One Last Summer Fling

Last Saturday, we met my husband's parents, siblings and their children in St. Joseph, Michigan for the day. Whew! A two and a half hour drive up there meant we had to leave on a Saturday morning at 7 am. After getting up early for school this week it was a bit painful, but what a beautiful drive it was. Michigan is so green and beautiful right now and I loved seeing all the vineyards stretching for miles along the way. We also passed several little roadside stands selling fresh fruit and vegetables really making me want to stop...I hoped we would on the way home.

We arrived in St. Joseph and our first stop was The Curious Kids Museum. It was perfect for the ages of our kids and they went from one thing to the next. This was Kaiya's very favorite spot...we had to go back to it again right before leaving. She's such a water girl.

Curt and Kevin seemed to spend a lot of time here at the remote control trucks and I kept hearing Easton and Caedmon say "Can I try, can I try it?"...yeah this was a kid's museum right?

This was Caedmon's favorite spot...the Pirate Ship.

And here's another example of Kevin joining in on the fun at the "children's museum":)...swabbing the poop deck. I may act embarrassed at the time, but I am so glad that my husband jumps right in and plays with the kids like he does. They love it and so do I!

This was one of my favorites...the human size bubble maker. Sarah and I just had to try it too...too bad I didn't get a picture.Grandma giving Kaiya a lesson on tooth cleanlinessAfter the museum, we drove to the beach for a picnic. It was such a beautiful day with a nice breeze.

After lunch we changed and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the beach. The kids played and played and played and played. My daughter and son are opposite when it comes to feeling comfortable in water. Caedmon uses extra caution around water...not wanting to go too deep and like me, doesn't like to get The Hair wet. :) My daughter, on the other hand, would have drowned within two minutes of us being there if no one would have been watching her every move. I think my favorite part of the day was watching Grandma & Grandpa enjoy their grand kids. Before heading for home we all ate supper at Clementine's with sun-kissed faces and a big appetite. I also got to stop at one of those little roadside stands and picked up some peaches & corn on the cob. It was a yummy day indeed! :)

Thanks to my cousin Heather for helping me can the peaches on Monday! It sure was a treat to have you and your sweet kiddos here for the afternoon. Thanks again for your help and for encouraging me to get them done! Loved having you here!
Here's a quote from Caedmon recently while riding in the van...


Caedmon: "Mom, does God take care of me?"

Me: "Yes"

Caedmon: "Does He take care of Kaiya?"

Me: "Yes honey, He takes care of all the children in the world"

Caedmon: "He's going to rip!"

Blueberry Pickin'

On Monday all the cousins headed to the blueberry patch and had a ball pickin' blueberries. If you've never picked blueberries before, you should consider it (if they grow in your area of course). It's a lot of fun and a great activity that kids enjoy too. Caedmon and Kaiya both had their own buckets, but for some reason when we were finished their buckets were still empty...even though they picked lots of berries. :) That came back to haunt little miss Kaiya later in the week with a huge mess running down her legs...yeah, I'll stop with the nasty details right there. Did you know that blueberries are at the top of the list for the healthiest food. Because of their dark blue color, they're packed with antioxidant power. By eating them along with other popular berries, you are infusing your body with a forceful weapon that fights against some of the most common and deadliest illnesses known to man. Ok, there's my little healthy tip for the day. I LOVE blueberries! They are probably my favorite fruit along with black raspberries. It was a berry picking day because after the kids had naps, I headed over to the raspberry patch that same day. Yum! There are lots of things you can do with blueberries. I've made jam before, but usually freeze most of them whole in freezer bags. I like to make smoothies with them and use them to make pancakes, muffins, cakes etc. Here are a couple recipes: Blueberry Pancakes

3/4 cup each whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda

1-1/2 tablespoon sugar

2 egg whites

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup blueberries

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, buttermilk, cottage cheese, and vanilla.

Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries.

Blueberry Pudding Cake

(mom's recipe)

2 cups blueberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter or margarine melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, toss blueberries with cinnamon and lemon juice. Place in a greased 8 in. square pan. In a bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar and baking powder. Whisk until smooth. Add milk and melted butter. Spoon over berries. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over batter. Slowly pour boiling water over all. Bake 45-50 minutes or until cake tests done.

On Tuesday we had a lake day and picnic at Pokagon with all the cousins again.

Even the littlest one joined us. Emmi Klair almost two weeks old

We leave on Saturday for Milwaukee. Kevin has business meetings there and it's very family friendly which is nice. So I need to get packin'. Just wanted to post a few thoughts from an email I received from a friend about a hurried lifestyle. Great reminder for myself!

Unhurried moms take the time to explain to their kids where they are going. Hurried moms tell their children to get in the car and they'll find out soon. I think the children of the unhurried mom learned a bit more about their city, streets and addresses.

Unhurried women take time to chat with a tired sales clerk, and brighten her day. Hurried women rush in and out, glancing at their watches, and tapping their nails on the counter if there's a delay. I think the sales clerk got a touch of Jesus from that unhurried woman.

Unhurried women think about how to show love to others - whether it's picking out the right gift, a hand-written note of encouragement, or a phone call. Hurried women wish they had picked out the right gift, written a note, or made that phone call.

Although Jesus was busy, the Bible never mentions Him being in a hurry. Others around Jesus tried to hurry Him up, but Jesus refused to be rushed. He always made time to hold a child, touch a sick man or talk to a woman whose wrong choices ostracized her from others. Jesus could have hurried – He had more to accomplish in three years than we can imagine accomplishing in a lifetime. But He chose to put people over His schedule.

Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (NIV)

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”(NIV)

Welcome Home Picnic

On Saturday evening we attended a welcome home picnic for our cousins, Chad & Jenny, who recently made it back from China. We had requested prayer for them earlier this year during the earthquake that occurred in the area where they were living. It was great to see them in person and give them hugs. Quite amazing to hear about their experience and survival...something they will remember forever I'm sure. Babies are everywhere it seems these days. This one is sweet little three month old Judson, son of our cousins Craig & Rachel. He sure is a cutie! And in this picture Arlene is getting close to her due date in three weeks. Next in line is Jenny who has to wait until November.Girly cousins - Arlene, Jenny, Me, Heather, Sarah & Rachel

Matthew, Kaiya, Suzanna & Lincoln

The kids had fun riding bikes, swinging, blowing bubbles & taking wagon rides. So fun to see all the littlest cousins playing and interacting together.

Here's another one of my sweet blog sister's, Heather, who faithfully reads my blog and leaves me nice comments too. :) Love ya, Heather!

Memorial Day Memories

What a beautiful Memorial Day weekend it was! Perfect for lots of outdoor fun. Grandpa & Grandma came for Caedmon's soccer game on Saturday. Thankfully they got there in time to watch most of Caedmon's game...they had a flat tire on the way down. After the game, we helped them find a new tire then grilled out for lunch at our house. Grandpa Jerry helped my hubby put up a new clothesline which I am SUPER excited about. The cheap one we bought a few years ago just didn't do the job and with the injury it incurred from my husband running into with the tractor...it was time to replace the thing. Caedmon has been asking to roast hotdogs and marshmallows for awhile, so that is what we did that evening...one of our favorite summer family acitivities. On Sunday, we grabbed a bucket of KFC and had a picnic at Lawton Park with my parents after church.We walked over to Headwaters Park and the kids found the famous fountain. We forgot their bathing suits...oh well.
Needless to say, they were soaked by the time we dragged them away. So much fun!
And on Monday, more water fun while mommy and daddy worked outside moving a dog kennel and trimming crabapple trees.