Have you also noticed similarities between grandmothers and fairy godmothers? :) This is why I like to call them “fairy grandmothers.” Fairy grandmothers enjoy creating magical experiences for their grandchildren.

Lots more on this, and more, can be found in my upcoming book: Nanahood!

For now, Cousin Club.  This club is a Nana-driven club for grandchildren.

In creating Cousin Club, my goals were threefold:

1. To help cousins develop fun, lifelong bonds with each other, and feel a sense of belonging

2. To teach them to serve others

3. To help them build an unbreakable connection with God

Here are the  “deets” (details) on the categories above:

As a young mom, I was hopping.  I was thinking of the next meals, the next activities, or where toddler shoes had been lost in the messy plots of days. I was hugging, comforting, and singing, but I was also scheduling, figuring, and mostly, winging it. 

I don’t recall staring at my child jumping on a trampoline, on a warm June morning, and thinking: “This is it. This is the only summer of seven. He will never be seven years old again. You only get one of these.” I don’t remember turning away from his delighted bouncing, questioning the brevity of summers. 

Back then, I didn’t regularly squeeze my brain for ways to make the tiniest childhood moments more memorable. I didn’t pull out silly chef hats to don while we mashed avocados for guacamole. I didn’t spend solid hours

Larry Lamby is an Irish sheep. He is of the “not-real, stuffed” variety of sheepies. Sometimes Larry feels sheepish about his unreal status, but nothing daunts his passion for travel or his love for all sheep-le. Larry would jump through hoops for ewe (see also, above photo).

Today Larry is in his homeland, the Emerald Isle of Ireland. Let’s see what he is up to …

It depends! Would you love being embraced by dynamic, rich, lush, verdant landscapes? Would you enjoy charming, quaint towns, peppered with ancient castles? Do you love dramatic cliffs, like the Cliffs of Moher? You could see the actual Cliffs of Moher here, as we did. Do you have Irish heritage?

Recently I was asked, by some new online friends,  for my thoughts about skincare, at age 62.  I am going to try to quick share them here in 10 things, because how long is anyone’s attention span for moisturizer, et al?:D That said, I am sure I have forgotten some things, as I am dashing- sorry!

First, my mom was ahead of her time. She saw me heading out the door with my friend Josie to “lay out.” In high school. “Laying out” meant dousing yourself in baby oil and using this tinfoil, cardboard thing (I never owned one) to capture more “rays” on your face. 

“Wait” mom counseled “This “tanning” you are heading for, will ruin your skin. Not now, but eventually.” I listened. I put down the baby oil. I don’t go with darling Josie. I was a little mad, but more, intrigued. Mom

One year ago, tomorrow, I underwent full sternotomy open heart surgery for a genetically compromised heart valve. It was all the awful you would guess that it was. 

My beloved husband Tom took me to an Asian restaurant in the weeks before the surgery. He was trying to cheer me up during medical testing procedures. The weight of what was looming hung in the air. More on this here: https://maryjobell.com/blog/lights-in-the-tunnel

When I was a little girl in Maryland, we would go to Bethany Beach or Ocean City every year in the summer. It was a blast. I love the beach! But I didn’t love everything about the beach. I didn’t love the craggy feeling under my feet as I gingerly approached incoming waves on the denouement. The little rocks and shells were OK, but what else was down there? Once in a while, there were jellyfish. Those guys can sting. Still, the ocean! The waves could be pretty ferocious for a little child, and maybe for anyone. But that was the way it was and I loved it. It was all I knew.

Remember that Fiddler on the Roof song, with the line “Now I have everything and not just everything, I have a little bit more?” That line summarizes my feelings about the Disney Aulani Resort in Ohau, Hawaii.

We’ve shared 42 married Valentine’s Days! At the beginning of our marriage, I thought “It feels like there is a gossamer thread connecting us.” Now it feels like a titanium rod. Time, love, joy, sacrifice, trials, and near-death-ish (hello heart surgery:) experiences have this effect. We have been gifted bouquets of children and now grandchildren…we have grown in their love, and in our love for them. Early on, the world suggested that having children would keep us from so much that we wanted. But what we got was everything we wanted, and surprisingly so much more. We have a small kingdom. It’s a kingdom of love.

