Two Cultures Collide bringing a Bundle of Joy

 Our fifth child is from China.  She joined our family as an exchange student almost 20 years ago and quickly became a child of our hearts.  In June of 2024, she married a wonderful man from France.

RV Life-2026 Edition- A Return to Frankenmuth and the Weekly Menu

We enjoyed our visit to Jellystone Park in Frankenmuth so much last year that we decided to revisit this year. 

Last year, Little Miss M got sick and was unable to join us.  The Angel Face had such a good time that she suggested we come back this year so Little Miss M could enjoy it with us.  Frank's cousin and her husband also bring their grandkids to this park each year, so we coordinated our visit.  

California Recap and the Weekly Menu

The Angel Face and I had a great trip to the central coastal area of California to visit my brother and his family.  We landed in San Francisco and drove down Highway 1 to my brother's house.  It adds a few hours to the drive, but it is well worth it just for the views.

We made a lot of stops along the way to enjoy the beauty of the area and explore the beaches.  Melody especially loved the Elephant Seal Vista Point.  We got to Santa Margarita around 7:30 and visited with my brother, Larry, his wife, Mary, their second son, Chad, and Chad's daughter, Molly, before falling into bed with the Angel Face, remarking that we had traveled for 17 hrs.

Day 2, I awoke early and went for a walk with Chad's wife, Natasha.  The Angel face hung out with Molly while Mary and I ran some errands.  After lunch, I took the Angel Face and Molly to Avila Beach where they explored the tide pools. 

I took a quick nap when we returned home, before preparing a pot pie for dinner.  My eldest nephew, Scott, came by for a visit and invited Melody to hang out at their pool while she's here.

Day 3 was another beautiful sunshiney day, perfect for a trip to Morro Bay.  We enjoyed the beach, the view of Morro Rock, watching the sea otters frolic, and exploring the strand.  

When we got home, we headed over to Scott and Julie's for a family dinner.  We were missing Scott's eldest, Quinn, who is off to college.  Julie coaxed the tortoises, Wilma and Willie, out of hiding with some Romaine, their favorite treat.  The girls enjoyed the hot tub, creek, and pool, while the adults caught up.

Day 4 started off quietly. Natasha and I went for a walk-and-talk while the Angel Face and Molly hung out.  Then the Angel Face went to Molly's house, watched Ice Age, and helped garden while Mary and I ran some errands.  

After lunch, I took a nap, and then we went to Avila Valley Farms, where we fed the animals, did some shopping, and got some ice cream.  On the way home, we stopped at Bubble Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo, and the Angel Face made her mark in history.

For dinner, the whole family went to Toshi 1.0,  and the Angel Face bought herself a cool t-shirt as a souvenir of the visit.  Early to bed tonight....it's been a busy few days.

Day 5 dawned cloudy and colder.  Natasha and I enjoyed our walk, and then we rested up until lunch time. The Angel Face took a 2-1/2-hour nap, and then we went to In-N-Out for burgers.  After lunch, we went to an Escape Room and finished with 13 seconds to spare.

  

Woke up to drizzling rain on Day 6.  Natasha and I took our last walk and talk, then Larry, Mary, and the girls joined us for breakfast.  The Angel Face and Uncle Larry started with a huge cup of hot chocolate.

We said our goodbyes and headed north, meeting up with my friend, Cam, at Quail and Olive in Carmel Valley Village, a specialty food store owned by Cam's friend, Anni.  Cam collaborates with Anni and her husband to create menus featuring their products.  I had been wanting to check it out, and I was not disappointed.  We then walked over to the Big Sur tasting room, owned by her friend, Lenora.  We tasted some lovely wines.  I ordered products from both stores, so stay tuned for them to be featured in future posts.

We enjoyed dinner with Cam, her husband, Jake, and their eldest son, Riley, at Tarpy's in Monterey.  Cam ordered ceviche that came topped with an edible flower that the Angel Face enjoyed trying.  Back to the room early enough to enjoy a movie before bedtime.  

We stayed at the Olympia Lodge in Pacific Grove on our final night of the trip. This is the view from our room when we returned after dinner and when we left in the morning.

