Blueberry Picking!!

So wow...once again a VERY busy weekend!! Haha...I don't know how I manage to get so busy...but I do. So Saturday we got up early (9am) and headed out to breakfast then picking! We started picking around 11:30...which next time I'd start sooner, because it got super hot super fast! It was so much fun though! Our friends Patrick and Jonna joined up along with Ben's boss and their sweet family! Jonna is such a great friend and I don't think we could ever run out of things to chat about, which made our time go by fast! Half way through picking, her and I went back in the shade with our boys as the guys continued picking! Then after awhile we switched with them. Ben and I picked around 6 pounds! Which was awesome! I was hoping to get some more, but maybe next time! We went to a nearby farm that was "almost" Organic. They do all natural practices, which makes for a happier blueberry! I am going to be canning all of them this Wednesday! I'm excited because Jonna is coming over and we are going to be trying a new recipe that uses Honey instead of sugar! If you read my Picking, eating, jammin, you saw how much sugar was used in our Strawberry jam...it was a little scary...haha. So I was excited to here about this new recipe, and will be posting about it later!

Berry Buddies, Eating mommies profit!

   After we went picking, we headed off to Bens cousins graduation! Congratz Eric!!! Then after that we rushed back home to set up for our Couples Bible study! And once again, the Bible Study was incredible!! This month we are studying the book of Ephesians!! Boy was it an eye opener! I Love that book, and the Lord sure moved!!!

Then on Sunday, after church we headed to my parents for the afternoon/evening! We had a lot of fun over there as we spent 6 hours playing Eurorails!! What a fun game! It's all about strategy.. It was fun to have my brother Buddy join in! We started at 2:30 and had to stop around 8:30 because the kids needed to get to bed! But, Buddy would have won by a landslide :)

You are probably wondering where our kids were those six hours...if you let them cry long enough...others pick them up...lol

I Like this one alot :)

Now I'm off to packing for a week in Ludington!!

What Does "love" feed Babies...

Ok, so I have to confess...I have NEVER let Ayden have a Popsicle...I never buy them, so it's not an option for a "treat"...I have organic animal crackers, berries and whole made Granola bars for his treats. But...when Ben and I have people over, they kindly bring along treats and snacks that end up sitting in my freezer/pantry. So I have a box of Popsicles sitting in my freezer, and they have been there for the past month...This all brings me to last night...All day Ayden was being sooo good! The night before, after Ben laid him down for sleep, I walked past his door and he alerted me and kept saying "poopy"..So I asked him if he really needed to use the potty, and he quickly said "ya"...Sure enough, he did his duty big time :) It made me so proud of him!! Then all yesterday he was such an Angel!! I fed him a hamburger (which he normally doesn't like), and he ate it right up!! So by the end of the day, I longed just to bless him somehow..I wanted him to know how proud and happy he made mommy, and how blessed I feel to have him :) So I though, "well, he has never had a Popsicle, and would probably LOVE it...soooo" ya...then I stripped him down to his diaper, and we headed outside. It was already hard enough for me to hand him this messy treat, because I like my boys to be neat, clean and tidy 24/7...especially when they eat...not realistic, I know...I think that is why God blessed me with boys...He knew I needed to break out of this "neat freak" shell. So anyways I am standing there taking photos of him enjoying his first Popsicle :) Then when I go to wash him up, I realized the food coloring had stained his own skin!!! Then it hit me, man if markers can wash off...and we don't eat markers....then why should we be eating something that won't even wash off our skin!!! Yikes...SO THEN!! To top this overly dramatized story off, I am in bed reading one of my favorite sites (Thehealthyhomeeconomist) and on her front page is an article about some coupons she had received from her insurance company that were for items that you "think" are healthy, but they really aren't...Guess what one of those items were....yup, ice cream treats...I was appalled to read that one of the 1st five ingredients in the bars she had received a coupon for was Propylene Glycol...Which is what anti-freeze is made out of! Not only that, it's a staple ingredient in our soaps, shampoos, make-up and so many more things you wouldn't dare to eat!!! So Then it made me think...if I REALLY loved my baby....then shouldn't I be choosing something that is safe for him to enjoy, and something that will help nurture him inside...I'm not at all saying, "if you feed your kids junk, then you must hate them." But I need to not think that in order to get my kids to understand how much I love them, I have to feed them junk...Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit...So I need to start acting like I truly believe that...

All that orange stuff on his tummy...yup just stains...

Wake up call!

