Impromptu

I love spontaneous trips - albeit short ones! Ben had a pretty busy and rough week at work and there was a stretch of about 3 days that I barely saw him. We didn't get much time to talk either because he was so busy. Therefore, when the opportunity presented itself - I had to jump at the chance.

We left Friday night to go spend the day on Saturday at Houghton Lake. The weather was going to be (and did turn out to be) beautiful, and we always have so much fun up there. My dad's friend has a cottage on one of the channels off the lake, so we went up to get some much needed R&R. My family (brothers & sisters-in-law) and us usually go up about 1 time per year.

We were only able to stay until Saturday evening because we had to be back in time for church obligations on Sunday, but this time was so much different for many different reasons - and we had an absolute blast! We got to meet some new friends, hang out at the beach all day, and even ride on a jetski a little bit. The sun was shining, with just enough clouds to give your eyes a reprieve for a bit, with temperatures in the upper 70s. I can't wait to go back again in a month with the rest of my family (almost the rest anyway)! It is so relaxing!

Jeepers Creepers

This past weekend, Ben and I got to enjoy ourselves and accomplish a dream of Ben's for many, many years, while at the same time reignite a hobby of mine from my childhood. We went camping at Silver Lake Sand Dunes on the west side of Michigan. And, at the same time, we got to meet with more members of the 4x4 club that Ben has become a member of.

The day we arrived, we met up with some of the club, and actually were able to take our Jeep - yep, our own vehicle - out on the Sand Dunes. One of the guys took us around the dunes, showing us some of the terrain and testing out the capabilities of the Jeep.

Entrance to the Dunes (aka "Gateway to Heaven")

Ben did a great job not freaking me out too much - and really only getting stuck once!

Ben waiting to get "unstuck" from the sand

Once the rain started to roll in, we went back to the campground for the night and hung around with some of the club members, chatting and getting to know each other. The storms were fierce that night, but we made it through and got up the next morning to beautiful clear blue skies! What a great day to be on the dunes!

Playing on the dunes

Helping out a fellow "Jeeper" out of the water

Club members and guests

Club Logo (4Given 4x4)

Then, at the end of the day, we got to go back up to the dunes to watch an absolutely beautiful sunset over Lake Michigan.


Overall, we had a great time and were exhausted at the end of the weekend. The best part, for me, was seeing the smile on my hubby's face every time I turned around. I'm so glad that you got a chance to do this honey! I love you, and can't wait to go back again!

Thoughts on the weekend:

• Wow, how I wish all weekends could be three days!
• Ever wonder why we all look forward to weekends, but then are so busy that Monday (or in this case Tuesday) is just hell?
• Weddings are beautiful, and makes one think back on all the good and bad of his/her own marriage/relationship.
• Sunny weather puts pretty much everyone in a good mood.
• God works in mysterious ways.
  
• Why is it that fresh air makes one so tired?
• Movies, parades and putt-putt all in one day - what a great date!
• Seeing kids smile at parades puts a smile on my face!
• Whether old friends or new friends, they are all special people!
  
• Why are kids scared of clowns?
• Las Vegas is calling my name...
  
• Family time is important - and they are fun to be around.
  
• Mad Gab is a silly game that is a riot to play!
• The tent is going to work beautifully!
• The Praise Team is so much fun to be a part of!
  
• The Red Wings played a hell of a game on Sunday! Game 5 on Wednesday!
  
• Love can withstand everything, and makes one glow from the outside.
• Happy babies are all around...must be catching on!
• Hope everyone had a great weekend...and remember,
  
• Only 3 more days til the next weekend!

Long needed update...

What a shame. I started this blog just about a year ago and haven't really kept up with it. I feel like I've let some people down. But, regardless, I can say that I am back - at least for today - with some long awaited updates.

First and foremost - the weather is finally getting beautiful! The sun is shining and for the most part moods are reflecting that.

Second - my headaches appear to have returned in full force. There are days, it seems, that I cannot get through the entire day without either a nap or just outright going to bed at 7:30pm. I've started to realize how much these headaches impact my social life, and that of my husband. He is awesome to be so understanding - but my embarrassment hit a new low this past weekend. Maybe it is time to pressure the doc some more.

Third - my hubby has fulfilled a dream of his in more ways than one, which makes my heart happy and proud. The lease on one of our vehicles is coming to an end, and we had a choice to make. We loved the truck and planned to buy it out right, but in this unstable economy, that wasn't going to be too much of an option. Alas, his decision was made - he would buy a Jeep. And that is exactly what we did.

Now, I can honestly say I wasn't thrilled about the idea, and parts of it still makes me seriously wonder what goes through men's minds sometimes. But, we have had the Jeep for a week, and I can say that I thoroughly enjoy it. I don't get the mud thing - but someday I expect to. Anyway, we have met a great group of people - all Jeep owners with God and 4 wheelin' in mind - and plan to spend a lot of time with the Jeep.

