Power Trip to CA

A quick trip to California for work... I left Thursday morning at 8:25 am and was on the red home Friday night.  A very fast and tiring trip after not adjusting to the CA time.... But a very cool sight was flying into the sun rise.

Work Madness

Pardon my rant, but I just can't post this to Facebook.  Work has been an absolutely zoo.  And it seems that all the work is being dumped on my plate. Don't get me wrong, I love to work and love being busy.  But my work level has reached a new level and when I look at the cube next to me and they are reading a magazine, my frustration just get higher.

Okay... enough about my rant. Off to California on Thursday for a quick 2 day trip training session with our dealers and then a much needed week of vacation with no wedding planning or preparation to do.  But the will be a lot of puppy loving.  We are picking up Miller this Saturday.  Look out now... our family of 3 will soon be 4... 2 humans and 2 dogs.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Ryan!
Happy Birthday to you!


Love you!

Then! And now!

Ryan's Big Day

Ryan's birthday is Monday... but he got his present a little early.  Ever since we got married and sold the lake house, (and way before then) he has bee talking about how badly he wants a '67 Chevelle.  Well yesterday his dream came true.  And I think the smile on his face all day and even still today made it totally worth it.  Picture a kid on Christmas morning and then multiple that by 10.... and that just might be how excited he was.

Driving the car home from the previous owner's house

Saturday we drove it home and then headed out for our first cruise.  A very short cruise since it's technically not plated to us yet.  But nonetheless, we ventured to the OG for a quick lunch and then to Tractor Supply.  And then back home.  I mowed the front lawn, which is the only grass that is still alive, and Ryan changed his oil in his truck.  Then we had an impromtu cleaning session in the shop and everything got put back together. He now knows where all his tools are and the back room in the barn can actually be walked through again.  Oh and the Chevelle has a new parking spot.

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

So Ryan and I split a half of a cow with the Weldens. In honor of that, we had to buy a chest freezer to store it all. But the freezer was definitely needed as we had butter stored in our ice bin.

So if you plan to come for dinner.... We are having beef.

God's Work

Tonight God painted one of the most beautiful skies over the wheat field.

I'm working on my photography skills well.  They need a little tuning up.

Footprints

Funny story to preface the footprints story.  Last week, Ryan and I walked out to water the garden.  I put on my rain boots because we had gotten a little rain.  When we got back to house, we walked through the breeze way (between the garage and the house) and there were these footprints of dried mud.  I freeked out a little because I didn't remember seeing them when we left (and of course we didn't lock the house).  So I made Ryan go in the house and check it all out... even the upstairs.  Then it dawned on me... my rain boots that I had worn had been sitting right where the dried mud had started.  Turns out.... it was my footprints.  The boots had mud on them from when my sister Mary did some weed wacking.  Oops!!  Guess my mind got the best of me there.

Anyway... more footprints!  The last couple nights when we've been watering the garden, we've noticed footprints.  Thinking they are deer prints, but nothing has been eaten so far.  I'm just hoping that it stays that way and we don't walk about there one evening and find that everything has been eaten because it all looks great right now.

Stay tuned... it might be time to add that fence.

Finally some rain

The rain finally found us... after many weeks without any, Sunday we got 0.15 inches of rain and then yesterday we got a half inch of rain!  Doesn't sound like much, but our grass isn't totally dead anymore and the garden really appreciated God's rain instead of water from the well.  Let's hope the next stretch of time betweens rains isn't quite so long.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best dad ever!!

My Top 10 Memories with Dad

1. Trips to Alaska (1, 2 and soon to be 3)
2. Riding in the tractor and combine
3. Giving me my high school diploma
4. Helping me make my decision to take the job at Hino
5. Helping me move... and move... and move! (I promise I'm all done moving)
6. Cross country tips in the big maroon/pink van
7. Walking me down the aisle (or the sidewalk)
8. Fireworks!
9. Catching for me in the tool shed
10. Loving me unconditionally!

Thanks Dad for everything!  Love you!

How does your garden grow?

Our garden is rocking it out, mostly thanks to Ryan who has been watering it every day since it hasn't rained in like 2 weeks.  So dry!  All our grass is dead (except the stuff that gets watered by the sprinklers)... we are definitely praying for rain.

Check it out!

I think the pumpkins are doing the best... and even some that we didn't plant that are leftovers from the pumpkins we carved last fall.

Sweet Corn

Tomatoes... and some are already flowering

We are going to have a lot of beans!

 Our Raspberry plants have survived quite a while without even being planted!

Thinning the radishes

SOLD!

Finally after 9 long months... we have sold the lake house.  After a very drawn out process with the buyers, yesterday, everything went smoothly.  Very long, but smoothly.  We were there 2 hours!  The new owner is very nice and seemed to genuinely love the new place and kept complimenting Ryan on all his work - which made him feeling a little better about selling it after all the sweat, time and money he put into it.  So we are happy to say (finally) that we are the proud owners of 1 house!  What a great feeling!

