Roller Coaster Loving Cousins

Yara, Maria, Bridget & Annelise, August 2008, Michigan Adventure

Yesterday, John & I had the opportunity to take our 2 nieces from Venzuela to Michigan Adventure with our girls. We soon noticed that these 4 girl cousins with the same last name are fearless when it comes to roller coasters. We did them over and over again. When John, Maria & I rode the Thunder Hawk, their newest ride where your legs dangle and you see them several times up against the blue sky during the ride, I couldn't help but think how much trust we put in the roller coaster people and the mechanical devices that hold us in against the forces of gravity which are always there. When we rode the corkscrew, John & I were in the car ahead of them, so we could run ahead and get some photos of them during the ride.




After several hours on the roller coasters, we hit the water parks. I found my happy spot, as Sharon would say, on the Lazy River. But then I went and ruined it when we rode a couple of stomach churners - the Tilt-a-Whirl and something I only remember as the Barf Boat.

Aunt Susan & Aunt Susan, Jr.

Maria has always reminded me of John's sister who often remarks that Maria looks more like her than her own daughters. It doesn't come through so much in this recent photo, so the resemblance must come from something more than just their looks.


Susan & Maria staring into the sun behind me, 2008

Pontoonicating

Last weekend, when we were up at Big Platte Lake, we filed like little old people onto Paul & Susan's new pontoon boat. It was fun!! I am getting old!! Our oh-so-clever John coined the term pontoonificating for that thing you do when you ride a pontoon boat.


Maria


Edward


John


Paul................................. Susan


Edward & Brian

The Never Ending Race

The thing about Edward, and maybe boys in general, is he always loves a good challenge, and all of life is a game for him really. Two years ago, he had climbed up the steep, 450-foot drop dune on the Pierce Stocking Drive of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 9 minutes, 7 seconds - a record begging to be broken. Cousin Brian was up for the dune climb challenge too.



They flew down the hill like they were on the moon. From the overlook, we watched them climb like little ants.

Edward returned quickly - 8 minutes, 31 seconds - and Brian was a few minutes behind. John went too - he was in the 25-30 minute range which is still good considering the average person takes about 45 minutes.

We celebrated with a monster sundae at Cherry Republic where cousin Laura works.

Fun times.

Happy Birthday Dad!

We are all celebrating our dad's birth today! (taken June 2006)

Matching Shirts

Years ago, we went on vacation and I had gotten matching turquoise shirts for the whole family so we could easily identify one another. The family gave me a hard time, but we had many fond memories from that trip.

Imagine my excitement last Sunday when there we were wearing our matching MCC shirts and there was a photographer there ready to take our photo! It was exciting except for the fact that Maria wasn't with us. We were thinking of her while it was taken though! Hi Maria!

Photo by K. Reed

This is so going on the blog...

My mom & dad (the Queen Mother & Prince Consort)

This past weekend, we didn't drive down to Ohio for the Conger family reunion because we've been so busy and all over the place. Mom was kind enough to send me this photo of what we missed!

Colors of the OBX

Group photo (sans Trey, Tara & Edward) taken on the beach on the last evening, 2008 (The blogger is in bright green.)

Not very many of us had white shirts this year, so we decided to pose in bright colors. I think it would look good if everyone did shades of blue and turquoise and aqua... just a thought.

Scenes from the Best Open House Ever

Yesterday, friends and relatives came from far and wide to give Edward their blessings and well wishes for the years ahead. It was a beautiful day for the occasion and we enjoyed everyone's presence.



Edward standing in front of the "Ed-rospective"


Aunt Paula, Bridget (Aunt Paula, Jr.) and Aunt Marianna cheering him on with the yard signs.


The Aunts posing with the themed tables they prepared out back for the guests. They also decorated 2 tables on the deck and pinned up shirts along the side for a very festive look.


Marianna, Paula & Mom were all champions in helping with the set-up, and my friends Cathy and Robin were so, so helpful with the clean-up. Oh, and I must never forget Sharon who scooped all that ice cream. Thanks everyone!

The Sky was Really Blue That Night

After the ceremony, we were all very excited to be photographed with our new graduate.






And the girls were maybe the proudest of all.

Happy Memorial Day

Waiting for the parade (actually 4th of July last year)

My "Favorite" Brother-In-Law

This is what Dave says he is - that's ok since he was the Best Man at our wedding. . .

Such excitement! We got to see Dave last weekend when he came up north to speak at the University of Chicago. We talked to his daughters via the internet and webcams - something he does every night as his wife and girls are in Venezuela while he is working at the University of Georgia. Good thing we live in the 21st Century. The girls played music on their cuatro and sang. So awesome!

Who's Your Daddy?

I have been amused by recent stories of the U.S. presidential candidates geneological ties: Obama is 10th cousins 1 removed to President Bush and is related to at least 6 US presidents. Mc Cain is a 6th cousin of first lady Laura Bush. Clinton is related to mostly entertainers. I thought it was about time for me to reveal my family connections:

Rutherford B. Hayes - 7th cousin, 3X removed
Herbert Hoover - 9th cousin, 1X removed
Grover Cleveland - 8th cousin, 2X removed
Franklin D. Roosevelt - 7th cousin, 2X removed
Richard Nixon - 10 cousin, yes it's true
General Willam Tecumseh Sherman - 4th cousin, 5X removed

And if that doesn't qualify me to be a blogger, I don't know what does. Hey, it gave me a topic to blog about for a day!

