When discussing financial responsibility and the importance of not going into debt no matter how important the thing is that you want: Me: We paid cash for you… Mash: You say that like I was a Barbie…. Me: You were a lot more expensive than a Barbie… Mash: Yeah, because I’m a one-of-a-kind. Me: Good one. I’m really thankful that my girls both have a good sense of humor! What’s popped out of your mouth that maybe shouldn’t have? Leave a comment…
Spring is here! I’m finally feeling almost back to normal, and now all I want to do is spend a little time in the warm sunshine. A robin has built a nest in our honeysuckle vines beside the garage. The poor mother bird has a conniption every time we drive up, so we’re trying to respect her space. Soon, we’ll have four little baby birds to check in on! We also have opened and started cleaning out the pond. Plants are coming up off the bottom this weekend if the weather holds…this is the earliest we’ve EVER opened […]
The plane landed on a sunny afternoon. A small gathering of family and friends hovered just outside the TSA checkpoint holding posters and balloons. They welcomed us with hugs and smiles. But to a 12-year-old sleep-deprived and slightly motion-sick girl who had been traveling for 24-hours straight? To a girl who came from a culture where people were more reserved? To Masha, they were strangers. To her, even our small airport party was a bit overwhelming. It’s Different Much as we want to provide a “normal” life for our adopted kids, we have to face the fact that it’s just plain different. Regardless […]
“I want to write a book” I’ve heard you say it. I’ve said it. We’ve written chapters in our heads at the grocery store. We have files on our hard drives. We have notes on characters and plot points or chapter outlines written on napkins in the “book pile” somewhere safe in our house. And for most of us, that’s as far as we get. We Dream We dream of someday becoming a writer. When all the other obligations of our lives suddenly melt away. When we win the lottery. When we retire. We act like writing is something to […]
I got my first job the day after my 16th birthday. I did a pretty good job of saving up some money from it, which i used to buy a really awesome double-cassette deck the day after I quit that job. I babysat. I occasionally did a chore. Very occasionally. But mostly, I just mooched off my parents. When I got to college, something strange happened. I would go to a place like Subway or Hardees or even the grocery store. I would ask for food, or put food in my cart, or put other things in my cart. And […]
I am Christine Royse Niles, and I’m a writer, a recovering project manager, and a corporate refugee with a heart for orphans around the world. My two daughters were adopted from Ukraine at ages 12 and 14.
I post about writing, adoption, chasing dreams, and sometimes share snippets of a story or novel that’s in progress.
I’ve worked with bestselling authors to launch nearly a million dollars’ worth of books and online courses. I’ve seen what works (and what doesn’t), and I know what it takes for a growing writer to get your work out and grow as you go.
