Southeast Iowa Freedom Rock Tour

This Memorial Day, our Iowa Freedom Rock journey continued through southeast Iowa, where we visited the Freedom Rocks in Jefferson, Van Buren, Lee, Des Moines, Henry, and Louisa Counties.

One thing quickly became apparent during this trip — Civil War history runs deep throughout Southeast Iowa. Many of the stories featured on these rocks highlighted local soldiers, Medal of Honor recipients, military units, and communities that played important roles during the Civil War and beyond.

My kids standing next to the Lee County Freedom Rock
Memorial Day 2026

A Visit to the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, Waterloo, Iowa

Yesterday, before attending a Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area Board of Trustees meeting in Waterloo, Iowa, I finally took the time to stop at a place I’ve driven by countless times - the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. I’m so glad I did!

The museum is part of the Grout Museum District, which is a member of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. This heritage area is a network of museums and historical sites in the Northeast quadrant of Iowa that collectively tell the story of Iowa and the heritage of American agriculture. It’s an honor for me to begin my term this year as a board member for such an impactful organization.

Comments for a Cause - Quilts of Honor

Happy New Year!  After sharing my Top Blog Posts from 2017 & my Goals for 2018, I can finally share about the new month of Comments for a Cause.

Thank you to everyone that commented last month to help me support The Michael J. Fox Foundation and for all the care and concern for my mother-in-law.  I am happy to report that she has returned home and is doing very well!  She is one of the strongest women I know and she's not going to give up.  That is one reason why I respect and admire the Michael J. Fox Foundation so much.  They aren't just working to find ways or things to help people with Parkinson's, they are dedicated to research for finding a cure.  Last month I had a total of 63 comments, equaling a donation of $31.50.  Thank you all for your continued support!

And thanks to everyone's continued support I am continuing my Comments for a Cause program for the 5th year!  To start off 2018 I am donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to Quilts of Honor.

Last year I learned about Quilts of Honor after a group of Veterans in an area Care Center received quilts through the nonprofit organization.  I thought the gesture was very honorable and I love to support any group that values the contributions of our veterans and current service men and women.

After years of quilting patriotic quilts for veterans, Quilts of Honor was officially founded in 2010 by Gail Belmont.  As a veteran herself, she had a passion and mission for providing comfort and healing to veterans and warriors.  One way of doing that was by providing "Quilted Hugs of Gratitude" to those who had served in the military.  To date, over 700 quilts have been awarded to veterans and service men and women across the country.

So help me and Quilts of Honor show our appreciation to our veterans and warriors for their sacrifice and service by commenting all month long.  Do you have a special veteran in your life?  You can request a quilt for them through the organization.  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Comments for a Cause - Franklin County Freedom Rock

We have had a beautiful start to the month of May here in Iowa and I'm excited to share with you about this month's Comments for a Cause program.  To start though, let's talk about last month's cause, the Ashland Community Foundation Fire Relief Fund.  In the month of April I had a total of 53 comments, creating a $26.50 donation to help ranchers from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado that lost livestock and their homesteads due to the wildfires.  Before I go on, I have to let you know that this part of the country has been given another brutal hit by Mother Nature.  Last week a devastating and unimaginable April snowstorm hit Kansas and Colorado, leaving over 20" of snow in many parts.  Ranchers were unprepared and the snow has killed cattle and damaged the area's wheat crop.  To learn more, please read my friend Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom's latest post.

Now moving onto May, I'm excited to be helping a local cause, the Franklin County Freedom Rock.  During the month of May I'll be donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to assist with the cost of having my county's Freedom Rock painted.

The Franklin County, Iowa Freedom Rock is a part of a the Freedom Rock Tour, where artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II, is painting Freedom Rocks in all of Iowa's 99 counties.  Back in 1999 Sorensen painted the very first and original Freedom Rock in rural Adair Conty as a way to honor America's veterans.  It became so popular, and so many people were moved by it that in 2013 he started the Freedom Rock Tour.  As of today, 59 county Freedom Rocks have been painted, and many more, like Franklin County's are ready and on the list to be painted next.  Sorensen is able to paint 10-12 Freedom Rocks a year and estimates the program will take 10 years to complete.

