5 In Faith/ Inspiration/ Motherhood/ Moving/ My Journey

5 ways to Cure a Lonely Heart

Feeling lonely?

I am too.

Though we are the most interconnected generation of all time, we are the loneliest generation as well.

We have hundreds, maybe thousands of ‘friends’ on social media, but rarely spend time with people one-on-one, eye-to-eye, really getting to KNOW each other.

This pandemic’s made it worse! We are currently asked to STAY HOME and STAY APART.

We may text and comment on pictures, but rarely have a heartfelt, deep, face-to-face conversation. And when was the last time you HUGGED someone (besides your children)?

After moving to Minnesota, I’d been feeling lonely. My loneliness was causing me to be on social media MORE, but that pseudo-connection left me feeling emptier and lonelier.

We now live in a world that makes it possible to live void of human contact. We can live a virtual life. VIRTUAL connections are not a SOUL connection.

The same technology that promises to help us be more connected than ever is – in some ways – making people more disconnected that ever.

My loneliness caused me to spend the day in tears. I had left all my friends 3 years ago when we moved from the Chicago area to Colorado. Then I left all my new Colorado friends to pursue an adventure in Minnesota. (Click here to read about it)

My husband saw me and listened to my sadness … then encouraged me to do a few things that he thought might help. (Husbands love to FIX things.) At first, I didn’t want him to FIX it…I just wanted to FEEL it. Then, I slowly acted on his suggestions and it really DID help! If you find yourself feeling lonely, these ideas might help you too:

Reach out to old friends.

I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to catch up with people who know you and love you. Do it. Call an old friend today.

It’s important to choose a handful of friends that are “lifers” … friends that you want to stay connected with for life. Those are the friends you need to continue to check-in on and reach out to.

Call one (or five) old friends and tell them you are LONELY! Letting someone know how you feel invites them to encourage you, pray for you, check in on you, and spend time with you.

I was feeling sad that very few friends had reached out to me, then I began to realize I had not reached out to anyone either. I have one friend who lost her father, another friend just went through a divorce, another friend moved across the country. I had not reached out to ANY of them!!!!

Wow, I was throwing myself a pity party, then realized I was not doing what I wanted others to do for me!

2. Reach out to new friends.

I had very few people in this new state that even knew my name. But the few that knew me, I contacted. One was my neighbor…we just sat on each other’s porches and talked while our kids played. I invited the one other lady I knew out to dinner. It was refreshing to chat with other ladies and begin to build friendships.

When we sow genuine seeds of friendship – love, encouragement, time, and affirmation – we WILL reap a harvest of good friends.

3. Get outside

Get OUT of your house!

Take a walk, soak in the fresh air.

BONUS: PEOPLE are outside!

This might sound silly, but I intentionally went on walks and bike rides with my kids around my new neighborhood JUST to meet our neighbors and find potential friends.

My first good friend in Colorado was someone I met at the playground when our kids were playing together.

So…get outside!

Since it’s winter in Minnesota and harder to be outside…I’ve found places to go INSIDE! The library, classes at the gym, my church, and a Bible study.

I was actually writing this post from the cafe inside my local gym. As I’m typing, a lady from my church recognizes me and says hello. We talk for a few minutes and she asks me what I’m writing about. I was so embarrassed to answer honestly, but took a deep breath and said: Loneliness. She then INVITES me to her house. This is exactly what I needed and would not have had happened if I’d stayed inside – wallowing in loneliness.

Movement creates opportunity!

Get out of your house. Smile. Be friendly. Stop and chat with people.

4. Start a Gratitude List

Start writing a list of things you are grateful for. I’m currently writing a list of 1000 things for which I’m thankful based on the book One Thousand Gifts gifts.

If you look for the good, you WILL find it!

When I began to focus on the things I DO have rather than what I don’t, my attitude began to change. My shift in perspective caused my heart to mend.

5. Connect with your Heavenly Father.

We are never really alone. Our Heavenly Father is always ready and willing to spend time with us, comfort us and heal our wounded hearts. It’s easy to forget that God is with us all day long…ready to listen and connect. He’s the one Friend that will never leave or disappoint us.

