Category Archives: family funkansas has such a beautiful fall season with the best temperatures. of all the leaves, my favorite trees are always the red ones. so much goes on everyday.
subject change: i cleaned my closet out. it was redonk and i couldn’t wait another minute. 4 bags donated… everything organized…. i was so happy to have it done.
I simply love your striped mug! It’s so you 🙂 I’m pretty sure you just summed up my entire world in one post. Football, soccer, band, volleyball, choir, work, home improvement projects…that’s all I have going on these days. Sometimes I honestly feel like I have to think hour by hour instead of day by day. My boss laughs at me because she never knows what I’ll be doing at the end of the day. I know that I will look back on it someday and miss it all. So I’m doing my best now to enjoy it, even on the days/nights that it’s pouring rain and the short people are cranky. When we pull out whatever is in the fridge we say we are having CORN. What’s for dinner? CORN! Clean Out Refrigerator Night!! I’m love your blog! Never commented before but have to know where you bought your red shoes?! Oh that studio space – drooling here -it will look absolutely fabulous. these are my favorite posts. Hello- Thanks for always posting such great stuff. I look forward to your happy colorful pictures, the inspiration it gives, and the real life element. So many blogs are pretty and staged, it’s nice to see teenager life in action. 🙂 And that chair! Oh man, if ONLY I could find those treats at my thrift stores. I keep telling my husband I want to fly to Kansas to go thrift shopping. He thinks I’m nuts. 🙂 Meg, Love, love, love your posts. I would love to hear in a post how maintenance has been for you after the diet plan you followed with those containers. Are you still doing that or what are you eating these days? You look fabulous. I have lost weight before but never ever maintained it. I always put it right back on. I would love to hear your story or tips. Great catch, talk about timing! I just love you and look forward to your posts. Thank you for spreading joy, for keeping it real, for keeping it colorful, for being awesome. I saw my cousin and her husband this summer. Her husband is the one whose grandparents used to own the craft house and where his dad grew up. Do you know what the Dody family used to use that 3rd floor for?! you are amazing and delightful! xo This is why I love your blog. Ypur life sounds just like mine. Ha. I think I may actually know what they are doing at fotball, and they make some crazy call that never gets explaine. Lol. I read your blog every single day – LOVE IT!! So beautiful, inspiring and real. THANK YOU! I don’t normally comment but had to today. I LOVE FOOTBALL. So I just had to say, that was an AWESOME, AWESOME catch!! It’s like be pulled an Odell Beckham!! Awesome job, kiddo!!! Love the cleaning of the closet – it is on my list to do this week. But I need to finish recovering 3 more (had 7 total) camper cushions and make 3 roman shades. I think cleaning sounds more appealing especially since neither of the sewing projects are for me. Anyway, desperate question – please! What are the leggings you buy? Cannot find where you put it in your previous posts. Thanks a ton! have you seen this fun video.
it is truly adorable!
Dutch Blitz!!! And yes, I’m behind on my blog reading. Yes, I miss you right now. My 6 year old loves to watch Cutthroat Kitchen. She’s a super picky eater and would probably never eat what they cook, but she loves to watch the different challenges and sabotages. 🙂 LOVED the video! Thank you for that, just what I needed this morning. Now the only problem is I want to go watch several movies 🙂 I love Dutch Blitz!! I learned at a friends’ cottage years ago and my family has been hooked ever since. It’s our go-to rainy day game. Yay for Talby’s braces! and Yay for Annie’s cooking! I haven’t ever been able to get into watching Chopped. I think it’s because the set is so dark and gray. Seriously. 🙂 We’ve been watching Carnival Cravings, and our 6-year-old told us last night that Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives is his favorite food show. 🙂 I wish my kids would show an interest in cooking instead of always baking! We make a dish similar to Annie’s “sicilian” but we put peas in it, so we think we are healthy! HA! Silly question: I see your fruit/veggies in a glass jar. How do they hold up? I feel like they would get mushy or moldy really fast? I LOVE the idea but wondered how they last? Or maybe fruit doesn’t stick around your house long enough to go bad! HAHA Been playing Dutch Blitz all my life (probably because I’m from PA Dutch country!). It’s the BEST! Glad they’re enjoying it! Okay, that video made me cry and laugh the entire time. Anybody else try and name every movie? Love your shoes and that Annie is cooking! Lucky mama 🙂 first if all, you have the cutest dang little glasses eye peeking through on that car shot! pretty eyes, girl! . . . and not for not I have the same video posted too. SO engaging I had to trace down every movie, dance, and actors on YouTube. yah, I know, get a live, right? 🙂 I love those polish removers and Dutch Blitz too. My favorite running shoes!! Brooks Glycerin, so squishy and wonderful! Congrats on even one of your kids showing interest in cooking! I couldn’t get any of mine to learn much when they were in high school–they always had something else they “needed” to do. Now in their 20s (two gals and a guy), they are all GREAT cooks! So rejoice! One of yours is on her way! ypu should try cut throat kitchen next! it’s a lot of fun! That video totally made me smile! Who doesn’t love that song and who doesn’t love to dance!!!! Thanks for the tip on the polish remover. I’m a big polish girl and had not heard of it. Yay for help with dinner, yay for big happy straight smiles! Happy Friday! We love Dutch Blitz and Chopped! Keep your eyes open for the next Master Chef Jr. I think it should be starting again soon. She will love it! You will all love it! The things those kids can cook is amazing! the house that we were in was just up the beach but also had a stream next to it (way down a high ledge) that fed into the lake.
