My favorite thing today

Most nights at dinner or before bed I ask my kids the same question.
"What was your favorite thing today?"

They usually respond by describing some fun activity that they did that day , or explaining a happy moment. It is a good way for them to realize the blessings they have and show gratitude to the One who gives them.

A few of my faves today:

• Watching Little House on The Prairie--my favorite episode, where Laura meets Almanzo for the first time and calls him "Manly"
• Hearing some great news from a friend regarding her pregnancy--Praise God!
  
• Eating a Hershey's Candy Bar while watching Little House.
• Watching my children splash and play in the pool with friends
• Hearing my nephew say "Momma, Momma " while I was talking on the phone with his Momma.

Beauty in the ordinary.

For Maddie, Alex, & Stella WE MISS YOU!!!!!
a few photos:

product recall

I've been following the news on a number of product recalls and I don't know whether to freak out not.

How worried must I be about the products made in China that may have paint containing lead?
Are there extreme amounts of lead, or just small quantities? Do they pose a danger to my children or people, by that I mean the Government, media, etc. blowing it out of proportion? Just recently there has been recalled peanut butter, beef, toothpaste. We might as well live in a bubble.

Two weeks ago, I read about lunch boxes containing lead. What's next?

Did we not live in houses containing walls painted with lead paint?
Toys have been manufactured in China for decades, and this is a new problem? I doubt it.

Just how worried are you? Would you go out and buy an at home lead testing kit (like I almost did)???

for the latest recalls, click here

Are you a Slacker Mom?

I came across this free internet quiz:

Are you a Slacker Mom?

Try it, based on my answers I am rated as,

"ZEN MOM"

-- How do you do it? Even when explosions are all around, you are able to take a deep cleansing breath and chant your mantra "this too shall pass." You are a calming influence on your kids in a hectic world.

What??? This could not be farther from the truth!

a fine line.

As my kiddos are growing at the speed of light, new, challenging, and often times scary situations are presented to them.

Tuesday we were at the cottage encouraging Chase to try waterskiing again. He had quite a discouraging fall a few weeks back that I thought would end his ambitions.

I have always liked observing the way my children and those of others take on new tasks. Some kids don't need a bit of arm twisting, they are ready to try something new, they are daredevils with no fear. Others refuse, kick and scream, cannot be forced to try something they fear.

My father has taught many a child, teenager, adult how to waterski and finds extreme delight in watching someone successfully learn and progress to the next level.

What we tried to balance that day was the willingness Chase initially showed in trying again to ski and the blatant fear developing on his face as we wrangled the skis, the rope, and positioning him for take off. By the time Dad, Mom, Bethany and I were ready, he had clearly changed his mind.

"I don't wanna do it!"
"I DON'T WANNA SKI!" said through tears

This was a moment I have experienced many a time with my boys.
Just how far do you push a kid? Do you force him to do it when you know that success is only moments away? OR do you realize that your child needs to trust you that you won't force him to do something against his will?

a fine line.

This photo shows a positive end result for us, what would you choose?

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy 33rd Dan!

(32nd thought my mother)

This is what kind of birthday you have when you are 33.

• get up at 6am and go to work while I am snoring away.
  
• cheat on your diet and eat an EggMcMuffin
• toil away in temperatures nearing 100 degrees
  
• realize that birthdays just aren't what they used to be
  
• put up with rowdy employees
  
• come home to rowdy kids
• cheat on your diet again and have Pizza
• go swimming with the fam.
  
• look at your wife and think, "man, she's still got it"
• fall asleep on the couch while watching CSI.

All in all a pretty blessed existence.

I love you! Thank you for just being Danno.

Will I Stay or Will I Go?

I was checking the national headlines today and came across this story about Starbucks increasing it pricing about 9 cents.

Click Here for video story

So now the question out there is, Will folks still grab that seemingly addictive and unmatched cup of joe while paying nine cents more for it??

I'm no expert, but I don't think it will stop anyone, including my once weekly allotted Vanilla Latte. I'll add nine cents to the weekly budget. Start digging in the couch for change, raiding my kids piggy bank, anything to get that Starbucks!!!!!!!!!!

