Claire the Afena Mom Blog

This past Tuesday is not one that I’ll soon forget. Earlier this year I met a wonderful lady from the Women’s Department Club here in Marion, and she invited me to speak at the November meeting of the Club...

I’m not much of a housekeeper. Don’t get me wrong, I try my best, and it’s not a complete wreck (mostly thanks to the husband), but I’ve really been a bit of a mess ever since childhood. I have no excuses for this...

My oldest daughter loves fairy tales. She loves reading them, watching them, hearing them, and acting them out...

It’s football time again. I decided the season didn’t really start until our favorite teams started doing well, so this is unofficially the 2nd game of the season. As we approached the Superbowl last year, I was inspired to write about some life lessons from the football field. Having sat through two unimpressive games already this year, I’m inspired to offer a different kind of list: life lessons from the armchair quarterback.

Here comes October. I love this month and have ever since I was a little girl jumping in leaf piles in my backyard. The air is crisp, the pumpkin pie is delicious, and the apple cider leaves you feeling warm and nostalgic. For me, October in Indiana is perfect, and I can’t think of a better way to start out my favorite month than what I’ll be doing this Thursday.

My husband and I renewed our vows this week. It was gorgeous. We had close friends and family and a very small gathering in our backyard. I used the occasion as a chance to really doll up our new deck and to turn the kid’s small playhouse into a magical cottage, complete with fairy lights and flowers. And it was beautiful and everything I’d hoped for, and for the very first time in a long time, my husband and I danced.