A Series of Misadventures

Discoveries: a hobby shop, a thrift shop, a music store
Companions: Keeley, family, Taylor

I haven't posted on here in a while, but that doesn't mean the adventures have ceased. Everyday is an adventure and the few days I am posting about were particularly adventurous. Keeley and I found a wonderful store full of anything and everything, but especially something I am fond of in particular: decorations! We decided that it was our duty to use the letter decorations to spell out fun sayings to send to our friends. Here is a picture of me with my favorite letter:

We also managed to find some fun accesories and craft items.

So, once upon a time, on another misadventure, my family and I discovered a musical paradise. Instruments adorned the walls and sheet music lined the shelves. My sister needed to pick up her clarinet so we explored the place as she went about her business. Tiffany and I found an ocarina and sheet music from our favorite video game. I think it would be fun to learn how to play the ocarina.


I also enjoy violin music, especially if it's composed by Lindsey Stirling. I recommend looking up her music if you have never listened to it. 

Later we found a thrift shop that was absolutely packed with stuff. Shelves were overflowing with trinkets, stuffed animals, dishes, books, and so much more. You never know what you may come across in a thrift shop so I recommend exploring one some time. Although lives get busy, there is always time for adventuring. Don't be afraid to take some time out to go on an adventure or try something new. Peace.

Morals: Don't stop adventuring, and enjoy the music of life.
Hint: Travel to far away places without ever leaving the house.

The Great Outdoors

Discoveries: mud, water, ice, snow, all four seasons
Companions: sisters

My sisters and I decided to venture out into the wilderness for this adventure. We put on our rain boots and they grabbed their walking sticks and off we went.

As we trekked through the forest, we encountered some interesting creatures. My sisters said a tree fell because their pet dragon Benny was trying to eat it. I didn't know dragons liked to eat trees, but then they said Benny spit it out. As we continued, we came upon a mini lake. Luckily, it was shallow enough to avoid spilling into our rain boots.

Speaking of rain boots, my rain boots went through a lot on our adventure into the wilderness. They saw all four seasons:

 

 

Go out and enjoy the weather no matter how much it may vary. Peace.

Morals: Don't be afraid to splash in some puddles and get a little dirty.
Hint: A little bit of everything

Maple Syrup

Discoveries: Snow, smoke, sap, wood, buckets
Companions: Family

When hauling wood or eating pancakes, you can get a little messy. At least that's how I was after completing both of those tasks. During the Spring, my family makes maple syrup. Once the temperatures are above freezing during the day and below freezing during the night the sap starts to flow and that means maple syrup season has started. For the past four years, we have ventured out into the woods during Spring and tapped maple trees, collected sap, and cut wood. It's a lot of work, but it only lasts a few weeks at most.
First, we drill holes in the trees. The sap drains out of these holes, through hoses, and into buckets.

After collecting the sap, we boil it. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. The boiling process takes a very long time, but that is because there is a lot of water in the sap. To make the best of all that time, sometimes we'll roast hot dogs or marshmellows while we're out there. 

What better way to celebrate the end of maple syrup season than with a pancake breakfast? Have a good day and good breakfast everyone! Peace.

Morals: Do things yourself, go out and do some physical labor for once rather than sit inside on the couch all day. The fresh air, workout, and the taste of accomplishment once you're done is very rewarding.
Hint: Next time my adventure will come from my book of ideas.

Massage

Discoveries: CrossFit, running, massage, lotion, relaxation
Companions: Shelly, other couples

So like my last hint, I've been working out a lot more lately. When it comes to working out, and finding motivation to workout, it's good to have some variety. Doing the same workouts every week gets tedious, boring, and makes you lose motivation to continue. The variety that I add to my workouts are yoga and CrossFit. I do yoga about once per week to keep stretched out, have some time to relax, and because I just like doing yoga. CrossFit is about twice per week and is quick, different everytime, and intense. It's the perfect spice added to any workout. I have a blast doing CrossFit with my friends and get a great workout from it.

After all of this working out, I've needed some time to loosen up and relax. What better way to do so than with a massage? I went to a massage workshop today where I learned how to massage and got to be massaged. It was wonderful, very relaxing. The people were fun to work with and it was cool to learn about muscles and knots. I don't think that I could massage people for a living but it was nice to learn some of the basics for massage so I can try it on people I know. Now if only I could find someone to give me a nice shoulder massage once in a while...

Have a good day everyone! Peace.

Morals: Exercise makes you happier, but make sure to find time to relax.
Hint: My next adventure will be a bit messy.