We had a wonderful breakfast at the Red House Cafe, and then we set off to explore the area via the PG Recreational Trail.  Angel Face explored down low and up high.  It was a beautiful walk with terrain as varied as you chose.  You can see the weather moving in on us in the last two photos. God is good. We stayed dry the entire hike.

It was an amazing trip, and the Angel Face suggests that it become an annual tradition.  It is so good to be home, settling back into our routine, starting with the Weekly Menu.

On Wednesday, we are attending a wine-pairing dinner at J. Baldwin's with the Luths, and Thursday evening, we are headed downtown for the Broadway in Detroit showing of Suffs.  We will have dinner out before the show.

Here is what we are eating the rest of the week.....

Monday

Pork Tenderloin

Sweet Potato Planks

Tuesday

Hamburgers

Wednesday

Wine Pairing Dinner

Thursday

Out before the Theater

Fish Friday

Salmon Packets

A Russian Tea to Celebrate the pending Arrival of our Grandson

We are eagerly awaiting the newest addition to our family.  My Marina is due to have her baby boy on March 13, which is also her birthday.

Sweet Memories and Mud Cookies on this Tenth Day of Christmas #SundayFunday

Easy and fun to make, these no-bake cookies are the perfect way to spend the day with those special kiddos in your life.  

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Oatmeal recipes today.....

Seventh Day of Christmas + New Year's Day = Orthodox Christmas

Today is the day that the Eastern Orthodox Church in Russia celebrates Christmas.  Well, actually they follow the Julien calendar that has Christmas Day on January 7th, but festivities began last night and continue until the 7th.

photo courtesy of ABC News.

Happy St. Nicholas Day and the Weekly Menu

Boy, this house sure is quiet.  Dian and his family left yesterday, and the silence is deafening. I'm going to certainly miss all the squeals and laughter those children brought into our house. It was a wonderful visit, and I look forward to the next time.

Camping Life-Trip #4- Port Huron, Michigan

Our last RV Adventure to Jellystone Park in Frankenmuth, Michigan, was supposed to include the Angel Face and Little Miss M.  Unfortunately, Little Miss M, was under the weather and couldn't go with us.  

So I decided to make one last RV trip before we leave for Italy.  We packed up and headed to the KOA in Port Huron, Michigan.  Come join us on our Adventure......

Camping Life-Trip #3-Frankenmuth, Michigan

Day 1: The morning began with the disappointing news that my Little Miss M had been up all night with a fever and vomiting, so she was unable to join us on this trip.  

The Angel Face decided to direct and produce a video documenting our trip. She’s very talented and much more computer savvy at 10 than I am at this ripe old age!  I'm excited to share it with you.

This means, however, that she had control of my phone, so I have very few photos to share.

Camping Life-Prepping the RV for Trip #3

Tomorrow we are packing up the Angel Face and Little Miss M and heading to Frankenmuth, a fun, little, German town about 2 hours north of us.

Hey....I almost forgot my Weekly Menu!!

I am heading to the Farmer's Market in the morning.  I decided to look at my Weekly Menu to see what I should pick up and discovered that I had completely forgotten to create a menu for this week!!

I blame it on my crazy life.  Yesterday, we ended up going to a late lunch with friends, and then the Angel Face came to spend the weekend.  So I bought some Sushi for her to have for dinner, and Frank and I snacked on potato chips.

So today, we had the Shrimp Quesadillas that we were supposed to have yesterday, before we went to the movies to see Superman. 

It was a fun movie.  Angel Face said, "It was great, I loved Krypto (the dog), but there was a lot of kissing, so gross!!"

Monday is our friend John's birthday.  We are taking him out for Polish Food.   Tuesday, Frank's sister, Roz, is coming to hang out in the pool and have dinner.  On Thursday, we are hosting a Pool Party Potluck for our choir members and their families.  

So I'm planning my Weekly Menu, so that I know what I need to pick up at the Farmer's Market tomorrow.  Have you made your Weekly Menu yet?

