by Gayla Grace | Feb 25, 2014 | Blog, feelings, patience, perseverance, stepfamily relationships
My son has strep throat. As he whined about his symptoms while picking at his breakfast yesterday, I didn’t want to believe him. My to-do list for the day didn’t include a trip to the doctor, a two-hour wait with screaming children sliming their germs...
by Gayla | Mar 7, 2013 | attitude, Blog, conflict, expectations, patience, Stepfamily Vacations
Throwing family members together for an extended period of time can wreak havoc on even the most stable family. For a fragile stepfamily, it can be a recipe for disaster. So if you’re headed out for an adventure with your stepfamily, take along a few tools to...
by Gayla | Jan 22, 2013 | Blog, expectations, hope, patience, stepfamily relationships, stepmother role, Uncategorized
As I listened to my husband on the other end of the phone with his daughter, I knew something bad had happened. He handed the phone to me and said, “She wants to talk to you.” Through tears, my stepdaughter, Adrianne, relayed that her boyfriend of six...
by Gayla | Dec 7, 2012 | Blog, patience, stepfamily holiday tips, stepfamily relationships
A portion of a new chapter from our e-book this year: “Drama and stepfamily holidays seem to go together. With so many variables in play it’s likely than an event, unexpected circumstance, or family member will spark a conflict. Emotions become heightened...
by Gayla | Jun 14, 2012 | Blog, hope, love, patience, perseverance, rewards of stepparenting, successful stepparenting
My husband, Randy, and I will celebrate 17 years of marriage this year. My youngest daughter, Jodi (pictured) was 2 1/2 years old when we married. I had no idea what an influence my husband would be with Jodi. Jodi bonded easily with Randy from the beginning....
by Gayla | Apr 10, 2012 | Blog, Change, Faith, patience, perseverance, rewards of stepparenting, stepfamily relationships
Our family enjoyed a long Easter week-end with four of our five children home. As I watched our kids interact, I couldn’t help but reminisce of times past when we encountered constant bickering and conflict among them. But now, with four of our children in their...
by Gayla | Jan 12, 2012 | attitude, Blog, character, patience, perseverance, stepfamily relationships, successful stepparenting
If you’re a football fan (or even if you’re not), you’ve likely heard the ongoing publicity surrounding Tim Tebow. Tebow is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and has made a name for himself with his unorthodox...
by Gayla | Jan 10, 2012 | Blog, feelings, patience, perseverance, stepfamily relationships
Do you have triggers that send your emotions over the edge quicker than you want to admit? Unfortunately, I do and one of them is the emotional struggle with my ex-husband.I’ve had a difficult week as a result of his out-of-town visit with...
by Gayla | Mar 28, 2011 | Blog, conflict, patience, stepfamily relationships, successful stepparenting
My daughter just returned from a cross country Spring Break trip with six other girls who go to college together. Toward the end of the week, the girls started having conflict and one girl began manipulating the others with rude comments to get her...
by Gayla | Mar 1, 2011 | attitude, Blog, Change, patience, Prayer, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting choices
I love the first day of a new month. I can look at what happened last month and celebrate the highs. I can also recount the lows and commit to a better month from the beginning.For those of us living in the South, March marks the end of Winter and...