About Me

Here’s a sneak peak in to my life right now.  Three years ago my husband planned a big trip to Disneyworld for Christmas during a brief moment in time when all of our children and grandchildren could be together. So much fun!!!! I started planning ahead and bought a pop-up play pen that I could carry in my back pack to flip out at any moment when the grand babies needed a break. 

    One afternoon all of the grown ups went to ride Splash Mountain (one of my favorites). I whipped out the play pen to keep a five year old, three year old, 5 month old, and one month old entertained, safe and comfy. We were snacking, playing and resting as two dads walked past. They stopped and looked at my grand babies happy together in their play pen. One said, “now there is parenting at a whole new level.” I smiled and replied, “It’s the grand-mothering level.”  They laughed and walked on. That’s how I got the name for my blog, family at the next level can mean whatever you need right now to step it up, or fix it up in any area of family life. 

So this is me. I have loved being a mom to five kids who have turned out pretty fantastic so far. I have a very supportive,  hard working husband who loves being their dad. Together we love being grand parents and are learning how to navigate life as empty nesters. I am going back to school to finish a degree that waited for my kids to grow up. 

Life in our home has been a marathon experience. We have had periods of success, failure, fear, anxiety, accomplishment, celebration, kindness, forgiveness, depression, joy, fun, adventure, broken, fixed, try again, faith, hope, disappointment, more faith, more hope. Keep trying. Some might call it crazy, I call it a rich, full life with the people I love to call family.