Party of 9 — Betty Vertin

If you thought you missed my column last week, it wasn’t you — I didn’t write one. My kids were sick with cold symptoms. One thing you may not know about large families is…

There is a busyness to parenting. Children of all ages need their parents for many reasons. And perhaps because my husband, Jason, and I have seven children ranging from 7 months to 21 years…

“We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful.” This quote, which has been passed down in many forms, is one of my favorites from Mother Teresa. I’ve been thinking a…

It’s August, and here in Nebraska, that marks the start of a new school year. As preparations were underway at our house, a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil rolled across the kitchen table.

When you have kids’ Legos in the house, you tend to have Legos everywhere! At least, that’s how it’s always been here with my “Party of 9.” My oldest son and second…

Being a mother to a child with special needs is a demanding job. My children need things I cannot ignore, no matter how tired or busy I am. Last week I hit my wall,…

We had a tough day here this past week. Everyone was tired, and emotions were running high. After a long day, we hit a breaking point. I was going on day six or…

My oldest son, Max, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on July 10, 2010. During the following year, my sons Rowen and Charlie were also diagnosed with DMD. In a few days,…

This week’s column is a little different than usual. Hawken Miller, a fellow Muscular Dystrophy News columnist who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), reached out to collaborate. Hawken, who’s also a features writer…

Some days do not want to be good ones. We had one of those days this past Sunday. I was determined to get to church on time. From the get-go, many factors were working…

The seasons are all special to me and necessary to one another. Each holds its own challenges and wonder. Here in Nebraska, we are fortunate enough to experience all four — winter, spring, summer,…

Motherhood was not something I was always sure I wanted. The idea of motherhood scared me. I didn’t think I had what it took. When I think of the word mother, I think of…