Aloha!

We have been back from our trip to Hawaii about a week now and I think my internal time clock is just about reset to its usual screwy schedule. We had a wonderful time there. It was more like the Hawaii we've been told about and dreamed of -- sunny skies, rolling waves, moderate temps, swaying palms, gorgeous sunsets and magical nights.

Now I'm trying to clean up the "paperwork tornado" that I left behind here at home. The good news is that I did get all the papers into the accountant to completely get caught up on taxes, both personal and my business. I have good motivation today to get lots done because it's Bob's birthday and I want the house to be looking nice (or at least better) when he comes home today.

I'm making a lobster tail and shrimp dinner with lemon butter, twice baked potatoes and my "famous" green salad. Since corn on the cob is still being harvested locally and has been so-o-o-o good, I may add that, too. Then for dessert, carrot cake from Cracker Barrel. We won't need to eat the rest of the week!

Bethany, thanks for the cleaning products tip. I have a question, though -- what is washing soda? Is the same as baking soda? Also, about your mildew problem: 1. Since mildew is actually a live, growing organism, it takes something to actually kill it, not just clean it off. Usually it will need to be a bleach (chlorine) product. I'll look for something "homemade" that you might can use. 2. If you have a small fan (if the bathroom doesn't have an exhaust fan), if you will run it for 30 minutes after each shower or bath, that will help control it a lot, too

Kevin, Sarah and Caleb will be here in a couple of weeks for a visit and to attend some of the Red Wings Hockey training camp in Traverse City. That will be fun and we're looking forward to our "conversations" with Caleb. He's really talking very well.

If I can figure out how to add a couple of pictures to this post of our vacation, I will. If not, bye for now everybody. Love to all.

Momma K
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All-Purpose Household Cleaners

Hello!

It's been a while since I posted, but I just had to share these penny-pinching cleanser recipes I was given in Moms'N'Tots. I've been using the spray cleaner and window/mirror wash solution for a few weeks now and love them. I think that the spray cleaner, especially saves a lot of money. Anyhow, here are the recipes:

Spray Cleaner
1 tsp. borax, 1/2 tsp. washing soda, 2 T. vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. liquid dishwashing soap, 2 c. very hot tap water, 2 T. ammonia (if desired), spray bottle.

Combine borax, washing soda, and vinegar in a spray bottle. Add very hot tap water, leaving room for the liquid soap. Shake bottle gently until the mineral have dissolved. Spray onto the area to be cleaned and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

Soft Scrubber
1/4 c. baking soda, enough liquid dishwashing soap to make a paste.

Place the baking soda in a bowl and stir in soap unitl it becomes a rich, creamy texture. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, wash surface, and rinse thoroughly.

Window Wash
1/2 tsp. liquid diwhwashing soap, 3 T. vinegar, 2 c. water, spray bottle

Place all ingredients in a spray bottle, shake, and use as you would any commercial window washing brand.

Floor Cleaner
1/8 c. liquid dishwashing soap, 1/2 c. vinegar, 2 gallons warm water

Put soap and vinegar in the bottom of a bucket. Fill the bucket with warm water, swishing the ingredients around to activate the soap. Wash the floor as you normally would.


Now... if anybody has a great home cleaner that gets rid of mildew, I'd love to have the recipe. We have a HORRIBLE bathroom here with poorly set tile everywhere and it is just always damp and gross in there and has gotten mildew-y in spots. I probably just need more "elbow-grease", but if there is another solution that's easier on my back, I'd LOVE to hear it!

The Old Oak Tree

The Old Oak Tree

Just thought I'd take a minute to let everyone know what's going on at the Nelson's in Michigan . . .

First of all, it's HOT!!! We actually hit over 100 yesterday, 103! Thank goodness our house has air conditioning, but many homes here do not, and people are really suffering. Of course, our hot weather will go away in a few days and we don't have it this hot but once or twice a year, unlike Californians and Texas and Oklahoma and some of the other places that have had weeks and weeks of this. The beaches are full up until late in the evening, with lots of people just standing around in the water to cool off. Well, enough about that!

