My Grandma's Sewing Machine

When I was a little girl, my grandmother taught me to sew, first by hand, and later with paper patterns and her foot pedal sewing machine.  Not the kind with a huge pedal, but one that had a little box with a button you pushed with your foot to make it go.  A sturdy, pretty, shiny black Singer with gold pretties  (squiggly lines) that decorated the spin handle on the side.

In addition to that, my grandmother was my world.  We lived just behind her for most of my childhood, and when I was younger I was there more than I was home (and when I was older I went there directly after school instead of home).  All of our holidays were held there too, and we had dinner with her and my grandfather every Sunday after church.

She was the type of grandmother who so rarely got cross that you remember distinctly the times you heard her do so (I remember two, once with my grandfather and once w/someone outside of the family). She was also the kind of grandma who loved you, I mean truly, completely, unconditionally loved you. I always knew I was wanted, loved, and as I got older and had children of my own, I came to realize, cherished as her grandchild.  She loved me the way I love my own, but she was even better at it (I've been mad at mine a time or two ;) )

She didn't have much in terms of 'things.' She never did, but she always worked, and she always made sure there was 'enough.' When she died, I knew she'd told my mom she wanted me to have her sewing machine.  A few years later, my mom asked me if I wanted it.  I sent her money to mail it.  Of course, I wanted it.  And my mom mailed it to me very quickly.

But it's been sitting in that box, every day since it arrived, unopened.  I don't even know if it got damaged in transit (I am hoping not).  Today I pulled that box out, and I was going to open it...put the beautiful sewing machine on display for everyone to see like it should be. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't open the box, and I've already put it back in the room we use for storage.

Isn't that silly?  I still miss her so.  And it's really been a long time now.  How wonderful to have had someone like that in my life.

I hope each of you has your own 'gram,' or that you are that someone to someone else.  That kind of love, thankfully, never leaves you.

Flip Flops and Upside Down Christmas Trees

A couple of days ago I posted about our mini-trip over the long holiday weekend to Frankenmuth.  Here is the rest of that post...our hotel visit.

We have been to Frankenmuth many times.  It's just really a place our whole family enjoys.  They have a premium outlet mall close by at Birch Run for shopping enthusiasts, many great shops right in town including two shopping centers (many with custom-made items), and an awesome Cheese Haus. They also have restaurants aplenty.  The two most popular restaurants by far, for us, are the The Bavarian Inn and Zehnders, both of which offer a unique Bavarian-style experience, right down to what the staff are wearing.  Frankenmuth also has a great coffee house with a play area for the kids built into the wall (under the staircase), and of course they have Bronner's, the worlds' largest Christmas store.  I'm missing a lot, but you get the idea.

We usually stay at the same hotel, and do the same things, but we decided to switch it up a bit this time, and after a little research, we opted for a stay at The Bavarian Inn, more precisely, we decided to stay in the Family Fun Center of the hotel (which is like a hotel within the hotel!).

If have children (any age!), and are headed to Frankenmuth, I highly recommend asking for a room in the Fun Center.  The rooms are literally in the middle of a fun zone, but are down a hallway with sound proof glass separating them from the fun (so you can look down and see the rooms, but you're not bothered by the noise).  When I was reading about it, I thought, 'fun center, okay,' but I had no idea what we were in store for once we arrived.  Just like the website described it, this place really was a mega-arcade and Bavarian-themed indoor water park.

The first thing we did was test the play rooms.  In the picture above you can see this was no ordinary game room.  There was a large play house area (complete with a play kitchen inside, of course), that my little one could not pass up.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Impulse Travel Destination

We had an entirely different vacation set up, but one of the people who was supposed to come along, was unable to go (my son because he couldn't get the time off from the military). So...we changed our plans at the last second, totally on impulse (the one and only time we've ever done that). We went someplace we'd never been: Prague, in the Czech Republic.  It ended up being a fantastic decision, and instantly became one of our family's all-time, most favorite places to visit.

My teen getting his Prague on...and he quickly learned that dress shoes aren't always the best choice for a long walk on vacation. Something his mother had to learn on her own too, many times over. ;)

The time change was a bit much for little man.  He slept a lot, even at the toy store.

Look who is awake, just in time to see a big castle around the corner. :)

Changing of the Guard at Prague Castle

The churches were beautiful inside and out.

There was no shortage of things to do.

This is a staircase in the National Museum.

It's pretty impressive, right? The museum itself was really great too.

 Even the teen liked it, and he thought he was beyond the years of enjoying museums. ;)

We explored Wenceslas Square after we left the museum.

