Welcome to July!

This month we're going to pull together and help each other see some of the best ways to get through tough times. It could be that money is tight, time is short, jobs are less secure, and there's an overall feeling of unrest all around us. Are you feeling the pinch of high gas prices? What about the rising price of groceries? I know our family's feeling all of these things.

For us, the single most important component is family. People come first, and when we recognize that we're in this together, for better or for worse, united all the way, we can't fail! Everyone in the family needs to feel safe to express their fears and frustrations, and that goes for mom and dad, too. The adults being able to let the other family members know they may be worried or frightened is real life. Kids need to know that we all feel many different emotions, and most importantly, they need to see us get through them, cope, and come out with a solution of some kind - together.

"People First" is going to be our foundation for everything else we do this month. We can share budgeting tips, tricks to make our dollars stretch, and anything else you can think of when it's time to tighten your belt and get back to basics. So, what do you know? Tell me how you're saving in one area so there is enough money for say, the higher expense of fuel. I know you all have great ideas, because I believe we as Americans are some of the most resilient people alive!

Wrapping up "Here's to Dad!"

How wonderful was it to give a big Cheer for dads all over the world? I love that dads are openly plugging into their families and participating in dinners, bath times, and play dates.

I suspect that many dads have been great family men all along, but the mass media still seems to portray them going to work, watching TV, being into sports, and not really being in the mix of all the everyday stuff. I'm here to say that I know so many dads who are all that Ward Cleaver was and more! If your dad is one of those dads, call him today and tell him how much you appreciate all his love, guidance, and attention. I bet even if he wasn't the model dad, he is probably the grandpa of all time! Funny how that works, huh?

For July, we're paying tribute to the spirit of all Americans and their ability to do whatever it takes to get through tough times. Send me your tips and tricks for making your dollar stretch, keep your family united, and anything else you think will help us make the rest of this year great!

The Dad I Love the Best!

Yesterday was Dave's birthday. Happy birthday Dave; my hubby and Mason's dad - the dad I love the best!

I want to pay tribute to my honey who I am so proud to say, is a wonderful dad. There is so much I can tell you about what makes Dave a great dad like the way he parents in all the everyday stuff, and he doesn't see his time with just him and Mason as "babysitting." The stuff that will pay big rewards in the years to come is the way Dave talks with and listens to Mason. He engages Mason in ways that only a dad can, and if you've spent any time with our boy, you know he adores Dave!

The list of ways I feel Dave is a great dad is long. So to keep this short and sweet, here's the number one thing that I see daily that warms my heart and affirms what I already know, I married the perfect man to be the father of our child. Dave is always looking to Mason's future and thinking about what he will remember as a child, and taking action. You can see it in the way he wants to take Mason with him when he makes a quick trip to the store; Mason is not a bother. He seeks out play dates, plans them, and follows them through with inviting the children to come to our house and play. We have several of Mason's friends coming to the house tonight for a sleepover; at Dave's suggestion.

With so many parents overwhelmed with work, money, and unhappy relationships, it's wonderful to be with a man who is happily plugged in to his family. What a lucky little boy Mason is to have a dad like Dave!

Dads, Daughters,and Cars

Those of you who know me know my dad was not a hands-on kind of dad. He was really a crotchety old fart, but he did make an impression in his own special way.

One of the things I took from my dad was his love of tools. My dad built cars, worked on cars, and in his later years, tinkered around cars. He had his own set of Craftsman tools that he took a lot of pride in owning. If one of us kids got into his tools for anything, if it wasn't cleaned and put back where we took it from, there was hell to pay! Dave will attest that this aspect is one I live by even today.

Even though I can't share with you a sweet story of how my dad and I rebuilt a near dead, classic Chevrolet Camaro that turned out to be my 16th birthday present (Oh, how I wish I could tell you that story!), I can tell you that there wasn't anything my dad couldn't do with a car. I watched him in our garage over haul engines, replace starters, rotate tires, and sometimes just change the oil.

One of my fondest memories was hanging out in the garage in the dead of winter, rain pouring outside, a little space heater under his table, and classic country music crackling over the AM radio. He would sort-of sing while he worked on cars and if he didn't know the words, he would whistle. I can remember the hot and cold spots in the garage, the way the radio station didn't come in all the way, and most of all, the smell of the car itself; the dirty grease, the clean motor oil, and gasoline. Even the goopy hand cleaner you used with just a rag and no water.

It's no wonder I grew up and made some of my best friends men. Mike in particular filled in the answers that my dad couldn't give me. Mike has guided me through oil changes, replacing brake pads, changing out a starter, and even replacing a radiator (that one he did long distance over the phone!). I have my own set of Craftsman tools now and like my dad, if you use them, clean them and put them away! My dad may not have shown me how to do these things, but he certainly taught me that I could!

What Would Your Dad Tell You?

More and more these days I find myself sounding like my dad, or dads in general. Dave and I talk about gas prices, how much cars cost, and how politicians seem to just be saying what we want to hear.

How many times did you sit in the back seat of the car having to listen to talk radio, or hear your dad tell your mom that a gallon of gas costing more than a dollar was criminal? It's no surprise to any of us that these issues don't mean anything to you unless you're old enough to realize you don't know everything, and there's more to life than what your wearing or how your hair looks.

I'm finding that I'm realizing how dire things are right now. We are seeing back to back natural disasters, California is on fire, the mid west is under water, gas prices are off the charts, people are losing their jobs and homes, and through it all, I have to wonder, what does it all mean? Is there a message we're not getting? Is this some universal test to see who has what it takes to not only survive, but to survive with love and kindness versus war and hatred?

I don't know, but I'm certainly paying a lot more attention to the big picture and adjusting how we as a family live and operate. I'm looking for ways I can help and make a difference. What do you make of all of this? Does it just all look so bad because we've had it so good for so many years? What would your dad tell you?

And Even More From Dad.

What part of NO don't you understand?
I don't care what other people are doing!
I'm not everybody elses father!
You're not leaving my house dressed like that!
If you're gonna be dumb, you've gotta be tough.
Didn't your teacher learn you anything?!
You can marry a rich guy/gal just as easily as you can a poor one.
It's hard to be good, and easy to be bad.
Don't use that tone with me!
Am I talking to a brick wall?
If I catch you doing that one more time, I'll...
Act your age.
Two wrongs do not make a right.
Wipe your feet!
What did I just get finished telling you?

What did your dad tell you so many times you now tell your kids?

More Gems From Dad

Turn off those lights.
Do you think I am made of money?
You call that noise "music?"
We're not lost. I'm just not sure where we are.
No, we're not there yet.
Shake it off. It's only pain.
When I was your age, I treated MY father with respect.
As long as you live under my roof, you'll live by my rules.
I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why.
Do what I say, not what I do.
What's so funny? Wipe that smile off your face.
I'm not sleeping, I was watching that channel.
I'm not just talking to hear my own voice!