CSN Stores has me Dreaming Again!

I dream daily about how to go about fixing up our house. I love this little old place, but one day we'll need to gut the kitchen/dining room/living, plus add on and get everything new from the flooring to the lighting. The room that I think will be the most fun to create is the kitchen and CSN Stores has been a wonderful place to dream with over 200 stores to shop in!

For my floors, I'd love the Harris Wood Rocky Mountain Handscraped 2.25" Solid Red Oak in Russet.

I also like the Kraus Contemporary Kitchen Combos Undermount 32" Double Bowl Kitchen Sink with Kitchen Faucet and Soap Dispenser.

This would be a wonderful refrigerator!

LG 24.7 Cu.Ft. French Three Door Refrigerator in Stainless Aluminium

And I'd love this for over a possible future island!

Hinkley Lighting Thistledown 3 Light Kitchen Island Light

While I'm dreaming, head on over to CSN Stores and take a look....I'll bet you'll be dreaming too!

Stay tuned for my upcoming review!! :-)

Summer 2010 Update #1

I can't believe that it's been nearly a month since I've posted! I've been keeping so busy that I haven't been on the computer as much as I thought I'd be. Hopefully I'll get by to visit each of your blogs soon! :-)

I've been able to some of the things that I was hoping to do this summer. I cleaned out both cattle pens. Just finished them yesterday while it was cool out and I can hardly move today! Good workout though ;-) I figured while I was having a hard time moving I'd catch you up on what we've been up to:

I've been watching my garden grow....

...and of course watering, weeding and cultivating with this thing that I got from my grandparents' house. (Sure beats hoeing the whole thing!)

Rich took up playing waterball with the fire department. First time playing and they took 1st place!

The kids went on their first boat ride at a friend of my mom's and loved it!

Rich got our hay off. (Morgan is riding with him here.)

I just love this sequence of pictures. Blake just couldn't wait until he could ride the tractor!!

We rode in the aerial in the Annual Michigan Firefighter Associations Conference parade. (Our county hosted it this year.) I took these of the kids while we were waiting.

After the parade, Rich and some fellow firefighter raised the flag on the ladder.

Then they had some fun and played more waterball :-)

The kids are loving climbing and playing in the freshly baled hay.

And just enjoying the sunny weather.

• I've been mowing lawn every week. I think Rich is missing it, but he's just way too busy. I have more respect for Rich taking the time to do it for all these years. It takes over 3 hours just to mow and trimming is a whole lot more!
• The kids and I have been helping with chores at night too. Morgan and Blake love it!! They especially love feeding the cat (which we have to wait until the chickens are roosting otherwise they'll scare the cat away and eat her food) and checking for eggs. (We somehow lost 1 more chicken and are now down to 3!)
• The kids also went to our town's fair with their grandparents and got to ride some rides, which was a first for them. (I'd share pics but they're on their grandma's phone.) Rich and I were collecting hay bales from the field, since we didn't have a wagon to stack on and missed going, but they brought us an elephant ear! Yum! ;-)
• I made it to visit a friend that I hadn't seen in over a year. (Yes-I'm loving having the truck!)
• Rich and I also made it to the drive-in and saw Shrek 4 and Ironman 2. Always love going to the drive-in!
• The kids, my parents and I went to our towns' pizza cook-off. Four businesses competed to be the best pizza in town. I of course quickly picked out the place we always go to and voted for them ;-) They also had games for the kids and it was a great time.
• We went to the first music in the park for the season in the neighboring town and enjoyed some live music down by the lake. Always a nice time, though probably would have been better if the kids weren't tired and grouchy (long summer days lately!)

That's what's been going on here. Busy and loving it! I hope you are all enjoying your summer as well!! :-)

Blogging Break Time!

Well, it's that time of year again! I took a break last year and I've been thinking A LOT about doing it again this year. With the weather being SO warm and SO nice recently, I've really had a hard time sitting for any period of time at the computer....it's time for a break!

