Reunion-Vacation!!

We always say that we are going on vacation when we head out to Florida but really it is just the way Furnell's do family reunions. We don't camp or own a farm so I guess that leaves the beach! And really isn't a family reunion what you call it when all the kids, spouses, and grand kids pile into one house for a week, while sharing cooking, cleaning and activity responsibilities? So in 26 days I leave for my "vacation".

It will include:
3000 miles of driving with over half of it just me and the kids.
2 1/2 days with my brother and family.
2 1/2 days with my long time friend and family.
9 days with the Furnell clan on the beach!
6 days with my sister and family.
2 movies - Cars 2 with the cousins and Harry Potter with my sister. (Yes the movie opening has been part of the planning;)

Now I just have to lose those horrible 5 pounds that keep coming back, decide all the different things we will need for 3 weeks on the road, pick a few new games for some friendly family competition, get all 6 of us haircuts for the family picture (add in a color for me:), make sure we have the right clothes for the picture, finally give myself that pedicure I have been planning on doing since the beginning of May, and make sure everything is taken care of for us to be gone for an extended time.

So whether you want to call it vacation or family reunion it is going to be great!

Field Trip with Blake

Friday I farmed the younger kids to friends and babysitters to take Blake on his school field trip. We went to Greenfield Village which is a historic village focused around 1880's, the time of Henry Ford. (This is Detroit after all!) There were exhibits on Henry Ford and how he changed the automobile industry, Thomas Edison one of the people that inspired Ford, and other building that show what life was like on farms and in schools during that time. It is really pretty cool when you think about how much the personal mobility that was made available with the invention of the automobile has changed the way we live. It was cool to see the ways life has changed and the ways it really hasn't changed all that much in the last 130 yrs. One thing that I am pretty sure that hasn't changed is how fast kids grow up. I am still in denial that I am entering the age of teenagers later this year! So here is a picture of Blake on an old bridge striking a goofy pose, because goof and sarcasm is what he does best.

Post Memorial Day Picnic Dishes

I was asked to be in charge of food for our Church Memorial Day picnic, so I picked up food last Friday night when I was doing my shopping. On Sunday I started asking around to get an estimate on the number of people that planned on attending and there were double what they thought might attend in the beginning! No big deal since I being a typical mom, I was already worried there wasn't going to be enough food and had bought extra. I just needed to make a quick trip to the store this morning and pick up a few more hamburgers, hot dogs and buns. (We were providing the burgers and dogs with pot luck for the sides and dessert.)

Last night I made plain jello, garbage bars and deviled eggs. Then because we were expecting 90 degree weather I grabbed a bunch of bowls from the church kitchen. That way we could put some ice in the bottom of the bowls and then put potato, egg or other side dishes in them so they would stay cool in the heat. I think it worked out pretty good. The only down side was the pile of dishes that I brought home. Between the bowls, cooking pans I used to make my own sides, the plates for serving my sides, coolers, and a few hand wash dishes that I must confess had been sitting on the side of the sink for a few day, there was a huge pile of hand wash dishes to be done. So I should rest easy tonight knowing that they are done and not waiting for me to do in the morning.

Michigan has also had a VERY WET spring. So the park had many pools of standing water in and around the pavilion and playground. At least the baseball diamond was dry enough to play on! On the down side though most of the kids were covered in wet muddy clothes and shoes by the end of the day. 4 loads of laundry later the kids should be set to go back to school tomorrow as long as their shoes dry in time.

So over 12 hours after I started to day I am ready to relax. And next time I feel guilty about reading a book for an afternoon I will try and remember that it is okay to relax sometimes because not everyday needs to be this exhausting!

Here is the breadstick recipe that people ask me for...enjoy! Sorry there are no pictures, it would help if I had a camera.

Breadsticks
By Janelle Tebbs

¾ cup warm water
½ tbl yeast
1 tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cup flour
2-3 tbl melted butter
Garlic, salt, and Parmesan cheese

Start yeast, water and half the sugar. Add to flour, salt and the rest of the sugar. Mix until a soft dough. Pour half of the melted butter onto the bottom of pan and place rolled out dough on top. Pour the rest of the butter and spread on top. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and parmesan cheese. Cut into breadsticks. I usually use a pizza cutter. Let rise for 45 minutes and then bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.