…But I am always with you.
You have held my hand. Psalm 73:23

…You can be sure that I will be with you always… Matthew 28:20

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18

So don’t worry, because I am with you.
Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.
I will make you strong and will help you.
I will support you with my right hand…Isaiah 41:10

The closer we get to God, the fuller our hearts will be and the less lonely we will feel. However, it’s okay to ask Him to provide us with strong friendships! He’s the one who said:

“It’s not good for man to be alone!” (Genesis 2:18)

If you’ve moved recently, I wrote a post called “LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE” with some similar but additional ideas and encouragement. You can click here to read it.

If you are feeling lonely, call me or send me an email! I’d be happy to chat with you!

If you’ve found something that has helped you overcome loneliness… leave me a comment!

For an awesome, encouraging book, check out: You are Never Alone by Max Lucado.

January 19, 2019 By Kathryn

2 In Family/ Joy/ Memories/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Product Recommendations/ Raising boys

Merriest Christmas 2018

Why does it seem like Christmas comes SO slowly when you are a child and as an adult, it comes WAY to quickly. I wish the Christmas season could last twice as long. I love the lights, the songs, the decorations, celebrations, traditions, extra time with friends and family, …and the anticipation and excitement in our children!

Our day started early … 3 AM early! Paul and Clark woke up, went into George’s room and woke him up and exclaimed: “It’s Christmas! Wake up!” Thankfully, George looked at the clock. He then came in, woke me up to let me know that his brothers were up and ready for Christmas and he thought it was too early.

Me: You are right, it’s too early! Go back to bed!

I went downstairs to bring the bad news to Paul and Clark that Christmas wouldn’t begin for 4 more hours.

CLARK: What will we do for FOUR hours?

ME: SLEEP!

CLARK AND PAUL: We are too excited to sleep!

ME: I’m sorry. (not sorry)

Thankfully, somehow, they did go back to sleep and so did I…and Christmas morning began around 7 AM.

Here were their favorite presents:

George – Lego Sets and Portillo’s gift card.
Clark’s – Vikings Jersey and finding out he’s going to the Bears vs Vikings Game with Ted on Sunday! He declared it the “BEST DAY EVER!”
Paul’s – his new slippers and a Dinosaur toy.
Luke’s – remote control car and a Playdoh set.

My favorite moments were:

The homemade gifts and handwritten notes from the boys
The Scavenger hunt that Clark had prepared:
- He had us go upstairs while he hid 3 notes for each person around the house.
- Each note declared something he appreciated about the person:

"George, I love how you are caring."

“Paul, I like how you play nicely with Luke.”

"Luke, I love how you are happy to play any game with your brothers."

“Dad, you are good at football.”

"Mom, thanks for playing games with us."

It was the sweetest game/gift EVER! Wow!

For Christmas dinner – I made their favorite food – STEAK!

Thanks for reading and thinking about our family. Leave me a comment and let me know the best part of your day!

December 25, 2018 By Kathryn

1 In Family/ Memories/ Motherhood/ Saving money/ Things to do in Minnesota

Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

Here are some fun and inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas:

First:
Place a small notepad inside each stocking with these pre-written questions:

What is one happy memory from this year?
What’s your favorite gift(s)?
What is something you learned this year?
What has God done in your life this year?
What are you looking forward to next year?

It will be fun to look back through the notebook and reflect on memories from Christmas past, while capturing memories of Christmas present.

After each person is done answering their questions, the notepads go back in the stockings and stay there until NEXT Christmas.

Second idea:

Go to the Dollar Store with your family and allow each person to pick out one thing for every person in the family. In my house, each person gets $7 – one dollar to spend on each of the 6 people, plus an extra dollar for tax.

Your kids will love getting to pick out a gift for each person in the family (as well as one item for themselves). This idea came from the Money Saving Mom

Do you have a good stocking stuffer idea? Leave me a comment by clicking on the little ‘comment’ box by the title of this post.

December 21, 2018 By Kathryn

1 In Christmas/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

Raising children who bring Peace, Love and Hope to a Hurting World

“So God throws open the door of this world—and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you. What religion ever had a god that wanted such intimacy with us that He came with such vulnerability to us? What God ever came so tender we could touch Him? So fragile that we could break Him? So vulnerable that His bare, beating heart could be hurt? Only the One who loves you to death.” -Ann Voskamp

I have four young boys so there have been four Christmas nights that I’ve been up with a newborn. These quiet moments always give me a chance to reflect on the very first Christmas…

What was Mary thinking and feeling as she held her little one in her arms.