It's been a busy time for us. Bob's made a couple of trips to Oklahoma & Texas in the past 2-3 weeks. (Thank you Kevin, and Southwest Airlines!). My sister Pam and her daughter Kimberly and Kimberly's 2 little boys, Jack (age 4) and Johnny (14 months) came in last night (July 31).

Pam is the main speaker at our Northwomen retreat which goes from tonight, Tuesday through Thursday. The devil did everything possible to keep her from coming, but she's here and I just know Northwomen this year is going to be full of special blessings. Please put Pam on your prayer list as well as our Northwomen retreat. Also, the heat is supposed to continue through Wednesday at least, and our air conditioning doesn't work very well at church.

Our Hawaii trip draws closer and we're all getting very excited. Mom has not been feeling well at all, but at this point says she's going, too! I don't think any of us will go if she can't, but for now at least, other than the hard trip to get there, she can sit around and not feel good in Hawaii as well as she can sit around and not feel good in Michigan. Sure hope that doesn't sound callous, but she's the one who said it.

Kimberly's little boys are just adorable. Jack is so bright and funny. Johnny is a sweetheart. He and Ruby are just a couple of weeks apart in age. If you've ever seen Jack, you've seen Johnny. They look so much alike!

Well, I'm still working on paperwork from closing my business and today is my deadline to get it to the accountant, so I better close.

God loves you and so do I!

K

Cute Caleb Pics from MI

Hello! I thought I'd go ahead and post these pictures of Caleb from when we were in MI. He's a real cutie! Watch out! Once Caleb got a hold on the sprinkler, he was ready to get EVERYONE wet (whether they wanted it or not!).

Nana and her little kiddos at the beach.

Caleb "celebrating" the 4th of July.

Sarah, Kevin, and Caleb, July 4th, 2006.

Crazy Caleb playing "Daddy".

Fun in the MI Sun

We've been having a great time here with Nana and Bobo playing in the sun. Here are some pictures from the last few days...

The Old Oak Tree

The Old Oak Tree

Here's a great recipe I got from today's paper. An Amish lady writes a column every week on Monday. I modified it for sugar free and made it up tonight for tomorrow night since I have a busy day tomorrow. Of course we had to taste test it tonight and it is absolutely delicious!

RHUBARB SALAD

3 cup rhubarb cut into small pieces (1 to 1 1/2 inches)
1 c. water
1 pkg. raspberry sugar free jello
(or 1 pkg. regular raspberry jello plus 1 cup sugar)
1 cup diced celery

Cook rhubarb in 1 cup of water until soft (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Add jello (and sugar if using regular jello), mash together, and stir until jello is dissolved. Stir in celery and nuts. Pour into a pretty glass bowl. Refrigerate until set.

I think next time I might include the juice of half a lime just to experiment.
1 cup chopped nuts

The Old Oak Tree

The Old Oak Tree

GOOD NEWS!

Mike Ponstein, Jill's husband finished his degree in special education this spring. He was offered a job with Forest Area Schools and is taking it. They had hoped to be able to stay up here, and we hoped so too -- so we can see Annie.

Baby Karleigh is home and doing well. Big Sister McKenna hasn't let having a new baby in the house slow her down at all. She's almost potty trained and pretty proud of herself.

Annie is doing well after her surgery. She has adapted well to her elbow straighteners (to keep her hands away from her mouth). She only has to wear them one more week. She is a little more attached to her mom than before the surgery, but I think that's to be expected. It makes her daddy sad though.

We finally got some warm weather -- but we went from 70 to 90 in 2 days. Kinda hard on us, but it's good to have summer to warm up the lakes.

More later.

Momma K

Ahhhh, SUMMER!

I just had to post that crazy Mentos video! I cannot believe those guys! That is so awesome! The two guys really reminded me of folks that we knew back in Idaho. Chemistry really is fun!

