She Makes Me Smile, She Tries to Sing

Snapshots of life...

2012-02-08T16:12:00.005-05:00

We have been making progress on the new house but not enough to post any real before/after pictures. We've painted the living room, kitchen, hall and foyer thus far, with the dining room, library/office and master bath not too far on the horizon. We've painted almost all of the trim on the main floor, changed out all of the light switches, upgraded most of the lighting, replaced all of the bathroom fixtures, added window treatments to all bedroom windows and numerous other small projects. It's starting to feel more like home as we continue to add our own personal touches.

One of my favorite ways to personalize our space is adding photos. Mike gave me a wonderful photo-collage frame set for Mother's Day last year and I finally had an opportunity to use it! I decided to add photos that depicted many of the places that we have traveled to as a family in the past 3-4 years. I'm very happy with how it turned out!

How many different U.S. States are on display here?

I also have been admiring the picture ledges that I have been seeing in many catalogs and online. I figured that instead of spending the money that I could make them myself. With Mike's help, we made 2 - 4ft wooden picture ledges, painted them to match the trim and installed them above our piano. Love seeing our friends and family from virtually every spot on the main floor!

Are you on our wall? Still space for more photos!

I've always wanted to hang a collage of frames down the wall of our stairs. I was a little intimidated by the process but I found some great frames for a great price at IKEA and my idea started to take shape. I wanted to use some of my favorite photos that I've snapped during our travels and them get them printed to size. Here is the result....

Palm trees, sunsets and the bluest waters...

We have high ceilings in the new house and when we installed our bookcases in the office, the area above it just seemed so empty. I decided to use some old maps that we had laying around, cut them up and put them in frames. I used 5 different maps: a US map of Michigan to Florida (a favorite route), a aeronautical chart of Grand Rapids, MI, a collection of Caribbean islands, a road map of Eastern Iowa and a map of Barbados.

Everything has been coming together and the more we accomplish, the better I feel about the house and the space. The pictures and artwork really help! Just one more shot of the front foyer and hall so you can see how it's all coming together...

Ta-Da!

House for Sale!

2012-01-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

Daddy & His Daughters

2011-09-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

The girls have been missing Daddy a lot while he's been away in Iowa. I was perusing some old pictures the other day and I thought that maybe I could grab some of just Mike with the girls. That way, I could create a little slideshow for not only the girls, but Mike as well. Enjoy!

Root, root, root for the TIGERS!

2011-09-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

When it comes to sports, I grew up with a father who is addicted to them. Golf, hockey, bowling, football...you name it, my dad is knowledgeable enough about just about any sport to amaze the socks off of me. There is no way I would ever consider myself a "sports person"...

However, watching football and baseball, along with many other sporting contests on TV, with my dad, afforded me the opportunity to learn about the games, the rules, the players, etc. If I had to pick only one thing to take away from that experience, it would be my love of the Detroit Tigers.

I can remember my parents taking me to my very first game at Tiger Stadium. Seeing the field for the first time live and being enveloped by thousands of fans all there to share in the excitement of the game. We went several times while I was a kid and it had such a lasting impression on me. I can still remember one game where we were sitting out in right field, in the upper box seats, and the Tigers were playing the Oakland A's. Jose Canseco was standing on the field right below us and my Dad yells out, "Hey Jose!" and he turned around and looked up at us! I also remember going to have Alan Trammell autograph one of his baseball cards for me when he was in town for a special appearance and thinking it was the coolest thing ever...

So....Friday night the Tigers were on TV and Verlander was pitching, so I wanted to watch the game. The girls decided to watch it with me and were really into the game. Lauren asked me when they were going to get to see the Tigers play "for real" and I thought, why not? Tickets were still available for Saturday's game @ 4pm, and with a quick check-in with Mike, I bought us tickets and parking. I was over-the-moon thinking about taking my children to see the Tigers play for the first time....

The drive was uneventful, the parking a breeze and getting into Comerica Park was trouble free. We got drinks, found our seats, and settled into them for a great game of ball. Did I mention it was 95 degrees out? In Michigan? In September? We were a little warm but kept cool with plenty of drinks, several well placed clouds and a light breeze. The Tigers evidently forgot that we were coming though, because they were down 8-1 by the 5th inning. It was so bad that at one point, I yelled at Tigers Pitcher, Brad Penny, that his pitching was pathetic. Lauren then politely leaned over and asked, "Mom, what does it mean to be "pathetic"?"...oh boy.

The Tigers rallied a bit but by the 7th inning, things weren't looking good. Not the team, but the weather. All the stadium lights were on and the sky was black. Lightning was flashing all around us and the wind started to really smash us. Trash was flying everywhere and hitting us in the face and eyes, sheets of rain were falling and they forced us out of the stands and onto the concourse level to wait out the crazy weather. Most people left. Like, over 90% of the people, but Mike said that we were sticking it out and I was secretly very proud of him for making that decision. We stood there with the other die-hards, dripping and disheveled.

After about 30 min, they allowed us to go back to our seats but since almost everyone had left, we grabbed the front row in our section, straddling 3rd base. Great seats, especially for the amazing plays that were to come. Needless to say, after 2 home runs in the 9th inning, the Tigers made a huge comeback and beat the Chicago White Sox in a game that I will never forget. It was AWESOME! And seeing the girls jumping up and down, cheering for the home team...PRICELESS!

GO TIGERS!

A time of transition...

2011-09-02T18:07:00.000-04:00

In my short 34 years, I have never even once thought of living in Iowa. Iowa? No. What's in Iowa? Corn, of course, and not much else. At least, that's what I've always thought. When aviation giant Rockwell Collins came calling though, we couldn't help but answer...

I have never lived anywhere but Michigan. Mike has the same story. Although we have both been through the state, I know that I have never personally gone to Iowa just for the sake of visiting. We'll now be calling Cedar Rapids home, which sounds odd to my ears, mostly because it's so similar to "Grand" Rapids.

Grand Rapids Panorama

Like my hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, Cedar Rapids is the 2nd largest city in Iowa. It sits on the banks of the Cedar River and is a manufacturing hub, not only for the state, but the United States in general. While Grand Rapids is known as the "Furniture Capital", Cedar Rapids is the largest corn-processing city in the world. They are also:

The second largest producer of wind energy in the United States
One of the leading manufacturing regions in the United States
One of the leading bio-processing and food ingredient centers in North America

Cedar Rapids, IA

Cedar Rapids is home to Rockwell Collins (one of the largest providers of aviation and information systems & services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers), General Mills, Quaker Oats, Cargill and Nordstroms. They value technology and Midwestern values such as a strong work ethic, quality family time and an honest life. The schools are top notch and their parks and recreation options are pretty great too!

Like Grand Rapids, Cedar Rapids is a city with that small-town feel. And compared to the city of my birth, it is small. In the 2010 Census, the city population of Grand Rapids, MI was 188,040, the metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, (Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland) population of 1,321,557. Compare that to Cedar Rapids, IA where the city population was to 126,326 and the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor had an estimated population of 423,353. It's a big difference but not big enough that I feel like I'll be living in the boonies.

Grand Rapids

It will certainly take some getting used to and some major adjustments in my mind, but I think that this new adventure will be good for our family and help us to appreciate what we have now and what could be in the future. I plan on writing here much more frequently to keep everyone updated! Stay tuned!

Cedar Rapids

The Top 5 Regrets That People Have When Dying

2011-06-02T10:14:00.000-04:00

I ran across this article when a friend posted a link to it on Facebook. It really struck me. I get it. I need to be true to myself, let people know how I really feel, play harder than I work, treasure my friends and family and most of all, just allow myself to be happy.

This really is what life is all about, or at least it should be....

Original Article on The Next Web

When Ms. Bronnie Ware, a woman who worked for years with the dying, wrote a list of the top 5 regrets people say aloud on their deathbed, we teared up a little bit here at TNW.
She posted the top 5 regrets along with her commentary on her website, and we’ve recopied them for you here below. But instead of just the grandmotherly bits of advice about dreams having gone unfulfilled, we’ve supplemented each regret with some rockstar advice on how to not have these regrets in the digital age.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

TNW Advice: We interview so many entrepreneurs here at The Next Web, some of whom will succeed, most of whom will fail. But it’s about going out and creating a reality out of what was once just an idea in your head. Today, due to the Internet’s accessibility, smart people are discovering that instead of getting the next big paying cog-in-a-machine job that they are able to start their own company and they’re receiving a lot of satisfaction from doing so.

“Yesterday, I had an epiphany that for the first time in my life, who I am and who I want to be are virtually one in the same. It’s so much more effective to be yourself than to pretend to be something your not because doing the latter is so emotionally taxing, you’ll never be someone that is fully committed. Being yourself pays dividends.”
-Brett Martin, the CEO and Founder of Sonar, a hot new social, location-based mobile application.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

TNW Advice: We are really hard workers here at The Next Web, in fact, I am pretty sure that @Zee hasn’t slept in the past 36 hours. But being a Dutch-based company, our roots are in relaxation. We know how to unwind after hard days.

If you need some literary inspiration, read up on How To Disconnect, A Primer and The value in jumping off the social media train.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

TNW Advice: Expressing your feelings to loved ones and blogging or tweeting your thoughts are two different things. People often use Twitter as a soap box to express their anger or resentment over things they can not control. We’d like to take this time to remind you that as much as we love living in the virtual world, sometimes a hug, a long chat over a glass of wine or a phone call to a loved one far away is more valuable than any social media valuation, no matter how ludicrous.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

TNW Advice: At first glance, this is a relatively easy problem to tackle as social networks, namely Facebook, have allowed us to keep up with too many friends and social connections. My best friends always say, “Thank god for Facebook, because I know you’re alive.” And this is slightly concerning. My best friends have to follow me on Facebook to know I’m alive? Use Facebook to keep in quick contact with friends, but defer to real life for those that matter. Pokes, Likes and Comments are not the same as ladies’ lunches, beach trips and dinner parties. Make the time.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

TNW Advice: If you’re reading this, chances are you have a long way to go before you die. So, please, allow yourself to be happy. Smile in the sunshine, kick the ball around with your son, have a glass of wine with your wife in the afternoon, move to Argentina, buy yourself a Kindle for the love of reading; whatever it is, be good to yourself.

What's Happening?

2011-03-15T11:29:00.000-04:00

I know that I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with my blog...it's sad. One of my favorite parts about blogging is being able to go back in time and read about what was happening at that time in our lives. Nothing to read if I don't write anything....

Life has been lazier than normal and although I've enjoyed it while it was here, I'm ready to get back into the swing of life. The girls have their first school Carnival this Saturday, which should be a lot of fun for the whole family! I have a new niece set to arrive any day now-so exciting- and we are traveling to Milwaukee soon to celebrate with my cousin, Kelsey, as she weds her handsome Brit.

Once April hits, life really starts to speed up. Spring break, Caribbean Cruise, Easter...and May is always crazy! I am honestly looking forward to all of it, especially the weather warming up, sunshine and the outdoors coming to life again. Winter is so dark and dreary that the brightness of Spring is like walking into a rainbow-too bad that pot of gold is never around! :-)

I'll leave you with a pic of the girls from Easter last year...it certainly makes me long for the brighter days ahead!

Keeping the Fairy Busy

2011-02-23T17:08:00.000-05:00

The girls have been losing teeth faster than I even thought possible! Lauren currently stands at 6 and Tara is at 5. Their 2 permanent bottom teeth have come in but the ones on either side are still missing. Lauren's top 2 permanent teeth are just starting to poke through and I think that they will be in soon! And, on top of that, they are just starting to get their 6 year molars popping up as well!

Now, Daddy has had the "pleasure" of pulling or removing all the girls teeth for them. Honestly, I think the girls are super brave and have personally asked Mike to pull each tooth when it got too bothersome for them or painful while eating.

However, while I was helping Tara remove her sweater on Monday, her upper lip got stuck on her loose tooth and yanked it upwards. I don't think it felt very good...poor thing! So, I had the tremendous task of pulling it out for her. Yay. Not.

Those who know me know that I am not a "blood" person. I usually feel like fainting (and I have) or throwing-up (that too) at the sight of blood. I think I handled the tooth removal pretty well but the blood almost did me in...blah.

So, The Tooth Fairy has been making frequent stops to the house to exchange those little, white nuggets for gold, shiny ones. The Fairy leaves a $1 golden coin and a Chuck E. Cheese token each time. Who would have thought? I remember getting a big, silvery .50 cent piece from The Tooth Fairy when I was little and I thought it was the coolest thing!

What did The Tooth Fairy leave under your pillow?

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy/Daughter Dance 2011

2011-02-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

My three blue-eyed babes...

Another Project Completed!

2011-02-12T21:39:00.000-05:00

Kitchen as it looked when we bought it... (2009)

Kitchen in May 2010 after just about everything had been replaced...

Kitchen after this past week!

No more drop ceiling or florescent shop lights for us!

Projects, projects, projects...there's always more "projects" to be completed than we have the time, money or energy for. The kitchen, in particular, was pretty much complete after we gutted it back in '09. We finally added the mosaic stone and glass backsplash in the middle of last year but there was still one main thing left to do. It was really bugging us that the kitchen still had the original lighting and drop ceiling look of the early 80's.

