But it Did Not Fall...

I know I haven’t posted for awhile. I spoke at our church’s women’s ministry Christmas party this week. Thought I would share here! Merry Christmas! 🎄 🌟 Women of Waterbrooke, 12/14/23 Christmas Party Devotional: LIGHT I have a super cute tiny Christmas tree right in front of where I sit in the mornings to have … Continue reading The LIGHT of Christmas

My humble attempt at helping to remove the stigma of mental health…

New Year’s Day today, and I found myself re-reading this…one of my first blog posts…5yrs ago, but I could have written it this week. The same heartaches exist, maybe even more frequently now. 💔 I thought I would re-share in case like me, you need to read this again! Know that I see you… you … Continue reading Still true…

For anyone with an upcoming IEP meeting…here is my best advice (mostly as mom, maybe a little pediatrician thrown in 😉) “Pre-game”: #1 Have a team of friends/family members or whomever you have in your life who “gets it”, be praying for your meeting—both beforehand, during, and after; or at least who promises to just … Continue reading My best “pre-game” advice for your next IEP meeting…

If any of you suddenly just felt terrified for me as you read that title, you are my people, and I am yours! But it WASN’T terrifying this time, and that’s what I’ve been thinking about for the past couple of days… (Spoiler alert–it’s not because the boys were perfectly behaved either!) I’m not sure … Continue reading 3 Squirrelly Boys… Front Row at Church, Baby!?!

Scattered, anxious, overwhelmed, drowning, never enough…time, energy, etc! These are thoughts/words that have taken up space in my brain more often than not lately, and words I’ve heard my friends and family utter as well. As I was trying to send some encouragement to a friend the other day, I thought this might be a … Continue reading Ok for Today…

Most of you know…I take A LOT of pictures! And I post a lot of pictures. Just recently one of my best friends in San Diego posted on her own FB/Instagram pages a mini blog that completely resonated with me. It is exactly why I take so many pics too. (With her permission, I share … Continue reading Never a perfect picture!

“Yes, I have felt that way, and NO, You are NOT Alone!” Most of you know, our family has chosen to pretty much live in a fish bowl. What I mean by that is we have intentionally decided to be very transparent and open about the struggles we go through. Our reason for doing that, … Continue reading No, You are NOT Alone!

It’s OK NOT to be okay!Just in case anyone needed to hear that today, or needed that permission today…I needed that today. I think I’m going to need that every day of this entire school year!?This.is.HARD! I usually can get through these hard seasons. I’m usually able to weather the big push days and then … Continue reading It’s OK NOT to be okay!

“Isn’t anyone else the parent of one of those ‘naughty kids’?!?” Maybe you’ve never had that thought before. For those of us who have, it is almost always one of the first thoughts running through our minds the moment we feel that punch in the gut… That sinking, sad, helpless and hopeless feeling that immediately … Continue reading Lonely parents of “naughty kids”…

A quiet afternoon, sitting around a table, sharing a meal together, sunlight streaming in–an uplifting, refreshing change after a string of gray days–stories, tears, laughter and understanding fill the room… So much comfort in being able to “just be” in the presence of those who truly know and can understand what you are going through. … Continue reading To Be Known and Loved…

Amidst the nice, good memories/moments I’ve posted on social media over the past few weeks, we have also had some intensely explosive meltdowns in our home this season that have literally left us reeling. Triggers? Who knows—likely a combo of changing meds (again…), new and changing schedules/routines, the weather, flared asthma/allergies, mixed up sleep or … Continue reading “When my strength is spent…”

Summer. Vacation. Those are two very loaded words, aren’t they? So much expectation! For many, (maybe most?) they are full of excited anticipation. Visions of sunshine and playtime and beaches and swimming and laughing and freedom and NO SCHOOL! But for parents, especially parents of kids with special needs, those words may bring feelings of … Continue reading Summer “vacation”: A look back…and a look forward?

Self-care, joy, discouragement, fear, chocolate, the couch, Facebook, frustration, anger, hope, self-control, humility, grit, peace, life. These are the words that are typically battling each other for control in my life on a day to day basis. My heart, my mind, my soul, and my physical body, it seems, are constantly in a state of … Continue reading I Choose Joy…the Ultimate Joy!

“Lonely” was the word that touched his soul and allowed me to see inside his heart for a moment that morning… A few weeks ago, our almost 7 yr old son was having a rough morning. We couldn’t get him to go into his Sunday school class. This had happened a few times before, but … Continue reading My Mom heart hurt…

Last week, we received some big, exciting news in my family… My husband passed his seventh and final architecture licensing exam, marking a much anticipated end to an intense sixteen months of studying, and sacrifice from all of us! It was definitely a moment when we took it all in, were so thankful for that … Continue reading I Choose Joy! Be thankful…expectantly.

People…not diagnoses and labels. Children, precious gifts…not diagnoses and labels. Husbands, wives…not diagnoses and labels. I am beginning a series that has been floating around in my head for the last several weeks. So many of our family and friends are going through such heavy things right now, including my own. This concept of … Continue reading I Choose Joy! People…not diagnoses

“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house…” Sometimes that’s what our homes feel like, isn’t it? How much more can we take? Our family is living that right now as we are in the midst of a med change for our son. The whole … Continue reading The Storms of Meds

No, you’re not alone…and no, those are not the worst stories I’ve ever heard. I’m realizing that I need to say this more often than I do. I know I have been given the privilege as a doctor, but also as a mom, or a friend, to hear people’s stories…to enter into a very private … Continue reading No, you are not alone

September 1, 2017 Last night, I was blindsided again by the depth of emotions always underneath the surface of autism, adhd, and anxiety… It was such a paradox, since just yesterday morning, I had posted about the incredible joy and privilege I have as a doctor to instill hope into my patients and parents of … Continue reading Blindsided again