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By Macaile Hutt As a pediatric occupational therapist, I help children find success and independence in any of their “occupations” – the things they do every day. Occupations could be as simple as bathing, using the bathroom, feeding ourselves, or dressing ourselves. They can also be more complex, such as the way we interact with…

By Jessie Horney Boy, am I sick of talking about the real estate market. I can’t even remember what people used to say at dinner parties before we started conversations with “Guess what my neighbors just sold their house for?” The valley is changing, from our tax-assessment values to the number of craft breweries in…

Caption for IRAP Jump Time photo: Tammy Creswell has been looking after her granddaughter, Paisley Turner, since the child was 4 years old. Said Tammy: “We lost her mother (my daughter) 3½ years ago. Paisley is such a treasure and we love her dearly and we had a blast at Jump Time that day.” Jump…

Caption for Ryan & Scottie-Blessed: Ryan had a special photo made of himself and his daughter to show how blessed he has been by her. She taught him to love, and even to live, as he straightened up his life in order to have full custody of his beloved little girl. (Courtesy photo) By Gaye…

By Jessie Horney Obviously this is going to seem like an argument in defense of casual parenting, as most of my essays do, because I am quite often a casual parent (or rather, a parent actively trying to avoid the boredom of life as a caregiver); but I promise it’s not just that. It’s a…

By Jessie Horney Every morning I see the sunrise reflected in a mirror before I see it in the sky. There’s an eastern window in our front room that captures the sunrise, framing dawn in a way that directs the light to a mirror hanging in the entryway, and that’s also how I know when…

By Gaye Bunderson Angels aren’t just heavenly beings. Sometimes they’re regular folks dressed in clean jeans, wearing smiles, carrying boxes, and filled with helpful hearts. That’s the case with the members of Boise Angels — they’re everyday people who walk alongside foster care families and children and help them navigate the waters of foster parenting…

By Dennis Lopez There is something about Nampa’s auto racing Weaver family that is hard to explain; in some ways it is akin to a dual personality. Sitting in the large, pleasant kitchen of Marv and Donna Weaver’s hilltop home, chatting with three generations of family members, it’s easy to forget they are a hard-driving,…

By Gaye Bunderson Laurie Bell always had a heart for horses. Even though she was raised in the Bench area of Boise and not on a farm, she wanted to own a horse and learn to ride it. The desire started early in her life. “As soon as I was saying Mommy and Daddy, I…