Family

They’re Taller Than Me (Officially)
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They’re Taller Than Me (Officially)

Family, Motherhood, Uncategorized

They’re Taller Than Me (Officially)

They’re taller than me. Or should I say—they’re all taller than I am? However you want to phrase it, half the people in our family are male, and they’ve all officially surpassed me in height!

Even the youngest one, Ezie, just passed me.

He’s been flaunting this fact for a while now, but I stayed in denial.
“It’s your shoes!” I’d protest.

I knew Ezie had already passed his big sister in height. They’re two and a half years apart, but for almost five years they were the exact same height!

I’ve mentioned before that SJ started hearing (via cochlear implants) shortly after Ezie was born, so I’ve always called them my “hearing twins.” And honestly, in so many ways, raising them has felt like raising twins.

When SJ turned 13, she had a major growth spurt and was finally taller than her little brother—barely. I even took a photo to document the moment.

That lasted about a day before Ezie hit his own growth spurt and passed her again. This time, it’s final. SJ is 5’2”, and chances are that’s her full-grown height. My mom is 5’3”, and so is J’s mom. My grandmother was only 4’11”!

Ezie just had his 12-year-old check-up, and in the past year, he’s grown five inches. He’s now 5’4.5″.
I’m right at 5’4″ (when I stand up nice and straight), so yes—he’s officially taller than me.

I told J the news:
“He’s officially taller than me.”

J said, “Yeah, we already knew that.”

“Well, now it’s official.” I replied.

“It was already official. We could all see it,” he chuckled.

“No, we speculated—but now we have a professional report—from a DOCTOR!” I defended my denial.

It’ll be fun to see how much Ezie grows over the next couple of years. Z grew so tall so fast, we thought for sure he’d be over six feet. He was almost J’s height at 15, and we kept measuring, holding our breath, waiting for the day he’d pass his dad. But months turned into years, and it was clear that his big spurt was over. Our pediatrician says boys can still grow past high school, but that’s rare. And honestly, that’s fine! Z is the perfect height now—5’10″, just like his dad.

The baby of the family, Elle, is also growing faster than I can keep up. At nine years old, she’s in the 85th percentile for height. She’s wearing the clothes SJ wore at 13.

My guess is she’ll be the tallest female in the family. Or maybe she’s just growing quickly now and will slow down later. Time will tell.

It’s fun to speculate and observe, but I don’t actually care how tall anyone ends up. I’m curious, sure, but it’s not something I worry about. As a mom, your kids start out so tiny, and when they’re little, their ages and sizes line up perfectly—smallest to biggest, youngest to oldest. That’s probably why it caught me off guard when that was no longer the case!

That was actually the inspiration for our 2021 Christmas card—the kids were all having growth spurts, and the size order was getting completely shaken up.

Whatever height they end up being, it’s a blessing to watch them grow.

By Natalie|2025-07-14T17:19:20+00:00July 14, 2025|Family, Motherhood, Uncategorized|0 Comments

When I Became a Mom
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When I Became a Mom

Babies, Uncategorized

When I Became a Mom

In a recent blog post, I wrote, “If you see a steady flow of current updates alongside old photos and flashbacks from the kids’ childhood, you’ll know that I am processing.”

So it begins.

This summer, I’ve decided to finally tackle the digital mountain of old family photos in my archives. I have TENS OF THOUSANDS of pictures and they are not well organized. Since I have some time over summer break, I figured I’d start sifting through them. My goal is to delete a lot of junk and while I’m at it, pull out some favorite photos of Z to share throughout his senior year.

And the very first one I came across was this gem.

I don’t know if the actual piece of paper still exists, but I’m so grateful to have a photo of it. Here is the story of this little scrap of paper.

There used to be a restaurant called The Macaroni Grill, where the tables were covered in white butcher paper. Crayons were provided so you could doodle while you waited for your food. They had a quirky little tradition there where the server would come over and write their name upside down on the table (so it would read right-side up to you).

Fun fact, I worked at The Macaroni Grill for four years and was professionally trained in the art of upside-down name writing.

J and I would eat there at times and used to play hangman at the table while we waited for our meals, so I came up with a plan. When I got pregnant someday, I would tell him through a game of hangman at Macaroni Grill.

