The Glue No One Saw: Fatherhood, Sacrifice, and Redefining Strength
Someone recently told me that they felt like they were “the glue” holding their relationship together. The comment lingered in my mind longer than expected. Not because it was profound, but because it echoed something I had lived without ever naming. If glue is the...
What Raising Eight Kids Has Taught Me About Patience and Purpose
People often laugh when they hear that I have eight children, and their surprise deepens when I reveal that I never intended to have children. I typically respond with a smile and state, "I would choose them all again if given the opportunity." But I often say that...
Smoke and Mirrors
People love to live behind smoke and mirrors. They craft illusions, not out of hatred, but out of fear. They fear the possibility of the curtain falling and revealing their true selves. The show is raw, unfiltered, and tired of you. Someone might flinch. Someone might...
A Father’s Letter: The Quiet Moments No One Talks About
To my kids, There are so many parts of fatherhood that a lot of people never talk about, that we never expect to experience. Things such as big events, the different milestones, or the moments with cameras flashing and crowds cheering. But the truth is, it’s the quiet...
Loving Someone Who Doesn’t Believe They Deserve It
There’s a kind of love that feels like holding a mirror up to someone who refuses to look. You try to show them their worth, their beauty, their goodness. They always turn away, convinced they don’t deserve any of it. Loving someone who doesn’t believe they deserve to...
Loving Her Is Hard, And I’d Do It All Again
Loving a woman who is emotional, sensitive, and has ADHD is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It is also the most rewarding, humbling, raw, and beautiful experience I’ve ever had. A lot of people throughout their life will have this thought of what love will be like:...
Deuce the Moose, the Heart of Our Pack
Deuce wasn’t just a dog. He was calm in the chaos, a quiet guardian who always knew who needed him. From the moment he gently approached our son Timmy, who had never liked dogs, we knew he was special. He offered comfort without asking, stayed close without needing to be called, and loved each of us in exactly the way we needed. Deuce the Moose was family. Always.
Understanding the Four Trauma Responses in Foster Children
Children in foster care often carry trauma that affects how they interact with the world around them. These responses aren’t always easy to identify, but they are essential to understanding the emotional and behavioral patterns that emerge in your home. As a foster...
Stepchildren Are a Choice. And One I’ll Always Be Grateful I Made
Being a step-parent is different from being a biological parent. Not better or worse, it is just different. When you get into a relationship with someone who has a child, you’re not just choosing to love them. You’re choosing to love their child too. That love has to...
Not all rainbows and puppies.
Over the years, my wife and I have opened our doors to kids who needed a place to stay—sometimes for a weekend, for months, and in some cases, we made them ours permanently. And while every placement has been different, there’s been one thing in common: trauma. Not...
Recent Posts
The Glue No One Saw: Fatherhood, Sacrifice, and Redefining Strength
Someone recently told me that they felt like they were “the glue” holding their relationship together. The comment lingered in my mind longer than expected. Not because it was profound, but because it echoed something I had lived without ever naming. If glue is the...
What Raising Eight Kids Has Taught Me About Patience and Purpose
People often laugh when they hear that I have eight children, and their surprise deepens when I reveal that I never intended to have children. I typically respond with a smile and state, "I would choose them all again if given the opportunity." But I often say that...
Smoke and Mirrors
People love to live behind smoke and mirrors. They craft illusions, not out of hatred, but out of fear. They fear the possibility of the curtain falling and revealing their true selves. The show is raw, unfiltered, and tired of you. Someone might flinch. Someone might...
A Father’s Letter: The Quiet Moments No One Talks About
To my kids, There are so many parts of fatherhood that a lot of people never talk about, that we never expect to experience. Things such as big events, the different milestones, or the moments with cameras flashing and crowds cheering. But the truth is, it’s the quiet...
Loving Someone Who Doesn’t Believe They Deserve It
There’s a kind of love that feels like holding a mirror up to someone who refuses to look. You try to show them their worth, their beauty, their goodness. They always turn away, convinced they don’t deserve any of it. Loving someone who doesn’t believe they deserve to...
Loving Her Is Hard, And I’d Do It All Again
Loving a woman who is emotional, sensitive, and has ADHD is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It is also the most rewarding, humbling, raw, and beautiful experience I’ve ever had. A lot of people throughout their life will have this thought of what love will be like:...
Deuce the Moose, the Heart of Our Pack
His name was Deuce. We called him "Deuce the Moose" because he grew into a big, lovable Golden Retriever. He came into our lives when our son Timmy was just four and a half years old and had recently been diagnosed as high-functioning autistic. We were looking for a...
Understanding the Four Trauma Responses in Foster Children
Children in foster care often carry trauma that affects how they interact with the world around them. These responses aren’t always easy to identify, but they are essential to understanding the emotional and behavioral patterns that emerge in your home. As a foster...
Stepchildren Are a Choice. And One I’ll Always Be Grateful I Made
Being a step-parent is different from being a biological parent. Not better or worse, it is just different. When you get into a relationship with someone who has a child, you’re not just choosing to love them. You’re choosing to love their child too. That love has to...
Not all rainbows and puppies.
Over the years, my wife and I have opened our doors to kids who needed a place to stay—sometimes for a weekend, for months, and in some cases, we made them ours permanently. And while every placement has been different, there’s been one thing in common: trauma. Not...