The skies were cloudy with thunderstorms on the radar. The city was abuzz with the arrival of President Obama, First Lady Michelle, Vice President Biden, and Second Lady Jill. Not just that, but Hawkeye fans were out in full force celebrating Fryfest in preparation for the big in-state rivalry football game to come the next […]

These mocktails were so much fun!! We served them at my mom’s 60th birthday party and, though both are incredibly tasty, the Sweet Sunrise mocktail is the prettiest of the two, thus making it the more popular option. I put my two younger brothers in charge of the drinks station and they each took one […]

We had these at my mom’s 60th birthday party and I honestly never had the chance to taste one. They were all quickly eaten up! I heard they were delicious so I will trust the opinions of the guests on this one. Again, this was a really easy recipe. Our goal for the party was to […]

This was one of the big hits at my mom’s 60th birthday party. The cayenne pepper added a hint of surprise to the expected taste and everyone loved it! It’s a super easy recipe to make and they are perfect bite-size, delicious treats! Seeing as it’s football season now, these will probably make a reappearance for […]

The ventilator was the only noise in the room aside from the weeping. The child lay across mama’s lap, eyes closed, little fists waving until mama’s calming voice whispered, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Jesus will be right there and He’ll take good care of you.” I sobbed the whole way home.

It’s incredibly difficult to surprise my mother. In fact, I will quote one of her childhood friends, Mary, confirming this: “My earliest memory of [Carolyn] took place on your birthday.  I don’t remember which one, probably around the tenth, so this was about fifty years ago. “Anyway, your mom, Emma, had arranged to invite all […]