Hey Guys!! This article is  a MUST read!! We as Americans have buried our heads under our pillows for too long, when it comes to what we are eating! Let's speak up for this next generation!! I am not a health freak, but the more I learn about what is in the food we eat, the more I am striving to eat healthier and prepare healthier foods!! Please check this out :)


“No Brown” GMO Apple Fast Tracked for Approval

Living Intentionally

Well over at my parents a couple weeks ago, Ben noticed a magazine laying around and started reading it. He was encouraged by one of the articles in it, so he took it home to read with me. The article was entitled "Greater Expectations", and here is what the summary was, " As eternal beings, we were not designed to function in an endlessly boring, non-challenging daily life—kids included. Nor were we designed to exist in a state of entertained distraction—kids ESPECIALLY. God put into us a yearning to grow to be like him, to learn, to discover, to share, to plan, to struggle to make our vision come true. He made us with a desire to rise above the mundane. We were designed after God’s nature, in his image, to be like him, to be his friend. We were not meant to just survive. Every one of us—man, woman, and child—can be satisfied only by living on the cutting edge of discovery."  She encourages you throughout this article, to have a vision, and one that you can get you children excited about with you! Don't just go through each day to "get through it" but use each day as an opportunity to see your vision come to pass! I could go on and on about this article, but please (especially if you are a mommy) click here to read the full thing! It was so encouraging and a big eye opener for both Ben and I! 

   As I have mentioned before Ben and I don't have a TV in our house, nor do we have a Facebook. It had been something God personally called us to do, and I don't hold anyone else to this standard. I will say, I have honestly been so blessed by these choices though! Lets face it, TV is dumbing down our society and eating at our moral standards. There are less and less decent shows appearing, which then makes you have to search for "new" favorites to watch...and in order to do that, you have to sacrifice some of your morals...One thing that bothers me most about the TV, is that it is stealing away the joy of being a child...My memories of growing up are mostly made up of adventures we'd take, parks we'd visit, rock sales all of my siblings would have with monopoly money, rushing with dinner dishes just so I could play outside before it got to dark, bike rides with Dad...and I could keep going...Sadly a lot of children spend their evenings watching TV, or surfing the internet. Back to the vision: I want my kids to be adventurous..discover God's creation, explore, get excited about serving the Lord, have rock sales, play house, make me nasty looking mud pies (that they think are beautiful), play with daddy in the creek, serve others and much more. One thing the Lord laid on both of our hearts was that we needed to live intentionally as a spouse, parent and family! 

   Honestly it seemed overwhelming, at first, to think about where to even start! But the Lord started showing me how to start with the small things, and He will lead us further.

   So with that foundation laid, here are some pictures to show you ways we got to pour into our little boys these past few weeks. I write this post to encourage you! I as a newer mommy, have such a long ways to go, and SOSOSO much learning to do! And I hope you don't think I write all this because I think I have the answers or have figured this whole thing out...Because I DON'T :) I have felt so encouraged though when I have stepped out and intentionally created situations in which I could teach my little Ayden things. So far it has really been so much fun, because although he is only one, he is a very brilliant young boy, and picks up very fast on the good and bad alike :/

   Below are pictures of just a couple "intentional" activities we did with Ayden recently! Be encouraged and Enjoy!

Ayden Loves it now when I tell him to grab his watering can, because we need to water mommy's flowers! Even though he is one, he knows exactly what I mean!

So as I have posted previously, I make these granola bars at least every other week! So I pulled up a chair and took Ayden through the steps with me, letting him pour ingredients in...stirring..and of course, tasting.  If was so rewarding watching him get so excited about helping, and actually doing it exactly how I showed him! 

Did you know that your own backyard can be the perfect place for an explorer :)

You can't see them too clearly in this photo...But there are like 5 bunnies withing a couple feet of Ayden, so we go out and chase them off our lawn :) He runs after them laughing and saying, "hop..hop". I love it because if you asked him what a bunny says, he will reply with "hop hop", only because he has witnessed it first hand!

Another great place for an adventure is PARKS!! We Love going to the park to play/ have a picnic! 

Take 1 (on our picnic)

Take 2...much better :)

 This was cute: Ben found a large stick for Ayden to whack things with. He was so excited about the stick and it was so big, he couldn't even walk with it. But he held onto it for dear life, and giggled so much as daddy led him around the trail...on his shoulders...and with his stick.

Here is where Ayden decided to take over the pushing of the stroller! I think at about this point in our walk, it truly started to hit me that he is growing up WAY to fast!!! 

So I will be honest! As much of my heart longs to see my baby start exploring and growing up into a handsome and Godly young man, there is STILL that "mommy, super cautious" part of me, that occasionally goes..."eeeek, Love are you sure that's not to high" or "Be careful with him". This Picture of him swinging, was definitely one of those moments!! 

