Please listen...

Please listen to the 9-22-11 episode of Mid-Morning Live on WBCL out of Fort Wayne, IN.  It's a very informative and emotional piece!  For those of you who know someone who is going thru infertility (and chances are, if you are reading this, you do!) this is a MUST LISTEN! 

Go to http://www.wbcl.org/ and click on the Mid-Morning Live button. 

Let me know what you think after you listen!  :)

I Would Die For That

Labor Day Lugs

Sunday evening we had a cookout at our house.  It was the first time we have entertained a large group at our new house and it was GLORIOUS!  We actually had room for everybody!  How awesome!

We had a huge amount of food (I did run out of tables for serving and had to use the deck of our boat for the "boat buffett" of desserts) and a fun time teaching my brother and his wife, Janna, how to play our favorite game:  DIRTY BOARD!  And, for once, I did not cheat.  :)  (I would like to point out that I did not win....Hmmmm....gonna have to get my sticky fingers warmed up for the next game.)

Monday, Labor Day, brought on the Labor Day lugs.  As in....we did NOTHING all day!  Watched TV, worked in the garage/barn, watched movies, ate, slept, napped, ate, watched movies, slept....NO-Thing!  It was awesome!  You don't get many days like that as an adult! 

Now, back to reality!  :(

An Island and a Bridge

While in Michigan, Dustin and I finally made the trek from the cabin to Mackinaw Island/City.  The sights and the experience were good fun.  And, of course, the fudge was excellent. 

We took the ferry over the the island.  It was a cold and rainy day with lots of choppy water.  Dustin had not eaten breakfast and by the time we arrived on the  island he was sea sick.

We toured the old fort, Fort Mackinack.  Here they are doing a demonstration of various guns used during the war.

Of course we had to visit the Grand Hotel!  Everything was so BEAUTIFUL!

One of many pretty flower pictures I took while at the Grand Hotel.



We spent some time walking around the island and the marina, admiring all the boats.



I've always wanted to go sailing on a sail boat like this!







We toured the USCG Cutter Mackinaw, which was used to cut ice on the great lakes in winter.



Of course, a visit to Mackinaw City would not be complete without the requisite picture of the bridge.  That tiny little boat there in the picture is an inflatable one with a trolling motor on it.  In side the boat were three young boys (probably ages 10-14).  Normally I would not be so appalled by this but the water was CHOPPY and it was cold and rainy.  Where were their parents?  Crazy!

All in all, it was a nice visit to a unique city! 



We all hate the whole state of MICHIGAN

We all hate the whole state of Michigan.  Well, not really!  In fact, for Dustin and I, the cabin in Michigan is one of our favorite places to get away.  I can't help but sing the OSU song though, every time I hear the name of that state!  (I'm not even an OSU fan.  Go figure!)  Hee, hee!

D and I spent a wonderful and relaxing week at the Maibach cabin in Michigan.  After the past 6 months of hectic, it was so nice to get away!  We spent our time

FISHING

FLOATING

Fishing

Floating

FISHING

Did I mention Fishing?!?

All in all, a memorable and enjoyable week with our friends! 



Thanks, Phil and Lisa, for a great trip full of laughs and Maibachs for the cabin on the lake and the memories made there!

Welcome to our humble abode

Some of you have asked to see pictures of our new home.  So, let me indulge you.  :)

We have done a lot of work to it.  It was in really good shape before we moved in, just needed a little updating.  We had a good time making the changes and, in the end, this house feels comfy, cozy, and ours!  (There had been some question as to if we would feel comfortable here....and we certainly do!)

Let me preface the pictures by saying that I am not in any way a photographer!  Many of the rooms are large and its impossible to get the entire room in a snapshot.  But, you will get the idea I hope.

The house from the road.  Notice the fence coming off the side?  Dustin and Dave put that in.  It goes all around the back yard.  I love it!

The house from the center of the U shaped drive.

Part of the family room.  We don't have any of our pictures on the walls yet.



The living room (part of it, anyhow).  This room took 4 coats of paint on the walls AND the trim!  This is wood paneling but you would never know it now!  It looks great! 



Kitchen from one end of the room

I love this glass fronted cabinet in the kitchen.  It used to have gold mesh over the front so you couldn't see in.  I took it out and put my great grandmothers china in it to display.  The china is purple and green, which goes with my green kitchen! 

This cabinet was Joans.  She no longer had use for it, so I took it, painted it black, and now its extra storage, along with a pretty display.  How about that:  I can be pretty handy too!  :)

Master Bath.  This room, and the living room, really show just how much a can of paint, new light fixtures, and new flooring can make a difference!  This room had hanging pendant lights on chains (a la 1972) when we moved in!  I'm so glad I have a handy hubby that did all this work!  The second bath looks just as great but I wont bore you with pics.

Well, thanks for enjoying our pictures.  I hope this blog did not come across as bragging...I did not in any way intend that!  I just wanted to share our hard work with our friends and to show those who live away from us where we are living now (Hi, Grandma!)

The way we came in to our house is a GOD story that I would love to share with any of you who don't know it!  HE is truly good and amazing and I am so thankful for the blessing he has given me in my life!

Don't post my picture on a milk carton yet...

Don't post my picture on a milk carton yet; I'm still here!  I have been incommunicado for quite a while though, haven't I?!

Let me fill you in on the past 2 months (because that is how long it's been since I last posted):

* Sold our house
* Lived with my brother and sis-in-law, Tyler and Janna, for a few weeks
* Lived with good friends, Phil and Lisa, for about 10 days
* Fenced in back yard of new house
* Moved into new house
* Lived in new house sans furniture of any type (except kitchen table) for 3 weeks
* Painted most rooms inside new house (most of which required 4 coats!)
* Put new flooring in most rooms of new house
* Changed out light fixtures in most rooms of new house
* Finally was able to move in furniture and clear out storage unit
* Worked in the garden/berry patch
* Canned/froze many items out of garden/berry patch
* Was pulled over for speeding 3 times (no tickets though!)
* Backed into husbands truck in my own driveway (oops!)
* Hubby and I both worked full time
* Went to Maibach cabin in Michigan for a week (aaahhh!  After the past month of moving, we needed a break!)  Phil and Lisa went with us and a great time was had by all!
* Hubby started new job at Steel Dynamics in Butler, Indiana
* Shut garage door on hubbys boat.  The boat is fine, the garage door is NOT! 
* Ordered new garage door.
* Fished in a buck and doe fishing tourney with hubby and caught my first bass (no pictures though..I wouldn't touch it!)

So....along with all the extras listed above, we've just been living life.  Lots of new changes to get used to in the Donovan household.  Anyhow, now you know why I've been too busy to write :)