Thursday, June 19, 2008
Coolness
If you'd like to see something really cool, click here. I'm totally impressed. Just wonder how many people it took to do it!
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Just want to say
That I absolutely LOVE my husband!! I'm more in love with him now than I ever have been. No, he hasn't done anything profound or super special. He's just himself and I couldn't ask for a better life partner. :)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
A new day, a new name
A couple of years ago when Hannah started hanging out with me every day, she christened me "Nene", pronounced "Nee-nee". Well, the Princess hasn't seemed to get the hang of pronunciation, I have been renamed by her to "Gigi". How funny is that?? She's such a firecracker. She definately keeps me on my toes, but I'm enjoying having her stay with us, other than the 5:30am calls for "milk" that wake me from a sound sleep.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Update!
Life's just a tiny bit different around here. We got to spend a bit of time with the Princess. She's loads of fun!
Hannah giving "loves" to the Princess.
Fresh from the shower - aren't they adorable? Getting ready to go visit Poppi & his Queen.
William graduated high school today. He's grown so much and come so far. We're so very proud of him. Can't wait to see how far he goes now.
Emy & the Princess having fun together. We've been spending a lot more time together lately, which is pretty awesome.
Tonight Lori, Mom, Flora & I are at a crop. It's at a store that's closing very soon, and we're going to miss all the ladies there. I'm not exactly scrapping, but have uploaded a ton of photos and edited them. Placed a large order, so should be scrapping again soon. :)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Something different
It seems like we always eat the same old type of foods, so today I tried something different. I made a riff on Guy Fieri's Stuffed Chicken with sun dried tomatoes and feta.
I used whole wheat couscous, sun dried tomatoes in oil, roasted garlic, chicken broth and shredded chicken. I put 1 Tbsp of oil from the tomatoes into a 5qt pot, then added my garlic once it was hot. I then added my tomatoes (chopped) and let them saute for about 30 seconds. Then I added 2 cups chicken broth and brought it to a boil. I then added salt to taste, dumped in my couscous, stirred it up, dumped my chicken on top, put the lid on the pot and removed it from the heat. All I had to do then was let it sit for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes was up, I fluffed it up with a fork, mixing in the chicken, and added 8oz of crumbled feta cheese and mixed it in. I served it with frozen mixed veggies, nuked in a steamer for 7 minutes, then mixed in 1 Tbsp of butter. The whole meal was complete in less than 10 minutes, and it was SO good.
Peter and Hannah snarfed it up and I've got just enough left for my dinner tomorrow night. It's a definate do-over. We mixed our veggies in with the couscous, and that was even better.
If you've never tried couscous, it's simply a VERY tiny pasta that resembles a grain. It's super yummy and if you go to FoodTv, you can get all sorts of both savory and sweet recipes. It's going to be a staple in our pantry from now on.
*smiles*
I used whole wheat couscous, sun dried tomatoes in oil, roasted garlic, chicken broth and shredded chicken. I put 1 Tbsp of oil from the tomatoes into a 5qt pot, then added my garlic once it was hot. I then added my tomatoes (chopped) and let them saute for about 30 seconds. Then I added 2 cups chicken broth and brought it to a boil. I then added salt to taste, dumped in my couscous, stirred it up, dumped my chicken on top, put the lid on the pot and removed it from the heat. All I had to do then was let it sit for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes was up, I fluffed it up with a fork, mixing in the chicken, and added 8oz of crumbled feta cheese and mixed it in. I served it with frozen mixed veggies, nuked in a steamer for 7 minutes, then mixed in 1 Tbsp of butter. The whole meal was complete in less than 10 minutes, and it was SO good.
Peter and Hannah snarfed it up and I've got just enough left for my dinner tomorrow night. It's a definate do-over. We mixed our veggies in with the couscous, and that was even better.
If you've never tried couscous, it's simply a VERY tiny pasta that resembles a grain. It's super yummy and if you go to FoodTv, you can get all sorts of both savory and sweet recipes. It's going to be a staple in our pantry from now on.
