateful for this season is creating "Thanksgiving Leaves" as our table centerpiece. It's a fun way to add a touch of fall...
Infertility :: What It Really Is
We had been trying to have a baby for a year before my husband and I encountered the medical diagnosis "infertility." The first time I saw that scribbled on the bottom of a fee...
How My Children Learned to Read
We've been homeschooling for eight years now, and as I've talked with new homeschool parents over the years, I'm discovering that there are two points where the fear of failure threatens to derail the...
Moms to see in the 803 :: Michele Shearin
Michele Shearin is an Army wife and homeschooling mom of three, and the director of the newly established Trinity Homeschool Academy, a ministry of International Praise Church.
I met Michele at the beginning of...
Trading New Year’s Resolutions in for Just One Word
'Tis the season for making a new start. If you follow any publication or friends on social media, you know that right now they are all about how to make this year better than...
5 Things Your Bereaved Friend Wants for Christmas
"Bereaved" is an odd word, isn't it? It has an old-fashioned feel to it, hearkening back to a time when there were certain rituals that accompanied a time of mourning. Maybe it was how...
What I Learned From the SC Drive Through State Fair
There is no argument that 2020 has been, above all things, just weird. Virtual everything, from school to VBS to camps to church. New phrases like “social distancing” “unprecedented”, and new accessories like masks...
5 Reasons Why I Love Homeschooling My Middle Schooler
We are in our eighth year of homeschooling (yes, we were homeschooling before it was cool). And since we started when my daughter was in kindergarten, that means that (gulp!) we have a seventh...
Thinking About Homeschooling? What You Need to Know
There are a lot of people talking all of a sudden about the possibility of homeschooling their children in the fall. For some, this is a response to the fact that so much is...
School Is Closed :: How to Survive and Thrive as a Family
It's official - schools in South Carolina are closed until the end of the month, and it's happening all over the country, as states make plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by practicing...
2019 Guide to Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Activities around Columbia
Once again, Fall has snuck up on me, probably at least in part because of the warmer-than-normal weather we've been having. With our neighborhood pool still open and ninety-degree days this past week, if...
6 Ways to Prep Your Child for a Hurricane
With a hurricane headed towards the coast, parents across our region are waiting to see what will be canceled and when - if not for our own safety this far inland, perhaps to accommodate...
Your Homeschool “Options” in South Carolina
Our family began homeschooling six years ago, and although a lot of energy went into making plans and considering curriculum, my first concern was how to do it legally. I had taught in the...
Changing Course in Your Homeschool
We have been homeschooling for six years, since my daughter was in kindergarten, but in many ways I feel like we are doing it for the first time this year. That is because ever...