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6.28.2013

How to Devour a Turkey Leg

Some people don't know this but my Husband is funny. He's very quiet but when he speaks listen because it'll either be genius or funny. His mannerism can get annoying but lots of times they make me giggle. 

Like the time he ordered a turkey leg as big as my own leg and proceeded to eat it like a Neanderthal in public. 

But then who am I to talk? I took photographic evidence of it and posted it on the internet. 

To start off you just have to dig in. No fork. There is no delicate way to eat a turkey leg. 


You also must show the leg who is boss. So you have to make faces like this:


And make it look really gross. Like you haven't eaten in weeks. I'm sorry I didn't realize how gross that picture was until now. 

After about 20 minutes the leg is gone so you must clean your face. Please clean your face, don't be like Jerrel and walk around with BBQ sauce on your face while trying to find a trash can, while a napkin is laying there. Sometimes I just can't figure him out. 

 So the delicious turkey leg is gone and you are full. But not too full for strawberry rhubarb pie. 


No one is ever to full for strawberry rhubarb pie. Al a mode.

Blessings!

6.27.2013

A Party

It's been 3 weeks since our reception. How does that happen? Where has the time gone? But I am finally getting around to sharing with you "The best reception in history of receptions."

Those are the critics words-not mine. That would be rather presumptuous of me to say such a thing. For the record Jerrel and I agree with the critics...so much so it's like they took the words out of our mouths. Weird.

It all started about a year ago. No ring, just a glimmer in my eye. Mom and I were at the Holbrook school because they also have a thrift shop there and we snuck into the gym. I knew it was a cool space-I used to work in an office in the school. So I had to show mom. We both looked around and thought "We can do something with this! "

The brick, the stage, the bleachers, the old wood floors, give so much more warmth and character than any big metal community building could ever do in the area. 




So we were sold and we immediately started planning how we were going to fit the people and how we could make it look pretty.

And make it look pretty we did. My years of collection was packed into 4 large totes and hauled east. And when we started unpacking I thought I had totally lost my mind. It looked like a thrift store. But I took a deep breath and started arranging and placing. And just like I knew it would-it all worked.


We made burlap runners. Collected silver trays from thrift shops. Used mom's collection of blue jars. Bought candles with Hobby Lobby Coupons. Covered canning jars with lace, ribbon, bows, fabric, paper flowers, burlap, etc. Made kraft paper cards that had quotes and scripture on them. Scoured the Target dollar aisle. And picked up anything at stores like Hobby Lobby and Shirley K's that looked like it belonged. All to make the collections I was envisioning on my tables. I wanted it to look full, homey, and like it was ever evolving. And we got it.


Because we fancy ourselves to be creative we decided to buy loose flowers and arrange them ourselves in the blue mason jars and mercury glass vases. Thankfully my aunt came and helped us get those together. And then I forgot to get any pictures of them. But the flowers seriously made the place go to a whole other level. It was so beautiful. And we used them all! It was like a flower shop in there, I loved it.


Our dance floor. Recognize the lanterns? And those chairs were for our "Wall Flowers" clever huh?

And those basketball hoops. What to do, what to do? We hung a chandelier from the one by the entrance. 


Oh yes we did! It worked perfectly because as you walked it you couldn't see the hoop, just this fancy dancy chandelier. Classy.

As any event has a hiccup, ours came with the cake. I wanted a square bottom, cylinder middle, and round top.  With buttercream icing in a pretty shade of peach, all using the same tip for frosting application. Well the cake fell on the way to the school, the baker had to go back to get extra supplies. Time was moving quickly and it had to be what it was. So the whole evening the cylinder kept leaning and leaning, until my aunt caught it as it was falling. Good thing for extra sheet cakes. So this is what we got to take home: 


Bucket Cake! Perfect for sitting in front of the Tv with a spoon. 

