Lauren A. MerrittNov 1, 20214 minFrom Stepmom to Working Mom... Overnight!My hiatus from blog writing speaks for itself. There have been big changes at the Merritt household over the past 4 months, and I've been...
Lauren A. MerrittSep 8, 20213 minHelp! Our Biggest Problem Since Adopting Our Son.“Dad! It’s not fair! She’s held him for like the past 45 minutes!” The first week Matt and I brought home our adopted son, Owen, we...
Lauren A. MerrittJul 5, 20214 minWe're Adopting a Baby!: The Text That Changed Our Lives!“Hey! I can’t talk because I’m teaching at the gym but… Hi Mommy! I will call you in an hour when I am done teaching!” Accompanying this...
Lauren A. MerrittJun 1, 20213 minThe Stepmom Chronicles: Cleanup on Aisle Five!“Can you please write a blog about this?!” It was a Tuesday evening at the dinner table and our yellow lab, Piper, had just paraded...
Lauren A. MerrittMay 3, 20214 minSoccer Mania: Foul on the Play and the Parents!“YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR 12-YEAR-OLD NOT TO PUSH IN THE BACK!” It was the first half of a U13 girls soccer game in a regional tournament...
Lauren A. MerrittMar 15, 20213 minThe StepMom Chronicles: Every Other Weekend My House is a Zoo!“MOVE AWAY FROM THE GLASS!” I’d just sat down on Sunday to write a blog when I heard my stepdaughter, Ella, yelling from her bedroom....
Lauren A. MerrittMar 1, 20212 minReagan's Guest Blog: My Stepmom's Chocolate Bunny Obsession!This week, my eight-year-old stepdaughter, Reagan, decided she wanted to showcase her superb story-writing skills with her first-ever...
Lauren A. MerrittJan 24, 20213 minCelebrating Six Years... Sober!On January 21st, I celebrated six years of sobriety. Let’s say that again…. On January 21st, I celebrated SIX years of sobriety! That’s...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Dec 1, 20203 minHow I Hosted My First Thanksgiving, With a Chipped Tooth!“MATTHEW! We have a situation!” It was just after 4:45pm the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when I called my husband in a panic. I had just...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Nov 9, 20203 minHow Our Sunday Stroll Turned Into a Burglary Scare!Matt and I were thrilled to move into our new home a few weeks ago. I think we both forgot how much work moving can be! Most of the boxes...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Oct 5, 20203 minMy Husband's Big Fail at Big Kahuna's.“Lolo, you should write a blog about this!” chuckled a giddy Bailie two Saturdays ago. The kids have jumped on the Blog Bandwagon...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Sep 20, 20204 minSurviving Hurricane Sally with an Attitude of Gratitude.Hurricane Sally was not my first hurricane, but it was a hurricane of several firsts. 1. First serious hurricane as an adult...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Aug 31, 20203 minAccess DENIED! The Builder Locked Us Out of Our House!Matt and I were blessed to begin building a new home earlier this year. The builder broke ground on clearing our lot in March, just as we...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Aug 17, 20203 minAre You Afraid to Fail? Don't Quit Before You Hit Your Bullseye.Weekends have started getting a little monotonous around the Merritt household. Our typical COVID date night has evolved into checking on...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Jul 27, 20203 minThe Parents v. Players Soccer Showdown: "Somebody Get Me Out of This Goal!”“Somebody get me out of this goal! I like my teeth!” I yelled with bare feet from inside a soccer goal. It was Friday night, and my...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Jul 13, 20203 minMatt's Maiden Paddle: Sunrise Paddle or Sunrise Splash?I recently took Matt for his first ever paddle boarding experience… a sunrise paddle at 5:30 am! What can I say?! The early bird gets the...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Jun 29, 20203 minGrowing Gains: How a New Table Turned Into a New House!It all started when I talked Matt into going to “look” at new dining room tables. Those who know me know I don’t do much “looking” when...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Jun 15, 20202 minPiper's Pantry Party: A "Tail" of Trash & TemptationThis past Friday afternoon I was especially excited on my way home from work because Matt and I had our first official “date night” plan...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.Jun 1, 20202 minStaying Quarantine Lean: The Quest for DumbbellsMatthew and I are both regulars at our favorite gym, Regymen Fitness. When the pandemic hit, the gym closed, and we found ourselves in...
Lauren A. Merritt, P.A.May 18, 20202 minDollar Tree Trade: The 55-Item ExchangeWhen Matt and I decided to go forward with our April 2020 wedding amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, we knew the responsible thing was to...