Celebrating

Mother's Day is almost here, and as much as we appreciate Moms everywhere, nothing drives home the importance of this holiday like cold, hard numbers.

By: Tricia Cornell

Can I share a secret? Don’t tell my kids. On my list of places I like to eat breakfast, “my bed” ranks near the bottom of the list, right above “underwater.” Who wants to eat surrounded by pillows and blankets, with your legs straight in front of you, a tray barely balanced on your lap? Who wants to clean up the inevitable crumbs and spills? More importantly, who decided that this should be the iconic way to show Mom you love her? Read more >

By: Mary Margaret Reagan-Montiel

My first job at age 10 was picking rocks at a strawberry patch in northern Minnesota. If you’re not familiar with rock picking it’s HARD. Basically, you pick up rocks and move them from the strawberry patch to an isolated corner of the field so that when it’s time to harvest the ripe strawberries, the rocks don’t get in the way. Read more >

By: Marie Williams

Positive family traditions are different than mere good memories; they speak of caring enough to take time away from the business of daily life, acting in common purpose, and honoring our shared roots. In our rapid-paced modern world, taking time away is more difficult than ever, so building those traditions may be more important than they have ever been. Click on the read more link to read about one of our blogger, Marie Williams' favorite family traditions. Read more >

By: Susan Ragsdale

Traditions are the “glue” of family togetherness and the fodder for creating fond memories and family identity. They can be big things or little things, done within any family year to year (or shared from generation to generation). They can take a week or 5 minutes. Traditions are a valuable ally in creating a sense of family closeness Read more >

By: Jolene Roehlkepartain
Every Fourth of July, I not only celebrate the independence of our country, but I assess how my kids’ path of independence is going. I challenge you to do the same this holiday weekend. Read More >

By: Jolene Roehlkepartain
At the risk of being viewed as a “party pooper”, I stand firm by the following belief: Too many parents go overboard with their kids’ birthdays! We need to be intentional about what we’re teaching our kids by the way we celebrate their birthday. Read More >

By: Jolene Roehlkepartain
Summertime is a popular time for family reunions, but too often family reunions are like junior high gatherings: Cliques abound! Try these ideas for making your next family reunion a memorable one. Read more >