Luke 2:20 (NIV) tells us:

“But Mary treasured up all of these things and pondered them in her heart.”

What was she pondering? Was she scared? Excited? Curious? Wouldn’t it be nice if she wrote what she learned from others, what she learned from Jesus? (I hope to get to talk to her about it one day in heaven!)

I stare into my little boy’s face and wonder who he will become. Did Mary know who Jesus would become? Was she overwhelmed at the thought that God had entrusted her to raise His Son! A child who would bring Hope and Peace for all eternity. Was she afraid she might do something wrong?

As I hold my little one in my arms, I begin to feel afraid. Though I didn’t give birth to Jesus, I am raising a child of God! A child who has the potential to bring hope to a hurting world. A child who can bring the Good News to others! What if I mess up?

Do I have what it takes?

I stop and remember that God chose this child for me at this time.

Deutoronomy 31:6:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Wow, just bask in those words for a minute. We don’t need to fear. He NEVER leaves us. He is always with us!

So what are some things we can do to invest in and mold these young lives so that they become Followers of Christ and make a positive difference in this world?

First of all … ask for God’s help every single day! Ask Him for wisdom because James 1:5 tells us:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Here are some other suggestions for raising young men and women of God:

Lead by example. Spend time reading God’s word and praying.
Stay present. Look at your children in the eye and answer their questions.
SMILE and remind them that they are LOVED – by you and by God!
Say ‘I’m sorry’ when you mess up. (We all mess up!)
Talk about the Goodness of God – sharing stories of what He has done in your life and the lives of others. Deuteronomy 6:7 – “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Pray together – for their “owies,” for their friends, and their concerns.
Sing and/or read together.
Practice ‘self-care’ so that you aren’t running on fumes.
Go to church together.
Download the Bible App for Kids. When they want to play on your phone, encourage them to play this first. Or play together!
Love their Daddy and invest in your relationship. If you are divorced, refrain from speaking bad about their dad.

Do we have to do ALL of these things every day? No.

I think the most important thing we can do is ask God for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you as you lead your children.

If you feel like there is something you can tweak to become the best mama to your children, do it.

Each day is new day!

Each day is a new opportunity to ask God for help. A new day to stay present in your children’s lives. Another opportunity to watch for what God is already doing in your child’s heart and life to encourage and support that!

Let’s look into our children’s eyes and remind them that God loves them and has GREAT plans for their future – He really does!!!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Merry Christmas friends,

Kathryn

This is a devotion I wrote for the Help Club for Moms Fall Study: The Wise Woman Abides

December 11, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Motherhood/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our week – Halloween and more!

Halloween

This was our first Minnesota Halloween, and we were invited to two neighborhood parties! One was an annual gathering and the other was a “play on words” party.

Nickelback

Clark: Ninja Kid

The Apostle Paul

Super Luke

The weather was perfect on Halloween and the kids had fun trick-or-treating with their friends. When Luke got too tired to walk, we went home and passed out candy – which is almost just as fun as collecting candy.

Neighborhood friends

Minnesota Zoo

The boys had a four day weekend, so we took one day to go to the zoo. The zoo was awesome, but Paul got his first PUNCH in the face by a kid on the Zoo playground! I’m not exactly sure what happened, but I do know it started with a game of tag and ended with a bloody nose.

Paul was okay, thankfully, and loved the Zoo in spite of the ‘incident.” We bought an annual pass, so if anyone wants to join us next time, leave me a comment!

Sharks were Paul’s favorite!

House of Mirrors

We visited the Amazing Mirror Maze at the Mall of America. The boys had been asking to do it, and when I found a discount on Groupon, I snagged the deal. They loved it! I’ve never done a mirror maze and it was fun! If you bring young children, I recommend you hold their hand. Paul (my 6 year old) insisted on walking ahead of me and banged his head into a mirror. He was okay but the mirrors are incredibly deceiving! I walked very SLOW!

Four pairs of wrestling shoes!

Wrestling

The boys started wrestling and needed wrestling shoes. I went to Play it again sports and they didn’t have any good used ones, so I bought one pair of new ones. I didn’t know how EXPENSIVE wrestling shoes were, and I didn’t want to buy FOUR new pairs. Thankfully, a friend gave us a pair of shoes that her son had outgrown for free. I found another pair on Facebook Marketplace, and the last pair on Craigslist. The 3 used pairs of wrestling shoes were still cheaper than the ONE pair of new ones. I wasn’t in sports as a kid, so I’m still adjusting to how much sports (and all the equipment) can cost – and am happy to let my boys borrow or purchase used items whenever possible.