Four Eye Are Better Than Two

We learned recently that Drew would need glasses. The vision in his left eye was surprisingly poor. Dan and I felt pretty bad that we never noticed any signs of this. Drew never indicated to us that he had problems seeing, so when the Dr. said that his left eye was close to "legally blind" I thought Dan was going to cry. (sorry, Hon)

You see, this was Dan at age 6, with his first pair of glasses: Cute, right?



And here is Drew today with his new specs.

Any bets on how long this first pair will last?

Woe is me!

Ever have one of those days?

When nothing particularly tragic happens, just something unexpected and highly annoying.
That was my yesterday.

I was happily planning my day---a little blogging, a little cleaning, a little coffee sipping when suddenly Chase exclaimed, "Mom, the carpet's wet down here!"

What I discovered was once again the lift pump in the mechanical room of our basement malfunctioned. Water (gray/black water, for you campers) was spraying EVERYWHERE each time the pump tried to do its job. The result was wet floor, wet carpet, wet padding, wet toys, & nasty soaked cardboard boxes.

I immediately called my fabulous father-in-law who saved the day, and solved part one of the problem---no more pee water spraying about. Have I ever told you how much of a blessing it is to live on "the hill?" Some of you may know what I mean. Not only is Dad D. ready to help me, he also has the beautiful ability to calm me down and put things into perspective when the little things cause me to go a little nutz-0!

Fast forward to today. The basement is slowly drying out, carpet is ripped out, I have purged the playroom of many un-played with toys, and we are hoping that no mildew sets in.

Thank you to Dad, Johnny, & Scotty who helped us out yesterday. I would likely be pacing about in an overly dramatic display of emotional distress if you hadn't come to my rescue!!!

I guess my pity party must come to an end. ;)

Easy does it!

I have been getting so very much flak for my lack of posting.
The following is my list of excuses:

I am busy.

It is summer and I am lazy.

I wait for some type of inspiration before I blog.

I have no soap boxes to climb upon and rant

My kids are still saying hilarious stuff, but not necessarily kosher for blogging.

I have been a little preoccupied with getting fillings, root canals and crowns.



I'll try and put some effort into blogging. But until then here are a few photos I dug up of what we've been up to.

Dan's 40 in Canada

Dewey on the Slip and Slide at sports camp

two tired boys sound asleep

Joy at sports camp, doesn't she look thrilled?

The kids on 4th of July

Chelle and Joy and Payne Lake

Where'd I go?

I have had a lot of "I should blog about this" moments lately, however,

I did not blog about them, and my blog rather blows lately.

What have we been up to?
Staying at the cottage at BWFL, and enjoying time with family on the 4th of July, basically keeping a tight schedule filled with summer activities to keep the Mini-Van, well, you guessed it-- Mega-Fun!!

So for the sake of blogging and not becoming a total dead beat,

I'll give you a topic...talk amongst yourselves...

I need a get rich quick scheme.

Camping. It's a weird thing.

Last week while we camped at the lovely Holland State Park I got to thinking about the act of Camping.

You see I did not grow up participating in this activity. My father wouldn't step foot in a camper, (he probably wouldn't fit). He wouldn't be able to tell you what a "dough boy" was, or a "hobo pie." We spent our summer vacations at the cottage, by the lake with fully functioning toilets.

You can imagine the mockery I sustained when I told my family that I was going camping.
While I was growing up on Payne Lake, my husband was growing up in a tent on a remote Michigan campground and enjoying it to the fullest.

Dan wanted to recreate that kind of fun for our kids. Thanks to a friend with a fabulous camper we set out for family fun.

Here were a few observations I had about camping:

• Campsites are pretty close together. No where else would I want to eat, drink, and sleep that close to perfect strangers. But when you are camping it doesn't seem to matter that I was walking around in my PJs for all the world to see-- at 10am.
  
