Monday, May 26, 2008

In Memory of

My sincere gratitude goes out to the men and women, past and present, who are serving for the defense of our country with faithfulness and courage. We had a very nice Memorial day service at church Sabbath. A retired military officer was there and shared in the service. We saw his metals and were reminded of the service and devotion that many have given for us and for our country. Through it all I was reminded of my grandfather because he was so proud to be an American and so proud to have served our country in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He died not long ago, on February 27, 2006, and this picture is from his burial. I remember that day well. I haven't been to too many funerals in my life, but none have filled me with such admiration and honor. To watch and hear the 21 gun salute blast through the air, to hear "Taps" wafting through the crisp morning air, to watch as the United States flag is strategically folded and handed to the next of kin.... What meaningful and solemn occurrences. All these things remind me that we are blessed to live in America and blessed that so many men and women are willing to give their all for our all. My grandfather was one of these amazing men.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Scattergories

Remember that game, Scattergories? Here's a version for the internet. :) Join along! Copy and paste into the comments page and join in....or add it to your blog and let me know to check it out.


*Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial.(which, by the way, is hard if you've already read their answers) You can't use your name for the boy/girl.


1. What is your name? Amy
2. 4 letter word: Acre
3. Vehicle: Aston Martin
4. City: Anchorage, Alaska (double points!!)
5. Boy Name: Ashton
6. Girl Name: Anne
7. Beverage: Apple juice
8. Occupation: Astronaut
9. Something you wear: Arch supports
10. Celebrity: Arnold Schwarzenegger
11. Food: Asparagus
12. Something found in a bathroom: Aloe Vera
13. Reason for Being Late: Accident
14. Cartoon Character: Alice in Wonderland
15. Something You Shout: All done!
16. Animal: Anteater
17. Body part: Arms
18. Word to describe you: Amiable

Friday, May 23, 2008

MOOville

Kind of an odd place for vegans to visit, but we had such a fun time! From our farm and creamery tour to the sandbox and the animals, we learned a lot and the kids already want to go back.



There were many baby calves at the farm. It was fun to see the little ones and to watch them fun and play. We saw plenty of big ones as well as where they live and get milked. It's quite a set up. This creamery makes everything from milk to ice cream and they have plenty of cows to do it!

This was the most anticipated part of the day. We splurged and had some ice cream! The kids were right on the tour guides heels when she said it was time for a treat!



The petting zoo and the sandbox were both free and this is were we had a picnic lunch and spent most of our time! We would go back just be able to spend time here! It's inspired me to want a large sandbox in our back yard.


There were two little kittens at the petting zoo area. They were a huge attraction. Between the four kids that we had there, someone was holding the kittens the whole time!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Fun While We Wait

This evening after supper, we took a friend of ours to an apointment because they were without a car for a short bit. The appointment was suppose to be fairly short so we just had a little bit of time to kill. It just so happened that their appointment was very near to Apple Valley so the kids and I decided to stop in for a treat! Here are the kids outside Apple Valley enjoying our Rice Dream Vanilla Pie (rice dream inbetween cookies with carob around it!). It was very yum!!



And then afterwards, we had a few minutes to wait in the car so here are the kids exploring the back seats and what it might be like to buckle up without a carseat! We had a fun little adventure and it was well worth helping someone out!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Dried Fruit

Is anyone else out there tired of all the sugar that companies put on the dried fruit that they make?! I sure am! I want healthy food for my kids, not a lot of sugar to stunt their systems. Well, I'm really excited about dehydrating my own food these days, especially fruit. I've always had a dehydrator and done the apples and bananas. This weekend though I also dried pineapple and strawberries. It turned out terrific and we all loved it!!! We'll also be trying kiwi when it ripens.



Mmmm....mmmm....good!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Housecleaning Day

At our house, Thursdays have become the housecleaning day! There is just too much to do on Friday to get ready for Sabbath. We started doing this a couple of months ago, and it has been wonderful! Friday's aren't nearly so overloaded and tiring anymore! Especially when you have help like this!! I wonder how long it will last?! :)


You can tell from this picture that the vacuum is a bit heavy for Chaeli, but she managed to vacuum our livingroom rug for a good 5 minutes! I guess we'll have to invest in something a little more manageable for her!! I definitely like the help!


This toy chest is spic and span! You won't find a bit of dust on it after Dillon got threw with it!

Monday, May 12, 2008

A Happy Mother's Day

What a happy Mother's Day we all had together. Originally, we had planned to take a trip to the Fort Wayne Zoo which is about 1 1/2 hours from our house. It's suppose to be a top rated zoo in the country and looked fun. However, our plans were changed by the weather. It rained all day!!! A little ways from our house in Chelsea, Michigan, we discovered an indoor play area for children. It was so much fun. We played there for two hours and even David and I got quite a work out climbing and sliding and climbing some more! It was really fun playing together as a family!







After we were all tired out and hungry, they took me out to eat for Mother's day. You know, they even made me breakfast as well and with the leftovers we had for supper, I didn't have to cook all day! That was a happy Mother's Day! :) I hope yours was happy too!