I really enjoyed my time at the Astronomical Clock. There were a lot of people there to see it, and I could see why. I didn't want to tear myself away from it.

Charles Bridge was another area where I could stay for days. There was a lot of construction going on around us, but it was still very beautiful to be there.

Even though the weather was a bit chilly (we like to travel during the 'off season' and the skies stayed gray, it was still such a remarkable place to see.

And of course, the classic Prague views stay with you. This photo is blown up and hangs in my house. I absolutely love it.

The water views were very pretty too, and very distinct. I bet anyone in the world who is familiar with the city, would know where we are, just by looking at the background.

And I'll finish by mentioning the food. There was not a bad meal to be had in the city of Prague. Even the breakfast was delicious!! 

Our visit to this city will always hold a special place in my memories, and I'm so glad we made last minute changes to make this our destination.  How about you?  Have you ever changed vacation plans at the last second and it turned out to be a very good thing?

In Honor of Veteran's Day

One of the most important people in my life is a military man.

My oldest child has always been a kind-hearted, fun-loving child.  His teachers loved him in school, the neighbors loved him growing up, and my friends repeatedly said he was the nicest child they'd ever seen. He was always very sweet and mild-mannered.  So when he decided to drop out of college to join the military, I was stunned, and I hoped it was 'just talk' because the military, while they have my full respect, can be a very dangerous place.  But he joined, and when he did, he went all out and signed up for Infantry, which would put him front and center in the middle of danger.  

In the beginning, I was overcome with emotion that sometimes just enveloped me out of the blue.  For me, his safety and well-being will always be paramount, so knowing he'd thrown himself into the unknown was very hard to adapt to as his mom.

When he graduated from Boot Camp, nothing short of the extraordinary happened...  

All of his things were on the bus for where he was supposed to go.  The ceremony went off without a hitch.  It was very nice, but parents/loved ones were worried because they didn't know where their soldiers were being sent, or what their destination(s) would entail.  At the very last second (literally), one of the men in charge came up and told my son to move his things off of the transport bus they were on, and move them to the bus headed for Air Borne, where he would now go to train to be a Paratrooper.  He was more than thrilled because that's where he wanted to be. 

Here he is posing with his Drill Sergeant at the Boot Camp Graduation Ceremony

Why that particular moment turned out to be so wonderful to me, is because it then led to him being selected (after he successfully completed his training) as one of the Old Guard members in DC.  It is a job to be revered, and a hard one for sure because they are constantly on-call to pick up the bodies and take part in the official ceremonies for their fellow comrades who have fallen (which is a highly respected job, but can never, ever can be considered a 'good' job).  But from a mother's perspective, it delayed him being sent overseas, and for that, I will always consider his last minute bus change nothing short of a miracle.

This picture is very profound to me.  My son is front, right.

Earning his EIB (my son is in the front of this picture)

Here he is below earning his Expert Infantry Badge (EIB).

He has since transferred out of Old Guard and into another area where he is learning and excelling at what he  does.  To our country and to us he is a hero.  But even more than that, to us he is family.  

He is the big brother whose two younger brothers are always ecstatic to see him.

Yeah, his not-so-little brother jumped in his arms too.  Hilarious group of guys I've got, let me tell you, but in truth we all feel happy like that when we get to see him.

He is the big brother who tries to soothe his sister who breaks down every time she has to leave him.

She's getting better as she gets older, but she still takes it really hard when it's time to part.

He is the considerate and loving husband who wears the pink tie his wife selected for him because it perfectly matches her dress (we're at their place in the photo below, headed out to get professional pictures taken).

Yes, he did wear it, and yes it did match perfectly.  

He is the son who loves his mama.

This is me, him, and his little bro on stilts in the background.  
I couldn't be more proud of the child he was or the man he has become.  

And he is also a young man who makes us even more proud with his decision to have become a soldier (love you C!).

Serving our country is no small thing, and I hope you will join me today, & every day, in honoring all of the men and women who are active, have served, or have lost their lives while serving in the United States Military.

Happy Veteran's Day.

Well, It's Over... Goodbye October

For your convenience...trunk-or-treating has been moved inside this year.  Yay!

There goes October...

What Constitutes a "Collection?"

I love a nice, hearty coffee mug!

And Christmas ornaments are my weakness

I'm not really a collector.  I get a treasure here & there from different places we visit from time-to-time, and of course, anything the kids make becomes instant gold.  But I don't really collect anything.  There is something I do like to get though, and that is a nice mug for coffee.  In most of the places we go that we consider special, I'll pick one up (Mackinac Island, Cedar Point, Disney World, different cities in the US and abroad, etc.).  There are others I have that I like quite a bit too.  My mother-in-law brought me some really great mugs w/stripes recently that I love, and I have some I've made at Shutterfly w/pictures of the family on them that are personal favorites.

