Temporary Wallpaper...

So I am so excited about this news I had to post it. Perhaps it's been around for a while but I just found out there is temporary wallpaper. Sherwin Williams sells "EasyChange". I love the texture of wallpaper but I hate how awful it is to change. I have been hesitant to do anything to change the walls from their basic taupe color for the nursery but temporary wallpaper might just be the answer! They have designs that are textured which are great for any living area. I loved these. The stripes are great under a chair railing for the nursery!

Amtrak America

Rick and I decided when we planned our vacation that we wanted to take the train home. It's an experience we have both wanted to try. While we worried that a 36 hour trip would not be fun, we did it anyway. And it was great! It was relaxing and worth it.

We had a little roomette with two chairs facing each other that convert into a bed with a pull-down bunk for a second bed. All the meals are included in the price of the ticket. You share a bathroom and shower with about 8 other roomettes. You can purchase a room with a private bath but we were both satisfied with the space in a roomette and though the setup was better.

We rode from Grand Rapids to Chicago (a four hour ride). We had a 3 hour layover in Chicago so we locked up our suitcases at Union Station and headed outside to explore a little of the city. We were in the financial district so much of the area was dead and much to our dismay, many of the restaurants were closed, but we finally found a little Italian place. The remainder of the trip was on one train headed all the way to Austin.

We played a couple of games of scrabble, listened to music, watched movies and slept. It was great. The food on board was actually pretty good too! We both think the train is a great option if you have young children. If you can't afford flights, it's definitely cheaper and they have room to runaround - unlike when you drive.

White Sandy Beaches

After Wednesday's rain, Thursday was a little cool, but Friday was HOT! So we headed across Lake Hamlin to the white sandy beaches that run along Lake Michigan. It was so relaxing to be there. Plus I got some great photos. It was a nice way to end the week. We all headed to our homes that evening after packing up.

Rick looking very Top Gun

Cousin Bill with Callie Ann

Dad Poling - trying to have fun in the sun

Dad with Kelsey walking up the sand dunes.

Cathy and Bill with Callie Ann

Callie Ann

Another Callie

Cousin Bill - I love this picture!

Yvonne - look at that background!

Cathy - looking like a 40's pinup

More Callie - I couldn't help it - She was being too cute!

And Kelsey in up to her neck (standing up) in sand!

For lots more cute and frame-worthy pictures go here: www.polingpublishings.shutterfly.com
Or for Cathy's Pictures try this link to Snapfish

Bocce Ball Tournament

We held the 2nd Annual Bocce Ball Tournament. Names were drawn to form teams of 2. Rick and I had never played before so it was really fun to learn. The games were sometimes very intense and so fun to watch. The Mighty Maestros did pretty well actually - it was a grueling battle, but thanks to Kyle's long pea shots, they overcame and eventually won the tournament.

The fans:

And the regulation standard measuring to see which ball is closer!

Rick's Team: Ella Funk

Kristina's Team: The Mighty Maestros

Me - attempting to match Kyle's long pea shot. (It didn't work. Haha!)