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This past week, we reached another milestone in the baby steps we are taking to return to our normal lives amid the pandemic. And the experience was amazing. Since we moved to Colorado in June 2016, we have maintained our membership to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. As…

Another year brings another debate with myself: to home-school next year, or not to home-school next year? I started our home-schooling journey in 2013 when my oldest daughter, Addisen, was 5. I home-schooled her until halfway through third grade, when we found a school here in Colorado we liked. For…

This past week our family suffered a tragic loss. Our rabbit, Susie Stew, whom we had adopted roughly 15 months earlier, passed away in her sleep. Between the time our neighbors had her (at least the entire three years we lived next to them) and the time we had her,…

I’m trying something new this summer: A slow, intentional way of life. I dream of mornings that aren’t rushed or chaotic, and evenings when I’m able to get the kids bathed and in bed without either of us breaking down in tears or shouting. I’m not delusional. I know my…

Autism is a secondary diagnosis for my 6-year-old daughter, Austen. Her primary diagnosis is Dravet syndrome, which causes her to have intractable epilepsy, weak muscle tone, and many other symptoms. I’m not sure if her autism is a stand-alone diagnosis, and if she would have it whether or…

A few weeks ago, my daughter Austen turned 6 years old. It was an exciting day that she had been looking forward to for months. She wanted a unicorn birthday party, complete with a unicorn cake, unicorn decor, and…

Something crazy is happening this week. Somehow my daughter Austen, the baby who must have only been born yesterday, is turning 6 years old. I can’t let myself believe it, yet I must. This little girl has been a surprise from the moment I found…

I was a lucky kid growing up, and I knew it. Some might have felt bad for me because my parents were divorced, as were their parents. But all I saw was the abundance of love this afforded me. While many of my friends only…

If you ever meet my 5-year-old daughter, Austen, who has Dravet syndrome, there are two things you will come to know about her. First, she loves animals. You can find evidence of this in the fact that our dog, Milo, is her…

Last weekend, something happened that hasn’t happened since I became a parent over 13 years ago: I had an entire weekend to myself. There were no kids events to go to, no errands to run, and no husband or kids yelling at me or…