Tuesdays are my writing days. My column publishes on Fridays, and the draft is due early Wednesday morning, so I write on Tuesdays. I should be a column or two ahead, but I’m a busy mom, and it never works out. My husband of 25 years, Jason, and I share…
Party of 9 – a Column by Betty Vertin
It seems to be a theme in our lives: Lifts and elevators work great — until they don’t. I am a mom to many: Lexi, 25; Max, 20; Chance, 19; Rowen, 17; Charlie, 15; Mary, 12; and Callie, 4. Three of my sons, Max, Rowen, and Charlie, have Duchenne…
It’s been a big week for the Vertin Party of 9. We moved into our new home, and after only a week, the blessings seem boundless. I’m so thankful to share this because, as you can imagine, moving a large family is a tremendous undertaking. My husband, Jason, and I have…
I share seven children with my husband, Jason, including three sons who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): Max, 20, Rowen, 17, and Charlie, 15. Most of my columns talk about caregiving and my sons with DMD. However, in our large family, many other dynamics are at play, including the…
Last week, I traveled with my sons Max, Rowen, and Charlie to Colorado for their multidisciplinary neuromuscular clinic visit at a children’s hospital. My husband and I typically don’t both travel with the boys, so one of us can stay home with our younger daughters. This time, it was…
My life is always in motion, and we are in a busy season as my family prepares to move into a new house, one that is being modified for accessibility. I share my life with my husband, Jason, and our seven children: Lexi, 25; Max, 20; Chance, 19; Rowen,…
With seven children — Lexi, 25; Max, 20; Chance, 19; Rowen, 17; Charlie, 15; Mary, 11; and Callie, 4; three of whom have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — I have entered the zone of a veteran parent and caregiver. Max, Rowen, and Charlie were diagnosed with DMD in…
The house is quiet this morning. A dog sleeps next to me on the couch as I contemplate the words I will use to write this column. The news is on, so there is some background noise, and I can faintly hear a video game playing in my son’s…
The week before school started was pure chaos. We had only been home from vacation long enough to unpack and start the laundry before we had to go to open houses on Monday at two of the kids’ schools, and then close on our new house. If that…
My family recently spent a week in Indiana with friends at a cabin on a lake, and it was so good for us. Our two families met more than a decade ago when our sons were all little boys, and we have remained friends throughout our separate journeys with…
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