first day of school!

its pretty hard to believe another school year has already started. it's even harder for me to believe one of my kids is in middle school! that's right, caleb started the 6th grade this year and couldn't be any more excited about it. he has a great group of teachers and friends and is loving riding the bus to school every morning. luke is in the 4th grade and has lilly's old teacher from last year - he has told us time and time again that he, "really likes his class". lilly is our big 3rd grader and can't wait for school to start each day. she loves her friends and could talk our ear off about her day - i love it!!!

gr photo | art prize | family fun

yesterday we drove into downtown grand rapids to participate in the gr photo project that is currently taking place. the goal for the artists, rita & dionel, is to have as many people go out and snap & submit pictures of six pre-determined locations within the downtown area for a collaborative art project for art prize. the finished piece will go on display sept.22 with-in the windows of the van andel arena!!!

what made this soooooo much fun for us and the kids was the "hunt" for the foot prints. in order to get the right shot the girls have stenciled large bright orange foot prints on the ground. the kids had a blast searching for the prints and would start yelling in excitement when they found them. from there the kids would pose in front of the location and i would stand on the footprints and shoot. super simple and way fun!

here are the kids out hunting for the footprints on the blue bridge!!

here are the six photos at each of the spots we took... 1) blue railroad bridge 2) calder plaza 3) van andel arena 4) gr art museum 5) gr public library 6) pantlind (amway grand plaza). if you want further information make sure to go to their website, which is also conveniently mobile ready (which, if you are on location is quick and convenient!) at www.grphotoproject.com. you can also watch a great segment of the artists which played last night on Fox News.

so grab your camera, friends, family, neighbors, a stranger standing close by and go have a fun outing supporting the arts!!

daily commute

four days a week i wake before the sun rises and head out to work. my commute in the morning takes me about 40-45 mins and it amazes me every day how the scenery changes. more times than not i think about how i wish i had my camera to stop and snap a few pictures. yesterday, i remembered!


i stopped at lake harbor park and stepped out on the channel to snap these! the sun was just rising over mona lake and it was AMAZING!!


the fog that settled over the lake and above the ground created such a mystical view. i took a minute and watched a grandpa with his grandson get their fishing gear and boat ready and couldn't help but think of what a magical time it was.


moving from water to farmland - again the scenery changes! the corn is soooo tall and creates such a beautiful contrast against the blue sky. the wild flowers are everywhere and make my heart melt.


hope you are able to enjoy your day to the fullest!!

birthday girl

who wouldn't like to celebrate their birthday in the big apple!! well, that is exactly what our lilly jane was able to do this year. she turned 8 years old on july 31st and we celebrated in style. we started out the day taking a quick taxi ride to the empire state building then had a fancy breakfast at brooklyns finer diner in times square and then finished off the morning at the ginormous toys 'r us in times square before we gathered back up at the hotel to fly home. luke couldn't help but ask if he could celebrate his next birthday in the "big city".

lilly is full of life, energy and enthusiasm. her smile is HUGE and her laugh contagious. she loves to spin (especially when she is wearing a skirt) and she is always up for anything!

lilly and her cousin sylvie (pictured above) are only two weeks apart in age. the girls are two peas in a pod and i can't get enough of watching them skip, dance, talk, sing, giggle together. i can only imagine the trouble they would get into if they lived closer than 2000 miles from each other :)

daily word

“It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins.” I John 4:10

Salvation is God-given, God-driven, God-empowered, and God-originated. The gift is not from man to God. It is from God to man . . . Grace is created by God and given to man.

giving up on fb

yesterday i deactivated my fb account. this was not a decision i thought or contemplated over for hours/days/months. it was one that happened almost rashly :) although i have appreciated the connection fb has allowed me to have with friends and family around the country. the reality is, i found myself depending on those pseudo connections, updates, pictures, etc. to fulfill my need for connection. when the truth is, i wasn't really connecting with anyone beyond a very surface level. i don't want surface level relationships and i have no desire to pursue an illusion of friendship/connection with people. my hearts desire is to build authentic relationships with people who desire to live life with me; the good, bad, and even ugly.

i may choose to reactivate my account at some point. but, for now, i think the better option is to pick up the phone, send an email, play with my kids, or even set up a date to go out for coffee.