I wish I had my camera...it's broken (if you missed that story, you can find it here & I still don't have a replacement...for the time being I'm using a disposable, ugh) so I could take a picture of a group of my favorites, but nonetheless, you get the idea, I'm sure.

Christmas ornaments are another thing I really like, and those could maybe be classified as a collection.  Again, if we go somewhere we think is special, we're sure to pick one up, and we love them.  We will probably never have a beautiful themed tree because everyone in the family (including me) would miss the vast assortment of ornaments it is tradition for us to hang.  We have years of memories up there.  Hubby and I even have some from when we were kids, and let me tell you, that's going waaaaay back. ;)

How about you?  Anything you like to get that is special to you, but you don't really consider it as "collecting?"

An Easy Fall Project to Make w/the Kiddos!

Looking for leaves in our backyard

I saw a project on a blog hop that looked fun and easy enough to do. We modified it a bit from the original idea, using poster board instead of a folder, simply because we found so many leaves we wanted to use! I can't remember which blog it was (there were so many) so if it was yours, let me know and I'm happy to link the original.

Look VERY carefully in the leaf pile (Wordless Wednesday)

My youngest child is in the leaf pile catching a ride from his big brother. Can you see him?

Wordless Wednesday: Rome, Italy

The Colosseum

The Roman Forum (side by side with the Colosseum). 
This was every bit as astounding and marvelous as the stadium.

Those were my favorite boots, but the streets of Rome claimed the heel. 
Lesson learned...pack sneakers when traveling. :)

Rome was a beautiful city, and we enjoyed our time in it.

Star Wars Fanatic and a FANTASTIC Pop-Up Book

My son is a Star Wars fanatic.  He has a Darth Vader costume, Star Wars pajamas, a toothbrush with R2D2, and even Star Wars underwear (lol!)...and that's just to name a few things.  What he has now, courtesy of his birthday and the world's greatest pop-up artist, Matthew Reinhart, is this fabulous Star Wars pop-up book,

I have written about Matthew Reinhart's work before (you can find it towards the bottom of the article here), and if you read it, you already know that his work is extraordinary.  First of all, the pop-ups are huge; second of all, they are sturdy...we've had our other book (DC Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book) for a couple of years now, and even though it gets read a lot, it's still in pristine condition; third, in the corners of each page, there are smaller pop-ups, just as intricately  made beneath 'surprise doors;' and fourth, I guarantee that you have never seen anything like these.  Mr. Reinhart (thankfully!) does not make ordinary books.

Do You Read to Your Child?

It has been proven time and again that the benefits of reading to children are exponential. When you sit down and read a book to your child there is a bonding that takes place that is irreplaceable. It is a soothing and loving thing to spend that one-on-one time with your child. Reading is also calming to the spirit. It settles you down, lets you relax, and if you're doing it at nighttime like we do, it is a great way to bring positive closure to the day.

Vacation Bible School

The welcoming stage for the kiddos.

Did you go to Vacation Bible School as a youth?  I went every summer, and while I can't remember everything about it, I do remember a lot of things, including not only the activities, but the rooms, the table always set up with cookies and little paper cups of Kool-Aid in the main hall, some of the kids who were going too, the songs we sang, and the Bible verses we learned.

Now that was a Wild Ride!

With winter long gone, and warm weather just about everywhere, summer allows us to do many things that we just can't do in the colder months.  Joy riding is one of those things.

Those who experience four seasons are glad when summer rolls around so they can break out their fast rides that just don't drive well in the winter... Everywhere you look there are Mustang GTs; Chevy Camaro's; and you won't go long without seeing a Harley Davidson or racing bike pass you by.  Speed aside, you might also see a lot of old cars, like the Studebaker, coming out to enjoy a ride in all their splendor and glory.

Summer rides are enjoyed on bicycles, tricycles, skateboards, and even mopeds.  If you're lucky enough to be in a great tourist spot, you might even get to enjoy rides on a Segway, a roller coaster (we love you Cedar Point!!), or a zipline.

Nature lovers can take out their horses; farmers are out driving their tractors, and husbands (at least in this house) are enjoying the outdoors on their trusty (and well loved) John Deere riding lawn mowers.

