I Suck at Girls

Damn you Justin Halpern! You make me laugh out loud at random times all throughout the day. I have read both Sh*t My Dad Says and I Suck at Girls and they are seriously some of my most favorite short reads. I recommend both of theses books to anyone who has a sense of humor. Especially to those of us who were blessed with fathers who have a special way with words. In fact, I love Justin Halpern so much I was convinced to get a Twitter account to keep up with him or maybe it's his dad that I love so much?! If you haven't read his stuff you you should. Here is another little glimpse of him writing about his favorite sports team. LOVE! http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7654198/the-writer-sh*t-my-dad-says-why-your-team-give-damn-you

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

This evening my husband and I spent some time together enjoying our Minnesota Twins! I have grown up loving baseball, the all-American sport! I have shared some of my favorite memories with my family at ball parks too. Nothing beats the smell of fresh cut grass and a mouth full of salty sunflower seeds at the ball field. It is truly an American pastime and I can't wait to share my love of the game with my children someday.

You've Got to Stand for Something

I have always been a proud American! I probably learned the feeling of pride in country from my father. He has always been especially proud to live in the wonderful USA. Although my Dad isn't too political, he always believes that we have to stand proud as a country, and attempt to do what is fair and what is best for the people.

The feeling of pride didn't stop there either. We were raised to proud of ourselves, our heritage, our family, and of our accomplishments. My parents made sure to let us know that being proud was not the same thing as arrogance, nor did it mean that we didn't make mistakes. Lord only knows my sins! I think that one of the most important lessons I have learned about pride is that you can still stand tall while owning your mistakes, apologising, and living your life in a way pleasing to God. I was happy tonight to have a conversation with my Mother, who reminded me that I am living the life I chose for myself. I CAN AND DO feel proud of myself because I am not afraid to apologise, to do what is fair, and attempt to treat people in a way pleasing to the Lord! Thank You Mom and Dad for teaching me what it means to be proud!

Small Town USA

This red, white, and blue Twins birdhouse was a gift from my dad a couple weeks ago! I love it! It is the perfect addition to my patio even though I dislike most birds :)

God Bless The USA.

 

Day Four of Thirty Days of Patriotism. I created this greeting card last night for the little guy's parents to send out to friends and family. I captured this photo of Ari kissing his flag just this week and I fell in love with it! He is just too precious for words. I will definitely miss capturing his innocence on a regular basis.

Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly!

So many of my favorite Fourth of July photos are with my little guy!

We have a ton of fun celebrating the red, white, and blue together!

Some of our favorite craft projects are making fireworks, flags, and baking festive treats!

The above photo is him as a one year old, and I cant wait to share the Independence Day cards that I made with his photo this year! He is absolutely adorable!

American Soldier

Tonight, my post, in the quest for 'Thirty days of Patriotism,' is very sentimental. Today, June 6th is the 68th anniversary of D-day. This is especially important to me, as my Grandpa, William Van Donsel, was deployed just several days after we stormed the beaches of Normandy in June 1944. He was one of the greatest men to walk God's green earth, and anyone who ever had the opportunity to meet him would surly agree.

As I continue to decorate my house for Independence Day, I love being able to put up photos of both of my grandfathers, whom I consider to be real American heroes. My mom's father, my Grandpa Elmer, was a Staff Sergeant in the Korean War. I feel so blessed to have several photos of my grandfathers days during their service to this amazing country.

The above photo is my Grandfather at Fort Leonard Wood Military Base in the Missouri Ozarks. The base went up in December 1940, and was originally intended to train infantry troops. In WWII, German and Italian POW's were interned at the base.

I love this photo of my Grandpa, he looks so handsome!

I can definitely see a little bit of my brothers and my cousins in his face.

The below photo is my Grandpa Elmer in Korea. He brought home tons of photos and slides of his deployment and I am so lucky that my grandma has shared them with me!

Below is a photo my grandpa had taken on Main Street

in whatever town he was in at the time.

My favorite thing about most of these photos is the detailed descriptions on the back, that my grandpa wrote himself! While the ink has faded some, I love having some sort of explanation from him. He wrote on the below photo, "The little stinker is having a bit of lunch." 



This photo is of one of the tug boats that pulled the ship into port.

This is a photo of where they finally dropped anchor in Korea to get off this ship. In the Korean War the The United States of America provided 88% the soldiers!

Today, and always, I am so thankful and proud of our American Military men and woman! From those who have served our country in the past, and those who continue to serve  today, I am forever grateful.