We had been trying to conceive for about a year. J remembers it as much longer—he describes it like we were basically infertile and had fully given up on the idea of having kids. I don’t remember it that way. I do remember mentioning it to my doctor, who offered to put me on Clomid, but I declined.

Meanwhile, I took so many pregnancy tests, I probably should’ve bought stock in the company. One friend even gave me the extra test from her two-pack after she confirmed her own pregnancy—it was the “Clear Blue” brand.

One month, I felt like something was different. I wasn’t expecting anything, but I took the Clear Blue test anyway. I set the timer for three minutes, but before it even had a chance to beep, the word “pregnant” appeared.

I stared at it. Shook it. Checked the box. Turned it around to see if maybe the other side said “not.” Denial hit first, but then my heart started pounding. Could it really be true?

My eyes were wide. My pulse was racing. And in the middle of that moment, our Labrador, Crew, came into the bathroom staring at me with his tail banging against the bathroom wall. I knelt down and whispered to him, “I’m pregnant.”

Crew was the first to know and I made him swear to secrecy.

I honestly can’t remember what excuse I gave J for why we needed to eat out at Macaroni Grill that night. Back then, we went out to eat a lot more, so it probably didn’t raise any suspicions. I stuck to the plan and we started a round of hangman on the paper tablecloth.

As you can see in the photo, it didn’t take long before he solved the puzzle. “You’re Gonna Be A Dad” His reaction mirrored mine—stunned at first, like he wasn’t sure he read it right. Then, joy.

He had been ready to be a dad long before I felt ready to be a mom. Of course, we were both a little scared—who isn’t?

From that point on, I thanked God for this life and began praying for him. I’ve always believed big things for this baby.

Mothers are biased, of course. We think our kids are the best, the brightest, destined to change the world. And maybe that sounds naïve—but to us, it’s simply the truth.

That’s our job, to believe big and dream big for our children. 18 years later and that still hasn’t changed.

By Natalie|2025-07-08T22:32:31+00:00July 7, 2025|Babies, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Top FREE College Planning Resources
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Top FREE College Planning Resources

Parenting Tips, Schooling

Top FREE College Planning Resources

I’ve been very vocal about my college search obsession for Z.

Some people hire a professional university admissions consultant to guide them through the ins and outs of the process. Me? I’ve unofficially made it my part-time job to learn everything I can.

It all started last year when I met up with a mom I barely knew. We had some mutual friends, and I asked her to meet for coffee so I could pick her brain about college stuff—her kids are a little older than mine, and she had more experience.

Then last October Z and I went to a college fair… and down the rabbit hole we went.

Eventually, I found myself knee-deep in books, websites, and flyers galore. It was daunting. But I’ve sifted through it all and figured out what’s actually been useful. Now, I’ll admit: I’m probably not the best person to give college advice (yet!)—after all, I haven’t successfully launched a kid to college. But I do get a lot of questions from other parents when I mention some of my go-to resources, so I figured I’d share.

Here are my top FREE resources for navigating the college process:

Spreadsheet

As we started hearing from colleges and trying to compare details, I knew I needed a spreadsheet. Except, I don’t really know how to make one! Thankfully, College Essay Guy offers a great college comparison spreadsheet template that has worked really well for us.

I tweaked ours to include categories that matter most to our family—like “Faith Connections,” where I track active Christian ministries on campus (like Chi Alpha or Cru), “Proximity to Home,” and “Scholarship Opportunities.”

This spreadsheet has truly become the motherboard of my research.

2. Podcasts

I follow three regularly:

Each one brings a different perspective. I have favorite episodes that were game-changers, and other parts I skip. There are way too many to listen to all of them—but here’s the trick: use the search bar in your podcast app. Type in any topic—FAFSA, studying abroad, SAT tips—and it will list all the episodes out for you so that you can get right to what you want to know and it’s all FREE!

3. Reddit

I know it’s not always reliable but I have learned so much from reading Reddit forums and Z has too, especially concerning SAT and ACT.I’m not a big Reddit user, so I won’t dive too deep, but know that you can find forums for almost any school or topic.

