Home Security

As much as my neighborhood bores me at times, I have to admit that it's not all bad to live somewhere nice and quiet. We live on a peaceful cul de sac. One of the best things about living where we live is that we feel safe here. Even though we live in a quiet, safe neighborhood, we are always careful to lock our doors and our cars and to watch over the kids when they're playing outside. I wouldn't classify us as the paranoid, over-protective types, but we're not stupid either.

I know a lot of people use companies such as Home Security Family to make their homes safer and to feel especially secure. Although we have never used a home security company, I can understand why some do. I can imagine it would give a family an added sense of security.

I am really grateful we live in a neighborhood where we feel safe letting our kids go outside to play, and that we don't ever feel nervous in our home. I am grateful we can let Bethany & Connor walk around the block, and that we're not worried about anyone stealing stuff out of our yard. But if we ever feel the need to make our home more secure, it's good to know we have options available to us.

Florida Memories

For years, my morning routine has included a small glass of orange juice with my breakfast. I always, always eat breakfast, and it just doesn't feel complete if I don't get my o.j. Tropicana Pure Premium is 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice. Florida has been growing oranges far longer than any other state in the U.S., and Tropicana is the largest buyer of Florida fruit each year. Valencia and Hamlin are the two types of oranges primarily used in Tropicana Pure Premium, each fruit adding special flavors and characteristics to the finished product.

Right now Tropicana is running a sweepstakes with great prizes, such as a one-year supply of Tropicana or a trip to Florida to visit an orange grove. Although I have been to Florida many times, I don't think  I've ever had a good look at an orange grove. For more information about the sweepstakes, and to enter, visit Tropicana's Facebook page and click on the "sweeps" tab.

Since Chris's brother lives in Florida, the Sunshine State is a favorite vacation destination for our family. There is so much to see and do, and despite our multiple trips we have barely scratched the surface on all that Florida has to offer. My brother-in-law lives in the Orlando area, so we have definitely spent quite a bit of time at the various theme parks in the area. But we've also visited Cocoa Beach, Kennedy Space Center, more than one wildlife park featuring gators, and downtown Orlando. Once, way back when Bethany was a baby, we took a day trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.

In addition to our central Florida adventures, we've also had a few beach vacations in southern Florida. I've written before about my love for Captiva Island, which is one of the most blissful places I have ever been. For three years, we spent Thanksgiving on this Florida island paradise. We rented huge, beautiful houses with private pools and short walks to the ocean. We caught lizards and hunted for starfish (don't worry - we left them on the beach!), went on dolphin-watching boat excursions, saw manatees up close and personal, ate delicious food, and took our Christmas card photos in front of a decorated pine tree on the beach. The variety of sea life we saw was breathtaking and amazing. The lack of fast food and chain establishments of any kind was refreshing. Sampling the key lime pie at every restaurant was decadent. Some of our happiest family memories are from our time spent on various Florida vacations. I'm sad to say this will probably be our second year in a row without a trip to Florida, but I'm sure it won't be too long before we're back. I can't wait to see what other Florida fun we can discover.

Do you enjoy Florida vacations too? What is your favorite Florida memory?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tropicana blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

Cocoa Beach on Dwellable

Thankful Thursday

I hope everyone is having a great week! We are on Spring Break, and loving every minute of it! I will be sad to send my kids back to school next week. As always, I have a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful that Bethany, Connor, and I finally went to see The Hunger Games yesterday, and we all enjoyed it.

I am thankful for all the work Chris has been doing to get our garage and laundry room cleaned out and organized.

I am thankful we got our lawn cut. It really needed it.

I am thankful for a nice dinner at my mother-in-law's last night.

I am thankful for our beautiful weekend in Rogers City.

I am thankful that Aunt Donna is so welcoming and has plenty of room for all of us.

I am thankful that Aunt Nicki and Uncle Bob stayed at Aunt Donna's with us on the weekend.

I am thankful for the new jeans and pink boots Aunt Nicki brought for Lucy.

I am thankful that the kids got to spend time with so many of their family members who they don't get to see very often.

I am thankful we got to hang out at Chris's cousin's farm, which the kids absolutely love.

I am thankful we had pretty decent weather when we were up north, despite snow on the way there.

I am thankful my mother-in-law took a couple days off work so we could go to Rogers City together.

I am thankful for Spring Break.

I am thankful that I have book club to look forward to next week.

I am thankful that I have a Tigers game to look forward to next week. I need these things to look forward to because it's going to be hard saying good-bye to a week off of school.

I am thankful for having a preschool for Mattie that we love. The kids and I all stopped by yesterday to drop off registration and to let Mattie check it out, and it felt so nice to be back. Bethany, Connor, & Lucy all went there and had the same teachers that Mattie will have.