These are some things that I hope to do this summer:

*I've been wanting to do more around the yard, like helping mow the lawn and maybe planting a couple more flowers.
*I can't wait to work more in the vegetable garden now that it's all planted.
*I have some projects started to fix our place up.
*I've also wanted to help with chores more since Rich is gone so often and since he plans to be getting more cattle soon. If not with the daily chores, then at least pitching manure-that stuff piles up quick! LOL!
*I would like to take more walks with the kids and maybe ride bikes (if I get one). There is a wonderful bike trail that's only a couple miles from our house that I haven't been on since high school!
*I want to be able to take the kids to parks to play now that I have a vehicle to get out of the house.
*It would be nice to go visit people, like my mom or my close friends, instead of them always having to come here to see me.
*I'd like to sit under a tree and read a book (which I never do anymore) enjoying a warm summer breeze.
*I'd like to take the kids to the beach (Morgan for the water and Blake for the sand) and then go for ice cream afterwards.
*I'm sure there is more that just isn't coming to mind right now.

I am really looking forward to all these things and not feeling tied down to the computer is really going to help. I do hope to blog on occasion throughout the summer, because I'm sure I can't stay away completely. Plus I have to let you know how I'm doing on the things that I hope to do this summer! I also plan to stop by and visit everyone every once in a while and check in on you ;-)

So with the unofficial start of Summer already underway I'm off to enjoy it! I'll be back to the normal blogging sometime in the Fall. Have a wonderful Summer everyone!! :-)

Getting Ready for a Backyard BBQ with Skin MD Natural

Skin MD Natural would like to help one lucky person to get ready for their 4th of July backyard BBQ by giving away a prize package worth over $300!

THE PRIZE PACK INCLUDES:
◦5 Bottles Skin MD Natural SPF+15
◦5 Bottles Skin MD Natural Original
◦6 Red Hotdog & Fry Serving Baskets
◦16 Piece Blue Cutlery Set
◦4 Pack Insulated Fish Tumblers
◦4 Pack Fish Party Spreaders
◦6 Pack Fish Wine Charms
◦Ultimate Barbeque Cook Book with over 300 Recipes
◦All Natural Caribbean Burger Blend Seasoning
◦Hickory Wood Smoking Chips
◦Non Stick Grill Basket
◦Decorative Patriotic Candle Holder

Wouldn't that package be great to win!? Be sure to stop by their giveaway before June 25th to enter.

**They are also offering 20% off their products throughout the month of June. Just enter SUMMER10 at checkout! :-)

*Disclosure: I received an entry into the giveaway for this post and was not compensated in any other way.

$80 CSN Stores Gift Code WINNER!

The winner of the CSN Stores $80 Gift Code was comment #21...... ABittersweet1.

Congratulations to ABittersweet1! Have fun shopping! ;-)

Thank you to CSN Stores for offering such a great giveaway!

Our Holiday Weekend

Our weekend kind of started on Friday with the excitement of getting a new truck! It's a 2006 Ford F-150 and Rich couldn't be happier having a truck again! As Rich went to work at his Grandma's farm, working ground and planting, I had the luxury of having my own vehicle...or so I thought...

This isn't actually our truck, but it's almost the same. Ours doesn't have running boards, vent visors or fog lights, but has a bug deflector and a light on top for Rich to respond to fire calls.
I had all these plans to make a run to a nearby town to do some shopping before we went camping when I just happened to look out the kitchen window at the car and noticed something wrong with the front passenger side tire. When I checked it out, it was what I feared...a bulge! I ended up taking it in to the same place we had just picked our new truck up at, earlier that morning, to have a new/used tire put on. What were the chances that I finally get a vehicle of my own and there was something wrong with it?? LOL! I still made it shopping and all is good now ;-)

*********

I also mowed our lawn for the first time in 5 years! Rich has always mowed the lawn. It was HIS thing that he LOVED to do, so I never really thought any different. Well, I decided to offer to help this summer because he is so busy with everything that is going on and I did it! After not mowing for 5 years I was kinda nervous, but I didn't have any troubles (besides taking out a little hay, but no big deal-LOL!)

Speaking of doing things that I haven't done in 5 years, I also rode a bike again! My bike got ruined at the bike racks at college and I have never replaced it, but I actually got on my sister's bike while camping and it came right back to me! Yay! I kinda want to get a new one now! ;-)

********

The big event of the weekend was our camping trip. We went up north to Otsego Lake State Park and camped Saturday through Monday. On the way up we met with some friends of Rich's had lunch and took them some beef they had bought. I couldn't believe we spent over 2 hours with them!

After what turned out to be a 6 hour trip, we got settled in and went to the beach to enjoy the warm water. Rich and I rolled up our pant legs so we could walk in, Morgan borrowed a swimsuit and a life vest from my brother and was having a blast in the water and Blake was sitting and playing in the sand. (He will NOT go in the water!)

