It’s been a while… and there’s a lot to catch up on. After an unexpectedly long break, I’m finally back behind the microphone to talk about the season that pulled me away—from burnout and some scary family moments to an unexpected foster placement, changing plans for our boys’ schooling, and a summer full of transitions.

This episode is less about having everything figured out and more about what happens when life changes the plan. We’re talking motherhood, marriage, knowing when something has to give, leaning on your people, and learning that changing direction doesn’t mean you got it wrong the first time.

So grab a cup of coffee and catch up with me. It feels really good to be back. 🤍

Parenting little boys later in life feels different, not because it’s easier, but because experience changes how you see things.

In this episode, I reflect on how age and life experience reshaped my approach to parenting. From letting go of urgency and perfection, to understanding regulation, movement, and connection, I share what truly changed for me in this season of raising young boys. I also talk about why we chose homeschooling for our family.

This episode is for parents who feel like they’re parenting differently than they once did, questioning old rules, or learning to trust steadiness over perfection. It’s a reminder that experience is a gift, and that you’re allowed to evolve alongside your children.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

📖 Letting Go of the Perfect Mom Myth — https://theankerhomestead.blog/2025/11/10/letting-go-of-the-perfect-mom-myth/

In this episode, I reflect on what divorce and blending a family taught me over time, not in hindsight perfection, but in lived experience. I share what I would do differently now: slowing down, holding boundaries earlier, trusting time more, and letting go of the belief that exhaustion equals strength.

We talk about how kids don’t need perfect transitions, they need emotional safety, and how blending a family isn’t a single decision, but thousands of small moments shaped by patience and consistency. I also share why staying open, even in the face of rejection, mattered more than self-protection, and why choosing quiet perseverance was worth it.

If you’re navigating divorce, co-parenting, or the long, unseen work of building trust, this episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t have to be rushed, and that staying open is an act of courage.

Love isn’t about being permissive or controlling, it’s about showing up with steadiness and care. In this episode, I talk about how supportive guidance, consistent boundaries, and repair after hard moments help kids feel safe coming to us instead of shutting down.

This conversation is for parents and blended families who want to lead with compassion, hold firm without being harsh, and build trust over time, even when parenting feels heavy. For more reflections on letting go of perfection and parenting with intention, check out the blog post: https://theankerhomestead.blog/2025/11/10/letting-go-of-the-perfect-mom-myth/

Sibling groups are a reality for many children entering foster care, yet they’re often misunderstood. In this episode, I share what we’ve learned fostering sibling groups and parenting children impacted by trauma , how siblings provide comfort and familiarity, how trauma shows up in everyday behavior, and why accountability without shame matters so much.

This is an honest, experience-based conversation about safety, consistency, and showing up for kids who carry more than they should have to, without pretending there are easy answers.

Surrogacy is often talked about in simple terms, but the reality is layered and deeply human. In this episode, I share our surrogacy journey, why we chose it, what it looked like in real life, and the emotional complexity that comes with carrying a child for someone else. This is an honest conversation about trust, boundaries, and love, beyond the headlines and assumptions.

Foster care wasn’t part of our original plan, but it became a calling we couldn’t ignore. In this episode, I share the story of how we found our way into fostering, the fears we had, and why we felt drawn to teens in foster care.

Teens are often the most overlooked in the system, yet they carry so much strength, resilience, and unmet need. This conversation is an honest look at what it means to say yes, to show up imperfectly, and to believe that it’s never “too late” to make a difference.

If you’ve ever wondered why someone would choose to foster, especially teens, this episode is for you.

In this opening episode of Anchored in Love, Juliet shares the heart behind the podcast and the story that shaped her. She reflects on the moments that didn’t go as planned, the paths that unfolded differently than expected, and the steady love that carried her through each season.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and sit with the idea that families are formed in many ways — and that our stories don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. If you’ve ever wondered where you belong in your own journey, this is a gentle place to begin.