The Franklin County Freedom Rock was moved to its final resting spot at the end of February 2017 in Coulter, Iowa, at the trailhead of the Rolling Prairie Trail that goes from Coulter to Waverly, Iowa.  The 20 ton rock was donated by Martin Marietta of Mason City and moved courtesy of Dave's Crane Service of Union.  The rock will be painted in the future by Bubba Ray Sorensen in its own unique way that honors America's veterans.  So far the rock has had all donated costs and services, but a fund has been set up to pay for the painting of the rock.  I'm excited to help support my county's rock!

What I love about the Freedom Rock Tour is that it not only pays respect to Veterans, but many rocks have local ties to them and shares the faces of real, local veterans.  The original Freedom Rock even has ashes of veterans in the paint.  I also love the tourism aspect of the tour.  My family and I have checked out a few county Freedom Rocks and I hope to visit the original sometime soon.

And for those of you who aren't from Iowa, the Freedom Rock Tour is now going national!  Bubba Ray Sorensen is now setting out to paint Freedom Rocks in all 50 states.  He has rocks in Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin so far, and plans in place for the state of Washington's next.

Have you ever seen one of the Freedom Rocks before?  Have you ever been to the original Freedom Rock?  Remember to Comment for a Cause all month long!

Comments for a Cause - Iowa Cookie Crumbs

It's November 1st and time to talk Comments for a Cause!  In the month of October I had 28 comments, equaling a $14 donation to My Stuff Bags Foundation!  This money will go to helping children in crisis centers and foster care have their own personal items.

In the month of November I'm looking forward to helping some Iowa bakers and their efforts to send cookies to troops overseas by donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to Iowa Cookie Crumbs.

Last December I read an article about a group of Iowa bakers that sent more than 30,000 cookies to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas during the holidays and I knew I needed to highlight them as a future Comments for a Cause recipient.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know that I have a sister in the Army National Guard and a brother-in-law who was in the Marines and Marine Reserves.  Needless to say, anything to support the troops means a lot to me, because I know how much it means to our soldiers, especially when they are deployed.  And since Veterans Day is celebrated during November, and I knew there would be a lot of cookie baking in preparation for Iowa Cookie Crumbs's holiday shipment, I thought this month would be the perfect time to showcase their compassion and appreciation for our military.

The Iowa Cookie Crumbs was formed by Abbie Crawford, of Southwest Iowa, nearly ten years ago and they not only send cookies to our troops during the holidays, but each month all year long.  In fact, last month the group hit the milestone of baking and sending over a million cookies!

All of the boxes of cookies are shipped to individual service men and women.  Names are collected through Treat the Troops, a larger network that the Iowa Cookie Crumbs works through.  The Iowa bakers do send boxes to local soldiers, based off of requests, but a majority of their cookies are sent to soldiers not directly from the area.

So help me, help this group of dedicated bakers by commenting all month long so we can help cover some of the shipping costs of all of these cookies!  ***If you live in the Council Bluffs area, you can personally help by attending their holiday cookie packing day on November 15th at Emanuel Lutheran Church.***  What is your favorite cookie?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Comments for a Cause - Retrieving Freedom

It is a new month, which means it is time to introduce a new cause!  Before I talk about June's cause, let's talk May numbers.  Last month I had 45 comments, creating a $22.50 donation to North Iowa Hospice.  Thank you to everyone that commented to help me support a reader suggested organization that I've seen help friends and family here recently.  If you have any Comments for a Cause organizations or mission suggestions be sure to share them with me by commenting at the bottom of this post, or on my Comments for a Cause page.

In the month of June I'm excited to be supporting an organization that supports veterans (I have a sister and brother-in-law who both are), diabetics (I have a sister-in-law who is), and autistics, and is expanding in our local area, Retrieving Freedom.  In June I will be donating $0.50 for every comment on my blog during the month to them, and my friend Beth Ann from It's Just Life will be doing the same on her blog.

Retrieving Freedom, Inc. is a non-profit organization that trains service dogs for placement in three main areas: Veterans, Children with Autism, and Adults and Children with Diabetes.  They breed and train the chosen dogs with specific traits needed for their duties as a service dog for those three specific areas.  The dogs go through a two year training program before they're placed with an owner.  Retrieving Freedom will customize the training of the dog to fit the precise needs of the person whom they will be placed with.  As they say, "Retrieving Freedom is not a 'one dog for all' type of organization".

Retrieving Freedom operates out of two locations: Senatobia, Mississippi and Waverly, Iowa.  Scott Dewey and the team in Waverly are excited to be having their Grand Opening of their Training and Placement facility on June 27th.  You can check out the schedule here, or learn more on their Facebook page.