• Showering. It doesn't seem as necessary as it does at home. Why bother when the shower water just might be lukewarm and you have to push the button every five seconds to keep up a steady stream.
• Meals. Food cooked over an open flame just tastes better in a campground that on the grill at home.
• Exercise. I didn't wake up in the morning thinking that I would climb a sand dune that day. My sons tricked me into it I tell you. I think I may have got more physical activity in that week than I had in a long time. Embarassing, yes.
• The convenience of an indoor potty does not out weigh the gross-ness of emptying out the "black water" at the end of the week. Black water, Gray water, fresh water, who knew? I was such a camping rookie.

We enjoyed the week. So much.

A few Pix from our Camping Vacay.

vintage Mac

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Especially pink Bibles.

Last night we trucked out to Wal-Mart (they are yet to be on my black list, give it time) with one purpose. To buy the kids a kiddy pool so they won't drive me nuts all day begging to go and swim at Grandma's big pool.

While I was browsing the terribly messy clearance aisle Joy spotted a little pink Bible that she just had to have. I told her she may have it, how can you not let your kid get a Bible, right?

As we went to the outdoor check out to pay for the rad pool the boys picked out, Miss Joy neglected to hand her Bible (and a tube of pink princess toothpaste) to the cashier. I didn't realize it until I glanced back at her in the truck on the way home and she was holding tight to that little pink Bible.

What a prize, what prize indeed!

Now I have to go and be a parent a minute and teach her a lesson--and drive back to Wal-Mart to pay for it. Guess how much?

The saga continues

First came the indisputable evidence that a pest had cozied up in my van.

Next was the bread crumbs on the closet floor.

Now we have the lingering odor of a mouse gone on before us.

So stinky, so offensive.
I remember this happening to my parents home time and time again. A mouse dies in the walls or somewhere you can't locate. I also remember my father and Grandpa H. cutting a hole in the drywall to remove the offender(s).

Anyone have a solution to this problem or do we just have to wait out the potent stench?

Why pay more? Only if you have your own pen.

Soap Box Alert.

So I was grocery shopping at my local Meijer the other day filling the cart with random necessities when the most ridiculous thing happened.

I had successfully unloaded and loaded my groceries to and back into my cart. (no baggers at Meijer) I reach into my wallet and decided to write a good old fashioned check to pay my bill. You see, I did not have my debit card on me and I was not willing to charge my groceries.

Here is where the weirdness began.

My purse was ink pen-less and I asked the young cashier to borrow a pen.
This is what he said:

"uhhh, I don't have one." (he stands there and stares back at me)
"yeah, us cashiers are supposed to supply our own pens. People keep stealin' mine and I don't feel like buying them all the time." (Still he has not moved a muscle)

I said, "Well, you're gonna have to find me one if you want me to pay for my stuff, right?"

He said, "uh, OK."

As I am writing out my check, I say to him,
"This just might be the end of me shopping at Meijer."

He says, "You don't like it here?"

"No, I really don't like huge stores." I replied

He says, "Yeah, I hate it here." (He resumes just standing and staring)
He ends with "Uh, here's you receipt"

Employee of the Month he ain't.
It was just annoying on so many levels.

He's still working on me.

Well folks, it has been a busy and emotional week. Blogging took a back burner.

I guess I have been more up in my head than typing at my MacBook this week, thinking about things of greater gravity. Talking with my kiddos about life, death, and the afterlife following the death of my Aunt. It is so inspiring to me as I observe my children working out their faith, their beliefs, and how they describe it all. Kids says some pretty cute stuff. :)

I've been trying to think back to the first time I learned about Jesus, about the first time I asked the really hard questions about life and death. I suppose it was some time during my childhood and it was again most recently as I attended the funeral for my Aunt. When I was young, I thought I would have it all figured out and answered by the time I was a "grown up."

But really, I am still working out my Christianity. Not whether or not I believe in the incarnation, death, and resurrection, for I am persuaded, but rather working on the daily walk. I don't think there will be a moment when I feel I have arrived, spiritually speaking, because life's big circumstances always have a way of bringing me back to my foundation---the Grace of God.

