06/26/2010

He Left Today

{This Moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!



Logan helping sand the floor in the new bathroom

Till Next Time.....

Yahweh

Today My dad found this really great website called www.godbeat.tv on it was a video from Hillsong. But before the song starts the singer talks about the word Yahweh...

I wanted to share this with all of you...Please open your hearts and your mind for such a great blessing. God really touched my heart and I'm so glad that he is my saver and Lord



Till Next Time....

All You Can Eat Fish

This weekend I'm up North(that is Michigan lingo)with my dad....

If you don't know my dad is a pastor at a little church in Oscoda, MI. Just around the corner from Oscoda is a little town...When I say little I mean gas station, Church, Bar and 1 restaurant in the town.

But the Restaurant is the diamond in the ruff. The restaurant I'm talking about is Olivia's Bear Claw Grille



Olivia's is a little hole in the wall Restaurant that all the local love to come to....Everyone knows her that comes in and they all know that when they come everything is homemade...as she would say "what can be homemade" They have a bear bar(or what us big town people would call a salad bar) everything on the bear bar is hand made



broccoli salad, coleslaw, bean salad, other salads and also the salad dressings.



Ms. Olivia is in at 7am to make all the salad's and pies for the day...and if Ms. Olivia is getting stressed out Patsy Cline starts to play on the CD player. The best part is that one of the waitresses messed up on a order and it was ok because everyone knows everyone and they figured that they would get it right on the next time around. As my dad I and were sitting there I was thinking how that could never happen at a restaurant down by where I live. You have to love small towns.

After a little time passed our fish was ready....I say that time pass because with each order Ms. Olivia hand batters and cooks to order and she is the only cook




I got the yellow belly Lake perch( don't judge by the picture I like to mix all my food)



My dad got the Cod



The Food was so good that I had to tell you about this great little place in Barton City, MI. If you are ever looking for a place to get the best fish in Michigan and then top it off with still warm homemade rhubarb pie stop at 1770 W. Trask LK. RD Barton City, mi Olivia's Bear Claw Grille is the place to go.... Tell them that you read my blog and just had to stop and check it out....And if you do make it out there please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Thank you Olivia and the very nice waitresses for the wonderful food and small town hospitality.....

Till Next Time...

Essence of Life Photography

A long time ago when I was a dancer there was this really great family that also danced at my Studio. The Crain family(not all Crains now) became family from day one.

We would go on out of state and in state comps. Linda Crain(Now Linda Garcia) would make all of the costume for the dance studio.

After I left the world of teaching dance I lost touch with the Crain family. A little back I found Linda on Facebook....I love facebook, Well come to find out Linda remarried and now her and her hubby have a wonderful photography company called

Essence of Life Photography



I love Linda so much and I'm so happy that she found something that she is great at and that makes her so happy.




When you talk to Linda about taking photos this is what she has to say
"I love to capture the essence of any given situation, from a family celebrating the union of two people to a candid portrait of a beautiful face." - Linda


Today I was looking at some of her work and I just had to show it to all of my blogging friends



I always love to talk up people and company's from Michigan..... and also when you are trying to find someone to take Sr, Engagement, Wedding, Baby, or Family Picture



You want someone with a eye for detail and vision and I know Linda to be one of the most creative people I know....(come on we have taken trips to NYC to find fabric for dance costumes)



So if you are looking for a great photographer look no more then Essence of Life Photography. You will meet one of the best ladies I know and I know she will treat you like family......



Check out their website at http://www.eolphotography.com/ or feel free to give Linda a call at 248-231-2524



Tell her that you saw her on my blog and that Erin sent you.....

Love you Linda

Till Next Time.....

Food is Good

For the last few months I have been thinking of a way I can get the parents in my Youth Group to come together....

Well tonight we did. We had our very first Lake Louise Student Ministry Family BBQ.




I find that if you want teens to come give them food...... Food will bring teens out of the wood work...I love it...



Teens are so cool. If you have never helped with the youth group at your church you are missing out. I know for myself it is such a joy.



From always making funny faces or doing funny thing. We have so many teens in the world that need people to love them.



We also had a birthday tonight. Trever turned 17. I think this was his best birthday ever. It was funny because the week before his dad was teasing him saying that this will be his first birthday party with Girls lol...But it was fun the candles would not go out so then the 25 kids that were there all helped him blow out his candles it was a great Night



What can I say I love being a Youth Pastor.....



Till Next Time......

Pool Time

Have you ever been on a field trip with 50 little 1st graders to the pool....


I WAS ON MONDAY Muff had a field trip to Brandon High Schools pool.



Muff was up at 5:30am that morning so excited to go to school so he could go swimming. After I told him 100 times that it was not time for school, I let him play a game on the computer so I could get like 10 more min of sleep.