wrestling. on our last day we had craft time because it’s ME! we packed up and drove the 12 hours back home. (and YAY for waaaaay less hiking this year compared to yellowstone! ha ha ha) So, I’m pretty sure you were on the beach where I grew up. And maybe you rented from the Allegretti’s? Dark little cottage right? Was there a beach shack with a Swedish flag on it a couple beaches south? Small world. Love that spot. My original happy place. Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and the pictures are gorgeous! Thank you so much for posting this as it inspired me to possibly stay at a lake house next year with our family and have actually already started looking. (I’m from Indiana about 45 minutes from St. Joe, Michigan). It gave me such great ideas. I have been following your blog for so many years now and honestly cannot believe how much your kids have grown, and even though they have grown it is so nice to see that they still all want to be together and spend time with their family. Your family has really given me a lot of inspiration for my own and after I read your blog each time I always feel so motivated. So thank you and thanks for sharing your lives and pictures with all of us 🙂 Loooove that you come to Michigan for vacation! My hubby and I are from Grand Rapids — about 30 min east of the lake — and we feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place! So glad you love it! 😊 I’m so glad you had such a fabulous time in Michigan – It’s where I live! I would have loved to stop by to say “hello” (not too long of a visit – wouldn’t want to interrupt your family vacation). I enjoyed reading this so much, reminded me of your posts a few years back. I love that you can enjoy a vacay with your teenagers, my kids are very small yet but it kills me to think we couldn’t holiday together in ten years time…anyway, beautiful photos, Great post, hope the comedown wasn’t awful! Perfection. Can you email me the rental information? It looks perfect. This is so awesome! I love the painted rocks. You made me want to go to Michigan! I never dreamed that you could have a beach and a stream right next to each other like that – my kids would LOVE IT! I love to see your vacation photos!! We have always stayed in a beach house on the NC coast but I am intrigued about Lake Michigan. The salt water bothers me and there’s that whole “shark” thing too. :/ I had no idea the lake could have waves until I saw pictures (maybe yours 🙂 ) a couple of years ago. Just curious how cold the water is? I may not ever make it a week long vacay since it is farther that the ocean but I would love to visit some time in my life. 🙂 I love following 33shadesofgreen on Instagram for her photos of lake Michigan!! 🙂 Great Vacation! We were at the LaPorte Co Fair one night –I would have freaked if I had seen you –it would have been like seeing a celebrity! my favorite week of the summer is vacation week. our kids had been begging to go back to The City Museum in St. Louis so we decided to stay one night in St. Louis on our way to Michigan. The City Muesem is SO COOL! Our kids were off running around the whole time and i literally sat in a chair and chilled… for hours. I had no need to go down a 10 story slide or crawl under floors. They came back soaked with sweat and happy as can be.
annie had been looking forward to going to Fitz’s for their famous root beer floats again.
we share a house with our friends from Illinois when we go to michigan.
we went to Chili’s for sean’s birthday dinner and rushed back to have birthday cake on the deck before the sunset.
the dads leave super early every morning and go golfing.
