Author: Kari
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My First Carrier: A Story of Faith, Family, and Unconditional Love
From childhood memories and motherhood to loss, adoption, and grace, this story is a tribute to the woman who carried me long before I could stand on my own. It is also a reminder that God often shows His love through the people He places in our lives to carry us when we need it…
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From Foster Care to Prison: Why Kids Labeled “Bad” Deserve Better
“I was a bad kid.” That’s how three inmates began their stories. What I heard next made me question whether these children were ever truly “bad”—or simply left behind by the adults who were supposed to do the hard work of parenting.
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The Kouri Richins Murder Trial: Hurt Inside A Blended Family
Sibling rivalry isn’t a new idea. It has existed for as long as families have existed. Brothers and sisters compete for attention, argue, compare themselves to one another, and sometimes carry those wounds far into adulthood. Most parents eventually come to accept that some level of rivalry between siblings is simply part of growing up.…
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When Adult Children Choose One Side of the Family
The Lesson My Husband Taught Me About Letting Go of Adult Children Growing up in a large Catholic family, there was an ever-present value instilled in us from the time we were small: Family is everything. Not because my parents were manipulative, abusive, narcissistic, or anything that could twist that idea into something unhealthy. It…
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The Truth About Loyalty in Blended Families
I’ve had some readers ask me to clarify this from my article “When Love Is a Tug of War: The Step-Parent Reality.” In the article it states: “Loyalty doesn’t always attach to the person who is safest. Sometimes it attaches to the person who is most unpredictable. Children will defend the parent whose love feels…
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When Love Takes Time: How We Bonded After Adopting Older Children
Bonding with older adopted children takes time, patience, and consistent love. In this post, I share our real journey of adopting kids at ages 11, 6, and 4, and how attachment slowly developed through daily routines, trust-building moments, and simply showing up. If you’re navigating older-child adoption or struggling with connection, this story offers hope…
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When Love Is a Tug-of-War: The Step-Parent Reality
A step-parent’s perspective on triangulation, loyalty, and emotional labor in blended families. You’re not the problem — and you’re not alone.
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When the News Never Stops: How to Raise Grounded Kids in a Culture of Outrage and Division
When it comes to politics, is it more important to share with our children our preferred candidate and explain why we agree with everything they say, or to explain that we support the one whose values align most closely with our own? Politics used to be something adults discussed during election years. Now it’s woven…
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Faith, Family, and the Traditions That Keep Us Together
Blending families means blending traditions — and that can be both heartwarming and challenging. When my husband and I combined our families, I thought our long-standing traditions would bring everyone closer. Instead, I learned that true connection comes from creating new memories together. For any blended or step-family, the most meaningful traditions aren’t the ones…
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The Heart Behind Fostering: Why Motive Matters More Than Money
When it comes to fostering or adopting, motive matters — more than most people realize. If someone is doing it for money, that’s the wrong motive from the start. This is a child — a real human being — who needs to be loved for who they are, not because someone needs to pay their…