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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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It’s Not a Question Of Do They Get It
Summer is fast approaching, schools are closing, heat is rising, sports are triumphant… or winding down. Life in the home front is sweet. Routine does have it’s advantages especially with gas prices out the ceiling. Then the mail brings in high school open house invitations, wedding announcements, family reunion picnic plans. Most are from out of state, half are from out of time zone! But that desire to see Momma, hear Dad’s laughter, show off your youngsters and rest for a few moments being the child again at home sucks you in like a powerful vacuum cleaner! Time has this funny way of trimming connections. Stronger ties develop with others,…
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Volunteers of America – Redux “There Are No Limits to Caring!”
Preparing for the program at the Stand Down for Homeless VeteransVolunteers of America (VoA) Michigan showed me how people cared about our homeless veterans last week! I wrote about The Home Depot Foundation and how many others jumped in to make the veterans’ lives easier with the VoA Stand Down which provided resources and information to the veterans in Lansing, MI. VoA has a long arm with organizations in 400 communities in the US while helping over 2 million folks in need! So I decided to draw a picture of the event with my camera to show their efforts! Words can be helpful but pictures make it real! These are…
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Sermon Notes: The Soldier’s Psalm
Psalm 91 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at…
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Eat With Your Family Day
Today is ‘Eat With Your Family Day’. Who knew?! It is interesting the search terms that bring folks into our blog. Most of them are quite applicable, but some make us scratch our head. Last night we had visitor from Lahore, Punjab looking for “eat with your family day 2011”. This peaked my interest, because quite frankly I find dinner time to be the most important time to connect. Apparently this little known date is a day in Singapore: May 27, 2011 is the date to mark on your calendar for Eat With Your Family Day. This annual event encourages organisations and education institutions like kindergarten, schools and tertiary institutes to…
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It Was A Wet, Cold Day and the Homeless Veterans Came to the Stand Down!
Stand Down for Homeless Veterans“The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home.” Home Depot Foundation President Kelly Caffarelli My day was a bit different than normal yesterday! I admit to being a bit of a routine type guy; maybe it comes from years of aircraft checklists and procedures, I am not sure. But, I left my comfort zone and headed out in the car solo for a drive to attend a Stand Down for Homeless Veterans! After successfully navigating my way to Lansing, MI for this event hosted by Volunteers of America (VoA) Michigan, I thought about how I had…
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Staying Healthy: At the End of the Work Day
Hubs is in the Army National Guard so when he isn’t wearing his uniform he is wearing a suit. He is a private-practice attorney and works ten to twelve hour days to serve his clients’ needs. He is a hard worker is an understatement. Today’s Staying Healthy tip is for folks like Hubs. It can be hard to find balance. It is easy for him to come home, sit right back down in his home office and work “for a few more hours”. We have been working really hard as a team to carve out family time in the early evening. Not only is it healthy for the kids to spend time with their dad but it is…
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“Just a Mom”
Click here to vote for “Our Letters to You”as a Top 25 Military Family Blog(Now I’m begging!) :) There are a lot of things that I am. Daughter, Wife, Neighbor, Friend, Sister, Aunt, CousinGranddaughter, Co-worker, and of course Mom A mom to four boys. *J*, 17*E*, 8*C*, 6 and*L*, 9 months So with a final plea, Click on the this link, http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/our-letters-you-military-family-blog-from-militaryavenue;Click on the orange thumbs up;and then if you are feeling extra gracious share the link on Facebook, Twitter, Email and ask your friends and family to vote. Voting ends tonight, 5/25. 5pm PST.After that I won’t bug you about this again. (Hip Hip Hooray you are thinking…) Right now…
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Tasty Tuesday: Smells, Sights and Tastes of Summer Potato Salad
I am a sucker for Heinen’s Potato Salad! But purchasing it from the deli can be quite a strain on the family grocery-budget. So I had a mission… make it myself. And I think I did it. It may not be “Heinen’s Signature Recipe” but it is mine now and I love it. Leanne’s Smells, Sights and Tastes of Summer Potato Salad4 to 5 Red Potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled5 slices of baconOne packet of Ranch Dressing Mix (8 oz)1/2 Cup of Sour Cream1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise1/4 Cup of fresh chives, chopped1/2 Cup of vidalia or red onion, chopped1/2 Tablespoon dried-basilCut potatoes into quarters and place in large pot. Fill your pot…
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The Field Exercise at Ft Knox and Businesses That Care! (It is Military Appreciation Month)
Why are some businesses successful at reaching out to the military community? Fantastic Sams shows their colors!We just attended a special event for military spouses at Ft Knox, called a Field Exercise that was a wonderful time! It brought together 300 Army spouses (most had seen their soldier deploy multiple times – some up to six times) and provided them an opportunity to learn coping skills and laugh together about military life and its challenges! AWN Hosted by Tara Crooks and Star Henderson of Army Wife Network, the Field Exercise also gave away some wonderful gifts! Super Military SupportersMilitaryAvenue.com was there as a sponsor and coordinated with three local businesses…