Trip So Far

Adam is having a blast in Alaska. It took him a day or so to adjust, but he is having the time of his life. He gets to spend most of his time outside with Grandpa and thinks that is the best thing ever. When we were here at Christmas, he wasn't so sure of the snowmachines or the backhoe. Some of this was the weather - it was absurdly cold the entire time we were here (like 20 to 30 below), but I think some of it was his age. He is enjoying all the big toys now. He has been on the gator, the 4 wheeler, the 6 wheeler and the backhoe. He is really getting into them all and climbs all over them when they are off and likes to ride them as well. He even goes up the backhoe and asks to get in now, to Grandpa's joy! He is a button pushing crazy and so all the buttons thrill him. He also likes the buttons in the motorhome - he gets up in the driver's seat and Great lets him play, play, play!

He has been napping and sleeping really well - he is pretty much exhausted when the time comes! He actually was falling asleep in the high chair yesterday at nap time! Grandma and Grandpa are just too exciting! He has pretty much been playing until he crashes - just the way a trip to his grandparents' house should be like! He does the same thing at Dave's! He'll probably need a week of sleep when we finally get back to Ohio!

I put up pictures from Ray's remodel in Ohio. He is done with summer term now and so has started on the bathroom. Our fencing for the back has also been delivered, so he's on his way with his projects while we are gone. Hopefully, he will get them all done, but since his worst surprise was a hole in the wall, I think he'll be okay. Our big worry was that the flooring was going to have to be redone.

I've been trying to work on my fall classes as well. I actually got my syllabi for LRSC done last night and have been figuring out propaganda cartoons to add to my WWII section today, so actually getting a little done.

Well, I'm off to bed as well.

Adam in the Backhoe

Adam finally got the backhoe figured out and likes it now!

Adam on the 4-Wheeler

Adam and Uncle Billy on the 4-Wheeler
Adam and Uncle Billy

Adam on the 4-Wheeler

Adam and Grandpa on the 4-Wheeler

Adam Checking Out the 4-Wheeler

4-Wheeler

Feeding the Ducks

Grandpa and Adam were feeding the ducks!

Getting it Out

Spreading it Around

Brushing His Teeth

Adam likes to brush his teeth and play in the sink - he likes Grandma's stool to help with that!

Checking out Grandma's cups

Checking out the Cabinet

Billy and I used to hide in here as kids - Adam is checking out the real estate now!

Bathroom Remodel Process

Ray is working on our bathrooom remodel back in Ohio. This is his progress so far. As you can see the floor was in pretty good shape, which was a relief. He has been working on sanding it down before putting down new tile.
Our big surprise was this - a major hole in the wall behind the extra medicine cabinet. The lady before us (a completely nutty lady) redid the bathroom, hence the two part floor and this was where the original inset medicine cabinet and vanity would have been. A smart person (so not the lady who owned our house) would have fixed the hole rather than leave it behind the cabinet.

The old vanity is gone - Ray has been working on the plumbing to put in the new one.

Adam on the Slide

Adam in Alaska

Adam playing on his slide (a hand-me-down from cousins)
Playing with Grandpa's drill

Grandma has these little chairs that she had stuffed animals on, but Adam wanted to sit on them. He worked until he could!

Dad's Ducklings

My father has ducks everywhere!

Playing Cards with Grandpa

Grandpa has been teaching Adam to count cards!

On the Stairs

When we were here at Christmas, Adam would yell at the stairs, but wouldn't go down them - he could only go upstairs at that point. As you can see, they are no longer an issue! He usually has to crawl up stairs, but these are so shallow, he can WALK up them!

Adam and Uncle Billy

Adam and Uncle Billy sparring with the mosquito zappers (no batteries in them so Adam can't hurt himself)

Adam's Desk

Dad brought up a little folding car for Adam and he has a "desk" at the coffee table!

Adam's Car

This is a hand-me-down from another cousin - Adam thinks its awesome!

On a mission!

Going down to see Great!

Adam in the Motorhome

Adam checking out Great's motorhome!

Motorhome Camp

Dad was telling Grandma and Grandpa that Adam couldn't leave his house, so they moved in! They are "camping" on my parents' lawn in their motorhome!

