fall time

In the corn maze. Cornhuggers!

The all famous and getting more so Indian soup. This last weekend I was in Wisconsin visiting my friend Jennifer. They were having a womens retreat with an Indian theme on Sat. night. Thus the soup! People loved it along side their Nan and mango ice cream.

Next were the adventures on the farm. Jen and her family have llamas, goats, horses, dogs and cats.

Lily giving me a very unexpected kiss.

Jen and Sky

George. My favorite and probably because he is so curious. He is always checking out what you are doing, making sure he is not missing anything.

satisfied

Happy to be sitting by a fire with friends and have warm toes at the same time.

North Country Times

If all else fails try Stormy Kromer hats! On Tuesday I went to an Apple Orchard with Heidi and Christian. It's just something you have to do in the fall. Anyways, in the gift shop they had these crazy hats. I don't think I would buy a pink one. Of course we had to have fresh made apple cider donuts and the sign about the cooks caught my attention since I enjoy cooking myself. So for those of you who have the priveledge of trying cuisine at my house please take not of the sign.:0)
Yummy! There is nothing like an apple cider donut. I was eating fresh apple pie. We hardly made it out the door after all the food, not to mention the popcorn. Ouch! Hallelujah what?!
Bear hugs.

My new Champion Juicer and 8 ounces of carrot juice. Nothing compares to a fresh carrot juice, not even a donut!

all sorts of fun

Happy Birthday Princess Elizabeth! You are loved by many.

I now have my own plane...wink wink...

The season of change.

since when?

HI Everyone, I realize it's been forever since I have given my blog any quality time, but believe me that does not mean that life has been boring. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Since my birthday on August 28, and by the way it was my "golden birthday", I have been busy doing too much.
A little over a week ago I went flying over Lake Michigan. The colors were just starting to change. God is so creative and since I appreciate art, there is much to praise God for in this season of change.
I also learned how to make this awesome Indian soup. Wow! It has some 25 or more ingredients, and it really calls for a standing ovation. I have to mention that since the new school year has started Saturday nights have taken on a new twist. Friends truly provide the best times in life.
There have been a few weekends that I have spent with my family and those were the best of all. My parents are conducting evangelistic meetings in Grand Rapids right now, so last weekend I went there to pass the time with them. That was a huge blessing and praise God for so many people wanting to know more about the truth in God's word.
I have to mention that last night I juiced some freshly picked grapes in my new Champion Juicer. This was after an hour of removing all the seeds. Let's just say that Welch's doesn't stand a chance. It was so sweet that I thought I was drinking pure concentrate. Amazing!

So in the last month I have learned many lessons, some were fun and others were not so fun. I believe Jeremiah 29:11 is God's promise to me. So I'm thankful for all the surprises and every day blessings God has brought me since I have written last. Hope to hear from you.

Goodbye California, Hello Michigan

Joelle, Pieter and I before they took off for Arkansas and California. This picture was taken after we ate some awesome cheesecake....good memories of the Damsteegt Mansion. Even though Joelle and Pieter are gone I know that haystacks still await me on Sabbath!In August I went camping on the Pine River with some friends. This was my little campsite by the river. Rustic was the name of the game....and the raccoons tried to join in. Unfortunately for them we packed our food out every night so they were left fishing or digging for whatever else they could find.A very adventurous hike on the North Country Trail. About 8 years ago my family went backpacking on this trail. The only bear we saw this time around was Pastor Dan....a little grizzly but nicely shaven. hummmm....figure that one out. Bears are good trail guides unless they are hiding from the people.Everyone got off the river DRY! This is a world record for us. I heard the "lean bean" was paying New Zealand to tip my canoe, but the grizzly bear came to the rescue. I'm still glad! Life is fun and I am thankful to God for friends, wonderful nature and enjoyable times.

