The mixed and blended Family

Our Family Story

Welcome to my corner of the internet, where I share the real, unfiltered story of what it means to build, blend, and rebuild a family.

I’m Carmen, and I’ve been a mom in every sense of the word for most of my adult life. I gave birth to seven beautiful children plus I’m currently pregnant and had the privilege of being a stepmother to two more. My journey to motherhood wasn’t always easy – I experienced several heartbreaking miscarriages that taught me both the fragility and strength that comes with loving deeply.

For fifteen years, I was married and navigating the complex world of blended family life. During that time, I welcomed five children and learned firsthand how love multiplies rather than divides when families come together. Later, I had two more children with another partner, adding new layers to our family story.

Life took an unexpected turn, and I now find myself on a new adventure as a single mother, raising my children and discovering strength I never knew I had. It’s been challenging, exhausting, and absolutely beautiful all at once.

For over sixteen years, I worked as a doula, walking alongside families during some of their most sacred moments – the birth of their babies and the expansion of their hearts. Supporting other mothers through their journeys taught me so much about resilience, community, and the power of shared experience. Now, I’m channeling that same passion for nurturing and support into sharing my own story.

When I’m not in full mom-mode (which, let’s be honest, is rarely), you’ll find me in the kitchen. Baking has always been my love language – there’s something magical about creating something sweet that brings people together. Over the years, I’ve also discovered a genuine love for cooking, experimenting with new recipes and finding ways to feed my large family without breaking the bank or my sanity.

I’ll be completely transparent with you – I’m not a fan of cleaning. It gets done because it has to, but if I had to choose between scrubbing floors and kneading dough, I’d choose the dough every single time.

This blog is where I share the messy, imperfect, absolutely wonderful reality of parenting a large family. You’ll find stories about our daily adventures, tips I’ve learned along the way, recipes that actually work for busy families, and honest conversations about the challenges and joys of mixed and blended family life.

Whether you’re a single parent feeling overwhelmed, someone navigating blended family dynamics, or just someone who appreciates authentic stories about real family life, I’m so glad you’re here. My hope is that by sharing our story, you’ll feel less alone in yours.

Because here’s what I’ve learned: families come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re all beautiful. The traditional family model is just one of many ways to build a loving home, and there’s room at the table for everyone’s story.

Thank you for being part of our community. Let’s navigate this beautiful chaos together, one story at a time.

With love and flour-dusted hands,
Carmen

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Want to connect? You can find me on social media sharing our daily adventures, or drop me a line at collab@mixedandblendedfamily.com. I’d love to hear your story too.

Our Amazing Kids

Our family is blessed with nine wonderful children, each unique and special:

• 20 year old exploring the world and working through college.
• 17 and starting college this year and wants to travel.
• A 16-year-old who is in high school working towards being a chef and enjoying cheerleading.
• Our 14-year-old is starting school and playing baseball with the hopes to continue into high school.
• An 12-year-old who loves art and is involved in an art club. No sports for her this year.
• Our 8-year-old who started to play soccer and is now going to try softball.
• A 6-year-old who started to play soccer and is now going to try t-ball. He has an IEP for speech and we will be sharing that journey.
• A curious 2-year-old who is WILD and wants to run FREE.
• And our newest addition, a 11-month-old baby who is crawling and loving all the new flavors of food.
• Now we are expecting and due at the end of February.

Family Passions

Sports and creativity are a big part of our family life! You’ll find our kids involved in:

• Soccer
• Softball
• T-ball
• Baseball
• Art Club

Our Family Values

As a blended, biracial, and multicultural family, we celebrate our differences and find strength in our diversity. We believe in:

• Mutual respect
• Supporting each other’s dreams
• Embracing our unique cultural backgrounds
• Learning and growing together

The Edwards-Blanchard Family: Love, Diversity, and Endless Joy