Kandace Chapple

My sister and I had our own personal transformation in October. Our kids begged us to do “Screams in the Dark,” a huge attraction of haunted houses out at the Northwest Michigan Fairgrounds. My answer was immediate: “I’ll wait in the car.” Kerry, however, made a play for Cool Mom: “Let’s ALL go!” “Really?” I seethed. “Really!” […]

The trip to Bronner’s was a long time coming. We had talked about taking the boys to “The World’s Largest Christmas Store” in Frankenmuth since they were born. Now, with the oldest 13, we finally made the trip. But our foray into the Christmas wonderland was not without a few mishaps. First, we were forced […]

The snowmobile. It’s a beauty. It’s a classic. It’s a 1989 Ovation from “the Yoop.” It was passed down from my Grandpa Maddox to my Uncle Lude to us, and is now one of our most treasured possessions. Having spent most of its life ice fishing on South Manistique Lake in Curtis, MI, the snowmobile […]

It was the one time I didn’t panic and I should have. Nelson had been saying all day that he was in pain. His belly, down low. “On your right side?” I asked, my first thought: Appendix! “No, all over,” he said. “Use the bathroom,” I said calmly. Then, he didn’t want to jump on […]