Whispers from God

Our small group, in conjunction with our church, has started a new study this fall called "The Power of a Whisper." It's mainly based on a book by Bill Hybels, with a few additions from our church pastors. We've had 2 weeks of the study & so far I am loving it.

The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond

The main premise of the study is learning how to hear & listening to God's voice. Every day I face decisions in my life. And almost always, whether the decision is big or small, I would love some reassurance that the decision I'm making is the correct one. Now, I'm not talking about the decision of whether to wear black or navy dress pants; although for a woman, having someone to make those decisions would be pretty awesome!

No, I'm talking about the life decisions. The decisions about finances, family, jobs, marriage, children, etc., etc., etc. God has an opinion on all of that and wants to lead us in a crazy way; but so often we fail to listen in regards to even the smallest decision, let alone those huge life-altering ones. Even after we've begun to listen, acting on God's will for our life is sometimes incredibly scary. And how do we really know that the whispers are from God and not from another earthly source?

The Bible is full of exampes where God spoke, sometimes audibly, sometimes in a dream, sometimes in writing on a wall, and even one case where God spoke through the mouth of a donkey. Yeah, totally crazy, I know. However, if I will just learn to stop...and clear my mind of all the worldy craziness...and look into scripture, God will speak to me & I WILL know his voice.

While I certainly wish that God would just scream from the heavens & guide me in an audible way, I don't have to make decisions on my own. I can rely on Him and he will guide me in the ways that are right.

Kings 19:8-12 (The Message)

He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"

"I've been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."

Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."

A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.

So that's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to listen for those gentle whispers as God leads me down the right paths & shows me the right decisions. It's not easy, but I know the rewards will be oh so worth it!

Of course, if Bogey (our yellow lab) begins speaking audibly to me I might think I'm going crazy before I ever consider it might be the voice of God!

Midweek Hodge Podge

After such a busy weekend, this week has been just what the doctor ordered. No big plans or obligations complete with beautiful fall weather. What more could I ask for?

~My parents are on vacation this week which means a fairly slow work-week for me. I do a lot of daily work helping my dad so that all kind of gets put on hold when he's out.

~Hubby & I decorated our front porch for Fall before he left for Chicago last week. We went to our favorite pumpkin stand and filled up on various gourds, pumpkins, Indian corn, and a hay bale. It looks fabulous...I just love Fall!

~My entire family, mom & dad, brother & his wife, Hubby & I, and my mom's parents are all headed to Dallas, TX at the end of October. My grandpa is the original Dallas Cowboy fan in our family & my parents & brother are diehard fans! I just consider myself a Cowboy fan by default but we're all going to a Dallas Cowboys game and I'm already excited!

~At the end of last week I was finally able to shut off the a/c. Neither one of us likes to sleep with the windows open but it's so nice to come home after work to the fresh air streaming through the house. Plus, it makes for nice cool mornings with the windows open all night.

~We've got plenty of plans for the weekend but nothing near as crazy as last weekend. Frieday night we've got a double-date planned with one of Hubby's colleagues and his wife. Pizza and Wall Street is what's planned for now, I'm really looking forward to seeing that movie! Has anyone seen it yet?

~Anyone else having trouble keeping up with the DVR? We're only able to watch about an hour or so each night so we're getting more and more behind. I think we might have to have some marathons just in order to stay on track! Of course we'd have to have time for those marathons!

Hope everyone is enjoying the Fall weather as much as we are...dinner last night was hamburgers and homemade french fries out on the deck! Perfection!

Wanted: A Weekend for my Weekend

I'm definitely in need of another weekend after the craziness of this past weekend. It was nonstop from the start on Friday morning.

But first, this was Hubby's annual golf trip weekend. He left early, early Friday morning and didn't get back until late last night. However, he came home on Thursday evening with these in his arms!

Love the brightly colored daises & roses!

They are so fun, & just make me smile when I walk into our kitchen!

I've decided that for the rest of the weekend, it'd just be easier to break this into a time-line of what happened and when since there was absolutely no down time.

Friday-
5:00 am: Woke up to take Hubby & his friend to the airport; came home and got ready for work.

8:30 am to 5:00 pm: Work

5:30 pm: Took Bogey for a quick walk in the daylight

7:00 pm: Dinner with a great friend, complete with enlightening conversation and fabulous food

9:30 pm: Attempt to go to sleep early with another early morning ahead of me, but my head couldn't stop spinning--finally fell asleep at about 11:30 pm only to wake up again at 3:30 with heartburn. Couldn't go back to sleep. Ughhh...not good with a 5:30 am wake-up call

Saturday:

5:30 am: Woke up for a day of craft shows with my best friend Andrea.

