First early morning bike ride at 7am flying solo.
First attempted snot-rocket: Epic Fail.
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Cinco de Mayo ’11 Rewind
At the dawn of Cinco de Mayo, I drove to the gym beholding this:
Our day as a family started a couple hours later with worship and then a family meeting. We needed a plan to tackle our two major items on our agenda: Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and the Salsa-Making Contest.
We planned out the menu, wrote down the list of ingredients we needed, and went shopping. We shopped at Econo Foods for produce and Walmart for everything else.
The boys were thrilled to ride in the rad car cart at Econo.
We got home and it was game time. Israel began working on his salsa.
He decided to make salsa verde, made with: roasted tomatillos, poblanos, purple onions & garlic, fresh cilantro, and some other secret ingredients that I am unable to disclose. Our house smelled rockin’.
Here, Israel is delicately peeling the skin off this poblano pepper.
This was the final product ready for competition!
All the while, we boiled the daylights out of this can to make cajeta, a Mexican candy.
Over 3 hours later…the cajeta was done and ready for tasting. But we used the rest to make an ice cream.
We made nachos for our fiesta with homemade chips and cheese.
Sangria was our beverage of choice for Cinco de Mayo 2011.
We ended our meal with homemade cajeta ice cream.
Then, we were off to the library to drop off Israel’s salsa at 5pm.
He was entered in the “medium” category.
The tasting didn’t start until 6pm, so to ease his nerves, Israel played with the library toys.
The doors opened at 6pm and people began pouring in to the free tasting and voting. Each person received 10 tickets and were asked to place tickets in jars next to their favorite salsas.
Micah did us proud by eating 3 bowls of chips & salsa and lemonade making this venture well worth the financial investment. I was going to take more pictures of Israel’s ticket jar and all the other salsa entries, but somebody kept giving me the stink eye. Here’s a hint: he sleeps next to me. So, this is the last picture.
We went home early to put the boys to bed and waited to hear the results of the ticket count. The next morning, behold, Israel received a phone call to acknowledge that he had won!! Later in the day, Manu and I went to pick up his awesome “On the Border” prize basket.
We were so proud of him. 
T’was a tiring, but happy Cinco de Mayo!
Helping Israel Find His Roots
Sometimes I crack myself up. LOL. *SIGH*
Okay so, to get him back for every wrong he’s done towards me, I just signed Israel Ramos up for a salsa-making contest that will take place at the public library on Cinco de Mayo. He is so not the type that would want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at a U.P. public library with a crowd of yooper strangers. HAHAHA! But, I think he’ll do it. He may not be excited to do it, but he’ll do it because he loves me. I’m hoping that he will be able to represent his people (including his 3 boys) and take home the title of winning salsa. Who knows, maybe this will be the tipping point for all of his culinary endeavors! It may start with a corner salsa stand, then grow to a store front. For all we know, he may become known as the U.P. Salsa Grand Master….
But in all seriousness, I’m hoping it will be a fun & special family memory and that it will instill in our boys the importance of Cinco de Mayo, and that contrary to popular belief, it is not synonymous to Mexican Independence Day. 
All our local yoopie friends should come too!
http://www.pldl.org/2011/04/cinco-de-mayo-salsa-contest/
By faith, I will only have good things to report on Thursday evening…
PS: This is what happens when Israel leaves me for a few days. (He’s downstate for CAMPUS meetings.) Too much time on my hands! 🙂
The Boys Meet Goats
I took the boys to a program at our public library where a family brought their mother goat and her two kids. We went with a couple other moms and their children that we know. The librarian read goat stories to the kids (including my all-time fav, Bill Grogan’s Goat) and then we went into the community room to meet the real ones. We learned how to take care of goats and saw a milking demonstration. The boys enjoyed it although they were so shy and needed coaxing to pet them. 
Raptor Report
Since moving to the U.P. from Ann Arbor nearly 5 years ago, we’ve changed a lot. It seems like our college days and our first couple years of marriage were a blur of late nights, busyness, playing, and eating out. I must admit, we had lots of fun – we always have. But being up here, in the country, has really enriched our lives in ways that we would have never guessed. I think I never want to leave.
One of the most unexpected interests that we’ve picked up is eagles. We had no idea that the U.P. was so full of them! We grew up being taught that bald eagles were on the brink of extinction. Each time we’d see one, it was a big deal. But really, at least in the U.P, they’re flourishing. And with all of the driving that we do, we’ve made it a habit of trying to spot eagles.
