by Gayla Grace | Oct 17, 2017 | Blog, stepfamily marriage
My husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage this past weekend. Of our five children, we have only one still at home who is an “ours” child, 16-year-old Nathan. Although life still has challenges, our marriage, most of the time, is free of tension and...
by Gayla Grace | Oct 21, 2015 | Blog, Faith, stepfamily marriage, stepfamily relationships, successful stepparenting
My husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage last week. There were many years I didn’t know if we’d make it to our next anniversary. Today, I’m thankful for where we are as a stepfamily. I’ve grown emotionally, spiritually, and mentally in...
by Gayla Grace | Oct 14, 2014 | Blog, loyalty conflict, stepfamily marriage, stepmother role
My husband and I celebrate 19 years of marriage today. All four of the kids in our wedding picture are grown – we have only an “ours” child still at home – 13-year-old son Nathan. I love the way my friend Heather Hetchler counts years in...
by Gayla Grace | Jun 26, 2014 | Blog, Grace, hope, stepfamily marriage
She had been wronged. Pornography had invaded her home and her husband couldn’t seem to give it up. Tears puddled her eyes as she described her feelings of inadequacy, frustration, and hopelessness with his addiction. But she wasn’t ready to quit. She had...
by Gayla Grace | Jun 4, 2013 | Blog, conflict, counseling, stepfamily marriage, stepfamily relationships
I’ve noticed a common theme among step couples I’m working with lately: marital issues compound stepfamily problems. In other words, if you’re struggling with basic marriage challenges, it will spill over into your stepfamily. Here’s an...
by Gayla | Feb 13, 2013 | Balance, Blog, feelings, love, stepfamily marriage
Have you made plans for Valentine’s Day yet? If not, please do. As a stepcouple, you deserve a night out to celebrate your marriage and enjoy time as a couple.Stepfamily life includes too much time trying to cope with the everyday strain of kid issues, or...
by Gayla | Jan 31, 2012 | attitude, Blog, peace, stepfamily marriage, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting choices, Uncategorized
Before my husband and I married, I read everything I could about stepfamilies. I was excited about joining our families together and wanted to get a head start on how to have a happily-ever-after future. But as I read, I was deflated by the dismal picture every book...
by Gayla | Oct 13, 2011 | Blog, loyalty, stepfamily marriage, stepfamily relationships
My husband, Randy, and I celebrate 18 years of marriage this year. If you read my blog often, you know it hasn’t all been blissful. I’ll never forget the night Randy called me from a hotel room and said he wasn’t coming home that night. We had been...
by Gayla | Sep 21, 2011 | Blog, Change, Faith, feelings, hope, stepfamily marriage
I knew our move out of state would be a difficult change for me. But I didn’t recognize the change of season I would experience at the same time.I had a comfortable life in Conway, Arkansas. I was actively involved in the community as...
by Gayla | Feb 10, 2011 | Blog, Grace, love, stepfamily marriage
With Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s a great time to show your spouse what you appreciate about him/her. And if your spouse is a stepparent, make an extra effort to validate his efforts and the important role he plays in the life of your...
by Gayla | Feb 3, 2011 | Blog, stepfamily marriage, stepparenting choices, successful stepparenting
“The divorce was final today,” my husband’s co-worker said to him. “We tried to work things out but we could never agree on the parenting of our kids.”My husband related the conversation to me of a stepfather he worked with who had...
by Gayla | Oct 21, 2010 | Blog, Change, stepfamily marriage, take care of yourself
My husband and I returned from a five-day anniversary trip yesterday to learn some disturbing news. My stepson, a college student living on his own with a roommate, was robbed and held at gunpoint a few days ago at his apartment. In broad daylight,...
