In August 2016, we completed a 12-day backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier. As a family of 9. It was an adventure, and a challenge. Because of blood sugar issues and concerns about whether or not our 3 & 1/2 year old could finish, we considered quitting. I’m so glad we decided to keep going. It […]
Naptime Matters. – Jess Connell
Naptime. Quiet time. Siesta. 🙂 Call it what you want. But do not underestimate its importance for happy family life, particularly with kids about four and under. In actuality, this principle of setting aside certain hours of the day for the purpose of rest can serve any family of any age and any size. CHILDREN […]
Avoid Emphasizing the Wrong Things to Your Kids – Jess Connell
In parenting, not everything can be in bold print. We can’t emphasize EVERYTHING and have our children “get it” all. We just can’t. IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN SOMEONE WHO TYPES EVERY MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK IN ALL CAPS, you know it’s true. After a few sentences, your eyes glaze over. It’s too much to take in. It’s […]
9 Ways to Have a Rotten Sex Life – Jess Connell
If you want a guaranteed way to have a miserable sex life with your husband, read on. Seek your own way, only, ever. Make sure the only thing you focus on is how often YOU want sex, how often you DON’T want it, how YOU feel at every given moment, what YOU think your needs are. […]
Is This One Reason You're An Angry Mom? – Jess Connell
Sometimes we blame our anger on circumstances (“it annoyed me that he kept doing x”), people (“she just gets under my skin,” or “our personalities just clash”), and sometimes–perhaps more rare– we own it all ourselves (“I’ve got an anger problem.”) However, I think there’s one thing that is nearly universal in the way it […]
10 Essential Self-Care Habits for Moms – Jess Connell
A chart on my Facebook feed offered a humorous look at what “taking care of yourself” looks like before, and after, kids. According to the chart, taking daily vitamins turns into eating “one of the orange gummy vitamins your toddler won’t eat.” Reading a novel becomes reading the yogurt’s expiration date so you don’t poison the kids. 60 […]
Are Unrealistic Expectations Ruining Your Holidays? – Jess Connell
Moms, on today– Mother’s Day– let’s purpose to be thankful for whatever we are given, however small. Frankly, any holiday can set us up to have unrealistic expectations. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries… younger women are now even told to expect a “push present” for having birthed a baby. Again and again, we women are primed by our culture […]
Why You SHOULD Ask, “Why, God?” – Jess Connell
Sometimes we can feel like it’s wrong to ask, “why, God?” When hard times come, it’s often a natural question of our hearts… but I don’t think it’s a wrong question. The only concern I have is that I think we don’t ask it soon enough. I want to encourage you to ask it now. […]
Here's What No One Tells You About Having Another Baby – Jess Connell
When it comes to having another baby, people will talk about the potential for additional financial costs, marital strain, or having to go through labor again. But very few people talk about this. This was something I noticed about having another baby, 5 weeks after having our 8th baby– Here are our current set of “bookends” (oldest– Ethan– and youngest– […]
21 Ways to Help Your Family Thrive Through Transition – Jess Connell
One of the unique qualities of our family is this: WE’VE DONE TRANSITION. A LOT. In not-quite 14 years of marriage, we’ve lived in 13 primary residences, and in 8 temporary living situations (each 1-2 months). 5 of those residences were overseas, and almost all of those moves were with children. A number of you have asked […]
The Proverbs Woman (No, Not THAT One!) – Jess Connell
When prompted to think of “the Proverbs Woman”, anyone who has read a handful of books, skimmed a few blogs, or heard a sermon or two aimed at Christian women will automatically call to mind the Proverbs 31 woman. Land investor, wise guru, accomplished seamstress, careful shopper, generous philanthropist, and dependable wife and mother all rolled into one, […]
8 Verses That Help Me Fight For Contentment – Jess Connell
There have been so many different seasons of my life when I’ve had to *FIGHT* for contentment. 7-months-pregnant in a grimy, coal-heated, 80’s-era-floral-couched, bugged (not the insect kind) apartment in China Months later, when my husband got gravely sick, and we went YEARS with tons of investigation but no medical answers or reasons what had […]
How I'm Growing in Self-Discipline – Jess Connell
I’ve never been a particularly disciplined person. People who know me well, saw my room when I was growing up, or who have ever seen the dishes stacked in my kitchen, are probably snickering right now. In fact, quite the opposite. I typically fly by the seat of my pants, procrastinate, and mostly do what I […]
Mom of 7 Shares Baby Gear “Must-Haves” and “Don't-Needs”
These are the things I return to every time cause they’re just that good. My BrestFriend– Luke’s 3 months old and I’m still using this just about every time I nurse. It left the house with me during the first couple months. It’s the best nursing pillow for a few reasons: it buckles around me & doesn’t […]