Kyle and Marie, my son and daughter-in-law, were here this weekend. We spent Saturday at a unique kind of reunion … folks who had adopted Border collies through the rescue group where we found our dog Ben. It was a sea of black and white, with one Golden Retriever pup running around as well. I was talking with one gal who was talking about her dog, and when she mentioned the electric perimeter fence she used to contain her dog in her yard at home, she lowered her voice. “Is that a no-no around here?” I inquired. “Yes,” she said. “Most folks around here don’t like any... more

After driving all day, we returned Thursday evening from Colorado. It was 34 degrees, windy and very winter-like when we left in the morning. It was 88 degrees driving across the prairie.

I just had to share these chipmunk pictures with you. This is a tradition in my family. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say this is a tradition for me … I have loved photography for years and I always take the kids to ride a tram to the top of this mountain in Estes and feed the chipmunks. If you go in July, the critters are so fat... more

In the series of posts I just completed, I discussed our purpose in parenting our challenging children, and how we should best measure our success. Being satisfied that the gift is in the giving is a very, very difficult concept to absorb, but it really is true. It is an easy concept when one thinks about more accepted areas of giving, like Christmas or birthdays. As children mature into adults, most of them learn that the true joy of Christmas or other... more

I have nothing but the utmost respect for Nancy Thomas and the work she does for and on behalf of troubled children and their families. I thought you might enjoy hearing some of Nancy's perspectives about our lives in the trenches.

Setting the tone for this interview, what is the first thing you want to tell the readers about who you are and what you do?

I am a mom, that is my highest title. I also coach, support and encourage other parents who live with emotionally disturbed... more