Memorial Day Fun

I thought our Memorial Day this year was going to be a pretty quiet and uneventful day at home. I turned out to be quite wrong!

 

I was originally going to get up at 6:45 a.m. and go running. But after going to bed at 1 a.m. three nights in a row, I caved and went back to sleep. J When I got up around 10:00 a.m., Mom said we had decided to go to the Memorial Day parade at 1:00 p.m. I went ahead and ran and showered, and then grabbed a snack as we scooted out the door for the parade.

 

In the car, Dad said that after the parade we were going to a tasting event where a lot of local restaurants showcase some of their foods.



Ready for the parade! We had pretty good seats at the corner where the parade turned.

Photo Credit: Betsy.

 

The parade lasted only about 45 minutes, but it was still good! There were a lot of trucks J and patriotic floats.



There was also a myriad of military vehicles, motorcycles, marching bands, clowns on bicycles, and classic cars. This military police vehicle made me think of my Grandpa. Holidays are rough. L

This was a really cool float that caught our aviation-loving attention. J

After the parade ended, we walked a couple of blocks to the tasting event. It was quite crowded! We bought quite a few tickets and then walked all around the room to see what was offered before spending our tickets. I had delicious Creole rice with shrimp, chips and salsa, banana pudding, iced tea, a meatloaf slider (not pictured), and a piece of chocolate cake (also not pictured.) We have some good food here in Texas! J

When we got home, Uncle Paul called and we talked with him for a good while. Then I took the twins out in the car to find some spots to take their birthday pictures (post coming soon!)

 

When we arrived home, we found out we’d be babysitting for about 24 hours! Some friends from church went up to Missouri for the weekend. Their kids were being watched by their Grandma and Grandpa. But our friends got stuck in Missouri overnight, and the Grandparents had to work the next day. So they brought the kids over to our house to spend the night.



EJ and Rubia. The kids were quite excited to be at our house, and we enjoyed having them with us.

For dinner that evening, Daddy grilled New York strip steaks. We also had chips, salad, watermelon, and raspberry lemonade. It was so delicious and summery!

After dinner, we kept our annual tradition of a Memorial Day bonfire. The kids had SO MUCH fun burning roasting marshmallows. J

As if we hadn’t had enough treats that day, we ended our day with a red, white, and blue ice cream, fruit, and cookie sundae!

I cleaned up the kiddos and got them all settled down in my room to sleep. It took them quite awhile to settle down, being in a new environment and filled with sugar. J We had a great time celebrating Memorial Day in many different ways! 

Music Festival Day 3

Sunday afternoon brought the last day of the Christian Music Festival. Thankfully, there was no rain on the radar, so we could relax and enjoy the concert a little bit more. J

 

Dad wasn’t able to go with us Sunday evening, because he had a few things to catch up on at home. But the rest of us went. When we arrived, we had dinner and visited with some friends we met.

 

The first singer we saw was Plumb. I actually enjoyed her more than I was expecting to. I now have her song “Chocolate & Ice Cream” stuck in my head. J

There was a pretty long break between Plumb and the Sunday night headliner, Building 429. Josiah took advantage of that time to play in the bounce houses. The twins and I visited some of the missions booths and talked with people.

Photo Credit: Betsy.

Then the twins decided to go bungee jumping. I opted out and took pictures instead.

Building 429 started around 9:30 p.m. We thought the Newsboys concert the night before was packed; but we were sorely mistaken. J People were literally standing so close that if you moved an inch either way, you bumped into someone. But as we found out, that’s because Building 429 is really good!

At one point, the lead singer (Jason Roy) walked out on a thin metal rail into the audience. We were standing right next to him! That was pretty cool, and I’m amazed he didn’t fall.

Photo Credit: Roma.

