Suzanne Hines
Hi, I'm Suzanne! I am a Christian, wife to Theo, Mom to Tera Evelynne (18 months) and foster Mom to some of the most precious foster kiddos placed in our home. I grew up far, far away from Dayton as a missionary kid in West Africa. After graduating from my international high school, I attended Cedarville University. A few months into my freshman year, I met an incredible man named Theo. Although I had sworn off dating, there I was...dating him! We were married by my junior year and the rest is history! We stuck around the area and I am now proud to call the Dayton area home.
Theo works for the Dayton Fire Department and I am a stay at home Mom. Most of my day consists of chasing children, feeding children, cleaning up after children and driving them all around to their various appointments (foster care makes for A LOT of driving!!). In my spare time (har har har), I love to cook, run, browse Pinterest and Instagram and read books and maintain my blog (www.suzannehines.org).
My family loves to explore outside, to attend festivals and events and to find frugal ways to live in the Dayton area.
My favorite thing about motherhood is watching my children develop their own little personality! How did I create this walking, talking, living, breathing, giggling, kissing human being?!? What a miracle!
To The Ones Whose Names Are Hard to Pronounce
Hello, dear ones.
You know who you are.
The ones who always have their names mispronounced. Or misspelled.
I used to get annoyed. Snarky. Overly corrective. Every single time someone opened their mouth, it seemed that my...
I Think I Want to Homeschool but I Don’t Know Where to Start
Growing up, I spent my lower elementary years being homeschooled. I don’t remember these years vividly, but I do remember that they inspired in me a love of reading (and didn’t help at all...
When You Are Expecting the Unexpected
I will never forget the date. It was March 26, 2018. I could not figure out why I was late, and nothing made any sense. I KNEW I wasn’t pregnant, but I decided to...
5 Tips to Staying in a Hotel Alternative
Before you plan your next vacation, have you considered staying in an alternative to a hotel? Staying in a privately-owned home that is available for short-term rentals is becoming increasingly popular, mostly because of...
To the Mom with the Beat-Up Car
Hey, Mama with the beat-up car - I see you. I see you driving to the park, to the store, to the school to drop your kids off. I see the rust spots and...
I’m Anti Date Night
That’s it. I’m done. I’m done with “date nights”. Every year for the past five years, I’ve started the year declaring that this would be the year that my husband and I finally make...
5 Things I’ve Learned by Letting Strangers Live in My Basement
My husband and I recently renovated our basement and turned it into a quaint one bedroom, one bathroom, full kitchen apartment. At the end of the process, we were still happily married (although with...
#GetToTheBC: The Best of Butler County Food
My family and I recently had the privilege of traveling to Butler County and trying out some of the best that they have to offer. We were able to try out three different food...
#GetToTheBC: The Best of Butler County Activities
On a recent trip to Butler County, my family had the pleasure of visiting three incredible places that had activities for the whole family!
Just as a little bit of context, I have three children...
The Dangerous Lies of Self-Care: When Self-Care is Destructive
Raise your hand if you have ever heard the advice about putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting someone else.
I’m guessing we all have our hands raised.
It’s used all the time, and it...
5 Things I Want You to Know About Being a Police Wife
I recently become a police wife.
My husband has always wanted to have a job that is active and that keeps the adrenaline pumping. For several years he worked for our fire department, but just...
It Doesn’t Get Easier, It Gets Different
As a mother of very young children, I have always struggled with the statement, "Enjoy it now because then they grow up and become toddlers/preteens/teenagers".
Well, I'm here to tell you that now I get...
Pinching Our Pennies: The Top Five Ways We Save Money
Last month, Dayton Mom's Blog rolled out a post I had written called Living on Love, how we live with a low income and still love our lives.
The response to this post blew me...
I See You and I Hear You (A Letter to My Shy Child)
To my shy child,
I see you. I know that many other people don't see you. You are hiding behind my leg, not offering your name when asked. You are the last one of your...