So....it was "Good Bye!" to the transparent light tiles, the drop-ceiling tracks, the ugly fluorescent shop lights and the bulkhead that separated the kitchen from the eating area (which was the most work). We had a lot of demo, even more drywall and patching work, new electrical, a couple gallons of paint and primer, and a lot of measuring! We installed new recessed lighting fixtures and a new light bar with pendants over the island and sink. We also replaced the outdated gold & tulip ceiling fan above the kitchen table, which was immediately more soothing to the eyes...at least mine anyway!

I'm so happy with how it all turned out and that we can now cross off one of the "big" items from "The List". I also have to say that without my handy hubby, none of this would be possible. I'm so grateful for his know-how, willingness to learn to do something new and be patient with me as I change my mind 10x before settling on the final option. I think we make a great team.... :-)

The Lights Shone Brightly

2011-01-24T17:02:00.000-05:00

These are the lights and decorations that garnered the 2010 Neighborhood Association Award for the best "Outdoor Holiday Decor". You can't see the garland, wreaths and bows very well in the dark but you get the idea! Can't wait to go spend that $50 Gift Card at the local hardware store!

The Vehicular Units

2011-01-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

While having dinner with our friends at Uccello's a couple of weeks ago, some nice person backed into our Yukon XL, smashing part of the bumper, rear quarter panel, tail light and adding some nice scratches down the side. They took off of course, so we were left to speculate what happened, when and why. We have a big, solid vehicle...I can only imagine what their car looked like!

The car is at the shop this week, getting the body work completed. That leaves us with only our '95 Thunderbird. Not the best car for maneuvering through Michigan's snow and ice, not to mention that it leaves me without a car all day. Such a strange feeling! Not being able to leave makes me want to get out of the house even more!

It did make me realize though that we really need to start saving for a newer car. Something that both Mike and I will like driving and can easily seat all 4 of us. Maybe a small SUV like an Escape or crossover vehicle like the Equinox. The 2-door sporty car from the mid 90's just isn't cutting it anymore...

Go Boyne!

2011-01-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again where our family gathers all of our cold-weather gear and bundles it into the 4-Wheel Drive sleigh for our annual trip up north to Boyne Mountain. We do normally go in February but it didn't fit in the schedule this year...so January it is!

If you have never been on a "Ski Vacation" before, I highly recommend that you make a list. The amount of stuff that we have to bring for this one trip is at least double that of any other vacation destination. Not only do you have to have your coat and snow pants and boots, etc. but you need the "ski" versions of the stuff as well. Ski poles, ski boots, ski gloves, hats, skis, goggles, helmets, face masks, boot dryers...you name it, we bring it. You even have to bring your warm-weather gear (like bathing suits and shorts) because the resort has Michigan's largest indoor water park (Avalanche Bay) that they keep at 84-87 degrees daily. It's crazy!

Mike learned to ski at Boyne when he was a little guy and the girls are loving the experience as well. It's so much easier to learn at this age, when the snow is only inches from your bottom! Falling and getting back up is not the chore for them that it is for the adult learner, that's for sure...

Hopefully it will be a fun and enjoyable week for all with plenty of pictures to follow!

Christmas Photos Over the Years

2011-01-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

Chistmas 2005

(this one is my favorite...)

Chistmas 2006

(we didn't make the cut that year)

Christmas 2007

(my least favorite although the girls are adorable)

Christmas 2008

(are you noticing a trend with Mike's shirt?)

Christmas 2009

(yes, I'm wearing the exact same jewelry as last year...)

Christmas 2010

(the girls are wearing the same headbands as last year...)

It's fun looking at the kids and how they change from year to year! Mike and I....not so much. Although, I clearly need to be more diligent next year and make sure that we don't have any repeats of the same clothes or accessories. I had no idea that Mike wore the same shirt for 3 years or that my choice of jewelry would be so boring! Not that it looks bad, it just makes me laugh when I look at it now!

We love sending out Christmas Cards every year and I think the photos add a personal touch. We love receiving cards too, but it seems like we get fewer in the mail every year. I know that there can be a significant cost involved in sending them out but it may be the only contact with have with some of our friends and family all year, so it's totally worth it for us!

I wonder what we'll do for our picture next year? Maybe we'll try a tropical theme? At least I've got 11 months to plan!

Santa's Coming Soon!

2010-12-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

I'm still looking for a way to find more time in a day. Items and events are continually being added to that proverbial plate and I'm worried that it's so heavy, I'm going to drop it! :)

We were finally able to order our Christmas cards and it will be shocking if they get here and then get out the door to be delivered by Christmas. Oh well...I'm not going to fret about it. I like getting mail any day of the week, anytime of year (except bills) so a couple of days late isn't going to upset anyone, right?
I do do a lot of shopping online and I have to say that I've been keeping my UPS man pretty busy lately! He even brought a huge load of boxes into the house for me the other day! How nice...and the post office I keep hopping as well! It always amuses me to see how they try to stuff the biggest packages into the mailbox without coming to the door...and I don't blame them! But it still amuses me...

The tree is up and decorated, as well as the rest of the house. I finally hung curtains in the dining room and we have been finishing little projects all over the place. It feels so good to be getting things accomplished that have been on the list since last year...like finishing the living room ceiling! No more black screw holes and blue chalk grid lines everywhere you look....ahhh, it looks so nice now. If no one notices the ceiling, that would mean a job well done!

I do love this time of year, though. Decking the halls, hanging the stockings by the chimney with care, Christmas trees and Jack Frost nipping at our noses. The kids are excited about seeing friends and family and what surprises are waiting for them under those lovely branches. Buying gifts for others is fun for me as well as making gifts with our own hands...and let's not forget the baked goods and decorated cookies! Yum!

Lastly, we're hosting 3 major gatherings at our house this year, three weekends in a row. I have to say that I'm a little overwhelmed but undaunted! I think that once we get past the first one, we'll be in really good shape for Christmas and beyond. Being able to share the Holidays with our closest loved ones is really what it's all about and being able to enjoy their company in your own home is like putting the Angel on the tree.

Happy Holidays!

Wordless Wednesday: Polar Opposites

2010-12-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

Last week Wednesday.....

This week Wednesday...

Sunshine On My Shoulders

2010-11-19T16:20:00.000-05:00

How's that for a forecast! I can't wait to be down in Panama City Beach, FL next week, soaking in those last rays of sunshine for the year before we have to return to Michigan and the doom and gloom that is our winter. Sunshine State - Here We Come!!!!!

Wedding Bells

2010-11-17T13:32:00.000-05:00

The girls have been asked to be Flower Girls in my cousins wedding! I'm really excited for them although they're kinda pro's at this now. They had a whirlwind year in 2007 where they were Flower Girls in 3 weddings! It was a crazy year, but what's new, right?

Kelsey, my only cousin on my Dad's side of the family, is getting married at the end of March in Milwaukee, WI. We'll travel over there a few days early and hopefully get to see some Wisconsin friends and have plenty of time for wedding prep. So exciting! Congrats to Kelsey and Dave and thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

My beautiful cousin, Kelsey, and the man who is so lucky to have her, Dave.

Flower Girls for Kate & Danny (Mike's cousin) in Texas '07

Flower Girls for Renee & Kevin (Ren's Brother) '07

Flower Girls for Kara & Mark (Mike's Brother) '07

Superman

2010-11-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

My husband is so awesome. He purchased tickets for us to see Five For Fighting in concert at The Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac, MI. When we bought the tickets, we were a little unsure about it, since it's a good 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive, it was during the week, at an unknown venue and in November. I really wanted to go though...and it was totally worth it to see this guy!

Mike's parents graciously agreed to watch the girls for us and get them on the bus the next morning, so at least we didn't have to worry about that!

We had an uneventful drive over, found a parking space fairly quickly and didn't even have to pay for it! There was a line to get in so we had to wait outside for awhile, but no biggie. Once inside, we were shocked to see chairs set up for maybe...200 people. Yup, that's it! We just walked right up the center aisle and grabbed a spot dead center, 4th row. We couldn't believe our luck!

In case you didn't know, Five for Fighting isn't a band. It's just one man, and a super talented one at that, John Ondrasik. He came out on stage, played all of my favorite songs (like Superman, 100 Years, World, The Riddle, Chances and Slice), told us the story behind each song and let the audience members freely take photos. SOOOO glad that I decided to bring my camera at the last minute!

After the show was over, we stuck around for a moment and lo and behold, here comes John out to talk with and meet the fans! How cool is that?! He graciously signed our ticket stub, said "Hi" to us and let Mike snap a picture of us. I have never had an experience like that...I'm still on a high from it all.

I didn't think that I could like Five for Fighting anymore than I already do, but John proved me wrong last night. I couldn't have been more impressed!

It's All About the Numbers

2010-11-04T11:21:00.000-04:00

Our 1000th Geocache find at the "Age of Discovery" Event in Jenison, MI. (2006)

The owners of this Event got us into caching.

Our 2000th find at our 1st Hosted Event - Grand Rapids, MI (2007)

#3000 was up near Big Rapids, MI. One our favorite caches ever! PB-2 Pirate's Quest (GCZRXE)

The owners of this cache met us at the start and did the whole thing with us, along with our friend, Deane. (2008) Thank you, Dar & Terri!

We found #4000 in downtown Detroit on a cold and blustery March day. (2009)

The owner of this cache, our dear friend Tim, took us on an escorted tour!

Geocache #5000 was at this years Chili Cook-Off Event in downtown GR.

One of our favorite annual events!

6000 finds later and we're still going strong!

One the coolest hikes we've ever taken -Ice Glen- near Stockbridge, MA.

And still, after all of that, it's really our friends Deane and Linda (DeRock & The Psychic Cacher) who say it best:

"It's All About the Numbers"

"After a lot of miles and time pursuing geocaches, we've come to the conclusion that it's all about the numbers. The number of good friends we've made, the number of good times we've had with them, and the number of great places geocaching has taken us."

Photos Make Me Smile!

2010-10-30T14:16:00.000-04:00

Evening of Day 1: Niagara Falls taken on The Rainbow Bridge

Afternoon of Day 2: Picturesque Vermont

Late afternoon Day 3: Plymouth Harbor, MA

Morning of Day 4: October Mountain near Lee, MA

Sunset on Day 5: Heading into New Hampshire from Maine

Day 6: Ice Glen in Stockbridge, MA

Day 7: Mt. Greylock hike in North Adams, MA

Day 8: Centerport Aqueduct (original Erie Canal) Weedsport, NY

Day 9: Waiting on the Blue Water Bridge to cross from Canada back into Michigan!

If you follow me on Facebook, then you might have viewed most of these pictures before. I just wanted to share one of my favorites from each day of our trip to New England. We had a wonderful time, spending quality time together as a family, geocaching (hitting #6000!), checking off more States and exploring. I could have stayed for a month with all the rich and wonderful history in the area!

We have one more trip planned this year, when we head to our favorite home-away-from-home in Panama City Beach, FL for Thanksgiving. And then, frankly, I'm done! :) I think that will make 33 States for the year, 3 Canadian Provinces and more miles than I can comprehend. Our poor Yukon XL....

It's going to be interesting to see what next year brings us! I love to travel, don't get me wrong, but I think I could use a little more down time in 2011. We'll see! :)

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Family Fun!

2010-10-27T13:56:00.000-04:00

Taken in Maine on our trip last week...

Crazy Season!

2010-10-15T14:35:00.001-04:00

It's about that time of year again when all the craziness is about to begin. I know that some are going to cringe when I say this, but it's only another 69 days till Christmas. That's right folks....2 months. That's it. It's not time to panic yet, but it is time to start prioritizing.

As I mentioned previously, we're leaving soon for New England and that will take up an entire week. Then we have Halloween and all the festivities that go along with it. Following all that fun, my hubby is leaving for a business trip to Georgia for another week. A little break is in there somewhere and then it's off to Florida for Thanksgiving!

Once we return from Panama City Beach, we'll have 3 weekends left before the BIG DAY. December is by far the busiest month of the year for us and I see this year as being more of the same. At least Christmas is on a weekend (Saturday) this year, which is kinda nice for a lot of folks who will be able to have Christmas Eve and Christmas day off without any extra vacation days being used. Bonus!

And then....it's the big push for our New Year's Geocaching Party. This is an annual event that we host in our home and it's really a riot. However, it takes a lot of work and planning to get ready for it and I basically feel like collapsing by the time it's all over! I love doing it, don't get me wrong, but at this point, January 1st is looking like not only the first day of the new year, but a much needed break as well!

Me and my friend Tim at last year's party....

Falling for My Girls...

2010-10-13T16:53:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Smiles...

2010-10-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

First Kindergarten Field Trip

2010-10-01T17:47:00.001-04:00

Doesn't this apple look good enough to eat?

Well, I picked it and I ate it, too!

Yum!

Today we ventured out to Klackle Orchards in Greenville, MI for the first Kindergarten Field Trip of the year. We could not have asked for better weather, with blue, sunny skies and temps in the mid-60's. There were 120 kids in our group along with the 3 teachers and about 50 parents.

We were taken out to the apple orchards first, where we were instructed on how to pick an apple (lift & twist) and then let loose to fill our bags with delicious fruit. We could pick from the Golden Delicious trees or the Jonagold trees so we chose to get a couple of each! There's nothing better than fruit you picked yourself!

From the apple orchards we enjoyed our tractor ride over to the pumpkin patch were everyone was able to choose a perfect specimen to take back home with us. The girls made their selections quite quickly and it was back on the tractor ride.

