Disturbing Fashion

By Beth

OK, so I don't want to be known as one of "those moms" who want their children to be social rejects by not having the 'right' clothes. I'm all for my kids looking nice and fitting in to a certain extent. I do make sure my daughter especially dresses in clothes that cover her enough as to not be a walking advertisement for sex, I do know how boys' minds work. She shops at the 'rght' stores, Abercrombie, Holister, American Eagle and Aeropastle when we can afford it. I don't know who decided these were the stores you had to shop at, but that's besides the point.

Somehow, I ended up on the email list for most of these stores. Probably because I have ordered things online in the past. Most advertisements are fine, geared toward the teen crowd, "look good for your boyfriend/girlfriend" kinds of things. Some of the pictures are a bit provocative but there hasn't been much that has disturbed me so much that I need to write about it, to let other parents know what these stores are saying to our kids.

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Gratitude

 By Megan (Steps for Brady)

When I was little my mom forced me to write thank you cards to anyone who gave me a gift. I remember struggling to stretch my thoughts beyond a basic “thank you for the new sweater, I like it a lot.” Now that I’m an adult, I’m truly thankful for my mother’s lessons in gratitude. I know that I always feel good when I receive a heartfelt thank you, or a kindly written note in the mail.  And I try whole-heartedly to send a note of gratitude to anyone who acts kindly upon our family.

In recent months our family has had to swallow our pride and raise our hands to accept hundreds of gifts from our family and friends. Now that the dust has settled after my son’s illness, we were at a loss for how to properly thank all of those who cared enough to reach out of us in our time of crisis. The idea for a BIG party was something that came to us in the midst of our son’s battle with cancer. I recall myself saying to my husband during several long days at the hospital, “When Brady beats this, we are going to have the BIGGEST party ever!” The idea of this grand celebration gave us the “something to look forward to” that we were both in desperate need of.

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Awesome Craft To Do With Your Kids

By MAD21

I was reading through some of my favorite blogs and came across a really great idea from fellow blogger Kristen at We Are THAT Family.

The project is 'DIYP: Little Hands.' We all probably have at least one hand stamp or imprint of each of our kids when they were little, but I thought this was a unique way to preserve their handprints. And in a way that is easy to hang on the walls for everyone to see. Kristen found the idea at Country Living Magazine. Thanks for sharing it!!

I know what project I'll be working on over vacation!

What Does Your Family Do For Fun?

By Kevin (Shooting the Breeze)

I believe that it is very important for families to have fun together. As the old adage goes “A family that plays together stays together” (that is an old adage, right?) This is so true. Having fun together helps build a healthy family. Having fun together helps develop a healthy family image – a family that the kids and parents are excited to be a part of. Here are some of the things that we do for fun as a family:

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A Few Things I Have Learned About My Heavenly Father From Being A Dad

By Kevin (Shooting the Breeze)

I love being a dad. I have three wonderful daughters. Each day is so exciting watching them grow, mature and learn. Since becoming a dad almost 11 years ago I have learned so much about God. Since becoming a dad my understanding of God has grown immensely. Here are a few things I have learned about my heavenly Father from being a dad:

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