Camping with Thirty One!

So, we've all been MIA lately!  It's been a busy Summer/Fall already however I wanted to post a follow up to one of my last posts.  

My family and I loooooooooooooooooove to camp!  We have a perfect tent for our family and we love being outside all weekend!!  

We have gone on two camping trips this September already!  We went to Silver Lake 3 weeks ago with another family.  The weather was perfect!!!  We are use to going to Silver Lake at the end of the season so it surprised me when the campground was completely full!  Luckily, it was warm enough to go swimming, which it usually is not!  Both families have rhino's, so we enjoyed those on the dunes!

It was my first time packing the truck! 

Here's the results from my first attempt! 

This is Abe in our rhino, he LOVES it!

Ready for the dunes - yes, Del has goggles too!

This is our tent and canopy!  The green bag in the middle of the two is our kitchen from Cabela's!  LOVE IT!

Abe helping me in the tent!

Nice blurry picture of a few of my Thirty-One products!  They were all wonderful and helped me to stay more organized and of course stylish!  :)

For those wondering, the above items are (from left to right):   All of these items are from the old catalog!

About Town Blanket

Organizing Utility Tote - I use this for Abe's diaper bag & the boys & I's bathroom bag

XXL Utility Totes - This was a hostess exclusive item in the prior catalog.  I have a bag, Ry has a bag and I put both boy's clothes in a bag, then I put our dirty clothes in the big bag that the little bags are in!

Large Utility Tote (w/Top-A-Tote) - I use this for everything!!!  It's wonderful to bring to the pool, to carry fragile food in the car, groceries, etc!

Not pictured:

Mini Organizer - This is wonderful to hold plates & silverware!!!

 

 

Baby Steps

What an amazing weekend we had!! 

Silver Lake was wonderful! 

The weather was perfect and everybody enjoyed every minute of being outside!!!

The dunes were beautiful as usual!  However, around lunch on Saturday it was getting pretty busy and with little ones it was a bit hectic but overall it was wonderful!


I enjoyed using all of my thirty-one bags and will post pictures of them in use Tuesday or Friday!!  My phone is charging now and I'm too tired and lazy to walk upstairs to get it.  I took only a handful of pictures with my camera and enjoyed every minute of unplugging!!!


Enjoy every moment to the fullest and when you are scared to make a new step toward something, what I do is pray about it then take baby steps toward a direction.  It may be the wrong direction, but at least you're trying!

 

 

A New Opportunity

Have you heard of thirty-one?  If you have not, you should definitely check out their products!!


I have been to 1 open house party, 1 real party and hosted my own party.

It would be an understatement to say I'm addicted!!!

Because, I am COMPLETELY addicted!!


A few of my favorite items are:
Organizing Utility Tote
Large Utility Tote
XXL Utility Tote Set (this is a hostess only item)


There are so many more items I cannot wait to buy!!!  And there's a new catalog coming out in September!!  EEK!!!!


You choose the pattern and you also can add embroidery to the items - initials, name, sayings, etc!!!


So, the reason for me posting you wonder?!  Well, I've been considering becoming a consultant.  I know, right - it's not like we're busy enough already!  I'm thinking more of when I'm not busy with pictures and being a Mom/Wife and working full time, I'd use that time.  Hmmm...okay, now it doesn't sound too feasible since I wrote that sentence...


If I do decide to take this challenge opportunity, I'll let you all know!!!


I'll post pictures Monday of my favorite items in action!!!

 

 

Reason for the Season

As I was making breakfast for the boys yesterday morning, I looked up and was reminded of just how wonderful our God is!

In His time, everything is beautiful!

Ry and the boys bought me this for Mother's Day and there were so many times I had forgotten to water it and it looked like there was no hope for it.  However, with some extra watering and a little love, I now have 1 rose!!!

That's exactly how God is with us!  We are this rose!  With preparing your foundation and reading your bible, going to church and learning what all God has planned for you, in the end you will rise up and be beautiful!!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, 

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (NKJV).

 

 

~Favorites~

Am I the only one that is loving this weather?!?!?

I was so excited for a session last Saturday for several reasons!  One, I was so excited to be capturing a good friend of mine's son's first birthday!!! 

 Isn't he a cutie?!?!?!

 Love this one!!!!!

 And I loved my outfit!!!  :)

Don't mind the terrible picture, I don't love the camera on my phone!!  

We're actually thinking about switching to Verizon from AT&T.  