4. Free Webinars

I have a love-hate relationship with webinars. Some are just long sales pitches—but many offer really solid, free information upfront.

A few I’ve found helpful include College Ninja and College Essay Guy (again). The downside is that they require time—and usually your email address. If that’s not your thing, no worries. Much of the same info can be found on YouTube, but I wanted to include webinars because they’ve been a legit source for me.

5. College Visits

We’ve only done two college visits so far. Z visited one school twice—once for a general tour and once for a more specific “Close-Up” engineering program.

Most people recommend visiting at least three schools. I’d love to fit in one more, preferably something very different from the others. But they’re tough to schedule around school, work, and life—even if they’re technically free, they still cost time and travel.

6. Facebook Groups

I recently joined two Facebook groups:

Parents of the Class of 2026 (Z’s year)
Parents of the Class of 2025 (so I can stay ahead of the game!)

Just like podcasts and Reddit: THE SEARCH BAR IS YOUR FRIEND. Want to see what people are saying about Ohio State? Search it. Looking for scholarships for nursing? Type it in. Grad party ideas? You’ll find tons of them!

I am a fan of learning from real-life people sharing their real-life experiences.

7. People

This is still my favorite resource. I already mentioned the mom that met with me last year. We also met up with a leader of Chi Alpha student ministry. More recently I asked our youth pastors if they would mind coming over and sharing all of their college information and experience with us. Not only have they been in student ministry, and were in college fairly recently (unlike friends who are my age) but they really know my son and his heart. Their insight and advice is invaluable to me.

Honestly, I ask just about everyone I bump into what college they went to and how they felt about it. I literally asked my dental hygienist at my appointment today. I did! And I got a lot of great info from her.

8. School

Our high school offers so many opportunities—college fairs, counselor meetings, info nights. I’m sure that’s true for most schools, so take advantage of everything your school offers.

Even if you homeschool, there are often college events hosted by local libraries, colleges, or community centers. We’ve made great connections through these.

Final Thoughts

I don’t know how all of this is going to shake out.

It may surprise you, but I’m not one of those people who believes college is the end-all, be-all for everyone. I just know that whether it’s Z or one of our other kids, I won’t regret gathering as much information as possible.

After all—knowledge is power.

By Natalie|2025-06-24T19:05:03+00:00June 24, 2025|Parenting Tips, Schooling|3 Comments

Inspiring Mom Leah Outten

Leah Outten is a wife, mom, homeschool teacher, speaker, writer, and advocate of adoption. With all that and more on her plate, I was honored that she sat down for a bit to chat with me about her story and passion.

I know so many people who have been impacted by adoption—whether through being adopted themselves or by adopting children—but I had never personally spoken with someone who had a biological child placed for adoption. Her testimony is powerful, and when you finish reading it, you need to check out her book because what I am sharing is just a little snippet of her story.

Leah’s motherhood journey began in 2004 when she was a junior in high school. To give context for those of us who are too old or too young to know what it was like for teenagers in 2004, it was a time when teens were burning their favorite songs onto CDs, customizing them with clever titles written in Sharpie. They were also just discovering a new platform called Myspace and chatting through shorthand text messages on their tiny cell phones. Leah fit right in with all the other typical teens until life took an unexpected turn when, shortly after her 16th birthday, she discovered she was pregnant. Overnight, everything changed.

The father was a boy she had dated, but they weren’t even together anymore. Leah describes their relationship, saying, “We had dated most of the year previously, but we were not in a good place when this happened. He was turning to things that I didn’t want to be a part of, so we had just decided we were not good together. And he really had NO interest in parenting. He pretty much said, ‘You need to have an abortion or give it up for adoption.'”

Leah, however, had been raised by a single mom, and that inspired her. If her mom could do it, she could too. Leah planned to raise the baby herself, as she couldn’t bear the thought of losing the child she already loved to a closed adoption, the only type she knew at the time. Her heart wrestled with the knowledge that there were loving homes capable of providing more than she could at that moment, but emotionally, it didn’t feel right to let go.