Lunch was a a bit hectic and there weren't enough tables for our group, but we soldiered on. For dessert, we enjoyed fresh cinnamon donuts with equally fresh cider....so good. The kids were then given about a half hour to play at the playground, which really helped to burn off some of that donut buzz.

It was a great time. I was able to meet a couple of the other parents and really talk to their teacher since we sat by each other on the bus both ways. The girls really love her and I do, too. I think they're going to have a great year at Pine Ridge!

Having fun at Klackle's!

Yes....We are Crazy!

2010-09-27T17:54:00.000-04:00

It's that time again, and the crazies are heading out on another trip. We normally head down to FL in the Fall, but since we going there to share our turkey dinner with Mike's parents in November, we thought a different venue might be in order.

Hence, the alternate trip to New England. We'll be staying in The Berkshires in western Massachusetts. Our goal is to venture up into New Hampshire and Vermont, make a stop in Maine and explore throughout MA and Rhode Island. The Fall colors should be absolutely fantastic in October and we're really looking forward to this latest adventure.

As insane as this sounds, after this trip and another visit to Florida in November, we will have visited 32 of the 50 States! THIS YEAR! Holy smokes! It will leave us with 5 States that we haven't Geocached in yet (AK, HI, LA, MS, & NM) and Mike will be down to only ONE State that he hasn't had the privilege yet of visiting. Can you guess which one? It's Hawaii! I haven't been either so maybe in 2012...we'll see!

Tiki

2010-09-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

The story begins back in early 2001, when a beautiful Pie-faced Lovebird was born. Since I'm so allergic to our furry friends, I didn't have a lot of options when it came to pets. Growing up, I had my share of frogs, turtles, lizards, an occasional fish and a gerbil named Dusty. But, I never had a pet that was long term, like a dog or cat. So, when we moved into our 2nd house, Mike said that we could get a pet and I choose a lovebird. We named him, Tiki, after the tropical birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room at Walt Disney World.

It wasn't until years later, that we found "he" had laid an egg! I guess poor Tiki was a "she" all along! Sorry!

Tiki was our guard bird, always chirping to alert us that someone had arrived or something out of the ordinary was going on. She was unusual in that she talked. She said her name, "Tiki", as well as "Tikibird" and "Pretty Bird". She also loved to mimic and would cough, laugh or sneeze when we did. She sounded just like the microwave as well, and confused us daily with her "beeping".

In late 2003, we finally tried this crazy sport called "Geocaching" that we had been hearing about, but before we could log our first find, we needed to come up with a Team name. Some teams just used their real names or some variation of it, while some teams highlighted their professions, hobbies or family. We wanted ours to be unique and easy to remember, so we came up with The Tikibirds.

We found a graphic of two lovebirds in a tropical setting and it became our logo. We used it for our pathtags, geocoins, shirts and signature cards and still do to this day. Tiki became our mascot, as well as an important member of the family. When the twins were born, she wasn't particularly fond of their cries but in time, she grew to love interacting with them and showing off for them. The girls became known as the Tiki-Twins in our geocaching circles and that was just fine by them!

Last week, I came home from lunch with Mike and shopping afterwards, to find Tiki on the bottom of her cage. This is unusual, since birds rarely walk on the bottoms of their cages. She also didn't welcome me home like she always does, which alarmed me right away. As I looked closer, I could tell she wasn't with us anymore. I broke into tears. She was mine. We had had her for almost 10 years and the loss was devastating to me. Neither Mike, nor I, ever had a long term pet growing up, so the sudden and unexpected loss of our Tiki was profoundly sad. The girls had never known life without her and their tears only increased ours.

We held a private ceremony in the backyard and said prayers and our goodbyes. The house is SO quiet without her here and I miss her. I think we'll get another lovebird, maybe for Christmas. We do have some fish now but they just aren't cutting it. We were blessed to have Tiki in our lives, and her name and spirit will live on. We'll always be The Tikibirds, and remember the wonderful times we shared with her.

2001-2010

Wordless Wednesday: Siblings

2010-09-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

Myself, Anna & Kevin

(so happy when we can all be together!)

MARRIAGE

2010-08-25T11:03:00.000-04:00

---A friend of mine shared this little article with me and I, having been married for 11 years myself, found it amusing and realistic. Definitely worth passing on!

10 ways to divorceproof your marriage

By Samantha Bee and Jason Jones, RealSimple.com

August 24, 2010 9:47 a.m. EDT

We have been hitched for almost 10 years now, and until recently our No.1 piece of advice would have been: Don't write about how to make your marriage divorceproof. It's hubris!

But we like to take risks (that's piece of advice No.2), so we knocked on wood, threw salt over our shoulders, and forged ahead with all the unstoppable energy that a couple with two kids under the age of five can muster. (Eating a pile of old Halloween candy helped, too.)

Ultimately, we came up with this list of marriage rules and reminders -- all of which, we hope, are cheaper and more fun than therapy.

1. Realize that if you can agree on what constitutes a clean room, you can agree on anything. If you are the kind of person who wants the vacuum tracks on the living-room carpet to last all week (as in, Jason), you need to understand that your spouse is physically unable to hover three inches off the floor when traveling from point A to point B. You may have to shoulder the burden of raking the shag rug twice a day yourself.
Conversely, if you are the type of person who "gets around " to wiping up a raw chicken--juice spill on the counter (for example, Sam), you should know that if you want to live with other humans, you need to surpass the hygiene standards of, say, the average fraternity-house bathroom.
Fortunately, if you can compromise on the red hot--button subject of cleanliness, your marriage is unlikely to be thrown off course by comparatively less volatile topics, like politics, religion, and money.

2. If you're irritated by your partner, imagine him as a small child. We know! You totally don't want to try this! It sounds awful! (And maybe even not that much of a stretch.) But trust us --this is an amazing way to see him from a fresh angle.
Here's what to do: While your partner is puttering around and looking idle, imagine him at age five. Awww. Isn't he adorable? And so smart! It's easy to forget how appealing your spouse is when you are looking at him through a prism of all the chores that he has yet to accomplish (fixing the garage-door opener, booking the tree-removal service...we could go on).

3. No fisticuffs in public. Take this example: We were at a picnic with a group of friends when the wife of one of the couples present casually announced that she had bought their family a house. In another country. Without consulting the husband. He turned about 14 shades of red, and they began fighting at the top of their lungs.
Cut to everyone else with their heads down, forensically examining their egg-salad sandwiches as though they contained the secrets of the human genome. You do not want to be That Couple Who Ruined the Otherwise Delightful Picnic.

4. Marry someone with a backbone who appreciates that you possess one of your own. That said, try to have bendy backbones if possible. Don't attempt to win every argument and get your way all the time. Who could bear all that responsibility, anyway?
Repeat this spouse-mollifying phrase after us: "Yes, honey, I will see the Transformers sequel on one of our precious and rare date nights. But on our next excursion, I get to choose a period piece featuring people in bonnets who churn their own butter."

5. Procrastinate. Yes, we know things need to be done, but seriously. Put your BlackBerry away and stop worrying about the broken garage-door opener. Have dessert in lieu of dinner. Watch old John Hughes movies. Hold hands. There, aren't they smoother than how you remembered them?

6. Have sex with each other. And if you can't have sex with each other for some reason, let your spouse know that you are thinking about having sex with him and that you are looking forward to the next time you are both available for sex. Like, in 2012. Try sending a "sext"; apparently it's all the rage.

7. Accept that everybody needs alone time. Sometimes your spouse needs to go to the bathroom for 45 minutes. Look, he's not going to the bathroom the whole time; he's trying to get away from you. And that's OK. Maybe you're being annoying. Sometimes you can be kind of annoying, you know.

8. If you have to fight, walk and fight. In our experience, arguments stem more from being cooped up together in tight quarters than from the issue at hand. Plus, getting fresh air is good for you, and it will give you more energy for No. 6. (Hey, everyone knows that makeup No. 6 is the best kind.)

9. Let your spouse in on 90 percent of your day-to-day routine. Save the other 10 percent for your bathroom time. Sam, for example, will never allow Jason to see her lurching to put on a pair of panty hose, and he never wishes for her to see him struggling to shave the back of his neck. It's those small things that keep the mystery alive.

10. When you buy gifts for each other, give them at least a full minute of thought. Sam's mother once gave her partner a giant meat grinder for Christmas so that he (an extremely reluctant cook) could make her tastier hamburgers.
In our opinion, gifts that require someone to perform a household task don't count as gifts. A present should convey the message "I love you, but most of all, I get you." (Yes, that's a tough sentiment to express with a big-box--store gift card. Ahem.) Like playing chess or figuring out Facebook privacy settings, delighting a longtime spouse is a genuine challenge --which (duh) is what makes it worth the effort.

:)

Summer Girls

2010-08-23T12:13:00.000-04:00

Such different personalities.....

So glad they're both mine!

Kindergarten '10/'11

2010-08-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

With the start of the school year only 2 weeks away, there's a lot to do before the big day. I know I'll need to have my camera and plenty of Kleenex handy! I've already been shopping for some of those basic clothing items like jeans, black pants, shoes and sweaters. Lauren has really jumped in sizes while Tara can still wear some of her old things and some of her sisters. Coordinating these two will be a little more difficult this year but I think it will work out just fine.

I'm actually really frustrated with their school district right now, though. I just found out yesterday who their teacher is going to be (got the one we wanted-yes!) but we still have no idea what day(s) of the week they'll be attending. We were informed in the Spring that Forest Hills was changing their Kindergarten classes this year and have eliminated the Morning/Afternoon M-F schedule. The girls will be going all day either M/W/F(morning) or Tu/Thur/F(afternoons) and riding the school bus.

Their school in undergoing a massive renovation right now and has been closed all Summer. Thus, it has been impossible to get any information. We were told that we would receiving letters with all the information about the upcoming year during the 1st week of August...nothing. Second week....nothing. Finally got a letter from their teacher yesterday listing the things that they needed to bring when they have a little meet n' greet next week but nowhere in this missive was WHAT DAYS they're going to school! Tried calling the administration building yesterday twice and got nowhere. Called today and were told that they don't have access to the class lists and schedules and that we would have to wait for their school to open to get that info. Great...it looks like we'll have to wait until the week before school to finally find out when our kids are going. So frustrating...it's not like it's important or anything. Geez.

Up, Up and Away!

2010-08-13T15:26:00.000-04:00

I love my children and their artwork, but let's be honest. Most of it consists of coloring pages with ripped corners`and torn edges, random blobs that we try hard to guess at and craft projects with too much glue and glitter.

This particular piece, by Lauren, really tugged at my heart, though. It's a picture of her lamb (which she has loved since birth) flying through the air with balloons. She even looked up how to spell the word "Balloons" so that she could add it to her drawing.

It was just so cute that I had to frame it and add it to our study. I love it.... :)

Signal Visits the States

2010-08-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

A collage of photos that I took of a beautiful leather notebook embossed with "Signal the Frog", who is the official mascot for Geocaching. Each picture was snapped as we crossed into a new State or Province, and I was able to get most of them. The only ones that are missing are those that we crossed into while it was dark out - Oklahoma, Utah, Washington & Montana.

It was a fun little project to tackle. I originally had the idea of getting pics of the girls at each State sign, but the logistics proved to be too daunting. This worked out well and putting them all on one page really highlights all the places we were able to cover!

Homeward Bound: Day 16 & 17

2010-08-03T15:34:00.000-04:00

Tara, Klara and Lauren @ The Galaxy Drive In

Roasting marshmallows....

Tara, Lauren, Klara & Lydia eating their s'mores!

Staying in downtown Minneapolis for the evening.

A typical view for the past 17 days...we're almost home now!

We took a really crazy route on day #16 in order to pick up a few more States. Woke up in Iowa, drove South to hit Nebraska, and then turned around and drove straight North through South Dakota and into North Dakota. We had almost 2 whole days of South Dakota driving and I think that's enough for now...

We then turned East and headed into Minnesota, where our destination was Minneapolis for dinner and sleeping. Our friends David and Kristin, along with their 3 daughters, live in the area and we were excited to see their lovely home and grab some food with them. David suggested that we try out a fun place that was right around the corner from their place - The Galaxy Drive In. We sat outside eating our yummy food and then David treated us to a s'mores making kit that the kids just couldn't resist. It was so cute watching the girls trying to get their marshmallows just right and the end result - deliciousness!

Kristin was able to join us too, which was an added surprise as she was working quite a ways from home that day. The daughter you don't see in the pics, little Rose (born on my birthday btw), was happily strapped to Dad the whole time. It was a welcome break from our usual routine and a chance to get caught up, never mind the fact that the girls didn't want to leave each other. Klara and the twins are only 2 months apart in age and they are still asking me when they can see Klara again because they had so much fun playing with her!

We stayed in downtown Minneapolis that night and then it was the final push towards home. Our last day was the only one that we had rain off and on the majority of the day, which was ok since we didn't have any other plans besides getting back to Michigan. We made it home without incident and quickly collapsed in our long-missed bed.

What did we just do? What a trip!

Homeward Bound: Day 15

2010-07-28T14:16:00.001-04:00

(No caption needed)

Mt. Rushmore is crazy...

Great sign at Wall Drug!

Tara lost her 2nd tooth at Wall Drug!