After the concert finished, the band was encored. But at the end of the song, they blew out the sound system! Jason Roy had a few closing comments to make, and tried shouting to the audience while the sound guys frantically looked for a working microphone. The audience shouted back that he should use the megaphone (a prop used in a few songs.) He had the “lightbulb” look and started using that. He said that this was the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened to him. J Thankfully they were able to fix it quickly and they did one more song!

Photo Credit: Roma.

Getting home from the concert that night was crazy. We left around 11:30 p.m., but we sat in the parking area for 20-30 minutes just waiting to get out. Having thousands of people trying to get out of the same place at one time caused quite a traffic backup. Needless to say, it was a late night for us. But we enjoyed the concert so much, and really hope the festival becomes an annual event! To be able to hear so much music for free is great for our size family! J

 

Music Festival Day 2

Day 2 of the music festival was even better than the first! And that was despite all the bad weather. We actually left later than we intended for the festival, because Dad and Ben were waiting for our grass to dry before they mowed it that morning. By the time we left, we had missed Gateway Worship, which I really wanted to see.

 

But when we arrived at the festival, we found out that we hadn’t missed them, because they were cut from the program. The start of the festival had been delayed by two hours that morning because the ground was so muddy following the storm the night before. To get back on schedule, they had to cut out a few bands. It made me feel a little bit better that I hadn’t really “missed’ them.

 

We did arrive in time to see the Rhett Walker Band. We really like their song “When Mercy Found Me” and we enjoyed hearing more of their music. They are all definitely proud southerners!



Some of us went down towards the front to get some pictures and be a little closer to the action. :-)

Ben and me enjoying the music.
Photo Credit: Roma.



It was amazing how many people stuck it out at the event despite the mud and rain we had on and off all weekend!
Photo Credit: Roma.

Partway through the Rhett Walker Band’s performance, the skies opened. They started playing “When Mercy Found Me” as their closing song. The wind picked up a LOT, and we kids quickly made our way back up to our blanket. We had memories of a stage collapsing at a Sugarland concert in Indiana a couple years ago, which killed several people that were up close. Obviously, we did NOT want to take any chances!

Trying to stay dry during the last song.

As soon as they finished the song, we were directed to return to our vehicles until the storm passed. Josiah and Dad were already at the car because they had gone up to the bathrooms during the last song. On our way back, we bought some Kettle Corn to snack on while we waited (I’m not sure what that says about our priorities, but I think I’ll leave it alone! :-))

 

The worst of the storm had pretty much passed by the time we got to the car (go figure.) We sat for awhile and watched the radar on Dad’s phone. After about 20 minutes, we got back out. They were still drying off the stage and getting things set back up, so we took the opportunity to go through the merchant and vendor tents.

 



In the music merchandise tent, we got to meet the Rhett Walker Band! They were all really nice and down to earth.
Photo Credit: Betsy.

As we were in one of the tents listening to a sales pitch, I heard “Never Going Back to Ok” come in over the loudspeaker. I panicked a little because the next band ,The Afters, was starting, and of course they would start off with my favorite song! Some of the kids and I rushed back to the main stage while a few others stayed behind.

The Afters were really good, and not too loud, thankfully. :-) We actually met some friends down by the stage and stood together.
Photo Credit: Roma.

One really cool moment during the festival happened while The Afters sang their hit song “Light Up the Sky.” A beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, just for that song! It was so very appropriate, and was a great reminder that God’s presence was with us.
Photo Credit: Betsy.

Once The Afters finished, we went and got some dinner to eat at one of the concessions stands. Then we split up; Mom went back to the blanket, the boys and Rubia went to do a few of the fun things (bungee jumping, bull riding, and rock-climbing) while Roma and I looked in some of the tents.

 

Ben getting ready to ride the bull.
Photo Credit: Mark.

The Afters were supposed to be giving out autographs around 8:15 p.m. Roma and I saw the sign, and got almost in the front of the line. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. At 9:05 p.m., we finally gave up. The Newsboys were supposed to start at 9:30 p.m., and we did NOT want to miss the start of anymore concerts.

