Look Beyond!

LOOK BEYOND

Photo by Shelly Vandlen

As I took this picture I thought about focusing on the tree. As I focused on the tree and take the picture, it makes you also look beyond to see the beauty beyond the tree.

Do we do that as humans? When we see someone do we judge them by how they look right away or do we look beyond? I know for a fact that when I look at someone at first you see the outward appearance. Then when you start to get to know them, you are able to see more of who they are. Their personality, the troubles that they may be dealing with and just really getting to know that person.

I know that there are certain people that just don't mesh with everyone, but that does not mean we can't be kind and courteous to one another.

Photo by Shelly Vandlen

As you see in this picture. I focused more on the leaves and looked beyond the tree.

You can definitely see the beauty there!

When I look at people, I try to see the whole person.

We are very lucky that God does not look at just the outward appearance. He loves each and every one of us for who we are-inside and out!

The Country Mill

Sunday we had a terrific time meeting up with some great friends and my daughter and her two friends at The Country Mill in Charlotte Michigan. The weather was gorgeous! I cannot believe we are still able to wear short and sandals in October. We must be having our Indian Summer. I am enjoying every minute of it too.

We got on the "farm train" and headed out to the end of the apple orchard.

 This is Matt, Amanda, Lea and Mason

This is Mason, Shawn and Mitch.

This is Me, Wendy, Brittany and Cierra.

We made it out to the end of the apple orchard to go pick a variety of apples. The trees seemed like they were picked over pretty good but we did manage to get some, eat some as we picked and throw some at each other.

 Cierra

 Brittany

 Most of us in one of the apple tree rows.

Matt and Amanda

There was a haunted maze area that the kids went into and had fun in there. Some said they were scared and some mentioned that Lea was pushing her way out. LOL

There was a corn maze that the kids could do and a crossbow shoot off. Where you had five shots to shoot at five apples. If hit all five, then put name in twice for a raffle off of a crossbow. All the kids did great on this!

We were able to enjoy an apple cider slushy. Well, the kids all got an apple cider slushy, I got an cider float. That was yummy too. They also got some chips and cheese or a donut.

This is a neat little cider mill to go to.

The kids also got to go out and pick their pumpkins that they want to carve this year.

We had another great adventure with friends and family.

Friends like these makes ya wish they weren't a couple hours away.

Thanks for the fun!



The Birthday Boy!

Today is Mason's Birthday! He is the big 11 now. I cannot believe how fast these kids grow up. I have been running across pictures just from two years ago and their facial features change so much.

Mason has a wonderful smile and is a great young man. I am proud to be able to call him Son.
He has a lot of traits like his Daddy. He tends to follow him around and learn from him, which is wonderful.

 Happy Birthday!

New Idea

Hello Everyone!

We have a new idea! After I made a post on Facebook, one of my cousins made a comment and said that I should start a page on Facebook for just Suzie. Kinda like Marley and Me movie. Well, not only should I do that on Facebook, I thought that I should make Suzie a blog also.

I think this could be fun! She is such a character and I could end up telling so many funny stories.

Now to think of a name.

Summer fun with long time friends

 Wendy and I

Friends since 1998

Holly the super dog.

 Brittany and Holly

 Cierra diving off the floating pontoon dock.

 Brittany and Courtney

Brittany is showing her diving skills.

 Mitch doing a flip.

 Shawn doing a flip.

 Mason enjoyed Kayaking.

Holly the Super Dog! Flying off the dock after a stick!

Cierra and her friend Rachel

Out for Ice cream and we had a fun time shopping in the candy factory store in Pentwater.

The boys got a bunch of sour candy and some of the faces that they made was hilarious!

 Below is Brittany and her friend Courtney.
Big Shaved Ice.

Shawn, Mitch, Mason, Cierra and Rachel--fun at Lake Michigan in Pentwater. Charles Mears State Park.

Britt-A-NEE-AH walking on the rocks by the pier.

My friend Wendy! She sure is a wonderful person. Beautiful inside and out!

Friendship is not just an acquaintance. Friendship will last and be strong as long as you put an effort into the relationship.

God brought people into our lives for a reason. I am thankful for this valued friendship too.

Love ya Wen!

You make me laugh
You make my heart smile
Everything you do
Makes life worthwhile
You give lovingly
You always have cheer
Everything you are
I hold dear
You are so sweet
You are so very kind
Everything I cherish
In you I find
You are a blessing
You are an angel I see
Everything about you
is Gods gift to me
Source: God's Gift To Me, Special Friend Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/gods-gift-to-me#ixzz1WzuGFFU8
Family Friend Poems

Our New Puppy Suzie Q

Suzie is a Borador

A Borador is party border collie and part labrador. Her Daddy was a chocolate lab (huge) and her mommy was a border collie.

We are so happy to have added this cutie to our home. She sure is a bundle of joy!