Sunset over South Dakota

We woke up in South Dakota to another fantastic day and headed directly to Mt. Rushmore. Can you believe that there isn't any Geocaches at Mt. Rushmore? That's just not right. Anyway, since it was the tail end of the Holiday week there were a ton of people there already at 10am. I loved the promenade with the granite pillars displaying each State's flag, the large viewing area and friendly faces everywhere we looked. I bet there was a person there from every State, let alone tons of Canadians and overseas guests. The gift shop area was gigantic but fun to look through and I was able to purchase my first Christmas present!

Concerning Mt. Rushmore itself, it certainly is majestic and awe-inspiring. It's educational in that it prompted questions from the kids about the people they were seeing, although they picked out Abe Lincoln and George Washington right away, which made me pretty proud since they're not even in kindergarten yet. On the other hand, the whole thing is kind of absurd. Here is this fairly unattractive formation that someone thought might look better with some heads chopped into it. And the amount of money that the government must make off of this attraction is sure to boggle the mind. It was $10 per car just for the privilege to park near it! What can I say, I'm glad we did it but I have no desire to "rush" back....

Now Wall Drug was another matter altogether. I've heard people talking about Wall Drug since I was a teenager and I truly didn't get it. What was all the hype about? Where in world was Wall Drug? Is it just a drug store? Is this some sort of joke? Well, I just had to find out about this crazy place for myself, while Mike snickered the whole way. Of course he had already been there before so he knew all about the off-the-wall zaniness that was about to greet us.

Some History:

The small town drugstore made its first step towards fame when it was purchased by Ted Hustead in 1931. Hustead was a Nebraska native and pharmacist who was looking for a small town with a Catholic Church in which to establish his business. He bought Wall Drug, located in a 231-person town in what he referred to as "the middle of nowhere", and strove to make a living. Business was very slow until his wife, Dorothy, got the idea to advertise free ice water to parched travellers heading to the newly-opened Mount Rushmore monument 60 miles to the west. From that time on business was brisk. Wall Drug grew into a cowboy-themed shopping mall. Wall Drug includes a western art museum, a chapel, restaurants, shops and an 80-foot Apatosaurus that can be seen right off I-90.

Needless to say, it was a fun stop. They still offer free ice water to every person that enters, 5 cent coffee and free donuts. We had a great time exploring the place and Tara even lost a tooth while we ate some grub. We picked up a couple of fun little souvenirs and even got a free bumper sticker! Bonus!

We spent the rest of the day traveling I-90 across South Dakota heading towards our destination of Sioux City, IA.

Homeward Bound: Day 14

2010-07-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

My girls...

Joy at finding the cache!

Red Sandstone Cliffs

Our first glimpse of Devils Tower

Pillars of strength...

At the base of the Tower

A view of the valley from Devils Tower

Just finishing our hike around the mountain.

Pretty as a picture...oh, wait....

One of many Black Tailed Prairie Dogs in the area.

We had another beautiful day for traveling as we moved on from Montana, but not before stopping for a few geocaches, of course. We needed to travel through the Northeast corner of Wyoming in order to reach our destination of Rapid City, SD. When I think about, we really got to see a lot of Wyoming on this trip and it really is a very diverse State. Constantly changing terrain, abundant wildlife, friendly folks...

I'll be honest, I had never heard of Devils Tower, although I probably should have. Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet above sea level. It's classified as a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic neck, located in the Black Hills. As you are on approach to this monstrosity, you can't believe how crazy it looks!

As you can see from my picture of the surrounding valley, there is absolutely nothing else even remotely similar in the area. They have a great trail that winds around the base of the formation. It's about a mile hike but well worth the effort, we all had a fun time doing it. There were climbers on the Tower as we came around the backside and that was sweet to watch. I give them a lot of credit. So glad that we made the stop.

Mt. Rushmore tomorrow!

Homeward Bound: Day 13

2010-07-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

Can you guess what this is?

(scroll to the bottom of the post to see the answer)

Fields of flowers in British Columbia

Arriving in Montana...

Blooming Cottonwood Tree

I didn't want to leave Canada and I wasn't ready to start heading home. There was still so much to see and do right where we were but I guess it was time to move on. We had a pretty uneventful day as we traveled from Invermere, BC to Bozeman, MT. Another blue sky day greeted us and gave us a fantastic backdrop for a couple more pictures. Mike actually took all of these photos with the exception of the "metal" ones. I love the Cottonwood shot. Very cool, honey!

One neat discovery was a pizza chain with several locations in the area. It was called MacKenzie River Pizza Co. and they caught our eye as we were looking for some grub. The inside was designed like a log ski lodge, with a lot of natural and outdoors elements. The food was fantastic and the service was stellar too. We'll definitely give them a try again once we're back in the area.

We stayed in Bozeman for the night, and Mike and I were shocked to see how much the area had changed. We skied at Big Sky back in 2000 and drove right down the same strip in town, but the density of businesses and shops seemed to have quadrupled. It was nice to see the growth but I almost thought it took away from the Montana charm.

On to Wyoming....

This Moose was in front of the pizza joint we stopped at. It was huge and made up of thousands of washers, horseshoes, car parts, steel balls, chains, flywheels...you name it. What a unique way to recycle!

Canada Bound: Day 12

2010-07-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

Bears! Oh, my....

Mike & I along the Continental Divide

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake and The Valley of the Ten Peaks

We hiked up to this spot....what a view!

Banff National Park

Another view of Ten Peaks

Mountain Goats who needed a crossing guard!

Kootenay National Park

Olive Lake

The Passage back...

This was one of my favorite days of the trip and we will absolutely be coming back here at some point! The girls hung out with Grandma & Grandpa for the day (they just happened to be on vacation in the same area that week) while Mike and I went exploring. Oh, the things that we saw!

It was another day of staring out the windows at the beauty surrounding us, trying to figure out if I could actually take several hundred pictures in one day! The only reason that I didn't was because I was busy trying to take it all in myself! The day was perfect, by the way, with temps in the 80's in the valley and in the 60's in the mountains. Blue skies with puffy clouds, especially near the mountain peaks, greeted us everywhere we went. It was just great!

We traveled through Kootenay National Park first, seeing a momma black bear and her cub heading towards the woods, tons of deer, eagles, and then mountain goats on our way back out. When we reached the Continental Divide, it was also the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta, as well as the boundary between Kootenay and Banff National Parks. It was a really neat spot, and of course there was a geocache there...

Lake Louise and the Moraine Lake area were....well, they were even better in person than I had ever imagined. It's one of those times in your life where you almost have to pinch yourself to believe that it's real. I have so much that I could say but really, the pictures kind of speak for themselves.

On a side note, Mike and I actually picked up a pair of hitchhikers while on our way to Moraine Lake. Whoa, Nelly. Turns out they were visiting from Finland, and had just hiked several miles up and down the valley and just couldn't go any further...they were a cute couple and we had fun chatting with them.

We really didn't want to head back but we were meeting everyone for dinner so leave we must. On our return, there was another cache that Mike wanted to try for and I'm SO glad that we stopped. It was at Olive Lake, a natural spring fed lake that is absolutely breathtaking and we had the place all to ourselves. You could see all the way to the bottom, even in the middle, view tons of fish and it was FREEZING cold! The mountain backdrop behind it couldn't be beat either!

I have a lot more photos but I thought I would share my favorites-enjoy!

Canada Bound: Day 11

2010-07-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

Washington's Dry Side

Waiting in line to cross the border...

The scenery was changing rapidly!

Imagine waking up to that view every morning!

Purple Mountains Majesty

(FYI-this photo has not been touched by Photoshop in any way)

Leaving Seattle behind was sad but we were really excited to get to Canada. It was the first time for the girls entering a new country and the first time Mike and I had been to Canada together. And, neither of us had ever been to British Columbia or Alberta, so we were thrilled!

The landscape really started to change as we drove up Hwy 95, and the Canadian Rockies started to rise into view. With the Selkirk Mountain Range off to the East and the Columbia Mountain Range to the West, the Rockies rose all around us to impress us with their majesty. You couldn't take your eyes off the view that encompassed us mile after splendid mile. It was mesmerizing, especially as sunset was approaching, setting the snowy peaks aglow and turning the sky into a rainbow of cotton candy deliciousness.

I was even more excited to see Banff National Park now that I had had a taste, a tiny morsel, of what great feast was waiting for me the next day. I was not disappointed so stay tuned for more photos coming soon!

P.S. You'd think I was hungry writing this post. :)

Seattle Bound: Friends

2010-07-20T10:33:00.000-04:00

The Braces & The Rules

Martin & Me

While out in Seattle, we had the unique opportunity to visit with some people that we don't get to hang with on a regular basis. Unfortunately, we had almost no free time with all the planned activities and didn't get to fit everyone in that we wanted to or spend enough time with those we did get to see. This is why we need to go back!

As I've mentioned previously, the Rules came with us to 2 of the main weekend events, plus we shared some lovely meals together and watched the 4th of July fireworks from our hotel balcony while it poured rain on everyone else! We also let the kids go swimming at our hotel while the adults enjoyed some time at the hot tub. It was great to be able to spend some quality time together, with Mike and Dave just getting to relax, not worry about work stress, and share some family time together. Lauren and Tara loved playing with Harrison and Thomas, which was cute to see, and Julia was so sweet....it's too bad we live so far apart!

In between the chaos, I was lucky enough to get a call from a dear friend from my school years, Martin, who lives in the area. We made a detour and stopped by his lovely home, where we were greeted by his beautiful wife, Nina, another class-mate (Megan) and her friend. Frankly, the visit was too short. I think we could have talked for hours. The girls loved Megan's little pooch and happily played with the puppy the majority of the time while Mike and I tried some local beer and tried to get caught up on the last 15 years. 15 YEARS??!!! Time goes by way too fast....

Hopefully it won't be another 15 before we see these fine folks again!

Seattle Bound: Day 10

2010-07-16T21:24:00.000-04:00

Lost & Found Official Log (1 of 2)

Coloring pictures of Signal at the craft table

Tara trying to dunk our friend & fellow Reviewer MonkeyBrad from TN.

2 little Frogs at the Celebration!

Our cake at Groundspeak Headquarters after the L & F Event.

Bryan & Jeremy cutting the cake...

Mike & I finally get inside the Mother Ship!

The twins with our boss, Miss Jenn -they loved her!

Our own Logo! Doesn't it look just like us?

Sunday was the highly anticipated Lost & Found Celebration Event down near Groundspeak (Geocaching's Parent Company) headquarters. We had quite the time trying to navigate the Fremont area and find a parking space, but we got really lucky and found a spot super close-by. The Event was so well-run and you could tell that a lot of time, thought and energy had gone into the planning and execution.

They had a great mini-scavenger hunt that allowed you to gather puzzle pieces that made a Signal the Frog necklace when you completed it. They provided a dunk tank that featured rotating Lackeys, Company Founders and fellow Review Team members in the tank. We all got a good laugh...glad that we didn't volunteer! Also in attendance was the Seattle Bubbleman, who delighted the kiddos and adults alike with his sudsy antics. There was a craft tent for the little ones and plenty of things for the big "kids" to do as well! We had a great time!

After the Event, we were invited to a private event back at Headquarters, which I have to say, was fantastic. The owners and employees opened up their workspace and offices to us, allowing us to explore and making us feel as welcome as just another member of the family. Bryan and Jeremy were both on hand for the cake cutting, speech making, and general merriness. Many of the Lackeys were there as well, making for a joyous atmosphere as we all celebrated the 10 Year Anniversary of Geocaching!

And as an added bonus, we were surprised with our own "logo", just like the other employees of Groundspeak have. It was SO COOL to see! I love it!

Seattle Bound: Day 9

2010-07-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

Just to prove we were there...

Official Geowoodstock Log Book

Group photo with maybe 1/5 of the attendees.

A closer view of the Brace & Rule Families

Saturday was Geowoodstock, the largest world-wide gathering of Geocaching enthusiasts. There were an estimated 5,000+ attendees at this years event, making it the most attended Geocaching Event thus far. For 2010, it was held at Remlinger Farms in Carnation, WA. The entire event seemed to run smoothly, with the exception of the food situation, and everyone appeared to be having a great time!

My only complaint from the whole day was the process of getting lunch. Luckily, we had purchased lunch tickets with our package to the event. The only other way to get ANY food, if you didn't pre-pay, was to purchase their lunch package @ $20 per person. Holy smokes! That's a lot for a hamburger and chips, especially since we had to wait for almost an hour in line just to get our meals in the first place. Very poor planning in that respect, but we went with the flow and still enjoyed ourselves.

We were also finally able to meet the Rule Family! Mike and Dave had the privilege of working the Crane Project in California together and formed a bond, like soldiers coming back from the war. Dave's lovely wife, Julia, and their two boys came out and joined us for the day, which was an added bonus! The kids played on the inflatables, the "boys" (Mike & Dave) played the GPS accuracy game and us women folk held down the fort. After the sticky cotton-candy faces were cleaned, the group pic was taken and a hay ride back to our cars, it was time to go have a nice dinner with our friends and crash back at the hotel.

All in all, another crazy, fun-filled day...

Seattle Bound: Day 8

2010-07-14T15:18:00.000-04:00

The Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA

Lauren is really concentrating...

All the aircraft you see is the real deal!

Does she look like a fighter pilot?

Hilarious!

Tiki Luau Event: The Logbook

Holy Slugs, Batman!

On Friday, after a week on the road, we were excited to have a day "mostly" free from commitments. We really wanted to make it to the Tiki Luau Event later that evening and we did have dinner reservations with our fellow Review Team members at night, but the rest of the day was open. When talking to our "boss" Jenn, she recommended the The Museum of Flight and that was all Mike needed to hear!

