Grandfamilies with Oddballs: More Handy Holiday Ideas

Christmas Eve With Our Son-in-Law’s (Oddball-Free) Family. 2009. Maybe you have a crazy uncle who believes potty humor is the highest form of comedy or a sister-in-law who arrives with samples and brochures for the products she’s selling through the latest MLM scheme. Perhaps your holiday gathering includes a pack of nephews who are convinced […]


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Grandfamilies: How Happy Are Your Holidays?

Christmas, 2008. L-R: Elaine, Cadence, Rachael (with beautiful hair), Ayden, Kevin, Carly.  Ah, Christmas. After a splendid dinner of prime rib roast, all your loved ones gather around a crackling fireplace, sipping hot chocolate. Auntie is at the piano, playing O Holy Night. Snow falls outside, adding to the hush of Christmastide. The tree glitters with perfectly […]


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Grandfamilies: There Is No Neutral Ground

Cadence and Ayden,  Gleeful. October, 2015. Can we talk about turf? I don’t mean the kind you water and mow. I’m talking about territory. Sometimes I go sideways when I forget to consider whose home field we’re playing on. I’ve figured out that the rules are different within extended families. In a typical social situation, I imagine control […]


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Grandfamilies: Every Little Thing

You Are a Masterpiece. And So Is Your Most Annoying Relative.  A foundational truth about life in families: God treasures you. He treasures everyone in your family, too.  My friend Deidra Riggs has written this amazing book. It’s called Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are. I’m only part way through this book–because […]


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Grandfamilies: Leave Room for Dragonflies

One Really Big Dragonfly. Wingspan: Over Six Inches. Sheila, are you okay? My coworker called out. There I stood–or rather, stooped–on the sidewalk leading to our office door. On Monday morning. At 8:03. I’d tossed my jacket, handbag, and lunch sack  on the walkway beside me. I’m fine, thanks for asking! I just had to stop […]


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