Ode to 2017

Wrestling Tournaments. Once a Month Gifts.  Monster Jam.  Windsor. 166 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies sold.  JBO's. Disney on Ice.  Beauty and the Beast.  Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.  #GiraffeeWatch.  The Henry Ford.  Ideal Hot Dog Birthday.  Nickelworld.  Outback Game Night.  Detroit Experience Factory.  D & S Deconstruction and Rebuild.  Virtual 5K - 40:32.  6 mile Bike-a-thon.  Grandpa/Father/Son Tigers Game. Shrektacular Day Camp.  Garage Sales.  Conquering Childhood Cancer Color Run.  Mothers Day Flowers.  Sauder's Camping.  Mongo Family Canoeing.  Free Summer Movies.  Relay for Life.  Harrison Lake.  Drive-In.  More Garage Sales.  Cheboygan, Michigan.  4th of July at Marble Lake.  July Community Dinner.  Holly ER Visit with Stitches.  Zip Line Towers.  Dayton Day Trip.  Hocking Hills.   New Preschool.  Official Soccer Mom/Dad.  First Demo Derby.  Apple Cider Slushies.  Detroit Tigers - Homerun Bunt - Game.  Soccer Star.  Volleyball Player.  Harrison Lake Halloween Weekend.  October Community Meal.  Jake Swims Under Water.  Grinch Musical.  Thanksgiving 5K.  Back to Wrestling. Ornament Exchange Flue Fire.  Community Christmas Lunch Prep - 4th year.  Nursing Home Candy Cane Distribution. Delta Wrestling Tournament.  New Years Eve Game Night.

2,017 in 2017

Last December 31st, I set a goal for myself to run 2,017 miles in 2017.  I knew in all reality that I was not going to obtain that goal, but I was curious to see how many exercise miles I would complete.  The year is over, the tracking is done, the results are in.

 

In 2017, I completed:

 

358.72 miles* 

 

That is 17% of 2,017.

 

I cannot say whether that is good or bad because I've never tracked how much I exercise for an entire year.  But that's the awesome part about starting a challenge like this.  The longer you do it, the more growth you see in yourself.  Here's to a New Year starting tomorrow and accepting the 2,018 miles in 2018 challenge! 

 

Are you in?

 

My year in miles:

January - 52.25

February - 46

March - 53

April - 52.75

May - 33.5

June - 27.5

July - 10.25

August - 41

September - 15.5

October - 7.5

November 16.5

December - 3

 

*Random strolls, biking through the neighborhood, even the walking around campground miles did not count towards my goal.  Only set aside, taking care of me exercise miles were logged. 

2017 Book List

When I worked at the public library, one of my favorite things to see was elderly people bringing in notebooks filled line after line with every title of book they've read.  And while I idolize these elderly people, I will not keep a notebook full of titles of books... Simply because my children will write in it and ruin it all.  So instead I will keep a running list in my email draft section and post it at the end of the year.  And as long as the internet never crashes, I will have my list as the years go by.

In 2017 I read:
 1. Present Over Perfect
2. Total Money Makeover
3. Detroit Disassembled
4. Forgotten Landmarks of Detroit
5. Abandoned Planet
6. The Hardest Peace
7. Looking for Lovely
8. Antelope in the Living Room
9. Sparkly Green Earrings
10. I want my Epidural Back
11. This Life I Live
12. Everything, Everything
13. And It Was Beautiful
14. Home by Harlan Coben
15. Rise: How a house built a family
16. And Still She Laughs
17. Sasquatch Escape (Read Aloud with Jacob)
18. The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog
19. Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids 2017
20.  Lonely Lake Monster (Read Aloud with Jacob)
21. What were the Salem Witch Trials? (Read Aloud with Bree)
22.  Rain Dragon Rescue (Read Aloud with Jacob)
23. Love Unending 
24. Captain Underpants #1 (Read Aloud with Jacob)
25. A Child Called It
26. The Lost Boy
27. Captain Underpants #2 (Read Aloud with Jacob)
28. The More of Less 
29. The Christmas Box
30. The Magnolia Story
31. Pioneer Woman Come and Get It
32. Mr. Dickens and His Carol - currently reading
33. Life in a Jar - currently reading

Whats in a word?

