Our Small Town

Can I just say that I love the fact that I came home today to find that our street had been lined with the American flag?  Each telephone post has a beautiful, in-tact, non-faded flag waving from the top.  Seriously, I know our country isn’t perfect and that God isn’t always going to “bless us” just because we ask Him to, but I’m certainly grateful to live here and always will be. 

However, can I also say that I’m not too excited to see mr. donkey-wagon decor make his summer appearance?  This little fellow was keeping guard over our apartment building last summer just after we moved here, (bless our landlords attempts to make this place feel “homey”), and we thought maybe he’d been stolen when we didn’t see him around anymore.  Nope.  Here he is.

Baby’s Big Day

This past week has been a thrill for us as we watch our little one develop.  Early in the week I was able to feel the baby’s movements with my hand for the first time, and a couple of days later we could just barely see Tawnya’s belly move with each tap.  As we have been reading about all of the many developments that are occurring in her womb, we are absolutely amazed and in awe of God’s greatness.  It is indeed the fool who says there is no God.

Today we had our big ultrasound to check up on the baby’s health, and we were hoping to discover the gender as well.  We are thrilled to report that the baby seems to be very healthy, and we can definitely call him a BOY!  Here are the pictures from his big photo shoot.

The little foot

Baby fingers…

Sucking his fingers…

Legs kickin’

Face profile

Flexing for mommy and daddy…even the tech was impressed with his pipes!

And it is definitely a Boy!

The Mother of All Garage Sales

Camp’s annual Garage Sale was today, which was a part of the also annual, Work Weekend.  There were lots and lots of wonderful people who came to volunteer for the weekend to help with projects that otherwise would not happen before the summer hits!  Sam led a crew that re-roofed the warming hut on the ski hill, and also a crew that installed new garage doors into one of camp’s buildings.  I don’t have pictures of those, so maybe we’ll be able to snag some and post them later. 

Back to the Garage Sale. Items are donated to camp all throughout the year.  Many of these items camp can use, and many of them camp cannot.  So the donaters give in good faith that we will either use them directly or benefit from their sale.  Thus the need for an annual garage sale. This was the biggest, most involved, and most “like shopping the day after Thanksgiving” garage sale I have ever experienced!  Here’s some pictures to back up my words.

Sure there was junk too…but I’m telling you…many treasures were found in these tables.  I got a sweet bedding set for $10!  Hardly used!  For $10!  Thus…the “shopping the day after Thanksgiving” feeling.

...don’t you wish you were there…

...next year you just might have to come…

..But you might end up having to arm wrestle someone over a doubly loved treasure…notice the people staking out their items?.....this was at 6:30am…one hour before the sale actually began. 

These men were too cute and I just had to take a picture of them.  They obliged…of course they did…they were both juiced about their sail boat they had set claims on. 

A Show of Food

Have you ever been to a food show?  Like, a live one…not just watched one on TV?  I had not until Tuesday night.  Technically, it was called the “Taste of Home Cooking School”, (yes…as in, the Taste of Home magazine).  Alison, a friend of mine from camp invited me to go with her.  We headed to Wausau and grabbed something to eat before heading to the Grand Theater.  Let me tell you - we did not just grab “something” to eat….we went to this fabulous place called Noodles & Company.  I know…I know…where have I been, right?  I know that place has existed for quite some time but I had not yet been there.  It was amazing…so many choices…so many combinations…it far surpassed my expectations.  I ordered the “Indonesian Peanut Saute”...very spicy…very peanuty…very good! And to top it off it was super clean inside and we received great service there…even though it could sort of be categorized into the fast-food category of restaurants.

Okay…so on to the show.  We walk into the lobby and find ourselves engulfed by a sea of vendors….not just food vendors but lots of “home show” type companies..you get the idea…home interiors..candle makers…..mary kay, etc.  This was like the “pre-show” option in the lobby area.  Basically we signed up for all of the door prize options we could and didn’t really give the vendors much more of our time—sad for them, good for us…except now they have our address and phone number…yikes.  Doors didn’t open to the actual theater until 6:30pm so we walked around downtown for awhile.  We meandered our way back in time for the doors to open and watched as the 1,200 capacity theater filled with all kinds of women (okay, and a few daring men). 

We sat down and found a paper bag at each of our seats filled with all kinds of coupons, freebies and goodies.  One item was a 2007 calendar….some got kitten calendars…other people got puppy ones.  One lady who sat in front of us got a kitten calendar.  Apparently she wanted puppies because she went through a whole row of un-taken bags just to find a puppy calendar to exchange.  We went on to hear her say that it had been almost a year since her little pookie had died.  Hmm.

Okay, so our host was this peppy, 30-somthing who made the show both fun, entertaining, and information.  She took us through a Taste of Home magazine and demonstrated how to make about 10 different recipes.  I finally got to see how you’re really suppsoed to cut a chicken up, among other things of course.  Overall, it was a fun night and I was inspired to spice up our menu a little.  It’s so easy to get into a cooking rut. 

Somehow though, after filling out numerous door prize cards….neither Alison or I won a thing!  Not even a free ham.  Oh well.  At least now I know how to cut a chicken.  Thanks Taste of Home Cooking School! 

Happy May Day!

Well, April ended with the LTD graduation at camp.  It was a great time to look back on the past eleven months that our ten interns experienced.  The day was a reminder to me that in the midst of all that goes on at camp is a powerful education program that God is using to grow the ministry of Christian camping all over the world.  What a blessing to see and be a part of it!

Baby Smith is growing and has been pretty active in mommy’s tummy.  I am looking forward to the day when I get to feel him/her move as well.  On May 11, ten days from now, we will have our big ultra-sound and hopefully find out the gender.

I would like to personally wish you all a very happy May Day!  I am absolutely thrilled that it is now May!  For lots of reasons.  Here in Wisconsin, it means that we have most likely seen the last of the snow and it really begins to feel like Spring.  April is such a “flip-flop” month as far as the weather goes, but May comes rolling in boldly saying, “Here you go.  Here is that clear blue sky and 70 degree sun on your face that you’ve been longing for.  Enjoy it.  Work, play, and eat outside.  Go throw the baseball.  Don’t bring your coat and stocking hat with you to the grill.  No, wear your tank top and sandals.  And please, leave your headlamp inside.  You’ll have plenty of daylight to grill to your heart’s content tonight.  This is May.” 

Speaking of grilling, let me give a quick update on what the Brinkmann’s been up to.  Last night some kabobs landed on the grate along with some potatoes, and I can honestly say that it definitely ranks as one of my top ten meals so far in 2007.  Sorry, I cannot be bold enough to place an exact ranking on it, but it is up there.  Please stop on by and we’ll throw them on again!

Some seriously exciting stuff going on here.