By Jessica Ronne
Ryan and Jess blended their families after losing their spouses to cancer in 2010. This has led to an unexpected and often hilarious journey. Blended with Grit & Grace invites you to walk alongside them and learn what it’s like to have eight kids under one roof.
With wit and wisdom, Jess offers fresh perspectives on managing different parenting styles, developing family traditions, and meeting the special needs of your family. Jess, with frequent asides from Ryan, also probes deeper marital and family concerns that are often experienced but not talked about like grief, breakdowns in communication, finances, and insecurities. Filled with gentle advice, Blended with Grit & Grace transports readers into the Ronne’s kitchen so you can ponder the detours that have come up in your own life.
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Jessica Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host of Coffee with Caregivers, and advocate. She is founder and Executive Director of The Lucas Project—a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing recognition, resources, and respite for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children. To connect with Jess, follow her website: www.jessplusthemess.com.
“Jessica Ronne brings to blended families a much-needed read brimming with heart, honesty, and tried-and-true wisdom. Add this captivating book to the top of your must-read list. It’s a relatable look at the challenges and joys that come with merging two families. The wise advice Jessica and her husband, Ryan, pepper into each chapter is steeped in personal experience. This easy-to-love book is the handbook blended families will reread time and time again.”
—Sarah Philpott, award-winning author of Loved Baby
“Jess’s authentic yet stark honesty is encouraging for not only blended families but for all families who need a compass for walking out of hardship and into a life of imperfect beauty. This is a book you’ll pass on to others who need a lifeline in family life.”
—Brenda L. Yoder, LMHC, counselor, author of Fledge
“An inspirational story infused with faith, family values, and true appreciation for the simple things in life—like quality time. This is a beautiful testament to how powerful the right perspective can be in the midst of devastation, loss, and the daily challenges of being a parent and devoted spouse.”
—Laurie Hellmann, author of Welcome to My Life, host of Living the Sky Life podcast
“From the trials of step-parenting to the challenges of raising a teenager with special needs to figuring out what foods everyone will eat, Jess and her husband, Ryan, don’t mince words, but they do give one another and God credit for making it all work. The Ronne’s story will leave you with hope that you, too, can find reasons to celebrate the extraordinary in your own ordinary life.”
—Ingrid Lochamire, blogger, speaker, author of One Man’s Work
“This book is part memoir, part roadmap for spouses with blended families, part caregiving manual, and part cookbook. Filled with humor and sprinkled with grief, this book describes the challenges and joys of creating a blended family, from how to organize bathroom caddies to finding time to pray with a spouse while raising eight kids. Prepare to laugh out loud while you read but have a tissue handy for when you’re moved to tears.”
—Jolene Philo, national speaker, coauthor (with Gary Chapman) of Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families
“If you’re walking through a dark time or are just afraid of what’s next, this is the book for you. This is a personal story with practical advice. It will resonate with your own experiences and needs, and you will feel like Jess is a friend walking beside you.”
—Jessie Clemence, author
“Reading this memoir is like being hugged by a warm blanket. A tattered and torn blanket, for sure—it has been through a lot—but that’s what gives it the kind of life wisdom and comfort you’re looking for. Sit down by the fire with your friend Jessica and wrap yourself in this book.”
—Ron Deal, blended-family speaker, therapist, best-selling author of Building Love Together in Blended Families (with Gary Chapman) and The Smart Stepfamily
ISBN 9781684262816
Pages 224
Demensions (inches) 5.5 x 8.25
Weight (pounds) .5