 

After getting wet earlier, poor Josiah was pretty cold as the temperature dropped. He looked quite good in his plastic rain poncho. :-)



We were so excited to see the Newsboys again! This time when we went down to the front, it was packed. We were almost shoulder-to-shoulder with people
Photo Credit: Roma.

Mom took this shot via the big screen. The drummer of the Newsboys is so fun to watch. He really gets a workout by the way he plays!
Photo Credit: Betsy.

Some friends joined us down at the front, and we had a lot of fun together. We got quite a workout too, between jumping and waving our hands in the air! :-)
Photo Credit: Roma.

The concert ended quite late, and we all crashed into bed as soon as we got home, wet, muddy, and sweaty. :-) But we were still excited for more music the next day!

 

To be continued . . .

Music Festival Day 1

This past weekend, our family had the opportunity to attend a Christian music festival! We’ve wanted to go to a festival for years, but never had the opportunity. That is, until now. J Our time at the festival was exhilarating, which was probably good considering we went to bed around 1 a.m. every morning, and some of us still got up at our normal times (or even earlier) due to other things going on that weekend.

 

The festival started on a Friday night. Dad had a business dinner to go to, and wanted Mom to go along with him. So instead of our usual pizza and movie night, we parted ways. We kids went out to Chick-fil-A for dinner, which was definitely ok with us. J

 

Rubia and Roma at Chick-fil-A.

 

To kill time while we waited for Mom and Dad to finish the business dinner, we went over to the Christian bookstore for awhile, and then to another bookstore. We kids can all get lost in a bookstore. J Seriously, our family can park in a bookstore for hours and no one complains!

 

Mom and Dad met us there after their dinner and then we all drove to the festival. Thankfully it wasn’t too far, although I admit “close” is a relative term when you live in a state that is 268,820 square miles! J

 

The ranch where the festival was held was absolutely beautiful! The rolling fields were perfect for the event. We parked way out in the free parking area where some of the campers were and walked to the main stage area.

 

A lot of people were camping at the festival grounds, and everyone was quite comfortable in their lawn chairs and blankets, despite the fact that stormy clouds loomed overhead the whole night.



The headliner for Friday night was Sanctus Real. We’ve never seen them in concert before, but we really enjoyed it! We had our blanket about halfway up the hill facing the stage, but some of us went down close to the stage to take pictures. It’s also fun to be up with the “fun” crowd. J

Photo Credit: Roma.

Probably the coolest part of the concert was when the lead singer of Sanctus Real, Matt Hammett, came down into the audience during a song and shook hands and gave high-5’s. Ben, Roma, and I all shook hands with him!

 

The show ended a little earlier than planned because of thunderstorms rolling in. On our way home, we drove straight through the storms. It was a Texas-strength downpour, and we were only driving 35 mph on the freeway for most of the drive home. We were just thankful that we were inside the car and not outdoors! Tired as we were when we got home, we were looking forward to another fun festival day on Saturday!

 

To be continued . . .



Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, I couldn’t pass up the chance to honor our favorite veteran. Grandpa A served in the Military Police during the Korean War. He didn’t talk about the war much, but as he neared the end of his life, he opened up more and told some of his stories. He gave Ben some pictures from his military days, along with a few mementos.

I am grateful that my Grandpa survived the war. I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t! J But there are many who don’t return home. Today we honor them, and pray for their families. We are grateful for their service to our country, and their willingness to fight to protect the United States of America.

~Bianca for the family

Whatever You're Doing

It's time for healing time to move on

It's time to fix what's been broken too long

Time to make right what has been wrong

It's time to find my way to where I belong

There's a wave that's crashing over me

And all I can do is surrender

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos, somehow there's peace

It's hard to surrender to what I can't see

But I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone

Time to begin again

Revaluate who I really am

Am I doing everything to follow Your will?

Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?

So show me what it is You want from me

I give everything I surrender...

To...

