Articles written by Loni Stel

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About me - Loni Stel

I am a mom of a dozen children, ten which are living at home. One of our babies was stillborn at 36 weeks and in December of 2004 we lost a 16 year old son to the choking game (MatthewsStory.com). My husband and I have been married for 22 years and we homeschool

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Children's Activities (Other) Great crafts ideas to do with your children: 1 of 14
As a home school mom of ten children, creativity is a part of our everyday life. Computer games are limited, so seeking fun and educational activities is a priority. With having a large family and our children having a lot of friends, making gifts is one of their ways of putting their creativity to use by being giving.For our... More..
Relationships & Family > Grief & Loss Coping after murder, suicide, accident and death of a loved one: 1 of 14
We thought it was suicide when our son was found dead in our home. Hours later we learned of a dangerous game that 500-1000 kids each year are dying from the choking game which took our son's life. The two years that followed his death were horrible.My marriage of over 20 years barely made it. Not only did my husband and I ha... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christianity (Other) How should we lead our children to God: 4 of 37
I a Christian homeschool mama of 10 living children, and two children that await me in heaven. We have brought up our children with God and our faith freely spoken in our home, and it is just part of our lives in going to church, playing Christian music, Bibles openly out and read on a daily basis, prayer before meals and bed... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Parents of a stillborn child: 2 of 14
She was perfect in every way. But, oh, perfectly still. There was no first cry or the stretching of her arms and legs when she left my womb. There was no little bird mouth looking for her first suckling at my breast. Instead, as I held this precious little gift, it was a hello and good-bye at the same time. She was my 8th chi... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Behind the name: Lilly: 2 of 14
If you listen carefully, or watch the newspaper birth announcements, you will find that the name Lilly is quite a popular name. Lily, (pronounced LIL ee) is an old name that is making a new comeback and not necessarily considered an old-fashioned name anymore. POPULARITY: In the 1880's the name Lillie was at it's peak for bei... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines Keeping kids occupied on a plane: 1 of 7
In January of 2001 we took our then eight children, ages one through fourteen, to Orlando, Florida, and yes, we flew! Our first introduction to flying was as we were seated, and those around us got a glimpse of this large family, one woman in particular made it known she was not happy and asked to be moved to first class. Non... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Children's Activities (Other) Great rainy day activities to do with your children: 4 of 26
Keeping children from being glued to the TV or computer games on rainy days can be a difficult task for parents. As a home school mom of ten children, creativity is a part of our everyday life, including on rainy days. Computer games are limited, so seeking fun and educational activities is a priority. We have many games in o... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Teen Challenges 'Red flags' and trouble signals to watch for in the lives of our kids: 1 of 6
The screams of that Saturday morning shortly after 11 a.m. will never be forgotten. The images of two brothers finding their older brother hanging, dead, will never leave their minds. At first we thought it was suicide, but later learned of a "game" kids are playing to get a high - the choking game. It was a nightmare, one th... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Behind the name: Kellie: 4 of 20
ETYMOLOGY, ORIGIN & HISTORY: The name Kellie (first known as Kelly and pronounced KEL-lee) is of Irish decent and is the 2nd most common family's last name in Ireland (after Murphy). The name is an old Irish Gaelic name, Ceallach, a name which was sometimes given to early Christians as it is based on the word ceall, which mea... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Risky Child Behaviors Keeping your child safe from the 'Choking Game': 1 of 5
The screams of that Saturday morning will never be forgotten. "Matthew hung himself! Matthew hung himself!" I froze at the top of the stairs as my son who discovered him came running up in hysteria. Another son called 911 and then ran down to cut him down. Somehow I made it down the stairs, finding my limp son's body on the f... More..