Morgan and her cousins playing in the sand. (Morgan has green on.)

Blake not in the water...he wouldn't even put cooler clothes on because he thought that meant that he had to go in the water-LOL!

We couldn't have been at the beach for more than a couple minutes when Rich's cell phone rings and after a few choice words I find out that Rich's friend, who was taking care of our animals, had just shown up to our place with his 5 year old daughter and a couple dogs were killing the chickens! After many phone calls to the sheriff, relatives and animal control, the dogs were taken away, the chickens were cleaned up and we were left with 4 hens out of 6 hens and 2 roosters. As much as we liked our roosters and hens, I'll have to admit that I was relieved that the roosters are the ones they got, plus the hen that we always called "the ugly chicken" (poor thing). We'll still have some eggs, but not enough to share anymore. (We actually had 12 chicken a little while ago, but lost 4 to a raccoon.)

Rich on the phone during the chicken incident. Things were mostly under control at the time so he could smile ;-)

So, a little story to go along with the chickens. The 5 year old daughter that came with Rich's friend unfortunately witnessed the dogs with a chicken (from their truck) and said to her Daddy "Look! They're wrestling!" and after is was over "The chicken lost". Rich and I had felt terrible that she had to witness that, but knowing how innocently she viewed the whole thing made us feel a little better.

The rest of our camping trip was fairly uneventful. Here are a couple more things that happened:

*Morgan had the chance to ride her balance bike on pavement and got quite good! She still needs to learn that she cannot take her hand off the handlebar to wave....doing that leads to a pretty scraped up knee! (My niece also got her training wheels off while we were there, so it was a great biking weekend for all of us!)

*We made it to Jay's Sporting Goods in Gaylord and got Morgan her first bow and 6 arrows. I'm excited for her to learn, because it's something that Rich and I would enjoy doing more of. :-)

*The campgrounds were dirt....no grass whatsoever! That means 2 VERY dirty kids! LOL! Blake, especially, had a blast in the dirt-we never had to entertain him-he was busy the whole time! (And only 1 pee accident the WHOLE time...didn't even wet at night! Not doing as good now that we're home though-LOL!)

This picture needs no explanation.

Not happy that he had to stop playing to get a picture taken...and this wasn't his dirtiest!

*****

We made it home between 1:00 and 2:00 pm Monday, got unpacked, did some laundry and left by 4:00 to go to a Memorial Day get-together at Rich's grandma's. We would have been outside if it hadn't been raining, but it was still a really nice time and we didn't make it home until 9:30.

As fun as our weekend was, I'm glad to be home and settling back into things.....and catching up on some sleep! ;-)

The sunset over Otsego Lake.

Giveaway ending tonight!!

I wanted to remind anyone who didn't get a chance to enter my $80 CSN Stores gift card giveaway that it ends tonight at 10:00 pm. It's super easy to enter and get extra entries. There are just 45 entries so far, so your chances of winning are pretty good! :-)

On another note, I hope to be around to visit everyone's blogs within the next couple days. It was a long weekend and I have a BUNCH of catching up to do! :-) I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Spring Calves

Our other cattle ended up in the freezer (and freezers of friends and family), so we replaced them a few weeks ago. These guys are probably at least 2 to 3 months old now.

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go! and Healthy Moms.

Be sure to stop by and enter my giveaway for an $80 gift code to CSN Stores!

Enjoying the Spring Beauty

The Lilacs

The Columbine

And we don't think of dandelions as annoying weeds. Not only are they fun...

...but they're kinda pretty too! :-)

And any child will tell you that they make the most beautiful bouquets! I've received several already this year! ;-)

I hope the weather has been as pleasant for everyone as it has for us this last week or so. It's been feeling like summer and we've been really enjoying it! :-)

Make Something Monday: Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

On the same health kick that I mentioned last week, I also tried these cookies from the eatbetteramerica.com site. What I like about these is that that you get a nice chocolatey taste and they're more filling having all that oatmeal in them!

Double-Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Yoplait® 99% Fat Free creamy vanilla yogurt (from 2-lb container)
• 1 egg or 1/4 cup fat-free egg product
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
• 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, mix sugar, butter, yogurt, egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 12 to 14 minutes.