Happy Birthday

It was my Mom's birthday on Sabbath the 12th of August. I brought some of her favorite potato salad from Apple Valley, and we made some yummy strawberry/blueberry shortcake. Of course we added the candles that won't blow out so I helped her blow them out after they kept lighting up. The next day we visited yet another zoo. For some reason our family really enjoys the zoo. I was amazed by the size of this female lion, and reminded of God's creativity. Next to the lion was a cage of three tigers. And last but not least are some very interesting creatures of the sea. They are my partners in crime when it comes to cleaning teeth. It is a known fact that they actually have a special dance that notifies fish that they are ready for business. The fish evidently line up for a tooth cleaning to prevent disease. It's called mutualism. So if you ever wondered how fish got their teeth cleaned... wonder no more. God sure had fun during the creation week. I am sure that we serve an incredible God!

nothing

Yesterday my mom shared some verses with me from the book of Jeremiah. "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: Is there any thing too hard for me." vs. 27 " Ah! Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee." vs. 17 Wow! Thanks mom for sharing the truth of God's word with me.
A few weeks ago I went to the zoo with my family. I have decided that giraffes are very cute and nice. I love their floppy lips and long eye lashes. But the best part about them is their gentleness. We had a fun time feeding them in Battle Creek but it's still my dream to see them in the wild some day.
Still recommending Mott's. However, please do brush your teeth afterwards as there may be some residual affects from the natural sugars.

Drink Mott's

This delicious 100% fruit juice is new on the market... I think... well at least the flavor. Apple White Grape. Great advertising wouldn't you say!

the week

Happy Birthday to you....Happy Birthday DEAREST, MOST DELIGHTFUL SARAH...Happy Birthday to you....la la la and many more...la la la laaaaa...Thank you... ah thank you very much!

Sarah was unbeatable, unstoppable, and ladies and gentlemen... we just can't keep up with her!

My sister and I by Lake Huron. I'm grateful for the special time I got to spend with Heidi.

Christian and Heidi...a reflection of God's desire to have a love relationship with us. The Sabbath was just beginning...a reminder of the peace His love brings.

Campmeeting

Campmeeting. I loved being with my family.

Yeah for the trolley rides. I actually just jumped on for the picture.

We had the camper down in 2.5 after we solved this broom dispute. :)

I want to share something that my sister found a blessing from campmeeting and that opened my eyes after reading it.

I CHEAT YOU

I cheat you of love-

Because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of genuine friendship-

Because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of vision-

Because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window

I cheat you of knowledge-

Because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing-

Because you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny-

Because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of holiness-

Because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.

I cheat you of God's glory-

Because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is

PRIDE

I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.

Not true.

I'm looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...

If you stick with me- You'll never know!

Family Reunion

My wonderful parents drinking their daily green/carrot juice! They are looking young too!!

My little cousin Cheyenne and I. She was having a great time roasting marshmellows.

This is Anthony roasting his hotdog at our family reunion.

At God's family reunion

Jesus Christ our Brother is on the throne

Family reunion

God has come to take His children home

Week at a Glance

AVALON. She is so sweet and cute. Fearless is also a good word to describe her. She went down this slide all by herself several times and then she went down head first, upside down and backwards!

CARROT JUICE. It's healthy, fun to make and well... 16 oz. per day will do me some good. My family has inspired me to eat more raw. SARAH, ME, and SHANNON. Happy Birthday to Shannon! Last Sabbath we enjoyed the beach. Lake Michigan is still ummm...cold. FOOTPRINT. It's nice to know that when life is a challenge and when it's not that Jesus carries me.

Old News

This post is past due but I decided to write it anyways. It's been over a week since my friend Joelle had her graduation party. I am priveledged to be one of her many friends and I really enjoyed spending time with her family too. We had a great time singing hymns and eating awesome cake which by the way is on the veggiehog blog. Then on Sunday after graduation we had some yummy Middle Eastern food and toasted with some Tabor Hill grape juice. It was all very festive. It's always proof of God's handywork when we get anything accomplished. He has all the abilities to do through us what we could never do alone. Lately I've noticed how strong His hands are and how much I need them to hold me close to Him. And to throw in another lesson. There are a lot of flowers around right now and I don't hear them discussing with each other about how they are going to survive. In fact, they are simply displaying the beauty they've been given to share. So with us... God has made us beautiful and it's for His honor that we can share it. One suggestion: smile... God is in control... He never fails!