market/soccer saturday

ahhhhhh.....the opening of the muskegon farmers market warmed my heart today. even though i knew most of the produce wasn't local i was able to purchase spring lettuce (clipped yesterday) and carrots and potatoes that had been stored through the winter by a local farmer. i also found my way back to the market to buy some brats from creswick farms for dinner tonight. i've already got the buns rising and can't wait to eat them up!




it was all i could do not to buy a bunch of flowers. however, i did hold back since i haven't quite figured out our budget for flowers and what i would like to do yet - but, they were soooo wonderful to see.


one of the tough things about having all three kids playing soccer is that they all play at different times, fields, and even cities depending on the week. i'm not sure i'm going to be able to make it to a single one of lilly's games this year. fortunately dave is her coach and so he is at all her games!


the boys playing out on their fields. caleb's team lost 3-2, luke's team won 4-2 and lilly's team also won 6-2 this week. way to go!!!

the long wait is over!

it has been a long - hard - snowy - wet - cold - winter! and although we have had some nice days over the last several weeks and the grass is turning greener and buds are popping up all over the place and the daffodils, tulips and (my favorite) lilly of the valley are beginning to bloom. the most significant sign to the end of winter is the opening of the farmers market. YEAH!!! tomorrow is the opening day for the muskegon farmers market!! i can't wait to walk the aisles and smell the fresh cut flowers and see all the produce (although it may be few). i can't wait for the week to come that i won't have to grace the doors of a meijers - I AM SOOOO EXCITED!

on a similar note, i am planning on putting in my garden next week. i am already planning on doubling the amount of space i did last year and having one plot specifically for herbs and the rest mostly for tomatoes and then cucumbers, zucchini, squash. my goal is to can as many tomatoes as i possibly can by the end of summer to hopefully get our family through another LONG winter.

so, if you live in the muskegon area go out and support the local farmers market tomorrow!

milk run musings

i was making my weekly "milk run" this past week and realized something, that i thought, was pretty funny. **side note: for those of you who don't know, we joined a cow/herd sharing program at the beginning of the year. what this means; we are part owners of a cow/herd on a dairy farm which allows us to obtain raw milk (as a by-product of the cows) directly from the farm. **

on to the funny observation...
the farm we go to is Green Pastures Farm and Grassfields (where we buy all our eggs & meat) in coopersville. now, this is a very convenient stop for me since i work in allendale three days a week and drive straight through coopersville. if you've ever driven down 68th street (coopersville exit) you are immediately aware of a couple of things, first, the smell - mostly due to the trash dump and second, the farmland. now, i drive this drive ALL the time and it wasn't until yesterday on my milk run that i observed something else upon passing another dairy farm (i don't even remember the name) in which i could see all the cows under a large pavilion one right next to the other eating out of troughs. no idea how many of them were crowded in the space - but it struck me. i didn't get more than a mile further down the road when i came upon another farm (not sure of the name or what they do with their cows) but they too were eating out of troughs, however had more room to move and a hay pile in the center of their "pen" to choose to eat from as well as a pavilion to walk under and lay down. hmmm, i thought as i made the turn to our farm and then i literally laughed out loud as i looked and saw "our" cows grazing in the pastures eating grass, walking around, laying around. i'm pretty sure they were enjoying the day :) in that split second i realized, again, that we are making the right choice for our family and how grateful i am to have this as an option.

so, not sure if you think we are crazy or not but if anyone is looking for more info i'd be happy to answer any questions or at the very least tell you more about our experience.

new eyes...

we found out a couple of weeks ago that luke needed glasses. he is the exact same age both caleb and dave were when they first found out that glasses/contacts would be a part of their life. we ordered the frames online (great pricing!) and had the script filled today. i'm so happy he is excited about them and isn't at all apprehensive about his new accessory.

blowing it

i blew it today. no, i didn't stink out my house. i blew it with my husband. the person whom i want everyday to know that i love deeper today than yesterday. the person i share children with. the person i treasure above all others on earth. and still i blow it.... BIG....at times. what is it in us that makes us more aware of ourselves, our needs, insecurities, wants, desires, etc. that allows us to "fail" so miserably with the ones we love the most. the worst part about today is that i somehow feel justified in my actions and emotions. i find myself thinking things like, "didn't he hear me when i said..." or "he did this more for him than for me". marriage is hard, and i am reminded of that today. i am reminded of the fact that i will probably cry as much as i laugh. that i will feel anger for as much as i feel joy. that my kids will hate and love me all at the same time now and as they grow older. that dave will fail me as many times as i fail him. that life is hard.