Recently I read a question online that struck me. It was from someone asking for examples of what I call “micro helps”: tiny little efforts, quietly offered to other humans in need. I thought you might enjoy some of the responses, as I did! The last needy person was me. What big, memorable differences we can make with small reaches across humanity! Here we go:

I am a front desk agent at a nice hotel, and I was working when a migraine hit hard. I couldn’t leave. I didn’t have anyone else to cover so I had to stick it out best I could. A woman I have never met before and was a guest of ours noticed something was really off with me. I apologized to her and let her know this is nothing to do with her. I felt bad for even having her feel less happ

I was 16, standing in my high school cafeteria when a light bulb went on. Fellow students were chatting, eating lunch, intermingling, and bustling about. I knew a lot of these people…some fairly well, some hardly at all. I had been quietly observing them. When you are an ambivert and it’s “shy season” this comes naturally.

 In my juvenile, apprentice-in-the-art-of-caring way, I cared about these people.

I knew that some were already struggling with addictions, eating disorders, and crises of self-esteem. I knew others who seemed especially susceptible to these things. I knew addictions, disorders, and crises of self-esteem were all connected.

What is it about precious, innocent children that make you want to sing Christmas songs of joy? They just bring out the giggles and wonder in me. I know, I know sometimes they are impossible. But often there is humor in those scenarios. And when there isn’t, there are opportunities to grow in patience and extra love. I feel like there is no big downside to children. It’s like having messy angels in your life, right?! :D

Recently, one of these grandchildren popped over. This wasn’t hard. Ten of the eleven of them live close by, and five are in our neighborhood. We are a metaphorical hotel lobby and these “guests” (kids and grandkids) are checking in and out of our living, family rooms, and kitchen on the near daily.

We like to read books together, and on this day, this litt

You know how you hope, and maybe pray for something to work out, but it never actually seems to work out? Or maybe we just need to wait longer and we’re learning eternal patience? Or maybe we don’t seem to work out enough sometimes, in gyms?…but I am getting off topic and silly…

Then sometimes, even if it takes “mega more” time (is this a shampoo brand or something-“MegaMore”, or maybe I am thinking of “MegaMind”-super fun family movie! More on family movies in the future!) things really do work out.

Take the princess above, for instance. This is Jaeden. She is leaving on a gospel mission (and since the word “gospel” means “good news”, she will be a sort of ambassador of good journalism for God, I guess:). Anywho, she is headed for Texas, where she will likely wear cow

Do you remember the band “Chicago”? Their evocative song “I’ve Been Searching So Long”  is here! It’s on this post, below! I can still remember where I was, and how I felt when I heard it. I was a busy and distracted teen, but this song woke something up inside me.

It was my “sixth sense”-that spiritual sensory response system we all have within us-but we don’t always know how to operate it. 

There was another stunning song, “I See the LIght” from Rapunzel, that h

Recently two of our grandchildren, age 3, were asked “What do you want to do for a job when you grow up?” The little boy quickly responded, “Be a UPS guy!.” The little girl took her time. At last, with a thoughtful sigh, and looking off into the middle distance, she replied wistfully, “I would really like to help Santa with his presents.”

Ha Ha and yes! Wouldn’t we all? :D

It’s like we came to earth ready to help, as soon as possible. Think of toddlers, begging to help with housework. Tidying desire mileage may eventually vary, but the hope of helping someone, somewhere, sometimes, seems ever to be with us.

Years ago, as a visiting teacher,

(which is now called “ministering”: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/ministering?lang=eng)

our four-year-old s

Hey friends, 

Recently I had open heart surgery. For years, I have had a mostly symptom-less, genetic, mitral valve prolapse in my heart. The bill came due this year. I wrote the piece below about it. We are a cheerful blog, en generale, but we are also real, and sometimes life turns you upside down and shakes you for loose change :D. It has been said that life can be “brutiful”, both brutal and beautiful.

Yes. My recent experience was the yin and yang of both of these elements. Here you go:

If you ever have to have major surgery, which I fervently hope you do not, you may wonder what the hospital recovery experience will be like.

Since I recently had open heart surgery with full sternotomy (they open your chest, via incision through your sternum), I will tr

https://www.cedarfort.com/products/i-can-feel-it-in-my-heart-a-childs-guide-to-safe-media-choices

It’s 1987. I am standing in our small New York City, apartment, likely doing “mom-related” things, on behalf of our two very young children. 

Out of nowhere, a little voice inside me whispers. You know this voice-it’s the kind one that prompts us to help others, to forgive, and to do a multitude of other good things. It’s the opposite of the voice that accuses and condemns us. We always want to steer clear of that mean voice.