A few years ago, I read the book "My One Word" and quickly jumped on the 'one word' resolution bandwagon.  And just as the book describes, God worked and wove His way through my life and morphed my word into something more than I could have imagined.  For example:

In 2015, my word for the year was:

 

The intentions behind my word was to finish off the multitude of projects in my plate that was half done and to get the other multitude of projects off the back-burner and brought to life.  While some of that did happen, 'Accomplished' became so much more.  That year I had the highest program attendance in the history of the library.  Ever.  I spoke at a district wide conference to help bring awareness of awesome resources available in our community.  I, along with help from various people, completed 10 sessions with a personal trainer, got involved with the Wauseon Community Dinner, converted our bedroom closet to a craft space, and went on our first ever vacation alone with Jim since kids were born.  It was a very accomplished year - beyond what I ever could have imagined.

 

In 2016, my word for the year was:

 

 

My intentions may have been a bit morbid.  I have a firm grasp in the Biblical truth that my days on this Earth are numbered.  While I can hope that I will live a long life with plenty of time to impart my wise to my children, the fact remains that even tomorrow is not guaranteed.  So my goal with 'legacy' was to focus on what I want to leave behind.  A recipe book full of my favorite recipes, handwritten, complete with tips and changes I made.  Photo albums all up to date.  But once again, God had other intentions for my word.  By December 31st, 2016, against all prior notions of what I thought was in store for my life, of what I thought my children would remember of their childhood, I became a full time, stay at home mom. 

 

I did not choose a word for 2017 but I'm back on my game for 2018 with:

 

 

 

 

I have some pretty hardy goals set for 2018 not to mention a 2019 Disney trip that we have not started saving for.  It is going to take a whole lotta Grit to get to the finish line.  But with God I can get there and exponentially further!

 

 

 

Christmas Simplified

 

The Homemade Gifts from Mom

 

 

The Dream's Come True Gift

 

 

The Wishes Come True Too Gift

 

 

 

Santa's Gifts

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Dollar Stockings

As we all know, Christmas is a busy time of year.

 

Houses need decorating.  Cookies need baking.  Presents need wrapping.  And all on top of the hub-bub of normal life. 

 

Mistakes are bound to happen.

 

Like last year when we forgot to buy stocking items for the children and didn't realize it until nearly Christmas.... 

 

Oops.

 

But that little mistake turned into the newest and bestest tradition to date.   

 

(photo from 2016)

 

Just days before Christmas, we loaded the kids up into the car, headed to the local Dollar Tree, and handed each child an envelope containing $15.  It was explained that they each had enough money (including tax) to buy their siblings and parents 3 items each for the stockings.  They were free to browse the store on their own and choose items by themselves, using their knowledge of each other.

 

 

  It was a blast sneaking around the store, hiding the items in your basket when passing each other, running out of the isles so no one was the wiser of what you picked, or subtly dropping items near each other as hints. 

 

It became an instant tradition, loved by all.

A Traditional Tale

First there was the year we skipped the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and had hobo stew instead.

 

2015

 

 

 

 

And then there was the year I said:

"Hey! Wanna do a 5K Thanksgiving morning?!"

 

2017

 

 

 

The joy of the holidays aren't really in the food.  Its the togetherness and the memories and the stories you tell.  So if "home is where the heart is", then traditions can be wherever we are together - even if that means pounding the pavement in 28 degree weather on a holiday morning.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Simply Put

Just a boy and his Minecraft graphic novel...

Surprise Birthday

 

Someone turned 10 today. 

 

T-E-N!! 

 

Double digits!! 

 

 

She got fancied up with a new dress and shoes and was pampered with a hairstyling.  We had something big in store to celebrate her but we weren't spilling the beans to her just yet.  By default of Bree's friends and cousins being busy with the holiday weekend, Jake got to tag along and had to get gussied up too.

 

 

After a very wet 2 hour drive up to Detroit, we arrived at Fox Theatre for the Broadway production of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas Musical'. 

 

 

 

Bree received so many compliments on her dress and hair from other people attending the musical.  Needless to say, she felt very special on her big day.

 

Then it was time to come back home for games, dinner, and cookie cake!

 

I just love Bree's expression in this picture.

 

She hadn't seen her cookies cakes until that point.  At which she discovered that I had them put every variation of her name that friends, family, and teachers call her.  However, the 'Gab' part was supposed to be 'Gabi'. 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday my strong-willed, natural born leader, book worm, adventurous souled daughter. 

What I'm reading this week

'Tis the Season!

 

 

The First

I got my first Christmas card today!!

 

 

 

 

Actually, I got it last night... at Halloween. 

 

But I wasn't allowed to open it until Halloween festivities were over. 

 

You know... 