It takes $23,000-$25,000 to produce a fully trained Retrieving Freedom dog who are all associated with Assistance Dogs International.  Let's help this worthy and noble organization by commenting on any post all month long.  Thank you Shannon Latham at The Field Position for helping me become aware of this local organization.  

Have you ever heard of using assistance dogs for Veterans, Autistics and Diabetics?  Remember to Comment for Cause!

My Favorite Soldier Gives Back This Veteran's Day

It is no secret that my favorite soldier is my youngest sister.  I am so proud of the woman she has become through her service and dedication to the Army National Guard, since she enlisted at the age of 17.

My sister on the top of Mount Duke during her recent deployment in Kosovo

Veteran's Day is a great day to remember and give back to all of our veterans.  And I don't know if I just wasn't aware of Veteran's Day activities before my sister and my brother-in-law enlisted, but I do feel like a lot of businesses and communities have increased their support for veterans over the last few years.  I personally am so proud to be a soldier's sister and in a military family, and I couldn't be more proud of those that are saying thank you and showing their support to generations of veterans this Veteran's Day.  Did you know that businesses like Hy-Vee, Texas Road House, Applebee's, Golden Corral, Chick-fil-A, Krispy Kreme, Orange Leaf, and Starbucks (to name a few) all have special deals for veterans today?  What a great and simple way to honor our veterans!  My sister has participated in a couple of these deals today and loves congregating and having fellowship with other veterans at these locations.  Veteran's Day is her favorite holiday because of the camaraderie she gets to experience with other veterans who she currently serves with, to those who served in Korea or Vietnam.  These businesses truly make today a special experience for all veterans by opening their doors and tables to serve them.  Afterall, isn't the least we can do for them since they've served our country for decades?

It is great to see all of these businesses mentioned above (and more) give back to our veterans.  Now I'm going to be tooting my sister's horn right now, but I think it is pretty great and special that my sister in turn gave back in her own way today by donating 12 inches of hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths program.

My sister and her hair donation

My sister decided grow out her hair during her recent year-long deployment to Kosovo and chose today to have it cut and donated.  She of course went to Great Clips, who was honoring veterans with free hair cuts today, and chose the Pantene Beautiful Length program because it gives free wigs to women battling cancer through the American Cancer Society's Wig Bank.

I am just so proud of my youngest sister and I hope you've shown your pride and support for our veterans today too.  Feel free to share about your favorite veteran(s) in the comments section.  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

May Comments for a Cause - Team Red, White & Blue

Happy May Day everyone!  It is the first of the month and time to report my Comments for a Cause results for the previous month and announce the new month's cause!  So first thing, in the month of April I had 30 comments while equals a $15 contribution to the Wennerstrom Family Mission Trip to Honduras with Prairie Ridge Church.  I'm happy to support the Wennerstrom Family's Mission Trip and pray that they have a safe trip to Honduras and that each of their faiths is enriched by the experience.

Now onto May's cause!  I'm proud to be donating $0.50 for every comment during the month of May to Team Red, White and Blue.  I talked about Team RWB last Veteran's Day and wanted to continue increasing awareness and support for this great organization that helps new Veterans after they re-enter civilian life by creating a positive community.  I thought what better way for you all to learn about Team RWB from other than Des Moines's Team RWB Chapter Captain, Brandon Holtan.  Here is what Holtan shared about Team RWB:

Team Red White and Blue also known as Team RWB is a national non-profit organization which strives to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.  The team is in place for veterans returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan who are transitioning back to their lives at home.  However you do not need to be a veteran to be part of the team.  We rely on our community members to help bridge the gap between the military lifestyle and the civilian world.  Team RWB is building strong communities across the country.  Team RWB Des Moines and Team RWB Cedar Rapids / Iowa City are growing communities right here in Iowa.

Members of Team RWB Des Moines at the Red Flannel Run this winter
Holtan is on the far left

We engage veterans and community members alike to workout together on a weekly basis.  We also encourage members to compete in local athletic events such as 5K's, mud runs, bike rides, Marathons, Triathlons, Crossfit games, GORUCK events, and several other challenging adventures.  The social aspect of Team RWB provides members with another opportunity to build strong relationships.  We meet up for BBQ's, tailgates, and we've started our own breakfast club to experience all that Des Moines' diners have to offer.  That's what we do, but the Eagle Ethos gives you an idea of why we do it.