Anyhow, just wanted to update everyone on how we're doing here...

Jared has been really busy at work, but is getting a lot done. He has been getting home in plenty of time to enjoy dinner with us (when Ruby allows it to be enjoyable, that is!) and is loving his garden. He has been the mighty "Slug Hunter" this month, always trying something new to keep them from devouring all of his precious sprouts. After trying lots and lots of methods, it seems that the old beer in a cup method is most useful. The first night the cup was out it got about 30 slugs and is now just heaping with them. Don't worry, I won't post a picture of that--way too gross! I will post a picture of his favorite flower though--a passaflora (passion flower). I can't remember if I posted this on Ruby's site, but I don't think that I did. He's counting the days left before vacation and we are all sooo excited to have this time off and bakc home.

I have been doing really well. Moms & Tots has been small, but the impact has been huge for those of us that are participating. The book that we are discussing, What Every Mom Needs, is really great, but the discussion is the best part. Just having that support from women who are going through (or have gone through) the same things is just great. It is the combination of being a mom, not working outside the home, and living in a foreign country that is quite difficult at times. It really has forced me (and all of us in the group) to look at ourselves again to see who we are and why we are significant. Anyhow, I'm just so thankful that God brought this opportunity up and that he helped me follow through with it and make it happen--what a blessing! We've also been doing LOTS of entertaining, so I've been cooking and cleaning a lot, but I love that we're able to do it (even though I do complain to Jared a fair bit when I'm in the frenzy of getting ready while chasing down Ruby). The hospitality and friendship that we experienced when we lived in Idaho made such an impression on me. It made such a difference in feeling like we were loved and part of a community. I hope that we can do the same for others.

Ruby is splendid, as always! She is quite the little character and loves our time outside. She really brings home the saying, "take time to stop and smell the roses", because she really does! We'll walk only a few steps at a time and she'll have to sniff something. Even if it's just a leaf, she's just gotta figure out what it is. It's so neat to see her discovering new things. I'm really enjoying this stage. Even though she is into absolutely everything, she curious and learning, which is so fun to see. Her other obsession is stairs. Any step in sight, she's got to get to it and go up and down and up and down and up... you get the picture.

Well, we're just looking forward to seeing everyone so much. Keep us in your prayers as we're travelling. We'll be flying out of Copenhagen at midnight Eastern time on Tuesday and will arrive around 4pm in Chicago. It's a LONG trip with two layovers, so pray that Ruby copes with us and that we cope with her and that somehow, we actually enjoy it!

Love, Bethany

Where Diet Coke and Mentos have never gone before!

The Old Oak Tree

The Old Oak Tree

Just a quick update -- Windy and Andrew are the proud parents of a new baby girl, Karleigh May Babcock, born Sunday morning, June 11 (on Bethany's birthday) about 8:45. She weighed 7 lb 2 oz and was 19 3/4" long. She is just beautiful and already has nursing down to a science.

They came home this morning (Monday). Her mom and dad are here for a few days, so it will be good for Windy to have a little extra help for a few days.

Also, Scott & Michelle Babcock found out Friday June 9 that they will be having twins. Pray for a healthy pregnancy. Things look very good so far. Michelle's not having much nausea, but is sleepy and hungry most of the time. Her email is mbabcock@mhc.com.

I received my replacement drapes. This time I ordered two different colors -- sage and crimson. I love the crimson, but I'm afraid it would seem too dark in the winter. I really like the sage too and feel it would be more of a "neutral" so that's the ones I'm keeping.

We heard today that Craig & Kenni and their 4 children and Jason & Amy and their 4 are coming to Michigan. They will be in this Friday evening. They had talked about it, but we hadn't heard any more, so Mom's phone call this morning from Craig was a bit of a surprise, but of course, we will all be thrilled to have them up for a visit. I think Craig in particular is wanting to spend some time with Mom before time runs out, as it inevitably will.

That's a quick update for now.

Momma K