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About

Kristina Tubinis

Meet Kristina

Latest Posts

How Mia Made Her Entrance: Part 1

Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins

  • How Mia Made Her Entrance: Part 1

    How Mia Made Her Entrance: Part 1
  • Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins

    Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins
  • A Letter to My Daughter: Listen First, Keep Your Eyes Open, Not Everyone Who Does Good Is Good

    A Letter to My Daughter: Listen First, Keep Your Eyes Open, Not Everyone Who Does Good Is Good
  • Have you Heard of Her? That Girl There Once Was.

    Have you Heard of Her? That Girl There Once Was.
  • I Macheted A Chicken This Week!

    I Macheted A Chicken This Week!
  • God, Bless This Mess!

    God, Bless This Mess!

Meet Kristina

Welcome, I’m Kristina!

I wear many hats—wife, mom, reader, adventurer—but at the core, I’m someone who’s passionate about faith, family, and encouraging women through shared stories and real-life experiences. I’m so glad you’re here and would love for you to join me on this ever-evolving journey of life and learning.

This space is meant to be interactive, honest, and full of encouragement. Because I have a lot of things I love to write about, I’ve organized this blog into five categories: Love is Adoption, Book Reviews, Life with Mia, Travel Obsessions, To My Sisters: Faith & Family.

When this blog began, our family was right in the middle of a life-changing chapter. We live in a small country town just outside Memphis, Tennessee, where my husband Matt and I have planted roots on four acres of land. If you drive by in the summer, you’ll probably spot scattered toys, deflated pools, slip-n-slides, and a freshly mowed lawn (thanks to Matt—he works hard at it, even though it’s a lot to manage!).

I’m a mom of six learning to take each day as it comes, embracing both the chaos and the calm.

In 2017, we began our adoption journey and welcomed our #ThreeMoreTubis—an experience that forever changed our lives.

We’ve chosen to embrace the wild, the unexpected, and the beautiful by TRIPLING DOWN on FOREVER. This is my life, my heart, and the story I’m grateful to share with you.


P.S. Why Triple Down?
Great question. “Triple Down” means to strengthen your commitment—even when the path is uncertain or risky. For us, it’s about going all-in with love, family, and faith… even when it doesn’t make perfect sense on paper.

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Recent Posts

  • Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins
  • A Letter to My Daughter: Listen First, Keep Your Eyes Open, Not Everyone Who Does Good Is Good
  • Have you Heard of Her? That Girl There Once Was.

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Pick up those Broken Ones, People!

We did It! 1st week all back to SCHOOL!

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Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins

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sheis__kristina

Did you know that siblings of children with specia Did you know that siblings of children with special needs often develop exceptional empathy and understanding? (Also✨bonus question at the end!)

Watching my children (and their friends ) interact with Mia through love and support reminds me that while this journey isn't always easy, it shapes hearts in beautiful ways. 💙

One reason is that they are exposed to differences from an early age in a very personal way. While every sibling's experience is unique, many siblings of children with special needs often:

💙 Learn that everyone has different strengths and challenges.

💙 Develop patience by adapting to situations that may require extra time, flexibility, or understanding.

💙 Become strong advocates after seeing their sibling navigate barriers or misunderstandings.

💙 Gain perspective by recognizing that not everyone's journey looks the same.

💙 Learn inclusion naturally because differences are part of their everyday life.

Research has found that many siblings of individuals with disabilities report higher levels of empathy, compassion, and social awareness. Of course, they may also face challenges, such as taking on extra responsibilities or feeling overlooked at times, but their experiences can foster a deep appreciation for acceptance and human connection.

BONUS QUESTION: What book am I reading?👇🏼

#SpecialNeedsFamily #SiblingLove #DownSyndromeAwareness #SpecialNeedsMom
He did not win 🤣💪🏼@mptubinis He did not win 🤣💪🏼@mptubinis
Do you know what it feels like to be a wife, mom o Do you know what it feels like to be a wife, mom of 6, special needs mom, and work-from-home mom? It feels like I am always forgetting something, always disappointing someone, always overwhelmed by the endless list of things to do.

Once upon a time, a boss called me the most productive person on the team. Now I feel like I’m completing nothing, handling nothing well, and dropping the ball everywhere. I got to the point where I was only dealing with the most pressing issue right in front of me — not looking too far ahead and not prioritizing anything. Basically just surviving long enough to get to the next thing done.