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

2 Cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds-toasted
1 TBSP sugar
9 inch Graham cracker crust-(made my own)
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese softened
2 cups cold milk, divided
1 (3.4oz.) package instant vanilla pudding (I used french vanilla)
In a bowl, combine strawberries, almonds and sugar. Pour into prepared crust. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually add 1/2 cup milk. Add pudding mix (dry powder) and remaining milk. Beat for one minute or until blended; pour over strawberries, cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
I added strawberries on top for decoration.

Family Ties

On Monday I had the privilege to head up to Cadillac to visit with a couple of Aunts of mine in between yard work at two houses that we are trying to sell of my Mom's estate.

My Aunt Carol (Sis) is in town from Arizona for a couple months and I have not seen her in quite a while.  We met up at my Aunt Jan's house and we went out to lunch, for a drive and they showed me where they grew up and then went out for ice cream. After that, we headed back to Aunt Jan's house and sat outside in the yard and had a great time catching up. Good memories and lots of laughs.

Aunt Jan and I were sitting on her swing and I noticed Aunt Sis trying to take a picture of us. Aunt Jan was crazy in a story and I leaned into her shoulder for the picture and Aunt Jan looked at me like , what the heck-did she pass out? So, there was a bunch of laughs about that too.

Aunt Sis, Aunt Jan and Me

When I look at these lovely ladies, I see Grandma Myrt and Mom in them. I can see how very much there are similarities of everyone. Facial expressions, looks, voices and yet all are different in their own way.

It was nice to hear how they grew up and life happened. How we all got to where we are today and the paths that came our way and how we adapted to and grabbed hold of life.

No matter what road we choose, no matter who our family and friends are, it is all there because of God and we have a great life. Sometimes we wish things were different and maybe easier, but no one would be where they are today if they didn't choose the path that they took. I am thankful for my life and all who are in it.

Sadie Girl

My beautiful Sadie Girl!

May 2006-August 8, 2011

Sadie was such a big part of the family. I remember picking her up when she was just a few months old and I picked her because she was a girl and because she was so playful. She was such a cutie!

Here she is with Amanda and Shawn.

Sadie loved it when I would turn on the hose and she would come and drink out of it like biting at it. It was so cute! Then when we moved into the house we are now, she use to drink from the underground sprinkler system. She would even bite off the tops of the sprinkler and Tom would have to fix them.

Sadie could not have any plastic (like a Frisbee) because she would just tare it apart.

Sadie has always been fascinated with sticks. She would go get them and just tare to pieces. It was funny watching her do this because she would bite it or tare it off and then spit it out and then we had little shredded pieces of sticks or wood to clean up. One time Tom was piling up some firewood for our bonfire and Sadie would go sneak over to the stacked pile when Tom went for more and would take a piece of wood and go off to her spot. This was hilarious! When I would trim the bushes or trees, Sadie couldn't even wait for me to throw the branch out, she would pull it out for me. So darn cute she was!

Sadie loved all of us but she followed me all over the place. If I was sitting in my chair relaxing she would sit by me or put her head on my lap. Tom would call her to get her toy squirrel and then Sadie would bring it to me. Before Tom went to bed, Sadie would want to run around the house keeping her squirrel away from Tom.

I was at a horse show earlier and was cold, so I lay down to take a nap and this photo was taken by Tom. I fell asleep and Sadie put her toy next to me and lyed down next to me. Gotta love her!

Sadie loved it when I was mowing the yard. She would follow me or run along side of me while I mowed and then sometimes she would just sit and watch. She always had her eyes on me and watched every move I made.

Sadie did not like things in her yard. She would make sure that there weren't any critters, moths, carry toads out of the garage and set them in the grass. Anything out of place, she would put it in place.

She loved to go for rides, camping, swimming. While she swam she would go get the stick and drop it in front of us to throw again, but if we were in the yard with a stick, she played keep away.

She loved all the kids and would protect them if we were just horsing around with them. Sadie would step in between us and sometimes would just put her teeth on our arm just to let us know to be good. She never would bite down she just would put her mouth on us. Love her!

We all will miss you Sadie! You warmed our hearts with so much love and devotion. You will never be replaced. You were one of a kind!

Memories Made With A Friend

Isn't it exciting to spend time with a great friend?This is Sandy and I. We have been friends since freshman year in HS.  A lot of great memories! 

Sandy was able to come down and spend the day and next morning with me. It is always nice to see her and spend some great quality time together.

We started off at my house and then ventured off to a huge greenhouse in my town. Just down the road from me is a place called Countryside Greenhouse. They actually still have a lot of flowers and plants in there right now. We were lucky to scope out what they had, see the awesome deals we were going to get and chit chat! Nothing better than chit chatting!

Then we went to the mall in Grandville (Rivertown Crossings) and shopped for quite a while. I was not lucky in finding any sandals or flip flops. My last pair broke and I miss them.  Sandy, on the other hand, got several great deals. It is nice to get a deal or two or three or four!!!

