When I was in fourth grade, I experienced the loss of a relative for the first time (or at let the first one I remember). I was 9 years old. (Note: as I’m thinking about it…it might’ve been second grade…my memory from that far back has long-since faded with that level of detail.)My parents drove …
the blended mama
2019 Words of the Year
A“word of the year” is a particular word that has meaning to you for the coming year. Some people choose something that they want to work on, like “faith” or “patience.” I’ve actually selected three words this year. I know, I’m an overachiever. These three words mean a lot to me, and are printed on …
Personally Polished
Life in the Stone household is about to get a little crazier. I have decided to become my own boss lady by joining a dry nail polish company! I’m sure you’re thinking, “What in the world is that? And why are you adding ONE MORE THING to your plate?!?!” I asked the same things!! Haha! …
Take Time to Listen
Those of you who know me personally know that I’m an introvert. I enjoy being social with small groups, but I find large crowds very draining. You can imagine how I feel when we have six boisterous children around the house. The volume level increases by several orders of magnitude when everyone is home. I …
You Got This
Three little words, said when passing by me as I struggled to breathe, struggled to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and wanted to quit. “You got this.” I seriously almost burst into tears. My friend had no idea, but I needed to hear those words. I’m sure you’ve had those moments …
Attack of the Space Invaders
We just finished up one week of spring break and are starting down the road of spring break number two, and I am ready for a vacation! I mean, I’m ready for a vacation from this vacation. Do you ever feel like that? I think much of it for me is largely because I’m an …
Holiday Happenings
Phew… It’s time to let out a big sigh of relief. The holidays are over! Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE Christmas, and we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But as a blended family, this time of year is just extra crazy! Now that we are a little bit past the crazy, I have had …
Taking Back My Identity
For several years, my identity was single mom, working mom, strong mom, fit mom. These were things that I felt defined me; they were who I was. I worked full time, exercised regularly with a personal trainer at the gym, worked my Beachbody coaching business, parented two children (with the help of my village) and …
8 Lessons of the Blended Staycation
Summers for blended families can be as stressful as they are rewarding. We recently had a week of “staycation” with our six children. I just wanted to share some of the lessons we learned (or were reminded of) during this week. 1. Your kids just want to spend time with you. More than anything else, …
Challenging Co-Parenting
To say that co-parenting with a former spouse is easy would be a lie. Regardless of whether you are on good terms with your ex or not, you are going to face challenges at some point. How you collectively handle those challenges can have huge impacts on your children. I’m going to share some of …