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Dinner at Great Wolf Lodge

2012-01-22T21:32:00.001-05:00

Dinner earlier with Jason, Gavin and our family at Great Wolf Lodge.

Great Wolf Lodge 2012

2012-01-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

Finally here!

Flame Tests with Joshua!

2012-01-02T19:41:00.001-05:00

I set Joshua up to do a little discovering of his own as I tidy up for tomorrow. Fun watching him enjoy science.

Winter Just Arrived!

2012-01-02T17:40:00.001-05:00

Trying not to get sand blasted with the amazing wares in the background!

Always Something :)

2012-01-01T20:24:00.002-05:00

So I decided to install the garbage disposal today. Funny how the disposal and the cutting/mounting the piping were no trouble... Having to remove the basket/drain on the sink next to the disposal (we have a double sink) ends up needing a hack saw and the plug below the sink needs to be rewired due to the shape of the dishwasher plug. You can stop reading now if you just want to know that everything eventually turned out great after a few "Really!?!"s and ""Oh Come On?!?!" s, not to mention a few laughs. Or keep reading to see how I became a more experienced plumber and electrician today.

To explain, at least in regards to the electricity. Everything gets finished, I check for leaks... no leaks. I plug in the disposal and it runs. I then turn off the switch and it still runs! The black plug is the disposal and the grey plug is the dishwasher. At first I think the switch had been bypassed but then think about how the bottom of the outlet is probably full power all the time and the top plug of the outlet is wired to the switch.

It seemed to be a simple fix at first... just move the grey dishwasher switch to the bottom outlet and plug the black disposal cord into the top. But, if you look closely you will see that due to the shape of the grey dishwasher cord, and the way that the 3 prong plug must be inserted - it blocks the top plug! And, as mentioned, moving it to the top plug would put the dishwasher on a switch and the disposal on constant power. I seriously contemplated just ripping out that 3rd ground prong on the dishwasher plug so I could turn it upside down and insert it on the bottom... but went with my better judgment of safety (after talking with my knowledgable father-in-law and watching people who have done it in electricity internet forums get chastised by other forum members "that's the dumbest thing you could ever do!"). So with that said, I turned off the breaker and moved the wires that needed to be moved. As mentioned in one of those forums as advice to some novice - Much better to fix the problem than to put a band-aid on it.

The picture shows everything after it was done... of course the plug still had to be put back on the wall.

Anibal House

2011-12-31T10:45:00.002-05:00

How fun to share memories with my kids that they did not even know existed... All the sites and sounds I have of this place - there is just no way to paint them a full picture. I find it a testimony to how my children are so much a part of me now via the fact that it is so odd to try to explain something apart from their existence in my life (in a way that they truly can picture/understand at this age). They just lack the experiences to assimilate it all. It's fun to think about how when I walked this campus I could have never imagined this exact moment today. It's wonderful to realize that God has made it more perfect than I could ever have done "myself". All in the simplicity of romping around an old campus. Like a leathery old box that will always still hold many treasures... which I can take out and share from time to time. :)

Lovin the Bounce House

2011-12-30T11:14:00.001-05:00

We love the Bounce House!

Bowling!

2011-12-29T14:42:00.001-05:00

Bowling with Grammi

...not even a mouse

2011-12-26T15:39:00.001-05:00

...not even a mouse

Spiderman and Ice cream

2011-12-26T13:44:00.001-05:00

Spider man and Joshua eating their ice cream on the way down state. Our "rig"in the background.

Just me and B

2011-12-22T09:45:00.001-05:00

Hanging with the B at Big Boy

Daddy Time

2011-12-10T10:21:00.001-05:00

At Home Depot for a kids workshop on making ornaments.

Silliness

2011-12-09T19:26:00.000-05:00

My two boys at the store... Yes that's Benjamin. Can't wait to show him 20 years from now.

Gingerbread... Tis the Season

2011-12-07T19:50:00.001-05:00

Making some gingerbread cookies.

A Midnight Clear

2011-12-04T19:24:00.000-05:00

Benjamin the angel and Joshua the wise man tonight at the childrens' Christmas performance tonight. They were awesome! Joshua sang so clear and loud and Benjamin was just an angel on stage with a big smile and great hand motions.

Michael :)

2011-12-03T18:06:00.000-05:00

A face you gotta love!

Christmas Tree 2011

2011-11-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

Standing in front of the Christmas tree we cut down today. No snow, but plenty of sugar cookies after to make it just as "Christmasy".

2011-11-28T07:30:00.001-05:00

We've only had this car for a week and a half and we're already at 1000 mi. Lots of miles but they've been great!

Joshua's Birthday

2011-11-26T10:49:00.001-05:00

Benjamin having to blow out a candle like Joshua during Joshua's b-day party the other day.

Jungle Java Boyz

2011-11-25T12:21:00.001-05:00

The boys at Jungle Java

Jungle Java

2011-11-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

Hanging at Jungle Java :-)

Turkey Trot 2011!

2011-11-24T06:56:00.001-05:00

Ready for the Turkey Trot downtown Detroit. Whoohoo!

Toothless!

