Try Something New – Stretch Yourself

I’m turning 36 this year, and I have had some sort of an awakening recently – there are a lot of things I have never done and don’t know how to do that would be super cool to learn about…
Read more
Honest and heartfelt stories and lessons about home, family, love, faith, and personal growth.
I’m turning 36 this year, and I have had some sort of an awakening recently – there are a lot of things I have never done and don’t know how to do that would be super cool to learn about…
Read more
I seem to always be in a hurry. Yesterday, I had my husband’s car, so it wasn’t nearly as easy to get the baby and my three-year-old into the car. I finally got them, and myself, strapped in exactly ten…
Read more
I taught a class on building an eternal marriage to the women in my congregation, as well as in a larger event for women in my church. I wanted to make the class interesting, easy to remember, and fun. I…
Read more
This is one of my favorite children’s hymns, and has been since I was a child in Primary at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I can barely sing it without becoming emotional, and I certainly can’t hear…
Read more
Today is my husband’s, Jad Al-Bjaly’s, 34th birthday. He will probably tell you he is only 33 or 32. That is a joke that never gets old in our house, at least to him, haha. Since it is his birthday,…
Read more
To all the women out there who have chosen not to have children, I am writing to you as a wife and a mother. You may expect me to judge you, and to tell you what you have probably heard…
Read more
I have a brother who is funny, kind, intelligent, musically gifted, a friend to all, and a very supportive and loving uncle and brother. He is someone I respect and love with all of my heart, and one with whom…
Read more
This is the version I submitted to Family Share before it was re-edited and published on their site. See which one you like better: Sometimes in a dating or marriage relationship, the commitment and happiness decline, and the relationship goes…
Read more
I wrote this article for Family Share. It feels good to know I can help others through sharing my experiences and lessons learned during difficult times of my life: It is hard to know when you should date after a…
Read more
Today is Jad’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. I am so grateful to call him mine. When we were newlyweds, I wrote about our courtship. I think our story is grand. Here it is: Jad and Mandy met at a…
Read more