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One Thankful Mom - Lisa Qualls

Honest reflections on family, adoption, foster care, and faith.

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How Horses Help Kids Heal

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# 30 How Horses Can Help Kids Heal First of all, I loved every minute of speaking at Refresh. I shared my heart and thoughts with foster and adoptive parents. It’s amazing to be with people who understand our unique parenting experience. Best of all, three of my kids spoke with me in a breakout […]

Catching Up

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It’s been far too long! Between snow days and Spring Break, my days have been a little disorganized. I’ve also been preparing to speak at The Refresh Conference. I’m teaching two breakouts, When Your Heart Feels Trampled (and you’re finding it hard to even like your child) and The Impact of Adoption/Fostering on Siblings. The […]

Sisters

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The greatest gifts in life are the people we love. Last weekend I went to Seattle for Sisters Weekend. For a number of years my sisters and I have spent a weekend with our parents; I’m deeply thankful for the time together. This year was our first Sisters Weekend without my dad. I had some […]

What to Do When Your Child Needs Help Regulating

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I have two new podcast episodes for you! Robyn Gobbel gives us practical advice on how to help kids become better regulated. #25 Regulating Through Movement and Play The second episode focuses on how to help your child regulate when they’re already out of control. We’ve all been there! #26 What to Do When Your […]

Unsettled: When New Kids Join the Family

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it must feel like for a child entering our homes. It’s an unfamiliar environment they’ve never seen before. Nothing would feel right. The past two weeks have been a bit much for me and I’m in my own home. Life has been disrupted far more than I imagined when we […]

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  • Two amazing fathers. I love them both with all my heart.
  • Zoe/Bella graduated from high school last weekend and we are so proud of her. This is a huge accomplishment! Can’t wait to see what she does next. We love you, Bella! #onethankfulmom #graduation #fostercare #adoption #bigfamily
  • Claire planned a pottery painting event for foster families. It was great! Next up is a pool and pizza party. • One of the sweet blessings of being an adoptive and foster family is having kids whose eyes are open to needs in our community. I plan to be Claire’s best volunteer. • #fostercare #adoption #fostercareawareness #onethankfulmom
  • I’m reminding myself to “pause” when I’m inclined to scroll mindlessly for longer than I should. Social media is fantastic until it keeps me from doing things like reading books, working on projects, or engaging with my family. But it also allows me to support adoptive and foster moms, connect with family and friends, and share my work. It’s all about balance. • Great idea from @bemorewithless.
  • Annarose is graduating with more honors than she can hold including the two highest honors awarded by the University of Idaho. We were stunned at the awards ceremony. She has worked very hard to learn, serve, love people, and honor Jesus. Our hearts are full. Two weeks until graduation!@annaroseq
  • My kids never cease to amaze me. After months of hard work and preparation, Claire won the Distinguished Young Women 2020 Scholarship program for Moscow. We’re so happy for her, proud of her, and thankful for the scholarships she won. • Many wonderful people gave their time and hearts supporting her and we’re grateful. This is a world wholly unfamiliar to me and I’m learning as we go. • Claire will compete in the state competition in October! #dyw2020 #onethankfulmom #quallsfam