This was the first field trip I was on this year so I was really excited to go. I got to see muffs class and meet his teacher. When we got to the High School the kids were so cute lined up on the wall waiting for their turn to swim in the pool



Here is muff with some of his friends from school....He is so cute



The Lifeguard came over and told them the rules and then all 50 kids had to ask a question, then time to swim




Have you ever seen the move Titanic well that is what it looks like with 50 kids jumping into the pool and fighting over the noodles and life jackets.... It was really funny



They also had a water basketball thing and Muff did a slam dunk and hung on the hoop it was really cute....




All in all it was a lot of fun helping with the field trip and Muff had so much fun



Till Next Time......

If I lived on a farm and had a rooster, today would be the day that I was up before it. The alarm went off at 4:00am after going to bed at 12:00am and I was thinking what in the world am I doing up so early.......

Then I remembered The Battle Creek Cereal Festival(one of the things on my today list, cross that one off) So I got up made the coffee and got ready...Got muff up and dressed and we jumped in the car for a long 2 1/2 hour drive.



Battle Creek Michigan is the home of Post and Kellogg's so every year they do a Cereal Festival. They call it the Longest Breakfast table in the world



They line tables down the main street of down town Battle Creek over 150 tables and you get all you can eat Kellogg's cereal, pop tarts, banana's, and Juice.



Muff ate 4 bowls, 3 banana's and 2 pop tarts.....I asked him if he had eaten this week and he told me " I did I'm just a hungry boy" after we were done eating we went to check everything out. They had a lot of clinics for different sports and a lot of vender's but the really cool place was the reptile table.



We got the hold a alligator....Yes it was a baby but it was still cool. Muff was a little unsure at first but then he was so excited(as you can see)

After walking around and checking everything out GUESS WHAT Muff wanted to eat again



This time we had to sit on the side of the road because all of the tables were full. After he was done eating for the 2nd time we went to the playground. Muff really wanted to go so I gave in. It was so crazy with kids and parents all over....We were not there long but he did have a good time Monkeying around



And Meeting some cool people....



After the playground Muff wanted to see the reptiles again...I was so glad he did because this time the snack was out. Now you have to understand in the wild of the real world I Hate snacks but at a festival were they are tame and someone brought them I think they are super cool. I was really excited when they said we could hold it. Muff wanted nothing to do with that but I was all about it and here is the proof



All in all we had a nice time. I don't know if I would go again because there was not a ton to do and what they had to do the line was so long to do anything. But Muff had a good time and he thought it was cool that he got to eat as much cereal as he wanted.

Till Next Time.....

Life can be bitter Sweet

As some of you know we have been re-doing the up stairs and time is running out so hubby and I have been a little stressed out about it. Because of that we thought we would go to do something to get our minds off of the project. We went to the movies and saw The Karate Kid, then hubby got his ryobi paint sprayer he has wanted, then I took a great dive with my dad to Flint.....

But when I got home I was going a little stir crazy so I went to the grocery store to get stuff to go with dinner. When I got home I got the mail and there it was.....



My last pay check from Forever 21..... As cool as I have been about me losing my job deep down I'm a little scared, so getting that paycheck was great but sad all in one. It just makes it real that I don't have a job......

I was feeling down and I thought I would read my e-mails and there was a e-mail from someone that left a comment on my blog. I don't get a lot of comments so when I get one my heart starts to beat fast with excitement.

I opened the e-mail and it was from the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. They saw that I put them on my todo list for this summer and they wanted to help me out by sending me 4 passes to the Museum.



Now I have never been there before and I was excited to take the kids after they get out of school....But now I'm even more excited and I'm excited to show you pictures and tell you about our trip there.

I would like to thank Erin from the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum for helping me and my family to come and see your Museum...Be on the look out for my post about your very generous Museum.

My blogging friends if you would like to read or see more about the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum they have a very cute blog. This is the Blog address http://blog.aahom.org check it out and if you are in the area stop by had have a fun day with your kids....

Till Next Time.....

Pool Time

Today my good friend Stacy text me to see if I would like to go to the pool with her and the kids. Stacy is Muffs mom. I love that Stacy and I have such a good friendship. It helps with everything in life.

So I was all about going to the pool the sun was out and I need a little sun so why not. When we got there the clouds came out and the sun was hiding. Stacy's kids jumped in and they wanted me to see. Erin watch me, Erin Swim with me.....


So I took the plunge to get into the water.....I got my first foot in and the water was so cold that I think my whole body turned blue. But I was a big girl and I took the dive.
We had so much fun the pool is only 5ft so I can still touch the bottom because the kids were all over me.

After we got out of the pool the kids ran around and Stacy and I got to talk....


It was funny because the kids were so cold that they did not want to swim anymore after only being in there for about 15 min. After they were out of the pool they found a puddle to play in next to the pool.

It was really cute. They were finding pine cones and putting them info the puddle.

After about 10 min the kids were ready to go. It was a short pool time but we did have a good time. Hope to go again soon and stay a little longer....


Till Next Time.....