It was seriously delicious wedding cake though, no matter how it looked. But our other food, Baked Potato Bar with all the fixings, pasta salad, caesar salad, and fruit salad made up for the cake-tastrophe. DELICIOUS and pretty. 

Overall we wanted to people to feel relaxed at home yet celebrating life, love, and the beautiful thing God created-Marriage. We achieved it. In the most wonderful way. 

We owe thanks to so many, Annie and Keri for coming to help decorate. Sandy, Jake, Aaron, and Evan for taking time off work to help get the place put together. And my Mom for keeping things moving and her ultimate creative spirit. She knew what I wanted even when I wasn't sure. Also everyone who helped clean up the next day. Not the fun job. Couldn't have done it without everyone.  

I certainly didn't get enough pictures of the event but I know some other people did. Namely my cousin-who surprised me with her attendance! So thankful! You can check out her photos of the evening on her blog and a link to her shutterfly album here: Prairie Girl Meets Big City. Thanks Nat! 

What a party! 

Blessings! 

6.20.2013

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

After we left Mackinac we traveled to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. I had heard about this place on TV years ago and wanted to see it for myself. 


I'll admit, first impressions left me a bit disappointed. But I thought we will just climb this dune and see the mystery on the other side. 

Then I tried to climb the dune and thought they may be carrying me back down on a stretcher. So very, very steep. Legs burning, lungs burning...ok I got the hint I need to work out. 

But I forgot about that hint when I turned around and looked at where we came from. 

Glen Lake!

But the climb wasn't over so I kept walking and kept breathing.


As far as light goes we came at the perfect time. The sand glowed. But as far as daylight left not so much, it is over an hour walk to Lake Michigan across the dunes. That wasn't going to happen.

We finally got to a high point on the dunes and there she was!


Lake Michigan!

We spent our time at the dunes exploring and playing in the sand. It was the finest sand I'd ever touched.


We learned that the dunes are still forming. The wind that blows off the lake keeps the dunes in motion. Supposedly you could pick a tree or shrub on the dunes, come back a few years later and it may be covered or have more sand around it's base-depending on it's location. 





 Sure we went to see giant hills of sand. But they were awesome giant hills of sand.


The rest of our time in this area was spent shopping in a cute little town not far, on the beach of Lake Michigan (in sweaters), visiting a historic town and learning about the lifestyle here back in it's founding days. So very different from our pioneer heritage. No sod houses or German cabbage farms in this neck of the woods. No, they have docks, ships, trees, and cherries.


But I was delighted to learn about another way of life. Jerrel and I are always up for learning something new.


For the record going down the dunes was much more enjoyable for my legs and lungs. No stretcher required.

Blessings!

6.19.2013

Mackinac Again.

I know I said that Sleeping Bear was next but as I was looking through pictures I found more that really give a great picture of Mackinac. So this photo montage may be a bit scatter brained but it is what it is.


The garbage buggy. They really mean no vehicles. Only emergency vehicles.


The lighthouse you see as you are coming to the island.


Kites, who doesn't love kites. Everyone loves kites. 


More from the butterfly house.


The oldest church on the island. Beautiful windows and a tall, tall steeple.


The Island has an old fort located high on the hill. We spent a morning there reading and learning about this place. It was very interesting actually, my dad would love it. 


Because we were still pretty early in the season for that far north things were just starting to fill in. I can only imagine how lush and green everything is now. 


People loved making these towers. You couldn't have paid me to wade out in the water to get to this bank. The water was still ice cold. But they made for pretty picture opportunities. 


Finally the houses. So full of color and history. This house had beautiful stain glass windows for color. But others were periwinkle, peach, lavender, red. You name it-there are no rules on Mackinac. And I for one appreciated that.

Blessings!

6.18.2013

Hello to Mackinac Island

Picture Heavy Post!

Hello. I do still exist. I am still wanting to blog but finding the time has been much more challenging. Coming out of the 4th hectic week in a row has left me reminiscing of our idyllic stay on Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island. I actually look back and think, "Did that really happen?"