more vacation to come… but this is already long enough. 🙂 Thank you for sharing-an iconic summer vacation! This made me nostalgic for a weekend I spent at Cape Cod. Time slows to a crawl, ice cream floats (amazing by the way…) are what’s for dinner, and all schedules are thrown out the door like Fred does to Dino in the Flintstones! You are blessed with such an active, vibrant family. This was such a joyful post. God bless you! We live here and love it!! I’m a Lake Girl who loves Michigan Lakes! You have to go to Traverse City it’s a Michigan must. Do you look for beach glass on vacation? We love the hunt! I used to live in St. Joseph, MI! It is beautiful there but the winters were COLD! We rarely swam in the Lake because the lake temp was never really that warm. We worked near the lighthouse and would eat our lunches there. Loved the drive into Chicago and stopping at all the local art galleries along the way. The sand dunes along the shore line were also awesome. It has been almost 20 years so I’m sure it has changed quite a bit, but it brings back great memories! That picture of Dave and Jenny om the shoreline is gold. Blow that up and mail it to them for the anniversary. BEAUTIFUL. Amazing and dreamy pictures! Coffee, blanket and that view! Amazeballs. and if you haven’t been to saugatuk or grand haven, you really must. you will fall in deep love. doesn’t lake michigan just make your heart skip a beat? the hubs and i had a rare overnight alone so we drove straight down US12 west three hours from our house {we live right off of US12} and stayed in new buffalo. famous burgers {for me} and fabulous breweries {for the hubs}. we found off the beaten path little towns with great shops and beautiful trails in the middle of the forest. so happy you enjoy michigan! Sounds like a fabulous vacation. you’ve inspired me to be more intentional about planning a vacation with my family next summer! What a great trip! Looks like it was loads of fun. I live in Michigan and love the St. Joseph area. We’ve stayed many times. We are in Empire right now just south of Sleeping Bear and it’s cold, rainy and cloudy. So not beachy weather and we are sorely bummed out. Must have bought a boogie board and beach cart and can’t use any of it. :0( Glad you had nice weather on your vacation. The house may not have been great but “location, location, location!!” So beautiful. I haven’t been to Michigan or the lakes since I was young (Southern gal) but it looks fabulous. And get Talby a modeling gig – or lock her up for a few years LOL – what a pretty young lady!!! Wow. That actually sounds like vacation. Some day! Thanks for sharing this! Looks like so much fun!! Your vacations give me hope!! Every year for the past five years since we’ve been married, we go to Michigan. And every year we seem to add a new kid. 😉 We now have 3 boys under the age of 5 and it does NOT feel like a vacation. Yes, it’s fun to see family and friends and go to the beach and play. But vacationing with a baby, toddler and a preschooler is brutal. The struggle is real. so… i feel like i was JUST writing about being ready for summer and now it’s over.
Annie tried to pick her favorite color at home depot while i tried to pick a replacement color for the purple on the outside of the Craft House.
back to the craft house today for more trim paint for me, outside paint for the boys and curtains need to get finished. we may be late the first month of school….. #thestruggleisREAL Aloha – I stop by once every so often here on your blog, and this may be the first or second time commenting. Let me offer appreciation of the ongoing sharing of your family life here – all the aspects chosen to be public. I’m a bug lover, so I can tell you that your spider is an argiope. It is a big family of spiders, and we have a variety over here in Hawaii. Kansas has two. Yours is a Argiope aurantia. They’re on a site if you look up “Spiders of Kansas”. The boy spiders are very very small and live on the other side of the web. That way, they share meals. There will be an egg case tucked somewhere so they’ll come back next year. They are very shy with humans. Enjoy your fall season. Peace to you & yours. Eliza Loved seeing all your pictures ❤️ ok, don’t get mad but…the Craft House screams “PAINT ME WHITE!” Im not sure where the summer went either, but I am ready for the Fall for sure. Lets just hope it brings some cooler weather. the picture of you dyeing Scott’s hair…..he could be an avett brother! he looks like Seth. which by the way, thanks for talking about them on your blog. I’ve fallen in love. I went to their concert at red rocks this summer…..best concert ever. EVer. Oh meg, I love it when you dump a bunch a pictures!!!!!! It looks like you all have been having an amazing time! I can’t wait to see the pictures of the craft house with the new trim paint, I bet you’re happy to get rid of your most unloved color, purple!! lol So happy and proud for Talby, it’s such a special moment in her life, you’ve done a good job Mama! Love all your summer pics. Isn’t it nice to hold tight to them…summer days just seem to pass by too quickly (especially in Indiana). I adore your chickens. A co-worker of mine have some exactly like yours and they have named them after opera singers! Enjoy those last few days…our kiddos started back this Wednesday. I love seeing all your summer pics – especially the dogs and chickens. Thanks for sharing your summer fun! I love reading your posts and I’m still enjoying all the color in your great life. 🙂 Awesome pictures and what a wonderful summer!! I can’t stand that it is time for school again!! Now with the new chickens did you just put them with the other ones and no problems with them all getting along?? and the rest of your summer and photos are so great! long live summertime. I don’t know why, but the American Girl sized omelet…can’t.stop.laughing. congratulations on Talby’s baptism!! that’s so great 🙂 What a great summer you have all had. Those grasshoppers are huge, so glad I don’t see things like that in New Zealand. looks like a great summer. Are the donuts from Drubers? I grew up in Newton and miss those! Looks like a perfect summer to me! Being able to relax outside like that is adding fuel to my dream of getting out of the ‘city’… . . . all those darling summer freckles. craig was gone for the weekend and i mentioned to annie that we should surprise him with an apple pie when he got back.