Leah shared that one of the best things her mom did for her was get her into counseling right away. Despite this support, navigating the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy, along with rejection from the baby’s father, led to tension and conflicts with her mom. Leah vividly recalls, “I was dealing with so much physically. I was also dealing with rejection from her birth father. My mom and I had a lot of fights and tension. So I was trying to figure out the chaos of all that along with all the hormones—feeling sick—and then just all the things as an 11th grader in high school!”

For the first trimester, Leah wasn’t showing and could still keep the pregnancy under wraps. Her close friend group were really the only ones who knew. She managed to blend in, but the hard part was that the birth father was also a junior at the same school. Every time she would see him, it triggered anxiety because while Leah was coping with morning sickness and the stress of navigating pregnancy, he was living his carefree teenage life completely detached from everything. Leah felt the weight of the world on her shoulders while everyone else, including her ex, was going on dates, attending parties, and being kids. Eventually, it was too much, and she asked to stay at her dad’s house in a different school district. After that semester, she moved to a new school.

Being at a new school solved some of Leah’s problems but opened up a whole set of new ones. It’s hard enough to be the new kid, but then add to that Leah was starting to be visibly pregnant. Not only did she look different, she felt like she had matured a decade in the course of six months. Leah didn’t relate to all the typical high school stuff anymore, and she didn’t fit in anywhere! Despite that, Leah now recognizes that this new school was exactly where she needed to be. The teachers and staff there were people that were already somewhat connected with her through her dad’s church. Even though she may not have had a lot of friends, she said she had mentors that had a major impact on her life. This was the village that helped support her through the pregnancy and the really hard decisions.

All this time, Leah was planning to raise her daughter as a single mom. The turning point came the day Leah formed a true relationship with the Lord. She was 7 months pregnant and prayed, “I cannot do this without You, God. I’m messing my life up, and I desperately want peace. I know that it’s You I need, and I choose to follow You.” It was when Leah surrendered her life to Jesus that she also chose adoption because she knew that is what He was calling her to do.

From that point on, Leah learned everything she could about adoption. She spoke with teen moms and adoptive parents. Every spare moment she had was dedicated to researching adoption and devouring any and all information she could find. She made many significant connections in those days. She was blown away by the discovery that there were adoptive parents who were connected with birth moms. Not only that, but some of these families had formed friendships and relationships because of these children that they loved! This idea that Leah could have a relationship like that is a big part of why she chose open adoption. They were the ones that made her say, “If I’m going to look at adoption, I want it to look like this,” and she found a family that believed in that vision as well. After meeting this family, Leah not only knew they were the right family to raise her child, but she also felt less alone. They made Leah feel seen, valued, and loved.

Now Leah’s firstborn daughter is 20 years old; she actually just had a birthday!

Besides mothering her other five children (which Leah states is her number one job), she also works as an adoption educator.

With as beautiful and healing as open adoption is, there is still trauma and it is a complex process. Sometimes open adoption isn’t healthy or possible. I don’t want to sum it all up into a nutshell but thankfully there are more resources than ever before and lots support for moms and adoptive parents. I really loved what Leah said for adoptive parents: “Loving the birth parent is loving your child.”

It’s really a full-circle moment that Leah went from being a 16-year-old frightened and uncertain about her pregnancy to now helping other teens and families considering adoption. She does public speaking, she writes articles, and has been featured on nationally known platforms including Focus On The Family, Her View From Home, and Motherly. Leah also has some books out that are so incredibly important.

I would encourage everyone to check out Leah’s book- The Sixteenth Year: An Open Adoption Memoir.

It’s not just for teen moms or adoptive families, this is a book about what God can do when you choose to give him everything. We could all take a note from Leah and learn more about adoption because even if you don’t feel called to adopt you can still make a difference in the life of someone who is.

By Natalie|2024-07-01T13:39:51+00:00July 1, 2024|Family, Inspiring Moms, Motherhood|0 Comments

Life Right Now

I am so guilty of this quote except I always say “after this month” or “after this season” things will slow down a bit. Lately it’s been- when school lets out things will slow down a bit.

When school lets out I will get together with my friends, and I will blog more, and I will do that project I’ve been putting on the back burner… The truth is I know summer will go by in a blink!

The reason life has been so hectic lately has some to do with working full time now, for sure. But it’s also soccer season for two of the kiddos.

