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A Heavy Dose of Perspective
I am working hard at the kitchen counter labeling glue sticks, crayons, markers, rulers, binders, everything but the kitchen sink. In just a few days from now my newly titled second and fourth graders will be off to their first day of school. Our days will grow suddenly quieter. My two-year old will wonder where “EWWWIIII and IN” are. Nap time will be all about me, or at least finding the kitchen counter so the boys can come home to a study environment for homework. I think all this through with a heavy dose of excitement for the future as well as deep-thoughts from the soul of a mom who just said goodbye to…
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Support Military Kids! Wear Purple Friday, April 13th
I am blessed to be the Mom of four extraordinary military-brats.J is a senior in high school this year and ready to take on the world. The college has been chosen, the degree has been picked. He is ready to go. go. go!E, 9 years old embodies adaptability. Books, video games, kickball, legos, friends, quiet-time; if it is available he wants to do it.C, celebrating his 7th birthday next week, loves riding his bike around our neighborhood whenever he gets the chance. He likes to feel the wind on his face. Give him activity and he is a happy boy.L is 20 months and full of SPUNK! He is already trying…
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Ah the memories…
I am coming up on a milestone, my twenty-year High School graduation-anniversary. Some would say 20 year High School Reunion but, alas, there will be none of that for us. I graduated from a small DoD School at the now closed Keflavik NAS, Iceland. Thank you for the memories! Funny how this post from Wife on the Roller Coaster suddenly triggered one for me out of the blue. June 7, 1992, I graduated from high school in the middle of my /final/ pcs as a military-brat. We hopped on a plane back to the states June 10, 1992. There were moves after high school. Mom and Dad PCSed two times while I was…
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Roots and Wings
We have an interesting phenomena going on in my house. We have an 18-month old and an 18 year old (and two other brothers in between). My husband and I often laugh with each other over the fact that we are the “young parents” with *J* (at sporting events, parent-teacher conferences etc etc) and we are going to be the “old wiser-parents” with *L*. There are times when I just want my 18-month old to grow up. I want him to communicate (although this can be hard even for an 18 year old); tell me his favorite things; share his deepest wishes; form an opinion that doesn’t involve whining; meet friends;…
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Financial Fitness in 2012
Welcome to a new year, military-families! We have so much ahead of us to look forward to: family time to spend, PCSs to plan, houses to buy, vacations to save for, retirements to plan for, new babies for some and others are sending our babies off to college (Yes, I would fall into that category). 2012 is going to be a great year!Did you make any New Years Resolutions, or I would rather call Personal Goals? How is that going? My big one this year is to get my home more organized. You can read more about that journey and steps I am taking on our blog ‘Our Letters to…
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Attainable Goals and the Sky-Blue Hue of Celery
It started as a simple experiment. My four-year old neighbor was over and she had never done the ‘celery experiment’. Imagine that! So I dug in my produce drawer and pulled out two stalks. We put a piece in each cup and then added food dye to the water. Red and blue. We watched them through the day and we saw the change. We noticed how the celery was drinking the water as the celery turned from green to a shade of the color of its water. We talked about the importance of drinking and how, yes, even plants drink. Her eyes were widened at this thought. Then my mind started spinning…
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Happy Birthday, Kiddo
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11Dad and Josh: Makes me smile 18 years ago a boy was born. He would forever change my life, influencing the mother that I am today, yesterday and tomorrow. He’s a brother! (and he will be again and again)Joshua, Josh, Kiddo. What an amazing young-man he has come to be. A stellar student, a strong athlete, a friend to many, a rock in a sea of turmoil. To say I am a proud mom would be an understatement. I…
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Halloween on a Budget
Autumn has begun and with that come thoughts of beautiful shades of leaves, pumpkins, apple picking and more. Many families begin to decorate their home with the season’s decor. It is so much fun to walk the aisles of our local Target or eXchange to see the latest Halloween decorations; lighted jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, funny graveyard markers, skeleton-bones and zombies everywhere. It is fun to look at but a family on a budget needs to do more looking then putting in their cart! How do you save this time of year? I have a few suggestions. To start with, I love the change of season. I love to decorate the house as we…
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Friends: Partnerships in Growth, Understanding and Enjoyment of Life
ChiTown: city of lights; waterfront; museums; skyscrapers; fabulous food; frothing fountains; multiple museums and friends. Chicago: bursting with art, star light, the philharmonic symphony pulsing in the park The Loop rumbling with near mile wide highways, rumbling with trains and full of the drum of the ‘L’s”… a beautiful noise. Overload of joy, memories, shopping and walking. Long ago, and in a far away time… Dale and I went to college 20 miles north of the big city. Too poor to travel into Chicago often, even though the intrigue of it called We dreamed of knowing this city like our own. We knew we wanted to stay on a…
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Stepping Out with Faith on a PCS
While moving books from one book shelf to another, there in the shadow of much larger tomes was a beloved book that I read and reread decades ago: Psalms of My Life by Joseph Bayly. The binding is broken and pages are yellow. This little book traveled with me from college days to the present. How fitting that when I took the book marker out, it was on #18, A Psalm on moving to take a new job. My goodness, Dale and I did that 18 times. And 18 times I needed this page!A Psalm on moving to take a new job by Joseph Bayly I take this stepLordin faith.Faith that…