Lastly...Reading is so important! I honestly am NOT a fan of reading! But, I want my children to have a love for reading! There are so many adventures around us that we can learn though, but there are also even more adventures and things they can learn through reading! I love it, when Ayden disappears quietly as I am doing things around the house, and I find him reading books to himself :) 

  

There is a time for everything...including an escape :)

So last year for Ben's birthday, I surprised him with a little getaway up North where we went tenting then tubed down a little river. Then we went to Traverse City to pick cherries. One of Ben's favorite things is floating down lazy rivers, so that is why I had planned for that...but last year didn't turn out like I had planned... here's why:

   (Last Years Trip) We arrived at our campsite and as we started setting up, our fellow camper neighbors came over to introduce themselves. They were a very sweet older couple, and they soon began chatting with us concerning why we were here and what not. So I told them, I was taking Ben to the "Platte River" to float. Upon hearing this, they got really excited and told us how they had just got done floating down the "Betsy river" and how it was so much fun, and that they had "the time of their lives". I was a little confused, because I did quite a bit of planning and researching for this trip, and didn't see one thing about the "Betsy River"...But they were so sure about it that they then said, "say, we are going berry picking right over there, why don't you put your tubes in the back of our truck, and we will take you there. That way you can float down to your car, and not have to walk back." Ben and I were taken aback by their sweet and generous hearts, and couldn't say no...So we packed up and headed to the Betsy...Once we arrived, there was not a single person there..(that should have been the first clue) We waved "good-bye" and headed to the bank of the river...I was so nervous, and the first glance in the water I saw a Cray Fish starring at me...then I freaked out and told Ben I didn't want to touch the water, and that I was going to walk back to our car...He calmed me down, and encouraged me into the tube...We had brought with us snacks and drinks to enjoy during this "relaxing" float..BUT to our surprise, 10 seconds into our float, our drinks were spilling out every where, and I didn't even care about where my snacks were...WHY??? Because we were fighting to survive this river! The current was so strong and fast it would take us right into down trees, and gross build-ups..we even had sticks to help us in avoiding theses obstacles...but nothing helped..we were at the mercy of the river. We later read signs stating that the Betsy River was "protected" so that meant no one has ever cleaned it out. There were times I thought my tube would pop, because I would get taken into huge trees, then get stuck on top them...To top it off, once the river slowed down for a few seconds, I felt something bite me, I tried brushing it off but it didn't budge! I looked down to discover a LEACH sucking all the blood out of me!! So I screamed for Ben, (at the moment I thought the leach was the bug that embedded itself into your skin, not knowing that that's a Tick..) and thought I was dying..he "pretended" (I found out later) to try and float over to me to save me...but "couldn't" get to me...So I pulled it off myself. I was SOSOS DONE with being on this river I just about started to cry...it was a nightmare. Ben later admitted to me that he is deathly afraid of leaches, and didn't want to have to touch it...and then he apologized and promised me next time he would take care of it for me...haha. So ya, that was the longest hour and a half of our entire lives! When we got to the end, we spent the ride back discussing what we would say to the sweet old couple awaiting our return...We concluded that we would "laugh" and say, "It sure took us for quite the ride...LOL (but a very fake lol)" because we both knew we would NEVER ride the "Betsy" again!! We did have a laugh later that night when we passed by the "Platte River" and there was TONS of people floating down and having a great time...


So fast forwards a year to this past weekend. We dropped the boys off and both parents houses, and took off Up North for a "take 2". We had such a blast!! This time we headed to the "Trading Post" to hitch a ride to the Platte River (they take you to the start of the river after you drop your car off at the end). We really enjoy the people at the trading post! They are so friendly and helpful!! Once we were at the river, we put our drinks and snacks in our tubes, and started our float. It was beautiful!! We loved every minute of it, and was everything a relaxing river float is suppose to be. The lady at the Trading Post told us to come at 10am, because the crowds wouldn't be there yet. She was right, only a handful of people passed us the whole 2 hour float! It was awesome! So awesome that we went back the next day as well!!
We tented two nights, once at a nearby camp ground, and the last night we stayed at a campground inside the "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park". We really enjoyed our last camping spot, because you had a small hike up to it, and you were quite a ways from all other campers! It was also on Lake MI, so from where we camped you could take another little hike (about 15 min) down to the lake. On Sunday Ben and I were the only ones on the beach at that spot! That's how we like it :)

The only downside to our trip was that we both did not sleep much. That is why I posted this picture haha...You can tell how tired I look :|
The second night I didn't sleep, because shortly after dusk we heard what sounded to be a bear...yes..sooo I was wide awake at every noise! The campground had "Bear boxes" where you were suppose to store all your food. But we had just finished cooking our dinner over the fire when we heard the "Bear". We still don't know if there was one spotted that night, but I sure lost alot of sleep over it lol.
   Ben and I have already discussed going up there again this summer...but with the kiddos...:)  We had so much fun together, just the two of us! Such a great bonding experience!! I do recommend all married couples with kids to escape at least once a year for a couple of days! This little trip of ours has become a set thing each 2nd weekend in July! 

