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“… Upholding the Traditions We Have in America”
“The appreciation and kind thoughts will last much longer than the vegetables and my health will continue to be refreshed by all three!” Row Markers Americans are famous worldwide for helping our neighbors out. Find a tsunami, earthquake or a camp for the victims of war and you will usually find American personnel, supplies or donated equipment; sometimes all three. We give through our churches, the Red Cross and many other non profits and our military forces are usually at the forefront of overseas efforts. At home, neighbors and families can be seen doing the weekend projects that often end in refreshments or even a barbecue at this time of…
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My Very Exciting, Sorta Scary, Big Move
So you have orders. Your military-family is once again PCSing. The children have been told and there is excitement, worry, dare I even say some anger? A mixed ball of emotion from your grade-school children. Emotions they can’t quite vocalize. Feelings that are all jumbled up inside. Tension that you can see in their eyes, their shoulders, down to their toes. I know. I have been that child. I recently reached out to Lori Woodring, Ph.D., when I read she put together a workbook for children ages five to eleven titled, “My Very Exciting, Sorta Scary, Big Move“. (Pretty darn perfect title if I do say so myself.) Wow, there…
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Simple Ways to Keep Household Chores Organized
I am not a clean freak. A clean bathroom is such a good feeling. Dumping the dirty water in the utility sink after washing the kitchen floors makes me smile. Crawling into bed at night with newly washed sheets is heavenly. But getting it all done. Such. A. Pain! Enter the power of Google Calendar (my preferred family-calendar). I use their simple Task interface to list the necessities. Then my must-dos are integrated with the family calendar as well as my weekly meal plan and it is all simple and easy to stay organized. Some things are done every 10 days, some things once a month and then some things even…
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New and Old Adventures for the Military Family
Old adventure!A military PCS is always an adventure! In fact, “military lifestyle” is a synonym for adventure. Finding new fun things to do in your new community after a PCS can be challenging for a military family! Heading outdoors, new schools, new jobs, getting out the front door, off the installation, exploring social opportunities, meeting new friends, visiting local highlights, browsing new malls, walking new trails and playing on new park equipment can be the best of times. But last week I had the greatest time exploring an adventure from the past! Charleston, South Carolina was a wonderful place to live but the summer’s were hot and humid and each…
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New beginnings! Are you ready?
The new school year, a PCS this summer, a new job/employment, a deployment return or departure, a new or revitalized faith, a new workout routine, a wedding, a birth, a health crisis … all can be new beginnings for the military community. So how do you help yourself during new “stuff”? Remember the Old! It gives us strength to remember what helped us in the past. Looking at old pictures is a great way to enjoy old friends, family times, previous assignments, etc. More important though is the support emotionally and physically we get from the routines that we created to cope with the military lifestyle. The new school…
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The Magic House & the Magic of Family
It is amazing how time flies.30 years ago we were stationed at Scott AFB, Illinois. Going to ‘The Magic House’ in the mid 80s was a big deal, a lot of fun. It meant it was a great day to be a kid! This weekend I took my own kids for the first time. As we traveled from Fort Leonard Wood to home (NE Ohio) I wanted to show them the sites, give them a glimpse of where I lived for a few years, let them soak up some of the things I did and saw when I was their age. I had a little bit of fear. I wondered if…
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Our Summer Routine
The Summer Routine has started in Ohio. School is out, the kids’ schedules have relaxed, thoughts of fun and sun have been churning in the minds of my boys. However, this mom has other plans besides lazy days of summer all vacation long. Usually, they are all up by 9am but once in awhile I get the joy of poking, prodding and maybe even some singing making a joyful noise. That rallies the troops right up! We get some breakfast, pour some (more) coffee and pull out summer-workbooks. The (now) 3rd and 5th grader have some workbooks we bought through school (like we have done in years past – learn more) and I also…
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Tasty Tuesday: Shrimp on the Grill
The weather has been beautiful in Ohio and what better way to enjoy the spring-weather but by pulling out the grill for dinner. If your family enjoys seafood like mine does you will love this perfect, simple, summer shrimp recipe. Continue Reading Join Us byUnknownonTuesday, June 04, 2013Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:grill,Leanne,Recipe,Shrimp,Tasty Tuesday
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The Joy of Giving: Memorial Day Parade
This weekend I heard TAPS. It had been a few months since I last heard it and I had no idea the emotion would flow. (TAPS: Wordless-Wednesday) But Memorial Day is a day to celebrate the memory of our war veterans and that we did! Getting ready to march in our Community Parade The joy of givingOur decorated ‘Float’ for the parade Two of my boys and their own hero, their dad The Kocsis-crew marched (or strolled) in a parade, showed the boys the joy of giving over receiving (you can’t catch candy in a parade if you are the one throwing it), talked about what Memorial Day is really about with the kids, had…
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Let’s Have some Summer Time Fun! Blue Star Museums and So Much More! DoD Blogger Roundtable
Military family on a nature trail“I feel like I ran through this blog with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old playing baseball or soccer this summer!” What is active living for the military family? It certainly must include activities across the reach of age, interest and new found geographic areas to explore after a PCS. Parenting can be a challenge before, during and after a PCS due to all the stressors impacting the whole family. But a fitness routine can help the whole family work through some of the stress involved in every day military life. A new trail, an old trail; a new workout routine, an old workout…