Quick question...Do any of you have any suggestions for a phone or if you've liked Verizon?  I am hinting for a iPhone to my hubs!!  :)

If you have not invested in one of these yet...it's a must have for your kitchen!!!!  I bought this one at our local ACE Hardware and loooooooooooove it!  

I believe it was only $7 too!! 

 This is my favorite cookbook right now, it's a cheesecake cookbook and I bought it for $.50 at a garage sale!!!

 Our little 16 month old...ha, who am I kidding, he's not little!  He loves to play with his big brother's toys and he even knows what to do with this computer!!!

The boys having snacks this morning!!!  So cute!!!

Have a blessed weekend!!!!

 

This and That...

With our house for sale, I'm finding new ways to improve our space!  

*If you need to find motivation to keep your house organized and easy to keep clean, put it up for sale!  I am amazed with the projects I'm doing that are making my life easier!!

  

The most recent project has been our pantry!  It's pretty much a closet, but with some shelves and now storage containers, it looks more like a pantry!!  

 These containers are amazing!!!  You can fit pretty much anything in them and it makes the shelf look so much nicer!!!  Plus the boys can see what they want and I know how much is left! 

  And because they are just so adorable!!! 

 

 I also have been having fun with my own version of some braids from Pinterest!  This I'll take pictures of step by step next time...this was my first attempt!!  Pretty cute!!!

 

Trust God

It's been a fabulous week!!!! 

We had my two younger nieces stay with us all week and it was wonderful!  I know Del enjoyed every minute and I'm sure they were happy to have some alone time when they got home!  It was cute watching the girls be so patient with Del!  They were a huge help with Abe also and I was able to get some work done on my week off but I did enjoy every minute of not working also!  :)


We had VBS at our church Monday thru Thursday and it was AMAZING!!!!  I helped with one of the preschool/kindergarten groups and enjoyed every minute!  I just love they way they think!!!  I am so excited for next year!!!


The last day was by far my favorite!!!  God is so good and to know that more of our friends and family will be in Heaven with us is a wonderful feeling!

God is so good and I will try to remember NO MATTER WHAT - TRUST GOD!!!

Pizza Pie

Cooking while camping can be a challenge, however it's been a fun challenge this year!  

We always have the usual - brats, hotdogs and burgers.  However, we have been using our Hobo pie maker a lot this year and it's wonderful!!!

When we were camping Memorial weekend and also over 4th of July, we made pizza pies!  

You start by spraying the inside of the maker, place 1 piece of bread inside, then a little pizza sauce, cheese and any other toppings.  We've added ricotta cheese too, YUM!  Then the other piece of bread and put the maker together.

Place on hot bed of coals, rotate after few minutes then check it and voila!

So, easy and delicious!!!

 

 

Pancakes!!!

For the month of July, my Pinterest craft was Pancakes!!!  Here's my pin!

There are SO many different ideas on Pinterest, it's ridiculous!  Sometimes, it's overwhelming. 

I am trying to find the courage to make some curtains for our sliding door, our future sliding door!  I think I'm just scared, nope...I know I am! 

One, we don't have a sewing machine.

Two, I can barely sew a button on!

And three, I don't even know where to begin!


However, I love the idea of being crafty.  And like I said in my last post, You Never Fail Til You Stop Trying!


So, what am I going to do?!


Well, my cousin and Grandma, are very crafty, so I'm going to ask them for help!  :)


Have a blessed week!!

 

 

You Never Fail...

So, it seems like everybody setting goals for themselves lately...which is great! 

However, when I set a goal...I usually forget about it or change it so I will accomplish it and move on to something else.

I am not a runner, but I use to love to run!  A few of my friends are running/walking in 5K's this year, not me!  I'm totally okay with that!!

I love where I am with my photography business, of course there's always a new camera, lens, or bag I'd love to have but I really do not need right now.  I would love to be completely booked til 2013, but that's seems a little stressful so right now, I feel pretty content with my business!

So, that leaves our house!  Our house is still for sale, so I really do not want to do too many projects around the house, especially expensive projects.  

However, as many of you probably know, Pinterest is very encouraging in the project area so I'm going to commit to making 1 item a month!  

How fun, right?!  

For somebody who is crafty, sure.  Jen - I'm sure I'll be asking for your help!!!  But that's so not me!  

So, this is going to be a challenge but I think once I get the ball rolling, it'll be fun!  I'm sure there will be projects that are a complete fail, but at least I tried!

I have a saying in my kitchen - You Never Fail Til You Stop Trying!  How wonderful is that!!!  

My first project, is going to be a crazy new braid/twist/bun with my hair!  Hey, it counts!!!  I'll post the Pin and also my results!

