Days with the Dorans

So two years ago we bumped out our kitchen.  Last year we built a deck and this year was finally the year to finish it off with some paint!!  I went back and forth trying to decide what color/colors to do but I am REALLY happy with how it turned out.  Between everything going on I felt like this took a while (especially the dumb white railings) but it was well worth it! I loved the idea of the white railings but was on the fence with what to do on the bottom.  For a long time I was thinking about going darker but then opted for a lighter look.  I was going to to go with a transparent stain but after sanding for hours (trying to get the dumb stamps they put on boards off) and still having so much to do, I opted for the easy route and went with deck paint.  My dad helped and we also did the bottom part gray to match the house.  I am so happy with how it turned out and perhaps more so that it is DONE!  Now I can finally give some attention...

 A strange thing happened a few weeks ago.  My dad suggested we go to a 'real' fish store (not the pet store chain stores I had been going to).  We headed to a place with tropical fish and spent a lot of time looking them.  The man there was really knowledgable (my dad knows a ton about fish too which is why I take him everywhere) and I asked him a lot of questions.  On the other side of the store (they are attached) is Bird Haven.  We went and looked because Z was with us and he loves ALL animals. As we were checking out the birds, I asked if he ever got any Pocket Parrots (or parrotlets).  You may recall a few years ago we went on a trip to Parrot Mountain in Gatlinburg TN and I fell in love with the pocket parrots they had!  I seriously wanted one... researched them... but couldn't find anyone close at the time who had them.  I feel like the nearest place I was able to find that had them was a few states away.  I accepted the ...

 We were so glad to get up to my folks' condo up north!  There is something about just getting away!  We look so forward to our time in Elk Rapids.  There's a bit of a slow pace about it which we love.  Now that the kids are getting older it seems so much easier... the drive... EVERYTHING!  When we got there, Jeff headed to the market to get some groceries and the kids and I headed to the lake.  It had been a rainy day and I thought it was a bit chilly but that didn't stop the kids from jumping in Lake Michigan's waters! After swimming we dried off and walked into town to grab some drinks and munchies.  We had a late lunch so we ordered off the appetizer menu which was actually really fun.  It was there that we saw the news of Robin Williams' death scrolling across one of the screens...  Between him and the way the Tigers were playing, we needed to get away from the screens in that place! We headed next door for something swee...

Leave it to Jeff to find a new sport!  I don't even remember when he first started talking about this but there is a new sport called "Foot Golf" and yes... it is exactly what it sounds like~ Golf using your foot (and a soccer ball).  He took Joey and the two of them hit the links this morning!  Jeff was so excited and Joe was looking forward  to trying something new too (even if it did mean he had to put on a shirt with a collar).  They took their own soccer balls and Jeff said the man at the course was very nice and friendly explaining the rules of the game to them. They opted to take a cart (mostly because what kid doesn't want to drive in a golf cart??).  Jeff said that Joe did real well and this is definitely something that he is going to do again.  The closest course that he found was 30 minutes from us (bummer).  We are going to be headed north soon and Jeff has already been online looking for courses around there.  Ali ...

Me, Jenny and Jessica About 6 months ago my high school friend Jenny contacted me and Jessica and reminded us that it had been 20 years since we graduated high school and that we should probably put something together to celebrate.  To say it was a lot of work was an understatement!  I think the biggest hurdle was finding everyone.  Then we had to try to find what kind of event people wanted... where... when... Thank God for Survey Monkey and Facebook!  We went with what the majority wanted and had the reunion at a bar and made it a cool casual night. Shawn was one who really helped sell tickets and find people too!  Just because it was at a bar though doesn't mean that it was an 'easy' thing.  There was food and we had to make deposits for the room... etc.  To do this, we needed to pre-sell tickets.  I don't think everyone maybe understood why we wanted them to buy tickets early and we really worried that we wouldn't make the money a...

Jeff's birthday was lower key than usual.  We had a busy day because my 20th high school reunion was the same day.  We ended up going to Saginaw on the 8th which was nice!  We had some yummy food and played in the backyard with Mary, Abby and Uncle Jim.  Grandma made a delicious cake too! I decorated the house the night before with Happy Birthday signs and wrapped presents.  Jeff was happy to get all his "Grill Goodies" and handmade cards (including one with Z's "famous" drawing of the flower on the hill).  The kids and Jeff went to a birthday lunch with Papa while I was running errands for our reunion later that night.  He was going to come and help me but once there I realized I wouldn't need him.  I think that may have been his best present.  He was able to say hi to a few of my friends and take off for a quiet night at home.  I have a feeling when we celebrate 40 next year, things won't be quite so quiet!