Shelly's Annual Easter Egg Hunt

This is me and how I prepare the eggs. LOL
I found some! They are so cute when they get all excited and hunt for the eggs!

This group finished hunting the eggs and are now waiting to find the golden eggs that have 5 bucks in them. I made them keep waiting a bit because they are so anxious. I love torturing them that way. Little bit excited for the egg!

Searching for the goldens!

Lining up for the egg toss. Whoa! I am not catching that one! It landed and didn't even break.

Renee got yoked. Guess the yoke is on her. Good job Rick!

All tied up for the leg race.

Waiting to start the leg race.

They're off!

Have you know that Renee and I won again this year! HA! HA!


To end the day off sitting around the fire pit with friends.

We had a beautiful fire going.

The whole day was a blast! Everyone had a good time. The hunt was good, food and beverages were good, time with friends and family was great!

My Two Favorite Aunts!

Aunt Jan, Mom (Kathy-RIP), Aunt Carol (Sis)

June 1962 Aunt Jan and Aunt Sis April 2011 When I look back and reflect on people in my life and I think of my two Aunts. I have a lot of great stories to tell. There were a lot of great times with my Aunts and my cousins. We have a lot of good memories. There are some funny things that you don't want to mention in public. Then there are times that you could go on and on. Times that Aunt Sis had a restaurant in Mesick Michigan. Good times going up there too. One time my cousins put Tabasco sauce in my coke while I was using the restroom. When I came back to take a drink, sucking it down really fast, then I was like, WHOA!!!! All of the cousins laughed their fool heads off. I ran to the kitchen and Aunt Sis was like, what is going on Hun? I said, I need water, quick! LOL We spent many times going out to both of my Aunt's houses and having fun. One time we all went out to Long Lake to go camping with Grandma and the clan. While we were swimming Aunt Jan was coming to shore and something was out of it's place and I yelled to Auntie and she looked down, and shoved it back in. So funny! I will never forget these fun times spent with family. Love you all!

Sweet gum is the second in production only among oaks in hardwoods. The wood is used for flooring, furniture, veneers, home interiors and other lumber applications. The wood is also used as paper gulp in making baskets. Pioneers once pulled back the bark and stripped it of the gum like resin and used it as chewing gum.

Sweet gum is a favorite landscape tree. It provides beautiful color in the fall and a wonderful shade tree. It is easily recognized by its star-shaped leaves and its woody spiny like wooden fruit.

This is the seed pod that I took a picture of and thought it looked really cool. So, now I had to research it since I had no clue as to what it was.

You know, people collect these pods and make several crafts with them. They also can coat them in peanut butter and bird seeds and hang them in the yard for the birds.

Day at Mom and Dad Vandlens

It is so nice to see old barns when out on a drive. Plus, it is nice to see the green coming in really good now.

Went down to Battle Creek to spend some time with the family and to celebrate Sara's birthday. We had a lot of fun. Wonderful meal that Mom prepared and had a nice walk out on the wooded trails and nice time spend with family.

Mason on his quad

Brandon

Shawn

Mitch driving and Connor in the gator!

Ma and Dad Vandlen

Sara and Mike

Beautiful view from the bridge of the creek.

The weather was perfect today. We had 80 degree weather and there was a nice gentle breeze. Kids had a blast riding their quads and the gator. We all had a nice walk and visit with the family.

Happy Birthday Sara!

nature

Blue Jay in my yard today. I happened to take the picture from inside my house at my desk. If I go outside, then they fly away. I took the picture then zoomed in on my camera to trim. The markings on the BJ are very pretty and unique. Are you looking at me? Find something to do! Again, trimmed from Camera. The quality isn't as good as if were outside taking the pictures or had an even bigger zoom lens. :) This was last nights sunset. Shawn spotted it while we were in our living room watching some TV and he said, Mom look-so pretty! So, I got up, looked, grabbed camera and took a picture. Love the beauty that God has given us the privilege to look at every day!

Government Shutdown?

Will the Government Shut down?

What does that mean for some?

If the Government shuts down this is what I see-All the hard service men and women fighting for our country or serving their country in some way shape or form and there is a hold on their pay. What happens to these wonderful men and women? Do they lose their homes because they cannot make a house payment? Does their family end up living on the street because they no longer have an income to provide for their family?

What is the point of a shutdown? You don't see the people in congress, senate, president taking a hold on their income.

If you shut down and say, don't worry, they will back pay you from the time of the shutdown to the time it isn't shut down. I say, Then what is the point? Going to pay them eventually anyway and it does not help save any money or help the budget. It just makes things worse for the American people who are trying to survive. Some people live week by week trying to support their family and to live a decent life.

I am one that is getting a little nervous about this as I am a stay at home Mom and my husband is the worker. He works for the government in the USCG. I pray that there is not a hold on his paycheck as he pays all the bills.

This above picture sure does explain a lot. This is what it would feel like for all the people who get shut down. You would feel like you are buried and can't do anything about it but hope for someone to dig you out of a hole. Interesting comic don't ya think? Where is the best interest at?

Don't ya wish there was an easy button for this?

That's a Wrap!

A long time friend of mine, Janice, and her family wanted me to take some family pictures of them. I am working on taking the garage background out of the pictures and adding various different backgrounds. This is very interesting on how this all has to be done.

First, make a copy, then erase the whole background and that takes a little time as when you are close to what you want to save in the picture, you don't want to mess up and take too much or too little.

I am so excited as I have learned a new thing to do on photoshop. I bought a book a while ago and it will show you step by step to a certain point. Can you say AWESOME?