Seeing all of the real airplanes indoors was really fascinating and I loved the write-ups on each plane and on the people that have made flight possible. The girls weren't particularly impressed but there were fun things for them to do and a special area just for kids really piqued their interest. We also had fun up in the "Tower" area, where you could clearly see the runway at Boeing Field, hear the communications between the Tower and pilots in the area and see the incoming aircraft on the computer monitors. Very cool...

After that, we headed to the Tiki Luau Event which was awesome and really well planned. The hotdogs were delicious and all the food was free. BONUS. There was an awesome surfboard to sign as the "logbook" (can you find our name (Tikibirds)) and everyone was given Hawaiian Leis when they arrived. We picked up some cool swag, hung out with our fellow Michigan geocaching family members and watched with fascination the giant slugs that seemed to everywhere! Good times!

Seattle Bound: Day 6 & 7

2010-07-13T15:59:00.000-04:00

Panorama View of Twin Falls, ID

A different kind of Train Table!

Ummm, do these cows belong here?

Sunset over Oregon

Starting the 4 mile "Ape Cache" hike...

Acting like monkeys after finding the "Ape"!

Rivers and Waterfalls along the trail.

Hiking down the Annette Lake Trail in Washington.

Bridge over the river on the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail.

We drove through Salt Lake City, UT which was having blistering 100 degree temps and into Idaho, a new State for both Mike and I. We stopped for lunch in Twin Falls, which was an unexpectedly beautiful area. Loved it! We continued on into Oregon and continued our climb into the mountains. We ate dinner at this really cool restaurant where a train constantly ran through the entire place and right past where you were eating at your table! This, of course, was a big hit with the kids (including Mike). :)

We spent the night in Kennewick, WA, visited the local REI store and picked up our daily Parks Pass. Our only real goal for the day was to make the hike to find the only remaining "Ape" cache in North America: GC1169 Mission 9: Tunnel of Light. This is a 4 mile round-trip hike, with some very steep sections and one of our most important goals for the trip. It was POURING rain when we arrived and there were other cachers coming back from the hike or starting their trek every couple of minutes. With the elevation and the weather, I wasn't feeling that great again so I opted (reluctantly) to stay back while the girls and Mike took on the challenge.

The girls did a great job, never complaining or falling once. They were really disappointed to find out though when they got there that someone just before us had stolen the top off the cache. What a shame...at least everything had been recently bagged and another cacher had put a big bag around the cache to try to keep the water out since now it was completely open to the elements. Word has it that a new cover is in the works or has already been put in place.

I couldn't just stay in the car so I decided to hike the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail, which started right next to the Annette Lake trail but was only 3/4 of a mile around. It was such a beautiful area and just how I pictured hiking the Cascade Mountains would be. It was an adventuresome day and by evening, we had finally made it to Seattle! Yes!

Seattle Bound: Day 5 (Park City, Utah)

2010-07-13T10:47:00.001-04:00

Tara goes for Gold!

Well, if you insist! (what a great name for a street!)

Going up the chairlift at Deer Valley!

At 9300ft elevation, it wasn't surprising to see snow at the top!

Going down....

A hidden park in downtown Park City (we're Geocaching, of course)

Park City, Utah was extremely beautiful and I would love to go back any time of the year. We spent a good portion of the day caching, picking which spots we wanted to explore the most, like the top of mountains and Olympic Venues. We even met another set of geocachers while exploring downtown. The crazy part was that they didn't use team names, didn't log on-line and didn't use a GPS unit (just their phones). I don't think their style could have been more different from ours, but here we were with the same goal and find it we did!

We went up to Deer Valley Ski Resort where we grabbed a few caches and then decided to ride the chairlift up to the top of the mountain to do some hiking and exploring. They had an awesome mountain bike course down the mountain that was clearly very popular...it looked like fun! There was snow on the mountain and we had a good time throwing snow balls at each other...in June! Unfortunately, the altitude was not particularly friendly to me and I ended up feeling pretty lousy after our adventurous day. I recovered quickly and we were on our way to Oregon and Washington the next morning. I'll miss you, Park City. Stay gorgeous until I return!

Seattle Bound: Day 3 & 4

2010-07-12T17:54:00.000-04:00

The Twins found the Geocache!

An unexpected find in a park in the middle of nowhere Kansas! Hello F-14!

Finding "MINGO", the oldest active cache in the world!

The rain on the plain in Kansas.

Uncle Fred, Aunt Wink, Fred and Jennifer met us in CO for breakfast!

On top of the world in Wyoming!

Sunset in the mountains...

We had beautiful weather on days 3 & 4 as we drove out of OK, through KS and into CO. We were lucky enough to be able to get together with Mike's Uncle Fred and his family while we were in town. It was so nice to see everyone!

Our drive through Wyoming was exciting as the terrain and landscape were really starting to change at this point. It did take us longer to get to Park City, UT than we had anticipated though. By the time we got there, everyone was beat and just wanted a bed to put our heads on. Luckily, it was a really nice place and I'll share some the adventures we had there in my next post!

Seattle Bound: Day 1 & 2

2010-06-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

Northeastern Illinois

Twilight over Illinois. Can you spot Venus?

I'm in awe every time I see it...

Geocaching along Route 66

Crazy rock walls in Arkansas!

One of two groups of skydivers we saw during our travels

We've had great weather so far. We had some rain in Tulsa this morning for a very brief time but it's been blue skies ever since. I just wanted to share a couple of photos from our trip thus far. We've spent the majority of the time in the car so besides the pic of the girls, I've taken all of them from a moving vehicle!

Look for more pictures as the week goes on!

Wordless Wednesday: Play Ball!

2010-06-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

Getting Organized

2010-06-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

We're getting ready for the big trip and one of the things that I thought might help was some vehicular organization. The packing for this trip is much different than our usual outings, so I've had to re-think how and what I pack. I ordered one of these "Backseat Valets" that are made especially for SUV's and bigger vehicles. It should keep a lot of those pesky, smaller items off the floor, giving us more room for our suitcases and a cooler.

I also ordered an organizer/storage bin that fits between the girls two car-seats. It actually clips into the unused middle seatbelt so that it can't slide off. It can hold drinks, snacks, coloring supplies, books, etc. and the top zips closed and has raised sides to hold crayons and other items in place. I think it will work perfectly!

The weather is also going to be issue, since we are going as far South as Oklahoma and as far North as Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Did you know they are over 1700 miles apart? In fact, we'll be traveling almost 6,000 miles round-trip, not including our time in Seattle and other jaunts off the main itinerary. Let's hope our Yukon XL is up to the challange!

Anyway, most of our travel will be during the Summer months so the temps should be more consistent, but you never know! We have to pack swimming gear, hot weather gear, hiking gear, rain gear, cool weather layers, etc. and all for a 17 day trip! Hopefully we'll be able to find some laundry facilities along the way! :) This is going to be interesting, to say the least.....

Going Commercial

2010-06-10T11:03:00.001-04:00

Personalized Official Geocacher Doormat

"A high-tech version of hide -and- seek, Geocaching is fun for all ages. Players use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to hide and find containers ("caches") anywhere in the world. If you're into this hot new sport or know someone who is, you've just found the perfect doormat. May be personalized with any navigational code; supply the ZIP code and we'll do the rest. Mat is durable 100% Olefin with synthetic jute backing, 27" x 18". Made in USA"

When looking through one of my favorite catalogs today, I was shocked to see this item emblazoned on its pages. It marks the first time that I have seen something specifically made for Geocachers in a gift catalog not intended specifically for those interested in the sport. How cool is that?!!!

It's going on my wish-list... :)

*Be sure to check out Signals for unique gifts that support Public Television...

When in doubt, Tile it!

2010-06-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

Kitchen 1 year ago...

Kitchen today!

Our mess last year...

No mess now!

Close view of the tile work...

Putting up a tile backsplash in the kitchen was on the original list of things to be accomplished when we first bought this house. Unfortunetly, it's taken us over a year to complete. I vacillated between subway tile, natural stone, glass, ceramic, porcelain...you name it. I would see something I liked and think, "Yes, that's what I want!" only to change my mind moments later.

Mike and I finally ended up at The Tile Shop where we had more tile to chose from than jelly beans at Easter! That place was insane, but we honed in on the Travertine tile right away, and this mosaic style really caught our eye. I had brought our paint and cabinet samples with us, and letting Christian (who was helping us in the store) see the color of our walls, he went in search of the perfect glass tile to accent the room.

I had fun putting up the tile while Mike did the measuring and cutting. We both grouted and rinsed (which was a total pain with the tight quarters and multi-dimensional tile). It took us 3 days to complete and we're so pleased with the results.

Now the kitchen is almost complete. We just have the grid of ceiling panels to take down so that we can install recessed lighting and some pendants over the island. Maybe another day...I'm all tuckered out!

Pictures in the Park

2010-06-01T16:54:00.000-04:00

We took advantage of this beautiful day and went over to Leslie E. Tassell Park in Cascade to play in the water fountains. The girls love exploring in this delightful park! We splashed in the water, walked on the rocks to the island, tried to catch butterflies and "danced" in the circle with the other "sculptured" kids.

We had a riot and by the time we left, there were over a dozen kids on the splash/fountain pad area. I think we'll try to get over there at least once a week and if you haven't taken your tots there, I highly recommend it! The park is beautiful in so many ways and you can walk to the ice cream shop after you're done at the park...bonus!

Backsplash!

2010-05-27T15:52:00.000-04:00

We finally had a chance to head out and look at some tile samples for our kitchen backsplash. I knew that I wanted to use travertine tiles and I also wanted some glass tiles used in the design as well. Our kitchen walls are an aqua-green, with maple cabinets, black counters and appliances. I really wanted something that would highlight those colors...

We ended up with a design that is going to look something like this:

The tile should be in next week and then we can get started on the project. I'll be sure to post pictures of the finished product. I can't wait to see how it's going to look when it's completed! Wish us luck!

Wordless Wednesday: What happens when a 5 year old plays with scissors...

2010-05-26T16:05:00.000-04:00

The Family Tree

2010-05-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Kowalewski Family 2010

Here it is! This is our entire family on my Dad's side. My Grandpa Kowalewski is turning 85 this weekend and still seems 20 years younger than his birthdate suggests. We were able to get together this weekend to celebrate his birthday, along with Mike's (May 29th) and my brother Kevin's (June 1st). I thought it would be nice to take a picture since everyone was going to be there (my backyard) and it turned out great!

Grandma & Grandpa have 2 sons, 3 granddaughters, 1 grandson and 3 great-grandaughters. I'm sure there are more great-grandkids to come, although we won't be contributing any more! :)

I can't wait to see what this picture will look like for his 90th Birthday!

Endeavor to be Great!

2010-05-20T18:14:00.000-04:00

Lauren, Mrs. Johnson, Tara & Mrs. Veloso

The girls had their last day of Preschool today, at Kentwood's Endeavor Elementary. The year went by so quickly, it's really hard to believe that it's over already. They were blessed with a wonderful class this year, full of fun, energetic and smiling friends & teachers alike. The girls loved going every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, excited to find out what fun things they were going to learn and experience. Mike and I couldn't have asked for more...

With Fall and Kindergarten just around the corner, I want to make sure to soak up the Summer, relax during warm afternoons and let the kids be carefree. Sooner than I care to admit, they'll be in school all day, everyday...for the next 12 years! Then off to college, marriage, kids....wait! I'm getting ahead of myself! I need to just breathe....enjoy every piece of them now while they still let me!

So, here's to the end of another school year and the start of a wonderful Summer vacation. With so much of our world to explore, we better get started!

Study Hard

2010-05-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a good picture of what this room looked like before the transformation. Mike and I each have our own desks now, and there's plenty of storage for all of our office supplies, books and other miscellaneous paraphernalia.

This was the only room on the main floor, with the exception of the laundry room, that hadn't really been touched. Yes, we repainted it before we moved in ( I refer to is as Fish's Room since he helped to paint it) and put in new carpet, just like all the other spaces in the house. But, that's where the renovations stopped. It ended up becoming our "catch-all" room, where we would quick stash paperwork, boxes, Geocaching stuff, Lauren and Tara's artwork, etc. It was a mess and it was embarrassing, at least to me.

I had envisioned a wall unit like this from the beginning. It was so much fun seeing my vision become a reality. Mike did a great job building all of the units, joining them and attaching them to the wall. I worked for days sorting boxes, unpacking office supplies, tossing a lot of trash, organizing and cleaning. I think that I emptied 4 or 5 more boxes from the move that had yet to be unpacked!

I do spend a lot of time in this space and it's such a great feeling to finally feel happy in it! Our study being complete allows me to check one of the "big" things off the list, but more importantly, it makes this house feel a little bit more like home.

Monday

2010-05-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

Do you ever wake up in the morning with a mental list of items that you really want to get completed for the day?

I usually have the "Have-To" list nagging at me first... you know, the things that you absolutely must get done before you go to bed at night. The items that if you don't attend to them, your kids won't have to change into their jammies at night because they'd still be in them. Important stuff like laundry, dishes, trash, school, baths, food, etc.

The "Extra-Effort Required" list comes next, containing piles of miscellaneous to-do's that you really would "like" to complete, but since they're not the top priority, you know they probably won't. In my house, these items tend to involve sorting photos, re-arranging the closets, mopping floors and finally putting the Christmas decorations (the sneaky ones that didn't make it in their appropriate boxes) and Easter eggs (plastic, of course) away.