Some weeks that means we have soccer every single day.

Most weeks it’s only six days a week but that’s still overwhelming. Z has been busy doing exams some of which have college credit riding on them! He also applied for a job and did his first job interview, so there are a lot of big time adult things happening there.

Today the song “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” came on. It’s about growing up, and it made me tear up big time. He’s only a sophomore so I know I need to get a grip. Do they have grips on Amazon? Because I am not sure I can get anything without two day shipping these days.

Lastly we can’t forget the baby of the family. Elle made the cheer team.

Actually she didn’t have to try out or make the team, but it sounds nice. Cheer uniforms are pricey, like I’ve been told to save up for my kids college educations, or maybe my daughter’s weddings but I think they need a 529 for sports uniforms. As someone who is no stranger to buying things second hand (I would say 90% of our clothing and furniture is previously owned) I joined a Facebook group that is exclusively for buying and selling cheer gear for our team. We tried on four different uniforms without success. Eventually I bought the jacket from one person, the skirt from another, and the “shell” (which is like a vest or a shirt) from a third seller. They often come as a set but that route wasn’t working for me.

All that to say the Busch family is keeping busy.

We have two weeks left of school and after that things will slow down about and then I’ll be able to blog more. Insert winking emoji here.

By Natalie|2024-05-28T22:00:10+00:00May 20, 2024|Family, Motherhood|0 Comments

Mother Daughter Trip to Sedona Arizona

I am going to overshare for this post. Sorry not sorry.

First of all it took so many miracles for this trip to happen and I am just so grateful. Also, I like to share details and links for those scouring the internet like I did, looking for suggestions and experiences before traveling (as I always do).

The trip came about because J and I have always had this idea that we would take a one-on-one milestone trip when each of our children enters the teen years. Z went to Chicago with his dad when he turned 13.

For SJ’s birthday it was my dream to show her the city of Sedona which is what she was named after. There were only two major problems with my idea.

1. Our budget is small

2. I am still struggling with PTSD from the major car wreck I was in 4 years ago. I have a hard enough time driving around locally. There is not a chance I am going to rent a car and explore another city.

That’s where Mémé stepped in (my mom and SJ’s grandma).

She worked for Delta and still gets flying benefits so we were able to get the tickets at a rock bottom price flying standby. Not only that, but because my mom travels all the time she was comfortable with driving us everywhere. This was such a blessing and the trip definitely wouldn’t have been possible without her help. So first and foremost thank you to Mémé for everything! The trip was a dream come true!

A couple of days were spent traveling so we were only in Arizona for three days, but we packed them full and thankfully the weather was wonderful!

We flew into Phoenix and stayed at hotel the first night. Then we had a two hour drive to our Airbnb so we stopped along the way at a place called Aqua Fria which was a wonderful hiking adventure.

It was mostly just SJ and I the whole time and it was so peaceful, but we bumped into a couple of other people along the trail. One friendly hiker was named Vick and he gave us the local rundown of the area and Sedona. At the end he also mentioned a John Wayne movie called “Angel and the Badman” that was filmed in Sedona and featured a baby which was played by none other than Vick himself!

I looked up the movie which turns out is now public domain and available in full on Youtube. It was neat to see the Sedona scenery in black in white. It made me a little teary eyed because my father-in-law loved to watch westerns. I’m sure he’s seen that movie and it would have been nice to talk to him about that experience. It’s sad, but I smile thinking about him.

The Airbnb we stayed at was in Clarkdale AZ. It’s called the Bitter Creek Villa and it’s just outside of Sedona in Clarkdale. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

We didn’t get to take advantage of the free kayaks because it was too chilly, but I absolutely loved the peaceful tranquility of the place.

There was a picturesque pond and wildlife everywhere you looked! One my all time favorite Airbnbs for sure.

We also visited Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. It’s basically a 900 year old living structure built into the rocks by the Sinagua people. That was fascinating!

The whole trip we kept gasping in awe of all the beautiful scenery!

