Author: Kari
-
Behind the Gosselin Family’s Struggle Lies a Lesson in Faith and Forgiveness
It’s hard to scroll through the news lately without seeing headlines about the fracture of the famous Gosselin family. And what’s even harder is realizing that most people don’t seem to care — at least, not in a compassionate way. They grab their popcorn, scroll for the latest update, and take sides in a story…
-
The Family Circus: Laughing Through the Beautiful Chaos of Big Family Life
Some people ask if I’d do it all over again — raising a big family with all its chaos, noise, and never-ending grocery bills.That’s a hard question to answer. What I won’t say is that there weren’t good times — because there were so many.Children learn so much growing up in a big family. From…
-
The Heartbreak of Estrangement: Learning to Love from a Distance
Nothing feels more raw in a family than being cut off—or estranged—from your own child. It’s a wound that sits quietly beneath the surface, pulsing with love, pride, confusion, and loss all at once. And yet, in the middle of that ache, there’s something else I’ve learned to hold: pride. Because if I’m honest, I…
-
The Early Days of Fostering: Laughter, Tears, and Sleepless Nights
When the kids first came to live with us, life felt like a whirlwind of joy, confusion, and caffeine. We were learning about them, and they were learning about us — all under one roof that suddenly felt much smaller. One of my favorite memories from those early days happened at the mall. We had…
-
Blind Faith: The Unexpected Journey That Changed Our Family Forever
I was a mother of four biological children and three stepchildren when a sibling group of three appeared in our lives — children who needed parents. At the time, I was working at a community center where two of the children began showing up regularly. Something about their situation didn’t sit right with me. I…
-
When Love Comes with a Blended Family
I’m a mom of four biological adult children, three adult stepchildren, and three adopted children from foster care. When my husband and I met, we were both divorced, each with three biological children of our own. We fell in love fast — and five months later, we were married. Some people have asked why we…
-
Step-Parenting: Finding Love and Grace in a Maze of Contradictions
Becoming a step-parent is one of those roles no one can fully prepare you for. You don’t get a handbook, and everyone around you seems to have an opinion. The trouble is, those opinions often contradict each other. If you lean in and take an active role, people whisper that you’re trying to replace the…