 

Here's what I pinned...looks simple, huh?!  I can't wait to try it for girls night tonight!!!

 

I am also working on a little project of redoing the boys play area downstairs!  This area drives me CRAZY!!!  They love it, but it's SO unorganized and I cannot stand it!!! 

  

Here's a picture of the madness as of this morning!

 They love it, however it's way too busy for me!!!  :)

 

~Being an Aunt~

Being a wife is everything I have imagined. 


Being a Mom is wonderful!  However, no matter how many books you read or now a days how many blogs you read, you will never be prepared for parenthood.


Being an Aunt, now that is wonderful!!!  Don't get me wrong, I love my children but being able to spoil, spend time with other children and send them home, that's something special.  You don't have the challenging times like you do with your own children.


I have always been close to one of my aunt's.  I remember going to Traverse City every summer from the age of 9 or 10 until I could drive.  I loved being at my Aunt's!  I loved how she taught me so much and was and is always there for me! 


Now, as my nieces and nephew get older, I am spending more time with them!  I honestly do not know why I haven't spent more time with them.  I think as we have been expanding our family over the years, I have been a little busy with that!  I've always spent time with them but not nearly enough.


This week, my brother's youngest daughter spent a couple of nights with us.  She is so much fun!  The boys just adore her and she was a huge help!  I hope that she knows how much we enjoyed having her here and we are looking forward to VBS week when her and her sister will be here!


Have a blessed weekend!!

 

 

Thankful reminders!

I was reminded this weekend just how much our children look up to us!  They are smart cookies!  I believer that our children, and other children watch our every move, even if we don't think they are even listening to us!

They watch the way we respond in situations, they watch our tempers and they also watch our actions in normal everyday activities.

I am so very thankful for where my attitude is today!  As some of you may or may not know, I tend to get a little upset and frustrated with some situations however over the years of having a very laid back and go with the flow husband, he has helped me to appreciate every moment, good or bad and how to deal with my frustrations.  I am so very grateful for that!!

Saturday, Del, Abe and I were swimming at my sister-on-law's cousin's pool, enjoying the heat that summer has brought upon us.  We all ate lunch on the deck which is attached to the pool.  I cleaned Del up and went to clean Abe up and all of a sudden everything went into slow motion.  Those moments are never good!!

Del was in the pool before I knew it, and without his life jacket!  

I jumped up, ran to the pool and noticed he was okay!  Until, he looked at me and saw my face of horror.  So, I knew at that moment, I had to decide, do I jump in, do I calmly walk in on the ladder or do I encourage him to swim to the me. 

Since I knew he was okay and I chose to encourage him to swim to me! 

And he did it!  He swam from the middle of the pool all of the way to the ladder!  

I could not have been more proud of him!  

Once he was out, he was a little shaken up but pretty happy he did it.  He did say to me that he just forgot to put on his life jacket and that he wouldn't forget again!  

 One of Abe's many faces!  :)  He is saying "Ohhhh!"  And throwing the bucket around!

He loves to make noises in cups, bowls, and of course buckets.  So, he was yelling right now but loving every minute!

So, I love taking scary moments likes these ones where everything ends up okay which reminds me of how much our children learn from our actions!

 

 

Clean Sink

As many of you know, Pinterest is fabulous!!  Well, at least it is some days!  I find that for me it works best if I do not search for specific items and just browse through what comes up!

I was on there briefly last week and came across a cleaning idea!

This idea is genius!

You sprinkle baking soda salt in your stainless steel sink.  Take a wet sponge and scrub it clean!

 Before

After

As many of you probably do, I clean my sink often but I do not always scrub it!  So, now our sinks look like brand new!  And it was so easy and quick!

What have you tried on Pinterest?!

If you want to follow me, here's my link!

 

 

Drummond Island

We decided awhile ago to spend 4th of July weekend on an island!  We'd been watching videos and looking online at what to expect but nothing can prepare you for Drummond Island.

It is beautiful, quiet, fun, relaxing and most importantly Pure Michigan!!!  

 This is Del's face when he finally saw the big Mighty Mac!!  :)

 Apparently, it was too much excitement for him!  :)

 After we got to Wa-Wen Resorts, and were all set up, we went for a ride!  Both boys LOVED every minute in our rhino!  Within, minutes Abe was usually asleep!  :)  

I believe the picture above is Scott Bay, not sure...

 This shoreline was breathtaking! 

I would highly recommend visiting Drummond Island!  Stay tuned to many more posts on our wonderful trip to the U.P.!