Parenting
Growing up with “parenting experts” and having five children of my own, I’ve learned a thing or two about raising kids.
The biggest thing I’ve learned?
There’s no one “right way” to do it. We all have unique talents and personalities to bring to the table.
Hoping what I share here on 71toes.com will help stimulate your own ideas. Ideas for building stronger family relationships, creating a family economy, establishing family systems. It’s always good to see how others are doing it so we can add to our own “toolbox.”
Sending lots of love your way as you maneuver your own unique parenting adventure.
XOXO
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Helping Your Child Choose a College (Elle’s Story)
(Updated in 2026 as we head into graduation and college decision season—a time when so many parents are in the thick of helping a…
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Easter With Grown Kids and Grandbabies
Easter looks a little different these days—with our kids grown and celebrating in different places—but somehow, this holiday still holds us together. This year…
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Easter Traditions That Hold Us Together (Even as Kids Grow Up)
Every year as Easter approaches I find myself asking the same question:How do we make this holiday feel as meaningful as it really is?…
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Adjusting to Empty Nest Life: Finding Balance After Kids Leave Home
There’s a strange balance to be found in adjusting to empty nest life. After nearly three decades of raising children, Dave and I are…
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Visiting Adult Children: A Quick Trip to Palo Alto and San Francisco
There is something so magnificent to me about visiting your adult children and getting a glimpse into the life they are building. Dave and…
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Valentine’s Day Weekend with my Valentines
I got to spend Valentine’s Day weekend with not only my very own husband-valentine, but also with my kid-valentines, plus a couple of their…
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The Beginning of College for Lucy – “By Small and Simple Things”
Yesterday Lucy became an official college student. Well, in all actuality, she started last week in a special “connections” class to kick things off.…
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A Simple Way to Connect With Adult Children Through Prayer
We all want ways to connect with our young adults, right? I mean, as parents we are in this funky land of “moving to…
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“Moving to the Bleachers” For Easter – Easter 2025
We got lucky enough to celebrate with most of our kids this Easter. The weekend was filled up with kids, grand babies, long walks…
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Squabbling Sisters Can Grow Up to be Best Friends
Here’s another post in my series of “sister posts.” Today I am here to give mothers of young squabbling sisters some hope. Because guess…
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Florida with our married kids after Carson’s Graduation — Goodbye Miami!
It’s so strange to be in a season of life with adult children moving away. Again and again. It makes any time we get…
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We have an official Doctor in the Family!
Yep, Carson is official. And I got a little teary as he stood with his classmates and recited the “Oath of Hippocrates,” pledging to…
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Sending Claire off…How the “big” kids took their sister under their wings and eased their mother’s heart in the process
I thought I would be ok just sending Claire off to the MTC by herself. You see, she has eight more weeks of study…
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An official missionary and how the “Home MTC” works
By the time this posts, Claire will be en route to her next adventure: the “official Missionary Training Center.” She will be in rigorous…
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Lots of “little things” leading up to Claire becoming a missionary
Oh I have SO much to say about this “Home MTC” thing Claire is smack-dab in the middle of right now. But let’s take…
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Two big steps in mission preparation: temple and farewell for Claire
Oh my goodness. TODAY Claire starts the “home MTC.” And I have a million and one things to say about that. There are a…
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Claire’s prep for two new adventures – mission and study abroad
Let’s talk about Claire’s prep for two new adventures: study abroad and a mission. As I type, she is already checked into her new…
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how to “move to the bleachers” parenting adult kids
Let’s talk about how to “move to the bleachers” parenting adult kids. The act of leaving the field of duty, and even leaving “the…
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four ways for young adults to learn to love themselves
Leading up to Valentine’s Day tomorrow, let’s talk about learning to love ourselves. Specifically, four ways for young adults to learn to love themselves.…
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the start of a new chapter for Claire
As we made the trip to Utah to tuck Claire into her new experience in the dorms for summer school, I couldn’t help but…
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the final high school walk
Let’s go back to graduation. What’s that you say? Not the right graduate? I know, I know, it’s all about Claire these days, but…
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another step into the big wide world for Grace
I am up in Utah with my Grace moving her into her new apartment up here. Letting her go. Again. Gosh this motherhood dealio…
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Mission Prep and the End of Home MTC
Those last weeks before a child leaves on a mission are a strange mix of sacred, ordinary, and emotional. Our home MTC experience with…
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The Setting Apart
Grace was set apart to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints a few nights ago. Having a…
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reunion and release
Parenting older kids comes with a strange rhythm of reunion and release. They come home and fill the house with energy and stories —…
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the after-party…and a video of the whole deal
I still can’t quite believe it—Max is married! Watching your son get married and stepping into this new chapter has been beautiful, emotional, and,…
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Releasing Paper Boats Off to Sea — The Wedding
I’ve come to find out that watching your adult children marry is like sending a paper boat out to sea — you’ve nurtured it,…
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pre-wedding preparations
Preparing for your son’s wedding is an interesting journey as a mother—the details, the emotions, and all the little things in between. And underneath…
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out with the envelopes, and three things that have brought in Christmas beauty
In theory it feels like some Christmas seasons will be calm and slow. I can’t imagine that right now, because it seems like all…
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Taiwan — the end of Max’s island and a “double day” on to Elle’s
After our lunch with Max’s wonderful mission presidents, and a visit to their home and the mission office (last post), we took a LONG…
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missionary miracles (and an update on Max)
Watching a child grow in faith while serving a mission is pretty amazing. From letters and pictures to unexpected connections, Max’s journey in the…
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the departure
There is something uniquely emotional about dropping your son off at the MTC. After all the waiting and preparing your heart, it suddenly becomes…
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Pies & Ties, mission prep and setting apart
Letting a child go is one of the most sacred and stretching parts of motherhood. And sending a son on a mission for two…
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When Your Son Leaves for Two Years: Letting Go as a Mom
Max is safe and sound in the MTC and I can still hardly believe it. We gave him one last hug and he walked…
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Max’s farewell weekend
Max’s missionary farewell was last weekend. That’s when the getting-ready-to-leave missionary gives a talk at church and lots of people who love him…
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God is in the details
I need lots of reminders about trusting God when sending a child on a mission. There are so many quiet worries about who will…
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Max’s mission call
There are few moments in parenting that feel as emotional as watching your child open their LDS mission call. The waiting, the wondering, the…
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the BYU drop-off
After all the blubbering emotions of letting our son go (I wrote more about that here), we headed to BYU for the actual college…
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Getting Ready for a Big Move
Sending a child to college for the first time is something no one can fully prepare you for. I know a lot of moms…