Last is the "In-My-Wildest-Dreams" list. These are the goals that if you were to complete them, you wouldn't need those anti-depressants because you'd be on such a natural high. Usually large-scale projects that involve many hours and many dollars, these items are the ones that I actually think about the most. Fixing our front porch, re-facing the house, landscaping, adding a second garage, building a back deck, gutting our main bathroom upstairs and other grandiose ideas permeate my mind, day in and day out. I'm actually close to completing one right now, our study/office, and I have to say that I'm feeling pretty fine about it!

In reality though, most days, and especially Mondays, I don't even get through the "Have-To" list. It's sad, and I don't even work outside my house! Oh well, there's nothing wrong with spending a few days in your jammies, right kids?

Serenade Me!

2010-05-13T14:13:00.001-04:00

I am delighted to announce that I will have the opportunity to travel once again aboard a Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas. I've sailed on a Vision Class ship and Voyager Class as well, but this will be my first time experiencing one of their Radiance Class ships. I'll share a little snippet from RC's website:

Radiance Class

"With more open space, balconies and glass on the Radiance-class of cruise ships than on any other cruise ships, you just might forget you're on a ship at all. Glass walls and elevators get you up close to your travel destination."

I'll be traveling with Mike and the girls, as well as Mike's parents and his brother & wife. The last time we went cruising, it was with my sister and her hubby back in '04. It seems like a lifetime ago-we were working on flipping our first house, there were no kids, and I worked full time. I have been wanting/waiting to go on a cruise again for a LONG time, but with the little ones, it made things a bit tough.

So, in April, we'll be setting sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico for a slew of Southern Caribbean locales. Here is a map of our intended route:

*whatever this map looks like, I had nothing to do with it!

The only destination on our trip that we've been to before is St. Maarten, and we loved it there. Mike and I are really looking forward to getting some Geocaches on all the islands, spending time with our family and continuing our mission of showing our kids the world. It's going to be a great time and I think I'm going to have to work extremely hard to keep my excitement contained for the next 11 months!

So here we are...

2010-05-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

It's been over a week again, and I have failed to record life's ever-changing moments. Last week was so busy, it's a blur. Mike had a horrible work schedule, we were busy EVERY night (which is not a bad thing but I think it was TOO much) and I had a lot of tasks that needed to be accomplished in a short amount of time. I was so glad when Sunday night finally arrived that by Monday, I vowed I wasn't going to do anything that wasn't absolutely necessary.

This plan works in theory, although the state of the girls bedroom as I stepped into it Monday morning, made me realize that it had been neglected for far too long. Oh, the girls are in charge of picking it up every night before bed, so it wasn't messy, per se. I just noticed that their drawers were full of clothes that no longer fit them, they still had unpacked boxes of bedroom "stuff" hidden in their closet and shelves that should have been erected a year ago were still sitting quietly on, that's right, another shelf.

Mike helped me hang the shelves and hangers for the girls backpacks. I unpacked, organized, cleaned, hung and folded, vacuumed and dusted until the room felt better than it ever had before. The girls squealed in delight at the happy space left behind and haven't complained once about keeping it neat and tidy. We'll how long it lasts, but I'll gladly take it for now!

We also decided on a Cruise Vacation that we are going to be taking with Mike's immediate family next April. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow! Caribbean, here we come!

Happy Birthday, Geocaching!

2010-05-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

Our 10 Years! Event in Cascade Township, MI on May 3rd!

The Conmans 10 Years! Event in Wyoming, MI on May 2nd!

DeRock & The Psychic Cachers 10 Years! Event in Grattan Township, MI on May 1st!

10 Years! Event in Kalamazoo, MI on May 1st!

The Vidas 10 Years! Event in Lansing, MI on May 1st!

We spent the entire weekend and Monday, celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of the 1st Geocache placement and Groundspeak's birthday. We attended 5 of the special 10 Years! Events all around the State.

In only 10 short years, there are now over 1 Million active geocaches all over the world, in over 200 countries, with countless numbers of cachers joining the sport every day.

It is an important part of our lives, and we've been doing it since the end of 2003. I can't wait to see where the next 10 years will bring us, the friends we'll meet and the places we'll go. I have a passion for caching!

The Big Trip

2010-04-26T16:48:00.000-04:00

Here is a little map of the trip Mike and I will be making with the twins this Summer. We will be gone for 17 days and will visit 20+ States and 2 Canadian Provinces. Are we crazy? Duh.

We want to be in Seattle for GeoWoodstock VIII, which takes place on July 3rd and another event that is being put on by the Mother-Ship (aka Groundspeak) on the 4th. We will then visit our favorite neighbor to the North, where Mike's parents are staying for the week in Banff National Park. We hope to visit with Mike's Aunt and Uncle in Denver on our way out and a bunch of friends that we don't see often enough over the course of our travels.

I have personally never seen the Pacific Ocean, nor been to the majority of the States that we are traveling through. I'm really excited about it and I know that the girls are too. Our country is so vast and so diverse, with so many wonderful places to explore and experience. We are still in the beginning stages of booking our reservations and making our plans concrete. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as we do more to make this trip a reality.

Wordless Wednesday: What'll ya have, pal?

2010-04-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

The Highlander

2010-04-19T20:54:00.000-04:00

We got a little refund from the government and we have been wanting to get the girls a playset since we moved into the house a year ago. Wait. Has it been a year already? Wow....

Anyway, Mike and I did a lot of research, as always, and found that the set being offered by Sam's Club was really the best bang for our buck. It had good reviews, lots to do, looked really solid and was under 1K. SOLD! They were out-of-stock on it last month but when we called Saturday morning, they had just gotten another load in. So off we went with the trailer, and 4 gigantic boxes and a slide later, we were home, puzzling on what we had gotten ourselves into!

All the lumber laid out in groups alphabetically...

It took us about 2 hours to lay it all out and get all the bolts open and ready to be used. The girls were a big help, getting us pieces and holding tools while we got started. We were actually really lucky that our friends, the Youmans, were free in the afternoon to come give us a hand. Mike and Jim worked the power-tools while Jeanne and I ran parts and kid control. Perfect!

Boys with toys...

We were able to get most of the "Tower" built on Saturday and then Mike and I were on our own Sunday. Both days were really kinda blah with cloudy skies, cold winds and colder temps. I don't think it helped our cause any. Finally, at 9pm Sunday we had the majority of the set finished, with only the little steps and green handles left to install. Mike finished that part when he got home from work this afternoon so the set is officially done for now.

You can see our old set over to the side. When we pulled it out of the ground to make way for the new set, the timber that was in the ground was completely rotted. We're lucky no one got hurt on that thing. However, it does have some nice rings and a pancake swing that we would like to transplant onto this set. We'll add another arm to the left side in the next couple of weeks and I think the Playset will be complete. The girls love it and can't stop playing on it. 4 levels, 1 picnic table with 2 benches, 2 swings, a rock climbing wall, a glider, a super-fast slide, plus all the extras...what more could a couple of kids want? Wait, forget I asked. ;)

Loving MyPublisher

2010-04-14T09:29:00.000-04:00

I really like using MyPublisher to make Photobooks each year of the girls. They make great gifts for the Grandparents and it's a photo collection that I know the girls will treasure as they get older. I love making them but the books that cover an entire year take quite awhile. The organizing and sorting through of thousands of pictures takes me days to complete.

Last week I received a note from MyPublisher alerting me to a special that they were going to be running-for 5 days only. You could make their Classic Hardcover (11.25 inches wide x 8.75 inches high), with ANY amount of pages, with their new Photo Cover Design for only $20! Holy smokes! That is a serious deal!

So, I started working feverishly to get this thing completed and an hour before the deadline was up, I was done. I'm really happy with the results and can't wait to get the hard copy. I hope that you enjoy it, too!

Check out this great PhotoBook I made with MyPublisher's bookmaking software!

Click on the image to view

Big Bugs!

2010-04-09T16:08:00.000-04:00

Our family, along with my sister and her family, attended the Public Museum of Grand Rapid's "Big Bug Nights!". This is a special offer that they are promoting on the radio and through mailings, online, etc. Here is a little blurb off the website:

"Big Bug Nights! - No reservations necessary! Enjoy special evening packages March 1-5, April 1-3 & 5-9 and May 10-14. 5-9 pm. Package includes Museum admission, BUGS! admission, a planetarium show, unlimited carousel rides and a kid-friendly meal for just $10 per person. (a $15-$20 value). Members pay just $5. Meal includes hotdog or bratwurst, fruit, chips, cookie & drink."

My sister and I think, "Oh, this is a great little deal. Plus, since it's only at night, the boys can come along too!". We made plans to go last night and to get there by 5:45pm, which we did. There was a line...a big line. When we got up the counter, we were told that they were already sold out of the Planetarium Shows but paying the $10 rate was still cheaper than purchasing everything ala carte so we paid our money and moved on.

We rode the carousel, to the girls delight, and then realized how hungry we were. So, we moved on up to the second level where there was another very long line, which we assumed was for the upcoming Planetarium Show. Ahhh...nope. That's the line to get your food. Seriously. And, it was right in the middle of the "Musical Instruments" demonstration area, just to add a little intensity to our waiting pleasure. Anna and I stood in line while the boys took the girls to explore elsewhere. The guy in front of us was irritated. The couple behind us was fed up. The tons of kids that were "in-line" were going bonkers! It must have taken us over 30min. just to get up to the food area, which was congested and cumbersome. To be fair, the food was good and we all enjoyed the meal once we got it and found a space for us eat it at.

The "BUG" exhibit was fun and the big bugs were neat to look at but there wasn't a lot to do there. They had many little stations set up but many of them were too advanced for the girls or already filled up with other kids. The Museum was open until 9pm but by 8 o'clock, the staff were already cleaning, sweeping and basically making us feel very uncomfortable about being there. How rude...

Overall, it was a hectic experience that did not seem to be very well organized. I think that maybe we'll try to go again during the week when it's not as busy and finally get that Planetarium show in...it was always one of my favorite parts!

Splashes of Color

2010-04-05T15:34:00.000-04:00

Tara, Lauren & Hailey (their cousin) in their Easter Best!

We spent time this week coloring eggs and just getting ready for Easter in general. It was a lot of fun and the girls, including myself, had a really great time. The Easter Bunny came to our house Sunday morning, as well as Grandma & Grandpa B.'s house in the early afternoon and Grandma & Grandpa K.'s house in the evening. That was one busy bunny!

Easter day was just beautiful...lots of sunshine and warmer temps made for another fantastic holiday. We also celebrated Great Grandma K.'s 82 birthday at the end of the day, so that by 9pm, we were all tuckered out. Loads of candy and sweets, tons of yummy food and lots of laughs made it a perfect celebration all around.

Butterflies are Bloomin' @ FMG

2010-03-31T11:35:00.000-04:00

The Paper Punch

2010-03-29T14:14:00.000-04:00

I have come to realize that paper is an enemy, an adversary, an opposing army on the battlefield that is my house. There is paper coming out of every nook and cranny, piled in corners, hidden in drawers, stuffed in baskets and filling the trash cans. Where does all this paper come from?

I'm not even remotely interested in having a discussion on the environmental impact of paper or trees or processing plants, etc. I'm only concerned at this point with the impact it's having on me. A little self-centered? Sure. I feel like I'm being personally attacked from all angles by a rainbow of 100 different sized pieces of colored trees that will not leave me alone!

Bills, junk mail, artwork, coloring pages, newspapers, school papers, taxes, cards, receipts, instructions, coupons, magazines, catalog's, warranties, grocery lists, pay stubs, photographs, notebooks, and on and on and on....

I am admittedly not the best organizer in the world and more than anything else, it is PAPER that drives me towards the brink of insanity. Where do I go with it all? How long do I keep it? What's really important? Will it make someone cry if I throw it away? Will I ever need that again? All these questions float through my mind as I sort and stack and file and trash each ugly little piece. I am fighting the battle each and every day but I am nowhere near winning the war, and I think it shows.

So next time you're over at my place, and it seems pretty "paper" free, beware the kitchen drawers, backroom cupboards and office floor. You might just accidentally find yourself in a forest of long dead trees or have a cascade of paper leaves assault you from above. Don't say I didn't warn you....

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

2010-03-25T15:08:00.000-04:00

   When Lauren lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago, it was a bit of a surprise. We weren't expecting the girls to start losing their baby teeth until around age 6 but after doing a bit of research, even losing them at 4 is considered normal. What do we know? Lauren had taken a bite of a sandwich, let out a yelp and with just a little tug from Daddy, poof, it was out! It was one of her lower central incisors, which is typical since it was her first tooth to come in. The tooth fairy came and all was well with the world....well, almost.

   Tara, of course, longed to lose a tooth like her sister. That's all she could talk about! And what do ya know? She informed us this week that one of her teeth was getting very wiggly. When we took a look, it was on the bottom as well but it was one of her lateral incisors. And yes, it was very wiggly. Of course she wouldn't have one of the normal ones come out first....

   It was a struggle all week because that tooth was really starting to bother her. It would hurt when she bit down on certain foods and then she wouldn't want to eat. However, she didn't want us to pull it out either! Finally, none of us could take it any longer and Daddy actually got the pliers out. Seriously. It took a minute to get the right angle and lots of tears about the pain that "could be", and then, voila! The tooth was out, cute as can be, and we were all smiles! The first thing Tara says is, "Take my picture, Momma!". Yes, dear....