I think my favorite times I’ve watched bald eagles were by dead carcasses. When you see a bunch of ravens congregated, you’re most likely to see an eagle too. We’ve watched as a bald eagle would fly over to a carcass and the ravens would all respectfully step aside. The eagle would take what it wanted as the ravens would anxiously wait. Once the eagle flew away, the ravens would make a mad dash back back to their meal.
Once we saw an enormous golden eagle. We pulled over by where it was perched on a lower branch. We got out of the car to try to get a better look and to try to take a picture. (Unfortunately, we only had our phone camera!) The golden eagle looked at us as if to see if we were edible. We decided we’d better get back in the car before it got mad and tried to attack. It swooped down pretty close to our car as it took off and we were able to see how majestic and enormous its wingspan was. That was the biggest raptor we had ever seen in the wild – or probably ever.
A couple years back, we watched a baby eagle and mom that could be seen en route to L’Anse. We assumed that’s where its nest was because we saw the baby on the same tree for several weeks. No matter how busy we were, if we were headed that way, we’d stop for a few minutes to see them. Then, one day it must have spread its wings and flown away.
Most recently, we’ve been following the Decorah eagles and their three eaglets. It’s been so exciting to watch them hatch and grow in the past few weeks. Manu has affectionately named them the “Prettys”. We’re looking forward to watching the babies learn how to fly.
This time of year (mid-March – mid-June) is known for the amazing raptor migration. Dozens of raptors including eagles, falcons, vultures, and ospreys find temporary refuge atop Brockway Mountain (Copper Harbor) before they continue up the Keweenaw peninsula or as they venture across Superior. Yesterday, we headed up to Brockway in hopes to see some of these birds. The hawk counter up there told us we were a little too late and missed most of the traffic, but we were able to see a group of turkey vultures, some ravens, and a young bald eagle on the way back down. We’re hoping to head up again during peak time which is late morning/early afternoon to get more action. Here’s a link to more info.
Here are some pics I took of a couple U.P. bald eagles (& a couple avid eagle watchers):
Eagle starting to get bald
Soaring…
Using their new binoculars!
Eagle forgot to wipe its mouth after eating (or maybe saving for afternoon snack)
Eagle with frilled neck feathers
Crazy talons!! Whatever it’s looking at, I feel sorry for it…
Bird-lover
Eagle in flight
From the time I was young until now, it’s been more and more difficult to see caged birds. There is something disturbingly unnatural about it. After seeing so many magnificent birds flying free in the wild, I can only feel sorry for those birds who were either forced into captivity or those who never knew freedom. If I could, I would put an end to all animal exploitation and commercialization. Gets me sad just thinking about it…
I think there are few things in this world more beautiful than watching animals in their element. And we have no one else but God to thank for that. Do you see why I love living in the Yoop?
My Ode to Biking
Last Thursday, I went on my first outdoor bike ride of the year. In fact, it was my first real ride on my new bike that Israel so generously bought for me against my will. There are many different ways I could describe this ride, but as a novice, I figure the best way would be to list the plethora of knowledge that I gained from this 45 minute trip:
1. The Trainer:
I rode on our trainer at home a few times before taking my first ride outside. I’m sure it helped strengthen me in certain areas, but overall, I don’t think it prepared me much for real riding. But it did give me insight to the fact that I had no idea about how to adjust my gears, and that I have a lot of work to do if I’m ever going to bike 56 miles in August. Basically, my first ride outside felt like my first ride.
2. Proper Bike Attire:
In the early nineties, “biker shorts” were in. They didn’t have the huge padding, but they were still called biker shorts. In my school, to be considered one of the cool kids, you sported Reebok pumps or chunky BKs, layered double socks (different colors of course), a tie-dyed shirt (Hyper-color if you were super-cool) and tucked it in and fluffed it out of black biker shorts with a neon colored stripe down the sides. I never subscribed to this. Twenty years later, I find myself wearing biker shorts…yes, the spandex kind. Even now, every time I put them on, I find myself muttering under my breath in disbelief.
Well, that’s how road-bikers roll.
On my first bike ride of the year, I found out how road-bikers don’t roll. It was chilly out and since I don’t know much about proper bikemanship ettiquette, I asked my trusty husband what I should wear. He seemed quite confident in his response, which was to wear my long johns and then put my biker shorts over them. At first, I thought it was a joke. But he continued to go on about how that’s what he does and that’s what bikers do.
It’s a bit tricky because you’d think what you wear biking wouldn’t really matter, but you’d be amazed how that could affect your overall performance. It wouldn’t bother me as much if I were riding, say, a banana bike. But I have a triathlon bike. Just by virtue of owning that bike, there are many expectations that accompany that. Obviously, you need to dress for the weather. But even beyond that, nobody wants to look like a wannabe or novice, even if they are one. I wanted to look at least as though I had some sort of validation for owning that bike. I trusted Israel.