*smiles*
Monday, May 12, 2008
It's the 13th, Baby!
Today is a very special day for Peter and I. It's our 13th's anniversary. We've been through some hard times, and there were a couple of times we thought we weren't going to make it, but here we are. Through the years our relationship has become stronger and the love deeper than we ever thought it would. I'm thrilled to be celebrating this special day with my best friend, my sweetheart and my one true love.
He had a dozen roses delivered to me this morning. It was a total surprise, although I knew he had something up his sleeve! Here's a photo of them - aren't they GORGEOUS??
Today is also Jeni & Jef's anniversary! It's pretty cool to share this date with such a special couple! Hope you guys have fun on your anniversary getaway!!
*smiles*
Saturday, May 10, 2008
I am green
| GREEN |
You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Stress-less Domestication
There's a lot to be said for a load of stress being removed from our lives. Overnight, I've gone from panic attacks, sleeplessness and lethargy to having a chilled out, productive day after a good night's sleep and an early (for me) morning.
See, my honey's had a position that's been causing a TON of stress for me. He deals with things a lot differently, but I had a chance to hear first hand (LOVE speakerphone!!) what he has to deal with the other day. This was Sunday morning, before he left for church. Let me tell you, it was AWFUL. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and not tell the person on the other end how unreasonable and disrespectful she was being. It even came down to her threatening his job, which was super stressful for me.
So yesterday he found out about a position that's open on the corner, just a minute's walk from our house and I convinced him to put his transfer request in. The supervisor there called him to make sure he wants the position and he said he did. Yippee!!! Then he had to call the unreasonable one and let her know he's transferring. Her reply: She's thankful he's leaving, and now maybe she can get someone in there who will do what she wants them to.
Now my honey's been doing HER job since September so she won't have to make a 30 minute drive down here each day. He hasn't been getting paid for it, but has been doing it out of the goodness of his heart. How dare she?? Sad thing is, he knows more about what's going on around the job site than she does. Sad, sad, sad. Too bad I didn't think to tape the conversations to turn into HR. But anyway....
Having said all that, it's amazing how much stress was taken from me just by knowing that in two weeks, my sweetie will be literally across the street instead of working two jobs from dawn until midnight. He's going to be working a split shift, which means he'll get to be home during the days, which also means I'll get to cook our lunches again!! Yipppppeeeee!!
So we've been cleaning house - Hannah's got OCD, and is an awesome little helper. Then I loosened up enough to give her a frozen fruit bar (Love Schwan's!) and sent her out back to play by herself for most of the afternoon while I browsed cookbooks and kept an eye on her. I even gave her a water pistol (I hate guns and don't think children should play with them, JMHO) so she could shoot the trees, as well as some candy! Wow, that's just NOT me at all!!
She helped me cook dinner, which is normally whatever we can throw together quickly, like sandwiches or whatever. We made an Italian meatloaf with bacon, roasted veggies with cracked black pepper and garlic, and steamed new potatoes with lemon butter and fresh parsley from our herb planter out front. Wow, I feel so stinkin' domesticated.
Scary, huh??
Nah, just back to feeling footloose and fancy free.
*Smiles*
See, my honey's had a position that's been causing a TON of stress for me. He deals with things a lot differently, but I had a chance to hear first hand (LOVE speakerphone!!) what he has to deal with the other day. This was Sunday morning, before he left for church. Let me tell you, it was AWFUL. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and not tell the person on the other end how unreasonable and disrespectful she was being. It even came down to her threatening his job, which was super stressful for me.
So yesterday he found out about a position that's open on the corner, just a minute's walk from our house and I convinced him to put his transfer request in. The supervisor there called him to make sure he wants the position and he said he did. Yippee!!! Then he had to call the unreasonable one and let her know he's transferring. Her reply: She's thankful he's leaving, and now maybe she can get someone in there who will do what she wants them to.