All of this has also brought back one of my passions - CAMPING! We haven't camped in about 8 years because we were over the tent thing, but I have been getting the itch seriously lately. Well, tonight, we made our first reservations for the year at a campground. Yes, it is a Jeep trip - the one Ben has wanted to go on for years - and it is with this great group of people that he is getting to know. The weekend sounds like it will be fun.

Everything that has happened over the past 2-3 months has been somehow a sign. God intervenes in amazing ways sometimes, but the direction He has me pointing right now is a good one (aside from the headaches). Anyway, thanks for being loyal and checking in once in a while. More stories will probably come with all the adventures we will be partaking in, so please check back often.

God Bless and Happy Spring!

It's about time!

We have finally done it! After quite a while saying that we were going to, we have finally accomplished it!! A lot of sweat and tears went into it, but I'm thrilled to say it's about time!

What is it?

Well, a little embarrassing to say the least, but we have finally finished our master bathroom. It wasn't a remodel mind you, just a repair. Unfortunately, it has taken us a long time to complete it.

Some time ago (we can't remember when), the stand up shower in our master bathroom got a crack in the floor. We tore the shower out with the plans to replace it. Then, we remembered that we have a modular home and the shower is a smaller size than usual and required a specific shower (unless we wanted to remodel the entire bathroom). Since we had another bathroom, this was not going to be a big deal for us - we would just use the other shower until we could afford to get the one for the house.

Yet one day, not too long ago, we were shopping and decided to try and patch the crack. The fiberglass sheets and resin that we bought seemed to repair the crack nicely even though it didn't look too good. This past weekend we decided to finally start taping, gluing, screwing and nailing everything back in place. As of about 9:30 tonight, we have a working, operational shower back in our own bathroom that we can start to use again! And....we did it all ourselves. That little fact makes me feel good.

I want to thank everyone who has offered to help in one way or the other. This was a test of sorts for Ben and I, and I am very proud of Ben for not giving in to my whines and demands. He is a much handier guy than I imagined him to be - just one more thing to love about him!

Deals

Over the past couple of weeks, Ben and I have had some time to get some running around done that we don't normally get done when we are both working so much. One of these errands resulted in us hitting the Steve & Barry's that is going out of business. We were both looking for just some T-shirts and when the sign at S&B said "5 for $10", I figured - what the heck! We spent probably a good 3 hours in the store looking through their HUGE selection of T-shirts, and came away with shirts to last us for quite some time, and spending less than $25.

In addition, we went to JC Penney's today to spend a gift card that we had gotten for Christmas. Technically, the card was for both of us, but I was donating it to Ben since I have one for a store for my clothes. We spent some time at Penney's looking for more dress shirts for Ben, and again, came away with a steal! Especially for Penney's! He ended up with 5 dress shirts - all of which are long sleeve so he doesn't have to be cold at work again - for just over $50. The original price of these shirts was just over $210.

For us, these deals are big. We usually don't spend much money on our own clothes, and ask for cards for birthday's or other celebrations. To be able to get good quality clothes at the prices that we are getting them is incredible. I'm hoping to use my card in the next couple of days and get a few more deals. Hope everyone else is successful as well in their ventures!

Special People

Many people have touched my lives, and I don't think that I appreciate them as much as I should. All of you mean a lot to me and I love you all very much:

• My husband, Ben:Thank you, honey, for all you are and all you do. You mean so much to me!
• My Mom & Dad: Thank you both for being you and never giving up. You've taught me more than you may realize.
• My brothers : You are both very special to me and have always been there for me. We may have our differences at times, but our bonds are strong. I'm proud of the men that you both have become.
• My sisters-in-law: Both of you are more than just my brother's spouses - you are both my friends and I'm proud to call you both my sister!
• Carol: A surrogate mother welcomed into our family. Our lives are all blessed to have you in it.
• David: The greatest nephew in the world. What else can I say??
• My Best Friend, Barb: You know, by now, how special you are to me. I don't know where I would be without you! Your family, all of them, are such a bright light in a sometimes dark day. Thank you so much for being there, no matter what!
• My In-laws: I married more than just Ben more than 10 years ago, and I can honestly say that I am glad to be a part of your family.
• My business team: Ok, we are obviously more than business associates - we are all friends. We make a great team. We have such a great time together, and all of you are extremely special to me. Thank you all for hanging in there with us!
• My church family: Helping with the Contemporary Service and joining the bowling league has allowed me to realize how many special people are in the St. Mark family.
• To everyone else who has made a difference in my life. Some of you may not realize that the "small" impact that you believe you made, actually made a huge one.

I thank you all, again, from the bottom of my heart for being you - and being special. Some pictures of all of you (sorry I don't have pics of everyone):