Sunday, July 21, 2013

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...





The double rainbow



The really cool old airplanes


I have been wanting to write about this night for a long time but with my camera being left at my mom's house it threw off my posting schedule.

I am a big Glenn Beck fan - call me unpopular but I've always been known to do the unpopular thing. I discovered his radio program about four years ago when flipping through the stations. Never having been a fan of talk radio or politics I almost skipped past it - whatever he was talking about that morning sure got my attention. I've been listening daily ever since.

I love that he's not afraid to do the unpopular thing himself. He stands up for what's right and puts a lot at risk doing so. I love that he's an entrepreneur - I am as well and it's refreshing to see when someone uses their talents to do good. So, when I heard that he was going to be putting on a spectacular show about our country right near my home town, I knew I had to go. I bought tickets months in advance waited for the day.

My husband is not a Glenn Beck fan but out of love he agreed to go. In fact, when we saw how horrible the weather was that day Manuel jokingly said, "God must not be a Glenn Beck fan either." But deep down I knew God was gearing up for a miracle and I was excited.

As much as my husband tried to talk me out of going because of the bad weather I wasn't going to change my mind - not just because the tickets weren't cheap but because I knew it would all work out and that we were supposed to go.

On the freeway the weather worsened. The rain pounded so hard we couldn't see out the windows. The lightening struck all around and the kids were afraid. But I said a prayer in my heart and I knew everything would be fine.

When we arrived at USANA there was a huge line almost a mile long and the rain was still coming down. We weren't allowed to bring in umbrellas or chairs and the kids started to cry. I did my best to turn the rain into a good thing. I put my jacket over the head of my two year old and I and we told stories  as we waited in line.

As much as my husband wanted to complain and say, "I told you so," I remained positive and assured him we would see a miracle. I told him I could already hear it being the topic come Monday morning on the radio - the topic of the miracle we were about to see.

We laid our blankets on the wet lawn and used another blanket to put over our heads as the rain kept falling. I waited and waited for that miracle to come. Just a few minutes before the show started there it was - the sun came out, the clouds cleared and a giant double rainbow appeared over the theater. I felt that was God's way of showing us that he was there and all would be well. Everyone began to take pictures it was a beautiful sight.

It reminded me that sometimes God gives us trials so that he has opportunities to show us his love. We may not recognize the miracles until we face the challenges first. It was beautiful!

The show then began and it was a spectacular night that my kids will never forget. The giant moon that told the story of history of mankind and what made this nation great was something my two year old will always remember. The talking moon was her favorite part and she still mentions it each day. The touching show left an impact on my children for years to come and I'm so glad that we stayed, waited out the rain and put our faith in God.

The following Monday, they did talk about the rain and the miracle the followed it on the radio. I smiled as I recalled that amazing night!

DAILY QUESTION:

What miracles have you witnessed in your life?

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Sizzlin' July

Red, white and blue!

                    At Syracuse Days


                 Gabe loves this slide!


         The longest roller coaster ride ever!


FIRSTPICTURE           Indian Jones Play Thing


                            Gabe having fun






Ready for fireworks over the lake




Layton City Parade


White Towers (in White City)


                             Layton City Fireworks




Since leaving my camera at my mom's house for two weeks I have been waiting to post all of our pics from the 4th. I'll post more this week but as you can see it's been quite an eventful summer. We're a pretty festive family and we've been having a lot of fun. The Layton City fireworks this year was the best display we have ever seen. We sat right underneath them and it was loud. We never laughed so hard from the excitement. We could feel each explosion vibrate through the ground into our bodies.

I love these lazy dog days of summer. Love them!

DAILY QUESTION:

Are you a fan of July heat or do prefer the cooler temps?

Friday, July 12, 2013

"Lettuce" Discuss Gardens

Red Lettuce
Green Lettuce

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago and so we've eaten quite a bit since. Our amazing little garden has not let us down. We've eaten most of the lettuce and shared it with our neighbors. Lettuce can be so expensive sometimes so it's been nice not having to buy it.

I love having a garden and the nice thing about the boxes is that there haven't been any weeds or snails! They have been so easy to take care of. I can't wait for the tomatoes to turn red :)

DAILY QUESTION:

What is your favorite thing to grow and why?

Red corn, cucumbers, kohlrabi, pumpkins and zuchinni and radishes



Summer squashStrawberries


Tomatoes, peppers, chocolate mint, oregano, basil, cilantro
red cabbage, raspberries, lettuce, strawberries

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Get Your Apron On!







It was one of those gloomy, rainy summer days (that I absolutely love)! With all the zucchini bursting in the garden it was clear that we needed to bake some zucchini bread. After all, my hubby and kids hate zucchini - so I have to get creative. I love baking with the kids because it gives them something to do, teaches them some valuable skills and allows me to give them attention while I'm getting things done.

To make it extra fun today we went and located every apron in the house and we all put one on. Gabe struggled with idea of wearing an apron - he thinks they are for girls. Once the food processor started he quickly forgot he was wearing one. Soon, my clean kitchen was covered in flour, egg shells and spilled sugar by the time it was all done - but I was having too much fun to be annoyed at the mess. In fact, we baked a second loaf, and I forgot to turn the timer on so it baked an extra twenty minutes! We call it "the brick".

I also learned something new from this activity - I learned that my son's second favorite bread is zucchini bread and his first is banana bread. Too bad we are not growing bananas in our garden.

DAILY QUESTION - 

What's is your favorite thing to make with zucchini? I like zucchini pickles.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

My New Bestselling Book!

Just had to put in a plug for my new book The Realm!It was just released as an ebook on Monday and is already a #2 bestseller in it's category! The reviews have been amazing so far. The best part is, it's FREE on Amazon until Friday the 12th!!

The Realm:Secrets Unlocked is a Young Adult series based on true events that happened within my family. Combined with the components of romance, paranormal activity and suspense  it's a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat after each chapter.

Here's the summary:

Meet Celeste Day, a beautiful college hopeful who may look like your average girl next door - but in her cozy New England town she’s been harboring a lifelong gift and deep secret that is about to be exposed. Being raised in a family where image is everything, her whole world is about to be turned upside down overnight as Celeste decides to take the summer off to "fix herself". When the good looking and mysterious “Ezra” moves to town things only get more complicated as Celeste is confronted by secrets from her past, unexplained phenomenon and dark paranormal forces beyond her control. Saving her reputation and proving her sanity is the least of her worries when she quickly learns she is a part of something much bigger than she could have ever imagined - something that will forever alter her future and change the world…and there is no turning back!

Written by best selling author Lindsey K. Rietzsch, this story is not your typical young adult paranormal romance. Based on true events, The Realm will take you on an incredible journey to another world that will forever change the way you think about life after death.


Click on the book cover below to get your free download and please leave a review on Amazon. Thanks so much!!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Up Up and Away!

I left my camera at my mom's house this week and have been waiting to get it back from her. So, all the things I have been wanting to post this week will have to wait until I get that darn camera back!

I hope you have all have had a wonderful 4th of July! In the meantime, here is a picture that the kids and I found will going through a box we forgot to unpack when we moved in over a year ago. My sister in law and niece made this and sent it to us a while back. She was trying to hint something. It's so fitting because we'll actually be going to Germany soon and already booked the flight. So, I put this on the fridge and it's a daily reminder to the kids about our fun upcoming trip to visit the family! The kids love this picture and it makes them laugh. They are so excited to fly on a plane - even though the older two have done it before. We haven't seen my in laws in over four years and they've never met Cambrey - so this trip is long over do.

DAILY QUESTION:

How often do you get to see your family or in-laws? Is it often enough or not often enough?