Kristi Bothur
Kristi is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer, and former public school teacher for English for Speakers of Other Languages. She grew up all over the United States as an Air Force brat, but moved to Columbia in the 1990s to attend Columbia International University, and has called the Midlands “home” ever since. Her days are kept full with the antics and activities of her children - homeschooling, church activities, American Heritage Girls, and Trail Life - as well as writing and leading her Columbia-based pregnancy loss ministry, Naomi’s Circle. Kristi is a contributing editor for “Rainbows and Redemption: Encouragement for the Journey of Pregnancy After Loss” (www.rainbowsandredemption.weebly.com) and a co-author of “Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother“ (sunshineafterstorm.us). She shares her thoughts about faith, family, and femininity on her blog, This Side of Heaven (www.thissideofheavenblog.com).
School Is Closed :: How to Survive and Thrive as a Family
It's official - schools in South Carolina are closed until the end of the month, and it's happening all over the country, as states make plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by practicing...
2019 Guide to Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Activities around Columbia
Once again, Fall has snuck up on me, probably at least in part because of the warmer-than-normal weather we've been having. With our neighborhood pool still open and ninety-degree days this past week, if...
6 Ways to Prep Your Child for a Hurricane
With a hurricane headed towards the coast, parents across our region are waiting to see what will be canceled and when - if not for our own safety this far inland, perhaps to accommodate...
Your Homeschool “Options” in South Carolina
Our family began homeschooling six years ago, and although a lot of energy went into making plans and considering curriculum, my first concern was how to do it legally. I had taught in the...
Changing Course in Your Homeschool
We have been homeschooling for six years, since my daughter was in kindergarten, but in many ways I feel like we are doing it for the first time this year. That is because ever...
10 Perfectly Normal Emotions Felt When Dealing With Secondary Infertility
Most people wouldn't associate the word "infertility" with a moms site. Infertility - that's when you can't have kids, right? But you're a mom. So... you adopted? But you're still infertile? Is that it?
Well,...
What I Am Missing This October
Every October since 2009, I have taken part in activities for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month, including lighting a candle on October 15 for my babies in Heaven. That first year, I was...
Your “Options” for Homeschooling in South Carolina
When our family began making plans to homeschool over five years ago, my first concern was how to do it legally. I had taught in the public school system for more than a decade...
5 Reasons I Love My “Mom Suit”
Although the back-to-school sales might tell us otherwise, we are not even halfway through the summer. There is still plenty of time to enjoy Columbia's "famously hot" weather. In our home, we keep our...
Summer Bucket List for NE Columbia :: 30+ Free & Affordable Activities
So summer has begun, and with all of the camps and VBS weeks coming up, I feel like it will be gone before I know it. But there will be a lot of unscheduled...
The Stranger in my Home
In the last several months, it feels like a stranger has moved into my home. This stranger is being overrun with fluctuating hormones that seem to mess with everything. Clothes don't fit the way...
5 Lessons Kids Learn From Pets
We got our first dog several years into our marriage. People joked that kids would be coming next, because couples often practice their parenting skills on fur-babies, right?
The joke fell a little flat since...
I Will Always Wonder
In some of the social media groups I'm in, a question has been floating around in recent months. It's generally phrased like this, "How do you know when you're done having kids? When is...
Disney on Ice Presents Dream Big :: A Truly Magical Time for the Whole...
I am a relative newcomer to Disney on Ice - last year was the first time I had ever seen it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole performance. So I was excited to go this...