Now my honey's been doing HER job since September so she won't have to make a 30 minute drive down here each day. He hasn't been getting paid for it, but has been doing it out of the goodness of his heart. How dare she?? Sad thing is, he knows more about what's going on around the job site than she does. Sad, sad, sad. Too bad I didn't think to tape the conversations to turn into HR. But anyway....
Having said all that, it's amazing how much stress was taken from me just by knowing that in two weeks, my sweetie will be literally across the street instead of working two jobs from dawn until midnight. He's going to be working a split shift, which means he'll get to be home during the days, which also means I'll get to cook our lunches again!! Yipppppeeeee!!
So we've been cleaning house - Hannah's got OCD, and is an awesome little helper. Then I loosened up enough to give her a frozen fruit bar (Love Schwan's!) and sent her out back to play by herself for most of the afternoon while I browsed cookbooks and kept an eye on her. I even gave her a water pistol (I hate guns and don't think children should play with them, JMHO) so she could shoot the trees, as well as some candy! Wow, that's just NOT me at all!!
She helped me cook dinner, which is normally whatever we can throw together quickly, like sandwiches or whatever. We made an Italian meatloaf with bacon, roasted veggies with cracked black pepper and garlic, and steamed new potatoes with lemon butter and fresh parsley from our herb planter out front. Wow, I feel so stinkin' domesticated.
Scary, huh??
Nah, just back to feeling footloose and fancy free.
*Smiles*
Going Green(er)
So today's Earth Day, but we've been making a conscious effort to go green little by little over the past few months. We've been putting our newspapers and bottles out for recycling, and I'm starting to shop the farmer's market again. We've switched all but 3 of our light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones and we've limited out fast food meals. My laptop's set to hibernate instead of using a screen saver and I don't turn the heat or air on unless it's too miserable not to.
All this feels great, but I can't help wondering what else I can do? I'd like to start taking my own bags to the market, as well as buy only organic. I want to purge our home of toxic chemicals as much as I can and start making our own cleaning solutions. I found a great recipe for no-knead bread that begins with a starter, which sounds super easy and fabulous. Not that we need it, but I would like to make my own bread, but we really need a new oven.
Soooo, anyone out there have ideas that we can implement in our lives without a lot of effort? If you do, please let me know.
Smiles!
All this feels great, but I can't help wondering what else I can do? I'd like to start taking my own bags to the market, as well as buy only organic. I want to purge our home of toxic chemicals as much as I can and start making our own cleaning solutions. I found a great recipe for no-knead bread that begins with a starter, which sounds super easy and fabulous. Not that we need it, but I would like to make my own bread, but we really need a new oven.
Soooo, anyone out there have ideas that we can implement in our lives without a lot of effort? If you do, please let me know.
Smiles!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Updation...
Thought I'd post a quick update since I've been asked to. I feel like I lead the most boring of lives, and don't have a lot to talk about, so I don't post as often as I should.
There's nothing exciting going on, except for having a few 4 day weekends. Yay me! Hannah's with me 4 days a week, around the clock, then goes home for 4 days. Her mom had surgery, so it's the easiest schedule for both of us right now.
We bought an external hard drive and spent three days uploading all my cd's onto it. It's so nice to have all my music be portable! However, the sound card in my laptop seems to be wavering on the brink of going out. Which bites. It's all good, though.
I've found that I really like Edith Piaf's music. She's got a hauntingly beautiful voice that is just awesome. It's fun to find that my tastes are ever evolving. Keeps life sweet. Thanks to Beth for introducing me to her!
Hannah's writing now. She wrote down our grocery list on the blackboard the other day. She's such a good little helper. She can also read, as long as she doesn't realize that she's reading! We're hoping to get the Abeka curriculum in the next couple of months so she can start school for real. I've been working with her, but her thirst for knowledge is immense, which is a good thing. It's so cool to see her learning all these new things!
She plays on "NoodleNet" a lot and it's really helped her learn more quickly. It's a safe browser for little ones and there's all sorts of educational goodies on there.