8:00 am to 6:00 pm: Sold tons and tons of bows, flowers, hats, & headbands as over 55,000 people descended upon a small town fall festival. Wow, there were people every where.

This was looking down Main Street, people everywhere. The weather was beautiful and everyone was definitely out enjoying the fall sunshine.

7:00 pm: Along with her husband, fooled Andrea into thinking we were simply having dinner at Zio's with her parents to celebrate her birthday. However, that small dinner was actually about 25 of her closest friends & family joining together to surprise her for her 30th! Happy Birthday Andrea!

Andrea & her fabulous husband Derek--I seriously love this couple more than words could express. I was so honored to be able to join in planning her big party!

Her fabulous birthday cake...loved the design! Derek & I definitely picked out a great one!

Make a wish...complete with trick candles!

I think maybe Andrea was just a little bit surprised & happy with her surprise party!

Besties...seriously, my best friend in the whole wide world and a gorgeous momma to be!

10:00 pm: Home in time to feed Bogey & CRASH!!! Time to get ready for another day at the craft show!

Sunday:

9:00 am: Slept in and missed early service, but awake in time to go help with the craft show again.

11:00 am through 4:00 pm: Sold a few more bows, but mainly just tried to stay warm as Fall has definitely arrived. Upper 50s, windy, & drizzle are certainly not ideal conditions for a craft show.

5:30-7:30: Small Group, another fabulous night with even more fabulous people!

7:55 pm: Hubby's plane lands & I'm there to meet him at the airport. Oh how I missed him, even though I wouldn't have even been home to see him.

I do have to brag on my Hubby just a bit. This year he created & designed a fabulous trophy/cup for the golf trip. Well, he managed to bring it home as he was this year's Big Winner!

The "official" cup; I'd try to explain exactly what the inscription means, but I'm sure I wouldn't explain it correctly.

Hubby & I spent the rest of the evening taking Bogey for a walk & ended up heading to be incredibly early. If we can't have a weekend for our weekend at least we could try and catch up on some sleep!

Honored & Humbled

Last night Hubby & I stopped by our friends' house to drop something off for this weekend. Derek & Andrea are two people that 3 years ago I didn't even know. They are a couple who randomly knew the same couple we did and were invited to the same small group that Hubby & I had decided to join.

D & A are two incredible people that even with their ridiculous love for all things Chicago Cubs and our obvious love for all things St Louis Cardinals have come into our lives and I honestly can't imagine life without them. Derek & Nick are like brothers, Andrea & I are like sisters--but without the drama & fighting.

We had planned on it being a very simple stop, just running a cooler into the house and coming back out. While it was still a short stop, two small, but incredibly significant, things occurred as we stood there in their living room chatting away.

First...as the boys talked about Fantasy football, Andrea asked me to watch her kids should she go into labor during the evening. You see, Andrea is 8+ months pregnant with their 3rd child and she wanted her 2 kiddos to be able to stay at home where they were comfortable. And guess what, that includes Hubby & I. This may seem like such small potatoes, but for Derek & Andrea to put their kids in our hands during such an important time seems like a huge deal to me.

and Second...which is a much bigger deal than the first. As we were getting ready to leave, Andrea says "We have one more thing to ask of you." Derek & Andrea are Catholic & quite devout; but also just devout in their desire to raise Christ-centered children who know Jesus & know the love the God has for all of us. Well being Catholic, each child has godparents...and after explaining what our duties would be, Derek & Andrea asked if we would be their new baby boy's godparents. Wow...what a humbling request. We of course said yes, we'd be so incredibly honored.

Godparents, really? We'll be responsible for attending the baptism, & while another Catholic parrisioner will be charged with the duties of raising up the child in the ways of the church, we'll also be responsible for helping to raise this precious child and providing good examples of a Christ-centered life.

It seems crazy to me that three years ago God would put 2 couples together who would so quickly become fast friends and count on each other for everything. God works in amazing ways & I'm so thankful for the BFF's He brought into our lives.

Now, if only I can be the godmother He wants me to be. ;o)

Tit for Tat

From the time Hubby & I were married we have shared practically everything & for the most part our entire marriage has been based upon fairness. Even our fun money is joint & we don't have separate accounts where our discretionary income is divided between us. When we were married, two became one, in practically every way possible. I realize this financial situation doesn't work for every couple, but it works for us.


