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Full of Thanks
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far. Christmas and Easter shape my life but have become way too commercialized and, in general, we’ve lost the meaning. There’s not much pressure with Thanksgiving though. Wednesday I’ll turn the music up, bake some cookies, pies and bread. I’ll enjoy having the kids’ help once in awhile (especially with the cookie part) and then Thanksgiving, this year, we’ll head to hub’s family gathering; sixty to seventy of his closest relatives. No fuss, just family. I also love taking the time to enjoy what we are thankful for. This year, at dinner, we have gone around the table each day and said something we are thankful for. …
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Are You Part of Your Local Community?
“As we took our first break, one of the other workers, asked us what we had done to earn community service hours?” Volunteers at workBecoming part of the outside the gate community is often very difficult for military members and their families. We PCS often, have different interests, go to unit functions and with young families, it just seems like we are too busy to really connect. But there are so many good reasons to find a connection in your local community. Here are few of the reasons we continue to be a part of the community after living the military lifestyle for many years: 1 – Participation makes you feel good…
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Summer 2012 Bucket List
Summer Vacation is soon upon us. A time of year I LOVE! The lack of routine is so refreshing but amazingly enough becomes a little old after only a few weeks (and depending on the moment, sometimes only after a few days). So this summer my boys and I have created a ‘Bucket List’. Things we all want to do in the course of our lazy-days of summer. Somethings are things I want to do as a family. Some things are dreams. Others are already being planned. This is our list of plans, ideas and joys for the summer: Ride our Bike to Tasty Freeze Have a backyard game of kickball Catch fireflies…
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Memorial Day Weekend Revisited: A Story in Pictures
Wow! What a fantastic weekend. We had dinner with neighbors, a barbecue with friends, went to another party with more neighbors and then Memorial Day we marched in a parade, visited a few cemeteries and then had lunch at the VFW. No, the garden didn’t get ’tilled as planned after the major thunderstorm on Saturday night; yes, the air-condition did get turned on Monday night after reaching 90 degrees that day; and yes, the Kocsis Crew needs to officially restock the band-aid box after my 6 year old fell multiple times on his knees. But all in all it was a weekend to be remembered. Neighbors! We are so blessed…
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WWII Veterans Centerpoint
I captured a moment. It wasn’t what I came to see, yet it was perfect. In mesmerizing calm we walked around the monument, and it is monumental. Schools of school classes were in Washington DC for civics 101 in real life. To some students viewing the WWII tribute, it was ancient history. Our family is blessed with survivors: Navy, Army and Army/Air Corps. The names of battles brought frightening images to conversations to so many who were walking in groups.Then across the center point, a slow moving, wheel chaired, cane supported group of seniors assembled. They weren’t there for my camera, or the 30 other cameras that flashed. They were…
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Mentorship in Marriage
39 years ago today, I wasn’t but a sparkle in my mom’s eye as she walked down the aisle in her beautiful white dress on her dad’s arm. Her focus, my dad, her future! My future. My children’s future. I have been blessed. Since that wedding day the Lt. and Mrs. became Mom and Dad to three children, me and my two younger brothers. They took their family where the military sent them, far from their own families. They relied on each other, friends around them and the grace of God. Their three children grew up, got married and had children. Dad has retired from the Air Force after thirty-years…
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Definition of Family
Family … it can have a lot of meanings. Moms, Dads, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins. All are family… and over the past couple weeks I have seen them. Hugged them. Cherished them. We spent time at my folks’ house, over the river and through the woods. (It is not a road trip of epic miles … but with a family of six it can be a few hours, a bit of “Are we there yet?”, and quite a few “MOM, I have to go to the bathroom!”s. While we were at Mom and Dad’s the grandchildren put on their own nativity scene, we ate /too/ much (always…
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Overwhelmed
I have to admit it. This past couple of weeks since school started I have been completely overwhelmed! Homework. Family Dinner. Evening Activities. OH MY! My boys are back to school and thriving. I love to watch them get on the bus each morning with a quick hug, kiss and a wish for a great day. Then I can pour myself another cup of coffee, get a little work done and bond with 6-week old baby-boy, *L*. The 7 hours of school-time seems to fly. At about 3:30 pm every school night I make sure the kitchen island is cleaned off. I get the boys’ homework caddies out (filled with…
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Week in Review: Week of April 11 – 17 (Military News)
Here are ten of our most popular military-related articles for the week MilitaryAvenue.com: Faces Behind the Hero: Army Wife, Mom and writer, Jane: Meet our Face Behind the Hero, Jane. I love her thoughts below about a ‘Family Mission Statement’. What keeps your family together? What is the glue that binds? Where do you find the adventure that keeps life “interesting”? Thanks, Jane, for getting us all thinking about these things and not only being Army-Strong, but Family-Strong too!….“A Little Bit of Hope, Help…” “A Little Bit of Hope, Help …” is how US Navy CAPT James Wink, the chief engineer for Joint Task Force-Haiti responded to a question on…
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Thankful Thursday: Mutual Friends
Last night was ‘Small Group’. Our church has called it many things over the years, K-Group, Home-Group, etc etc… I am partial to Small Group. A small group of friends that didn’t start out as friends, but as strangers that have grown to care about one another and a desire to be with each other. I’ve written about this wonderful group of people before. (Small Group: The Joys of Entertaining) We are all ages. Hubs and I the youngest; the oldest … I’d venture in their 50s. I’m pregnant with baby #3. Some of them are empty-nesters wondering when they will be grandparents. A few of them grew up in the…