We're looking forward to the return of spring so we can get some plants into our planters. The parsley, thyme, oregano and spearmint are all coming along well, but we're hoping to get some chives, basil and at least one grape tomato plant in for those wonderful summer salads. Yummy!
So that's all that's really happening around here. Now I'm ready for a cup of coffee.
BTW, for those of you in the H'ville area, there's a coffee shop on S. Parkway, right beside Donato's called "Angel's Island". She makes the BEST chocolate covered cherry mocha. And you can get it fat free! She's the sweetest person and has a return customer rewards card, too. Much better than the "well known" coffee house, and less expensive as well! Thanks to Poppi for letting us know about her shop!
There's nothing exciting going on, except for having a few 4 day weekends. Yay me! Hannah's with me 4 days a week, around the clock, then goes home for 4 days. Her mom had surgery, so it's the easiest schedule for both of us right now.
We bought an external hard drive and spent three days uploading all my cd's onto it. It's so nice to have all my music be portable! However, the sound card in my laptop seems to be wavering on the brink of going out. Which bites. It's all good, though.
I've found that I really like Edith Piaf's music. She's got a hauntingly beautiful voice that is just awesome. It's fun to find that my tastes are ever evolving. Keeps life sweet. Thanks to Beth for introducing me to her!
Hannah's writing now. She wrote down our grocery list on the blackboard the other day. She's such a good little helper. She can also read, as long as she doesn't realize that she's reading! We're hoping to get the Abeka curriculum in the next couple of months so she can start school for real. I've been working with her, but her thirst for knowledge is immense, which is a good thing. It's so cool to see her learning all these new things!
She plays on "NoodleNet" a lot and it's really helped her learn more quickly. It's a safe browser for little ones and there's all sorts of educational goodies on there.
We're looking forward to the return of spring so we can get some plants into our planters. The parsley, thyme, oregano and spearmint are all coming along well, but we're hoping to get some chives, basil and at least one grape tomato plant in for those wonderful summer salads. Yummy!
So that's all that's really happening around here. Now I'm ready for a cup of coffee.
BTW, for those of you in the H'ville area, there's a coffee shop on S. Parkway, right beside Donato's called "Angel's Island". She makes the BEST chocolate covered cherry mocha. And you can get it fat free! She's the sweetest person and has a return customer rewards card, too. Much better than the "well known" coffee house, and less expensive as well! Thanks to Poppi for letting us know about her shop!
Tagged!
Tagged Again - 123 Book Meme
I have been tagged by Jenn a while back and forgot to post! So here goes...
Per Jenn: Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more (no cheating). Find page 123. Find the first 5 sentences. Post the next three sentences. Tag 5 people.
Since I'm in my screap room, the nearest book is "The Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Word" It's mostly page titels and such, but here are the 6th,7th and 8th lines...
"Adventures of Building a New Home"
"Hospitatlity is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were."
"House, n. A hollow edifice erected for the habitation of man, rat, mouse, beetle, cockroach, fly, mosquito, flea, bacillus, and microbe."
And bonus line, just because it's so true....
"I am grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and floors that need waxing because it means I have a home."
Now I'm supposed to tag 5 people, so I've chosen Lori, Gilbert, Faith, Jeni & Gennie. Please post here when you post your tag!
I have been tagged by Jenn a while back and forgot to post! So here goes...
Per Jenn: Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more (no cheating). Find page 123. Find the first 5 sentences. Post the next three sentences. Tag 5 people.
Since I'm in my screap room, the nearest book is "The Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Word" It's mostly page titels and such, but here are the 6th,7th and 8th lines...
"Adventures of Building a New Home"
"Hospitatlity is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were."
"House, n. A hollow edifice erected for the habitation of man, rat, mouse, beetle, cockroach, fly, mosquito, flea, bacillus, and microbe."
And bonus line, just because it's so true....
"I am grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and floors that need waxing because it means I have a home."