Our first ride

Saying Good-bye to the Minivan Years

We traded in our minivan for a car. My minivan was sooo well loved and it was time to trade it in before winter arrived. I was nervous about getting stuck somewhere with four boys. Ted’s going to use the car for work, and I’m driving our SUV. I LOVED my minivan… the sliding doors and all the space! If I don’t feel the same about this SUV, I may have to go back. Minivans are MADE for moms – especially moms with four boys!

Minnesota Vikings

Chad Beebe, a family friend, has been on the Vikings practice squad since the summer and just got called up to play with the team. It was fun to watch him play – especially since he did really well. We attended church with his family in Illinois. My first memory of Chad was when he was about 8 years old. I had just started my position as the Children’s Ministry Director. I was signing him into Children’s Church and I couldn’t remember his name. I was too embarrassed to tell him that I didn’t know his name so I said: “Spell your name for me buddy!” He said slowly, “C….H….A….D.” I smiled, thanked him and handed him his tag. I should have just asked him his name because I was more embarrassed having him spell it. I never forgot his name after that. The Beebe’s are an amazing family and I’m excited for all of them.

What I’m loving this week:

My Swagbucks app because I get free Starbucks gift cards! This is a screenshot of the gift cards I’ve earned in just the last couple of months.

These are the gift cards I’ve received in the last two months!

Click here if you’d like to download the FREE app that earns you FREE gift cards:

Use code SHOP348890 or download http://getsk.co/shop348890

November 8, 2018 By Kathryn

0 In Faith/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

Who am I?

In the Bible, in the book of Exodus, Moses asks God, “Who should I tell the people who sent me.” In other words, ‘What’s your name?”

In Exodus 3:14 God answers Moses by saying,

“I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Have you considered that because God calls himself, “I AM,” we could be using God’s name in vain by saying “I am ____” and filling in the blank with something negative.

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”

I still believe that we shouldn’t use God’s name as a swear word, but perhaps we should also avoid calling ourselves something that contradicts who God made us to be!

When my children say something negative about themselves, it hurts this mama’s heart. I immediately correct them. How much more does it hurt God’s heart when we talk negatively about ourselves – His Creation…His child?

Who does God say that you are?

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

You are righteous Romans 3:22

You are loved Jer 31:3, Ephesians 3:18, I John 3:1

You are created with a purpose Jeremiah 29:11

You are chosen, special, royalty 1 Peter 2:9

You are protected Psalm 121:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:3

You are strong 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10

You are a child of God 1 John 3:1

You are Holy and Blameless Ephesians 1:4

You lack nothing Psalm 23:1

You are honorable Psalm 8:5

“Our minds will be influenced either by our Father’s affirmations of us revealed in the Scriptures or by the negative thoughts and images that continually try to cripple us through feelings of rejections, loneliness and shame.” -SJ Hill, What’s God Really Like?

Let’s help our children remember who they are and WHOSE they are.

When they are talking negatively, have them REPLACE their words with truth.

Change “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this, YET!” (or “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me Strength” Philippians 4:13)

“I am afraid” becomes “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of LOVE, power and a SOUND mind” (1 Timothy 1 :7)

“I’m a failure” to “I was chosen by God!” (John 15:16)

“No one likes me” to “I am loved by the Creator of the Universe!” (1 John 3:1)

Take a minute, close your eyes, and let God tell you who you are!

You are LOVED!

Click here for a POWERFUL Daily Declaration to speak over yourself and your family.

Click here for 12 verses to reduce your fear and build your FAITH.

Please subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

November 2, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Faith/ Family/ Inspiration/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

How to Find Joy in the Mess of Motherhood

As a mother, I’ve experienced the incredible joy and fulfillment of raising children, but also the intense challenges and stress that come with it. I try to keep the house picked up, but sometimes it feels like a hurricane has swept through. Breakfast dishes pile up, spills happen, and my sons love to make forts out of all our pillows and blankets. In those moments, I feel overwhelmed.

Some thoughts that run through my head are:

I’ll never have a clean house.
I’m depressed.
I can’t do this.

