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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Lucy’s Sophomore Move-In: What We Didn’t Expect With Year Two
As I mentioned, Dave and I went into this whole Lucy-drop-off experience skipping along pretty naive. We figured by year two we’d have this…
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The End of Summer for Lucy, and Other August Happenings
Welp, Lucy is braving a whole new year of college. Doing impossible things every day as she marches forward trying to maneuver everything college.…
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Holding On While Letting Go: Six Moves in One Month
Oh boy, August is a month I wish I had written down more in the moment. It was a month where, near the end,…
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How Lucy Saw Greece and Egypt Her Own Way – Traveling with a White Cane
I have to take a minute to record how Lucy navigated our family trip to Greece, Cairo and Luxor, Egypt with her white cane…
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A Story of Sharks, Alcatraz and a Brave Birthday Girl
Today is Elle’s birthday. Happy birthday Miss Elle Belle!! This girl has been sharing light and kindness from the time she was a little…
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Hope and Hopelessness at a BBS Conference in Our Old Stomping Grounds
Over the weekend Dave and I attended the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome conference in Washington DC (Lucy’s BBS). It just so happens that DC is our…
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Miracles Amidst the Hard Stuff: Lucy at BYU Summer School
We are already half-way through BYU summer school for Lucy and it’s been a rollercoaster ride for us for sure. But I want to…
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Lucy Takes on BYU Summer School: A Mother’s Heart in the Middle of It All
You know when little ideas create a spark of possibility in your mind? And then it takes root and you realize that’s a really…
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A Short Summer Stint With Lucy at Home
Let’s take a minute to talk about the short time we got to have Lucy home this summer. The “three musketeers” reunited. Because I…
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Some Time in Utah with My Big Kids
Last week my sisters and I got to celebrate my baby sister Charity’s 40th birthday. So much more on that to come, but for…
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Lucy’s First Year of College with Low Vision: Snippets Worth Remembering
Our first year of parenting a college student with low vision has been a journey for us all. And it is worth remembering. It’s…
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Building Independence as a Young Adult with Special Needs: Lucy’s First College Spring Break
Watching your child with special needs step into adulthood can be quite an emotional ride. It brings a unique mix of pride, worry, and…
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Visiting My College Daughter with Low Vision: Lucy’s First Semester
People have asked for an update on Lucy. For anyone new needing an introduction, Lucy is my daughter, and also an incredible college student…
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Preparing Lucy for College: A Journey of Grit, Growth, and Angels
Preparing a child for college is a big step for any parent. Preparing a child with special needs can feel like stepping into completely…
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Praying for Angels as Lucy Heads to College
As Lucy prepares to leave for college, I find myself holding a mix of emotions I can barely put into words. There is so…
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Planting Summer Flowers in the Desert – An Analogy to Parenting
Flower gardening in the desert isn’t really my normal mojo here on the blog. I’m here for family life, travel and sharing the motherhood…
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Lucy Takes on an Excellent College Prep Program for the Blind
Preparing Lucy for college has required a different kind of preparation. That’s why finding the right college prep program for blind students felt so…
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Thank you to the Village: Why Community Matters in Parenting
Leading up to Lucy’s graduation, I was carrying a heavy load of emotions. I knew that having a daughter with special needs graduate from…
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Letting Kids Go: Preparing for My Last Child to Graduate
So here we are, preparing for my last child to graduate this week. And life has been filled to the brim with festivities as…
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How I Believe God Is Looking Out for Lucy
I am a big believer in looking for the miracles. Especially in the tricky times. Because Dave and my mantra is true, to be…
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One Last Visit to Iowa: A BBS Clinical Trial and Good Friends
Dave, Lu and I left Dave’s family birthday and visitor week to head out for one last visit to Iowa, to see a good…
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Cousins Make High School Dances Even Better
Lucy went to another high school dance. And this time around I realized that cousins make high school dances even better. But before we…
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A Brand New Entrepreneur
Finding meaningful work can be challenging for anyone—but finding jobs for people with visual impairment can feel especially overwhelming. This is the story of…
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Oregondo: How the Stars Aligned for Lucy to Join Our Family Wilderness Tradition
This post is about the power of kindness, a crazy family wilderness tradition, and how Lucy got invited to be a part of it…
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BBS Vision Restoration Research and Friends in Iowa
After we left Utah for the first part of spring break, we headed to Iowa for some pretty incredible BBS vision restoration research, and…
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Lucy’s First Dance! – MORP
Well, the long awaited and much hand-wrung-over high school dance has come and gone for Lucy. I talked about some of our emotions swirling…
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Six Things Single Parents Want you to Know
My sister-in-law Annie is one of my great examples in life. I love her, and how her mind and heart work. I shared one…
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back at it, setting up for a “positive” school year
Lucy started school yesterday. Yep, still in July, and on I think the 24th day in a row where the desert has hit 110…
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How to Get Through High School with Low Vision: Managing School When You Can’t See
Managing school with low vision is one of the hardest things a teenager can face. School is out here in the desert, and I…
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Lucy’s exciting acceptance into the FBC summer program
We have some big news to share. Something we have really, really been praying for: Lucy’s exciting acceptance into the FBC summer program.
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in the wake of having my “big” girls home
This whole last week has been filled right up. My girls were in town for my niece (their cousin)’s wedding. So, I have to…
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a big miracle for Lucy
The other day I was thinking about miracles. And their evolution. Remember how Lucy’s vision teachers took special care to enlarge her homework worksheets…
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what’s better than having a bunch of sisters?
I am thankful every day for my sisters. And really, what’s better than having sisters? Doing a podcast with them! Sure, there have been…
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How to Get Involved in BBS Global Awareness Day
Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition that affects many parts of the body, and for families like ours, it shapes daily life…
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“In the Arena” podcast launch is in TWO WEEKS!