Now I'm supposed to tag 5 people, so I've chosen Lori, Gilbert, Faith, Jeni & Gennie. Please post here when you post your tag!
Friday, March 07, 2008
A Funny
Snagged this one from a friend, but it's funny. You guys don't beat me for it - I'm only the messenger.... :)
A woman is driving at night on a narrow country road. At the same time,a man is driving in the opposite direction on that same road.
When they narrowly pass each other at high speed, the woman rolls down her window and loudly shouts - HORSE! Immediately the man shouts back - HEIFER!
The man laughs. He is proud to have reacted so quickly to the shouting woman and takes the next turn in the road, maintaining his speed.
SCROLL DOWN
Moral of the story:
Men never listen, and when they do, they don't understand one word a woman says.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
HannahBanana
Wow, it's been a while since I've shared photos of Hannah. I sorta lost my photo-taking mojo for a while after I stopped keeping the babies. I'm going to try to do better. Some scrapbooker to only take about 20 photos in the past 2 months, huh? LOL
Miss Priss got her hair cut over the weekend. She's got that fine texture that tangles super quickly, and she wanted to look like all the other little girls she plays with. So yesterday she came with two ponytails, hoping I wouldn't get mad at her for cutting her hair! When I took her hair down and brushed it out, it was just way too cute!
Today I had a mini photo session with her, and this is my favorite shot of the day. Isn't she beautimous??
I just love this new outfit she wore today. I don't know why, but it's just super cute! I stuck my tongue out at her, trying to get a smile (not a cheesy one, but a real one), and THIS is what I got in return! Silly kiddo!Thursday, February 14, 2008
Sick days and sweethearts
Man, this week has been a woolybooger. First, as Oma posted the other day, the babies have had the crud, and for some reason Savannah took up with me Friday night and Saturday, so I ended up spending quite a bit of time just hanging out with her, breathing the same air, etc.
Soooo, Sunday evening, I started feeling a bit under the weather. By Tuesday night, I was ill. Very ill. From what we can figure, it's a combo of the flu, an upper respiratory bug and a gastrointestinal something-or-other. In other words.... NOT nice. The bulk of this week has been spent in a semi-medicated stupor of sorts. I vaguely remember snippets of things here and there.
Then to top it all off, yesterday I got an earache. Not a run of the mill, dull ache type of thing, but a "someone's trying to shove a 12" chef's knife point first through my ear canal" type of pain. Peter heated up a wet washcloth in the microwave and I held in on my ear for a while, then I gave up and retreated back to the age-old remedy that Mom's been using since before I was even a glimmer in my Daddy's eyes.... sweet oil (or in this case, extra virgin olive oil), warmed up in a spoon, poured into my ear and followed with a cotton ball.
Well, I went to bed and slept, and this morning when I rolled over so the affected ear was lying on the pillow, the pain really kicked in. It woke me up and almost had me in tears, but then something popped and most of the pain went away. Later in the morning, when I finally got up, it appeared that my ear had been bleeding, so not sure what's going on there, but at least the pain is gone.Now I'm waiting for my sweetie to come home with some earplugs for me so I can take a shower and not get water in my ears. Can't wait to get the Vick's smell off me and put normal clothes on and feel like a person again!!
Now for the sweethearts part... My sweet honey came home from work a bit late last night and presented me with a lovely bouquet of flowers, a couple of bags of assorted chicken soups and a box of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises.... YUM-O!! That made my night, even feeling as poorly as I was. It's nice to be loved so much, even when I'm feeling at my worst, that he would be such a sweetie to me.
This week, I totally owe him a huge amount of thanks. He's made 1:30am trips to Walmart for medicine for me, although he had to be back at work at 6am. He's tried to get me to eat when that's the last thing I wanted. He's called me even when he's swamped in paperwork, and he's let me cry on the phone when I was too weak to do much more than sound like a poor dying kitten.
So THANK YOU, SWEETHEART!! I love you, Baby. Happy Valentine's Day!
