We drove out to West Middlesex, PA for the wedding of Jessica and Nate, and besides spending 8+ hours driving on Friday, and Sunday, we had a good time. On Saturday, Dana and I drove out to the lake she grew up on, some of it she recognized, as it hadn’t changed in many years, and other things looked new, or were forgotten long ago.
It was also good to see family again, and Emma and Maddy definitely had a blast hanging out with Shelby.
We’re hoping to get out to Maryland this Summer, but we’ll see how things go.
Oh yeah, if you are looking for the Papa John’s Pizza in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, it’s located inside the Walmart.
Dana and I designed and printed these shirts for the whole family for Xmas.
The first time I tried to explain St. Nicks to Dana, she just didn’t get it. She said that stockings were for Xmas morning, and not some random day at the beginning of December. I tried to explain that that’s the way we do it in the Midwest, and figured her way was the “Back East” way. Oh, little did I know…
A quick look at the Wikipedia revealed the following: (emphasis is mine.)
While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis celebrate St. Nick’s Day on a scale similar to the German custom. On the previous night, children put one empty shoe (or sock) outside, and, on the following morning of December 6, the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their previously empty footwear with candy and small presents (if the children have been “good”) or ostensibly, coal (if not). For these children, the relationship between St. Nick and Santa Claus is not clearly defined, although St. Nick is usually explained to be a helper of Santa. The tradition of St. Nick’s Day is firmly established in the Milwaukee community, with parents often continuing to observe the day with even their adult children.
So it’s a Milwaukee thing… Now you know.
For the past few years I’ve been trying to make food at home for two reasons, first, because it’s cheaper, and second, because you then know exactly what goes into the food you eat. (I’ve pretty much perfected granola bars and pizza.) Lately we’ve been pushing even further, and trying to avoid any processed food. Dana has been leading the charge on this and lately has been cooking dinner more than I have! More fruits and vegetables, that’s for sure.
What are we cutting out? High-fructose corn syrup, it’s terrible… Dana is trying to cut way down on dairy (I would, but I grew up in Wisconsin, and that’s hard!) We really don’t eat out too much, and rarely do fast food places. We’ll have to see where Bombay Express (formerly Bombay Sweets) and it’s delicious Indian food fits into this.
Overall, Dana’s definitely been feeling better, and I’m glad to be eating new things and finding I like many of them. (Yams? Yum!) I’ll be doing some research on rice to determine the best kinds to eat, and best ways to prepare it. I’ve also become a big tofu fan again, though the kids are so far not on-board with that one…
We’ve become obsessed with G4′s Ninja Warrior. It’s this crazy show where basically, people go through this obstacle course. Some people are hilarious to watch, while others come so close, but just can’t make it. It’s comedy and drama all-in-one!
Ayako Miyake is my personal favorite. She’s managed to complete the course 3 times, she is the Ninja Warrior Queen!
Dana has a favorite too, but I can’t remember who it is.
The Wikipedia has a page on Kunoichi with more info.
Alright, I finally got around to getting some photos online. So here’s the first batch. Thanks to Cory Zimmermann and Larissa Beckenbaugh of Z2 Marketing + Design for taking these photos, we really appreciate it.
You can see them all on Flickr or view them right here as well.