Due to our fully shared finances, this also means that should one of us desire to make a big purchase it is fully discussed & for the most part reciprocated. For example, Hubby has a very expensive hobby....golf. It's not so much the sport of golf that's expensive, but the tournaments Hubby chooses to play in.


I certainly don't expect to be "reimbursed" for his tournament entry fees. I realize that each of us will have times when we have large expenses and eventually it will all work itself out. However, when he brings it up I'm always more than happy to oblige!


So...meet Kristin, my new Coach hobo bag in the signature print!
I had mentioned wanting/needing a new fall purse so that was the obvious answer for my tit for tat transaction! I just love it and it's the perfect fall accessory.


I hate it when Hubby is away for the weekend for a golf tournament but I certainly love the paybacks!

Weekend Rewind

I'm beginning to wonder if summer is ever going to end! The fall festivals are in full swing, but the temperatures seem to fighting the fact that the offical start of Fall is this week! Highs in the upper 80s, low 90s with high humidity made for a hot weekend at Applefest 2010, but it was fun nonetheless. It at least made the apple cider slush taste that much better going down!

Friday was a fairly slow day at the event, but the customers were fairly steady. We packed up about 5:30 and headed home. Hubby & I spent the rest of the evening relaxing, complete with pizza and a movie.

Saturday was a full day at Applefest complete with the parade. My hometown has a designation that only a few other communities in the US have....The Home of the White Squirrels. Our school mascot is not the white squirrel but this is our claim to fame & it always seem to shine with any community event. This year the white squirrel came through in two completely distinct versions...

The SCARY white squirrel (this creature seems to look something like a cross between a squirrel & a dragon)

and the friendly, cuddly firefighting white squirrel! This one is much more pleasant to look at!

My friend had a fairly successful day in regards to sales considering the heat & the seemingly small crowds. I was quite disappointed in the number of people in attendance--at least the sales made up for it! Our hubby's came down late on Saturday afternoon to help us break down & load up the tent. We finished off the evening with dinner at a local BBQ joint that has some of the best BBQ I've ever eaten! I think we made it back to house about 8:00 and I was asleep in our bed by 8:30--the heat was so draining I was exhausted!

Yesterday was the first Sunday for 2 services at our church...9:30 & 11:00. We have plans to attend the early service most of the time so we can have more of our day. That also leaves us free to serve during the second service if needed. With early church we headed down to Branson for a nice lunch at Cantina Laredo. Yummm!! We ran a few errands & made it home just in time to prepare snacks for small group last night. I was in charge and Chex Puppy Chow was on the menu. I also brought some grapes & strawberries just to add a little bit of healthy!

Last night was the first meeting our our new small group & I couldn't be more excited! The new group is basically half of our original small group plus one new family. We're doing a study called Whispers by Bill Hybels & I'm already excited for what God is going to teach us all in the next 6 weeks!

This week is fairly calm for us...hopefully I'll be more productive than last week! Every night last week I simply sat around and watched tv until it was time to walk Bogey & then it was time for bed. I've got a to-do list this week which includes some cleaning and Fall decorating! Maybe if I decorate for Fall then some cooler temperatures will come as well!

Applefest 2010

This weekend is one of those weekends that makes me happy to have grown up and to work in a small town. This weekend is our annual fall festival, Applefest. My workplace is located downtown where the festival is located that means as of about 11:00 tomorrow morning it will be incredibly difficult to reach our office. What does that mean? Early weekend for me! Our offices are also closed on Saturday as there will be food, craft, & game booths lining the streets!

Our fall festival has been occurring in September for the last 20+ years. I honestly can't remember a time in my life when Applefest didn't exist. Small town fall festivals are always such a crazy atmosphere. I have so many memories of walking the downtown streets, eating a ridiculous amount of junk food, and falling down fast asleep after a long day.

I remember one year when "Magic Ink" was popular and we had ink fights through the city streets with my classmates. I remember a very rainy September when our city park was flooded & we spent time playing in the high water. I remember finding a time each year to make an apple pie with my granda to enter in the annual Apple Pie Baking Contest. I remember watching my dad, grandpas, and family friends bid each other up in the auction held for the apple pies. I remember the year I stood there holding my pie and was awarded Top of the Crust, the best pie in the competition. I remember marching in the band through the streets of my town.