*Smiles*
Soooo, Sunday evening, I started feeling a bit under the weather. By Tuesday night, I was ill. Very ill. From what we can figure, it's a combo of the flu, an upper respiratory bug and a gastrointestinal something-or-other. In other words.... NOT nice. The bulk of this week has been spent in a semi-medicated stupor of sorts. I vaguely remember snippets of things here and there.
Then to top it all off, yesterday I got an earache. Not a run of the mill, dull ache type of thing, but a "someone's trying to shove a 12" chef's knife point first through my ear canal" type of pain. Peter heated up a wet washcloth in the microwave and I held in on my ear for a while, then I gave up and retreated back to the age-old remedy that Mom's been using since before I was even a glimmer in my Daddy's eyes.... sweet oil (or in this case, extra virgin olive oil), warmed up in a spoon, poured into my ear and followed with a cotton ball.
Well, I went to bed and slept, and this morning when I rolled over so the affected ear was lying on the pillow, the pain really kicked in. It woke me up and almost had me in tears, but then something popped and most of the pain went away. Later in the morning, when I finally got up, it appeared that my ear had been bleeding, so not sure what's going on there, but at least the pain is gone.Now I'm waiting for my sweetie to come home with some earplugs for me so I can take a shower and not get water in my ears. Can't wait to get the Vick's smell off me and put normal clothes on and feel like a person again!!
Now for the sweethearts part... My sweet honey came home from work a bit late last night and presented me with a lovely bouquet of flowers, a couple of bags of assorted chicken soups and a box of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises.... YUM-O!! That made my night, even feeling as poorly as I was. It's nice to be loved so much, even when I'm feeling at my worst, that he would be such a sweetie to me.
This week, I totally owe him a huge amount of thanks. He's made 1:30am trips to Walmart for medicine for me, although he had to be back at work at 6am. He's tried to get me to eat when that's the last thing I wanted. He's called me even when he's swamped in paperwork, and he's let me cry on the phone when I was too weak to do much more than sound like a poor dying kitten.
So THANK YOU, SWEETHEART!! I love you, Baby. Happy Valentine's Day!
*Smiles*
Monday, February 04, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Update!
Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Guess that just means that life is good and busy, right?
I've discovered a new hobby. I've taken up crocheting, and am almost finished with my first afghan. Gotta go shopping tomorrow for some new yarn to start another one. It's nice to have a relaxing hobby where I can cozy up in my big comfy chair and just chill. I still love scrapbooking & cardmaking, but right now, I'm really enjoying being able to make something that can keep me warm. LOL
Things on the homefront are going great. My new venture is going great - we can tell some great changes are taking place. Will find out how well things are going next week. Yay!! I'm having fun finding new recipes and such. Just wish I'd have someone here to eat dinner with me so I don't have to cook for myself all the time.
For those of you who pray, PLEASE do so for Peter. He's got a potential shot at another overnight position, that we REALLY want him to get. If he did, it would free up his days and evenings so he could pick up more much needed OT. Then perhaps he could rearrange his shift on his 2nd job so he could be in church on Weds. evenings. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I much prefer him to work overnights - seems like when he did, I was able to get up earlier in the day instead of having to go back to bed for a few hours after Hannah gets here.
So other than that, not a whole lot going on. Just thought I'd update, since it's been a while. :)
I've discovered a new hobby. I've taken up crocheting, and am almost finished with my first afghan. Gotta go shopping tomorrow for some new yarn to start another one. It's nice to have a relaxing hobby where I can cozy up in my big comfy chair and just chill. I still love scrapbooking & cardmaking, but right now, I'm really enjoying being able to make something that can keep me warm. LOL
Things on the homefront are going great. My new venture is going great - we can tell some great changes are taking place. Will find out how well things are going next week. Yay!! I'm having fun finding new recipes and such. Just wish I'd have someone here to eat dinner with me so I don't have to cook for myself all the time.