Saturday

Quesadillas (moved from Friday)

Sunday Supper  

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Grilled Vegetables

Monday-John's Birthday

Dinner out in Hamtramck

Tuesday

Raznjici 

Steamed Rice

Vegetable Skewers

 

Wednesday

Pizza Rolls

Thursday-Choir Potluck

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Everyone will bring side dishes

Friday

Out for dinner

Getting ready for Island Life and the Weekly Menu

The Easter Leftovers are gone.  Time to decide what we will be eating around here this week.  I am still held captive in case I am needed for jury duty, so we couldn't take the trip out to see Chuck, whose birthday was yesterday.  

However, we do get to have our Angel Face for this weekend.  It was her Mama's Birthday on Thursday, and Daddy took her for a well-deserved, long weekend getaway.

Today is our German son, Max's, birthday.  We last saw him over a year ago when we visited Europe and we hope to see him again this Fall when we visit Italy.

Today is also the day that I lost my dear friend and soul sister, Kirsten.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.  I miss her terribly, but celebrate that she is safe and happy with her granddaughter and all the other angels in Heaven.

We have been having fun with our girl since she was dropped off yesterday.  Grampy and Uncle Doug are taking her to her soccer game today.  Aunt Amy and I are going to a vendor show and out to lunch with Cathy.  Grampy is making her spaghetti for dinner tonight.  It is her favorite meal to have when she visits.

We are attending a wine dinner with the Luths and Bonacorsis on Monday evening.  Tuesday, I have a hair appointment and am donating blood after receiving an SOS from the Red Cross advising that they are in great need of O+.  If you haven't donated in a while and are able, it is an easy and safe way to show love for others.

Then we will start packing and getting our dive gear ready for our trip to Anthony's Key Resort in Roatan.  

Banner page from Anthony's Key Resort website.

We are meeting with the others at a hotel near the airport on Friday evening, as our flight leaves at 6:30 am on Saturday.

So here is our Weekly Menu.  There will be no menu next week, but I will be sharing some recipes for events that are scheduled. What's going on in your life this week?

Saturday

Spaghetti

Sunday

Grilled Chicken

Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad

Monday

Wine Dinner at Testa Bara

Taco Tuesday

Baleados

Wednesday

Bratwurst and Red Cabbage

Thursday

Hamburgers

Friday

Dinner with Gang by Airport

 

First Week of Vacation Recap

Last Sunday we left the frigid temperatures of Michigan behind and flew to LA.  I wasn't sure that we would be able to land in LA because of the fires that have devastated California this month but when I called to change my flight they advised that all restrictions had been lifted.

Gingerbread Cookies and a Book Review #ChristmasCookieWeek

Gingerbread Cookies are the perfect way to start off the Holiday Season.  I had my Angel Face Kitchen Elf help me decorate.  She did a great job!!

We are baking Christmas Cookies this week......

Turkey Trot Sandwich Board #SundayFunday

This fun sandwich board is sure to please your guests at your next gathering.  Perfect for watching the game.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Charcuterie today......

And Just Like That, It's Time for the Halloween Week Menu

Is it just me or does time seem to pass so quickly anymore?  It feels like it was only yesterday that I was lounging around in the pool and now I'm getting ready for the Holidays!!!  

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs #SundayFunday

These eggs celebrate Halloween in 2 ways.  Not only are they "Deviled" but they include pumpkin in the filling.  A little piece of pickle for the stem helps to make them look little pumpkins.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are helping you prepare for Halloween by sharing some Tricks and Treats......

Home Sweet Home and the Weekly Menu

Amy and I returned home early afternoon on Thursday from our Hiking Adventure in Shenandoah National Park.  It was challenging, fun, and satisfying.  The REI guides were amazing.  The trip was planned perfectly.  The food was scrumptious at each place we ate.  The accommodations at our hotel and lodge were perfect.

Birthdays Galore and an extended Weekly Menu

We have been busy celebrating around here. April and May are busy months for us.  Last week we had 3 children with birthdays.  

We didn't get to celebrate with Chuck this year as he lives in Virginia but his birthday was yesterday and we did get to sing to him by telephone. 

So Happy We "Gotcha" and the Weekly Menu

Six years ago this 14-year-old waltzed into our lives and stole our hearts.