I give myself about 60 seconds to think this way, then I purposefully stop myself. When I choose to think different thoughts, my mood immediately changes.

I’ve learned that I have a choice in how I respond to the thoughts. I choose to focus on gratitude and joy instead of stress and negativity.

When I start to feel down, here are two things I’ve found that are helpful.

Scripture:

“I can’t do this” is replaced with: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
“I am depressed” is replaced with “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 ESV).

Gratitude:

Replace “I’ll never have a clean house!” with this thought: I have young children, but I will eventually have a clean house again and may even miss their messes. Messes means life is happening here.
Replace “Look at the messy kitchen!” with this thought: My children aren’t hungry. They have food to eat.
Replace “The living room is a mess!” with this though: My children are creative. They are playing together.

Feeling stressed is a choice. Joy and gratitude are choices too.

I’m choosing joy one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time.

Motherhood is a journey that requires us to let go of our own desires and priorities and focus on our children. It’s a tough but rewarding path, and we can choose to find joy even in the midst of messes and chaos.

If you’re struggling to find joy and gratitude as a mother, I encourage you to ask God for help. You can also start a gratitude journal and write down five things you’re thankful for each day. And don’t forget to involve your children in household chores! Even young children can help pick up toys or set the table, and older children can do more advanced tasks like laundry and cooking.

Remember, joy is a choice, and it’s one we have to make every day. Let’s choose wisely and embrace the challenges and joys of motherhood together.

Thanks for reading! If you found this post helpful, please consider subscribing for more tips and encouragement.

Want more on Motherhood?

Read this:

Finding Peace of Mind: Advice for Anxious Moms

October 25, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Family/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our Midwest Week

This week in Minnesota is what dreams are made of – lots of sunshine and so much beauty all around!

Last Friday started with my Women’s Conference. The theme was “Be an Original” and the Key Note speakers were Lisa Bevere and Bob Goff. They were both phenomenal! I’ll share some of what I learned in another post. The music was awesome and the time with a bunch of great ladies was absolutely SOUL-FILLING!

Thank you, Ted, for holding down the fort so I could get away for 24 hours.

Ted got 4 boys to 3 different games at different times at 2 different parks!

Sunday was supposed to be our final day of soccer with SIX games… but it snowed for 4 straight hours and soccer was canceled. Yay! The boys played in the snow ALL.DAY.LONG.

I was okay with just staying in, watching the boys play from window, all while enjoying the warmth of my home – but my boys encouraged me to get outside. I’m so glad they did – it was glorious outside. Everything was white and pristine, and the weather was not too cold.

Monday was writing, cleaning and playing with Luke.

Ritter Farm

On Tuesday Luke and I explored a beautiful park called Ritter Farm. He wanted me to hold him during most of our hike, and that’s okay with me… I’m soaking up every minute of him being little and still wanting to be held because I know that he’ll turn 10 in 2.5 seconds. We collected bugs, climbed trees, and enjoyed all the pretty trees along the path.

Piggy back rides for the win!

Wednesday mornings I’ve been attending a women’s bible study called “Sisterhood” at River Valley Church – the same church that put on the women’s conference. I started this Bible study about six weeks ago, without really knowing anyone. I am slowly getting to know some really precious women – and have enjoyed incredible teaching by the women’s ministry team.

Thursday started a four day weekend for the boys for something called MEA. I don’t even know what that stands for except that it’s like a “Fall Break.”

We met some new friends at the cutest apple farm in our town called Applewood Orchard. We rode a hayride, found our way through a Hedge Maze, ate apple cider donuts, drank apple cider, then sampled and picked our own apples. This apple farm grows a variety of apples. The boys scouted out where to pick their favorite flavor during the hay ride. First, we pulled our wagon over to the SnowSweet Apples (George’s choice). Next, Clark insisted we go pick some Sweetango Apples on the OPPOSITE side of the Orchard. He told me he’d tasted them at school and that they are the best. He was absolutely correct. They were the vey best apples I’ve ever eaten in my life. So sweet they taste like candy. Have you tried them before?

We all LOVED this little pumpkin/apple farm and will definitely be back!

Thursday night we went to dinner at a local pizza place with Clark’s soccer team. There was something special about this group of kids and their families. We all enjoyed sitting together during practices and getting to know each other, then cheering on our kids during soccer games. We bonded during this season and am sad that we won’t be hanging out 3 times a week anymore. Our dinner together was a fun way to end the season – but I hope we can continue getting together.