Bath Time!

2010-03-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

Mike and I finally had a chance to make it over to the Granite shop to pick up our Silestone sink top and have the holes drilled for the vessel sink and faucet. It was a really neat experience watching the guys work their magic with power tools and water. We had a little bit of free time this afternoon so we thought we would see what could be accomplished!

We installed the Silestone (easy), then started on the glass wall tiles. (Note: Glass tiles do not cut as nicely on the wet saw as ceramic or stone!) We waited several hours for the mastic to harden and then grouted, which also went fairly smoothly. The faucet is really cool and Mike had no trouble hooking it up. The vessel sink bowl is great but unfortunately, it did not come with a drain and the one we purchased to go with it isn't going to work...no worries, we'll remedy that tomorrow!

Overall, I am so thrilled that the downstairs bath is finally nearing completion. Just one piece of trim to install, the drain to hook-up and some little paint touch-ups here and there...I'm really happy with the outcome and I'm already thinking of all the ways we can change the upstairs bathrooms! All in good time, Ren. All in good time...

Spring=Busy

2010-03-19T10:17:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we took a little caching trip to IL where Mike and I scored 77 finds on Friday, 101 on Sat. and another 50+ on Sunday. It was a hoot and there was basically no urban caching! It was all farm land, fields, streams, mud, rain and lots of fun! It was definitely our best Geocaching numbers weekend ever and I seriously can't wait to do it again!

Mike has been working his tail off, so last weekend really hit the spot! Did I mention that he got a promotion? Mike is the new Tech-Lead for the P8 program at GE. It's a totally new program for him and he's more than ready to get started. I'm sure Airbus will miss him, though! Congrats, honey! I'm so proud of you!

One of the events that kept us busy this week was Kindergarten Round-Up for the Parents. We were able to meet the Principle at Pine Ridge, both of the Kindergarten teachers, see the classrooms and tour the school. It was very informative and a trip down memory lane for Mike, since this is where he attended elementary school, as well. The girls will most likely be going all day Tuesday and Thursday, with a half day on Friday afternoon. It's kind of a funky schedule but I'm sure we'll grow into it.

I can't believe our babies are going into Kindergarten! Holy smokes! I'm not worried, though. I know that they're going to do great and really thrive in that environment. They'll start to make the friends that could be with them for life, learn so many new skills, and start riding the bus! Oh my...I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it! The Fall can certainly take it's sweet time getting here...I'm in no rush to say, "Good-bye!".

Let's Hit the Road

2010-03-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

We've been on the road a lot already this year and I have to say, I'm looking forward to hitting it again-hard! We are heading over to Central Illinois to do some "Power-Caching" with our friend, Deane, while the girls spend a nice weekend with Grandma & Grandpa.

We were able to hit our 5000th Geocache find last weekend at one of our favorite local events, The Chili Cook Off, and it felt like it took us forever to get there! Now we're really excited to get back on the trail and keep the numbers rolling. It's hard to believe that we've been doing this since 2003 and of course, now we only wish that we had started doing it sooner!

The only other solid vacation plans that we have this year is our planned trip to visit Seattle, WA around the 4th of July. Our ideas on how we're getting there and how long we're staying keep changing but we're going, irregardless. I've never been to the West Coast, nor seen the Pacific Ocean, so this will be a real treat for me! We have several friends in the area that I am excited to see, as well as friends and family on the way there and back, if we do decide to drive.

For now though, looking forward to a weekend with just Mike and Deane, on the road, grabbing caches and enjoying the conversations and good times that are bound to occur. Rain or shine, look out IL, 'cause here we come!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2010-03-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

Here's to a great Mom on her Birthday! Hope that you have the best of days today!

These Little Wonders...

2010-03-07T10:51:00.008-05:00

Art provided by:
Heather Prosch-Jensen
Absolute Photography
Holland, MI

What do you do all day?

2010-03-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

I saw a re-post of this very article on someone's Facebook page and thought it was a great little piece of writing. I wanted to share it only because I've had many people ask me the same question and it gets old and frustrating very quickly.

Mike and I frequently laugh about life before kids and constantly ask ourselves, "What did we do with all of our time?". Kids definitely change your life but in such wonderful and fulfilling ways! Whether you have kids, had kids or not, I think the language of this article can be appreciated by everyone.

TELL ME ABOUT IT ®

The Washington Post

By Carolyn Hax

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.-Tacoma, Wash.

Dear Tacoma,

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

Amen.

Bring on the Sunshine!

2010-03-02T14:45:00.003-05:00

Look at this forecast! I know for some people who live in a more Southerly climate that the temps probably don't look all that appealing but having this many days of sunshine and temps above freezing is such a blessing for us! And, it was beautiful yesterday, too!

Plus, it's my 33rd Birthday today and the sunshine really makes me feel great! In March, you never know what the weather is going to be like here in Michigan so this a welcome treat! I also saw a robin (1st of the year!) in my yard after lunch today and the locals are reporting that the sap is starting to run in the maples! It's a sure sign that Spring is on the way-I can't wait!!!!!

Absolute Photography

2010-02-28T18:58:00.002-05:00

Our normal portrait studio is no longer in business so I was looking for a new photographer to snap pics of our girls. Luckily, I knew of a fellow Geocaching team that had their own studio in Holland. This couple has a great reputation, fantastic website, blog and sample shots that immediately drew me in...

Unfortunately, to get some of those outside shots that I craved, the weather had to cooperate. Each morning we were scheduled to meet, we literally had a blizzard. On our third try, still a blizzard, but we went anyway, because this is Michigan and trying to outsmart the weather would be pure folly.

Heather (the beautiful half of the team) trudged through snow banks, over fences and got right down in the snow to get the best shots. It was FREEZING out there since we were right on the lake and the wind was crazy, but everyone was in good spirits and had a blast! Then, it was back to the studio for more creative pics. She was nice enough (or mean enough) to post this one little shot of the girls from the in-door session on the studio's Facebook page. She's taunting me...I want to see more!

Next Friday I get to see the proofs and I'm so excited. Can't wait to share them...although I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a lot of dough in the process!

Wordless Wednesday: What's missing?!

2010-02-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

Like Father, Like Daughter(s)

2010-02-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

Here is a short little snippet of the girls skiing on the "big" hill for the first time. On only their second day of ski school, they had graduated from the little beginner set-up, up to the main "bunny" hill and then onto the ski lift. Here they are coming down Boyneland with their instructor. By the end of the afternoon yesterday, he had them doing the terrain park!

Their Daddy learned to ski at Boyne Mountain when he was 5 and is an accomplished skier. So is his brother, Mark, and their entire family skis together. Now our daughters have joined in the tradition and they appear to be really enjoying it.

When asking Lauren what her favorite part of skiing is, she replied, "Practicing my pizzas (learning to stop or slow down) and going over the bumpy parts (little hills in the terrain park)."

Tara seems to like riding the lift and going fast. They have a great instructor and are already asking about next year! Can't wait to see how far they'll be after 3 more days of ski school!

2 Year Anniversary

2010-02-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

***This post is semi-copied from my previous post on the same date last year. I looked at the calendar today and did a double-take! I am in such a different place now than I was just two years earlier. A special "Thank You" to my wonderful husband, Mike, who continues to take care of me, worry about me, and love me unconditionally. I love you!

Today, February 11th, marks the 2 year anniversary of my contracting Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I can remember that morning fairly well...waking up as usual around 7:30am to the sounds of giggles and whispers from the bedroom next to ours. Something didn't feel right though...my right hand was kinda numb and tingly but I just figured I'd slept on it funny and the feeling would eventually go away.

As I started to go about my day, I realized that I was having a very difficult time doing ordinary things, such as getting the girls dressed or brushing my hair or standing up. I thought I was coming down with a serious case of the flu for sure! It got so disturbing that I actually had to call Mike and ask him to come home from work-something I never do, even when I am sick. We made an appointment to see the Dr. the following morning, hoping to figure out what was going on as quickly as possible before I felt any worse.

As many of you know, I did not get better, instead starting down the road to total body paralysis (with the exception of much of my face) and the need to be ventilated so that I could breathe.

I try to not remember those days. I was scared. I was lonely. I was confused. I had never been in the hospital, with the exception of giving birth to the girls, never broken a bone or needed stitches, perfect attendance for over 5 years at my past job and in school. "I" didn't get sick...why was this happening to me? What did I do wrong?

Of course, I know that I didn't do anything wrong and there is no answer to the "why" part of it. But I still asked myself those questions over and over-and ultimately it came back to my realization that everything happens for a reason, and although I am not always meant to understand it, it had a purpose.

I am here today, I am happy and fairly healthy, surrounded by loving friends and family and enjoying all the things that this life offers. And....I guess that's the whole point. So, today I am remembering, and also moving another step further down the road. Not the road of forgetting, but of living and loving and being happy...AMEN!

Wordless Wednesday: MONSTERS!

2010-02-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

Too much happening!

2010-02-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

Wow, if Winter is supposed to be the "down" time of year, I really hate to see what the rest of the Seasons are going to bring! We have been so busy that January just flew by in a blur and we're already a 1/3 of the way through February!

Mike and I spent last weekend in Detroit at a Geocaching Conference. It was really well organized, with some great presentations, and a lot of practical information on the sport. We also had the opportunity to go caching with some of our closest buddies Sat. night and all day Sunday. We nabbed 50 new caches and it felt great! Meanwhile, the girls had a wonderful time at Grandma K's baking cookies, going shopping, watching movies, cooking and just enjoying the snuggle time. I know that I really appreciate the time with just Mike and I, and it makes me even more excited to see the girls once we get back.

Friday we are leaving for Boyne Mountain to take the girls skiing for the week. Mike and I are only staying up through Monday evening and the girls will continue in ski school throughout the week and come home with Grandma & Grandpa B on Friday. This is assuming that all goes well in ski school and they want to continue all week! I'm not a big skiing fan myself, which breaks my husbands heart, but if the girls love it, then I'm prepared to support them 100%. Everyone in my family grew up bowling. In Mike's family, it's skiing. They're both cool in my book!

This will make 4 weekends in a row that we won't be spending at home. There's a real possibility that we're going to be gone the following weekend as well. Things should really slow down after that and maybe we can get some more work done on the house and start thinking about the exterior of the property. Spring is sounding better already.... :)

My Girls...

2010-02-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

Disney Parks Snapshots...

2010-02-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Disney's PhotoPass

2010-02-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

As soon as you walk into any of Disney's Parks, there are photographers everywhere. And once you get your picture taken by one of these fine folks, they will hand you a plastic credit-sized card with a unique bar code on it. Every time you encounter a photographer in any of the parks, especially at those very popular Character signings, the photographer scans your card. Once home, just enter your individual code and all your photos are available to you!

Neat, huh? I thought so too until I saw the price they were charging to get those photos. Now, most of the photos that we took with our own camera turned out even better than the pro's. However, there were a few pics that we didn't get, especially one of our whole family with Mike and Sully from Monster's Inc. and another one from Test Track, that I really wanted in my collection. Then I saw that they wanted $14.95 for a digital download of ONE picture...absurd. I won't pay it. I could get a 4x6 printed picture for $12.95- a real bargain. Not.

In all, there were almost 75 photos that were taken of us or the girls throughout our stay by the Disney Photo guys. I thought maybe they sold a CD with all the pictures that would be a little more reasonable. At $149.95, I think I'm going to have to pass....I find the whole thing really sad. It's expensive enough to take your family to Disney World for the week, add in food, Character meals, lodging and souvenirs, and the price can be downright staggering. Now you get home, and they want you to chalk out another $150 just to get a couple pictures put on a CD that would cost me nothing to take while I was there. Not gonna do it...

I did get some really fantastic photos though and I'll be sharing them with you in the next several days! They didn't cost me anything to take or edit or share. I think they turned out great-you can hardly tell the girls were so incredibly sick! You'll have to let me know what you think!

Turning 5...

2010-01-24T23:45:00.000-05:00

Today my babies turned 5 years old. The day started off well with the girls getting themselves up, a delicious home-cooked breakfast and great conversation with our hosts in Cumming, GA. Then things started to fall apart...Lauren threw a fit when we tried to bring out a birthday cake, refused to have us sing "Happy Birthday" to her and then stomped off when we mentioned presents. Whose kid is this?

Once we reluctantly left our friends, we were surprised at the amount of traffic in Atlanta on a Sunday. On top of that, the weather quickly deteriorated to drenching downpours, massive wind gusts, and flooded freeway lanes. It was like this, off and on, all the way to Orlando.

The girls are sick, which just drives me crazy because they are NEVER sick. Great...just great. They were so badly behaved today that at dinner, I actually had to leave the table and walk off my anger. That is a first for me. We even had to cancel their birthday cake at the resturant because they were so naughty....which is really sad. Ugh. I just feel like crying...

I hope and pray that tomorrow will be better. The weather is warm, Disney World is at our backdoor and there is still a little bit of magic left in the air. Keep your fingers crossed for us that it all works out...

Thanks! :)

P.S. I'm sorry that your birthday wasn't very good, girls. Hopefully the rest of the week will make up for it!

Wordless Wednesday: Feeling nostalgic...

2010-01-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Daddy was the first person to hold both girls at the same time...

Mommy was exhausted but totally in love...

These are a few...

