You’re originally from Indiana, but now live in the Scottsdale area. What brought you here?

My husband, Keith, used to play hockey for the Phoenix Coyotes and when he retired 10 years ago we wanted to move back to raise our children in the beautiful state of Arizona.

On your website, you say that 18 years ago you had triplets, and then followed that up with a girl about a year later. How did having 4 children so quickly change your ‘plan’ in life?

Keith and I had wanted 4 kids when we got married; we just didn’t know we’d end up being blessed with them all in 18 months. I don’t know what it’s like to have any less than 3 children at once, so motherhood has always been a little crazy for me. I think it really began to get crazy when we added to our family three years ago with the adoption of our 10-year-old son from the Arizona foster care system. And since are family obviously enjoys crazy, we are currently in the process of opening up our foster-adoptive license again, so we’ll see what God has in store.

You’re an author, a public speaker, a wife and a mother of 5 children. Can you tell us about your inspiration behind your best-selling book, Parent on Purpose, and what are some examples of how you implemented these principles in your own home?

My book stems from the courageous decision we made in 2014 to travel the USA by RV for 7 months. Our kids were going into 6th and 7th grades and we felt our family was disconnected and drifting apart so we wanted to recapture our family story and build stronger relationships with one another before our sons and daughter were teenagers, so Keith quit his job; we pulled the kids out of school; resigned from all organized activities and hit the road for our epic family adventure. On that trip we were able to regroup and reclaim what was really important in life and what we wanted for our family and our kids moving forward when we returned home.

You describe your line of ‘You are Loved’ products as a legacy-leaving collection. What does this phrase mean to you and where did it come from?

My Mom signed greeting cards to me You are Loved, Mom and every time I read that, I recognized how blessed I was to be loved- not only by my mom, but by my other family members, my husband, my children, my friends and most importantly by my Heavenly Father and Creator God. I designed my You are Loved keepsake books (and this hat) as a way for people to tangibly be reminded of how they too are deeply loved. As a foster and adoptive parent, I want to also share the love and hope that I’ve experienced in my life, with children growing up in foster care who unfortunately spend many of their days feeling unwanted and unloved. I want these precious children to know that they are most definitely loved.

My legacy product line I developed stems from what I did to create meaningful mementoes for my children when I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in case the disease were to end my life. Praise God that I had a full recovery and am completely healthy today! https://amycarney.com/shop/

What projects & plans does Amy Carney have for 2020 & beyond? What’s next?

I am just beginning the launch of my Legacy Line which currently includes two You are Loved keepsake albums, The Childhood Cherished Keepsake Kit and ancillary products, so I am working on doing more content and marketing to get the word out. I’m also working toward designing a planner and organizational family binder system too.

How has the recent COVID-19 pandemic affected your life both at home and with your business?

Our five teenagers are home with us and I’m trying to relax and find simple ways to create meaningful moments during this period of Coronavirus confinement. I feel badly for our triplets who are missing all of their Senior “things,” but we are so thankful we are safe and healthy. As far as my business goes, all of my speaking engagements and live events have been erased from my spring calendar, so I’m trying to pivot and work on more online content right now. My Parent on Purpose book is still selling on Amazon and my online course and tangible products are selling off of my website, so that’s nice.

What would you say to your followers who have lost jobs, lost family members, and who are struggling on a daily basis with our current ‘lock down’ situation in our country?

We are all affected one way or another by this Coronavirus. Some are experiencing terrible loss, while others of us are dealing with minor inconveniences, yet we all have no choice but to proceed through this pandemic with faith, instead of fear. This too shall pass and we have to stay positive despite our circumstances. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, in any area of your life, if you need it!

Who is the beneficiary you’ve selected for this project and why are they important to you & your story?

My beneficiary for this project is Hope & A Future, https://azhope.com because I have seen firsthand with our son the difference this organization makes in the lives of foster and adopted children. Hope & A Future provides hope to the more than 15,000 children in the Arizona foster care system by providing sleep away summer camp experiences; life skills programs and mentoring to teenagers; educational scholarships and other events to celebrate our most vulnerable children.

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You Are Loved - Every Hat Has a Story - Arizona