2011-11-22T20:53:00.001-05:00

Joshua lost his first tooth!

Car Mechanic

2011-11-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

Building the car that came in Grandmas birthday card.:-)

Pancake candle...

2011-11-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

Benjamin wanted to blow out a candle too... :-)

Good Morning!

2011-11-19T09:37:00.001-05:00

Happy 6th birthday Joshua!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-10T16:34:00.001-05:00

Joshua with his friend Claire!

Walking 2...

2011-11-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

Atop a dune with the lake in the background. Nice and warm. :-)

Buzz Lightyear!

2011-10-29T21:27:00.001-04:00

Took the"Tactical light"out of Joshua's nerf gun to make a laser (with added buzzer) for his buzz light year costume. :-)

The "V"

2011-10-29T18:16:00.001-04:00

Joshua wanted to try doing what the lady on the Weider box was doing... Impressive! Go Joshua!

Zippin' Through the Trees

2011-10-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

Starting to build a zip line for the boys!

2 more weeks!

2011-09-30T16:33:00.001-04:00

And so it starts! :)

Finishing Up the Weekend Outside

2011-09-25T16:48:00.001-04:00

Thought you'd like to see what we're doing right now.

2011-09-09T21:16:00.000-04:00

Pickin' Peaches

2011-08-26T16:41:00.001-04:00

Picking peaches at Kings Orchard. Thanks for the recommendation Brian!

Funny Boy

2011-08-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

Hanging at the library. Benjamin in the 'puter, Micheal at the leggos and daddy in the mirror.

Jellystone Resort

2011-08-08T01:01:00.001-04:00

We've made it! Hangin' out with Yogi Bear for the week. :-) The kids are already having fun.

2011-07-21T16:40:00.001-04:00

Hi!

Belvedere Beach

2011-07-17T19:33:00.002-04:00

Belvedere Beach

Bill Walton

2011-07-15T18:53:00.001-04:00

Bill Walton sharing his experiences with Coach Wooden, teaching, & following your dreams.

Josten's Conference

2011-07-15T18:50:00.000-04:00

At the opening ceremony for the Josten's Renaissance conference in CA.

2011-07-06T12:44:00.001-04:00

2011-07-06T12:43:00.001-04:00

The Collegiate Mountains

2011-07-03T13:00:00.001-04:00

After white water rafting at Noah's Ark Rafting Co.

2011-07-01T11:11:00.001-04:00

Detroit zoo

2011-07-01T11:09:00.001-04:00

Dinosaur park

Driving down Pike's Peak

2011-06-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

I love how far you can see! And to think of how God can see all og His creation... Even every hair on my head is known.

At Camp... Safe & Sound

2011-06-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

Keith and I with Pikes Peak in the background.

Jada & Joshua

2011-06-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

Jada & Joshua at the top of McSauba after a sweet hike :-)

Woods Walk...

2011-06-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

Going for a little woods walk on Fathers Day. :-)

Biker Gang...

2011-06-17T11:51:00.001-04:00

Goin for a ride on the Harley :-)

Surprise Date!

2011-06-16T18:44:00.001-04:00

Stacey took me on a surprise dinner date! She's the best!

Thanks Grandma!

2011-06-01T19:53:00.000-04:00

A birthday gift for Benjamin from grandma. As you can see...he loves it. We love you grandma!

Pirates of the Caribbean!

2011-05-29T13:42:00.001-04:00

Arrr mates! ...our new snail (Jack) attacking the ship.

2011-05-26T15:01:00.001-04:00

The Biggest Loser...

2011-05-23T13:16:00.001-04:00

Me and Helen Phillips... Winner of The Biggest Loser season 7. She was so very nice, and shared her great story at the Wellness Conference I am attending.

Selling It All.... Kind of

2011-05-21T14:52:00.001-04:00

Garage Salin' It Up

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

Loving the son, and of course our wonderful mommy,on Mother's Day!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:11:00.004-04:00

Christ has risen! Happy Easter everyone!

Playset

2011-04-22T20:53:00.000-04:00

Getting some dinner and fun after picking up our playset!

Snow Day in the morning

2011-04-20T08:21:00.000-04:00

Enjoying a snow day!

Zippin' Around

2011-04-10T13:48:00.001-04:00

Benjamin taking a ride with our neighbor Mr. Abe. :-)

A Little TV Head

2011-04-07T19:32:00.001-04:00

Watching a show on alligators with Bubba.

Rainforest Cafe

2011-04-07T17:29:00.002-04:00

We LOVE Rainforest Cafe with grandma! :-)

Time for Lunch

2011-04-07T14:31:00.000-04:00

Joshua and Benjamin playing with their food. :-)

Spinnin' Round

2011-04-07T14:27:00.001-04:00

Round and round we go as Joshua spins us around on the tea cup.

Michael...

2011-04-02T20:00:00.001-04:00

A BIG smile during a fun bath.

Spring Break

2011-04-01T08:20:00.003-04:00

Good morning spring break. :-)

Hangin' at the doctor's office.