funny side note… apparently we don’t have a rolling pin anymore? we used the apple pie recipe from The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen
it was totally delicious. craig was super impressed with annie’s baking skills and effort.
and it made the world’s best breakfast… hands down. Flaky Crust is the gold standard for pie baking and SHE DID IT. Just look at those flakes! great job Annie… it looks SO good. Beautiful pie Annie !! Apple pie for breakfast is the best, enjoy ! So awesome! I’ve always wanted to make apple pie from scratch. Way to go Annie! I love it!! I have seen several kids her and my son’s age do some amazing things lately. They are growing up so fast!! I showed him the picture of Annie with her pie, and he said, “Wow, if I married her, I wouldn’t have to cook!” Ha! He is always thinking ahead. 🙂 By the way, my boys think they will do the cooking when they have families of their own because my husband is the cook in our house (you are welcome, future daughters-in-law). 😉 that looks amazing! Love how she piled it mile high~ : ) Next time if you don’t have a rolling pin…use a chilled bottle of wine…the dough doesn’t stick to it! Love that Annie made it on her own! My Mom makes amazing apple pies, and I love having a slice for breakfast! Great idea on the breakfast … it’s basically a better-for-you pop tart :o) Pie for breakfast is the best! Great looking pie – love having leftover dessert for a breakfast treat:) Love seeing kids bake and cook! where did you get that adorable mug? Ahhhnnnnd now I’m needing apple pie. And coffee. But Annie, you are awesome girly!
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
scott had a catch at the homecoming game a few weeks back that was really fun and wild..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
the left side was my finished product until i found the perfect shoe holders for my space..jpg)
and shortly after kicking it in my closet – i took over the craft room/catch everything room at the Craft House..jpg)
people keep asking if i am reading .jpg)
.jpg)
talby’s team did fabulous in volleyball this season..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
last night we had Snack Dinner..jpg)
.jpg)
this is a scene from real life right here..jpg)
waffle and stanley are majorly dorky dogs. they love treats more than anything. they can get some air!.jpg)
i saw these magnets and was cracking up!.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
the Craft house paint job continues. craig and our boys are changing out the purple for navy. i can’t believe we lasted ten years in a purple trimmed out house?! ten years is enough. navy trim for the win… in two years when it’s done. jay kay. it’s a huge job though… definitely going to take quite a while. .jpg)
i found this chair last week at our thrift shop..jpg)
.jpg)
beautiful isn’t it? HA HA HA!.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.jpg)
these running shoes!!!.jpg)
at camp this summer..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
i hope this becomes a thing around here!.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
annie found me so many heart shaped rocks!.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
#jesusselfie.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
game.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Pearl’s eggs are SO TINY!!.jpg)
.jpg)
?.jpg)
cookbook..jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Andrea - GORGEOUS!!!!
Amy - Gorgeous colors!! Thanks for sharing!
Mindy - Stunning photos of the fall leaves and such cute kids and dogs : )
Kendra - Such gorgeous photos!!
library momma - What camera did you shoot with? Nice!
Lynne - Hi,
Your dogs got a very special treat this weekend. Is one of your dogs a labordoodle? We have a labordoodle and Sadie would be so happy to have gotten that great walk you had. I was also happy to see you with your children as well!!!!
sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com - ohhhh mother nature! you win, again!!
Julie - Such stunnig leaf colours, especially against that blue sky!!
Jennifer - I love your photos and was wondering what camera you use?
Becky Fouts - your photos are stunning!! I can’t quit looking at them, thank you!
Carrie - So pretty! I always love all your posts, but I especially love photo-heavy ones!
Stephanie - What a beautiful post! I miss fall….