Then we went out to lunch at Applebees and had fun with that and Yummy food! Once we finished there, we headed back to my house and waited til we went out to Grand Haven Michigan to enjoy some of the festivities at the Coast Guard Festival. We did a little more shopping there and then watched a water ski show. The skiers were great but the MC's-they could have used a little help in the humor department. Then we enjoyed walking the pier and meeting up with my family out there.

This little shop had some funny clothing ideas in it. One pair of boxer shorts that we thought was a hoot, had three ducks on the back and it said-'butt quack'. Pretty funny!

Time was well spent and went way too fast! A lot of laughs and great conversation!

The next morning we took my dog to the vet because she is not feeling well lately. They think she is anemic so have to get her checked and see how she adapting to the pills she is being put on.

After that we decided to go to a store in town and got a few more great deals and then back to the greenhouse to get all the perennials for Sandy, well, NOT ALL,  but she got more so she could plant in her pretty flower beds.

I am so happy that Sandy is in my life! There's just something about a special bond with a friend.

So, as you can see, we had a wonderful time making more memories. Thanks for the great time Sandy!

You know, life is interesting! Why does God bring certain people in our lives? Are the people there for a moment, hours, a day, week, month, year? Are some of your friends more like acquaintances or are there more that are like long lasting friendships?

We all need friends, companions, best buds. Treasure the friends that you have because you never know how long they will be in your life. A great friend is one that you have not seen in a while or years and you can pick up right where you left off.

Stop and think about when you just go to the store. At the checkout, are you friendly and say hello and talk to that person? Or do you wish they would hurry up and get done so you can be on your quick way? Take time out people-that person-you could have made their day just by taking the time to say hello.

To all my friends out there-I do treasure our friendships. Whether it be an acquaintance and we just stay in touch, chat on Facebook, or whatever the case may be. You are part of my life for a reason-so DEAL WITH IT!!!!

HA HA HA HA HA  HA

I just wish there was more time to get together more often.

Fresh Raspberry Bars

FRESH RASPBERRY BARS
1 cup unsalted butter
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Softened butter for brushing sides of foil
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves
1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries
8 oz. package cream cheese softened (the recipe said ½- 8 0z pkg.)
4 oz. goat cheese or 4 oz. cream cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 TBSP. finely shredded lemon peel (zest)
2 TBSP. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp. vanilla
Powdered Sugar (if desire)

*Preheat oven to 350` F. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with a 24-inch long sheet of aluminum foil, leaving extra foil over ends for easier removal of bars later. Set aside. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until it just begins to blend and soften slightly, about 30 seconds.
*Add Brown sugar and salt; beat on low speed until incorporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. “You’re not trying to cream it; you’re just mixing it in.” With mixer off, add 2 cups of flour. Beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium, mix until ingredients from an even, cohesive dough. Don’t under mix as this will make it too crumbly. You can never over mix it. Has to be able to stick and hold together.
*Break dough into small chunks and distribute in prepared pan; with your fingers press dough into an even layer. Bake 20 minutes or until dough has begun to puff and is just set. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
*Lightly brush exposed sides of foil with softened butter to keep filling from sticking. Spread jam evenly over crust. (Now, I skipped the foil and this process. I just baked in a glass dish without foil-did spread the jam).
*Sprinkle evenly with fresh raspberries.
*With a lemon zester, remove peel from lemon, making sure to avoid bitter white pith. (For the most flavor, you will want to do this right before baking.
*In a large bowl beat cream cheese and goat cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Mix in granulated sugar and 1 TBSP flour until blended. With mixer running, add egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
*Pour custard batter evenly over berries. Tilt pan back and forth to distribute evenly. Bake at 350` for 25-30 minutes or until barely set. Transfer to wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour; cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill 2 hours. Top will crack slightly as it cools.
*If foiled pan, use foil to lift the bars from the pan. With a knife or metal spatula, support the sides of the bars while you gently peel the foil downward and away from sides of bars.
*Cut into bars, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desire. These bars are good without the powdered sugar.

Fun at Ted and Faith's

Kara sitting by the pool.
Mitch in the pool.

Shawn under the boat in the pool.

Faith's fountain spraying in the pool.

Harley keeping an eye on the kids in the pool.

Tom helping hook up Tv for watching by the pool.

Ted playing with the torpedo with Shawn in the pool.

The kids went and found a frog over by our old house-by the creek.

There's a frog in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza. There's a frog in the bucket and really wants out!

I think you can get the idea of what went on over at Faith and Ted's house by what I posted under the pictures. LOL

There was a lot of pool time. Weather is perfect for it.

We cooked out and had burgers and hot dogs on the grill, and other yummy food.

The TV was the hit of the night for Faith. Cracked us up. She would not give up the remote!

We had a great time visiting with friends.