I'm so thankful that this foundation is all I need to spend eternity with Christ, that I don't have to know it all, be perfect, or have all the answers. We are ever thankful that Aunt Patty had this same blessed assurance.

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

OK, so I love old Hymns. If you do too and want to hear the one above, click here
It's old school church music but it still rings true.

In a New York Minute

I'm not sure what gave us away, maybe it was the camera swinging around my neck, maybe it was when we climbed the subway stairs to the street, immediately looked up atthe skyscrapers and Dan rammed into a local. I think it was because we wore big huge tennis shoes for all the walking and the regular New Yorkers wore just about anything else. We were strangers in a strange land and we loved it.

Our long weekend trip was hosted by two very gracious New Yorkers. Their love and pride of the city was as big as, well, the Big Apple itself. Steve and Dana guided us through different neighborhoods and districts of Manhattan detailing the history, the future, and the people that dwell there. Each neighborhood had its own feel, its own vibe nearly indescribable but powerfully present.

I highly recommend New York as a place everyone should visit if just once in their life. Please continue to lift up Steve, Dana and the kiddos in your prayers. They are on the brink of huge and exciting changes once again. From what I observed it isn't always easy for a family to live in NYC but God is so very much there, I could see it in the beauty of Central Park, feel it on the bus when a man gave up his seat for me, and saw His grace in a little apartment on the Upper West Side.

“Each man reads his own meaning into New York” ---Meyer Berger

Some photos of the trip:

On this day in 1997

Two young, naive, country kids tied the knot.

I remember waking up with a cold sore on my chin and 2 monster zits on my chest. Believe it or not that didn't get me down, for it was my wedding day! We stood before family and friends and pledged ourselves to constant faithfulness and abiding love.

I moved from my parents house to my new married home. Suddenly there was laundry, groceries, and toilets to clean. What delight I took in these tasks initially, but the novelty wore off.

Soon came our first car and full time jobs to pay the bills. It was an exciting time of learning my profession, but the novelty wore off.

Next up was pregnancies, births and becoming a family. Someone I know once said, "Isn't this the best of life--right now?" I agree. We are smack dab in the middle of a balancing act between childrearing, work, home, school and church responsibilities. I can honestly say that even as we reach this 10 year milestone the novelty of family life has not worn off.
I love you, Dan! Thank you for giving me the life I dreamed of as a little girl. God is good, it He that has brought us here.
Happy Anniversary!

AVON--product of the week

Here is another great AVON product!

ProSport Deodorant Wipes

Summer sweat is just around the corner and ProSport wipes are the perfect freshen up between showers.

They are easy to keep in your purse, beach bag for whenever you need them. AVON ProSport Wipes are better then a baby wipe or just re-applying deodorant,
because they actually clean and remove odor.

Contact me, or goto my website to order.

To be a kid again.

This was a great weekend for being a kid.

My children enjoyed a campfire, soccer game, Golf cart rides, Birthday party at the GRCM
Slip and Slide, and numerous freeze-pops. What I noticed about kids again today is that they run everywhere. I wonder if I did the same, did I aimlessly run through the grass, did I pick flowers (weeds) for my mommy, did I realize just how great it was to be a child? Probably not.

Forgive me for sounding like an episode of The Wonder Years. Boy, that show was so great.
Sometimes I think I should sit down and write down as many childhood memories that I can so I don't forget and can tell them to my kids. I also think that my parents should do the same. (Hint, hint)

This morning I checked out my cousin Carl's Blog
Strangely enough, his blog echoed many of my thoughts from this weekend.
His post today highlighted a local story from the GR Press about some neighborhood kids and their homespun Major League Whiffleball team. It is a great article about the simple joys of youth. Check it out, click here, then click Field of Dreams.
Here's to Summer Break! 12 and a half days left of school!!!!

Mouse in the House

I can't sleep, I'm thinking about the evidence of mice I found today in my mudroom closet and in my van. Tonight the internet has been quite informative, maybe too informative.

