It’s time for summer vacation, and we’re having a great time already here in Playa del Carmen (no, Darren, it’s not Carmen del Playa) on the Caribbean side of Mexico. After a long day of traveling from Los Angeles yesterday, we were just happy to get here, even though it was dark and we couldn’t … More Hola From Playa del Carmen
In less than a week, I’ll be dipping my toes in the big 5-0. But it’s not the toe-dipping that rattles my nerves. As all mid-lifers know, it starts with a little “testing of the water” and the next thing we know we’re half-way through a decade and beyond! Seems like just yesterday friends cheered, … More I Can See 50 From Here
Published in the June 2015 Issue of Bakersfield Life Magazine As seniors across Kern County walk across the stage to collect their high school diplomas, parents are preparing emotionally for what will likely be a huge step in their own lives. In just a couple months, many graduates will move away to begin their college … More Not Easy Saying Goodbye
I thought it would be Mother’s Day. That’s the day I thought I’d miss her the most, the day I’d be mostly acutely aware of the void, the gaping hole, in my world. Eight months after saying goodbye, I am feeling stronger in general. But I brace myself when I see one of “those days” … More A Motherly Kind of Love
The tiny, baby blue Datsun sedan pulled into the driveway at 5:00 every weeknight, like clock work, setting into motion a flurry of activity. The table would be set, then came serving up the pork chops and fried potatoes or some other comfort food that Mom knew Daddy would appreciate after a long day in … More Dinner for 3 at 5
As we watched Zack and his friends last night enjoying their final high school formal festivities, it’s just one more reminder that Darren and I will soon be empty nesters. We are closing in on the end of our eighth and final year of high school shenanigans with our boys. Like all the other parents … More Empty Nest Dry Run
Number Two has a pokey sort of growth, a two-day beard covering his jaws. The mustache could really be a mustache if he worked on it. Early morning glasses and puffy eyes. Upper lip still poking out just a bit past the lower; something only his mother would notice. Sweet boy is so much like … More My Boys to Men
Zack recently finished his last high school cross country season, his fourth and final season at Stockdale High School. For our family, this wraps up eight years of cross country at Stockdale since his brother Jake also ran all four years. It’s the end of an era! Usually, though, when you think “end of an … More In This Family, Running is Our Lifestyle
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