Our son is in the purple t shirt, the other kids are his friends. Our daughter helped direct the ad and our whole family and a bunch of friends are in the crowd at the end. We submitted for super bowl and placed #18 of 100 entries that made it to the finals. #crashthesuperbowl
Author: Shari Snyder
I am a self-proclaimed avacado-holic, cherished wife of Todd Snyder almost 23 years. Inside of Tiny Town, I’m the Chief Traffic Director and Hope Giver. “I dream it, he builds it and then I share it with the world!” We make a fantastic team! We build tiny homes and communities for families to thrive in for years to come. Our motto is, “Shrink your house, not your dreams”. We are blessed with three amazing kids: Elisabeth, 21, is studying nursing and getting married in June. Christianna, 20, is studying business and graphic design, living with family in Michigan. Andrew, 13, lives in the tiny house with us and when he’s not in school, he’s building tiny houses with his dad. Community info @ www.tinytowntexas.com.
My life mission is to dare people to believe the impossible is NOTHING with God! I’ve got some Big dreams I’ve been working on for twelve years. Watch them unfold in our blog.
My vision To be a part of a community of likeminded people working towards a common goal of creating and sustaining meaningful relationships that rock the world around you
Life motto He is my God; I trust Him
Favorite dreams quote “Your dreams should be so vivid that when you actually achieve them, you’ll feel as if you’ve already lived them.”
Favorite note “I can win with any hand I’m dealt” -God
Favorite songs I know my Redeemer Lives and Legacy
Life verse “To know Him and the power of His resurrection and to share in His sufferings, being made like Him” Phil. 3:14
My top values Leaving a legacy of Faith, Lots of intimacy with my husband, speaking life into my kids, spiritual and physical health, and friendships
Our Second Honeymoon
My beloved Texas….our traveling adventures
SUMMARY
Todd and I fell in love again on Oct. 11, 2015; it was nothing short of a miracle. To celebrate, we took a second honeymoon Oct. 24, almost 20 years after we started dating the first time. We have vowed to spend the next 12 months acting like newlyweds. We’ve never been happier.
Thank you to our friends who helped our kids out.
5 things we learned from our adventure in the wild wild west
- Texas is a VERY LARGE state.
- West Texas is a great place to fall in love again!
- Everyone should see the moon through the amazing telescopes at Mcdonald Observatory.
- Four days is not enough for Big Bend let alone all the other great places.
- SEX in the wild wild west is the BEST!
Since our family migrated from the north four short years ago, we have traveled to numerous cities, but in the end, we definitely prefer the smaller remote ones like the one we chose to call home, Kerrville, Texas, whose population is 21,000. We hadn’t ventured very far west until this October, during a four day romantic getaway in the wild Wild West.
Why do they call it the Wild West?
We drove 1,000 miles round trip and never found a single Walmart or traditional chain Store. If being completely off the grid is your idea of a great escape, just go west. All around Big Bend, you’ll have little or no cellphone coverage, not even your data will work. However, inviting roadside picnic areas are plentiful.
We decided to Push the RESET button on our marriage…
Pack you’re guns, a gas can and a picnic basket because gas stations, civilization, fast foods and even restaurants are few and far between. You quickly learn to be strategic about your drinking habits if you know what I mean…
We are kicking it off with a second honeymoon and a 12 month plan to act like newlyweds!
Although we’ve travelled alone to Bora Bora, Hawaii and numerous romantic places during 19 years of marriage, we agreed to call this our official “second honeymoon”. That’s because we pushed the RESET button on our marriage and agreed to act like newlyweds for the next 12 months much to the dismay of our teenage daughter who requested we wait til next summer when she leaves for college.
The Jewish husband devotes 12 full months to bring JOY to his wife; he is free from a job or going to war during this time so nothing will interfere with setting up the rest of their married lives for success. This brings all future children into a loving environment of stability. Jews have THE lowest rate for divorce and typically enjoy great prosperity while Americans today have the highest rate of divorce, debt, addictions, medications and obesity in all of history. We believe passionate marital sex would go a long way to reverse these trends and change our next generation.
Our first stop Saturday night was the Mcdonald Observatory that inspired a whole new appreciation for the sky, one part of God’s vast creation and a new appreciation for His deep love for us, the crown of His finished work. We attended a twilight program followed by a star party. I’m not gonna lie, it was very cold at 6800 feet above sea level in October as a cold front came in. We shared a cup of Hot chocolate at the star date cafe where the cashier replied to my question, “what’s the wifi password?”
After driving and hiking the breathtaking skyline trail, we enjoyed southern hospitality at the Indian Lodge with a Sunday afternoon pot roast meal.
“There’s no public wifi; your phone’s as good as a paper weight up here”
We stayed the night in the beautiful Davis mountains in what we lovingly refer to as our little love shack on wheels. We fit our queen mattress in the back and were quite warm and cozy. Sunday morning, we woke up to this view in the state park.
Sunday evening, we travelled to Big Bend, where Visibility was over 130 miles, which added to the feeling of vastness contrasting to your own the smallness of your own person. Although we felt small, we felt nothing of insignificance. Instead, we felt incredibly valuable and worthy; in awe of our Creator and Redeemer!