For those of you who pray, PLEASE do so for Peter. He's got a potential shot at another overnight position, that we REALLY want him to get. If he did, it would free up his days and evenings so he could pick up more much needed OT. Then perhaps he could rearrange his shift on his 2nd job so he could be in church on Weds. evenings. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I much prefer him to work overnights - seems like when he did, I was able to get up earlier in the day instead of having to go back to bed for a few hours after Hannah gets here.
So other than that, not a whole lot going on. Just thought I'd update, since it's been a while. :)
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
A New Year, A New Beginning
Well, yet another year has passed and a new one has arrived! I hope that this year will be wonderful for everyone.
There are lots of good things in the works for us, I'm not sharing much besides with my siblings, but believe me, I'm filled with excitement! If all goes as planned, this year will be one of the best yet!
Raise your (iced tea) glass and join me in a toast to a very happy, healthy, peaceful 2008.
*Smile*
There are lots of good things in the works for us, I'm not sharing much besides with my siblings, but believe me, I'm filled with excitement! If all goes as planned, this year will be one of the best yet!
Raise your (iced tea) glass and join me in a toast to a very happy, healthy, peaceful 2008.
*Smile*
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Smarty Child
I'm listening to The Carpenters' "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and Hannah heard the chorus, "What do you get when you fall in love?", and answered, "A RING!!". She then told me that when you fall in love, the man gets a woman a ring and marries her, like her Daddy did her Momma. What a smart child!!
A Happy Christmas!!
I wasn't really excited about Christmas this year - the Bah, Humbugs sorta bit me at the last moment. But we've had a wonderful time the past couple of days.
Monday, all seven of Mom's children were together at my sister's home. We usually all get together once or twice a year, so it's something special. There was lots of wonderful food, everyone got to visit, and we had a very interesting gift exchange, thanks to Ryan's Mimi! Everyone laughed so hard and got confused, but in the end, we all got really great gifts. The brothers brought their instruments, as did a couple of the grands. We all sat in a big circle and sang Christmas carols before opening gifts, which is nice. I video'd part of it. I have to remember not to sing next year, though! LOL
Yesterday, the newlyweds opened their home to us for the McCleskey Annual Christmas gathering. We did a non-traditional Christmas lunch of lasagna & salad. We prepared the food, then had our gift exchange. For the first time, we drew names, which was a hit.
After lunch, we played games and Poppi, his Queen and his offspring came down and spent the evening. It was really nice to see them on Christmas - first time in a long time! Peter had to work, but came to pick me up and brought me home in the early evening and I fell asleep in my comfy chair for a couple of hours.
I got wonderful gifts this year!
I got the coolest popcorn bowl set from Amy - they're stoneware and look similar to the popcorn buckets at the movies. There's a large bowl and 4 smaller ones. She included popcorn, butter flavored oil, Lawry's salt and two popcorn seasonings. What a great gift!
For several years, my sisters and I have made a tradition of giving each other "sister gifts". It's so much fun to put thought into something unique to give them. Beth gave me the cutest wristlet bag and a yummy candle. Kathryn gave us all beautiful dark red hurricane vases. Lori gave us the cutest notepad cubes with matching pencils.
At our gathering yesterday, Flora gave me a gown that was on my wish list and the coolest Maxine mini calendar.
Faith & David gave me the coolest ornaments. One's a silver cross with blue jewels and the other is mercury glass. Now I need to find the perfect place for them. Who needs a tree? LOL
Lori gave me a really neat perpetual calendar to go on my desk.
Mom gave me some MUCH needed cookie sheets and two cookbooks, one is from the Mast side of her family - I absolutely love Amish cookbooks, so I can't wait to sit down and read it from cover to cover. She also passed out wall calendars from the Mast General Store in Asheville, NC. They're really awesome, as they're not just a calendar, but are also an almanac!!
My sweet darling gave me 3 lovely gowns and an awesome MP3 player!! Needless to say, I've been loading music on my laptop today, and am going to load the MP3 player later on today. :) I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for several years now, so I'm tickled pink.