That night I insisted SJ get dessert at the Mexican restaurant we went to (Conchos in Cottonwood). She was being very indecisive and the waiter was encouraging her to try flan. She still wasn’t certain but our waiter went from “you’ll love it” to basically ordering it for her. It was funny, but he was right! She LOVED the flan! We didn’t have much room after dinner so we took it back to the Airbnb

We ended the night with relaxing in the hot tube under a sky full of stars. Talk about the perfect ending to an amazing day.

The next morning was SJ’s birthday and she woke up to a view of the sunrise with Sedona in the distance. I couldn’t have planned it that perfectly if I had wanted to!

Then we headed out to another incredible restaurant called Crema Craft Kitchen. I got a cappuccino with rock candy on top and SJ got a pommegranite lemonade. Both were delicious.

When the server found out it was SJ’s birthday she brought her a free cinnamon roll and it was HUGE!

For the first Sedona hike we went to Fay Canyon trail. The plan was to do a photoshoot at the top. It was the most incredible view and we had a blast!

SJ is a tomboy by nature, but she has a girly side too and she picked out this new dress, jacket and shirt.

It was a fun photoshoot for both of us. That hike was my favorite part of Sedona!

Afterwards went to a few shops at the Tlaquepaque village and the Sedona Secret Garden cafe for lunch

Then we drove t0 the Airport Mesa Overlook which were jaw dropping views.

This shot is of the keychain J made for SJ for her birthday. Next up on the agenda was Chapel of the Holy Cross. That was a pretty epic chapel.

I’m so glad we stopped by and even got to go inside and pray. Last but certainly not least we hiked at Bell Rock tower. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the views were epic.

The majestic scenery went on for miles and miles. The next day I got some shots of the sunrise.

Even though it was winter there were still hummingbirds that stay in that area year round.

After we checked out of our Airbnb we had an amazing breakfast at the Flat Iron in Jerome.

Jerome is and old mining town that is now a ghost town. It’s really cool and full of fascinating history.

After poking around Jerome for a bit we were ready to head back to Pheonix. The standby flights were looking dangerously full (which meant we were at risk of not getting on) but in the end we made it back by the skin of our teeth. I was sweating it on the flights to Arizona and Cincinnati. We’ve all flown standby plenty of times, especially my mom, but for some reason this trip was especially a close call. The thing that kept going through my mind though was nothing ventured nothing gained. We took a chance, went for it, and all the risk was 1000% worth it! I know this is a birthday she’ll always remember.

By Natalie|2024-03-02T03:27:08+00:00March 7, 2023|Family, Frugal Living, Uncategorized|2 Comments

2022 Christmas Card Reveal

It’s that time of year! Time for the Busches annual Christmas card. This is our 22nd Christmas card and it’s pretty pun-ny, if I do say so myself. Ironically I had picked out holiday ensembles for the whole family (I didn’t go shopping for clothes, this is just a conglomeration of stuff we owned) but in the end most of our outfits weren’t even visible in the card! For the record we actually had cute boots and red shoes.

Anyway, drumroll please. Here it is…

Merry Christmas from the Bushes with a “C”. I know it’s cheesy, but it’s supposed to be. I can’t even take credit for this genius idea. Years ago (I’m talkin’, probably 8 years ago) when I was handing out Christmas cards one of SJ’s teachers said “You know what you should do? Merry Christmas from the bushes and be popping out of some actual bushes”. This year I needed that kind of silliness in my life and so we went for it. Only since our name is actually spelled B-U-S-C-H and not b-u-s-h I bought a wooden C to be in the photo with us. When people ask if we are Bush like the president we always have to clarify. No, it’s actually Busch with a C. Or we say Busch like the beer, but I didn’t think that would be a good theme for the card.

Stamp prices are outrageous, but I still like to mail some of our cards to friends and family far away. One of my favorite traditions is when we do the Christmas card assembly line.

However, I also love to hand them out and hear peoples’ reactions. It brings me so much joy to see the smiles and hear the laughter. In the words of Buddy the Elf (which we just watched for the third time this month) “Smiling is my favorite” and also “I don’t care who knows it!”

