Blog Blitz

Seriously, I recently (well about a month ago) got acrylic nails on again. This time I did it b/c I was picking my nails so very badly that they would hurt and looked something aweful. The lady at the nail salon chided me about it and I caved into her pressure. I actually like them this time around...because I got them cut way short...I'm actually able to do thing with them! But...I'm too cheap to get them filled every 2 weeks...that's like a $30 monthly bill for crying outloud so I waited and before I knew it...they'd grown so long that I couldnt' do anything with them again...including type!!! It was miserable to type with them...type...backspace...type...backspace...type...delete etc. so I was neglecting my blog these past few days because typing was so miserable. But I got them filled and cut last night and now I'm good to go. So I figured I'd do a blogging blitz and get you caught up on as much as possible before these nails grow again. LOL!

********************Teresa & Chuck meet Kate & Tony**************************

Kate is someone I met a while ago in blogland. I feel like I know Kate pretty well and I think it's safe to say that we've become pretty good friends over the years. We share the same opinions about politics (because we are right!) LOL and on many other things including our faith even though she is Catholic and I am not...which I think is just plain beautiful. So recently when Kate told me that she'd be up here in Michigan vacationing, I was estatic to get a chance to meet up with her and double estatic when I realized that it would work out with Chuck's work/traveling schedule for us to meet as couples this time around. We met in a beautiful lakefront town called Saugatuk and had dinner together. We had a very nice time chatting over dinner and let me tell you, Kate's husband has a great sense of humor! He had us cracking up repeatedly! We really clicked as 'couples' and that doesn't happen often. We enjoyed a walk around town w/ more chatting and chuckling. We coudn't resist stopping off at an ice cream shop along the way to end the perfect evening w/ the perfect dessert. I so wish that Kate and Tony lived closer to us as I KNOW we would have a ton more fun times. But we are fortunate enough to have them as close as Chicago and we are already planning a day trip to the city to meet up again. Thanks guys for a fabulous evening!!

Here's a picutre fron our dinner that we asked the waitress to take of us. Unfortunately, in Saugautck they don't say "say cheese"...they say "say Ghonorehia" and that's why my face looks so weird in this photo...some drunk guy was yelling "say ghonorehia!!" over and over just before she snapped it. Apparently this is the face I make when someone randomly yells out STD's in restaurants.

********************God Totally Reads My Blog******************************

I've been struggling in my faith walk for a while now. I know God is good and definately hears me when I pray but I was hung up on a few things and my faith life was slipping big time. I'm not totally fixed by any means (are we ever?) but I press on and try to work daily disciplines back into a very hectic life. One of the desires of my heart for a while now is "couple friends". I very much miss our relationships that we had back in Oklahoma where we had tons of "couple friends". Couple friends are where the husband and wife are friends with another husband and wife. Most of my relationships here in Michigan are just "girl friends" who meet up during the daytimes. Dont' get me wrong I treasure those relationships as well but I've been desiring more. It's hard to find them. It's almost like dating! Well, it seems that just after I wrote about that on my blog that God has been at work in that area! First was our meeting up wtih Tony and Kate and the guys "hitting it off" so well. That just tickled my heart and I coudn't stop smiling when I saw the connection that Tony and Chuck had so quickly. The other thing is a couple in our neighborhood that I actually went to highschool with. Moving back to your old hometown, especially when it's a small one, will definatley have you running into old highschool classmates! Well, we do have kids the same age and they play together in the neighborhood on and off but things began to change when she invited me to her Pampered Chef party back in January. I'll be honest, I only went so I could see the inside of her house...LOL...but I ended up loving the kitchen gadgets and booked a show off her too. It was when she came to my show and we had just recently left our church of 4 years that I asked her where they were attending church (as I already knew we were very much alike in our belief systems). She invited me to their church and we fell in love with it and have been attending ever since. I think just knowing that we share that bond and do both attend the same church has just made our relationship blossom into a very good friendship. We talk a lot now, she and I rode together to a ladies breakfast recently. I really enjoy their company, our kids get along fabously, and the best part is that the husbands really get along great too! How cool is it to have such great friends right in your neighborhood?! One thing I love the most is that they seem to have certain things figured out in areas that we don't yet and I'm excited to learn and get tips from them in this area as well. I'm so happy that God brought us together!!

