Loving the Mitten State

4 things that I love about Michigan ...

1. If you hold your right hand in front of you (palm toward your face, thumb extended slightly to the right) your hand becomes a state map by which I've received many a referenced direction. You think I'm joking but just this morning I was instructed to visit "the tip of the pinkie." Sleeping Bear Dunes is apparently amazing for a weekend getaway.

2. Everyone loves to share their favorite spot with you. When people find out I'm not a local they launch immediately into, "Well, have you seen this yet ... or have you been here yet?" People all over the place wanting to share their favorite thing about this unusual state with you. (See "pinkie" reference above.)

3. Snow in November. The conditions are very Sugar City-ish which means I've spent several bitter cold mornings reminiscing about my fairly fabulous childhood. Home-made skating ponds, weather too cold for school buses to start, going on an actual date in a snow cave (having lunch and playing board games - talk about creative group dating). It really was an amazing place to grow up! Is it possible to imagine a white Christmas for my kids??

4. Trees. Every neighborhood is connected in some way to a nature preserve. We get to walk through ours every day on the way to school and back. People assured us that it would all become quite ugly as the seasons changed and the leaves fell ... but I tell you it is NOT. The forest was just as exciting and beautiful this morning as it has ever been. We tracked a deer's hoof-prints in the snow (along with a small "pawed" creature) and fresh white snow clung the slender naked branches that stretched way up into the sky. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.

And there you have it. The first, of what I'm sure will become many, lists of reasons I am loving the Mitten State.

p.s. I would love to hear about why you love your state and/or town ... don't dissapoint, fellow bloggers!

Happy Birthday to Gage!

Happy Birthday Gage!!

I can't believe it was already 7 years ago that I sat breathing through contractions as I attempted to give report after a long 12 hour night shift. I distinctly remember Neil saying to me, "If you want to go down stairs, I'm sure I can figure the rest out." It would take until that afternoon to get him here (our little Scuba) but seven years to be able to look back and say that was the moment our lives truly changed FOREVER!! Ahhh, good times.

Gage is the perfect oldest kid. He is the epitome of patience, kindness, forgiveness, do-right-because-it's-right kind of kid. For example, as he left for school today he called back to Sunny, "You can play with my new birthday stuff while I'm at school if you want to." Whoa!! Impressive. He's mentioned before that he wants to marry his little sister because "she's fun to play with and I'll miss her." He plays dead when Ike shoots him. He asked Sunny if she'd be his vice-president when he became the President of the United States. He's just a darn good kid!

p.s. The cake is a re-creation of the end battle scene from Star Wars episode III wherein Obi-wan Kenobi fights Anakin Skywalker and leaves him for dead on the violent volcanic lava planet, Mustafar. A cool cake indeed!

Michigan Halloween

Halloween in Michigan was way more fun that I had anticipated. With weather in the upper 60's the kids didn't even need jackets as we headed out to invade the neighborhood. This area has a great feel to it ... warm neighbors, lots of families out together, strangers waving and saying hello ... perfect Halloween conditions.

No theme to our costumes this year. I apologize ... I'll do better in '09.

I am Bat-boy ...

Trick-or-treaters:
(friends from the ward) Brett and Kate
Sunny, Ike, & Gage

A great time carving our Pumpkin-fest pumpkins - even Steve has a smile on this year!

Batman.

Cat woman (dressed up for a party).

I've been holding off posting any seasonal pictures becasue I was waiting for that one perfect shot that really captures the entire season in one view. But I don't think I'll find it. Instead, I'll have to settle for several different peices of the greater seasonal puzzel. I like these because they're changes that are happening in our yard, our forest, our field ... and that makes the changes personal ... which is better than perfect.

Autumn in the Mid-West looks a bit like this:

Kids running up the front lawn after school eager to roll in the newest leaf pile.

The trail that connects our street to the school yard.

Looks a bit like the Hundred Acre Wood I think.

These trees surround the field at the edge of the school.

I am amazed at the range of colors in just this space:

green ...

orange ...

yellow ...

brown ...

red ...

pink ...

purple ...

This tree greets us at the top of the hill on the way to school.

The sun hits it perfectly in the morning to make it glow.

A neighborhood cat ("Zip") perched in a sea of fallen leaves.

After meeting Zip for the first time Sunny turned to me and said,"I need someone to take me to the pet store to get a cat. We really need a cat."

Gage on Polotics

Gage came home from school yesterday and asked to borrow some paper and a marker. He made a poster supporting McCain. He asked us to put it up in our front yard. He told me he was going to vote for McCain. He told me that Jon McCain can help families. Then he asked Sunny who she was going to vote for, "McCain or O'bama." She said, "O'bama, because I want to win." He never tried to sway our decisions about who we would vote for, he just wanted to let us know where he stood. He's actually been on a solid McCain platform for the last few weeks. I have a feeling the other kids at school are talking politics.

p.s. Gage only agreed to have his poster appear on my blog because he thought it might let other people know that McCain can help them. So ... now you know.

Waddle, waddle, balance check ...

I love the learning-to-walk phase in a baby's life:
Waddle, waddle, waddle ... balance check ... waddle, waddle, fall down, look dissapointed, fuss in protest. Stand back up, waddle waddle ... balance check ... look to see if mom if watching, giggle and grin.

Tired in Michigan

A peek into our Michigan lives ...

Wednesday:

8:30 - home late from work (awake 26 hours straight)
- dash to get Gage to school on time

9:30 - finally ... lay down for a few hours sleep
- Steve juggeling kids and homework

12:00 - wake up, take over as parent, Steve off to class

1:00 - Sunny at neighbors, Ike napping, Jean back to bed

3:40 - overslept! wake up Ike, run to pick up Gage from school

4:00 - come up with a dinner plan that won't end in "You want me to eat what?!?"

4:30 - no clean socks for Gage, start laundry

5:00 - quick shower

5:30 - eat, clean up, try not to snap at kids

6:00 - Steve home from class, takes over as parent

6:15 - scriptures, family prayer, huggs, kisses

6:30 - in the car, back to work (12 hours)

8:00 - single dad puts 3 kids to bed

Thursday:

8:30 - home late again, "run" Gage to school

9:30 - Jean to bed, Steve juggeling homework and kids

10:00 - Ike fussing incessently while pushing new teeth

10:30 - Sunny "bored" and bossy

12:15 - wake up, take over as parent, Steve off to study

12:30 - lunch, more laundry, more cleaning up, still trying not to snap at kids

1:30 - Ike's nap (hallalujah!!!)

2:00 - time for a blog update =)

I think this picture says it all ...