Adam on the Gator

Adam and Great

Adam in the Airport

This is in the Detroit Airport - their little playland. Adam made some friends there and had a blast. But while this had this (just really this house and a kid-sized table), I couldn't believe that the FOOD COURT (so not one of the bars) didn't have high chairs. I was VERY disappointed in the airport over that.

Adam and Ray

My guys! Before we left for our trip.

Addison Rose Wambsganss

Amy and Warren had a baby girl, Addison Rose, on July 14th. Isn't she a doll? 6 lbs, 11 oz, born at 5 AM.

Longest 6 hours of my life....

Seriously, the flight to AK was so LONG....felt never ending! Adam didn't sleep at all and was cranky, my portable DVD player didn't last as long as I thought....it was just a really long and aggravating trip. We were also about two hours late leaving Detroit because of maintenace issues and they moved us planes (which entailed moving from one extreme end of the terminal to the other!). It was not a fun trip - I'm glad it is over and hope the trip home is better!

Dad's Critters

Dad went up and got his cameras from Talkeetna - lots of activity!

My Reading List

I actually have been reading a fair bit, so I thought I'd share. First some so-so stuff. Grandma and Mom sent on Tales from Grace Chapel Inn, which is a series published by Guideposts that is written by various authors. Christian fiction, but really average type, I wasn't that impressed. They also sent the Reardon Valley historical Christian fiction series - again very typical, not impressive.

I've discovered that Heartsong puts out Christian fiction mysteries - I really enjoy them. They are very predictable in some ways, but they can usually stump me on the culprit until fairly close to the end, so they really are well done. I've really enjoyed them. They are usually trilogy series by the same author, with a specific state. Most of their stuff is very trite - really predictable for the genre - but I really like this sideline. I'm not sure if they are going to continue it or not, but I sure hope they do. I know their "club" aspect has been discontinued, but really...who subscribes to something like that? I thought that went out in the 80s when online shopping got big.... Anyway, what is nice about them is they have a great message, a good plot and are easy reads - great for the lawn chair in the summer! My two favorite types of books - cozy mysteries and Christian fiction - have come together! I do think they could develop them a little better - we'll see if they do or not.

• Mayhem in Maryland by Candice Miller Speare: this is all three books in one. This was my least favorite of the ones listed here, but it was still good. The main character is a stay at home mom who works sometimes in her husband's businesses. Her kids feature nicely in the stories.
• Cozy in Kansas by Nancy Mehl: I really liked this series (all three in one). Ivy (the main character) comes back after her aunt dies to deal with her estate and ends up running her used bookstore and gets back together with a childhood sweetheart. The town and the characters are fun. I do wish a little more effort had been put into the used book aspect, but other than that, I really thought it was well done.
• Homicide at Blue Heron Lake by Susan Page Davis/Megan Elaine Davis: I mentioned these earlier, as these were the first ones I read. This is just book one - I've got book two (and have read it), but book three isn't out yet. They are releasing all three as one in January rather than the third one separately (aggravating, but I'll still buy it). These are really great and still my favorite. Set in Maine, Emily goes back to deal with her mother's cottage and finds her old boyfriend and a mystery and ends up staying.
• Fudge-Laced Felonies by Cynthia Hickey: This is just book one - I actually have book two to read on the plane. Summer (the main character) is a candy store owner in her hometown. The first one was cute and enjoyable - hopefully it stays that way. I do wish, again, here more attention was paid to the actual business she's running. That is part of the fun of a cozy mystery.

Also on my reading shelf:

• Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton - this is the newest installment in the Kelly Flynn knitting series. Good and a nice development of the characters, but the plot wasn't as developed as others.
• Black Hills by Nora Roberts: okay, I admit it, Nora Roberts is my weakness. I've pretty much outgrown almost all straight romantic suspense (I prefer Christian fiction suspense, which has gotten SO good...really a great blossoming field!), but I still love Nora Roberts. She just has a way with characters and plots. I've also read the first book in her new series, the Weddings Quartet. That one seems to be almost straight romance, which she hasn't done in awhile - kind of back to her roots. Given all the weird stuff she's been doing lately (demons, etc.), it is a nice return. Hopefully it means she's gotten all that weird stuff out of her system! Okay, back to the book I just finished. Set in South Dakota, this features a wildlife refuge and the ranch community. Usually you don't know who the bad guy is until the very end, this one you know from about halfway through the book, he just couldn't be found (hiding out in the woods), so that was an interesting twist. The two main characters had a lot of backstory - they were childhood friends and then sweethearts. It was an interesting cast and setting. Good, but probably not going to make my all time favorites list for her (I think Birthright is my current favorite).

