Wordless Wednesday

 

Getting Patriotic!

I thought it was time to get a little patriotic decor up at my house as July 4th is right around the corner!  I love patriotic things and am always happy to put these out.

We always line our front walk with flags before Memorial Day and leave them up till mid July.

This year my friend Shug, from Steps of Faith showed how she popped little flags around her house and I decided to do the same, starting with this planter on the front porch.

This is our dining room wall.  I added a few stars and a little sign that says "land that I love."

And here's a few more flags added to the table.

On this little side table in the living, I have this standing clip board that I clip different things on for different seasons.

This shelf is over the couch.  More flags!

Last but not least - this carving Bob did several years ago.  It's one of my favorites and it sits out all the time, but it gets special notice this time of year. 

Thanks Shug, for the flag idea!

A visit to the Children's Garden

I've shared with you several times about visits we've made to Frederick Meijer Botanical and Sculpture Gardens in Grand Rapids.  It has incredible sculptures and a variety of gardens.  One thing I haven't shared with you is the Children's Garden.
Last week, we took Cassie there.  Such a fun place!

Here she is at the entrance to this section.

It has a cute little door, just for kids!

There were fun things to find as we walked the trails, like this telephone tube.  Cassie talked into it and a little ways away, Bob was talking back to her.

There was a maze to walk through.

There were drums to play.

And more fun statues.

Cute little houses to check out...

elevated walkways...

forts to climb in...

Swinging bridges...

and everywhere there were cement paths, they had animal footprints in them.

But according to Cassie, the very best was this big water feature!

Thankfully, we had a change of clothes along because she was soaked when we got done!

Cassie had a great time, and so did Grandpa and Grandma!

Our last stop of the day was for lunch.  And then we all went home and rested!

Friday Funny

 

Cooking Thursday

I recently made a slightly different salad to bring to a church picnic. If you like cherry tomatoes you'll enjoy this one!  It was very easy to throw together, it's healthy and it's yummy!

Cherry Tomato Salad

4 cups halved cherry tomatoes (I used a variety of colors)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mozzarella balls - optional

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and place in bowl, stir in green onions.
Whisk all the other ingredients together, pour over tomatoes and green onions and stir together. Add Mozzarella balls if desired.
Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving, stir again before serving.
This can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Growing Celery

The area I grew up in was farm country.  My Dad was a dairy farmer and there were a lot of them around.  The area was also home to lots of farmers growing onions and celery.  You have to have the right kind of dirt for that.  I don't know the official name, but we called it muck.  It's heavy black soil that holds moisture well.  
When I was in high school, I worked on one of those celery farms.  We worked starting in the green house in the Spring, lots of hours in the summer and then through October.

Last week I drove past the farm and they were out planting celery.  The celery is first planted as a tiny seedling in the greenhouse, then when the threat of freezing is past, they are transplanted to the fields.

Here's what I saw as I drove past.

I put in many hours on a celery planter, but they've improved them since then.  When I was working, there were just 2 people on the planter and we each had a tray of little seedlings in front of us.  There were usually a few on the back that we would get if we used the first tray, but nothing like you see here. There is a little wheel with pockets that goes into the ground and each pocket gets a seedling put in it and as it goes around the seedling is planted.
I was working with people I enjoyed, and once you learned how to do it, you could talk as you worked.  They even had a clear plastic covered box that could go over the people so you could work in the rain.

Here's a picture that shows what the celery looks like once the field is planted.  Isn't it pretty?

Around July they start harvesting. A picker fills a wagon with celery and it's brought to the packing barn where we would trim and sort it into like sizes and then crate it.

Good memories for me!  And, as I live near this, I get to enjoy this sight often.

Happy Birthday and Fathers Day!

Bob's birthday was this past week so Laura and Heathers families came over Saturday night to have a birthday/Fathers day party.
Unfortunately, Alaina had a bad cold and had to miss not only this party but also a pool party with friends earlier in the day.

When Heather and Andrew arrived, I tried to get a picture of Cassie and Connor on the porch.  They don't sit still for long, so this was the best I got!

We had pizza, then went outside for a while.

Cassie ran for the swing set and Ruby went along to push her.

Laura has a green thumb like her dad, so they wandered around and checked out plants.

Ruby and Cassie went exploring in the back.

Ruby saw me point my camera in her direction and posed nicely.  :)

Bob got this t-shirt with all the kids on it.

Ruby was great with Connor.

Then we enjoyed some yummy ice cream dessert before everyone went home.

I sent some along for Alaina and soon got this picture with the message that it was making her feel much better!

It was a fun night with family celebrating our wonderful Dad and Grandpa!

Friday Funny

 

Cooking Thursday

I recently made chicken breasts in my air fryer that turned out so flavorful and juicy that I knew I had to share this recipe.  Things in the air fryer are usually quick and easy to make, and these were no exception.

Best Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

2 - 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large ziploc bag and miz together. Add chicken and be sure chicken is coated in the marinade.
Place in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 2 hours, may marinade overnight.
Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees for 5 minutes, then place chicken in basket and air fry for 16-20 minutes, flipping meat halfway through.
Watch closely at the end, as chicken will be dry if overdone.
Chicken is done when internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Sleepover time

Alaina and Ruby spent the night this past weekend. It had been a while because we've had such busy weekends lately, so we were happy to have them.

We went out for supper and then played a rousing game of Wahoo. I came in last.  :)  

In the morning we spent a little time outside.  

Bob was showing the girls how to use stilts.

They decided they liked this version of stilts better.

A package arrived with a little patio table and a few chairs for our new deck. The girls were excited to help put it together.  They helped Bob with the table.

Here they are working on one of the chairs.

They put this chair together on their own, with Bob giving instructions.  They were pretty proud of it.

Then we worked on a craft involving mini clay pots, lids, buttons and paint.  

Concentrating on painting.

They made cute little turtles and we all had fun!