I’ve realized I have to pull myself out of this. Not because everything will suddenly get easier, but because living in constant survival mode is exhausting. So here is the list I’ve made for myself. 🤍

✨ Pray more, panic less
🤍 Take care of myself like I take care of everyone else
☀️ Accept that some days surviving is still enough
🌿 Move my body… even if it’s just a walk

I can’t pour from an empty cup. One day at a time.
Yes, children with Down syndrome can swim — and ma Yes, children with Down syndrome can swim — and many absolutely thrive in the water. 💙

Swimming builds:
✨ Strength
✨ Confidence
✨ Coordination
✨ Independence
✨ Joy

Every child learns differently, and progress may look different too — but different does not mean impossible! And please don't ever tell Mia she can't be in water!! She is our mermaid 🧜🏼‍♀️

Some of the biggest milestones happen one small splash at a time. 🫶

To the parents showing up for therapies, lessons, encouragement, and every brave first step… keep going. Your kids are capable of amazing things. Let's not limit them because of our limited knowledge of what they can do!! 

#DownSyndromeAwareness #DownSyndrome #NothingDownAboutIt #SpecialNeedsParenting #mosaicdownsyndrome
These last 6 years have stretched me in every way These last 6 years have stretched me in every way — physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’m not always sure why God chose for our path to feel so uncertain and fluid, but here we are.

I went from being a marathon runner to a mom navigating a world I knew nothing about, carrying the weight of stress, exhaustion, and over 30 extra pounds. Somewhere along the way, I lost parts of myself trying to survive it all.

But slowly, little by little, I’m finding her again. 💕

I’ve lost 17 pounds and have been running consistently again for the last 2 months. It feels so good to feel strong again — not just physically, but mentally too. And yes, I know how quickly life can change. I know progress can feel fragile when life throws giant curveballs.

But today I’m choosing gratitude. I’m still here. Still trying. Still growing. Still running.

Friends, life is hard. It humbles all of us at some point. But don’t forget — if you’re still living, there’s still purpose ahead of you. Are you living too? ⬇️ Tell me how!! Please?

Also shout out to @katiekalsi_handbags for the amazing handbag and hand-painted strap I'll be wearing for Memorial Day 🇺🇸
Want to see what it's like for a big family at the Want to see what it's like for a big family at the end of the school year...

We love our teachers 💕📝👩🏼‍🏫
Congratulations to Levi for being promoted to midd Congratulations to Levi for being promoted to middle school 🙌🏼🙏🏼✨ Our family says goodbye to Sycamore after 3 kiddos and 8 years at the school. Definitely bittersweet 💞
Oops 😬 my bad #momfail She's my girl ♥️✨ 2 plus h Oops 😬 my bad #momfail

She's my girl ♥️✨ 2 plus hours of sitting for her bros graduation and she was amazing 😍!!
Happy Graduation Day to Isaac 🎓✨ GHS ♥️ We are so Happy Graduation Day to Isaac 🎓✨ GHS ♥️ We are so proud of you! 

2 down, 4 to go 💪🏼🙌🏼 @mptubinis
May 16, 2009 💕 17 years 🙏🏼✨ what a life we've had May 16, 2009 💕 17 years 🙏🏼✨ what a life we've had so far! Happy Anniversary, babe 😘 I love you. Thank you for a wonderful night at the Redbirds game! 

(This weekend was a crazy one, so posting a day late 🫩)
The other day I was watching an Instagram reel of The other day I was watching an Instagram reel of another child with Down syndrome reading, and I immediately started comparing Mia to him. 🥺

That’s why I believe the Bible warns us so strongly against jealousy and comparison—because if we let it, it can quietly take root and steal our joy... But also not so quietly! It can be a loud force of ruin in our lives. 

I know where my identity lies, and where Mia’s does too—in our Creator, who gives each of us unique talents and gifts. But it still doesn't make those moments easier. 

Later, I brought up my worries about Mia’s development to my husband, and he simply said, “God gave the gift of music to Mia.”

And he’s right. She sings without the stutter she sometimes has in typical speech. She holds a beat, keeps rhythm, and absolutely loves music. She shines when she's singing and dancing 🙌🏼✨✨

That is one of the beautiful gifts God chose to give her.

We will forever be grateful for exactly who Mia is, no matter what that looks like. 🤍
#mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndromeawareness
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and mother-in-law 🤍 Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and mother-in-law 🤍

This Mother’s Day feels a little different. Turning 40 a couple months ago hit me harder than I expected. Life looks so different than I imagined when I was that young mom in these photos 😲

This past year has stretched me in ways I didn’t see coming. Motherhood is beautiful, exhausting, humbling, and full of moments where you realize you don’t always get it right. Sometimes others step in where we fall short, and that can be both a gift and a hard pill to swallow. Especially when that person always seems to get it right. 