2010-01-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about palm trees and Pina Colada's the other day which then got me thinking about some of my favorite things. I thought that I would jot down a few of them as they came to me and here is what I have so far, in no particular order. The list is not complete by any means, just what a pencil and a few random moments got me...

Fruity drinks, hot water, bubbles, steel drums, giggles, pedicures, blue skies, freshly mowed grass, vacation, digital cameras, friends, blueberries, Coca-Cola, chop suey, pillows, 80's music, my girls, photographs, historical fiction, rainbows, Kermit the Frog, wedding cake, Geocaching, Charley's Crab, Mikey, sandals, aquamarine, Sisters, Amazon.com, Panama City Beach-FL, hats, family, diamonds, e-mail, 4-Wheel Drive, foreign coins, roses, singing, Fall colors

#200

2010-01-16T14:46:00.000-05:00

This is my 200th post and it seems hard to believe. I've really loved jotting down my thoughts here, sharing special photos and highlighting our adventures. It's fun and it's a great way to keep track of family moments.

Mike and I were just talking this morning about some previous trips to Disney World. We were having a hard time keeping it all straight-which years, with whom, what happened, etc. Now, with the blog, everything is cataloged in chronological order for me. Very convenient.

Along those lines, we are leaving Friday for our "Twins 5th Birthday Adventure" and we couldn't be more excited. We plan on spending some time with our friend, Russell, and his family, in the Atlanta area, do the Disney thing, see my former nurse, Rachael, who is a travel nurse now, currently stationed in Sarasota and some long-time acquaintances, Chuck & Mary, who live in Leesburg, FL.

Mike's parents will be joining us, as well as their exchange student/cousin from Germany. It will be nice to have a few extra hands on deck with the girls to give us a little break now and then. 5 to 2 odds are pretty good! I know that the warmer weather will be a welcome change and the kids are going to love the Disney magic. I know the big kids sure do!

Mike in front of Cinderella's Castle -Jan- 2001

Wordless Wednesday: Mine...

2010-01-13T15:50:00.000-05:00

Resolutions

2010-01-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

Personally, I never make "New Year's" resolutions. They seem so absolute and if I don't make it happen within those 365 days, what then? I'm a total failure, that's what. And what is the point of that? I am continuing my tradition of making no resolutions for the coming year. Is it to make things easier on myself? So that I don't set myself up for failure? So that I won't have to try to top whatever I accomplished this year? No. I think it's because I realized a long time ago that no matter what I wanted to "change", whether I accomplished my goal or not, it wasn't what made me happy.

Each year, millions of folks all across this great world of ours, make a pact with themselves to try to do something better. Many want to lose weight, spend less, exercise more, find a mate. And I wonder to myself, "Is this really the way to go? Are we all lacking in some way, just trying to get one more "thing" right about ourselves? Can we be perfect at some point?". I think not.

As humans, why are we so hard on ourselves? Survival of the fittest? I am trapped by the notion that we continually perpetuate the problem of seemingly never having enough. It's depressing and it's no wonder so many of us walk around in a total haze. If we allow ourselves to focus on that which we lack, we will always be left wanting. More money, more friends, a bigger house, a smaller waist, designer clothes, a newer car, buff abs, more respect, better job, more time, etc., etc., etc......

Is this how we're supposed to live? Always less than? A little symbol (<) following us around for the rest of our lives...

Instead of wanting something to be different or better, I want to just be me. It doesn't take more money or a trip to the gym, more friends won't help (although I'll always take them!) or better clothes...all it takes is a look in the mirror every morning, and hey, there I am! I'm not perfect, no one is. Those that "have it all" never do. So if you're reading this, and you made a New Year's Resolution, I wonder if it will make you happy? Will you be complete or perfect? Will it finally make you, you? If not, then go take a look in the mirror, smile, and be so incredibly happy that you're here, that you have, and that you are. I know I am. :)

Me and my friend, Tim!

Happy Birthday!

2010-01-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

A big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" goes out to my little sister, Anna, who on this very date in 1980, was welcomed into our family! I really can't remember life without her!

Don't worry, sis, turning "30" really isn't that bad. I mean, now you have a whole 10 more years until the dreaded #40, so relax! And just think, I will always be older than you, so you have that consolation as well...

So, here's to the best sister anyone could ever ask for! Happy Birthday, Anna! I hope you have a great one!

The Girls!

2010-01-08T16:10:00.000-05:00

Clockwise, from the bottom left-hand corner: Tara, Hailey (my niece), Renee (my Sister-in-law), Lauren, Anna (my Sister) and me.

I was just going through my old camera and found a bunch of pictures that I had forgotten about and never downloaded to the computer. I don't remember which of the boys took this picture of us, probably Mike, but it turned out to be pretty cute! My little sister is kinda hidden behind my big head, but other than that, it's so nice to have a picture of all of us. It was taken on Thanksgiving Day. Next time I'll make sure my Mom is in the picture, too! Duh...

Remembering....

2010-01-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

The article below is featured in today's Grand Rapids Press. It marks the 25th anniversary of the death of my Aunt Marilyn, Aunt Joann, cousin Hans and 2 others. My cousin, Rhiannon, was the sole survivor. My Aunt Mary and my Mom are the two sisters featured in the piece, along with my cousin.

It's one of those moments in your life where you realize, not everyone is good. Some things don't get better and some things can't be fixed. I remember this day fairly well-I was only 7 (almost 8). But what I remember more than that was the profound sadness...the shadow it cast on our big, happy, loving family. You never "get over" something like this. It stays with you, deep in your heart, a missing piece that always reminds you to hold tight to those precious people and moments in your life. It makes the importance of family even more so and teaches us that as easy as it is to hate, it's in the forgiving that we grow and eventually find peace.

Thinking of you....

2010-01-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

25 years after Grand Rapids quadruple murder-suicide, lone survivor has found forgiveness

By Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press

January 07, 2010, 7:32AM

25 years ago: The Grand Rapids Press carried the quadruple murder-suicide story on the front page of the Jan. 7, 1985 edition.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Looking back on the afternoon she found her mother and four others dead, Rhiannon McCalmont believes two things happened 25 years ago: God protected her from the killer's wrath, and she learned how to forgive.

McCalmont, then 7, played in the snow with friends outside her mother's Southwest Side house when Lee Baumann shot his estranged wife, Joann Baumann, their 6-month-old son, Hans, McCalmont's mother, Marilyn Dykhouse, and her boyfriend, Joshua Thomas.

Baumann turned the shotgun on himself on Jan. 6, 1985. He spared McCalmont, who later left the outdoor cold to find the carnage inside.

"I remember vividly Lee walking from the car to the house with the shotgun," said McCalmont, now 32 and living in Blendon Township with her husband and two children.

"I remember every single thing from that day."

But in the aftermath, McCalmont discovered a rebirth.

Courtesy Photo Marylin Dykhouse, left, and her sister Joann Baumann were murdered 25 years ago.

Her grandmother, Mary Dykhouse, encouraged her to absolve Baumann. That same night, she sat on a bed in her grandmother's home, where she lived for three years, and began to forgive her mother's killer.

"It seems crazy, but I really feel that was the most impactful thing," McCalmont said. "It took the focus off of him and what happened and told me that I needed to live."

Baumann, angry that his wife left their Upper Peninsula home and refused to reconcile because of his violent nature, searched inside and walked around outside looking for her.

"I really believe, ultimately, that I was protected, and the only protector I know is God," McCalmont said Wednesday, the anniversary of the family tragedy. "I'm not sure how I was outside and away from the house."

That didn't stop the childhood nightmares, just as the multiple murder-suicide still haunts Mary Reamer and Karen Kowalewski, who are the sisters of the female victims.

The pair, part of a nine-child family, continue trying to find the positive side of the loss of Dykhouse, 35, and Joann Baumann, 30.

Dykhouse, a mental health social worker, was a compassionate woman who could find good in anyone. She advocated healthy eating and living.

Baumann was a student teacher with a love of the outdoors. She wrote poetry and devoured literature.
Reamer remembers her sisters each day and often sees the world through their lenses.

"They were a big influence then and are today," said Reamer, who placed a memorial advertisement in The Press to honor the victims. "They taught me how to love and to care about others." The 46-year-old said the tenderness her sisters showed toward others played a role in her and her husband, Clint's adoption of six children in addition to their four biological kids.

Kowalewski revisits the loss each time she learns of domestic violence deaths, particularly when they involve children."Something like this never leaves you, and similar things bring it right back," Kowalewski said. "I mean Hans was a 6-month-old baby. "Who does that?"

Paul L. Newby II | The Grand Rapids PressRhiannon McCalmont, center, with her husband, Steve, and children Keegan, 9, and Ella, 7, in their Blendon Township home. Rhiannon was the lone survivor of a 1985 Grand Rapids murder-suicide that claimed her mother, her mother's boyfriend, an aunt, a cousin and the killer.

Both women praise Rhiannon McCalmont for persevering and becoming the person she is today.
They see shades of her mother in McCalmont, whose laugh, upbeat nature and quirks are hallmarks of Marilyn Dykhouse.

McCalmont credits her grandmother and father, Joe Schmitt, and his wife, Cathy Schmitt, for creating a nurturing environment where she could physically and spiritually grow away from the horrible memories.

Authorities said Lee Baumann, a science teacher who hailed from Saginaw, planned the slayings, driving from the couple's home near Marquette with the shotgun in the trunk.

He had a violent streak and had sought counseling, his mother said following the deaths. Baumann left a note that concluded with "I am sorry all."

Joann Baumann left her husband about a month before her death, after a rage that ended with him smashing an antique chair and threatening that she was next.

He apparently faulted Dykhouse for housing her sister and nephew, police said.

McCalmont moved from Grand Rapids to Grand Blanc at 11 years old to live with the Schmitts. Cathy Schmitt adopted her and became the woman McCalmont calls "Mom." "She taught me how to be a woman, how to be a mother," McCalmont said. "They showed me that I wasn't different, that I was just someone in the family.

"I lost my mother, but I feel like there's a restoration in my father's family. And I try to honor (Marilyn Dykhouse) by just being myself, by being happy like she was."

E-mail Nate Reens: nreens@grpress.com

Wordless (almost) Wednesday: The Tired Hosts

2010-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is what 2 people look like at 2am after hosting a New Year's Party for over 50 people...

Our New Bathroom!

2010-01-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little crazy around here, so in true form, we decided to tackle a huge project right in the middle of everything! Since Mike actually had a few days off from work between Christmas and New Years, we went ahead a ripped out our main floor bathroom...fun!

The picture to the left was taken on the day we bought our new house. Absolutely nothing had changed in there since that day other than we fixed the toilet so it would work again. It was literally the only room in the house that we hadn't touched yet and it was driving me bonkers!

We were fortunate that a friend of ours works for an upscale Kitchen & Bath Design store and was on the lookout for a good deal for us. We were able to pick up a custom sink base, glass tiles, and a vessel sink for a fraction of the retail price. Bravo!

So, we gutted everything and were left with a lovely shell to work with...

Mike and I then picked out our floor tile and matching wall tile, a new mirror and light fixture, and new hardware for the walls. Our super awesome friend, Deane, then came to help us lay the tiles. Mike ran the wet-saw, Deane laid the tiles and I ran back-up.

We leveled the floor, installed the
cabinet and did all the floor tile on the
first day, then the wall tiles the next.

Mike and I grouted on the third day and finished the rest of the bathroom on the 4th. It's not totally complete yet because the most fabulous part is still in transit. We have a beautiful Silestone top coming and our vessle sink is on back-order. We will then use some wonderful 4x4 glass tiles as a backsplash once the rest is installed. For now, we cut down the old sink and threw it back on top so that we had some way to wash our hands! It works and doesn't look terrible, but I can't wait to see the finished product in place!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-29T16:58:00.000-05:00

So, with all the joy and happiness, "ohhhhs" and "ahhhhs" that 2 little girls can celebrate with, the train table made it's debut Christmas morning, a big gift from Santa Claus that couldn't be topped. They have played with it every day, and are starting to incorporate their dolls and Littlest Pet Shop pets into the community. They are very cute when they are playing and I'm glad it all worked out in the end...

Christmas Eve with Mike's family was lovely. The girls enjoyed going to the Children's Service at Trinity with Grandma and dinner was delicious. Lauren and Tara received interactive Buzz and Woody dolls from Uncle Mark and Aunt Kara -very cool- and new bikes, Leapsters and a learning Globe from Grandma and Grandpa! The time went by too quickly, and with the girls tucked snuggly in their beds, we waited for Santa to arrive the next morning.

We had to wake the girls up Christmas morning! They were still snoring at 8:15am and we needed to be to my sister's house by 10am. They loved the new camera's from Mom and Dad, some clothes and coloring/crafty stuff. Off to my family for the remainder for the morning-tons of gifts and wrapping paper, tags and bows and little girls who were over tired and over excited. It made for an interesting, but fun time! Brunch really hit the spot, too, and then it was back home to re-energize, make a fruit salad, gather more gifts and head to my Grandparents for more Christmas cheer!

Dinner was great, as always, and I actually thought everything tasted extra good this year. More presents for all, playing tricks on my Grandma, cringing every time their life-size Santa started to sing & dance, and savoring my Aunt's homemade treats! Love it!

By the time we arrived home Christmas evening, we were spent. We slept in late on Saturday and it felt so good! It was another fun filled, love inspired, wonderful Christmas Holiday spent with our family and I'm already looking forward to next year! Merry Christmas Everyone!