Note: This only adds to the feeling that something really, really great and good is going to happen someday to me.

New Life

This past Friday afternoon, it started snowing profusely. We headed downtown to our Good Friday service in near whiteout conditions. A friend of mine at church said it reminded her that we have been washed whiter than snow - you gotta love that in a girl! She was trying to make the best of the situation.

Though we are just a month shy of having 3 teenagers in the house, we still had these:

Easter eggs on snow

Last night, I was going to bed just after eleven and John was headed out the door. He said he was going to get some dye so he & Maria could make Easter eggs. And around midnight, when Edward & Bridget came home, they joined in too. The best part is we get to have egg salad for supper.

Flash Back Friday 62

Little sister, Big sister......................Big Sister, Little Sister, 1988

This morning when I was looking in the mirror blow drying my hair, I had a brainstorm that I should post the infamous silhouette picture taken of Paula & I on the boat in Lake Erie. We laughed about this one for years.

Monumental Cooking

As much as I wanted to keep the kitchen as a monument unto itself, I decided on Monday already that I needed to make chicken. When my kids were younger, they would all whine together, jokingly, "Why do we always have to have chicken?" I love that this one makes enough for 2 days in a row. When it was over, they all said, "That was good."

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 (14 1/2-ounce) can green beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion diced and sauteed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
(6-ounce) box long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

The Sisters

February 29, 2008

Perhaps some of you are still waiting, well one of you might be, for the 4 sisters picture taken recently (at the wedding). We are getting older and suffering from winter pale, so I made it a small one.

Posing With Blogaversary Earrings

Mother-Daughter Diptych

I brought the earrings that Marianna had won in last week's drawing to the brunch that the bride's mother gave to watch the opening of the gifts the morning after the wedding. As we waited for the bride and groom, my niece Tiffany was eager to try out the earrings which matched her eyes and her outfit. I thought it would be cool to juxtapose this photo with one I had taken of her mom. I can just hear Tiff going "Ooooooo." But really, it's cute.

Cousin's Wedding

Right before our very eyes, the younger generation is getting older, which means that I am too. We were witnesses to the marriage of my nephew Trey to a beautiful young Celeryville girl, Tara. My sister said, with tears in her eyes, I'm so lucky [to be getting such a winner of a daughter-in-law].


The cousins all waiting to see "Cousin" get married. Trey is the oldest cousin.


Trey and Tara were ready for this day.


The best moment is always when the new husband and wife are announced and they begin their walk up the aisle.


Though I struggled a bit with the camera thing at the event, I managed this shot of their first dance.

Flash Back Friday 49

Bridget & Allie, the Identical Twin Cousins, year 2000

Spittin' Images

On the MyHeritage site you can submit a picture of a kid along with pictures of the parents to see who he/she looks more like. I did this during Thanksgiving vacation. First picture, Bridget tilts the scale toward her mother, me. I agree, she has pretty much always looked like me though I sometimes see a bit of John in her.



The next picture, Maria tilts the scale toward John. I'll go there as Maria is pretty much the splitting image of John's sister.


Now things get dicier. Edward, who has always been a male version of his mother, me, actually tilted the scale to John. It's ok, they're both male. Must be John's goatee that attracts the needle.


I tried new pictures of Edward & me and this must be more accurate.


I tried another one of BeeBop, and it went to John! What?


Now this next one is more like it. Maria looks equally like us both. I think that pictures capture different facets of the face at different moments in time and so can look like different facets of the parents face at any given time. That is my theory.

Happy Thanksgiving!

from our table to yours. Bridget, Maria, Edward, John, Me, Dad, Beatrix, Mom.


For our dinner, we had ham, potatoes mashed with turnips, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and pumpkin pie. We included the rooster in this photo since we didn't have turkey. Mom is finding many cleaning projects to keep herself busy here. I'm busy handing her stuff.

Bloggable Buckeyes

From deep within Woverine Territory, Maria & Bridget are happy for their cousins that the Buckeyes won today.

My Beautiful Dutch Cousins

I took a few photos at the Zijl Family reunion last Saturday and it was so fun to see them when I got home. You can see more here. If you would like any of them at a higher resolution, e-mail me and I can send it.

Wakers, Sleepers, and Dreamers

Yesterday, we went up to the North Sea to Noord Polder Zijl and saw the dikes - the Waker, the Sleeper and the Dreamer. We stopped in the coffee shop there and Mom, Marianna & Paula acted it out:


Sleeper, Dreamer, and........................Waker

I Have Found You, Kunte Kinte!

The Zijl Family Reunion, 2007

Bedum Bound

I'm so excited!

In less than 24 hours, I'll be leaving on a trip to the Netherlands for a family reunion in Groningen and to visit my dad's birthplace in Bedum. I'm going to meet the rest of the gang (Mom, Dad, Mar, Will & Paula) as we change planes in the Detroit airport and get on the same flight to Amsterdam. John will join us Friday.

As Paula would say, "Beeda-Bodda-Booda-Bodda-Bidda-Bodda-Bedum"

Maybe I can blog from abroad. Now that would be an experience.