Family Life

Father’s Day is more than a day for your dad to receive cool gifts for his barbecue grill, golf clubs, a funny t-shirt, or the perfect card. Father’s Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors fathers and their influence on our lives. You don’t solely have to honor your biological father on this holiday,…

All too often, we get into a rut with our routines and stick with what is comfortable or what we are used to doing.  I have discovered a few new fun things to do with my family recently, and I wanted to share some more suggestions to try to add to your summer to make…

What Does Mom Want for Mother’s Day? As a Mother of two kids, I probably could have written about this without anyone else’s input, but I wanted to poll the Mothers in my friends and family.  What would they say when asked how they would ideally like to spend Mother’s Day?  I was surprised at…

Family Weekend Getaway: Great Wolf Lodge – Kansas City Looking for a getaway close to home? Our family enjoys visiting the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. While they currently have 22 locations in North America, this is the only location my family has been to so far. It is an easy 3.5-hour drive from…

The Transformative Power of Reading: Nurturing Minds, Hearts, and Bonds Are you a busy mom juggling multiple responsibilities? In the whirlwind of motherhood, where every day is a balancing act of endless tasks and obligations, moments of peace can feel like a distant dream. Yet, amidst this chaos lies a sanctuary waiting to be discovered…

Coping with Grief During the Holidays Grief is a curious thing. It is supposed to get better with time, but what it really does is change you over time. It changes the way you look at things. It changes the decisions that you make. It changes the relationships that you have with others. It ultimately…

Tips & Tricks for the Busy Working Parent Initially, when I wanted to write this article, I thought it would be about Tips for the Commuting Parent.  I’ve been a commuting parent as long as I’ve been a parent.  When my daughter was born, I commuted from Belleville, Illinois, where we lived, into St. Louis’s…

Marriage Date Night First, let’s just get the credits out right now.  I snagged this adventure from my church, The Crossing, in Quincy. My husband and I participated in this date night challenge, and it was one of the greatest dates we ever had. I’m including dates when we were newly in love and still…

Local Family Day Trips: Westercamp Rent a Horse Farmington, IA Westercamp Rent a Horse in Farmington, IA offers a 2.5 hour guided forest trail ride.  The owners and trail guides are friendly, knowledgeable and take the time to assess riding ability/level in order to pair you with one of their well cared for horses that…