Exploring

Discoveries: a castle, hobby shops, homemade jewlery, super awesome pop-ups
Companions: Alex

Today, Alex joined me on a trip to a nearby town. I love checking out small local shops, so that's exactly what we did. First, we explored two different hobby shops. The first one only had models; everything from cars to frankenstein. The second had a bit more variety. There were cards for several card games as well as tables for groups to come in to play games. It seemed like a nice place, but we kept exploring. We came along a shop that bragged about its handcrafted, American-made products from many Michigan artists. They had accesories that were very interesting. Some were made from silverware. I saw spoon handle rings and fork bracelets. I would share a picture of this unique jewlery but the cashier didn't want people to copy the artists' work. What I can share pictures of is the great book store. There were so many types of amazing pop-up books. Here, see for yourself:

Today's adventure was alright, but next time I want to find some cooler shops. By the way, I apologize for my lack of flowery vocabulary. This blog still needs some improvement, but practice makes perfect, right? Until next time, peace.

Morals: Support your local businesses!
Hint: Super heroes.

Road Trip to the Best Friend's House

Discoveries: Her new house, a baby, a dog
Companions: Shelby and her family

My hint from the last post had to do with this adventure because there were animals involved like I said! Shelby has a pet dog. I finally got to see her new house since she moved a couple years ago. We are busy people. Anyway, about this adventure! I went on a tour of the rolling hills, curving roads, and lovely town where she lives. We got to walk around town a bit and Shelby showed me an awesome toy store. Once inside, we were greeted by a lifesize toy giraffe. The store was packed with toys everywhere, even on an upper floor. There was everything from hats and sock monkies, to dolls and smurfs.

¡Olé!

I also got to spend a lot of time hanging out with Shelby's niece, JuleeAnne. She's adorable, I had fun hanging out with her.

One of the reasons Shelby thought it'd be a good weekend for me to come visit was to go dress shopping. I got to be a fashion critic as well as a fashion model. I found a fun pink dress.

 The mall we went to had a cool fountain that was perfect for picture taking so we took advantage of the opportunity (as well as making a wish by tossing a coin in the fountain).

 

After a long day of shopping we were hungry. Since I had never been to Buffalo Wild Wings, they decided to take me there. We had to wait a bit for our food so we took some funny pictures.

 

The wings were very good once they came. I will definitely go there to eat again.
I was glad to spend some time with my best friend over the weekend. I haven't gotten to just hang out with someone in a while. I miss being able to go over to her house and just sit around and talk. That's what best friends do. I am thankful that we still keep in touch even though she lives far away now. Well, that concludes this adventure. Get out in the world, people! Adventure awaits! Peace.

Morals: Go visit your friends! Try to keep in touch with people you don't see often. Call up some old friends that you haven't talked to in a while. Friends are a good thing to have around.
Hint: Going out on the town.

Masquerade

Discoveries: Masks, Music, and Fun
Companions: Tori, Alex, and a bunch of other friends

Finally, I speak the truth! This adventure came from my book of ideas like my previous hint suggested. The book said to do something while wearing a mask. So, what better place to wear a mask than to a Masquerade/Mardi Gras party? I almost decided against going, but I'm glad I did. I had a blast dancing the night away. I saw some fun masks and celebrated life with some fun people. From creating new dance moves to starting a conga line, there couldn't have been a better way to spend that particular night. I made sure to take a picture with some of my fellow dance buddies.

Tori and I are pretty hardcore. We wore our masks all night long (hers was glued to her face though so she didn't have a choice). I believe there should be some sort of prize awarded for this feat. Anyway, if you ever have to chance to attend a masquerade, I totally recommend it! It's super cool and it seems like something from a movie. Until next time, peace.

Morals: If you have the option to do something fun, do it. It's totally worth it. You may not realize how much fun you could have when you refuse to be open-minded.
Hint: The next adventure may or may not involve animals. Any WILD guesses as to what it may be? ;)

Game Night

Discoveries: Games, more games, and fro-yo.
Companions: Monique, Amber, Jacob, Alex, Nick, and Zach

'Tis always an adventure when hanging out with this group. Even though I had a stubborn cold, I spent the night with my friends. From Super Smash Bros. to Cosmic Encounters, we always end up playing some super awesome games whenever we hang out. 

Rulers of the Galaxies

We played Cosmic Encounters until about 11:30 p.m.then we decided we wanted frozen yogurt. The problem was that it closed at midnight. We hurried to put on our coats and run outside down the sidewalks. The night was beautiful with the warm glow of the street lights on the snow covered sidewalks. We slipped and slided into the frozen yogurt place just in time. It was so yummy.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. I'm glad I got to see some friends that I haven't seen in a while and get to relax and play some games. Remember to find the adventure in everyday. Peace out.