hmmmm....i'm obviously having quite a day. anyone else out there ever feel like this?

creative jar

it seems the most common phrase i hear lately is, "mom, what can i do?" or "i'm bored!". although the easiest solution at times is to let them play on the computer, watch tv or play video games, dave and i have felt compelled not to let them fill their free time with too much of any of that and help them pursue other creative ideas. in theory, this sounds like a great idea, right? however, the execution is much more difficult when the question, "can i watch tv?" comes when i'm in the middle of making dinner and i can't come up with a creative idea to save my life.

my solution has come in a creative jar. dave and i spent an evening this past week coming up with 20 or so different creative ideas and put them on little slips of paper and then inside a glass jar, which now sits on our kitchen counter. the only rule to the creative jar is that if you pull it you have to do it. we promised the kids there are only fun/creative tasks nothing like cleaning the toilet.

the kids are so excited about our new game and couldn't wait to dig-in to the jar and pull their first slip. here is a snapshot of what each of them created. caleb had to create a recipe he would like to make and write/draw it out. you may not be able to see it clearly in the photo, but he made up "caleb's kung pow serano dish". lilly's slip required she make a picture only using hole punches. because she became really overwhelmed by the idea of gluing down a million tiny circles i decided to let her use any of the larger punches i had. she made a house. luke's creative pull was to make a time capsule and map. i forgot to take a picture of his actual time capsule before he buried it in the backyard. but, i did get a shot of his map, which says, "open on march 6th, 2016".

i know we are going to go through this jar rather quickly - and it took us a long time to come up with ideas we did. i would love any suggestions you might have!

would you rather?

all weekend i've thought about the fact that i should be in LA right now - working the oscars with my dear friend. however, here i am - still in muskegon under yet another foot of snow (ok, maybe i'm exaggerating a little bit, but not much). i've thought about how much fun it would be to see all those celebs walking the red carpet all decked out. my hearts desire is to get a photo of me with bob newhart (since missing an opportunity at the emmys last year!). my mind has raced with all the fun i know i'm missing out on. since embracing the fact that i wasn't going to find a flight to LA for under $450 i have been playing the "would you rather?" game in my head - it has gone something like this....

would you rather be cleaning the toilet or telling brad pit where to sit?
would you rather be watching more snow fall or be in a tank top?
would you rather be vacuuming or directing on the red carpet?
would you rather be yelling at the kids are hanging out with your friend?
etc......

however, i have to say in the midst of the disappointment i have had such a blessed weekend celebrating with friends, hanging out with my family and watching season 3 of alias. although, i may have missed out on one opportunity i had others that made up for it ten fold including making oreo cupcakes with my little girl! as i sit here thinking about how we laughed and made such a mess together and out of nowhere telling me, "i love you mommy" i realized how much i would have missed out on had i not been here. so, as i sit and write this i am playing a new game of "would you rather"....

would you rather laugh, sing, dance, create, bake with lilly or "work" the oscars?
would you rather watch caleb read his story or watch fake smiles & bodies walk a red carpet?
would you rather celebrate a 33rd & 1st birthday of dear friends or watch as people pretend to be friends?
would you rather have to wear a winter coat in MI or be around for the 1st snow in over 30years in LA?

needless to say, i have had an amazing weekend and i am so thankful for my life, friends and family. i also realized the most disappointing part about not being able to go had very little to do with the oscars and everything to do with "being" with my dear friend. at least we have next year :)

here is the link to where i found the recipe for the cupcakes - they are DELICIOUS!!!!

"lost in new york" by caleb diller

today we joined many other families from churchill elementary for the 2nd annual book fair at barnes & noble. caleb was one of many students who was picked to read a story they had written. although he was very nervous - he did a wonderful job. i'm so proud of him! for you proud grandparents, dave video taped his reading and you can view it here.

granola time

our family LOVES granola. so, i have been working on creating a great granola recipe that everyone will enjoy. the best part about making granola is that you can't really screw it up and you can add just about anything you want to the mixture. i thought it may be fun to share lilly's and mines most recent granola concoction (the best, to date, if i don't say so myself).