For the past several years I've been unable to attend due to a variety of things, but this year I'll actually be there in a craft booth. I'll be helping my friend Andrea sell fabulous bows for darling little girls & I'm actually really excited! I'm excited for the "homecoming" type atmosphere where everyone seems to come back and I'm also excited for all the yummy Applefest food! Apple Cider slush, caramel apples, apple pizza, I love it all!

Woohoo, it's gonna be a fabulous weekend!

Parenthood

Last night was the season premier of one of our favorite shows, Parenthood on NBC. We seriously love this show. It's a show that manages to frustrate us, make us laugh, and yet can also cause tears to form all in the matter of an hour. I just love the characters, their quirks are so much like reality & Hubby & I just love that we can relate so much to so many of the situations.



I feel like the show is truly quality entertainment. A show that still manages to entertain while being void of all the language, sex, drugs, & violence that seem to fill so many shows these days. Sure, language, sex & drugs might still be discussed...but only in the appropriate context; that of a parent trying to instill quality values in their children by teaching them lessons regarding such topics.

While it's probably unrealistic, I mean it is television, that all of these quirks and situations would manage to happen to one family--there are still so many situations that just make you feel as if you could have been there. As if you could have been the one yelling at your mom for being neurotic while teaching you to drive, or as if you could have been the sibling who was supposed to have everything together only to have it all fall apart. As the fall shows start up again I highly recommend adding this to your DVR, I know we won't be missing an episode!

The Last of Week of CeeCee

Alright, so I missed book club last week and honestly, haven't had a chance to catch up. Well, at least I made it back the last group of chapters for The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes.



1. At the end we find out Tim was sending Cory money because he thought she could be his daughter since he was having an affair with Genevieve. Did you see this coming?
~Absolutely not! I had decided that the money was coming from Tim, but this whole little issue caught me completely off guard. I guess his focus on Genevieve and thus on Cory makes much more sense; but I never expected Tim to believe he might be Cory's dad!

2. By the end of the story, what were your feelings about Eve? How had they changed since the beginning?

~I'm honestly not sure if they had changed at all. Although she made some extremely poor choices, I've thought from the beginning she was extremely courageous. While she obviously was a little delayed in coming forward with the truth, it took an incredibly amount of courage to come out with all the brutal details of what she went through. She's a woman who's been through a life that I can't even imagine and even though I certainly didn't always agree with her decisions, she did what she thought she needed to to survive and protect her family.

3. Were you happy with the way President Russel treated Cory?

~Yes and no. I felt like Russel treated Cory herself quite well--however, they attacked the only mother she had ever known without even hearing the details. I can't imagine how they were feeling & I'm sure nothing really mattered to them except that Genevieve had died. They didn't seem to care how and in some ways I felt like Cory being alive played second fiddle to Genevieve being dead.


4. If you were in Cory's shoes and had just found out all of this about the woman who raised you and who you believed to be your mother, how would you react? Would you forgive?
~I think I most likely would have reacted in the exact same way Cory did--Complete disbelief, extreme anger, followed by heartbreaking hurt. In the end, I hope that I would have the strength to forgive the way she did by recognizing all the love that Eve had for Cory.

5. In your mind, how does this story end? Do they all live happily ever after? Does Cory go on having relationships with her old family and her new family?

~I like to think that they lived as happily ever after as possible. I think eventually Cory will probably have to choose where the majority of her allegiance will lie; of course, it'd be a fairy tale ending if Cory was able to experience family life with both families. Something about Russel & his daughter just doesn't make me think that they're going to be too quick to completely forgive Eve.

6. How do you think Cory has changed throughout the story? Have your feelings about her changed?

~Like Eve, Cory has gone through an incredible amount of heartache in such a short period of time. I feel like in the blink of an eye she has changed from immature girl to powerful, independent woman. While she could blame some of her issues on her mom, at some point she needed to step up and take responsibility for her actions & her life...I think she's finally able to do that by getting ready of Ken. Thank goodness!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was in incredibly quick read & probably not so much intellectually stimulating as simply entertaining. However, sometimes I really enjoy those that draw me in and I don't have to think much to follow. Some might feel this makes for a terrible book--but many times I read to escape & this book provided a story for me to get lost in.

Book Beginnings & Bookends has just finished up their first book, so come on over & join up with us as we pick the next book!

Housewife Weekend

Well, according to Hubby, this weekend was a housewife weekend--meaning I was basically the definition of housewife with my chosen activites. I'm not sure whether I should consider that a good thing or a bad thing--but I had a pretty great weekend so either way is fine with me!