But today, I’m choosing gratitude. Gratitude for the struggles we’ve walked through, the growth that came from them, and the beauty that somehow always finds its way in.

Looking back at these pictures is wild—seeing how young I was and how much life has changed. Motherhood hasn’t looked perfect, but it has been real, full of love, learning, resilience, and trying my best through every season.

Here’s to all the moms doing the messy, meaningful work every single day. 🤍
Mia loves to learn 🙌🏼 She watches everything, imit Mia loves to learn 🙌🏼 She watches everything, imitates, grows, and does what she sees. It’s a reminder to be intentional with what we’re teaching her and how we’re showing up. Sometimes she just needs a little extra instruction 💕
#mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndromeawareness #sheishandcrafted
Happy birthday to the best big sis a girl could as Happy birthday to the best big sis a girl could ask for! I wish I was in sunny Florida with you ☀️Matt and I will one day find our way down there 😂 Thanks for always being there for me!
VOTE PLEASE 🤣💕🙌🏼 Official family debate time 😂 👇 VOTE PLEASE 🤣💕🙌🏼 

Official family debate time 😂 👇🏼
Our newly 13-year-old: Team Mom or Team Dad? 💕🙌🏼 Who does she look like?! Swipe for dad!

Drop your vote in the comments! The loser will have consequences 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦🏼‍♀️
So much fun celebrating Charlee last night!! Thank So much fun celebrating Charlee last night!! Thank you friends who came over and parents who stayed to hang out for dinner! We had a blast💕 

And thank you @christyford2007 for your beautiful artwork 🎨🖌️👩🏼‍🎨 Charlee loved it and felt so special 🙌🏼
OMG what is a cheese pull?!! Have you heard of t OMG what is a cheese pull?!! 

Have you heard of the cheese pull? 🤣🧀

Because apparently my kids took that as a personal challenge.
Big sis just wanted to send brother a video… and chaos followed 😂

Of course lil sis had to enter!!!

#cheesepull
Levi wanted to make a reel… “Which way is up?!” 🤍 Levi wanted to make a reel…

“Which way is up?!” 🤍

I love the way his brain works—so smart, creative, curious, and fun.

It made me think about something I ask myself often since becoming a mom: Who really defines success, intelligence, or even what’s “right”? Who or what is our guiding standard? Which way is truly up?

As a mom to Mia, I think about this a lot. Will she fit the world’s definition of success? Maybe not always. But maybe the world’s definition isn’t the one that matters most anyway. 💕
Is it true that kids with Down syndrome may not fe Is it true that kids with Down syndrome may not feel as much pain as we do? 🤔 

Tough question bc it involves many different layers. 

Some days I’m reminded in quiet, humbling ways that parenting Mia means seeing the world differently.

Mia doesn’t always register or communicate discomfort the way most of us do. She may not tell me when she’s fallen, I just notice a new mark on her later.  Which is so scary and one of the reasons we pulled her out for homeschooling last year.

When something hurts, when she’s cold, or even when something small changes—like losing a baby tooth, she doesn't tell me. 

She also doesn’t always recognize things like temperature in the same way. She might happily get into a pool when it’s freezing outside and not realize her body is too cold to stay in it. 

Here's an example: I was walking barefoot while cleaning up the driveway and yard and stepped on something sharp. I felt it immediately, checked my foot, didn’t see anything, and went on with my day—until hours later when I realized there was still pain and found a small piece of glass. It reminded me that while I can quickly notice and respond to pain in my own body, Mia may not always be able to identify or express those signals in the same way. And that’s something that always sits on my heart as her mom.

It’s a reminder to stay watchful in a different way—to check in on her body even when she doesn’t say something is wrong, and to hold space for the fact that she experiences things on her own timeline, in her own way. Also, that I am always on with her. It can be exhausting knowing that a typical 9 year old can somewhat be independent, but I am always alert and on with Mia. 

Parenting her has taught me to slow down, pay closer attention, and listen beyond words. And I wouldn’t trade that perspective for anything. 🤍 But appreciate the respite we get from Gigi and Papa every now and then!
#DownSyndromeAwareness #MosaicDownSyndrome #downsyndrome
It was a day of celebrations! Congratulations Char It was a day of celebrations! Congratulations Charlee on another year of lacrosse 🥍! Go @dragonsyouthlacrosse
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