Category Archives: families

Happy Father’s day Here’s to those Dad’s raising their children alone

I think our media does not cover how many dad’s are raising their children today.

I have a high school friend of mine Don,who’s wife walked out on him and his children in the late 80’s. Don’s daughter was 5 year old girl and his son was 9 year old boy at the time. Don had a very demanding corporate career at that time and had to adjust his life to balance his career and additional family responsibility. It was so hard for him because he always wanted to married and have a family.

For many years Done was alone raising his children, address all the issues of single parenting, without any support. Most people don’t think of dad’s raising children and mother abandoning her children.

Don divorced his wife. He’s ex-wife was uninterested in being a mother any more, she id not visit her children or contact the children on their birthdays or holidays. Don never spoke badly of his ex-wife around his children. He could have.

Don learned how to braid his daughter”s hair before school. He involved his children in Boy Scouts,Girl Scouts, Soccer, after high school sports. He took his kids camping , and boating. Together they had many fun adventures.

Don remarried while his children were in grammar school. His wife Barbara was as committed to supporting the children, but not wanting the children to feel she was taking the place of their mother.

Don’s children are grown adults now, college grads and both are happily married. I know how grateful they are to their father for raising them and showing his love to them.

Today is Father’s Day, so here is to all those dad’s that took the time to raise and enjoy their children!

Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Havasu

Lake Havasu, Arizona has been a favorite place to go for my husband and I since we were teenagers. You can go boating, water skiing, and fishing. We use to water skis, but now the body just handle water skiing any more, so boating is what we do now.

Today our kids and grand-kids join us boating, wake boarding and tubing( my granddaughters favorite) where they sit on an inflatable tube tied to the back of the boat. In rough water you bounce around and have fun.

This Memorial Day our daughter and her family came out join us at the lake. This weekend we experienced very unusual weather. Normally the weather this time of year is in the high 90’s and low 100’s. Alan and I arrived Thursday evening and the temperature was in the low 70’s. We thought we would get a jump on the crowd. We launch our boat on the lake , find a cove on Friday and spend the three days going in and out of a cove.

We woke up Friday with the wind blowing 20-25 mph! the lake was so rough their were white caps. We decided not to go on the lake. We changed our plans and decided we would not get a cove, we would hang out in the boat during the day.The weather forecast was for a cooling trend.

Friday night our daughter and her family arrived. We woke up on Saturday to 68 degrees! That’s winter temps for Lake Havasu. The high was 80 degrees with 10 mph wind. We did not bring sweatshirts so we decided not to go on the lake that day. So we changed our plans. My granddaughters and I went to the Aquatic Center. An indoor water park, we swam in pool and had fun being together anyway.

Sunday we woke up it was in the 70’s and no wind. We packed a lunch and launched our boat on the lake. We had so much fun riding in the boat and getting into the water. The water was a bit cool, but we got in anyway.

We were thankful we could spend time together this Memorial weekend. I hope you had as much fun as I did!

How are you spending Mothers Day?

This year is a very different year for our family.

First, our Air Force daughter was to deploy, and that was cancelled, thank goodness! Secondly, my father was to have surgery Friday before Mother’s day, so we cancelled our plans to get together. We thought, lets celebrate Mother’s- Father’s day and combine them together.

Today, my dad’s surgery was rescheduled for next week.

So we have decided to keep the plans for celebrating Mother’s and combining it with Father’s day!

I am learning in life to be flexible, you can celebrate in way you want when it come to holidays.

In the past my family would all get together ( 25 of us) and the guys would make us breakfast for us Mothers. The kids created a menu and they would wait on us like a restaurant. The husband’s did the cooking and clean up. It was fun. But this year combining the Mothers- Father’s day we informed the kids, its all up to you! They are not so sure of this was such a good idea.

My husband Alan, asked what I wanted to do on Mother’s day. My kids are unable to come over. I was not sure, I love bike riding along the beach, swimming in the pool, and going to the movies. I have been thinking maybe this is the weekend we could try out kayaking in the back bay. We have always talked about it trying this out.

No matter what I do I appreciate that I can celebrate having my mom and dad. How you end up celebrating Mother’s Day enjoy the moment!

You can have everyone get involved. You keep the cost done and everyone enjoys being a part of the plans. Or if you are alone just be thankful for what you have today and the memories of the past.