Tonight I am reading all kinds of horror stories about mice nesting in vehicles, chewing their way through fuel lines, wiring and such. Not to mention the fact that I am now afraid that one is going to rear it's ugly head as I am tooling down the highway!!!!

What to do?
I feel like some kind of disgusting housekeeper, who let one too many crumbs fall to the floor in the minivan (shut up Brad).

Again, what to do?

Another One of My Great Ideas.

This blog has seen many of my epiphanies-- moments of sudden revelation or insight.

To name just a few:

• Laundry--start and finish all it in one day.
• Credit Cards--cut 'em up
• My deliberate decision to drink coffee--and like it.
  
• Becoming an early riser
• Spring cleaning.

I feel like I am always coming up with great plans, new ideas for efficiency and self improvement. Today I came up with a brand spankin new one. It stems from one of my apparent flaws---I hate to meal plan, get groceries, and basically cook or bake. I look at my shopping cart and cupboards full of bounty but don't know what to do next. What irritates me is the stuff that sits in my cupboards for weeks, months, or even longer. Food stuffs that never get used, is old, or just plain does not sound appetizing.

All this leads up to my new plan!

I hereby declare that we will empty our cupboards, purge our frig , and vacate the freezer.
Yes, I know I'll still need to buy a few basics here and there, but it is high time we use what we already have before I mindlessly buy more and more!

Can it be done?
Will I finish the 7 or more boxes of cereal that are half gone?
Will we eat the freezer burned green beans from last summer? (D, you know what I'm talking about.)
Stay tuned.

in our spare time

this is what we do.
take photos of ourselves and laugh.



Thanks for the inspiration Stella!

putting my Mac to good use yet again.

not a pretty sight

Today was the weirdest day. Most of it was spent sleeping and staring into space. In almost ten years of marriage, Dan and I have shared a lot. This time we shared the stomach flu. Both sick at the same time. Picture two grown adults hunched over walking back and forth to the bathroom at regular intervals. Picture our 3 kids running circles around us as we try to get them ready for school. Picture in your mind Dan and I watching King of The Hill at 2:00 in the afternoon. Picture the sticky dishes in the sink that have been there for two days now and Dan's boots still in the driveway from yesterday where he kicked them off in a mad rush to find the toilet. It was a weird day, I am glad it is almost over. I am so thankful for my mother who came over and took Dewey to school and took our little miss jabber box home with her.

Please pray that my mom doesn't catch this nasty little flu.

No Questions Asked?

So my blog has been a tad fluffy lately which is all fine and good but today for no reason but a song I heard on the radio I have a few serious thoughts to share. The song was titled River of Peace. The chorus went like this:

Ours is not to question why,
Ours is just to live and try
To settle for the answer, whatever it might be.
Until we see You face to face in another time and place
Where the river of Your peace runs free.

Really, no questions? Am I taking it too literal-- Do not question God? In the midst of despair and confusion can we not throw our hands up in the air and cry out "Why?" It seems like a tall order to just settle for the answer without doing a bit of wrestling with God, our faith, ourselves.
I suppose this song is saying that in this life we will not always fully understand the answers to our "Why?"questions.

Why does my does my dear sweet aunt have ALS, why are little children taken from their parents at a young age, why does one family continue to suffer and other families never seemingly struggle, why, why, why?

Is it a sign of small faith to question, or a natural response because of human incapacity to know God's ultimate plan? This is what I ponder today. This song reminds me of another fave Hymn.

When peace Like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say,
It is Well, It is Well with my Soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

What you don't know.

I have been tagged again. This time by Laurie, the task is to list 6 things you may not know about me.

That's a toughy. Some of you will know this stuff I'm sure.

1. My early childhood was lived in Hopkins. As this was my maiden name, I told all the kids at my school that my dad owned the town.

2. I have never watched any Star Wars movie, sequel, or episode. Have no idea what they are about.

3. I like to watch 1970s TV, my favorites--All In The Family, Little House on the Prairie

4. Once I awhile, Dan and I want to pack it all up and move to Tennessee.

5. I drive like a senior citizen most of the time. Yeah, that's me that you get stuck behind on the highway in the fast lane.