2011-04-01T08:20:00.001-04:00

Going to the doctor to get checked out... Clothes aren't the only hand-me-downs that Benjamin & Michael get from Joshua.

2011-03-17T23:06:00.000-04:00

Me and mom in Greektown

Run...

2011-03-16T18:42:00.001-04:00

After a beautiful run...in front of the Ren Cen.

MACUL

2011-03-16T17:08:00.001-04:00

Hanging out in the Ren Cen after a MACUL workshop.

Dungy day at MACUL

2011-03-16T17:03:00.001-04:00

John and I just outside the Ren Cen after our workshops.

Feeding Michael

2011-03-06T08:27:00.001-05:00

Joshua being the big brother.

Warmth by the fire.

2011-03-05T12:32:00.002-05:00

Enjoying some subway in the lodge at Mt. McSauba after some skiing with J & B.

Motorcycle

2011-02-28T20:02:00.001-05:00

Uhh ohhh.... A little too early for him to be riding around one of these.

Air Hockey

2011-02-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

Looks like cheap Air Hockey on the fly is just as much fun, if not more fun, than the expensive setup. As things fall apart its fun to watch the two of them work together to fix it and make it better :-)

Its Been Too Long

2010-12-31T14:37:00.006-05:00

You know the kind of friends you have that are just like family!?!? These two people are my family. Hans and Tina took care of me for a good three years of my life... and hopefully I returned the love well.

I was in high school and applied for a dental assistant position at their office, was hired, learned a ton (not just about dentsitry but about life), and gained some amazing friends. I will never forget the time that Tina took my ignorant self down to the auto repair shop. I had been there 3 -4 times in a row with constant auto repairs (and bills). She felt I was being taken advantage of and walked me in there, gave 'em some tone, and told them to get it done right. Who does that for their "employees".

Hans (Dr. Schwarz) was like a dad to me at times (many of our patients thought I was his son) and we always had a great time. Whether we were working on a patient together, just talking in the lab, telling jokes, or hanging out outside of work, I always enjoyed his company.

If you guys see this - It was great seeing you both today. I look forward to seeing you again soon! Love you both!

Bubs & Boys

2010-12-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

Joshua, Bubba, & Michael in the morning.

The Finish Line!

2010-11-25T09:31:00.000-05:00

Joshua did great! Had so much fun, saw all kinds of things, and didn't stop the whole way... He was so proud...and so am I. :-)

Finish line nourishment...

2010-11-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Waiting for the coveted free food at the finish line!

The Crowd in Detroit - Thanskgiving turkey Trot

2010-11-25T07:44:00.001-05:00

Huge crowd before the race... as always.

Seven Dwarfs....

2010-11-25T07:30:00.005-05:00

We hang with anyone these days... :)

Oompa Loompas

2010-11-25T07:30:00.004-05:00

They gave Joshua the Golden Duck!

Utterly Funny

2010-11-25T07:10:00.002-05:00

These guys were in the parking garage as we got out. They were part of the "Cow jumped Over The Moon" float.

Turkey trot

2010-11-25T07:05:00.001-05:00

Here we go

Nanobugs from Bubba

2010-11-24T19:13:00.001-05:00

Nanobugs!

Birthday cars

2010-11-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

Playing with a new track that grammi got Joshua for his birthday!

Build a Benjamin

2010-11-20T18:38:00.002-05:00

Build a Benjamin! Straight from the store with a real heart and all :-)

Actually Alicia made Joshua a bear from the Build-A-Bear Company and Benjamin decided to enjoy the box! Thanks again Alicia... Joshua loves the bear... and the box, well it didn't last.

Turkey Trot

2010-11-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

The shirts have been picked up, and Joshua and I are ready to go! Detroit Turkey Trot here we come... :-)

Art Museum

2010-11-13T11:58:00.001-05:00

Who needs to be a Gerber Baby when you have your own exhibit. Way to go Michael!

Checkers

2010-11-08T09:03:00.001-05:00

Playing some checkers on Saturday morning at the library with cousin Kyle while the moms are at the Mom to Mom sale :-)

Me and my Benjamin @ dinner

2010-11-02T17:01:00.002-04:00

Havin a little Subway... Just Benjamin (not melanin anymore) and me. :-)

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-02T17:01:00.001-04:00

Superman and Mickey Mouse just before taking on the neighborhood. :-)

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-31T19:22:00.000-04:00

Joshua and Benjamin with their friends out on Halloween. :-) This is at Brian's house, a soccer buddy... He had a fog machine haha.

Biggest Bonfire Ever!

2010-10-08T21:38:00.000-04:00

Looked out my back window to see Abe (my neighbor) burning a ton of wood in the basement of the barn he just tore down... Needles to say it was a matchless site for the boys.

Tranquil...

2010-10-08T21:34:00.000-04:00

Just golfing with the boys. Its so great to watch them have fun as they hit balls around the course.

Apple Fest!

2010-10-08T18:45:00.000-04:00

Feeding the animals... :-)

2010-10-08T07:28:00.001-04:00

Apple fest is on its way and has begun

Seriously!?

2010-10-07T15:56:00.000-04:00

I love Christmas... But this early!?