BEDFORD — Christine sweeps the hair from her face, stifling a laugh as she repeats instructions for her ten-year-old twins. They’re supposed to be helping to clean the living room. But the boys are rambunctious; it’s hard to keep them focused on a task and harder still to ignore the comic nature of the things…

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For Athena, the magic of the season is inextricably tied to childhood. As wondrous as it can be, however, it’s also a period of high pressure. As a mother of three, she wants to pass along the miraculous spirit of the holiday. The only trouble is that, by the final month of the year, there…

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Athena and her husband moved from Southern California to North Texas in anticipation of their second son. Five years later, another baby threw the balance out again. For this family, Christmas often looms on the horizon instead of beckoning. But just when it looks like the magic is gone — right when the holiday stress…

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A yard is never just a yard. It’s more than grass and dirt. For many of us, a yard is a place of escape. The solitary stretch of land that truly belongs to a person. In your yard, you are the undisputed ruler; at peace with the entirety of your kingdom. The rest of the…

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HURST — The air shimmers above the asphalt on Precinct Line, as thick as always in the dead of Texas summer. From her post underneath a pop-up lemonade stand on her front lawn, Shari Rydzeski can tell that it’s time for an executive decision. But first, she’ll need to talk to the boss. Mikayla, Shari’s…

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