I am thankful that Mattie loved being at preschool and is really excited to start school.

I am thankful that the kids are all super zealous about doing chores now that we told them they can start earning an allowance. We'll see how long that lasts, but for now it's nice.

I am thankful that Chris went to the store last night for some much needed stuff, even though I had told him I would go. It would not have been much fun with my yuck headache.

I am thankful I went to bed fairly early last night, even though there was a ton of stuff I could have/should have been doing, and that I woke up with no headache.

I am thankful that I have summer vacations to look forward to.

What are you thankful for this week?

So What! Wednesday

I'm linking up with Shannon at Life After I "Dew" for So What! Wednesday!

  So What! if I haven't worked out in almost a week? Today was the day I was gonna get back on track, but I was so busy earlier and now I have a nauseating headache.  So What! if I am always capable of coming up with an ironclad excuse for why I didn't work out?
So What! if I am really looking forward to being unplugged this weekend, with no cell phone and no internet?
So What! if we stayed right here in Michigan for Spring Break? We had so much fun in Rogers City, and we're all really looking forward to our Easter weekend getaway (also in MI).
So What! if it's not 80 degrees out anymore? I do love the hot weather, but I'm kind of digging the 50/60 spring temps. 
So What! if the bunnies in our yard eat our tulips every year? Bunnies have to eat too.
So What! if there's wet laundry in the washing machine right now and I'm sorely tempted to leave it there overnight & re-wash it in the morning?
So What! if I'm excited about Mathilda starting preschool in the fall, and the 4 and a half hours a week I'll have all to myself, to shop at Target to my heart's content?
So What! if I seem to have completely lost my taste for meat? After only a couple weeks, I really don't care if I ever eat meat again. Well except for bacon. I do love bacon. But I'm totally good with turkey bacon. Of course give me a couple more weeks and I could be dying for a burger, who knows...
So What! if I sometimes think my kids are annoyingly loud and I really think Jon & Kate (from Jon & Kate Plus 8) were on to something with the ear plugs while driving thing? What are you saying So What! to this week?

Rogers City, Michigan With Lots of Pictures

Last night the kids and I got home from our long weekend up north. Friday afternoon I picked them up from school early, my mother-in-law came to our house and picked us up, and we were on our way. We were visiting Chris's aunt, and it's about a 6 hour drive. I decided to let the kids be responsible for picking out movies for the ride, but as a quick afterthought I grabbed a few DVDs on my way out the door - just to have a few extra. Needless to say, none of them brought any movies, they didn't like the ones I brought along, and none of their devices were fully charged. However, despite these minor disasters (in the eyes of my children), the ride wasn't too bad. Except for the sleet, snow, and freezing rain. I've said it before, Michigan weather is totally unpredictable - especially in March. So we drove through beautiful, snow covered forests when we had just been enjoying 80+ degrees a few days before that. Our destination was Rogers City, on the shores of Lake Huron in northeast Michigan.

Connor brought his 3DS to take pictures

The weekend was full of lots of family time. Another aunt & uncle were staying with us, and cousins and another uncle came visiting. We went to see my mother-in-law's spunky 80-something year old aunt, who treated us to ice cream with homemade cake and whose newly acquired deaf - but very well trained - dog entertained the kids tirelessly. I can only hope that I have half her energy at that point in my life. Seriously, she's pretty amazing.

We also went to visit a cousin's farm. Mathilda affectionately re-named said cousin "Old McDonald". At the farm we were followed by inquisitive turkeys, we chased after bunnies, chickens, ducks, and geese, and we saw cows and pigs. Old McDonald brought the piglets out to see us one at a time, and each time the big pigs in the pen went ballistic while the little guys squealed outlandishly. Then we drove down the road to Old McDonald's brother-in-law's dairy farm, where we saw lots of barn cats and cows. There was a calf born just that morning, and Bethany climbed right in the pen to get a good look.

Our last day in Rogers City the kids had their own private Easter egg hunt outside before we stopped by 40 Mile Point Lighthouse, which wasn't opened for the season. But the kids still had fun running amongst the shipwreck ruins on the beach and throwing rocks in the lake. Shortly afterward we started our long trip home. The snow melted and the sun made an appearance after our first wintry day, but still we're hoping to have another chance to visit Rogers City this summer, when perhaps the weather will be a bit more conducive to a beach visit.

We love our trips to Aunt Donna's house. She always makes us feel right at home. And now...we are looking forward to our next Spring Break adventure!

It's a chicken in a tree

 

The calf in the back was born just hours before our visit, the one in the front was 4 days old