In my last clean out, I actually got rid of the rest of my Mary Higgins Clarks - completely outgrown that one. I used to love her, but her last books have been garbage (seriously, she retired, then came back...and had like one good book and then was all strange...she's gone looney). But anyway, I pulled out what had always been my favorite (Remember Me), but I couldn't read it - it just wasn't that good. I think it just proves I've outgrown her type of mystery. Not a bad thing as I started reading her in middle school, I think, and I haven't read her books in forever, just a sign that my reading tastes have definitely changed. I expect a lot more character/plot development. I can still go back and read Anne of Green Gables though.:) I think it is a good sign when your reading tastes change as it shows that they are growing with you. I still have old favorites I never will completely outgrown (like Anne), but I've switched what I like. I like a suspense/mystery story, but while I can take thriller types, I prefer cozy. Christian fiction suspense is usually a nice blend. I also really like character development over time, so the series always tend to be my favorites.

Okay, I think I'm done yakking for awhile. Adam should be up soon (or I'll have to get him up) - he was up in the middle of his nap. I think something scared him - he was really upset and needed some Mommy cuddles, which he usually isn't big on anymore. I actually had to rock him back to sleep, which isn't usual, but he needed it today. And doesn't bug me as he's becoming more and more independent all the time....sad Mommy....

Mostly ready....

Adam and I leave for AK tomorrow, but we leave from Detroit. So Ray is driving us up today. Since he has to work tomorrow, this means he is coming right back. I told him I could drive myself up, but he wanted to come. He's going to miss Adam a ton even though its only about two weeks and he's got tons to do here (a bathroom remodel!). I'm mostly ready, but it is a matter of packing to repack tomorrow....ugh...and travelling with a baby is so stressful - what if I forget something important, etc, etc. Yes, I'm worrying! This is my second time flying alone with Adam, but I still worry. Unlike last time, I can't strap him to my chest (oh, that'd be a sight to see....), so I got out his little leash, so I can at least let him walk. Detroit is a nice airport, so I'm hoping they will have playland for him after we get through security. Then I can let him run until it is time to board. We have a straight shot this way, so while painful, is all in one bit. And Mom and Grandma will be waiting on the other end, so it isn't like I'm not going to have help. In fact, I may have to beg to help....my father has big plans and Grandma and Grandpa have moved the motorhome down to my parents so they don't have to leave Adam! Oh, yes, Adam will have plenty of attention!

My Weekend

Adam and Ray spent the weekend in Michigan and I spent it working on fall classes. Ray and Adam just got back an hour or so ago and I'm finishing up office hours. I managed to get both Western Civ I and II updated and ready for fall, so I'm pretty happy with that. Just US History II and Intermediate Algebra to go! We've been working on the videos for algebra all summer and will continue to do so.

Adam and I leave for Alaska on Wednesday and then Ray is coming home to redo the bathroom and the back fence - he'll have his work cut out for him!

Otherwise, that's about all from here. Adam seems to be getting more teeth and going through a growth spurt. He's getting SO big now! And he's starting to try to talk more - hopefully by fall, he'll be communicating fairly well. I could use a little help on what he wants!:)

Honey Teriyaki Chicken

I made this recipe awhile ago, but had wanted to make some improvements. We made it last week and it turned out great now that we marinated it first! Plus we did it on the outdoor grill - easy clean up!

Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Modified from Rachael Ray

4 chicken breasts or thighs
vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 tsp ginger (or 1 inch of fresh ginger, chopped)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil

Lightly coat chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Bring chicken broth and ginger to a boil, stir in honey. When honey has dissolved into broth, add teriyaki sauce and sesame oil and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Let sauce cool for about 10 minutes. Marinade the chicken in half of the sauce, reserving the other half. Let chicken marindate for at least an hour.

Preheat grill and cook chicken until done. You can use an indoor grill pan if you don't have an outdoor grill. About 6 minutes per side.

Dad's Animals

Pretty cool!