Boy Mom Podcast

Meet Dr. Marsha Nelson, a surgeon who is married to another surgeon, and has been able to raise four boys with the oldest now in college. Marsha shares with us her amazing story and the methods that she's used that has people stopping in restaurants to compliment the behavior of her sons. Married to a now retired military officer, Marsha talks about the trials and tribulations of having to continuously move throughout her motherhood and being able to go through almost an entire pregnancy while her husband was deployed overseas. Her down-to-earth nature and self-deprecating comments showcases how approachable and practical Marsha is as both a mother and a medical professional. Her poise and analytical approach is her power and she is a model of fortitude and never giving up. Marsha also talks about the evolution of her faith and how the birth and passing of her daughter brought her much closer to God. Her perseverance and passion for servant leadership is an inspiration to us all.

Meet Ryan McCann, only son of Suzanne, who joins us on this episode of the Boy Mom Podcast. Ryan is a student-athlete in graduate school at Seton Hill University and joins us to give perspective on his life and ever-evolving relationship with his mother. We gain special insight into his thinking at different points of his life and how he has come to appreciate and greatly value the relationship he now has with his mom. This episode will particularly warm the hearts of any mother who has a middle or high school teen who doesn't communicate and worries that this phase will be like this forever! Ryan walks us through the phases of his relationship and is very candid in discussing various time periods of his relationships.

Join us as to kick off our second season where we meet Kelly Bamm who is living proof of the power of prayer, intention, and healing. Making tough choices goverened by prayer and faith has always been part of Kelly's journey. Whether it was deciding to divorce while pregnant with her third child, or giving a chance to a new love and marriage, Kelly has always trusted God's plan. Having the courage to blend families, Kelly and her husband went on to have children together never expecting to receive the bounty of blessings that continued to arrive (including twins!). The unexpected twists and turns of Kelly's life also included finding out that she had a rare form of cancer that had a very low chance for survival. When her doctor told her to get her life in order, her mama bear gene kicked in and she knew she needed more than months--she needed multiple more years to be able to shepherd her 11 children! Through prayer, purpose-driven pursuit of holistic healthcare, and a strong family, Kelly brings her story to us with humor, candor, and grace.

Meet Karla and Kai-mother and son who have a heartwarming story about navigating the world of having a split home, where God fits in, how the mother and father relationship differ, and what miracles can happen when you constantly pray for everyone to be their highest self. Kai, an incredibly articulate rising junior at Hope College and his faithful and loyal mother, Karla, proud employee of Honda discuss the ebbs and flows of their relationship which evidences their enduring bond and deep love and respect for one another.

Meet Joe and Frank Anderson, identical twins and coming in at #5 and #6 in birth order to a family of ten children. While Frank reigns supreme as the older brother, Joe is a mere minutes younger and just as big of a personality as Frank. The two talk about their upbringing by mom Norene Karnes who was an incredibly dynamic woman who lived life out loud and taught her children to do the same.The touching tribute to their mom includes the twins talking about how their mother taught them to love and how much her example translated into how they conduct themselves as husbands and father. Whether Norene was making clothes for them, carting one of the 7 boys off to yet another trip to the ER, or washing endless amounts of laundry, Norene never complained and was steadfast in her commitment to embrace joy in everything she did.Not only did she have ten kids, but Norene also wrote for the local newspaper in Medina, Ohio, decided to go back to school to earn her nursing degree while battling breast cancer, and later decided to enroll in clown school. She used humor and hard work to express herself, but regularly relaxed through a regimen of hot tea and cross-stitch. Frank and Joe are hilarious--the joy that they have for life and love for each other is infectious. How they discuss their own relationships as husbands and fathers is heartwarming and is exactly what a mother would want to hear from her grown son's hearts, minds, and mouths. Norene, of all of your accomplishments, your lasting legacy of love is seen in your children. (Trooping them to church and bringing the rosary to wrestling matches probably also contributed to your formula of success that launched your own decade of children into the world.) I have always thought that Mary must have had a tremendously great sense of humor to put up with Jesus' antics and I can only think at the conclusion of this episode that Norene and our Queen Mother are sitting together in heaven wiping their eyes from laughing so hard.

Meet mom Gen and son Cole. Gen was born and raised in Westerville, Ohio and now lives in New Albany where she is the VP Branch Manager at First Community Mortgage. Cole is also born and raised in the greater Columbus area and is a public-to-private-to-public school student-athlete who attended St. Paul Catholic School for his last year of elementary, St. Francis DeSales High School, and is now finishing up his master's degree and collegiate football career at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Gen's candor about finding herself pregnant during her early college years while on a volleyball scholarship and coming home to raise her first son with the help of her supportive family provides a backdrop as to the love and joy that she chooses to live in every day as a mom. Gen is down-to-earth and matter-of-fact about the difference of being a boy mom with raising her daughter. Cole is the son that is every mother's dream now that he's 24! While rambunctious as a boy and still with a huge appetite, Cole was an avid athlete growing up playing football, baseball, and wrestling until scholarship offers began to roll in and Cole had to start choosing his path. A standout in wrestling and football for the Stallions, Cole Potts has always been a local fan favorite and beloved by Tom Cole had a dozen college scholarship offers to play football, but ultimately chose to join the Dukes as #66 on the O-line where he has had an illustrious career breaking several school records. Cole graduated with a degree in sports management and was able to continue to play while working on his master's degree in HR. Cole is currently training for a spot at the pro level in football. This episode includes advice to moms with young sons, helpful tips on how much milk athletes can drink on a daily basis, and a very heartfelt segment when we talk about the important role of both prayer and mother-son communication. Want more time with Gen? Find her on Facebook and to hear more from Cole, you can listen to his segment on the JMU Sound Off podcast.