Robby Haynes

Special Needs

Finding Joy in the Life I Didn’t Plan

When Plans Fall Apart I’m a planner by nature. I like to make sure we know what direction we are heading at all times. A 10-year plan, in my mind, just makes good sense. In general, I’m not big on spontaneity. But if the last several years have

Practical Money

"Your Employer Wants to Give You Free Money - Are You Taking It?"

What if I told you there was a guaranteed way to double your money? Sound too good to be true? In this case, it’s not. There is a good chance your employer offers to match dollar for dollar what you put into your retirement account. If you aren’t

Parenting

How We Tame Our Family Calendar

Our family has had over 150 medical appointments in the past 12 months. It feels like we live at the doctor and therapy offices. We are on a first-name basis with everyone at the pharmacy. When you throw in multiple different school schedules, a full-time job, and events with friends

Practical Money

How to Save Money Without Thinking About It

One major goal for many people when it comes to their finances is to save more money. But, if you're like most people, you have good intentions about saving money but struggle to follow through consistently. We've heard the advice to save an emergency fund of

Autism

Indianapolis Airport Sensory Rooms

We recently took a family trip out west to explore the state of Utah. Traveling with two kids who have special needs can present certain challenges. Due to autism and intellectual disabilities, our daughters thrive on their daily routines. They like to know exactly what’s happening each day, and

3 Things I Love About Journaling

My Journal Story I have had an on-and-off relationship with journaling for my whole adult life. I would get inspired, open a fresh notebook, write some things down for a day or two, and then I would miss a day and forget that I even wanted to develop this habit.

How are you this Sunday?

My family attends church every possible Sunday of the year. For the past couple of months, however, I have dreaded going. It’s not that I’m doubting my faith. The church hasn’t hurt me. I don’t dislike the music. I love our pastors. The reason it’s

Post Office Kindness

A few days ago I had to take Carter to the post office to renew his passport. He’s leaving on a mission trip in a few weeks, and I’ve been putting this task off. Yes, I know you should book appointments well in advance of travel, but this

I’m ‘bout to have a good day…

We recently took our boys to see Forest Frank in concert. L and I weren’t really familiar with his music, other than hearing the boys sing it around the house. I listened to a few songs before we went, just to familiarize myself with his work. The concert ended

Finding the Good

I've been struggling a lot lately with focusing only on the negative aspects of life. My days have consisted of seeing all the hard things in my life and letting that overwhelm me. This constant drone of negative thoughts has affected everything. My mood is terrible. My sleep

Travel

Mammoth Cave Weekend

I spent the weekend with L and the boys in the middle of Kentucky. We were thrilled to check off Mammoth Cave Park in our national parks list. Saturday morning we got up early and drove down to Cave City. Upon arriving in the park, we quickly checked out the

Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

I recently finished Alfred Lansing's book Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. This book tells the story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to Antarctica, where he aimed to be the first to cross the continent on foot. Unfortunately, in January 1915, the ship became trapped in

The First Warm Day

Every year around this time in Indiana, we get that first wonderful, sunny day above 55 degrees. And every year, like clockwork, the neighborhood comes alive—people are out walking, pushing strollers, going for a run, or just soaking up the fresh air. It makes sense. After months of cold,

Parenting is hard...

Tonight one of my children and I were at odds over several issues about their schedule. We were not seeing eye to eye and both of us were growing more frustrated with each other. We ended at a stalemate with tears and yelling. I ended up leaving for work and

Show Your Work

Today, I started and finished Austin Kelon's book: Show Your Work.  I've seen this book recommended in several blogs and on multiple podcasts. It certainly did not disappoint! I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles with putting themselves out there for fear of what others

The Books I Read in 2022

One of my goals for the past couple of years has been to read more. Last year, I set my biggest goal ever of forty books. About halfway through the year, I was crushing it, so I upped my goal to fifty books. On December 31st, I finished the last

Special Needs

The winter break that never ends…

I have had a blog post like this bouncing around in my head for quite some time. I’ve gone back and forth about whether to share it or not. I would rather not paint my kiddos in a bad light or have anyone view them negatively at all. What

Breaking My Smartphone Addiction

Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m struggling to remember things. I feel like I’m constantly distracted. I’m on edge and just have a sense of negativity throughout the day. When I stop to think about what might be going on with me, I can’t help

Happy Birthday Laureann!

Usually for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I try to write a letter to L expressing my love and thankfulness for her. This year, I thought I would post a few of the reasons I’m so thankful to have such an incredible lady in my life. I’m amazed at your

Autism

Just ask “Why” - Becoming more empathetic

My daughter was diagnosed with autism in November 2018. Since the day we received the diagnosis, it has been a never-ending quest to read, listen, and learn as much as we can about autism. We want to understand how she processes the world, so that we can provide the best

Turning the Other Cheek

Anger in my life I recently posted about my anger and how that has been rearing its ugly head in my life. As I’ve been reflecting on that post and thinking more about what causes me to become angry, I think it often comes down to times when people

When a Hundred Dollars Feels Like a Billion Dollars

Elliana has been working hard in her ABA therapy to be ready to start attending traditional school next fall. Part of her preparation is learning the basics of money. She has been identifying that one nickel is worth five cents, one dime is worth ten cents, a one dollar bill

Anger in trials

In our small group, we have been reading through None Like Him by Jen Wilkin. This week the chapter was on the self-sufficiency of God and how He has need of no one. We, as humans, on the other hand, are completely dependent on Him for everything. This is a

Groundhog Days

The past several years have been hard for Laureann and me. It has felt like an endless cycle of diaper changes, tantrums, doctors appointments, more diaper changes, therapies, fights with insurance companies, sleepless nights, and total exhaustion as we try to parent kids who struggle with the very basics of

Much needed rest

What I’m reading… People will be drawn to you—without understanding why. They are, in fact, seeing what the Master Artist wants them to observe: Christ in you, highlighted against dark suffering. You are the canvas on which He paints glorious truths, sharing beauty, and inspiring others. So that