It did though, I have the pictures to prove so.

The day after our wedding we drove up north and found ourselves in Mackinaw City. From there we got on a Sheplers ferry. We opted for the bottom deck. I still hadn't gotten warmed up from the wedding. It was a wonderful ride, complete with the most darling little girl who was enthralled with the water splashing on the windows.


That's the Mackinac Bridge. It connects the mitten of Michigan to the upper peninsula of Michigan. It makes for a pretty view while on the ferry and on the island. 

The Island is located in the straights of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. 

In a nutshell the Island is 8 miles of perfection.


There are no cars on the island. Only horse and bikes. 

You have seagulls cawing, horses clip-clopping, ferries coming and going, the sweet smell of fudge and...road apples. It is an experience that engages all the senses. 


We visited a butterfly house and tried to clear Jerrel of his insect fears. However, I think we may have made things worse once we went into the pinned insect section.


Let us all take a minute to thank the Lord above that we don't live in Malaysia...unless you live in Malaysia. In that case-good luck. 

But we came out alive. Probably a little grossed out but that didn't last long.


Because how could it when 90% of the time you have a view similar to this. Everywhere I looked for our whole visit I was awestruck. It was like no other place I had been. 


One of the best things about this place was the families. It was refreshing to see families playing frisbee in this park area, having picnics together, renting bikes for adventures on the island, getting a mid-afternoon fudge treat. It was so nice. 


Essentially the Island is one 8 mile wide hill and so things are built up, and up, and up. Every time we were up higher I took a picture and thought "This is the best view I'm gonna get." But then we'd get to another level in another spot and I'd have to snap yet another picture. 


Speaking of 8 miles. Remember the horses and bikes? We decided to rent bikes and take a joy ride on the Islands highway. Seriously it's an official highway. The views were spectacular.  And the joy ride felt like a race much of the time because of Jerrel. We also went off roading on some trails-again his idea not mine. I was perfectly content to be on the highway. The things we do for the men we marry.


Senor Smarty Pants did let me stop a couple times and take pictures. After a week in the forests of Michigan I was refreshed to see a horizon for more than a couple seconds. Let alone the beautiful blue of the water. 


Thank goodness for timers on cameras. This is in front of Lake Huron.

Everything about Machinac was wonderful. The food, the people, the recreation, our Inn.


I would HIGHLY recommend the Market Street Inn. Here are 3 good reasons:
1. Location, location, location. The Inn is close enough to Main Street to get there quickly, but far enough away to have some peace an quiet. 
2. The Innkeeper is the BEST. Kristen is friendly and helpful. 
3. They bring your breakfast to you at the time you specify. By day 2 I was spoiled. 
4. They have cookies and fudge in the afternoon. 
5. The Inn has ranunculus growing in the front beds.

Ok that was five. Oh well. 


See what I mean about the views? You can see a peek of the highway in this picture. And this is officially the highest point I got to on the Island.


There were so many things to do. We could have spent a week there and not been without something to do. This is Arch Rock. The island is mainly composed of limestone and this rock formation was made because of how water ran across this portion of the island. All that is left and making the arch is the harder type of limestone. 

And then there was the Grand Hotel.
Holy time travel.


Home of the largest wooden front porch and gaudy decor(my words not theirs). But it is beautiful in it's own right.


The hair salon. I feel pretty oh so pretty...


The porch is done on such a massive scale. It makes you want to just sit and appreciate the whole scene, so that's what we did.


The hotel has been a summer destination since 1887. It's a tourist spot in it's own right. Thankfully we had passes so we didn't have to pay to simply sit on their porch.


Grand Chess anyone?


They have a pergola so we made our way up there. Because in Michigan, height is always key. 


But after our little rest in the pergola it was time to catch the ferry back to the mainland and head to our next destination. We were ready to see what was next but not tired of Mackinac. It just might be one of my new favorite places.

Next up Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes!

Blessings!