Tawas

Okay... it's been a while... I'm using the best excuse ever, it's summer and I have two busy, growing kids that need my attention! Gotta love it!

We had a wonderfully relaxing time in Tawas and Kate got to enjoy her first 4th of July Parade!

Thanks Kim & Cliff!

The Best Thank You!!!

On Thanksgiving week-end in Tawas we let the kids each choose a recipe to cook. They had so much fun and took such pride in their choices, I got the idea to give Noah and Grace a children's cookbook for Christmas. Then I embroidered aprons for each of them.

Sunday we had our first big snow storm, along with their parents they spent the morning baking. Kim sent me pictures of their 'bake-in', those pictures were the best thank-you! Beautiful pictures of such beautiful children!

Check them out!

(P.S. Grace forgot her apron at our house, so I can't take credit for the beautiful red apron she is wearing, it's actually a Korean apron!)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

After a year of blogging about the adoption I have decided to start a new blog just for family and friends. I wanted a cozy comfortable place to share my family, thoughts, joys and my faith.

In the last 9 years of trying to expand my family, I have found refuge in all of you. You have all been such a blessing to me! I just hope that I have returned the favor a time or two.

How appropriate to begin with a very 'belated' slideshow of our Thanksgiving in Tawas with Cliff, Kim and the kids!

Our week-end was just perfect. We drove up to Tawas in two trucks loaded with Thanksgiving fixings, games and the kids! The 'boys' went in one truck and the 'girls' in another. The traffic and weather was horrific but our excitement for the week-end made the drive fun. I'm not sure how we did things before cell phones but by communicating back and forth with each other we were able to take back roads and avoided most of the traffic. One of those phone calls was also to inform Jim that the turkey Kim had gotten for us was not thawed yet and Jim's plans to brine it was going to be tricky!

Thursday morning we woke up to a beautiful dusting of snow on the beach. We (okay, mostly just me) watched the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade with doughnuts and cocoa while Kim made us homemade pancakes.

The rest of the day we spent mostly in various forms of sweats and pajamas; talking and playing games with the kids, while Jim slaved away in the kitchen on his finally thawed turkey! Kim and I took care of the rest of the side dishes and Grace helped set the beautiful table. It was a perfect Thanksgiving!

Friday we went into downtown Tawas and did a little shopping. I just love all the little shops, I picked up some pretty soaps, flavored coffee and a Tawas mug! We hit the famous chocolate shop and the baby clothing store. Hope got a new bikini on clearance... Pink and white stripe with an embroidered ducky and ladybug. 2T & too cute.

While we were in town, Cliff had a venison roast cooking in a crock pot. When we got back it was done and I had my first taste of venison for lunch. He had cooked it in apple cider, so it was sweet and I found the texture to be exactly like pot roast. I was very surprised.... I liked it!

That night we went back into town and went to the Tawas Thanksgiving Parade. It consisted of about 6 - 8 floats all lit up with lights and Santa! Then everyone went over near the pier for tree-lighting, caroling, cocoa and cookies. It was very cute and the kids had a ball. However, no one was brave enough to sit on Santa's lap!! When we went back across the street and wandered the stores we found that one store was offering free face painting and was making 'God's Eyes'. We spent about an hour warming up in there!

During the week-end we decided to have the kids each pick a recipe to cook. Saturday morning Grace made her french toast! She was great at cracking the eggs! Later, the boys went fishing and came back with 'smoked' salmon! For dinner Chris cooked his Prehistoric Chicken Parmesan (Used chicken nugget dinosaurs) and then we piled into the suburban to hit the Tawas Theatre to see "Enchanted"! Very cute movie!

That night we played a few games with the kids, Apples to Apples and Uno Attack were the big hits and then just the grown-ups played a game of 80's Trivial Pursuit! I'm not sure what we were doing in the 80's but it sure wasn't keeping up with the news!! This game lasted a while... but Kim and Cliff wiped us out!

Sunday morning Noah got to make his Cinnamon Pretzels for breakfast! Yum. Then regrettably we had to pack up and head home. It was such a great week-end, focusing on family.

Kim, Cliff, Noah & Grace - We love you! Thank-you!

Prayer and Oil Changes

Today I have an appointment to get my oil changed at noon. I loath anything to do with auto maintenance, but many years ago I learned the hard way that oil is to a car, like chocolate is to a woman.

When I was 20 I moved about an hour away from home rooming with some friends. It was a very important time in my life but also a time of growth. Sometimes growth isn't attractive.

Way back when... I had the cutest little Chevy Chevette. It was powder blue with rust accents, an automatic with manual windows and locks, but it did have a cassette player. Basically it was a cassette player on wheels! My first car. I acquired said car and moved out all within a few months after my parents divorce.

My dad was a bit preoccupied with his new single life and my mom was busy surviving. I'm not sure if anyone actually TOLD me to have the oil changed, maybe they did, but I didn't! Lucky for me my favorite uncle lived within minutes of my new bachelorette pad and every time I had car trouble he would be right there to give me a hand. I'd spend afternoons at his house and visit with my Aunt Angie while he figured out what to do next with my giant blue cassette player. I have warm memories of home cooked meals, great conversation and most of all, comforting family acceptance.

I do remember Uncle Rich telling me to change my oil. I also have a vivid memory of him shaking his head when the mechanic told us that I had burned out my engine because I never did. The worst part is, that I replaced that engine and burned out the second one too. Many years later whenever I visited Uncle Rich he would ask, "Change your oil lately?" It wasn't until I married Jim that he would finally stop asking!

Eventually I moved back home and learned to take care of my cars but I will always remember how my Aunt & Uncle were so generous and loving during a difficult time in my life. A home away from home, a haven.

Today, I have an oil change scheduled for noon, but my Aunt Angie is having a pacemaker put in her 81 year old heart. They no longer live near and I wish I could wrap my arms around my Uncle and tell him that his beloved will be just fine. I wish I could hold Angie's hand and tell her I love her.

Pray with me today for my sweet Aunt and Uncle and don't forget to change your oil.

Grace's Birthday

Sunday was Grace's 4th Birthday. Some of you were wondering who she is. I posted last month about our trip to Tawas to visit my cousin and his familily. Grace is my cousin's daughter making her my second cousin... I'm not sure what she is to Chris? We could never figure that one out! Grace has a brother Noah who is 9 and he and Chris have a lot of fun together!

And no... I wasn't making all the clothes for MY doll! They were a gift for Grace's new American Girl doll!

The 4th In Tawas

We are blessed to have wonderful cousins who graciously invited us to their cottage in Tawas for the 4th. We played in the lake, hunted for sea glass, played games, cooked great food, went to a parade and the fireworks!

Thanks Kim and Cliff! We had a wonderful time!