It was the gentle, honest, and loving voice that had my attention. “Would you please help fight pornography?” it whispered.

Huh?

Why me? I had only heard the word pornography maybe a handful of times in my life, and I had never known anyone involved with pornography. I felt like a clueless recruit.

Still, I said “OK” to no on

When I behold little ones, with their shiny innocence, their unabashed love for their families, their wholesome wonder and laughter., I marvel…you too? 

Don’t we feel like we want to protect them from the harmful things of the world? Of course, yes!

But how can we help?  One way is to read them the new book “I Can Feel it in my Heart.” It can be pre- ordered here. Use the code safehearts20 for 20% off.

This book is about helping little ones know what to do, should they bump into inappropriate media images, including pornography.

I hope it can be shared widely, to help protect small children in this higher-tech, higher-risk digital age. You may know of someone who

If the heart of the home is the mom, my siblings and I can never complain about Valentine’s Day (at least about non-romantic applications).  We received an enormous, forever heart of love when we were brought into the snuggly baby embraces of our mutual mom, Mary Elizabeth Gannon Schuette. 

She wasn’t Snow White, but she did resemble her, not only physically (above) but in cheerfulness, patience, and long-suffering. She had some definite suffering to deal with, including growing up with a severely disabled brother named Frank. Frank wasn’t able to talk, but he was a constant presence of love. She once shared with me that she would pray at night that Frank would be able to talk. Now she is in heaven, and Frank is still on earth, for a bit longer. How awesome will i

Brooke Walker of KSL TV’s Studio 5 had so much fun again recently on her great show! You can check out our silliness/seriousness about health and fitness in the Senior chapters of our lives here:

Fitness is so incredibly important as our cells and bones, et al, grow older. With care, these can be some of the most fun years of our lives! 

Another recent source of inspiration for my husband and me has been the LIMITLESS series with Chris Hemsworth. If you haven’t already seen it, you will w

I know, Santa is mapping out your neighborhood. The reindeer are practicing their roof landings.  The chimneys of the world are on the North Pole radar. All metaphorically, of course. We are in holiday “Go” mode. 

You now might be realizing, like our little grand girl on the far left, that you need a few last-minute gifts. You want something unique, but fun, also helpful, and not too expensive. How about that Costco bestseller (only it’s sold out of Costco now-but there are other places-hang on to your sleigh!) The Pursuit of Happi-Nest…how to help your family soar, even while winging it! You can learn more about this family building/bonding/bumbling book of bounciness from the reviews (links just ahead).

If you live in a state with a Deseret Book store or a Se

Far and away the best thing that has happened for grandparents that live far and away from their grandchildren is technology. Here are a couple of tech-based joy and connection bringers:

1. Our pandemic buddy Zoom, is still going strong on a number of fronts, and one of those is the family connection front. We can read books to our grandkids over Zoom! We can do this live, or make a recording and send it to them. I have found it helpful to have someone next to me, holding the book and turning the pages). A “fam fav” here is The Velveteen Rabbit, because it’s not too short, not too long, and it’s super engaging. it’s so well written!! Not feeling the read-aloud vibe? you could also send them a link (see Youtube) to Meryl Streep’s rendition of this timeless classic. If you are visi

Hey friends, 

As you can see above, our podcast, Moms Meet World, is now in the top dozen of 90 podcasts for 2022. It’s true that we are # 11, but hey-still in the top dozen!

And that kind of feels like a miracle, given that out of like twenty things you are supposed to do to grow your podcast, I have done about two of them.

If you are a listener to this podcast that is trying to strengthen families, you get the credit! Thanks so much!! 

Also, The Pursuit of Happi-Nest book I wrote did not become a Costco bestseller without you either. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

A number of people told me that they are looking to give copies of this book away as gifts (one mom told me “I love to give it away because it’s so unique, safe, not borin

Hey friends and fellow family builders. I would love to connect you with my friend KSL, Studio 5 TV. I have done interviews with them in the past (see the TV/Media tab on this website). They were fun! I have recently been invited to be their leading voice in a new series called “Nanahood.” This is delightfully interesting timing because I also happen to have a book coming out on this topic in the fall of 2023!

To this end, they have asked me to share my core philosophies regarding Nanahood. They are soon to share this information in broad, social media strokes. So, I needed to dig deep. This was my heartfelt, honest reply: 

Nanas may seem like real-life versions of fairy godmothers. This is because they shine light. But light from Nanas is even better than that which