Ready or Not aka Tuesday Tunes

Ready or Not.

I've got one in middle school now, (post and a giveaway about that later this week) and another who makes me download songs like this to her iPod before bedtime.  **Shakin' my head**

 

We were never this cool

I have had a lot of "experiences" lately.  Things that have touched me so profoundly I felt or feel changed because of them.

One of my greatest experiences of the last year has been meeting the Young Family.  About a year ago we decided to finally sign the girls up for piano lessons.  I did some research and posted on our local Mom's Facebook group.  It was there that I found Mrs. Young who offers lessons right in her own home.

After just a couple of lessons not only did the girls love learning the piano, I loved being around the Young's.  They are a wonderful young family with a five-year-old daughter and an almost two-year-old son.  Their daughter, whom they call Trixie on their blog is the funniest, most articulate, precise young lady I have ever met.  During the lessons where Trixie was nearby she kept me in stitches with her stories and details of her day.

Their son Little Critter, was usually napping when we were around but when I did see him I was in awe of him as well.  They are just a beautiful family.  And I feel blessed to know them.

Earlier this year the Young's began the process of adopting a special needs baby from overseas.  What a calling they have been given and accepted.  They have been doing a lot of fundraising because adoption isn't cheap and their community has rallied around them. It's easy to give to a family that always seems to be smiling, who does God's work every day of their lives, and who are truly good people, but when they are offering a chance for you to give and possibly win something in the process it's even better.

In order to bring "Miles" home, the Young's have partnered with Reece's Rainbow, an adoption ministry for children with Downs Syndrome and an anonymous donor generously donated an iPad 3 for them to giveaway!

All you have to do is visit their blog post, and follow the directions to enter!  Any donation made through Reece's Rainbow is tax deductible and depending on the amount it will count as one or more entries to win the iPad 3!  If you can't donate at this time, then please help by sharing their story on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog post of your own.

"Miles" is a lucky little boy, and he is almost home to his forever family.  Any amount that any one can offer will bring him here that much sooner so he can see how wonderful this family is and feel their love as everyone else around them already has.

Oh yeah, the giveaway ends Saturday, September 15.

Tuesday Tunes

So, I got a new car which is a super cool post in and of itself.  But as a sidebar it has satellite radio and on the 80's channel the other day I heard this song.  My 80's self LOVED this song.  What a nice surprise.

Tuesday Tunes

We just returned from our annual Drummond Island vacation complete with a day "pontooning" on Potagannissing Bay on Lake Huron.  We cook out on the raft near a beach on Harbor Island, we pull the kids on tubes, and we enjoy a laid back day in the sun.  All 22 of us.


And while our pontoon didn't have a roof to jump off of (next year maybe?) we did have coolers and coozies :)  Enjoy this video from Little Big Town which summarizes our day quite nice.

Good old Drive-in

Last weekend my wife and I took the kids to the drive-in, yes that’s right, the drive-in.  For my generation and those before me, the drive-in was a common thing that we did in the summer; however for this generation the drive-in is not something you see very often.  There are a few popping up here and there but not nearly as many as there used to be.

In Jackson Mi. where my wife and I grew up there used to be two of them but that was a long time ago.  We did go down to Coldwater a couple of times to see a movie at the drive-in but that was before we had kids.  So now that we live in Brighton Mi. we have to go up to Flint to go to the U.S. 23 Drive-in.  It really is not that far and it is a real drive-in.  I mean it still has the poles that the speakers used to hang on.  It does have 3 screens and you use your radio to hear the movie but it is still brings back those memories.

Don’t get me wrong there are down sides to the drive-in just like anything else.  First, you get a flyer on your way in that tells the radio stations and rules etc.  One of the first rules says “park next to a pole and put your chairs in front of your car so that two cars can park between the poles.”  Of course you see people parked in the middle of two poles taking up the whole area which means less spots to park.  Second, people just don’t get the fact that if you drive through with your lights of those of us who are already watching the show cannot see.  Third, if you are going to bring kids and constantly have to speak up to them then role up your window so those of us next to you can’t hear you.  And finally if you are going to bring a van full of kids you need to keep them under control.  Please don’t let them run all over the place, darting in front of the rest of us and being just plain disrespectful.

Even though those issues exist it is still a good thing to have around.  Going to the drive-in in jammies and staying until 1:30am to watch movies is something I remember and my girls will always remember.  In my opinion there should be more drive-in theaters around for more families to enjoy.  I know we will probably go again later this summer maybe with some friends or maybe just our little family but either way it will be fun.