Chicago Vacation

We had a great vacation in the windy city of Chicago. This is my first time visiting this amazing city and I loved it. And what made it extra special was my in-laws met up with us. Can I just say, I have the best in-laws! They are tons of fun to be around and are just darn good people.

As soon as we checked into the hotel I knew it was going to be a good vacation-simply because I liked the hotel. You see, I have this thing for hotels. They basically gross me out, and if they are not super clean and up to date then I have a hard time staying in them. This hotel was very modern and nice and had lots of amenities. But, of course, I still brought my own bedding and my super-duper-homemade-germ killer spray (aka vinegar and essential oils) which I use to douse everything upon immediate arrival of the room.

We woke up Sunday morning and I made a quick run to Trader Joe's. This was my first time in one of these stores and I am counting down the days (9 days) until we get one here in KC. Then all of us took the train to downtown. This was quite the experience trying to figure out which one to get on, which one to change over to and where to get off. I'm sure it was quite the site watching all 14 of us maneuver our way through the city.

You know, I thought I lived in a fairly big city. Whateva! KC ain't got nothin' on Chicago. There is so much to do and see in Chicago. And please forgive me for saying this, but I noticed right away that people are much more in shape here. There were so many bike riders, roller bladers, boat riders, walkers, etc. It made me wish I lived in a more walkable city.

We visited the Navy Pier, which is one of the city's biggest attractions. I loved seeing the beautiful lake. It was huge.  We got to take a fairy ride to cross the lake. We also rode rides in the carnival area and played a game of miniature golf. Maleah and Jarod had a great time. I think it made Jarod want to move to a bigger city.

Maleah and Uncle Charlie

Michaela, Mike's daughter, also flew in from Mississippi. We don't get to see her very often so it was nice that she was able to be with us. Maleah loves her big sis.

Maleah and Michaela

My bro-in-law, John, took us to eat at this AMAZING vegan/vegetarian restaurant in an area of the city called Lakeview. What a funky, artsy fun area. The food at this place was crazy good. It was funny watching the non-vegetarian family members try to order something off of the menu. I kept hearing, "What the heck is that?" and "I'm not eating that!" But everybody ended up really liking what they ordered. I thought it was so great that everyone ventured out and tried something new.

And, of course, if there's an Ikea in the city I'm going! I simply cannot understand why we don't have one. Maybe that's a good thing, though, because I would have to practice the art of restraining, something that doesn't come easy to me.

grubbin' at Ikea

Here we are saying our good-byes. I hated having to tell them good-bye. Once a year is just not enough time to spend with loved ones. But I am super grateful that we got to take this trip and am looking forward to doing it again.

me and Mom Grigsby

In the Garden

I love to garden. I have been doing it for a few years now. I'd like to think that each year I keep getting better at it but the jury is still out on that one. For some reason I am not producing a gorgeous, lush garden with copious amounts of produce. I keep running into obstacles. Last year I did a square foot garden on my front brick patio. Because the brick under the garden bed and surrounding it got so hot I think it burned my plants. Two years before that we had deer in our backyard that cleaned us out. I didn't get one darn tomato or anything else for that matter because they basically ate the entire plants.

This year I have decided to keep it simple, and cheap. After figuring out how much money we would need to spend to make a raised bed, fill it with good soil and compost, and build a fence around it due to all the critters we get in our backyard, I opted to do a container garden. Container gardening is a great way to save space, decrease weeding to almost none and makes it possible to move your plants if need be. I already had some compost and quite a few pots to work with , which meant I only had to buy the plants.

Now I admit, it's not the prettiest of gardens, but I'm not trying to be pretty, ya'll. I'm trying to get some good, fresh, organic produce up in here.

I planted two tomato plants this year in 5 gallon buckets, which is a popular way to grow tomatoes. I also planted a couple of pepper plants, spinach, basil and a few other herbs.



Here is a pot that was designed to grow strawberries but I am using it as an herb pot thanks to my friend, Lori.

We have an over abundance of squirrels around here. And I have caught, on more than one occasion, a raccoon roaming around my backyard at night. I am desperately hoping they don't mess with my plants. Things could get a little ugly around here if they do. I mean, I like sharing my food and all, but come on. I'm trying to grow food for my family, ya know!

I will keep you posted on how things grow (ha ha)!

Rockin' it at the Hardbean

Jarod had a singing gig at the Hardbean Cafe this past Saturday. We had a great time. My mom and dad went too. It's hard to explain the feelings I get when I watch my son sing and perform. There is just something about that boy's music. I'm not kidding. The words and the sound are so anointed. So deep. So moving. I have been moved to tears plenty of times. My dad actually got up at one point to excuse himself to the bathroom to wipe the tears.

And Maleah sure loves seeing her big bro perform. You can see the adoration in her eyes towards him. It's precious.