Friday night I had planned to cook dinner at home, but by the end of the day I was less than excited about spending time in the kitchen. Hubby treated me to a quick dinner out followed by nothing other than a bit of fro-yo from Orange Leaf. We finished up the evening by stopping by our friends' Derek & Andrea's house with the intention of playing some cards. Seeing as how we hadn't hung out in a while, the card games never happened but we had some great conversation which is always a great way to end the night.

Saturday was my true housewife day. Hubby had class all day so I spent the day working around the house spending most of my time in the kitchen. I baked & did laundry & washed dishes. I was able to take a quick break to go help Andrea with preparations for craft show season. She sells hairbows, flowers, hats, & tutus for little girls & the craft show season is starting at the end of the week. I helped out last year at a few shows & I'm doing so again this year. It's a great way to spend time with my best friend & also just a lot of fun. Our main goal was to come up with a great table display & think we definitely succeeded!

Definitely not the finished product, but I love all the bright colors...doesn't that just make you want to buy a hat and put a big flower on it?

Before & after spending time with Andrea I had several things to work on in the kitchen. We had a 5th Anniversary Celebration at our church this morning which included an all church lunch. Our small group was in charge of pasta or potato salad so I whipped up a quick pasta salad. I used a recipe from Tasty Kitchen and was certainly pleased with how it came out.

Next on my list for the kitchen was an idea I had on a whim. I've never made bread or rolls from scratch & I decided what better day to do it then a day when Hubby is gone all day & I've got plenty of time. So, I turned to my dear friend (ok well maybe I don't know her, but I feel like I do) Pioneer Woman & decided her dinner rolls were an easy place to start for my first bread-making experience. It was super easy, just time-consuming; which I'm sure had something to do with the fact that I'd never made bread before!

The dough, all risen & ready for the rolls!

Now just waiting on the rolls to rise a bit...this recipe made about 3 dozen rolls--I ended up freezing a lot of them so Hubby & I could have fresh bread with dinner.

This particular recipe was for pull-apart dinner rolls. You simply roll up 3 walnut-sized balls of dough & put them in muffin tins. I also made a small pan of regular rolls which worked out fine as well. However, the pull-apart aspect made it look like I knew what I was doing!

Golden brown on top, they might seem a little brown in the photo but they were perfect. Even PW said to let them get a little brown and she was right...which I think she probably always is when it comes to the kitchen!

Unfortunately, the last ones didn't come out of the oven until after 9:00 last night so I avoided the temptation to eat one so late. However, I'm a huge fan of peanut butter & honey on rolls so that's what was on the menu for breakfast this morning. Yum....I just love homemade bread!

I'll definitely be trying this recipe again. It was so easy & required no kneading! This is the same recipe PW uses for her famous cinnamon rolls so I think those will be next on my list to try.

As I mentioned, today's church service was a celebration of what God has done at Northbridge Church in the past 5 years. Nick & I have been members of the Northbridge family for 3 of those 5 years and it's so exciting to see how God has been at work & how I know he's going to bless our church family in the years to come.

The members of our original small group who attend Northbridge. The great thing about our small group is that it's certainly not exclusive to those who attend Northbridge; but it's also wonderful to worship with these fabulous people each week.

After lunch Hubby & I came home to finish up a bit of yardwork. We had two additional flower beds to finish up & while we didn't get completely finished we were able to get quite a bit done. We stopped when we ran out of supplies & were able to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing.

Tonight we had a casual meeting with our new small group. Our original small group was feeling called to birth a new group so our group separated. Now we have 2 groups who will hopefully be bringing the blessings of small group life to many more families. The new group Hubby & I attend still has 3 of the couples from our original group & we're hoping to add 1-2 more families in the coming weeks. I can't wait to see how God works through our small groups to reach more & more families!

Friday Fall Favorites!

As Labor Day has come and gone, I'm just like everyone else & I'm ready for Fall! It was a nasty rainy day yesterday, but the sun has come out this morning which means the heat, humidity & a chance of severe storms is back. Ughh...maybe fall will be here sooner rather than later.

However, this hasn't dampened my Fall spirit. So...in honor of all things fall, here's some of my favorite fall finds...so far. I'm sure there'll be more to come when fall actually arrives!

OPI Diva of Geneva

This is the polish I chose for my mani/pedi while in Michigan & I love it. I'm thinking I need to go purchase a bottle very soon! It's the perfect purply, red, fuschia blend & a wonderful fall color!