We stayed in a primitive campground with only a handful of people, I suppose because it was a cold Sunday night in October.
Next comes one of our favorite memories and what we look forward to on our next visit…
We hiked to the hot springs to watch the sunset on Mexico across the Rio Grande River. The springs really were hot and full of red mud due to the recent rain. We didn’t mind, it was an added benefit of a mud bath before bed. We left before dusk because we forgot guns and wondered if Mexicans might try cross the border and the drive back included a curve without much space for error or you’d fall off the gravel road.
Monday, we hiked the beautiful Santa Elena Canyon, finding it even more picturesque than the brochures we saw or even than the
photos we took that day.
We devoted time each day to meaningful conversations about our relationship, memories of our love affair, our current romantic life, our future, dreams, family, likes and dislikes, being vulnerable and renewing our vows to make our marriage a picture of Christ’s love for His bride and creating our own little paradise on earth that points people to Jesus and looking forward to Heaven.
We reviewed material and listened to favorite love songs that take us back to our courtship and honeymoon to make romance blossom again. We called this our little love shack, we put a queen size mattress in the trailer and were very cozy under the big Texas starlit skies in campgrounds. We had been pouring every extra penny into remodeling our house so this was how we did our second honeymoon on a budget.
Our final destination before home was Marathon, a small antiquated town deep in the heart of West Texas. The town boasts of 3 gas stations, the place where Big Bend and starry skies meet. It is so quiet and small that from the center of town, from the Gage Hotel.
Step back in time…literally, to a town where the train still runs almost every hour and time stands still, no one is in a hurry, stores close at 8 pm and people still drive trucks from the 1970’s. The only form of entertainment after dark besides stargazing is…you guessed it.
One of the best parts about west Texas is definitely the night sky featuring the brightest stars and darkest skies you’ve ever experienced. What they say really is true, the backdrop is black velvet and the stars like shining diamonds; there’s no interference of city lights or pollution to dim their beauty. It’s a spectacular sight to behold.
Ending our romantic getaway at the Gage Hotel was just perfect…A hot shower in a hotel room vs. a campground was luxury.
Welcome to the Gage Hotel, the towns finest and in my opinion its only interesting attraction.
Be sure and wear your western boots as you walk across the old wooden floor in the lobby as the sound itself will transport you back in time 100 years and you’ll feel powerful as you command the attention of those nearby.
I will admit, I was shocked at the rugged amenities because I felt the price tag deserved more luxury. I guess they call it rugged luxury. We could imagine Buffalo Bill staying in our room in years gone by. It was an upgrade to have a room with a private bath, but the community bathhouse was nice enough as I toured it. I’m not sure what kind of upgrade you’d need to get a television in your room, but the absence of one sure adds to the charm, in my opinion.
We had a dinner reservation for 6 pm at the 12 Gage Restaurant next door, where we sat in the courtyard by the warm fire, enjoying Texas Quail and chicken fried steak. We admired the sunset from the 27 acre Gage Garden that hosts many weddings across the street, ending our evening in the hotel courtyard by the fire pit.
Tuesday proved to be another perfect October sunny day. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the hotel’s back yard with the swimming pool and refreshing green lawn (fake grass surrounded by desert) just reading our books in lawn chairs by the sand volleyball courts.
We are Enjoying a lazy day in the gardens at Gage Hotel, downtown Marathon, a city so quiet, you hear the church bells, roosters and train whistle crystal clear. Mostly, it’s the sound of birds and wind though today.
On the way home, we stopped at a locally owned Mexican restaurant, Bienvenido’s, in Ft. Stockton, where I had the best authentic Mexican meal since we moved to Texas. You see, we were very spoiled with home cooked Mexican meals our pastor regularly made for us in Michigan. This came close, but still fell short of his gourmet meals.
In conclusion, we encourage everyone to take a second or third honeymoon and push the reset button on your marriage. Why?
The state of the marriage produces the state of the family and the state of the family produces the state of the community.
Marriage is only hard work when the glory has gone out of the marriage. Take time to get the glory back and reignite the passion, you and your children and your children’s children deserve it!
Christmas Miracle and Blessing to our family
Our Christmas Miracle today:
when I updated iphone yesterday, every single contact was deleted out of my phone. It was like 1,000 contacts. it supposedly was backed up on itunes, but no one could find it…until a senior apple advisor named Rob helped Todd work on it for 4 hours today and retrieved a hidden file backed up in November. Haleluiah, thank you, Jesus! It really was a miracle from God.
Our Christmas Blessing last week:
I must have hit a big pothole and 2 of my rims were bent bad and it was going to cost $695. Todd found them on Craig’s list for $250 saving us $445.00! Thank you, God, for your loving care of our family!
“For with GOD, nothing is impossible”
Interview with Frank Vandersloot
Interview with Frank Vandersloot
I find it unbelievable that our “free” country is being threatened by our president stooping so low to try to control our freedom of speech and freedom to donate to your candidate of choice with intimidation and making Mr. Vandersloot look bad to the public eye when his reputation and record is so upstanding in his community and on a very large global scale with his company. He is a man of integrity and a leader with vision and heart; a very rare man today.
