Relationships

Parents of preteens can be very naïve these days. I remember the days of my youth when I would lie to my parents about who I was talking to on the phone . . . and now as a mother...

I almost hit my younger sister when I was 16. I didn't throw the punch because (frankly) I was afraid she’d hit me back. Decades later we had another fight, in the middle of Times Square. We embarrassed our children...

Dating can be crazy. Who knew it would get harder after marriage?! Don't misunderstand. I love my husband immensely and would rather spend time with him than anyone else on earth, besides my children. So why is it so difficult...

Bryan and I moved to Columbia from Charlotte in May 2014. Our daughter was six months old. We were leaving the only friend circle we knew (which was a group of awesome non-parents who, while incredibly supportive of our...

Owning a business isn't always easy. Often times the media portrays business owners as rich, driving fancy cars and going on lavish vacations. While this may be true for some folks, it can be far from the truth for...

My Dearest Bryan, When I met you that night in a crowded bar on an insanely hot July evening, I would never have guessed that years later I would be so excited to celebrate you with love and appreciation on...

If you’re a busy wife and mom, I’m going to guess that “feeling sexy” doesn’t show up very often on your radar screen. As a matter of fact, as I sit here wearing my ratty pink sweat pants and...

The other night, my husband and I were looking through some old photos of us from our pre-parent days. We were laughing and remembering stories that we haven’t talked about in years. It was getting late, so we wrapped...

Have you ever had to deal with a mean girl (here's looking at you Regina George) ... or are you a mean girl and just don't realize it? If you're like most girls out there, the answer is yes. And like many...

Having the opportunity to be stationed back home in South Carolina where my husband and I both grew up has been such a blessing. Our extended families live close enough to visit for a day trip if we'd like, and we...

When we adopted our second child, we quickly realized that her adoption was not like our first. Our son came home at 9 months and after a short adjustment, fell right into a predictable and happy routine. Our daughter,...

“I love your blue shirt, Mama,” she beamed as I walked in to the room. "This old thing?" I thought to myself as I quickly glanced down at the pilling cotton. What’s to love about this old thing? “Thank you, sweet...

I know it may seem a little out of the ordinary to write about Mother's Day in June, however I can't help but reflect on the deeper meaning behind the holiday. Mother's Day is more than a Hallmark moment. It's...

My fifth baby recently celebrated her first birthday. As we approached this milestone, I couldn't help but think back over the first two weeks of her life spent in the special care nursery at the hospital and the exceptional...