This picture of my friends is so funny. There is a reason for them to all show their fist and the comment 'That's a wrap!' Janice was saying something to her family one time and it is a hidden joke between them. She made a hand motion (which she says she never talks with her hands, but we know she does) and said, 'That's a Wrap!' When they all explained it to me, they were all laughing so hard and so we had to get a picture of them doing that. I look at the picture and I can

actually still hear them laughing every time I look at this picture!

Ever think about how life can be so much fun and more interesting with the little "inside" jokes that we have amongst certain family members or friends? Sure does make life more enjoyable!

I have known Janice and her family since 1989 and I appreciate the friendship that we have.

God brings certain people in our lives for our own benefits of enjoyment of friendship. Imagine a life without any friends-life would be a little boring. I thank my God every time I think of you!

Life passes by so quickly! I remember when Janice and I were pregnant at the same time with our girls. The girls are going to be 20 this year. Holy Cow! Where does the time go?

Love to all!

Chicken Extravaganza

Today was an interesting day! I was able to get a lot of spring cleaning started in the house today. I opened some of the windows a bit to let some fresh air in while I worked. That was so nice! Not the working part-lol-but the being able to open the window part. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. A nice gentle breeze came inside and eventually dried my floors after they were mopped. As I went outside to take some trash out, the chickens were in my flower bed by the house. UGH! They were scratching away and knocking the bark and dirt up onto the driveway. I clapped my hands to get them out of there and they looked at me like I was crazy. Well, I am, but that doesn't mean that they can't listen to me. LOL So, they got out, I took the trash out and got the broom to sweep. Here they come! I had to shoo them away so I could sweep up the mess they created. I text Tom and said this is the last time I am letting the chickens out into the yard. We liked letting them out to let them roam around a bit. They usually scratch under the big pine trees where all the dead leaves are laying under. Not today! After I got that mess cleaned up, I went back inside to finish up some of the work I have been doing inside. Time to go out and get the rug that I had hanging on the railing that I had to hit the dirt out of. What to my wandering eyes did I see? Yepper--Chickens in my flower bed again! This time I got the broom and tried to scoot them out of the way. They moved away and cackled at me. I just cackled back at them. I am the boss of this house. LOL So, I think my new adventure will be to make a bigger outdoor pen area so they can wander around more. They are pretty entertaining animals. If the neighbors could have seen me, they would have thought that I was the entertaining one and that the chickens are winning. Kinda like Charlie S--winning! The only crack that is happening here is the fact that the chickens 'crack me up.' I guess I will forgive them since they provide us with such yummy eggs to eat.

Hope you enjoyed my little adventure with the chickens today. I know I did. :)

Family Griffen's Hockey night

We had a great time going to the Grand Rapids Griffen's Hockey game Saturday night. We took a couple friends with us and the night was a blast. We went to the game, then afterwards we went to a new restaurant in the Grand Rapids area. It is called Quaker Steak and Lube. The one on the way to Chicago is cooler than this one. That one actually looks like an oil change place from the outside. This one looks good on the inside and had a live three man band while we were there and they did a really good job.

Here are my handsome boys! All excited to go to the hockey game and to too their horns!

Here we are all waiting for the game to start!

We actually got some pretty good seats. There was a group of people that showed up and the lady by Mitch was grumpy all night. She did not look happy when she got there and then looked really ornery when they would toot their horns or everyone around would sing or have fun. That's what the games are about, otherwise they would not sell those horns or any noise maker at the game or have lit up signs that say "MAKE SOME NOISE" ! LOL

The Grand Rapids Griffen's are in red and they are playing the Americans and I am not sure where they were from. Griffen's won 3-1. Woo-Hoo!

Amanda and Matt

Shawn and I.

We had a really good and fun night!

First Time Ever in CHS History

First time EVER in Cadillac High School history for the Varsity boys Basketball team to become Regional Champs! Way to go Caddy! A lot of hard work definitely pays off.

I will be heading North Tuesday to sit with my friends from High School to cheer on the Mighty Vikes in another Victory. The will be playing Muskegon Heights I believe it is the quarter finals.

This will be a very good game!

My New Finds Today

I found this vintage camera with a wooden tripod. I thought it was really cool so I can display it in my house along with my other camera's that I have to figure out how I am going to display all of them. My next project is to find what year is was and how much it is really worth.
My Dad loves Motorcycles and old cars. When I was out to his house last summer painting it, we painted one room Harley colors that way he could have a really cool room. He has a Harley and loves to ride. So, I saw this sign and thought I would get it for him and send it out to him this week. He will be able to display it in his workshop.

Shawn's First Hunt

My boy Shawn took his hunter's safety class in February and completed that and did very well in it. Ever since then he has been wanting to go hunting or shoot some kind of animal.

Friday was the day for that!

From inside the house our dog Sadie noticed a rabbit outside the window. Shawn went and got his 22 that Grandpa Lehr bought for him and we went out on the back deck to see if he could get the rabbit. The rabbit took off into the woods a little ways. Shawn followed it through his scope and then he got it. The rabbit ran a little ways then paused. Shawn went to get another bullet and then we found it again and completed the task. Such excitement for the little man. Here is Shawn with his very first animal that he was able to hunt down.

We had to learn how to skin it and all of that other good stuff. It is pretty tricky as we got some of it but then we called our friend Aaron to help and show Shawn how to do it. Now, we have three rabbit's feet curing and the meat is in the freezer. I will find a good recipe and make it for him someday.

Way to Go Shawn! Job well done!