My parents taught me many wonderful things growing up, and I will always be grateful for them.

Unfortunately I didn’t learn a whole lot about money.

When my husband and I got married, we had different ideas about money – how we should use it, how we should earn it, how we should save it, and also we had different ideas about its intrinsic value and role.

Financial Peace University teaches simple principles that most people don't practice. But following them can mean the difference between a life of peace or conflict.

Needless to say, this created some conflict.

For a few years,I’d been hearing about fincial guru Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University.

I liked what I heard on his radio program, and thought maybe one day my husband and I might go.

We actually just enrolled. It’s aweseome!

If you’d like to learn more about it, click right here.

He teaches seven “Baby Steps” to help people achieve – just like the name of the class - financial peace.

The steps include funding a $1,000 emergency fund, paying off all your debts using a “debt snowball” method, putting 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings, investing 15 percent of your income in ROTH IRAs and pretax retirement, starting a college fund for your children, paying off your home, and building wealth and saving.

It’s a wonderful program.

There are classes springing up all the time.

More than anything, it teaches what we all should have learned, but most of us didn’t.

And, it makes money a viable topic of conversation – it takes away the emotion behind it.

Only when you undersand something can you truly succeed at it.

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And sooner than you can blink, 8 years have come and gone.

I’m not sure how to react to this one…

Today is my husband and my wedding anniversary – a good thing.

Number 8!

Where did the time go?

I remember hearing older people say “time simply picks up steam as it rolls forward”, and wondering exactly what they meant, but now I know.

It really feels like time went into warp speed. 

More proof of how fast time flies, and the issue at hand: we both just realized yesterday that our anniversary is today!

Whoops.

I never thought we’d be that couple.

It’s not that we didn’t know August 1st was our anniversary, it’s just that it arrived so quickly!

Who knows how the day will turn out… it’s still young.

Maybe we’ll think of something independently to do… on a Monday…. last minute.

Talk about romantic!

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Diapers are an absolute necessity for babies.

They can use up to 2,800 diapers in their first year alone, a huge expense for families already struggling.

St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids aims to donate 28,000 diapers with just a click of your finger.

Click here to help. 

And click here to view the story.

Mother of four Christina Middlebrooks works hard to meet her family’s bottom line. 

St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids aims to donate 28,000 diapers to families who need them the most. Helping is just a click away on Facebook.

“I work a full-time job, 12 to nine, just like anybody else,” Middlebrooks said. “It is challenging, especially with our economical problems now.”

Her job in customer service and sales sometimes doesn’t cover all the bills for her children, ages 13, 11, nine and two, including all-important diapers.

“You have to have your gas and lights on, you have to be able to pay your rent, and you can’t afford evictions,” she said.

She hit a low after the floods of 2008. Her young family had just 30 minutes to evacuate their Cedar Rapids home and escaped with three outfits a piece.

“It was after the flood and it was bad. It was bad. I was crying about it,” she said.

Then someone told her about Waypoint Center for Women, Children and Families in Cedar Rapids. Which helped with diapers, crucial to her child’s well being.

“You can’t have a kid running around without diapers on,” Middlebrooks said.

The need has only increased. Last year Waypoint saw a 30 percent increase in requests for the most basic needs and top of the list: diapers.

So St. Luke’s Hospital decided to launch a campaign to help the smallest with one of their biggest needs.

It’s called: “Bottom Line: babies need diapers”.

“The families in need, they are in a very difficult position, diapers are very expensive and they are forced then to decide between very basic needs that many of us take for granted,” St. Luke’s Birth Care Center spokesperson Diane Seelau said.

For every new “Like” the hospital receives on Facebook, it will donate a diaper to Waypoint.

Organizers hope Facebook users will help the hospital reach its donation maximum of 28,000 diapers.

“But as mothers, you always figure it out, and when you have resources to come to, to get supplies and diapers, it’s really great,” Middlebrooks said.

Middlebrooks says parents will find a way to care for their children, and sometimes that way comes through the help of others, covering these precious bottom lines.

The diaper drive ends August 20th.  Click here to help!

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 Most parents agree that raising healthy children is the most challenging, yet rewarding job of their lives.

One program helps young moms and dads be the best parents they can be.

You can watch the story by clicking here.

Mother Kristy cannon admits it’s hard being a single parent.

“They help me out with parenting skills. ‘Cuz I was young when I had them. They taught me a lot that I needed to know,” Cannon said. 

Everyone could use a little support. The PASS program helps young parents learn skills necessary to succeed.

At Waterloo’s WYCA Cannon and her four children participate in the PASS program, which stands for Parents Achieving Success with Support.

It welcomes parents ages 20 to 30, and is co-sponsored by the Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk County.

“We teach parenting and life skills,” program director Cindy Ritter said. “Budgeting, nutrition, healthy relationships, literacy, parent and child interaction.”

PASS meets every second and fourth Wednesday, offering instruction, family activities, a meal and free transportation.

Cannon says pass has helped her become a more patient person.

“If you get frustrated, walk away,” Cannon said.

Father Timothy young came to become a better dad.

“I wish all the fathers in the United States would step up and be role models for their kids,” he said. “I learned about the Heat Index, not to leave a baby in the car seat. How to prepare meals.”

Cannon said, “Being young, I didn’t have experience with kids. It helped me.”

Through positive interaction, support and learning, these parents say the PASS program helps them earn more than a passing grade.