(my hunky hubby)

(my dad and maleah)

Jarod has such a tender heart for people. A gentle spirit. And it definitely comes through in his music. I pray that the Lord will continue to use him to touch others through his music.

I am one proud (and grateful) mama!

First photo session.

I had my first photo session. My good friend (and neighbor) asked me to take her family's Easter pictures. I was a little nervous about doing it because I hadn't done anybody's family photos before, but I was up for the challenge. I am continually working on my photography skills and I knew I needed the practice. It was actually a really fun experience. And, of course, it helped that the family was great to work with. I wanted to share with you how the pictures turned out.









I still have lots to learn. I look at some of the professional photography blogs and wonder how the heck they get those amazing pictures, but I think (and hope) I am well on my way!

Maleah's 7th Birthday

(artwork by Daddy)

My baby girl turned seven (sigh). It's so hard to believe. She is slowly phasing out of the little girl stage and into, well, I don't know, just older. I can tell she's getting older in the way she responds to things I have been doing forever, like pinching her tushy. I guess when you are seven it is no longer cool for your mother to do this. I get the ol' "MOM!" And when I kiss on her incredibly soft, mushy cheeks for too long I get, "MOM, that's enough!" Why does this type of behavior have to start so early?!

For her seventh birthday we had a Flower Power birthday party. So fun...so girly!


We had flower sandwiches...



and we played Pin the Petal on the Flower...



and we painted flower pots and planted flower seeds in them.




The girls had so much fun. And I was grateful for the perfect weather.


Maleah was truly blessed with the many gifts she received. I was impressed by how thoughtful and "crafty" the gifts were.

And I gotta give props to my awesome son, Jarod, who put up with 11 little girls running around so that he could fulfill his mom's request to take pictures. Jarod, you're the best!

Happy Birthday, my sweet Maleah!

Making Homemade Yogurt

I bet most of you think that making homemade yogurt is too complicated or too time consuming to bother with, right? I know I did...until I tried. Had I known it was going to be this easy I would have done it a long time ago. The most time consuming part was pouring over recipes and blogs to find out exactly how to do it, and fortunately for you, I've already done that part.

There are numerous ways to make yogurt. You can purchase an inexpensive yogurt maker-which I didn't do because I don't want one more thing taking up space on my counters-or you can use your oven or you can use a plain ole stockpot, which is what I do. The key is you want to "incubate" your milk for a certain amount of time at just the right temperature. So here is what you will need:

EQUIPMENT
-stockpot with lid
-thermometer
-quart jar
-heating pad
-dishtowel

INGREDIENTS
-3 Tbs. of yogurt from a previous batch you've made OR plain organic yogurt (to use as a starter)
-quart of milk (4 cups)

Got your stuff? Good, let's get started.

Lay the dishtowel on top of your counter and place the heating pad on top of it. Fill your stockpot 1/4 to 1/2 full with 110 degree tap water. Turn the heating pad on to medium or whatever setting that will keep your water at 110 degrees. Place stockpot on top of heating pad. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the stockpot.

Pour your milk into a pan to heat it up. Now, here is where things will differ depending on if you are using raw milk or not. I am fortunate enough to get raw milk from a local farmer each week. If you don't know the benefits of raw milk check out this site www.raw-milk-facts.com. This stuff is sooo much better for you than the pasteurized and homogenized milk you get at the store . A lot of people that are allergic or sensitive to regular pasteurized milk can drink raw milk with no problems. Anyway, back to making our yogurt. If you have the benefit of using raw milk than you will only heat it up to 110 degrees. This is very important because we don't want to kill the living and beneficial bacteria and food enzymes that are in it. If you are NOT using raw milk than you heat it up to 185 degrees and then cool it back down to 110 degrees. Now we need to add our 3 Tbs. of already prepared yogurt to our milk. In a separate small bowl, combine a tidge of the warmed milk (can't be hotter than 110 degrees) and the 3 Tbs. of yogurt. Mix together well and then add back in to the pan. Gently mix it in.

Take this mixture and pour it into your quart jar and place a lid on it. Put your jar into the water of your stockpot. Water should come up about 1/2 way of the jar. Place lid on the stockpot and then a towel over it to keep the warmth in. Now let it sit and incubate for 8-10 hours. Periodically check to see if water is staying at 110 degrees. You may need to adjust your heating pad accordingly. When time is up, take the jar and place in fridge for at least 8 hours to firm up. And you should have yogurt. YAY! Pretty easy, huh?

I will tell you that homemade yogurt is runnier than store bought because store bought uses thickeners such as pectin and gelatin. And if you are using raw milk it will be even runnier. But who cares? It still tastes yummy and is incredibly good for you. Speaking of taste, feel free to add in honey or fruit to your yogurt but only after it is prepared. Enjoy!