God's sense of humor.

Yes, I do believe God has a sense of humor. A good one, too.  After all, he invented the idea.

It had been a rough week.  Brandon had lost a dear friend-the father of his best friend.  Elmer passed away too soon for anyone’s liking. 

Steve asked Brandon to sing at Elmer’s Memorial Service, which he felt honored to do.  He was at home practicing the two requested songs the day of the service. 

On another note, Asher seems to love music.  Doesn’t seem to matter what it is.  Like many small kids, he hears it and starts to move.  Nothing hinders him- he hasn’t learned that anything should.  He hears daddy singing and he just starts moving.  He also adds his own version of baby talk lyrics.  The song is Amazing Grace.  He does the same with I Will Rise (both Chris Tomlin versions).  I just lose it- it’s all so hilarious and adorable at the same time.  Maybe it was because the day was expected to be somber, but it just struck me as so funny.  It didn’t matter that they were reflective songs about death and Jesus’s sacrifice, and then waiting for us when it was our time to go.  Our kid was just jamming out, unashamed.  And I think that’s just how God wanted it.  Jamming out in appreciation for all He has done for us.  Come to think of it, I think that’s just how Elmer would have wanted it, too.

Safe cleaners

So I’ve been on this kick to find safer house cleaners.  With Asher now getting in to everything, this has rapidly become super important to me.  (And yes, we do have latches on the cabinets.)

I’ve always been a fan of white vinegar and read some uses for hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner as well, so added that to my repertoire.  My sister-in-law turned me on to Better Life products, which are all natural.  So far I really like them.  They seem to have a sense of humor- which I totally appreciate.  The bottle says something to the effect that while you can drink the products, they recommend you don’t.  I’ve tried the Oak-y Dokey (I am addicted to the lavender smell).

I also got the What-EVER! all-purpose cleaner. It’s a sage and citrus scent- which is also super yummy smelling.  It says it’s good on grease and grime, so my big test was my stove.  I have a gas stove.  I love the concept and I’m getting better at cooking on it, but it gets so messy!! It’s probably no different than a flat top stove, except that I feel this one is a major project to clean.  How did it do?  It did ok- not “oh my gosh” great.  Pretty much the same results as when I clean it with vinegar or peroxide.  I think I have pretty high standards though, as I’m hoping for a miracle to get some of the junk off that seems to have taken up permanent residence.  Overall, I’m still very happy with the What-EVER! cleaner, and I’m looking to buy more of their products.

My unresolved issue is glass cleaner.  I'm a huge fan of Windex, but all-natural it is not.  I just can't stand streaks on mirrors or glass.  I haven't tried the Better Life glass cleaner yet, so that is probably my next option.

If anyone else has recommendations of all natural cleaning products, I’d love to hear about them.

We have a walker!

At the end of July 2014, Asher went from taking a couple of steps, to taking laps around each room of the house.  This kids LOVES TO WALK! 

Here he is about a month ago scaling the cabinets, followed by his first real walking video a few days later!

 By August 1^st he was on fire, heading from one room to another.  If he fell, he would crawl to a stable object with which to pull himself up, and then on he went.  He is so adorable and it’s so fun seeing our little dude strutting his stuff!  He sure enjoys his new found freedom.

Summer Fun in CA

While we often head to California to see family, this year’s summer vacation was for a very specific reason- cousin Lauren’s wedding!! 

We took the first part of the trip to have some fun.  Our first stop was Santa Barbara.  Can I just say how much I love it there!  I am not one to say that I could or would want to live that many other places, but Santa Barbara is on that very short list.  B and I dream of retiring there.  Probably just a pipe dream, but it’s fun to imagine anyway. 

We enjoyed a couple of different beaches.  This was a huge deal for our little family as Asher saw the ocean for the first time!  He really did love being on the beach and having the ocean breeze in his hair.  

We also took some time for Jen and I to relive some childhood memories.  To do so we went to Solvang and Buellton.  Not your top California destinations?  Really??

So Solvang is this super cute Dutch town.  We have a Dutch heritage, so it only seems fitting.  Now this place has really grown from how we remember it!  Still super cute though.

Right by Solvang is Buellton.  I’m not sure what this place is really known for, but Jen and I associate it with one place- Pea Soup Andersen’s!!  Not the best overall food I’ve ever had (yet the pea soup does not disappoint) but there’s just something about the whole aura of the place.  So if you go to Andersen's, you must have your picture taken in the sign.  Jen and I had one taken about 20 years ago, and had an updated version taken this trip.  So fun!

The drive into this whole area is something to behold.  It reminds me of the European countryside, or maybe wine country.  It’s so beautiful- I couldn’t get enough!!  You'll have to see/experience it for yourselves- I didn't take any pictures.  They wouldn't do it justice anyway. :-)

Here are some miscellaneous fun time pics and videos.

Yep, the boys are actually feeding each other.  Precious!

Lauren’s wedding was just beautiful and so much fun!  Yet for me, the kids stole my heart and attention that night.  I got to spend some quality time with my special guy.

This picture was taken by one of the bridesmaids while watching the photographer get some quick shots in.  So far, it's my absolute favorite!!