I rocked my cotton long johns with my shiny spandex biking shorts over them. I wore a cotton hoody. I wore my helmet that I got from Walmart. I wore my cut-off biking gloves. I wore my mad-expensive Oakleys (that insurance did pay for). Imagine me riding in aero position along our scenic country road. After seeing other bikers on the road, the realization sunk in that I looked like an absolute fool. I wouldn’t have even wanted to be seen with myself. Not only that, I was freezing cold and ended up feeling sore from the saddle. Every time a car passed by, I cringed.
The moral of this part of the story: You should feel confident about your overall look on a bike ride. If unsure, consult a professional.
3. It’s Snot What You’d Expect:
My nose began running like crazy. At first, sniffing seemed to resolve the problem, but of course, that really didn’t. In fact, it just got worse. I searched my pockets to see if there was anything I could use to wipe my nose. Absolutely nothing. That. Wa(s). (s)Not. Cool.
The moral of this part of the story: Learn how to launch a clean snot-rocket (-that’s what my coach advised me to do).
4. Learn Your Gears:
So, I had no idea how and when to change my gears. In fact, I didn’t even know how many gears I had. I had never touched my left gears and maybe stayed within 2-3 of the right gears. That’s how I rode on my first bike ride (which may explain why it was so hard for me to go up hills). A few days later, I went on my second ride with two really good bikers. I was feeling pretty crunchy as I had to get edumacated on how to change my gears and when. To top it off, some gears were ridiculously noisy. (Imagine if I were wearing my outfit from the first ride!) So, my bike is in the shop now getting a tune-up and I am still trying to gather my pride that was splattered on the road somewhere…most likely on that big hill.
The moral of this part of the story: Know your bike and your components. Get regular tune-ups. Train solo on your bike until you’re fast. Then it is safe to go on a group ride.
5. Bells & Whistles:
Some people have laughed at me because on my tri bike, I installed a little blue bell. In fact, Manu picked it out for me last year and I had put it on my previous bike. He told me to ring it whenever I am riding by him and he would cheer for me. I also jokingly tell people that I’m going to ring my bell whenever I pass someone up in a race. The other day, I bought myself a third-eye which is a little rear-view mirror that attaches to my sunglasses. I’m still trying to figure out how and when to use them both, but I really like them and they make me happy.
The moral of this part of the story: If there is anything in road biking that can/will make you happy, I say go for it.
6. I Set Myself Up:
I talked a lot of smack about how I’m going to beat the guys’ bike time in the Koop, but looking at the current situation, (and I hate to admit this but) I’m pretty much setting myself up. I’m realizing that my body is no longer in a place where I can really compete with these guys. Three pregnancies and three c-sections did some major damage. It’s also kind of humbling to see how far I’ve let myself go. But, I guess it never hurts to dream, right? (And to preserve my pride, I think I could still take them in tennis.) 
* * * * * * *
Overall though, I am really enjoying my training experience. I love reviewing my plans on my Training Peaks app. I love going to the gym early in the morning when it is still a little dark, and then coming out and seeing the sun coming up and brightening the day. I love saying “hi” and chatting with the card-swipers. I love feeling free to think about whatever it is I feel like thinking…for over an hour straight. And then I love coming home to my excited three boys who ask me what kind of work out I did and then give me a great big hug and kiss even though I’m all sweaty and gross.
While some days can be discouraging, like my first ride, I keep trying to tell myself, this is only the beginning. (I’m hoping I’m in this for the long haul.) And somehow, that’s enough to get me excited for the future. I guess I gotta start somewhere.
Trail Running at Hungarian
On Thursday evening, Dan and John came up from downstate to visit with us for the weekend. We’ve enjoyed spending time with them. We went to church this morning and then spent a few hours talking and hanging out. But then, people started dropping like flies. Right now, there are 8 people in this house and 6 of them are sleeping either in beds or crashed on the couches. This is like deja vu from when I was a little girl and I would hate when everyone would be tired and take a nap except for me!
So, to remedy this, I decided to post some pics from when Dan and I went trail running up through Hungarian Falls yesterday afternoon (while IR and John sat on the couch). We saw a series of about 8 of the waterfalls during our run. It was so awesome! We had a great time exploring new trails and the falls are so amazing right now!
The before picture…(this is like take 10)
Taking a breather to enjoy the view
Can you spot Dan?
It was freezing…literally.
We ventured over to the other side of the river and found some crazy steep falls that I never saw before!
We were glad that eventually we found our way back to where we started. It was an awesome run!