And one final word to all of the people that don’t send Christmas cards, or just didn’t do cards this year. That is okay! One of the most common responses I got with women my age when they received my card was this look of shame and a confession of guilt about not doing Christmas cards. It’s something I am just as guilty of doing, except not about Christmas cards. I act like this when I just recently did the same thing when my friend got me a present and I didn’t get her one. Oh the horror. It’s cool though, because as soon as I started trying to explain myself I realized I needed to take the same advice I give to others. When I give a card to someone and they start to apologize about not having a card I always smile and say “You don’t have to give a card to receive one.” I also unnecessarily self-deprecate by explaining how it’s our one and only tradition and I am not really consistent at anything else in my life. I should probably stop doing that. Whether you sent cards or not here is our Merry Christmas to you! I really hope that it’s the best one ever.

By Natalie|2023-07-12T12:39:28+00:00December 21, 2022|Crafts, Family, Laughter, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Messy Mom Christmas Time Finds

I’m a decorate-after-Thanksgiving kind of girl. Which means Christmas time is just two days away and I am SO EXCITED!!!

This week I have a THREE products to promote that will fit right in around the tree this holiday season. One will be perfect to wear when you are hanging out around the tree, one you want to wrap up and put under the tree, and one is actually for the tree!

Let’s start with something I am wearing right now, my fuzzy red Aromasoles.

Aromasoles are a line of super cozy, scent-infused slipper socks that have been flying off shelves for years. All are made with natural therapeutic oils with scents like lavender, rose, cinnamon, and neroli, and they come in an amazing variety of colors!

The aromasoles are my new favorite socks. They are cute, warm, comfy, and smell divine. I recommend picking up a set for yourself and your mom, grandma, teacher, sisters (anyone with feet). They are the perfect companion to watching Christmas Hallmark movies or doing your online Christmas shopping. Speaking of shopping, this three piece gift set is only $20.00. So cute!

Another recent discovery for me is the BlendJet 2.

You may have heard of this amazing portable blender. If not, let me fill you in because I’m loving my new BlendJet. Unlike other blenders, which are uniformly monochromatic in color, BlendJet 2, the original portable blender, is sold in a wide variety of colors – everything from ocean to geode to leopard print.

It’s powerful too – and BlendJet even offers a range of must-have accessories, including 20oz and 32oz jars, insulated sleeves, and carrying totes.

I love so many things about the BlendJet 2. It’s so perfect not just for smoothies but other items that I would use a food processor for. I’m really not a fan of battery operated cordless items, because the cost of replacing batteries adds up quickly, but the BlendJet 2 is rechargeable.

The cord is a USB too so you can plug it just about anywhere.

I’m thrilled with my new BlendJet and I know it would make a great gift for a college student, health enthusiasts, or any family that is on the go a lot.

The last item I want to rave about is The LightKeeper Pro and LED Keeper .

This time I’m not talking about something for under your tree, but for if something goes wrong with your tree! With just the press of trigger, these tools can fix broken holiday lights – so you can make sure your decorations are always colorful. If you already decorated and noticed some faulty bulbs grab the Light Keeper Pro today, or if you are like me and are about to throw your tree up you can have it on hand and use it year after year. This gadget has been featured on NPR, USA Today, Real Simple, even Steve Harvey! Every home needs a Light Keeper Pro.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, a successful Black Friday, and a delightful Holiday season all the way around!

By Natalie|2022-11-22T15:51:37+00:00November 22, 2022|Crafts, Family, Home, Projects, Uncategorized|0 Comments

10 Years Later

Yesterday was the ten year anniversary of when SJ was diagnosed with profound hearing loss.

I wrote about that day in 2012 in a post called “Processing the Diagnosis”

Then in 2015 I wrote a post called Living in Holland (thought from a special needs mom) and if you have a special needs child you are probably familiar with the Welcome to Holland poem.

In that blog post from three years into our hearing loss journey I posted this graphic and said “We spent just over two years living in the old normal, there was probably a year of living in shock and just doing my best to stay afloat. The last two years have been transition and we’ll be here for a while. I feel pretty darn close to “New Normal” but we still have such a long way to go.”

Then four years later in 2019 I shared how I almost missed the anniversary of her diagnosis. This was a time of year that was always a major trigger for me so the fact that I didn’t even think about it was a big deal. I was processing that reality and described how it felt like a new chapter and that maybe we had reached the new normal.

