Something you won't see in Europe

We went to a car show and saw this....

...a Mercedes that runs on used french fry oil. Unfortunately, what you don't spend on gas, you spend at the pharmacy on your cholesterol meds.

Riding lessons

As you know, Christine, Olivia and I have been taking riding lessons. Tonight we went to the stable for another occassion. Our riding instructor got married. It was mostly traditional but outdoors and her entrance was unique. This is Sandi on Sassy (her first horse).

The bubbles were a big hit with all the kids (and adults).

my job again

Hey, remember that really big wall I posted before?

well it came down

.and in true crossroads style, we replaced it with something better.....

a 17 foot wide heart shaped bed that splits down the middle.

(this photo is from the catwalk above the bed)

torsdag pannkaka kväll

Thursday Swedish pancake night - best kept secret in Sweden. I don't know if every family eats em, but we do. Even our pickiest of eaters love them.

Swedish pancakes are thin and eaten with fruit or preserves. If ever we end up back in the states, we're bringing a swedish pancake skillet with us.

First Day of School

Grace started Kindergarten on August 28th! Jay has been after me ever since to post. Sorry for the delay but life is crazy! Anyway....we got up and got ready in plenty of time. Then we went out and took pictures. Of course Sara and Griffin had to participate too.

Sara is saying " I'm a Kindergarten Baby" and Grace is saying "No you are not!" This has been their favorite argument for about 3 weeks now.

After taking the pictures and gathering stuff we set off for school, only to realize that we are running late! How does that happen! But I am thinking that it was God's way of saving me. I didn't have time to watch Grace playing or not playing with other kids. I didn't have time to think about the expression on Grace's face and analyze it until I felt certain that she was freakin out on the inside. We got there just in time for her to stand in line, wait for about a minute before heading in and the look on her face was a look of joy and excitement.

A little bit later Sara and I return for our Goosie Girl. We wait and wait and wait. Finally, the door opens and the children start running out towards their grownups. When Grace comes out, she has this huge smile on her face. She runs at my full tilt and leaps into my arms and hugs me with all her might. It was the best feeling! And she said she had fun. Now a week and half later she is still having fun and can't wait to go back tomorrow.

And so our adventure has begun, wish us well!

Michelle

BUMBLE LIKE BECKHAM

Grace had her first soccer game and practice today. She is on the Nativity Green team. There are four teams total with about 8-10 kids on each team. For an hour, Grace ran and laughed and had a great time. I don't think anyone scored and nobody cared.

Sara was the extra ball keeper.

If you happen to be in Pleasant Ridge at 9:30am on a saturday and want to see some future stars......

Ruby throat

Usually the raccoons knock down any hummingbird feeders on my deck. Last week I saw a hummingbird on the flowers in my hanging basket of Mandavilla (it is barely in the picture but you can see one rose-red flower. As a result this annual is already on my plant list for next year. It has been so hot and dry here. The little guys are really enjoying the extra hydration at the feeders. I've been filling them a lot more often this summer. Dean need not worry about competition from me when it comes to hummingbirds. I still only have a few birds at a time, but they are just about constant and I am delighted by them. Since there are no good trees nearby, this fellow has figured out that he can perch on my wind chime about 2 feet from the feeder and claim it as his own. I suspect he thinks he also owns the feeder on the front porch.

you know also...

Did anybody see the movie upload icon next to the picture upload icon? We can upload digital movies up to 100MB - depending on format that can be up to 4 minutes. I've been wanting to try it out but if someone beats me to it... I imagine it will take some patience - in the neighborhood of 5-15 minutes upload time, depending on length.

Any junior Spielbergs out there?

someone came to visit 2

With 10 or so fruit trees and berry bushes in the yard, mormors is a must stop on the way home for deer. While the rabbits here are pretty big, the deer are really small. Again, not our best camera work, but this is pretty accurate for sunrise and a moving target.