Sometimes I sit here in our new house, in our new state, and dream about what’s ahead of us as we enter this transition of leaving behind military life. I tell my husband all the time, “We have the chance to shape our path. We get to choose how we…

Just this week, I publicly announced my Twitter and Instagram handle with my actual name. Ten years ago, when I started www.bleepingamazing.com I blogged anonymously about my life, mostly my kids or coworkers I secretly wanted to strangle. Five years ago, bleep went public. Honestly, at the time, we had…

Hey Bubba, This week I’ve had a ton of people ask, “Why the blue balloons?” I bet you can guess how sick I am of that question. I go into my usual explanation about how your latest high school colors were blue and white and how we had blue and…

To someone looking at my Facebook page, you might think I’ve come home for a visit — or as close to home as you can get when you are a military family. A picture with a friend on the golf course. Smiles at a wine festival in rural Virginia. Shared…

Disclosure: This may hurt some feelings. It’s not intended to hurt feelings. But I realize you may just be getting to know me. Generally, I try to see the best in people. The kindness. The good. But, when I write, I want to be honest about the daily struggle of…

Writing about Noah helps. I think telling Noah’s story, particularly the last couple of years of his life, might someday help others who have lost their teenagers. Writing about the trials of 2014 is easier. It was a tough year for us, as many of you know. The events leading…

Gavin and I have returned to California. The trip to North Carolina was busy and full of emotion for both of us. For those of you who don’t know, our family had moved to California from North Carolina this past November. It is in North Carolina that Noah started his…

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a grief group for mothers. Here’s the honest truth. Of the 30 or so women who attended, probably a third lost their child-mostly kids Noah’s age or a bit older-in car accidents. Another third lost their child in a motorcycle accident. As we…

I just took a few minutes to read back through the journal entries from CaringBridge in the days when Noah was in the hospital, as well as the comments. I’m grateful that Susan, aka Mimi, was able to keep everyone posted as things developed. During that time, my husband and…