Don't Laugh...It's paid for.

So back when I was 17, I started shopping around for my first car to purchase. My dad put into place a "new" rule of thumb when it came to our first car purchase. That rule was, that we had to spend at least 1500.00 bucks on our first vehicle, because he was tired of spending every week-end fixing junk cars that would break down all the time...Now that doesn't seem like a lot now, but when you are 16-17 and working as a bagger and cart pusher at a local grocery store...that is a ton of money! But, I wanted a car really bad, so I pinched every penny and started saving. When I started looking I had around 2600 dollars to spend. I wanted something that was reliable and sturdy... I had siblings go for the "cute" cars, but watched them go in and out of the garage...not to mention the sore butt you would have from riding in them..So I wanted comfy and reliable.. My Dad and I headed out to a dealership we trusted and checked out a couple Buicks he had on the lot. There were 2 available, but the one I wanted was priced at 3400! So, because I came with all cash, I told him all I had to spend was 2500. To my surprise he came back and told me he would sell it to me! I was so stoked! for 2500 I had just bought a 96 Buick Regal with only 99,000 miles on it, and it was in MINT condition! That was back in 2006. Now at that time I had no idea I would still be driving that car 6 years later, and have two babies in the back seat and a wonderful husband along side me! Crazy how fast time changes things! In the 6 years I have had it, I have put a whopping 101,000 miles on it, putting it now at 200,000 miles!
   Because my car was the most reliable and by far the comfiest ride back then, we took it everywhere. It has been to Missouri a couple times, Illinois at least 10 times, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and all over up north many times over! I would have to say that that was the best 2500 I have spent yet on a material item! I have not had to put that much into it over these years! It was such a blessing to have, and no, it wasn't the cutest...but hey it was awesome!

Here is the Buick to the right, up near Traverse City

Sadly though, it's coming near the end of it's life with Becky! Just this past month we have put almost a grand into it, just so we could drive it! So far every other week last month we had to either rent or borrow other cars because the faithful Buick left us in the dust! It's come to the point where it's not worth pouring any more into it...

 Last week this was our filler car that we had to rent...and to be honest, I did not want to give it back lol. I have never had A/C working in my car, and when we had to rent this Ford Fusion, the weather just so happened to be the hottest we have seen our whole lives...I called that a "blessing in disguise" for sure, because we had A/C the whole 4th holiday! There have been quite a few times I was so "done" with the Buick this past month, the thought of leasing a new one, was soso tempting! But Ben and I want to live Debt free, and want to pay cash for our next vehicle...So the Lord is teaching me big time, to TRUST Him!
   He has really been teaching me that what we as Americans think we "need", are usually just "wants". Honestly (and yes, I will regret saying this I'm sure), I don't "need" a new car...I WANT a new car! And yes I WANT a van!! But i don't NEED one...yet...haha. I am really trying to be grateful that I even have a vehicle, it may not be super cute (or even have a hint of cuteness) like the one above, but it works, and gets us around AND the best part is...I OWN it :) I don't owe a dime to anyone for it lol. To be honest again, owing someone doesn't seem like a bad idea sometimes.
   I have really had to rely on the Lord for strength this past month though, because I was starting to get a little overwhelmed with it having to be in and out of order a few times. The first issue we had, was with the security system. Every time I went to start it, it thought it was being stolen, so it would not start...leaving us stranded until it decided to start. We got that fixed, then a week later our power steering went. Thankfully my Dad has a friend...who has his own shop...who was super generous to let my Dad use it...which in returned saved us some money! What a blessing that was! My Dad is so awesome and sacrificed a lot of time for us! Thanks Again Dad!!
   So I guess to conclude this story...I am back to square one..saving...saving...and pinching pennies, so I can head out in search for another blessing of a car that will last me another 6 years...at least :)

Let Freedom Ring...