Banana Republic Cozy Ruffle Cardigan

Ruffles are everywhere this year & I just love this cardigan! It got put to good use in Michigan! I paired it with a black belt, dark skinny jeans, black ballet flats, &...

this Banana Republic Plaid Ruffle Shirt. Can you tell that ruffles are everywhere? And I believe you can't ever have too many! And finally, my favorite. The Gianni Bini "Ruby" Boot. Hubby spotted these several weeks ago, but I hadn't bought them waiting on them to go on sale. Lucky for me I didn't even have to pay for them! These were a gift from my mother-in-law when we got to Michigan. Something about Hubby getting a new golf club & she wanted me to have something too...I'm certainly not complaining!

Can't wait to put these to good use in the coming months!

Back from Up North

What a whirlwind trip! Hubby & I got back last night from our surprise trip to Michigan. It was a fabulous trip & we pulled off the surprise with no mishaps! My MIL came to the airport to pick us up under the story of needing to make a last minute funeral dish for a service the next morning. My FIL had finally decided she'd been gone long enough and got up to look in the driveway. It just so happens we pulled up at the exact time & he saw me sitting in the backseat...his first thoughts were "What's she doing here? Where's Nick? Where's their car?" He finally put it together...the surprises kept coming & he was definitely thrilled.

The weekend up north was certainly not the ideal weather. We drove in the rain most of the day Friday & then the weather was miserable on Saturday. Pouring down rain, 40 mph wind gusts and air temperatures only in the 50s made for a less than desirable day. The boys had to postpone the golf for the day but we made the best of it with some shopping, a quick visit to the local casino where we had some vouchers for free play. I'm thankful to say the casino lost money on us! We spent the rest of the evening hanging out in the condo & watching a movie. It was a rainy, dreary day but we still had a great, relaxing time!

A casualty of the high winds

The highlight of the rainy day was walking out on the city pier to look over Lake Michigan...the water was a little choppy.

We had a great time watching the waves crash on this pier...

The surf was incredible...

See that lighthouse at the end of the pier...

Going...

Going...

Gone...

And then it's back. Unbelievable!

Love this photo...Nick had his sunglasses on to protect his eyes from the wind. Great contrast with his cheesy smile & my squinty-eyed frown with crazy hair!

My fabulous in-laws with the pier in the background.

Thankfully, the next morning was still very brisk but the sky was clear blue & the sun was shining. My mil and I dropped the boys off at their first golf destination & headed to the spa for manicure & pedicures. After the yucky day before, I was more than ready to be pampered!

The shoreline was gorgeous!

Nick & his dad spent most of Sunday golfing. They were able to reschedule their Saturday tee time for Sunday afternoon which worked out perfect!

They had some incredible views while on the course!

Lake Michigan was just a little bit calmer than it was the day before!

While the boys were on the links, we spent time shopping at a variety of areas including the adorable Main Street area of Harbor Springs! I so wish Missouri had cute shopping areas like this!

After the boys were finished with their last round, we headed to dinner at a local place down by the harbor. It had a fabulous casual atmosphere & was a great end to the trip.

I couldn't believe the size of some of the boats in the harbor...it was ridiculous!

Oh and Nick & I found our next home...complete with yacht garage! What do you think? I know it's kind of modest, but perfect for our next small family home!

Loved the pier & having the sun on my face!

My fabulous in-laws, love this picture of them enjoying the sunset while we explored the pier!

What a fabulous way to cap off the summer! It's back to the real world, but a short work week will be wonderful!

A Big Birthday Surprise

Whew...finally! I can finally let the cat out of the bag! Hubby & I along with a ton of help from his mom planned a big surprise for my father-in-law's 60th birthday. He's not a big party kind of guy, but we figured out something that would be even better!

Yesterday, Sept 2nd, he turned the big 6-0 and we couldn't allow him to spend it alone. We flew into Detroit late last night and Hubby's mom picked us up at the airport. I don't think my father-in-law had a clue--or at least I hope not! I wrote this post before we left, but couldn't chance ruining the surprise. Hopefully everything went off without a hitch!

Between the 3 of us, we've planned a fabulous birthday weekend in Northern Michigan complete with golf for the boys, shopping & a spa morning for the ladies, yummy food, & beautiful Lake Michigan! We'll be back middle of next week with plenty of photos & stories!

Happy Birthday David! It's a big one, and we love you so much!