6. Someday I want to start a home-based business making photo slideshows, movies montages, and the like.

You learn something new everyday.
I tag Triplet Mom, One Day at A Time, and Vink Clan

The moment I knew I was no longer young.

and basically un-cool for that matter.

On a Sunday night I was driving my mini-van
in the parking lot at Target.
I was rockin' out to a hit song
from 1976,
windows rolled all the way down.
A young-ish looking teenager looked at me.
She looked annoyed.
She looked at me like I was some kind of repulsive adult.

Man!

When did you (those of you that are old) realize you were not hip as you thought?

Turn off the TV week

Ok then.

So Chase came home with all excited last Monday night. At school the students were challenged to turn off the TV for the whole week--including the weekend. A good project with the end result being a child's realization that he could exist without his daily dose of the tube.
His ambitious, young mind was filled with ideas of what he could do instead of watch TV. I was ready to support him, until I began to realize how much I depended on a TV show or video here and there to occupy my kids while I completed various tasks. Each hour or so I needed to provide Chase with some type of entertainment. Books, bikes, games, wrestling with Dewey just to name a few.

Some info from TVturnoff.org
What's So Great about TV-Turnoff Week?
Turning off the television gives us a chance to think, read, create, and do. To connect with our families and engage in our communities. To turn off TV and turn on life.

I am proud to say that he accomplished the task. Maybe it was because "everybody's doing it", maybe he did it because of the small chance his name would be chosen in the daily drawing and he could win a calculator---ooooo! Whatever the reason, he showed determination and self discipline. Could you give it up? If just for a week?

Yesterday Chase woke up and asked me, "Am I done yet? Can I watch Arthur?"

My Man in Uniform

Since Dan was so popular as Sonny Crockett
I thought I'd give him one more day in the sun!

He only moonlights as Miami Vice, concrete is his day job.

And we thank you for it.

Family Values

How does one family go from this:



to this:

click photo to enlarge and enjoy

Blogger's Night!!

Another great coffee night with the gals, and once again we closed the place down.

Thanks for the fun, ladies. We missed you Katie!


Special note to "church lady" you get your butt better and come and join us!!

Those two blondes on the left really look like sisters.

We're going to party like it's 1985!!

And that we did.

Last Friday night Dan & I were able to attend a 1980s themed surprise 40th party for our cousin Cheryl.

It was like totally radical.

The surprise factor went off perfectly, and good times were had by family and friends. Thanks to Carl for the excellent par-tay.
Happy 40th Cheryl! Hopefully more photos will surface in the blogosphere soon...click here

My awesome hair and Dan with his sweet ride!

Avon Product of the Week

MOISTURE THERAPY Intensive Body Lotion

Love this Lotion. I only promote products that I use and use over again. This is one of them. It is a great all over body lotion that stays with you. It is perfect for legs, arms, hands. I have a basket under my sink full of lotions that I have tried over the years but this one is my old trusty!!!

Each week as I highlight a different product I will try to also offer free samples of it. Leave a comment if you would like to try one. Visit my website if you would like to order it (or contact me).

Have a fabulous week!

new week, old germs, and birthdays

I had a good streak going, a long winter with narry a cold, but last week I caught it.
Maybe it was while I held Joy with a fever, maybe it was when my niece coughed in my face, maybe it was the shopping cart at Meijer, full of germies that I forgot to obsessively wipe down.

Now I am just waiting for common cold to pack it's bags and walk out the door, but not before returning my voice. I realized just how much I, let's say, raise my voice on any given day. With laryngyitis, I couldn't communicate the way I am used to with my kids. I couldn't talk on the phone, and couldn't stand the sound of my own manly, scratchy sqawking.

There was my whining, here is my rejoicing!

Yesterday Drew turned 5 years old! Back in March Chase reached 7 and Joy, 3.
I can remember the day of their births and every little detail surrounding. What precious gifts!

A few recent photos.

Happy Easter!

The Resurrection Luke 24 1-7

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'