How was your week? Did you get beautiful fall weather like us?

October 19, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Memories/ Minnesota/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Minnesota

Peek into our week – Fall is Here!

Fallelujah!!

There’s always a little dread in my heart when Fall arrives. It means I will soon be FUH-REEZING. But this fall I’m living in the moment, LOVING all the GORGEOUS fall colors and enjoying every sip of my pumpkin spice lattes!

Visit to Minneapolis

Our kids got their first trip to the Big City! Ted had to grab something from his office on Saturday, so we all went along. The boys loved exploring the SKYWAYS. Have you heard about the Minneapolis Skyway system? It’s 13 MILES of enclosed walkways. You can live your entire life in Minneapolis and never have to go outside. There are coffee shops, nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies on along the Skyway!

We parked and walked from the Target Center where the Timberwolves play, past a donut shop, to Ted’s office. The boys begged for a donut and we promised them one after lunch. We ate lunch at an amazing place called Roti Modern Mediterranean.

On our way out, we walked past the donut shop again…and it was CLOSED! So, Ted found another place a couple of miles away that was still open – GLAM DOLL DONUTS. The donuts were GLAM! They looked delicious but were quite pricey and did NOT taste as amazing as they looked. But, it was fun to check this cute 50s style diner/donut shop!

Backyard Jackpot

Ted was playing in the backyard with the boys and George accidentally kicked his balls into this “nature preserve” space behind our house. He commented that it smelled SO good back there. Ted went to look at what he was talking about and discovered MINT! Lots and lots of MINT!

Computer CRASH

I purchased my Mac about 7 years ago and it’s been VERY well loved…by me AND our four sons. Last week I went to turn it on and the screen was completely black. I made an appt at Apple and hoped they could just push a button or charge me for a new light bulb. But know, they wanted about $600 to fix it. Sooo, I’m currently using Ted’s computer.

It was NO FUN losing my computer like that. They WILL be able to get all my stuff off the old computer (for $100)…but I need to get a new one first.

Birthday party

Our neighbor, Ellie, Clark and George all have birthdays close together so we did a joint party at Lifetime Gym. The kids all loved the Rock Climbing wall and group games.

Next up:

I’m going to a Women’s Conference this weekend where I’ll get see and hear from Lisa Bevere and BOB GOFF!! I’m so excited! I did try calling Bob but it went to his voicemail and his voice mailbox is fulll….so maybe I can meet him and talk to him in real life!

What have you been up to? Leave me a comment by clicking that tiny “comment box” beside the title!

October 12, 2018 By Kathryn

7 In Family/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

15 ways to BOND with your BOYS!

I’m a mom with four boys – that’s ONE mom and FOUR boys. I’m completely #outnumbered.

Since my sons are only young once, I want to make memories with them! One way we do this is by spending one-on-one time with each of them. If I have $20 to spend – I’d rather buy a MEMORY rather than a TOY! I treasure these memories, and my boys always get excited when it’s their turn for a “date with mom!”

Found George’s favorite hamburger spot in Minnesota – Portillo’s

All dressed up for our ‘date!’

Me and Luke exploring together

Here are some suggestions for connecting with your son:

Take him out for food – just the two of you! Let him pick his favorite spot for ice cream, lunch or dinner – have some questions or ideas for conversation planned in advance. My boys love the ‘would you rather‘ questions.
Go shooting at a local gun range.
Hang out at Buffalo Wild Wings and watch a ball game.
If you have a membership at a gym, work out together.
Go fishing (make sure you have a license, if needed).
Hike together.
Go camping. Help them pack and prepare.
Work on a simple project together – whether it’s building a lego set, cleaning out the car, building a fort in the living room or putting together something you’ve purchased from Ikea – do it together!
Go for a bike ride.
Cook a meal together. Have them choose the menu; you can buy the ingredients.
Play with remote controlled cars.
Go to a local go-kart racetrack.
Play their favorite video game with them.
Play a card game, board game, or backyard game together – my boys still love Tag, soccer, and sharks & minnows.
Play a sport together – basketball, wrestling or hockey – my kids LOVE competing against my husband or me!

Here are some questions you could ask to get to know your child better:

Read this post next. A powerful tool to use with your kids: CLICK HERE!

September 23, 2018 By Kathryn

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