Articles written by Carla Raley

What is Helium

About me - Carla Raley

I am a conservative Christian. I've been married to my husband Bill for 36 years. We have ten children, seven biological, three adopted from the state foster care system. We have fostered more than 50 children. We have nine grandchildren.

We live on a

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Food & Drink > Soup & Stew Recipes Recipes: Quick and easy soup: 1 of 61
With winter approaching, homemaker minds tend to start running towards hearty, hot meals for her family. Homemade soups are often at the top of the list of family favorites. And with a little planning, they can be made with a minimum of time and trouble. Spend an afternoon frying hamburger meat, and divide it into fa... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Adoption Should adoption by those over age 50 be permitted?: 1 of 22
My husband and I thought our family was pretty well finished. We were 50 and 54, and babies had long quit coming the natural way. I felt content with my seven biological children. My first two daughters grew up, married, and gave me nine grandchildren, some of them the ages of my younger children. They spent a lot of time wit... More..
Home & Garden > Cleaning Clothing Laundry tips and tricks: 1 of 19
Doing laundry for a large family can be a daunting task. Piles of dirty laundry in the bathroom, the bedrooms, and on the laundry room floor can be disheartening. Coming to the bottom of a laundry basket to find your favorite shirt for your baby has mildewed because the spill didn't get washed off quick enough, or that t... More..
Food & Drink > Dessert Recipes Recipes: Apple crisp: 1 of 17
Whether you have your own apple trees in your backyard, you like to visit the local farmers market, or you simply decide to pick up a bag at the local grocery store, there is something about the cool autumn months and the abundance of apples that make us long for a dish of hot apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream me... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Developmental Stages How children become attached to special stuffed animals and toys: 1 of 15
Most parents, especially if they have more than one child, have been faced with a little one who attaches themselves to an object: a blanket, a pacifier, a special bottle, a stuffed animal or any number of things. The parent usually enjoys the benefits of this attachment. It makes for a calmer, happier child, unless of course... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Adoption Is it possible to unconditionally love an adopted child?: 2 of 28
I am the mother of ten children. Seven are biological, and my youngest three are adopted from the foster care system. As a biological mother for 33 years, I've read a lot of parenting books and even taken some classes. It seemed no one ever doubted that a biological mother loves her child totally and unconditionally. As an ... More..
Relationships & Family > Siblings The relationship between brothers and sisters: 5 of 58
A careful boy I want to be; a little brother follows me.I do not dare to go astray for fear he'll go the self-same way.I cannot once escape his eyes; whate'er he see me do, he tries.Like me he says he's going to be- that little brother following me.He thinks that I am good and fine; believes in every word of mine.The bad in ... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Laundry day: 5 of 47
I've had clotheslines before. Sometimes I enjoyed using them, but mostly, I didn't. I'm sure my grandmothers had them, but I don't remember my mother using one. I had a dryer; I didn't see any need for a clothes line. I did actually buy one once, at the very beginning of my quest to live a plainer, simpler life. I would ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Best children's books: 5 of 44
As a mother of ten children who has homeschooled for 18 years, I have many bookcases full of good, moral, character building books that I have collected. My children have learned that if they can't talk me into candy or a toy, they can almost always get me to buy them a book. Some of these books are only read by a few of my ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > After School Should parents raise their children without television?: 14 of 122
As an older mother with ten children, ages 33, 30, 23, 21, 18, 15, 12, 5, 4, and 2, I have done both. We raise our first five with a TV, although by the time babies number four and five came along, we were beginning to limit it. Child number six rarely saw it, and by the time child number seven was born, and then our last ... More..