Being the youngest of 12 children, my mother had a saying that I find myself quoting often. She would say "we put the FUN in dysfunction!"

Coming from such a large family taught me pretty quick that there was no perfect family or right way to raise your children. In my big Irish Catholic family, we fight hard but we love harder. And at the end of the day, my parents raised us to be there for eachother during the hard times...and my siblings have not disappointed. The surge of love and support we all feel from one another is the greatest gift our parents gave us.

Now I am a mom of 3 young children. My oldest is medically fragile and has special needs. The days can be incredibly challenging. Simple things like school and birthday parties can bring out epic breakdowns... What my husband and I envisioned our future is nothing like what it is today. The ordinary family just was not in the cards for our little crew. And you know what? That's okay. Because my little family is extraordinary. They have taught me so much and made me a better person. My family introduced me to a love so profoundly deep... we celebrate life's little victories and accomplishments. I am thankful and blessed everyday to be their mom.

So is my family dysfunctional? Yep.

Do we have FUN in our dysfunctional family? Absolutely!

Lucy Riles, Life of Mom Co-Founder