Morals: Go visit some old friends. It'll make their day.
Hint: My next adventure will come from my Book of Ideas.

OM.....

Discoveries: Yoga, Silly Students, Peace
Companions: Elementary School Students, Shelly, Sisters

Reach to the sky!

I love yoga. I've been trying out different types of yoga lately and teaching yoga on occasion. Recently, I went with my yoga instructor Shelly to teach yoga at a family fitness night at an elementary school. The kids loved it! We did a kid-friendly version of slow flow yoga so the kids could relax between the crazy exercises they did throughout the night.


Tree Pose

The parents even had some fun with it. When we did tree pose, we let the kids choose which type of tree they were. Some were pine trees, others willow trees, and one boy said he was a wobbly tree.

Yoga makes me feel like those monks that meditate and train in the mountains. There are many types of yoga out there so I recommend trying it out sometime. You never know, you might end up liking it. Well, have a nice day readers. Peace.

Morals: Have an open mind.
Hint: Games

Lunch and Videogames

Discoveries: chicken nuggets, food faces, Skyrim
Companions: Sisters, Taylor, College friends

Yesterday, my sister's boyfriend came over, and I had to look after my other two little sisters. They pretty much sat there and watched TV, so it wasn't too hard. I decided to be an awesome sister/babysitter, and make a delicious lunch for everyone. I cooked a whole bag of frozen chicken nuggets, and set out a bunch of veggies on the table because you should always eat your vegetables. I called them to the dining room to eat, but on one condition. Before they could eat, they had to make a face on their plate. The following are pictures of the process and the finished masterpieces:

Decorating. (Pretty bouquet on the table)



Ta Da!



My plate

Lunch was pretty good that day. Later in the evening, I met up with some of my college friends. They introduced me to the game Skyrim. I've heard of it before, and have been wanting to try it out. To summarize, it is one of the best games I've ever played, and I played it for about six hours straight while I was there (I haven't really sat down and played videogames like this for maybe two years. So it was nice to do that again). I loved the graphics, dragons, variety, and possibilities in the game. I definitely need to get a copy of it for myself. I highly recommend it to those who like adventure games like The Legend of Zelda or adventure movies like The Lord of the Rings. So, here's a picture of a Skyrim dragon for you. Peace.

 

Morals: It's ok to play with your food. Skyrim is awesome.

Hint: Valentine's Day is next week, maybe I'll do something lovey-dovey for my next adventure.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Discoveries: White oblivion, snow drifts, mini Grand Canyon, snowmobiles
Companions: Dad, two of his friends, and the new neighbor guy

A Winter Wonderland

The snow just hasn't stopped, and I love it! I love the snow! I hear a lot of people complaining about it, and yes it does keep me inside more than I'd like, but no one wants a green winter! As my dad says, if it's going to be cold, there might as well be snow. So, to make the best of all this snow I went on a snowmobile ride over the weekend with my dad and some of his friends. It was quite the adventure. First of all, I was wayyyy behind them. Their snowmobiles were way faster than mine, plus I like to be a careful driver since snowmobiling scares me sometimes. One scary moment was near the beginning of our trip around the neighborhood. I was following behind them going down the side of the road and didn't see a mini snow drift to the side. One of my skis went over it and it almost threw me off tipping me right over! So scary! I drove more cautiously after that and felt even more comfortable when one of my dad's friends started driving behind me. So if I ever did fly off at least he could save me.

There were some beautiful parts of the trip as well. We drove close to some ditches that looked like glaciers, it was beautiful. Frozen solid with sharp, crisp edges. I wish I could've had my camera on this adventure. I swear at one point we were driving next to a mini Grand Canyon. The ditches were maybe 30 feet deep and I did not want to slip down into them.

In front of me I could see the snowmobilers I was following. To my right, I saw the ditches we were riding alongside. To my left, it was a white oblivion. Pure white and flat like paper. I could not see the trees or the horizon line. Solid white. It was crazy, but super cool. Definitely a fun way to enjoy the winter and the snow. How you do enjoy the winter weather? I've always wanted to try ice skating. Well, peace out, readers.

Morals: Make the best of crappy weather days. When driving snowmobiles, holding on for your life is necessary, but you will end up sore the next day.
Hint: I am a liar. My hints haven't been corresponding with my next adventures.

