When Valentine’s Day Is a Downer

Valentine’s Day can be a real downer for many teens.  It may be nothing more than a reminder that they don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend, fueling some of the negative beliefs they may already have about themselves. Sometimes schools add insult to injury by drawing greater attention to it.  Although last week was “Spirit Week” at my daughter’s high school, I found the theme for Friday to be a bit unsettling. You were supposed to wear a color to represent your relationship status.  The different colors showed if you were taken, single or in a relationship dubbed “it’s complicated.”  … Continue reading

Discovering New Places: The Really Big Field Trip

This month, we went on a Really Big Field Trip to Costa Rica. It was wet, it was windy, it was…well, the weather was actually quite similar to our usual weather in the Pacific Northwest, except that it was a lot lighter and a fair bit warmer. Being in a new environment is another big part of going on a Really Big Field Trip. A lot of what I value about travel is the physical memory of being in a place. It’s not always about the culture. It’s also about the feeling of standing in a certain place and getting … Continue reading

The Marriage Blog Week in Review for March 31 – April 6

After abandoning poor Lyn for a couple of weeks while I dealt with family issues I’m finally ready to resume my share of Week in Review duties. Here’s a recap of what we dished about last week here in Marriage. Monday, March 31, 2008 Lyn shared some interesting thoughts on Hollywood couples and the fates of their relationships. (Or demise as is the case more commonly and which may be a better word.) Tuesday, April 1 It might have been April Fool’s Day but I was not joking when I wrote about the big changes in my little marriage. Lyn … Continue reading

A Trip Down Memory Lane

When I went back to Denver to to get my mom Wayne stayed behind. Physically. But as he is most days, he was never far from my thoughts. Except the thoughts I had of him while I was there were a little bit different. Mostly because I was remembering our earliest years together. Heck, our earliest days. The ones when we very first fell in love. And most of them were sparked when I passed places where we’d shared time together. Tamarac Square There used to be a movie theater inside, and I want to say there still might be … Continue reading

Rules to Remember Before Taking Your Camera on an Airplane

Yesterday I blogged about how a TSA agent spared me from destroying unused rolls of films I inadvertently packed in my checked in luggage during a recent trip. Today I thought it would be helpful to review the rules airlines have in place in regards to flying with photo equipment. Here’s what you need to know before you take your camera on your next flight: YES. You can take your camera on the airplane, though I would recommend packing it in your carry-on bag rather than in your checked suitcase given the number of bags the airlines’ loses each year. … Continue reading

End the Year With Family Time

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to take stock of your life and focus on how you can make the most of 2013.  A new year means a fresh start.  Out with bad habits and in with better ones. For busy parents, evaluating the year gone by is a chance to reprioritize; for many that means figuring out ways to spend more time with their children. Of course, there’s no time like the present to get a jumpstart on that resolution.  To illustrate your newfound commitment, consider spending the last days of 2012 bonding with your kids.  Remember, it’s … Continue reading

Remembering Forever

When was the last time you looked at your wedding album? Most couples don’t make a habit of pulling out their marriage memory books unless there’s a good reason to do, such as looking to see something specific in a photo or remembering what a guest or member of the wedding party wrote in a speech or toast. Other couples make it a traditional to page through their wedding scrapbook on their anniversary. This is especially true of newly hitched brides and grooms who enjoy taking a trip down memory lane. As couples age, the motivation to thumb through albums … Continue reading

Find Your Passion, Find Your Business

If you are thinking of making the switch to working at home, why not also make the switch to a different type of work. Work that inspires you, work that excites and interests you, work that seems a little less like work because you enjoy it so much. No one ever said that work can’t be fun and if you choose work that makes you happy, your quality of life will improve immensely. When you are choosing a home-based business, it is easy to be tempted to choose the option that you feel will make you the most money with … Continue reading

The Midwife Reflection

Tonight my wife began taking a trip down memory lane. She started by looking at the large number of photos and videos we’ve taken over the last two years. Everything from her progressing through the pregnancy to our son a couple of days ago at the park. This went on for a good long while (as we’ve got lots of material to go through). We really enjoyed seeing how much both we and our son has changed over the past couple of years. We’ve lived in three different places, had a number of different jobs, earned a degree, and we’re … Continue reading

Do You Play With Your Kids’ Toys?

When they don’t force you to. Alone. Do you secretly swipe your son’s Game Boy or your daughter’s Easy-Bake Oven and go to town while taking a trip down memory lane? My 6-year-old has a container of Lincoln Logs that I play with more than she does. I don’t play with them by myself; however, she often insists that I create shops and restaurants with the notched miniature logs, so she has a place to take her doll house pals to shop and dine. Of course, if I did swipe the play logs and constructed architectural masterpieces on my own, … Continue reading