Because of a decrease in funding, the PASS program hasn’t been able to recruit young parents as much as it used to, but they invite any parent, married or single age 20 to 30 to join them at the Waterloo YWCA

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Just a few days ago my daughter was trying to get my attention, and I heard, “Sunny! Juice!”

I had to conceal my surprised and amused dropped jaw.

I had never directly taught her my name. 

Later that day she said my husband’s name, “Jason,” nonchalantly when he came into the room.

We both had to laugh.

She repeats nearly every word we say throughout the day.

And even though we don’t swear, knowing she is such an imitator gives us pause when it comes to what we say and do.

For instance, I just melted last night when I carried out our nightly ritual of me reading her a bedtime story and offering her water in her sippy cup.

After taking a brief sip, she picked up her teddy bear in one arm, and with the other hand, she tookher sippy cup and earnestly tried to give the bear a drink.

I have never suggested or modeled this behavior toward her teddy bear, she was merely imitating the treatment she received.

I was happy to see her showing compassion to another – even if it was an inanimate object!

Just a big note to self: actions speak louder than words.  And children don’t care what you say as much as they care what you do.

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He is active,  fun-loving, innocent, young, and he’s dying of cancer.

Oliver Palmer hasn’t even lived a full decade, and yet he and his family embrace each day with a special passion, because they know they don’t have long.

December 23rd, 2009 the Palmer family found out Oliver had an inoperable form of brain cancer.

It’s a pediatric brain stem tumor called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG. The cancer cells have spread through his brain like pepper.

My family and I had the privilege of attending a fundraiser for Oliver recently, which raised money for a Palmer family trip to Disney World.

Here is adorable Oliver Palmer. He wears a patch over his eye to reduce dizziness and headaches from the double vision his brain stem tumor has caused.

And now there is a new wonderful opportunity to let Oliver know how much he is loved.

July 11th is Oliver’s 10th birthday, and an effort is underway to give him a “Card Shower” – tons and tons of birthday cards.

The address is:

Birthday Boy – Oliver Palmer

417 Oaklawn Ave.

Waterloo, Iowa 50701.

I look forward to participating in this, and I encourage you all too as well – whether you know him or not. Click here to view his blog.

And please offer a special prayer today for adorable Ollie and his strong family as they continue to walk through this difficult time.

Both his parents, Ed and Stacy say that they believe death is not the end.  They believe families are eternal and they will see their beloved son again.

I happen to agree with them.

God bless.

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It was a poignant experience, walking around the countless luminaries bearing names and pictures of cancer survivors and those who died of cancer.

I must admit, even though I ran a marathon in the name of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and even though my own mother died of leukemia, I have never attended a Relay for Life event until last week in Black Hawk County.

How inspiring it was to see family members of people who died – there were children, parents, siblings, spouses, all who have experienced unspeakable loss.

And then there was one woman who just started chemotherapy for breast cancer – that very morning. 

Somehow she found the energy to come out and walk in others’ memory and honor those with cancer.

And yet magically, the spirit of the event was hopeful, not morose.

Even though the theme was somber, there was a spirit of hope and unity at Relay for Life.

Children bounced in inflatable bounce-houses, a rock band played and people danced, and of course hundreds of people walked and walked.

There were life-sized mascots walking around, my daughter was delighted and wouldn’t leave them alone.

Felicity gives a hug to Quincy Koala of Cedar Valley Hospice at Relay for Life of Black Hawk County

One of her favorites was Quincy Koala from Cedar Valley Hospice.  She loved giving hugs and stickers, and fortunately evetyone was very patient.

Many of them walked through the night, I was not able to stay that long, but the fundraiser was a huge success, the organizers tell me.

My hat is off to all those who raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society. And my heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one or who currently battles the disease.

Peace and healing to you all.

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The first thing I say in every prayer is how grateful I am for my daughter.

Her expressions of amazement at the so-called “every day” things such as the birds flying by, or counting and collecting rocks and pine cones bring magic to my day.

I’ve heard enough parents express regret that they didn’t “enjoy the moment” when their child was young.

So I’m really trying to learn from them and stay present every day.

Caught up in the moment: counting rocks and watching birds with Daddy.

Earlier this week my husband and daughter were playing outside, counting rocks (one of her favorite things), and then she heard birds above and looked up.

I was thrilled I caught her expression of wonder, because it embodies her personality.

And now when I look back at it, I already feel a little misty.

A moment never to happen again – but I had the presence of mind to whip out the camera.

Thank goodness!!

How do you capture your family’s memorable moments?

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From woodland elfs to ladies in corsets and gowns, to full-on jousting.

My family took the opportunity to step back in time this past weekend at the Iowa Renaissance Festival.

It was so fun to enter the world of make-believe.

As you can see, some people take it seriously. 

I had to take a picture of my daughter and a recorder-playing elf (where did she get those awesome ears?).

Felicity discovers an elf at the Renaissance Festival. Where did she find those awesome ears?

Speaking of the elf picture, I have noticed a phenomenon I call “crazy eyes” – this is the byproduct of being excited about Felicity seeing something for the first time, or doing something cute, and then trying to make her smile for a picture and look at the camera.

My beloved mother, now that I think about it, had the same look when she encouraged me during a performance.

Look at the picture and you’ll see what I mean.  We moms will do anything for our children, won’t we?

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