Members of Team RWB Des Moines
running the Living History Farms race in 2013

The Eagle Ethos was crafted using six words that uniquely characterize Team RWB and distinguish our organization from others. While there are certain principles that all nonprofits should adhere to, these are the things that make our Team special. The Eagle Ethos can be clearly captured in an instant with a single snapshot or demonstrated over time. It can be displayed outwardly or held inside as fuel for action. But it is pervasive throughout Team RWB and known intimately by each team member who puts on that red shirt. The Eagle Ethos is passion, people, positivity, commitment, camaraderie, and community…and Team RWB lives it in action every day.

+ Passion – we care more, we work harder, and we share our story
+ People – veterans and community drive everything we do
+ Positivity – we don’t ignore the challenges, we just stay positive and attack them
+ Commitment – we are dedicated to each other, our mission, and our communities
+ Camaraderie – we improve lives through genuine, personal relationships
+ Community – this is what we are building…at every level

Let me start with a little background about myself.  I enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating high school.  I was stationed 1,000 miles away from home for over 4 years and deployed to Iraq in 2006 and 2008.  After returning from deployment in 2008 I married my high school sweetheart and made the transition from living in the barracks on base with a few hundred Marines to an apartment in West Des Moines with my wife.  One day I was wearing a uniform familiar with my daily routine and the next day I was driving half way across the country finding my way back home.

I connect with the camaraderie within Team RWB and the effort to assist veterans during their transition from active service to civilian life.  I had a strong support network of family and friends to rely on, but I was the only veteran in my circle of friends.  I lost touch with the camaraderie of the military lifestyle.  After finishing my degree and being in the workforce for 3 years I had finally come to know a few dozen veterans who had similar life experiences and who I felt most comfortable around.  

Team RWB Des Moines members at their Bacon Sizzle social gathering

When I read about Team RWB in the Marine Corps Times I was inspired to build a community here in Des Moines.  I've reached out to everyone I know to spread the word about Team RWB and establish key relationships within supporting organizations.  We have a membership of approx 250 with about 150 veterans and 100 community members.  Des Moines has an awesome leadership team and we are taking steps to become a strong local resource for veterans.

For more information visit our website teamrwb.org.  If you want to join our team please visit http://teamrwb.org/get-involved/join-the-team and sign up or check out our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamRWBDesMoines/ or

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamRWB.CedarRapids.IowaCity/.

So lets be sure to Comment for a Cause a lot this month to support this growing organization helping so many veterans and communities across the United States!  I know how much this group means to my family members who are veterans.  Veterans are looking for this camaraderie and community when they return to civilian life and Team RWB is filling this need and a want to level that I don't think these veterans realized they needed and wanted.

Do you know a new Veteran looking for a community like this?  If so, share with them about Team RWB!

Team RWB - Creating a Community for Veterans

Veteran's Day is always an important day for my family but with the impending deployment of my youngest sister in a couple of weeks it seems to have even more of an impact.  On this Veteran's Day I can't help but think of our newest Veterans like my sister and my brother-in-law.

My sister before her Iraq deployment ceremony

My youngest sister joined the Iowa Army National Guard at the age of 17.  Following graduation from High School she went through Basic and AIT.  Because of the duration of her trainings she started college late.  You might not think this is a huge deal but it was hard to start school during the spring semester versus the fall.  People had already made friendships and connections during the fall semester and it was just hard for her to really find and connect with a group of peers. Already at the age of 18 she was starting to feel the effects of being a soldier going back to the civilian world.

Also while in college, my sister was deployed to Iraq.  The deployment began part way through a semester and she would then be gone for a year, missing two more semesters.  After she returned from Iraq she returned to school a year older, a year wiser, a year of more real-world experience under her belt.  She also returned to taking classes with students usually one or two years younger than herself and most of the students she had taken courses with before had graduated.  She just couldn't relate with this new group of peers.  While she may have not been injured or seen any casualties, I do believe my sister came back with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  She had low ambition following her return and I think it was because she felt like she couldn't relate to others and she felt no recognition or understanding of what she had been through.  Luckily, she found a Veterans Club on campus that helped with the transition.  She could relate with others in the group.  And in the end, her best friendships from college, were those of other Veterans.  Once she entered the workforce I believe her symptoms of PTSD came back because she didn't have that peer group of Veterans anymore and she had a difficult time getting settled in employment.  But I am happy to report that I feel like she has found her place and has been working for the Iowa Army National Guard for the past year.

