Aug 21
Going through the checkout lane today we spotted individual 20 ounce bottles of Mountain Dew Throwback. When the inevitable “Can we get some?!” was uttered, I decided it might be fun to do a little taste test. So we got a bottle of the throwback formula and a bottle of the current day formula.
Original Recipe Throwback on the left. Current day recipe on the right.
The label on the throwback bottle is certainly more interesting than the new one. The main difference between the two drinks is how they’re sweetened. The current day recipe uses high fructose corn syrup, the ubiquitous, highly processed goo that seems to be everywhere today. The throwback recipe uses sugar. Imagine that!
All three boys took part in the test along with me. Everybody got a couple of ounces of each of the drinks placed in front of them. I probably shouldn’t have told them which was which, but they knew. In the picture the throwback is in the red cup. The modern formula is in whatever the other cup is.
Owen, Declan, and Kieran are ready for the taste test
Everybody drank the throwback first. The feeling among the boys was that the throwback was sweeter. It was their unanimous choice. I really couldn’t tell the difference between the two. After the first couple of drinks I just sensed no difference. After another try of each I finally noticed a subtle difference. For me, as soon as I swallowed the current formula the flavor was pretty much done. With the throwback formula it seemed that the flavor stayed with me longer. The sugar must do a better job of coating the tongue. That’s my theory.
Can you tell which Mountain Dew is which?
So there you have it. The four of us all felt that Mountain Dew Throwback is better than the modern formula. However, I still prefer Diet Mountain Dew to both of them.
Aug 21
On July 31st we headed over to Northville. The occasion was an engagement party for my cousin Carissa. I’ve sent the pictures I took of the happy couple and the games that were played during the party off to them. What I’d like to share here is a couple of pictures of the younger cousins.
Lauren and Kieran are the oldest in the back. Megan, Owen, Declan, Rachael, and Logan are on the bench.
I tried to get a couple of pictures. By this one the squirmies had already begun
It was fun watching them play together. If you are in the Northville area and you need a park for an outdoor party, you should look into ITC Community Sports Park. It’s a Novi park with a Northville address. I’m confused.
Aug 04
We’ve had an ice cream maker for quite a while. It’s pretty easy to use. You keep the cold portion of it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. Then you mix up the ingredients, pour them into the machine, and turn it on. It churns the mix into a sort of soft serve consistency. Then you put it into the freezer to set for a couple hours before eating.
That cold part has sat unused in our freezer for quite a long time. Recently it finally came out. Declan and Owen were excited to help make the ice cream! Linda helped them mix up a vanilla ice cream base. Then while it was churning, they both got to add a little packet of mini M&Ms to it. It was pretty yummy.
Owen adds his M&Ms to the mix
Declan adds his M&Ms to the mix
Jun 24
Last Saturday, the day before Father’s Day, Linda worked all day. So the boys and I went into Dexter to visit her in the late afternoon. We finally got a chance to visit Warrior Creek Park which is right behind the Dexter District Library. After that we went to the Dexter Pub for a Father’s Day dinner, just a little early. A nice day in a nice place with the family!
Declan spent most of his time in the park trying to throw sticks into Mill Creek
Kieran and Owen preferred to play on the playground equipment
Declan was excited to find a feather
This is the Dexter District Library from the park
Mill Creek winds through the park behind the Dexter library
Owen put on a brief puppet show for Declan and I at the library
Owen and Declan hamming it up in the park
Linda spotted this little critter walking along the woods in the park. I think it's a ground hog.
Kieran jumping off the swing - caught in midair
Jun 12
Declan and Owen are getting into riding bikes. They’re using training wheels, but they’re really getting around. They can even use the brakes before they go into the street at the bottom of our driveway hill.
Declan is on Kieran's old bike
Owen is on the new bike we got this year
Declan and Owen are leaving the photographer in the dust
May 29
Linda wanted to get a picture of the two kinds of flowers that are blooming out front. She captured a little more than that. Hmmmm…
Two kinds of flowers and two boys
May 18
So you remember those garden beds? Yeah, they’re not done yet. However, when she realized she was actually going to have a garden this year Linda placed an order from the Burpee catalog her Mom gave her. She ordered eggplant, squash, a couple varieties of tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and sunflowers.
She also got this nifty seed starter thingy. It came with soil tablets. Put one in each of the little compartments, add water, and like magic it expands to fill the compartment. Actually, that’s a little weird. Anyway, Declan and Owen were eager to help get the seeds into the wonder soil.
Since these pictures were taken, the plants have been growing like crazy. In fact, if the weather and my schedule don’t let me get those garden beds finished soon, the plants may just take over the house. Yikes.
May 17
You have to love a small town. We were in Reed City, our favorite small town, and we were invited by the town undertaker to bring the kids out to his farm to see the animals. Since it’s a small town, Grandpa knew where the Pruitts live. So off we went.
The Pruitts of Pruitt Livingston Funeral Home have quite an operation. What started with a single cow has turned into a herd of them. They also have a donkey and a couple of horses. The kids loved the animals. They got to pet a few of them including the bull. They fed them some treats too.
You never know what’ll happen in a small town.
Kieran is reaching out to give her a treat
They're standing in the only spot that isn't muddy on that side of the fence
The bull only nibbled on his hand a little bit
That's Mrs. Pruitt with her bull
That's not a barn for the cows. They're outside all the time.
The boys gave treats to the horses and donkey too
Mrs. Pruitt is telling us something about her horse
All of the boys were a little reluctant to stick their hands out toward those big mouths, but the took a chance
May 17
Declan and Owen had to pack their backpacks for a trip to Grandpa’s house in Reed City. So why not take pictures?
They're ready to hit the road and they might get along during the trip
Declan and Owen with their brother and backpacks packed for a trip to Grandpas
May 16
Can you tell who is excited about their birthday presents?
Peek-a-boo birthday boys