Welp, we’re really doing it: TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY these sisters and I are officially launching our sisters podcast called “In the Arena.” WOOHOO!…
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How Little Miracles Fell in Line to Help with Lucy’s Independence
One of the hardest parts of raising a child with special needs is knowing when to let go. Lucy has Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, a rare…
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another “powderpuff” season in the books
It feels weird to look at these pictures now that the whole school year is all wrapped up. And oh boy I have a…
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one more prom — the official “last dance”
What happens when you have a trip with your recently-returned missionary back to see her mission stomping-grounds and your other daughter gets asked to…
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winter formal for Claire!
Another dance has come and gone. This one was squished in between the state football finals (where we WON!!! first time in his high…
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sorrow, a new basketball manager, and sharing yokes
Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned, even for teens with big dreams. And helping teens overcome disappointment can be really hard. For the parents…
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Two Tips for Raising Kids with Special Needs
Raising a child with special needs is a journey full of challenges, learning, and unexpected joys. Today I want to share two tips that…
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the joy of JOY SCHOOL, some more family awards…oh and conference too!
I just want to give a little shout-out to Joy School…my favorite ever program for pre-schoolers. I’m a little biased, I know, (it’s my…
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Some Heroes, a Clinical Trial and a Suntan
Parenting a child with a rare condition like Bardet-Biedl Syndrome brings unexpected challenges—but also unexpected hope. Today I want to share our experience participating…
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Grandfather’s Secrets and Grammie Camp: Intentional Grandparenting
Let’s talk about the ripple effects of intentional grandparenting. Because my children have benefitted so very much from the care and love of their…
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Helping 6th Grade Classmates Understand Visual Impairment
As children grow, so do the challenges and the opportunities to help others understand. Lucy heading into sixth grade brought new worries about independence…
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The 2018 BBS Family Conference with Lucy: Hope, Hard Stuff, and Our Village
We kind of switched around summer a little bit this year because of the BBS conference. This conference happens every other year, and happened…
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Teaching 5th Graders About Disabilities and Inclusion
One of the most beautiful parts of parenting a child with special needs is watching the village that forms around them. As Lucy moved…
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Explaining Special Needs to 4th graders
Sometimes we forget the importance of explaining special needs to kids. The most meaningful conversations often start with a simple, honest question. When Lucy’s…
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The Buck Stops Here: Parenting a Child with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
Parenting a child with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome means learning to hold onto hope while still bracing for hard news. This is my honest account of…
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March 2016 little things
The most important thing that happened in March was that Max arrived in Taiwan right in the very tail end of the month: (Lots…
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December 2015 little things
I’m giving fair warning right here and now that this post just might take the cake for most pictures posted ever. Lots happened in…
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Gratitude for the People Who Help Us Keep Lucy’s Vision
There are small moments in parenting a child with vision loss that stop you in your tracks. This was one of those moments for…
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December little things in China and pre Christmas
December started with some hustle and bustle to get our house all spiffed up for Christmas. You can get Christmas decorations in China but…
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BBS Conference and My Kind of Rock Stars
Attending a Bardet-Biedl Syndrome conference gave me a deeper appreciation for the researchers, doctors, and families working behind the scenes to support those with…
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The BBS National Registry: How YOU Helped Raise $10,000 for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Research
A few years ago we asked blog readers to join us in the I Love Lucy Project, a fundraiser for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome research. I…
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the “I Love Lucy project” needs YOU (and everyone else we can muster up to help!)
This post shares an earlier chapter in our journey advocating for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. You can find updated resources and ongoing efforts on our Special…
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Lucy is Seven Years Old
Seven years ago my baby was born. …with six toes on one foot. …and a much-awaited-for smile that could melt your heart. She still…
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Ideas to Manage Priorities better
I got this question the other day and it really hit home to me. Because I’ve been working on my own ideas to manage…
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BBS Conference at Duke University: Our First Time Attending as a Couple
Dave and I went on a “date” to the BBS Conference at Duke University in June. It was kind of a pre-anniversary, pre-Father’s Day…
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England: The BBS Conference in Northampton
So the reason we went to England in the first place (see the first part of our trip in the last post) was so…
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A Day at the Children’s Hospital with a Special Needs Child
There’s not much that makes me more thankful for general health than a day-long trip to the children’s hospital with a special needs child.…
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Doctors, Experts, and Becoming Your Child’s Biggest Advocate
I have learned that special needs parenting is one of the hardest and most humbling journeys a family can walk. This is a raw,…
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My First Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Conference at Duke: Finding Unexpected Hope
Speaking of good doctors, I never wrote about the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome conference we went to back in June. And that’s no good, because it…
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Potty Training a Child with Special Needs: Lucy’s Story
We have spent the last week-and-a-half camping out here: Nice accommodations, right? Yes, sitting on that hard-wood floor there is very comfortable. Lucy’s Potty…
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Lucy. A BBS Syndrome Diagnosis
Nothing can really prepare you to get a phone call from the geneticist telling you that your child has a really rare genetic disorder.…
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other Christmas stuff…
When I was in elementary school I was the shyest kid on the block. And I was and even bigger worrier than I am…
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We Are the Experts: Trusting Your Instincts as a Special Needs Parent
Trusting your instincts as a parent is hard. But even more difficult when your child has a rare syndrome and you’re surrounded by specialists,…
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Lu’s birthday camping adventure
For some reason my kids conjured up the idea that it’s Lucy’s birthday tradition to go camping. And it’s weird, because, although I’ll be…
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Lucy has TEN toes
One of the most common physical markers of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is polydactyly — being born with extra digits. Lucy came into the world…