 

When Christmas officially starts. 

Halloween 2017

 Trick or Treating with JoJo Siwa, Iron Man, and Punzel (normally known as Rapunzel) at Marble Lake.

 

 

Trick or Treating again with Jojo Siwa, Spiderman, and Punzel at Harrison Lake.

 

Meeting my lifelong hero - okay maybe hero isn't the word I'm searching for.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Festivities

 

I cut the backside of the pumpkin off, not the top.  Living on the edge over here.

 

 

Jacob and Momma's pumpkin.

Bree's owl pumpkin.

 

 

Holly's kitty pumpkin.

And Dad's too tired from carving everyone else's pumpkin.

 

 

A family of pumpkins.

 

 

Our newest Halloween decoration that everyone had a hand in making. 

 

 

Annual Halloween Picture:

 

 

 

Wanna be

I'm not sure what Bree wants to be when she grows up. 

 

Hairstylist or Hair Torturer. 

 

Because, although this might look pretty darn fantastic:

 

 

 

it was a painful nightmare to get undone!

Head in the Game

After a much needed coffee break and great conversation with a friend who is a true inspiration with sticking to eating right and exercising, I found myself ready and willing to get back on the right path.

 

 

It was fun (today) and ugly by the end, but there were little eyeballs watching me, wanting to be like me so there was no stopping halfway. 

Here are July and August results for the New Years Goal of mine:

 

 

 

July 10.25  + August 41 =

 

316.25 / 2,017

The Keeper

"I reflected on the role of "keeper" that I have been entrusted with as a mama.  We mamas are the keepers of memories.  We are the ones to treasure the speech impediments, we are the ones to know the victory of a difficult math concept finally captured, we are the ones who know when to bypass broccoli and pull out the ice cream.  This is why I write.  And write, and write, and write.  Because I want them to know how important they are, and how beautiful the small moments of their lives truly are.  So I sit and remember and write.  I am a keeper."

- Kara Tippets "And it was beautiful"

 

While I blog to remember the moments of the children and for the children, there will eventually come a time when they'll wish they had a little more of me to hold onto.  Not physical, tangible things, but the tidbits of information and understanding that makes us each unique.  So here it is, here I am... 

* I don't have a favorite color.  Not really.  I tend to lean towards gray because to me it can be calming, energizing, and goes with everything!

* Prefer the sound of waves crashing on rocks instead of the beach.  This stems from spending weeks at church camp on Kelly's Island.

* Favorite cake is vanilla with chocolate frosting.

* My favorite era is the 1950's.

*I was in the second grade when my mom was diagnosed with MS and 29 when my dad died.

*Peanut butter is my favorite... anything.  Except crunchy peanut butter cookies.  Those are gross.

*Favorite beverage is lemonade.

*Pet Cemetery still scares me to this day.

*Funny Farm could be the story of my life.

*Dislike the smell of flowers but still appreciate receiving them. 

*Rainy and snowy days energize me (goes back to the color gray thing).

*My dream vacation would be going to Maine in the Fall.

*I am not competitive and even will have the beginning of anxiety attacks at the start of a 5K where I am only competing against myself.

*Halloween is my favorite holiday, Christmas is my favorite season.

*If I could possess any talent, it would be to play the piano.

*Owning a food truck where I can experiment with new recipes and get paid for it would be AWESOME!


Dayton Road Trip

As the summer winds down and school gearing up to start in a few weeks, the time has come to take an end of summer road trip.  And not just any road trip.  THIS road trip I worked out in complete detail, every mile and stop accounted for when I was on maternity leave with Holly!  Four years later we finally hit the road to...

 

Dayton, Ohio!

 

First stop on our trip was Grandma's.  We just can't head south, going right past her house without stopping in for a visit.  Besides, there is just something simple and calming about starting your mini vacation off at the place of your youth.  The place where time stands still, the place where memories live.

 

 

We also cannot stop at Grandma's without immediately stopping at our all-time favorite pizza place that, to our complete surprise, had a buffet for lunch!  Never in my life have I felt that we got our money's worth of food as we did in that meal.  Look at all that brown, bubbly cheese.  The vacation could have stopped right then and there.  How could it get any better?  But I'm glad we pressed on.

 

 

Our second stop and first excursion (not to mention FREE adventure) was in Wapakoneta, Ohio in the backyard of this house:

 

It sounds bizarre and looked just as questionable when we pulled up, but Roadside America and Trip Advisor ranked it as a must do, so we did.  Here in the middle of the city, on a normal street is the

'Temple of Tolerance"

 

 

Here is video I found on YouTube featuring the owner and his creation - a stone garden so amazing that no video or picture can do it justice.  You just need to go!!