Happy Independence Day!
I LOVE the 4th of July! What a blessing it is to be a "for the most part" free Country! This freedom that we have here in America, is truly a gift from the Lord! I pray that The Leaders of this Country make decisions that please Christ, because I would hate to see this freedom that we hold so dear become lost.
   Not only does Independence Day remind me of the Freedom we have here in America, but most importantly, it reminds me of the freedom we Have in Christ! I am so grateful that Jesus set me free from the chains of sin that had me bound! And now, because of this freedom, I have a hope and a wonderful promise of EVERLASTING life! It hurts me to see people around me slowly slipping into those chains...they celebrate their "freedom" in their country, not realizing that the very Freedom they truly need, they don't yet have, or they are walking away from it. That is why God has called us believers to go out into all the World and tell them about what Christ has done for them! I don't know if you feel the same way I do, but why is it that such wonderful news is so hard to share at times. I am praying the Lord gives me more Boldness to not worry about how I am going to tell people, or what they are going to think of me! I believe we don't have much more time left, so that alone should press me to GET OUT THERE! Ahh, Independence Day is also a reminder of how much growth in Christ, I am in NEED of!! I thank the Lord for His grace, but do not want to use it as an excuse!


I did have a wonderful 4th though :) The Temp outside was 100*!!! For some reason I get sickly pretty fast if it is that hot out! I was really looking forwards to the Allendale Parade in the morning, so we all headed out at 8:30! I had the boys dressed in their red, white and blues, we got some Breakfast and headed to the parade.

Zachary July 2012

Ayden July 2012

Thankfully my sister Julie got there earlier to get a shaded spot! But the kids, of course, have to be on the curb to catch candy where there is NO shade ...Anyways, it was so much fun to have everyone there. My family has been attending this parade EVERY year, for the past like 10 (if not more) years! So it is kinda important for our kiddos to get to experience this day just like mommy remembered it :)

The Group

I thought it was cute that Ayden wore the same outfit that Zachary wore this time last year! Boy does time fly!!

Ayden July 2011

Ok so...confession time..teehee...

Fire Trucks coming...

He sees them...

I really was curious how well Ayden was going to handle the beloved Fire Trucks that parade down the street...Sooo, here they came at the very start of the parade, and I am pretty sure that this year they had ten times the fire trucks as they normally do! I am so grateful for what the fire fighters do...but three trucks would have been perfect. So each of the trucks had to turn their sirens on right in front of Ayden..lol..that seems to be how it goes, right? When he first some them coming, he got really excited, then they got closer and he wasn't so sure about them anymore.

I think that face says it all. This is shortly before he burst into tears.

Auntie Leslie comforting the forgotten child.

 Daddy tried covering his ears...but I think with the 100 degree heat and all those trucks blowing their sirens, he panicked. He started screaming but Ben couldn't hear him over the sirens, so I let him know and he whisked Ayden away...so now for the confession...I was so caught up with watching Aydens reaction, for a moment...or maybe a few moments, I COMPLETELY forgot I had a second child! Honestly! As the sirens are blaring, not one thought crossed my mind like, "I wonder if Zachary is scared"....oh boy. Thankfully my sweet sister Leslie was right next to him, and as he too started screaming, she took him away and comforted him...Thankfully he will never know that Auntie Leslie rescued him because Mommy forgot about him... It must have been the heat getting to me! I  saw here holding and comforting him, and my first thought was "oh that's sweet, she would rather cuddle Zachary then watch the parade"....ya...then I was like OMG was he crying from the trucks??? She was like, "no, he was terrified." Then I felt really bad...

Zachary before the firs trucks...

   After the parade we made our stop to Bigby to use our BOGO coupon they hand out in the parade :) We like coffee...and yes I totally came to the parade with a hot cup of Panera coffee, despite the 100 degree weather. After that, we headed to my parents for the cookout and HOURS of swimming...We lived in the pool for the day, because that was the only way to cope haha..Thanks to my parent's sweet neighbors the "V's". We had big plans for that night, to hit some amazing fireworks, but the kids along with mommy and daddy were WELL spent by 6pm, and Daddy thought it to be wise if we headed home to relax and call it a night!! I was glad to be in my bed in the A/C, as I heard all the fireworks going off!! The thought crossed my mind that we could be out there watching fireworks, but that wonderful thought was followed by the reality of then sitting in the car for an hour at midnight trying to get back home, and having two crabby kids (and parents I'm sure) who just need bed sitting there....then ya I fell asleep..

My Boys are blessed with such Sweet Aunts!!

Ayden turned into a little tomato!! 

Keeping cool in the car!

   So today (the 5th), me and the boys spent the morning relaxing in the cool house. I put Ayden in "big boy" underpants along with rubber pants...they lasted maybe 5 min..haha. But ya, we chilled together in mommy's bed for a bit. I love how much the boys love being with each other already :) Too cute!