Dan, thanks for NOT being the “laziest man I know”! haha! I had a blast!
Now, I hope some of these people over here will wake up so we can play!! 🙂
A Family Shot
This picture, taken at our good friends’ wedding last summer, has got to be our most hilarious, but favorite family picture ever. The boys look like they’ve come straight out of a gangsta movie! It’s been sitting in Israel’s office in our basement since we got it, but just now, I decided to scan it and make it our new profile pic for our blog. The boys got haircuts last week and so they look very much like how they do in this picture now. Totally looking forward to the summer, baby!!
Steph & Jeff, thanks so much for the special memory!! :]
photo courtesy of Melissa DiLernia : www.msdphotography.com
Ty-Bizzle is Bipedal
I honestly thought this day would never come. You know it’s bad when a mother is praying to the God in Heaven that her son would learn to walk. But the day has finally come and Titus Israel Ramos, at a few days shy of 16 months, is officially a biped.
The real breakthrough came when we were at prayer meeting at Houghton church on Tuesday evening. He kept walking from the side bench to Karen’s seat which was about 6 feet away. It had been a while since I took the boys to prayer meeting since it was past their bedtime. Well, after last week, I was kicking myself for not bringing Ty to prayer meeting 4 months earlier!
He is so chill, I can’t blame him. Even now, he is quite the shy walker. When you watch him walking, he can’t help but grin and more often than not, it causes him to fall over. But I still think it is safe to consider this official. Here are some pics of our baby who decided it was time for him to join the big boys club at last:
 
Now that he can walk, his favorite place to go is the pantry to see what snacks he can find.
 
He and Aroe definitely have a special bond. Here’s Ty giving Aroe five.
 
We’re so proud of you, Ty! 
Finding a Real Identity
I can’t seem to fall back asleep, so I decided to write down some thoughts that have been floating around in my mind.
Somehow, my life has seemed to take an unexpected turn. Perhaps it stemmed from that magical time in Guam where all I had to do was live for myself. But somehow, the bubble that I had been living in for the past few years of stay-at-home-mothering has ruptured, leaving me a bit dazzled to say the least.
I’ve always prided myself in being Israel’s wife and we are so happily married. Yet, there was something that bothered me when we began to be identified as the “marriage seminar” couple. True, I believe we are living as close to a fairy tale as you can get in this world: interracial couple falls in love despite cultural taboos, miraculously parents and family approve, they push through obstacles, God clearly works through it all…. Flattering though it was – young people wanting to hear what we had to say about our thriving marriage, despite our odds – that’s not the only thing I wanted to be known for. I began wanting to believe that there is more to our life…to my life.
My boys are my life. From the time when I was pregnant with Imanuel, our firstborn, there was nothing more that I wanted to be than an amazing mother. This new chapter in my life could very well have been the last chapter and the epilogue at that. Being a mother has been my proudest accomplishment and the entries that I’ve blogged here on pregnancy and parenting express but the tip of my emotional iceberg. There is no greater gift that God could have given to mankind than the ability to create and raise a child. So smitten was I, that my life became consumed.
But eventually, there came those lonely moments when you realize that as grand as being a wife and mother is, something is lacking. That is because of this: your identity cannot be solely wrapped up in your relationship to someone else. Winning the best girlfriend/wife award can never be your life calling, though during those initial years of dating/marital bliss it may seem like it. Mother of the century is very much a coveted title, but can we really believe that if our kids, by God’s grace, turned out perfectly, we can find complete contentment in our own souls? How about if we completely fail and disappoint our family? What good can we be? This is where I was.
We, too, were made for another world. In that World, the focus won’t be on marriages and parenting. I am beginning to see why now. Our life consists of different chapters that continue to develop who we are and who we become. Marriage and motherhood are large chapters and will continue to be strong, reoccurring themes. They will perhaps have the most significant influence on our characters. They are an enormous responsibility. But in the end, that is not who we are. They are still a means to an end. It is easy to lose sight of this.
Now that Ty is older, I am learning how to get back in touch with who I am as an individual. Time for myself has become paramount in cultivating this. In addition to our joint efforts as a family, impacting lives on my own, having my own role in ministry, and having my own life is what I have been missing for the past few years. Even if it means waking up earlier, having a crazier schedule, or sleeping later at night, it is well worth it. It is proving to bring such contentment and self-worth for me and is, not surprisingly, benefiting my family.
It brings a peace knowing that when all is said and done, God still values me and loves me. This is the Gospel. Sometimes it’s hard for us women to truly believe it because we tend to live our lives for others. But I often need a constant reminder that even if no one else in the world existed, this fact wouldn’t be altered in the slightest.