Now here we are another three years have passed by and we’ve had a lot of significant breakthroughs recently.

SJ told us she wanted to be baptized.

She accompanied me in a sign language video we posted on YouTube and people we would never be able to reach in person watch it everyday.

It’s not at all viral, but I know from my YouTubeanalytics that there are new views from people in other countries every day and to think about that kind of impact is really cool! A friend of mine saw the Gratitude video and invited SJ to be a part of a ballet performance incorporating sign language and worship. She will perform at two locations this week! It’s so awesome. I can’t wait to share more about that.

SJ also graduated from speech and language therapy and is no longer on an IEP. This is huge!

Then in a couple of weeks she will be on an alumni panel from her deaf school to answer questions from parents and students who are about to transition into public school. The privilege of watching the Lord move in her life and use her story to touch so many is priceless.

Today I was listening to a podcast. Full disclosure, it was a true crime story. I am one of those weirdos that listens to select true crime podcasts. Anyway, they were talking about how this heinous crime split time for this small community into two parts, before the tragedy and after. I immediately thought of how I used to think of SJ’s diagnosis that way. I heard another mom whose child is blind describe it that way. There was life before diagnoses and after. It’s two different worlds.

Except I don’t see it that way now. I see SJ as our little girl who is courageous, talented, beautiful, thoughtful, and deaf. I also see her as an equal part of our whole family. If I were to describe my life as two parts it would have to be life before kids and life after. That feels like two different worlds to me, but to think of SJ without hearing loss now is an incomplete puzzle or a warped photograph.

I feel like it’s been important for me to write about this entire process the past ten years. It helps me, but I really hope that it’s helpful to others. I forget the rawness that I felt in those early days of this journey and when I have it in writing it gives me empathy. Maybe someone will stumble upon this blog post who just had their world split in two, before diagnosis and after. Maybe this blog post from a mom ten years down the road will give them hope.

By Natalie|2022-05-02T12:16:55+00:00April 30, 2022|Special Needs, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Supporting Your Kids’ Home School Needs

How has your experience with home school been? Maybe you’ve got on really well? Or maybe some ups and downs? Home school has been a bit of a mixed bag for all of us, and that’s why we need to talk more about how to support your kids through it. After all, whether your children are being home schooled by choice or by necessity, it can be hard to support their academic needs from the comfort of your living room.

Even when your child is in traditional school and requires a bit of outside support, you can still tear your hair out over what to do! But that’s why we’ve collected together the tips below; sometimes all you need is an idea to find the right solution for your child.

Vary the Schedule

Kids need routine and structure, of course, but every now and then they also need something fun and spontaneous to do. So make sure any home schooling schedule you put together has some free spots on it; save these for special days, like Mondays and Fridays, when your child is going to have a lot more energy to waste.

In these ‘free spot’ segments on the timetable you could do activities like storytime, or watch an educational program, or take them down the park as a little treat. You could also get them into the kitchen to do some hands-on practicals, whether you build a volcano together or simply bake a cake. Just do something different!

Download the Right Software

It’s hard to be everything to your child at all times, and sometimes you’re going to need qualified, outside help to really support their schooling needs. So don’t be afraid to get online and see what kind of help is out there; it usually exists in the form of remote software, often recommended by your child’s teachers themselves.

Indeed, kids tend to respond better when you’re using laptops and tablets to teach K-12 classes, so liberally apply this principle to your own home school classroom. Your child will be able to connect to subject tutors outside of your own areas of expertise, whether for mainline schooling or simple homework purposes. Better yet, they can do so whenever they need to.

Keep an Eye on Your Child’s Natural Passions

What does your child really love to do? Play soccer? Draw and color? Maybe they’re a fan of going for a walk and picking up every leaf and bug they see? Well, if you want to refine your home school syllabus a little, make time to include these beloved activities.

When you support your child’s natural passions, they blossom in so many more ways, simply because you take time to cater towards their interests. As a result, they’ll be far more willing to complete ‘boring’ subjects, such as Math or English, because they’ll have more energy for the school structure as a whole!

Supporting your kids’ home school needs just takes a bit of thinking!