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace

‘Though it's hard to surrender to what I can't see

I'm giving in to something heavenly

Something heavenly

Time to face up

Clean this old house

Time to breathe in and let everything out

That I've wanted to say for so many years

Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos, but I believe

You're up to something bigger than me

Larger than life, something heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos, but now I can see

This something bigger than me

Larger than life, something heavenly

Something heavenly

It's time to face up

Clean this old house

Time breathe in and let everything out

--“Whatever You’re Doing (Something Heavenly)” by Sanctus Real

Recipe--Chocolate Confection Cake

Ok, so I *promise* that next week I will post a non-dessert recipe! J But I also promised to post the recipe for Roma and Rubia’s delicious birthday cake. This cake combines two of my favorite ingredients: coconut and chocolate!

Chocolate-Coconut Confection Cake

1 package devil’s food cake mix

Ingredients listed on back of cake mix box

Filling:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup granulated sugar

24 large marshmallows

1 package (14 oz) flaked coconut

Topping:

½ cup butter

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pound confectioners’ sugar (3 ½ to 4 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1 inch jelly-roll pan. (We used a 9 x 13 pan instead) Prepare cake following package directions for basic recipe. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For filling, combine evaporated milk and granulated sugar in large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Stir in coconut. Spread on warm cake. (Since we used a smaller pan, we poked some holes in the cake so the filling would soak into it a little. And we didn’t use all the filling.)

For topping, combine butter, milk and cocoa in medium saucepan. Stir on low heat until butter is melted. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Stir in almonds (see Hint). Pour over filling. Spread evenly to edges. Cool completely. Makes 20-24 servings. (Our version made about 16-18 pieces.)

Hint: For a pretty presentation, sprinkle the ¾ cup almond slices over topping instead of stirring almonds into topping.

Notes: We kept this cake in the fridge because of the milk in the toppings, but that may not be completely necessary. We brought it to room temperature before we ate it.

Blogger Challenge Day 19: Something You Miss

There are a lot of things in life that I miss. I miss the carefree days of childhood, when I could finish all my school work by noon and spend the rest of the day frolicking in the woods. I know in a few months, I will miss Michigan summer, and its tame temperature of 80 degrees. J I will miss the crisp mornings and evenings. I miss riding horses at summer camp.

I will miss spending the 4^th of July at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I will miss swimming in the neighbor’s pool; peach cobbler, burgers hot off the grill, ice cold watermelon slices; shooting off fireworks from the driveway; swimming in Lake Erie; reading on the screened-in back porch; and listening to the train whistles.

I miss being on the cruise ship during our family vacation. I miss having a suburban and 5 weeks of vacation a year. I miss being able to hop in the car and be at my Grandparents’ house in 3 hours.

But as much as I love places and things, what I miss most in life is people. My dream would be to have all the people I know and love on this earth in one place. But my friends and family are scattered all over the world, and some don’t even walk this earth any more. As long as I live, there will be people I miss and have to live apart from.

While I love and miss people, I know I can’t constantly dwell on the past. Like the story in Genesis when Lot’s wife looks back on Sodom and turns into a pillar of salt, there are consequences if I constantly look backwards. There is a time and a place to look back and thank God for the blessings He has given me, and a time when I must move forward, forging new relationships and ministering to those around me.

But without further ado—and in no particular order—here are some pictures of those I miss the most:

My Grandma and Grandpa.

My Abuela and Abuelo.

My cousins.

More cousins.

My church family in Michigan (and the awesome VBS they did every year. J)

Bright Lights.

My adopted cousins. J We’re now spread out across Japan, Michigan, and Texas!

Worship Dance.

Pastor S.

R and Mr. Chris.

My bestie, who ALWAYS put a smile on my face.

Mr. J, one of the most fun assistant Sunday School teachers I’ve ever had.

The R family and the encouragement they gave me.

Mr. M, our great Sunday school teacher.

My best friends and mentors (and adopted family. J)

Mrs. F.

Mr. L, Valencia, and Mr. A.