But elephants?   Yep, even the elephants are offering rides in the summer, and over the weekend that's just what we went to do.  Laura the Elephant is a beauty of a gal who has been in the US since 1982.  If you haven't heard the of term 'culling' it means to kill animals in masses to aid in their population control, and according to her official website, that was Laura's initial fate.  Fortunately for her, and us too, she, along with 129 other elephants, avoided that fate. 

Laura's trainer is a gentleman who is wonderful with the public, taking time to allow eager parents that little bit of extra time to take have the best photo ops. of their loved ones next to the elephant, and talking from time to time with members in the crowd.  This year and last they were at the local Hot Air Balloon Jubilee, and though we love the balloons and other events, we also look forward to our annual elephant ride.  My daughter summed it up nicely on the ride home, while going through the photos on her camera that she'd taken for the day:  "Who can imagine riding on an elephant?  It's like a once in a lifetime thing, and we have done it three times now.  What a wild ride!  Get it? Get it?!"  Yes dear, I got it.  LOL

A big shout out to Laura and her trainer for helping us make fun memories, and for taking the concept of summer riding to a whole new level of cool.

The Navy Pier in Chicago: Totally Worth the Hype

Shopping at Navy Pier in Chicago

There is no doubt about it, Chicago is a fun city.  It can also be a very expensive city.  Last year, on a whim, the kids and I decided to take the four hour trip from Michigan to the windy city, to visit Navy Pier.  It's one of those tourist-type attractions that you live close enough to that you take it for granted, so even though we've lived here five years now, we'd never checked it out in person.

I had no idea what I was getting into, I just hoped it would be fun.  And it was!  What made it even better, was that it was not expensive.  Yes, we paid quite a bit to park the car in the adjacent garage, we paid for dinner while we there...and we got a souvenir for grandma, but it was still very decently priced (and it's free to enter).   We had a whole afternoon and evening of fun, and none of us really wanted to come back home quite yet, when it was time to go.

Nestled alongside the beautiful Lake Michigan, the waterfront view put us in a good mood from the get-go.  There were small boats, sail boats, and even a yacht or two moving alongside us as we walked from the parking garage to the pier.

Inside there were rides for the smaller children, and a fifteen-story tall Ferris wheel for everyone to enjoy.  If you've never seen a Ferris wheel that big, I'm here to tell you that it was pretty extraordinary.  My kids and I all enjoy roller coasters, the bigger the better, but my daughter and I always steer clear of Ferris wheels.  Why?  I don't know...they just make us a tad bit nervous.  This one, however, was too extraordinary to miss, so we climbed aboard (toddler secured cheerfully beside us), and watched the dramatic Chicago skyland unfold before us in the night.

Afterwards we walked the pier, strolled through the Smith Museum of Stained Windows,  listened to live entertainment, and saw an awesome fireworks show...all free of charge.  For those looking for even more things to do, or who are going to make the pier a two-or-more-day trip, there is the Chicago Children's Museum that is three-floors of hands-on fun; shopping aplenty; an IMAX theater; and right now the richly acclaimed Cirque Shanghai (a contest for two free tickets can be found here) is playing at the pier.  There are also various chartered rides that can be taken on cruise ships, including those that serve dinner; or a bona fide pirate's tale adventure can be had on Tall Ship Windy, Chicago's 148-foot four masted gaff topsail schooner.

Smith Museum of Stained Windows

I was hoping to make a trip back there this year, but we have too much going on, so I think we're going to miss it this summer.  For anyone in the area though, looking for a reasonably-priced outing that is full of family fun, I highly recommend a trip to Chicago's Navy Pier:  It's totally worth the hype!

His First Ride!!

His First Ride...well, not counting his wagon, tricycle, big wheel, various bicycles and skateboards, etc.

And yes, the time went by so fast!  He's been working full-time and saving for a car.  I guess the saving (at least for the car he wanted/wants) was taking too long because today he asked me to drive him to another city to see this motorcycle.  I knew as soon as I saw him straddle it that it was coming home with us...the look of sheer glee on his face told the tale before he ever uttered the words.  I wasn't really surprised, he'd mentioned wanting a bike several times over the last couple of years, but I can't lie, a part of me was hoping his first vehicle would have four wheels, not two.  As a mom, I just worry about his safety.  But he's nineteen now, and responsible, and he should be able to choose what he wants to drive. And so, I'm very proud of him.  He's worked, and saved, and purchased his first vehicle; the vehicle HE wants, for outright cash.  And now he'll have his summer ride.

Just between you and me though...for the very first time ever, in my entire life, I may be glad when winter rolls around.  ;)

Congrats on the new bike, JG!