*******Update on the ongoing project that my sexy hunk of man has been working on*****

When we shopped for this house, number 1, it was winer time and number 2, we were so very foucused on getting a the floor plan that we so desired and we knew we could change everything else in time. Since there was snow covering all the ground we did not know that we also got an incredible fish pond, a nice firepit and a raised garden bed. I swear every single day that the snow began to melt we got another gift...it was crazy and so much fun. What we did not know that that there basically was no yard. It was all weeds at best! Did I mention we have 1 acre? An acre of weeds w/ no underground sprinkling. Not good. As the landscape grew up I realized that whomever planted what was growing had no rhym or reason as to how or why he placed things. Because we were focused on the floor plan on the house I overlooked how boring and ugly the front of the house was. It was plain vinyl siding all around. No trim, no shutters, no definition in the roof line. No character. So, this summer I've been collecting beautfiul perennials and I've just been planting them in the ground whereever. Chuck has been focusing on beefing up our pillars on the front porch. They were little stick things and I wanted tapered ledgestone pillars. While brainstorming ideas of how to spruce up the front of the house, we decided to add ledgestone to each side of the garage as well. We plan to add white trim around the windows, door, and garage along with new black garage lamps. Chuck has been working hard as he's never done anything like this before and when you spend $750 on JUST the ledgestone...not to mention the tools, wood, morter etc. etc. you need to know what you are doing. We've got a pretty penny invested into this project but we are sure it will drastically change the look of our house...thus making it easier to sell if/when the time is appropriate and until then, for our pure enjoyment. After the pillars, ledgestone work, trim and lights are finished we'll move onto the landscape. We plan to ditch the rocks (I know, I know, it's way smarter as you don't have to replenish/refresh them each season but I think they only add to the "boring factor" in the front of the house b/c they are generally the same color as the grey siding) and replace them with bark mulch. That brown color will break up the green grass and grey siding creating definition. After we do that, I'll replace/replant my perennials etc. The lawn on the other hand is going to take a while. We will re-seed in September and see what happens. So...this huge project is slow...takes a ton of time for each step in the process but by next summer, our hosue should look Ah-mazing!!

Here's a sneak peak at what it will look like...

*****************************Fourth of July*****************************

We had a great Fourth of July this year. We didn't have any real plans to begin with. Our kids were supposed to be IN the parade riding the Awana float but at the last minute realized that they would not be "collecting" candy if they rode. So we watched the parade instead. It was such a great day as the weather was so perfect...normally 4th of July is so stinking HOT and ungodly HUMID here. After thouroughly enjoying the parade we headed over to our small town's park. The small town we live in makes a very big deal of 4th of July and I love that! Everyone gathers at the township park for a chicken BBQ put on by the Lions Club and boy was that good! Then the kids played the typical kids games and Logan entered a pie eating contest. But decided "why rush" and just ate his pie nice and slow. LOL!! There was a car show and a critter petting area as well. That is where we met up with our new friends and neighbors and they invited us to go to the races later that evening and there was fireworks afterwords. I jumped at the chance b/c I love going to the racetrack but havne't been there since before we moved to OK. I was hesitant about taking all 3 kids as it's loud, there's bleachers and it goes till late, but we said what the heck...the worst that happens is we leave. They brought their kids and so did we and we had the most amazing time. The kids did fantastic the entire time and loved the races!! The fireworks were great too and all in all it was a perfect day and evening! It felt so great to be doing things with another couple as it's been sooooo long! What an answer to prayer that was!

*****************Where is my "X" and how do I get another one?*******************

I was taking all my keys off on my laptop so I could get all the crumbs and mostly Grover hair out from underneath them and yes I'm just like that...I like those keys clean. The spray-air can was just not getting all the hair! Well, I busted the "X" key in the process of it and now I have no "X". I mean I have it but I have to manually take my keys off the keyboard and push the little rubber thingy to get it. I need that little plastic part that goes underneath but I don't even know what it's called to even find it! So...thankfully it's only the "X" and not a more popular letter. LOL!!

Well that's all for my Bloging Blitz for now. I think I've gotten you caught up on everything so far except our camping trip and that is next.