Single Parenting Strength

My mother-in-law is one of the strongest people I know and one of the people I look up to the most in my life. She single-handedly raised six children almost on her own - yup, six! Dad left when Aaron, the oldest of the brood, was a Senior in High School. But, as she will tell you in this post, she really didn't do it completely on her own. Following is some sound advice from someone who knows, and has been there.

Mexi-Burgers

Throwing ground beef on the grill always makes for a celebration in our house. Here is one of our favorite variations on the ho-hum hamburger. Give it a try, it's yummy!

A Tribute To Those Gone On

The melody of "Taps" is such a haunting and humbling tune that it puts a lump in my throat almost every time I hear it. It is only a few simple notes, but sometimes less is more. I have never really known the words to this simple melody until now, so I would like to share them. They, like their melodic counterpart, are simple and beautiful.

Patriotic Berry Trifle

Oh my gosh, I saw this recipe on the Food Network this morning and just had to share. I LOVE fruit and I LOVE things that look pretty when they are finished... oh ya and I SUPER LOVE cool-whip and whipping cream (I know, a flaw, but I never professed to be perfect).

This will totally be on my menu this Memorial Day: except I'm not an angel food cake fan, so a yellow cake will probably be substituted. Hey! I told you I wasn't perfect! 

The Man Cave: Our Memorial Day Service Project

Rendering service to others is an important part of any well-lived life. In fact, I listed it as one of the Top 10 Chores every man should do at least once a year. As our children were growing up Kathy and I made service an important part of our family "culture". Of all the service projects we have done, the most memorable one happened on Memorial Day.

Flag Etiquette

With Memorial Day just around the corner there will be a lot of flags on display. I love it when everyone has their flags out: it makes me feel proud of our country and the unity of those around me. There are certain etiquette rules that should be followed during this time  however, so I thought I would share them straight from the US Flag Orginization's Web Site.

Quantity over Quality

I had a great evening yesterday. I didn't do anything grand, go anywhere special or spend any money: I went for a walk.

Sometimes it's the simplest things in life that bring us the most joy. Seeing your child smile, eating an ice cream cone on a hot day or walking hand in hand with your hubby lost in great conversation.

Photo Scavenger Hunt - A New Idea: Colors

Last week I posted my ideas about some fun photo scavenger hunts you can do. It really spurred all of us on to want to do this activity again: so we got together and thought of a new challenge and then headed out. We all had great days with our significant others, I had a fun time playing around with my  new camera, and it was great meeting up and hanging out together afterward at Dairy Queen. Here's what we did.

$5 Meal

A great date night if you have several couples involved. It's cheap, fun, creative, and you all get fed. Who could ask for more?

Dealing With Bullies: Reader Response

Meet Corrine. Corrine is one of my best friends and the inspiration behind my post "Dealing With Bullies". No, not because Corrine is a bully, but because her son is having a hard time with bullies at school.

Josh is one of the most kindhearted kids you will ever meet, but he is different and the kids at school know that: Josh has autism. Here are Corrine's words on what it is like to be a parent of a bullied child.