By Jessica Franklin | Photo Courtesy of Jessica Franklin I snapped the picture of my 3-year-old proudly holding up his artwork and smiled. Ah, but look at the mess behind him. Quickly, I shoved the stack of papers and the… read more
Life
Our Volunteering Family: The Garrett Family
Volunteering has been deeply ingrained in the Garrett family DNA from the beginning. In fact, Jenn Garrett met her husband Tim during their undergraduate studies through Alternative Spring Break, a group that organized community service projects during spring break. “Helping… read more
A Day in the Life of Tarcha Rentz
Photo by Nytrell Greenlee Tarcha Rentz works for the Children’s Home Society of Florida and is the director of Howard Bishop Middle School A Community Partnership School. She is a lifelong resident of Alachua County. She and her husband, Ishmael,… read more
Tips for Globetrotting with your Tot
By Danielle Spano Traveling internationally requires more planning than a domestic trip. Between passports and packing, there is a lot to prepare for. Adding a baby to the equation of course makes the trip more fun, but also more complicated… read more
A Day in the Life of Jeanna Mastrodicasa
Jeanna Mastrodicasa is the associate vice president of operations at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She and her husband, Clay Sweger, have 8-year-old twin girls, Scarlett and Savannah. 5:30 a.m. The alarm goes off and… read more
Our Dancing Family: The Ponomareva/Kuznietsov Family
Family Photo by Water Bear Photography | Beach Photos by Johnston Photography Dance is just a part of life for Julia Ponomareva, Alexsey Kuznietsov and their daughter, Karolina. As principal dancers for Dance Alive National Ballet in Gainesville, Julia and… read more
2018 Family Vacation Planning Guide
By Danielle Spano It may still be early in the year, but the time has come for you to open up that new 2018 calendar and pick out some dates for your next family vacation! There truly is no better… read more
Getting Back to Work: From Stay-at-Home to Working Parent
By Danielle Spano There are over 5 million stay-at-home mothers, according to the US Census Bureau’s America’s Families and Living Arrangements report. And while moms still make up the majority of stay-at-home parents, there are now about 2 million stay-at-home… read more
Our Fostering Family: The Sutton Family
By Elayza Gonzalez | Photo by Fredshots Photography Kristy Sutton always knew she wanted to adopt. After the birth of her second child with husband Zach, Kristy experienced a year of postpartum thyroid issues, which led to the conversation of… read more
A Day in the Life of Mike Calsam
Photo by Patricia Bishop Photography Mike Calsam is the co-president of J. E. Decker Construction Group and lifelong resident of Alachua County. He and his wife Justine have two young boys, Nolan (6) and Wyatt (3). Morning 5:30 a.m. Our… read more