Loveee

Discoveries: Hearts, markers, stickers, sparkles, smiles
Companions: Youth Group

I've been busy lately so I still haven't gotten around to the exciting adventures. Exciting adventures isn't the goal of this blog though. The goal of this blog is to find the adventure in every day. Plus, having a busy schedule is no excuse in my eyes. A quote that goes along well with that is, "volunteers don't have the time, they just have the heart." I'm not sure who said that quote, but I give him props. I like that quote a lot, and it relates to the adventure I am writing about today. I love volunteering, it's hard for me not to volunteer (maybe because it's hard for me to say no). Through my church I volunteer at a monthly food distribution. We give away overflowing boxes of food to the familes in need around our community. It is a great program. For the next month's give away, some ladies came up with the idea to put hearts in each box since it's close to Valentine's Day. The hearts were decorated by our youth group as well as other members of the church with encouraging sayings, stickers, markers, and sparkles. Here are some examples and a group shot of us:



My artwork!

Gotta love these people :)

Anyone who reads this, I suggest doing something similar for people that you know. Random acts of kindness. Send a letter, or call someone you haven't spoken to in a while, or send an encouraging saying to someone who may need it. It'll make their day. Well, until next time. Peace.

Morals: Whenever you can say something nice, say it. All you need is love. Enjoy the little things.
Hint: Music is related to my next adventure.

Adventure No. 3!

Discoveries: Shiny Snowflake, Coin drop, cake, books, homework
Companions: myself...

Why am I in this class?

Well, today's adventure wasn't too adventurous, but it was indoors like I said it would be. I went to the library to do some studying since exams are next week.

My study face

I love the library. It's nice, quiet, has books, has puzzles, and even has a coin drop thing that I got distracted by for a bit. I'll be sitting there trying to do my math and then BAM! distraction. Like the shiny snowflake on the table that I thought was very pretty.

So after my attempt to study, I went home to a birthday party for my mom. We had a delicious dinner of fettucini alfredo and then some oddball cake. Can you guess what it is? I thought maybe a smiley face, but my dad said it's a frog. What do you see it as?

That ends my adventure for today. Yesterday's adventure was way more exciting, but I forgot to bring my camera. I went for a run with some friends outside in the snow and ice. We skated on the side walks, jumped/climbed snow piles, walked across a frozen river, and ran through the forest. T'was an exciting journey, but I was frozen afterwards. Alright, that is all for now. Peace out.

Morals: Do not procrastinate when it comes to studying and be careful when running on ice. Note to self: Have fetuccini for my birthday dinner.
Hint: Next time the adventure will be more exciting.

Adventure No. 2!

Discoveries: Geocaches, snow, a phone, a scary window, buried treasure (that ended up just being ice)
Companions: Connor

Another day, another adventure. Connor and I have watched plenty of mystery shows (Castle, The Mentalist, Elementary, Scooby-Doo), so it was no surprise that we found 3 out of the 5 geocaches that we looked for. Before venturing out though, we had to bundle up like crazy. I had 2 shirts, a sweatshirt, a jacket, a coat, 3 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of pants, a headband, and a couple pairs of gloves (I was warm, but it was hard to move). Connor, on the other hand, just had a sweatshirt, coat, and some boots. So, we went back after our first find to get him some snowpants.


The clues led to this pay phone.

For those of you who have never been geocaching, I highly recommend it. This was Connor and I's first time geocaching, and we both decided that it was like treasure hunting! It was so cool! First, we downloaded the app. Then, it showed us geocaches near us and provided a couple clues. Using the clues and GPS, we made our way over snow banks, through bushes, and to creatively hidden geocaches. We took out the logs and signed our names to say that we found them. Although it was freezing cold, it was definitely an adventure that was worthwhile. So, next time you read a Nancy Drew book or watch National Treasure and feel like going treasure hunting yourself, then I'd suggest geocaching. I definitely felt like someone from a movie.  

Who knew it'd be in the phone?

Writing in the log.

Ok, we gave up on 2 of the geocaches we were looking for but it was for perfectly good reasons. The first one had sooo much snow surrounding the area it was in that we decided to look for it on a day that was warmer. The second, we got scared of the dark, creepy window nearby. Note to self: Go geocaching again someday, but during the daytime and when it is warmer outside. I also suggest geocaching with a fellow adventurer who can help you solve the clues. Two heads are better than one. Until next time, peace out.

Buried treasure? X marks the spot?

Morals: No matter how many layers of clothes you wear, you will still get cold if you're in the snow long enough.
Hint: The next adventure will be indoors (I couldn't feel my hands and feet after tonight).
Explore geocaching at www.geocaching.com