My weight
If the truth be told, I am disappointed in myself, I cannot fit into my cute little sundresses for our anniversary celebration this weekend. I have a birthday and turn 39 on the 12th and I am committed that this year before I turn 40 I will be the fittest of my life and I will feel the best health wise and energy wise ever! We also have a trip to Hawaii in October and I want to make sure I fit into my cute clothes I bought last year for 10 pounds lighter. So…I am renewing MY WHY and re-motivating myself. The biggest WHY that motivates me is fulfilling my life purpose of daring others to believe that with GOD, ALL things are possible, being a woman of faith that inspires others that they can change too and reach their dreams! I’m so thankful for the awesome beautiful ladies in my accountability group.
The Toxic dangers of typical laundry detergent
We all take great pains to make sure our clothes are clean and fresh, but, ironically, the very detergents that we use to make our clothes “clean” may actually be leaving them worse off than they were before we threw them in the wash. That’s because most commercial laundry detergents, the common brands you find at grocery stores, are loaded with potentially toxic chemicals that could harm you, your family and the environment.
Residues of these chemicals are left on your clothes and possibly absorbed by your skin and evaporated into the air where they could be breathed in.
A Typical Laundry Detergent
If you take a look at a bottle of laundry detergent, you’ll find that the ingredients are rather vague. One popular brand listed, for instance:
Cleaning agents (anionic and nonionic surfactants)
Buffering agent
Stabilizer
Brightening agent
Fragrance
From this list, it’s hard to tell what, exactly, is even in the detergent, so we broke down some of the more common laundry ingredients out there.
Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS): These synthetic surfactants are commonly listed as ‘anionic surfactants’ on labels, and are one of the most common surfactants in use. During their production process, carcinogenic and reproductive toxins such as benzene are released into the environment. They also biodegrade slowly, making them a hazard in the environment.
Petroleum distillates (aka napthas): These chemicals have been linked to cancer, lung damage, lung inflammation and damage to mucous membranes.
Phenols: According to the National Institutes of Health, phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive to it could experience death or serious side effects at very low exposures. Plus, it is rapidly absorbed and can cause toxicity throughout the entire body. Typically, death and severe toxicity result from phenol’s effects on the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs and kidneys.
One common surfactant in U.S. laundry detergents is nonyl phenol ethoxylate (this chemical has been banned in Europe, and was found to slowly biodegrade into even more toxic compounds). Studies have found that this surfactant stimulates the growth of breast cancer cells and feminizes male fish.
Optical brighteners: These synthetic chemicals convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, which makes laundered clothes appear whiter (although does not actually affect the cleanliness of the clothing). They’ve been found to be toxic to fish and to cause bacterial mutations. Further, they can cause allergic reactions when exposed to skin that is later exposed to sunlight.
Phosphates: These chemicals are used to remove hard-water minerals to make detergents more effective, and to prevent dirt from settling back onto clothes during a wash. A major problem with them is that, when released into the environment, they stimulate the growth of certain marine plants, which contributes to unbalanced ecosystems. Many states have banned or restricted the use of phosphates for this reason, and you may see laundry detergents advertised as “low-phosphate” or “phosphate-free.”
Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach): This is a chemical precursor to chlorine, which is highly toxic and involved in more household poisonings than any other chemical. When it reacts with organic materials in the environment, carcinogenic and toxic compounds are created than can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders.
EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate): EDTA is a class of compounds used as an alternative to phosphates to reduce mineral hardness in water, prevent bleaching agents from becoming active before they’re put in water and as a foaming stabilizer. EDTA does not biodegrade readily and can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment, allowing them to re-enter the food chain.
Artificial fragrances: Many of these can be made from petroleum (see petroleum distillates above), and do not degrade in the environment. They’ve been linked to various toxic effects on fish and mammals, and often cause allergies and skin and eye irritation.
Courage against Bullies!
Gotta love this man and his courage, he’s not afraid to stand up to the nation’s most powerful man; HE REFUSES TO BE BULLIED!!
We are raising our son to stand up to bullies by protecting the targeted weaker ones; America needs more men and women who will follow this example.
President Obama’s campaign had singled me out on his ‘enemies list,’ I knew it was like taping a target on my back.” But the more he’s thought it through, “the public beatings and false accusations that followed are no deterrent. These tactics will not work in America.” He’s even “contemplating a second donation.”
And indeed, he did just donate $100,000.00 to Romney’s campaign yesterday on FOX News. I’ll be with Mr. VanderSloot tomorrow in SLC; Todd and I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for him!
www.frankvanderslootresponse.com
Today, in Salt Lake City, Frank addressed this issue with the company’s top leaders. He said he will not back down now that he is in the limelight no matter the cost. It’s always been principle above profits for this 63 yr old man. The crowd was jubilant and proud to be partnered with him and his integrity once again. We who have been here a long time were not at all surprised by his stance.