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Ingredients
4c. old fashioned oats
1/2c. sliced almonds
1/2c. unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2c. unsalted raw pumpkin seeds
1/2c. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. veggie oil
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix oats, nuts, brown sugar, salt & cinnamon. In a small saucepan warm (don't boil) oil and honey, whisk in vanilla.

Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well with wooden spoon. We use our hands to mix it too - it is REALLY important to make sure the wet and dry mixtures are evenly distributed. Spread granola over a large jelly roll pan.

Bake for 40 mins - stirring gently every 10 mins. DON'T OVER COOK! we made this mistake the first time we made it :) if you are adding and dried fruit add it after it is cooked.

Let cool completely on wire rack and then ENJOY!!

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Let me know if you decide to make it - I would love to hear how your next batch turns out. If you are a mom with kids this is a GREAT recipe to make together, lots of measuring, pouring, mixing with relatively little mess!

Thank You For This Chicken

My hubby, Dave, posted the following earlier this week on his blog and I thought it appropriate to share on my blog too :) I haven't really wanted to delve into sharing about our choice over the last couple of months to drastically change how and what we eat. Mostly because I don't think I wanted the added pressure to "live up" to whatever precedence I may be setting for our family. With that said, I was blessed to read what Dave wrote this past week and realized that we have made some pretty drastic changes in our food preparation and consumption and that this is something to celebrate not hide from.

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Recently at the dinner table our son Luke offered the prayer before dinner and surprised me with his words, “Dear God, thank you for this chicken, the farm it came from, and please look after all of the other animals.” In this prayer Luke reminded us of some things we had forgotten.

Our food comes from somewhere.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but with all of the instant “food” so readily available to us, it becomes easy to forget (or even know) where our food comes from.

In being reminded that our food has an origin, we’ve begun asking: “Where does our food come from?” Asking this question has been a bit like opening Pandora’s Box. “Just exactly what kind of plant grows a Twinkie?”, “Do these cookies really come from tree-dwelling elves?”, and “If this apple is labeled, ‘organic’, then what kind of apple is this?… ‘Industrial’?”

Our questions have led us to make some changes in the food we purchase. Each Tuesday Misty stops by Grassfields Farm on her way home from work to pick up milk, eggs, and whatever meat they have available (we started back in January). After our first experience we instantly appreciated the taste and quality of the food but even more have grown to appreciate being able to build a relationship with those who grow/raise our food. Participating in this local farm has reminded us that we are part of a bigger creation and that we have a responsibility (and privilege) to steward what God has made.

I recognize it is in part due to our “affluence” that we have the opportunity/choice to purchase food from a local farm. Not everyone has the means of transportation to connect them to locally grown food (we live in a part of the country where farms are still common, unlike many of our cities which have become “food deserts”). Further, fresh/clean/whole food is more expensive (a cheeseburger from McD’s is 99 cents, and a head of broccoli costs close to 2 dollars). As a result, we’ve had to make some choices in the food (and amount) we purchase.

Instead of buying 2lbs of beef from the grocery store we purchase only 1 lb. at the same price from the farm. In buying less food we have begun to look at what we eat differently. Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty to eat, but having to purchase less food means that we cannot afford to think of food in terms of “mindless consumption”, instead food, animals, and the farms they come from become a “gift”.

Another gift of purchasing local food has meant that we’ve had more prep-time in preparing meals. At first this may sound more like a chore (we are all busy with the hurriedness of life) however, purchasing ingredients to make our meals has caused us to slow down. Lilly, peeling carrots for dinner, has developed a deeper appreciation for the food we eat and Caleb, chopping lettuce for salads, has caused him to be more curious about eating “leafy greens”. Instead of Mom “heating up dinner” our meals have become a family affair, full of conversation and meaning.

Is this something we do each night? No. We still have evenings where soccer games and gymnastics cause us to eat on the run, but those times are becoming less and less. We may never be able to fully live off of locally grown food however our hope is that as we do our part to steward the food resources in front of us we are able to create better, more intimate connections with our community, our kids, and our Creator.

That is something to be thankful for.
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well said dave!!