 

 

(Looking up at the Temple)

(View looking down from the top of the Temple.)

(View looking out at the rest of the rock garden)

Just when you think you're done and you've seen it all, a red gate grabbed our attention and the adventure continued.

 

The sign reads "In this tube is one shell casing for each American Military man and woman from Ohio who died in a war from 1812-....  71, 288" 

 

There were paths galore and so much to see.  We spent about an hour there and would have stayed longer but we had an agenda to stick to so onward we went. 

 

Second stop (and may be an unusual one to some, but also FREE) was...

 

Woodland Cemetary

 

Again, I know it sounds weird, but the hubby and I enjoy visiting historically significant areas and museums (and again) Trip Advisor ranked this as a must do, so we stopped.  The Woodland Cemetery is one of our nation's fifth oldest cemeteries (started in 1841) and is the burial site of the Wright Brothers , George Mead (of Mead Paper), and Erma Bombeck amongst many others. 

 

 

 

They even offer guided tours as even their trees have such historical significance.

 

 

One of the first tombstones you come across in the cemetery is "The Boy & Dog".  Johnny Morehouse was playing near the Dayton Canal with his dog when he was 5 years old.  One day, Johnny fell into the canal and his beloved K9 pulled him out. Sadly though, it was too late and Johnny had drowned.  Just days after his burial, the dog showed up at Johnny's grave and kept watch morning, noon and night thus the monument built for him.

 

 

 

Since the Woodland Cemetery is set high on a hill with the city below, there is a great overlook terrace where many people go to picnic or just sit and think.  Just beautiful.

We spent the rest of the time seeing who could find the oldest tombstone, the biggest, most unique.  This is definitely a place that, without kids, we'd make a stop back to if we were in the area.

 

 

Our third (and again FREE, see a pattern) stop was the

'Miamisburg Mound'

As our town's mascot is the 'Indians' and Native American history is prevalent around here, I thought it might be nice to learn a little bit more. 

 

The Miamisburg Mound is one of the two largest conical mounds in the United States.  A partial excavation of this mound found skeletons covered in bark just 8 feet below the surface!   

Further diggings and findings lead scientists to believe the mound is between 2,000 to 2,800 years old!

 

 

Although the history behind the mounds was fascinating, visiting the mounds was pretty much a bust.

 

 

The kids didn't really understand nor really want to stay still long enough for us to explain.  It was a beautiful summer day and there was a park nearby.  The history of the mounds didn't stand a chance. 

 

We stopped at a local Mexican restaurant that, again, came highly recommended via Trip Advisor.  Although I found it yummy and Bree wanted to order everything off the menu,

 

everyone else found all the food a bit on the spicy side. 

 

Adventures were done for the day.  The rest of the evening was spent in the hotel drinking endless amounts of coffee,

 

watching way too much TV,

 

enjoying the pool all to ourselves,

 

and staying up past bedtime playing games.  But that's what vacations are about, even the road trip kind.   

 

 

Saturday morning we hit the road at the butt crack of dawn to get to our fourth FREE destination

 

 

Jacob was surprisingly fascinated by the bombing planes and the fact our military can shoot down a plane.  He talked and talked and asked lots of questions.  Makes me wonder what his future may hold. 

 

The fifth and final and still free adventure for the day was spent hiking at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve and the John Bryan Nature Preserve.  Both completely worth visiting and re-visiting!

 

Who knew cliffs like this exists just two hours from home?  I totally felt like I was down in Hocking Hills! 

 

Lots of cracks and crevices to explore!

 

But my feet stayed firmly on the ground with Holly's. 

 

 

 

 

 

Before heading home there was one last stop I wanted to make, if the kids were up to it that is. 

 

Young's Jersey Dairy - a working dairy farm. 

 

Sounded interesting to me and the kids were game if there was ice cream.  Oh... my... was there ice cream... and ice cream.... and ice cream....

 

Then it was time to head home.  We needed to catch up on some very much needed sleep so we could continue the second half of this weekend family road trip!

 

To be continued....

 

 

**I used Trip Advisor in most of my research for this trip.  However, upon stumbling onto the 'Only in Your State' website, I read the following article and new we had to do all those stops too which added to our adventure.

 

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/ohio/best-kept-secret-yellow-springs-oh/