House Closing Take Two

New word on the street... we are closing on the lake house on Friday at 5:30 pm.  Can it really be true this time?!  Let's hope so!  Here's to praying that we only own one house this weekend.  How great would that be?!!

Praying...

1. For rain
2. That our lake house closing this week.
3. Our thank you notes write themselves today
4. And much more.

A weekend for the books

Ryan and I had an amazing weekend. 2 weeks into married life and it keeps getting better!

Saturday morning I had to teach 3 classes at the gym and I survived! But it was a long morning. Ryan fixed Norm and it was funny the problem- the parking brake was on. oops! Then when I got home we enjoyed some lunch in the garage and then came out to the barns and relaxed and ran through the sprinklers- because you are never to old to do that when it's 88 out. For dinner we headed to the OG for some sandwiches and then off to Mike and Jullee for an evening boat ride. So weird going over there and being the boat riders and not owners. Fun and very late night!

Sunday we slept in a little and then off for our first golf outing. First nine were good. Back nine well... Not so good. But in our defense it was 90!

And now we ate sitting in the shade out by the barns. Perfect ending!

Happiness is...

Friday nights at home with the hubby grilling wings and drinking a beer. Ending the night watching the sun set over the wheat field and enjoying a s'more (with a Reese's peanut butter cup) while sitting around the fire.

Stupid Lake House

So our closing on the lake house was supposed to be today.  Ryan and I have scrambled to get enough money to bring with us to closing.  We get a call last night from our realtor that the VA (who the buyers are getting their loan through) want to reevaluate the appraisal.  Really?!  1 dad before closing.  You've got to be kidding me!  So now we wait again.   

What to do with ourselves

After many, many, many weeks of getting ready for the weekend, Ryan and I don't know what to do with ourselves.  It's crazy how after being so busy, we know find ourselves saying... what should we do?!  The bad thing is that a few projects we'd like to do are inside and I just don't feel right about working inside when it's so nice outside... sunny and high 70s - about my favorite temperature.  So we've been watering our tree and watering the garden and taking walks down the lane. 

Not sure how much longer before we start a new project... hmmm... what should we work on?!

The Garden

The garden is looking good!!  Everything is up and growing nicely!  We have been giving it a little shot of water every couple days and can't wait until we can start eating things!

Honeymoon Weekend

Ryan and I decided to do a honeymoon weekend at home and just relax and enjoy being married.  Well we accomplished that.  Friday, we took the day off.  Dad came down in the morning to deliver Norm (who had gotten fixed up) and then to take back his gator.... we were secretly hoping he'd forget about it, but he didn't.  We also got to take Dad out to lunch for sushi.  Great lunch!  Ryan and I then ran some errands - got our joint checking account set-up and changed my name at Chase.  Made some returns to Target and Home Depot.  Then headed to Milan to check out this meat market someone told Ryan about and it was a find!  We got some amazing western potato brat, hot Italian sausage brat, and a chicken and spinach and feta chicken brat.  So yummy!!  We also bought some bacon that was a good 1/4 inch thick and a couple rib eye steaks.  After we left there, we went to Original Gravity so Ryan could enjoy a beer :-)

Saturday, we hit the road about 10:30 for a road trip to antique.  Yes, definitely my idea, but Ryan was game.  We stopped in Jonesville quick and got to see Karle play softball and return a few items left from the wedding. And we were off to Allen, the antique capital of Michigan or something like that.  Well we quickly realized that antiquing in Allen means old crap and sometimes not even that old crap that people don't want.  There was more tea cups, figurines, toys, shoes, clothes... I mean really!  There needs to be some standard for what qualifies as an antique.  We did have a great lunch at Outpost Grill and finally in our last stop, we found what I was looking for!  An old sewing table that matches the one we have. 

Then we headed back and decided to stop at all the places we say look really cool and wish we had more time to stop.  Well today we did! First stop, Cherry Creek Winery on US12... cute little place and okay wines... we did buy a bottle out of courtesy but probably won't go back.  Then for Ryan's highlight of the trip... Randy's BBQ!  And it was great!!  We have ribs, pulled pork and brisket.  Tasty!  We will definitely go back there.  Then a couple beers at Dan's in Clinton.  And finally back home for a little campfire... which didn't last too long as our friends Jason and Christy called and asked if we wanted to go to the OG for a couple beers... so off we went!

Sunday was a great day.  Beautiful morning for church and for planting our unity tree!  We picked our spot and started to dig (well Ryan did) and wouldn't you know it... right in the middle of our hole was the sprinkler line!  So we started digging again and moved the hole over just a little.  It looks great!

Changing my name

Ah the frustration of changing your name. Why can't they make this process easier. Sign your marriage certificate and check a box if you want your legal name changed and then they change it all for you. Sounds so simple but alas it is not. You have to visit the secretary of state and then the social security office. Then the bank and then numerous phone calls to the credit card company, rewards places, etc. Nothing like wasting a day and lots of hours just trying to become Abbey Delaney.