My brother-in-law during one of his
deployments to Iraq

I've known my brother-in-law (he's married to my other sister) for a long time.  In fact, my sister and him were high school sweet hearts.  He wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a little boy and when he graduated from High School he entered the Marines and was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina for four years.  During that time he was involved in two deployments to Iraq.  Following his active service he returned to Iowa, married my sister and began going to college with others of a different generation.  My brother-in-law was married and was living in a different town than the university and his classmates were recent graduates of high school and lets just say had different priorities and values then he did.  Just like my sister, he too didn't get injured while in the service, but he had just finished living, eating, breathing the life of a Marine for four years.  My brother-in-law figures it took him about five years to really find a network of Veterans.  He hopes that for future Veterans, this only takes a week and that is why he is now involved with Team Red, White & Blue.

I think Veterans for the last 100 years have always found it difficult to transition back to civilian life after the life of active service.  Team RWB's goal is to help all Veterans with that transition.  This national organization does this by creating Veteran communities around the country.  These communities focus on both social and physical activities, or as my brother-in-law says, a group to "workout and hangout" with.  Team RWB becomes a peer support network that I know both my sister and my brother-in-law were in need of.

Team RWB also provides leadership opportunities for members involved by getting involved in Veteran Athletic Camps.  Team RWB communities around the country train for marathons, triathlons, etc.

Team RWB chapters also associates themselves with a local VA hospital.  Members travel and visit with the Veterans at the hospitals to hopefully help them work through anxiety, PTSD, medicine refusal, etc.

If you know a Veteran returning to civilian life, tell them to check out Team RWB.  My Brother-in-law is the Captain of the Des Moines chapter and feels very rewarded to be apart of the community.

Operation Thank A Hero

Even though it may not feel like spring outside, I have been busy thinking through how fast the next couple of months are going to go by - spring planting, birthdays, baby showers, wedding showers, weddings, Mother's Day, graduations, Father's Day, and the arrival of MP (just to name a few).  An important holiday to add to that list, that came to mind to me today, is Memorial Day.

How many of you plan on celebrating Memorial Day?

Our flag flying at my home last Memorial Day

I celebrate Memorial Day every year by visiting graves of past loved ones and by thinking of all the men and women in the armed forces.  I haven't talked about this topic too much on my blog in the past, but I am a proud to be in a military family.

My sister (and her dog) visiting us at our house
after a weekend guard training in February

My youngest sister joined the Army National Guard when she turned 17.  Now at the age of 25 she is employed by the Army National Guard full-time, has been deployed to Iraq and is deploying to Kosovo this fall.  I am so proud our her service and to be her sister.

My other sister and my brother-in-law at the
Marine Corp Ball in November 2012

My other sister's husband, aka my brother-in-law, joined the Marines when he was 18.  Now at the age of 26 he is now enlisted in the Marine Reserves after serving two tours in Iraq and two stays in Japan.  I too am proud of his service and to be his sister-in-law.

So, you can see a couple big reasons why I think everyone should celebrate Memorial Day.

An easy way of celebrating Memorial Day and honoring our military heroes is by joining me in participating in Operation Thank A Hero.  This project is being led by a friend, and Thirty-One consultant, who is asking people to donate a Thirty-One Zippered Pouch to a veteran in an Iowa VA hospital.  Each donated pouch will be filled with items to make the veteran's hospital stay more comfortable, such as puzzles, toiletries, books, magazines, a get well card, etc.  If you are interested in bringing a smile to a veteran's face this Memorial Day, contact Joslyn Stock (joslyn.stock@gmail.com) about ordering and donating a Zippered Pouch for just $18, or you can personalize a pouch for $26 (ideas include:  Thank You, Veterans Are Heroes, God Bless America, Service, Courage, Brave).  Orders are due May 10th and all pouches will be delivered on Memorial Day.

I thought this was such a great idea, I just had to share the message with all of you.  I donated two pouches, one in honor of both my sister and brother-in-law.  I hope you will join me in celebrating Memorial Day this year!

***Update May 15, 2013***

Thank you to everyone that supported this effort.  This Memorial Day 18 pouches will be given to veterans staying at VA Hospitals in Iowa.  Thanks once again to everyone that helped!