Meg, Greg & Hannah gave me a gift certificate for an online scrappy store, so I'm looking forward to shopping while they've got their Holiday sales going on.
So this year has been a really good one. All the gatherings were peaceful, happy ones, and we've got memories that will last through the year!!
How was YOUR Christmas??
*Smiles*
Monday, all seven of Mom's children were together at my sister's home. We usually all get together once or twice a year, so it's something special. There was lots of wonderful food, everyone got to visit, and we had a very interesting gift exchange, thanks to Ryan's Mimi! Everyone laughed so hard and got confused, but in the end, we all got really great gifts. The brothers brought their instruments, as did a couple of the grands. We all sat in a big circle and sang Christmas carols before opening gifts, which is nice. I video'd part of it. I have to remember not to sing next year, though! LOL
Yesterday, the newlyweds opened their home to us for the McCleskey Annual Christmas gathering. We did a non-traditional Christmas lunch of lasagna & salad. We prepared the food, then had our gift exchange. For the first time, we drew names, which was a hit.
After lunch, we played games and Poppi, his Queen and his offspring came down and spent the evening. It was really nice to see them on Christmas - first time in a long time! Peter had to work, but came to pick me up and brought me home in the early evening and I fell asleep in my comfy chair for a couple of hours.
I got wonderful gifts this year!
I got the coolest popcorn bowl set from Amy - they're stoneware and look similar to the popcorn buckets at the movies. There's a large bowl and 4 smaller ones. She included popcorn, butter flavored oil, Lawry's salt and two popcorn seasonings. What a great gift!
For several years, my sisters and I have made a tradition of giving each other "sister gifts". It's so much fun to put thought into something unique to give them. Beth gave me the cutest wristlet bag and a yummy candle. Kathryn gave us all beautiful dark red hurricane vases. Lori gave us the cutest notepad cubes with matching pencils.
At our gathering yesterday, Flora gave me a gown that was on my wish list and the coolest Maxine mini calendar.
Faith & David gave me the coolest ornaments. One's a silver cross with blue jewels and the other is mercury glass. Now I need to find the perfect place for them. Who needs a tree? LOL
Lori gave me a really neat perpetual calendar to go on my desk.
Mom gave me some MUCH needed cookie sheets and two cookbooks, one is from the Mast side of her family - I absolutely love Amish cookbooks, so I can't wait to sit down and read it from cover to cover. She also passed out wall calendars from the Mast General Store in Asheville, NC. They're really awesome, as they're not just a calendar, but are also an almanac!!
My sweet darling gave me 3 lovely gowns and an awesome MP3 player!! Needless to say, I've been loading music on my laptop today, and am going to load the MP3 player later on today. :) I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for several years now, so I'm tickled pink.
Meg, Greg & Hannah gave me a gift certificate for an online scrappy store, so I'm looking forward to shopping while they've got their Holiday sales going on.
So this year has been a really good one. All the gatherings were peaceful, happy ones, and we've got memories that will last through the year!!
How was YOUR Christmas??
*Smiles*
Sunday, December 23, 2007
All Done...
This year is the one to break my record of wrapping gifts at the last moment. As of just a few minutes ago, all our gifts are wrapped and in bins, ready to take to the family gatherings we're scheduled to attend. It feels great, and now I can breathe and relax.
Can you tell I'm happy??
*Smiles*
Can you tell I'm happy??
*Smiles*
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Torture
Sometimes you just don't appreciate a good thing until you're not allowed to have it for a while! The doctor's got me scheduled for a test on Thursday, and in preparation for that, I'm not allowed to take any Nexium for five days. Not only that, but any sort of heartburn remedy is banned, as well.
So far it hasn't been too terribly bad, but today, I can feel the pressure and the slow, steady ache at the top of my stomach. It's not bad at the moment, but I can almost guarantee that by the time I leave the doctor's office on Thursday, my menu will be limited to applesauce, jello & clear soup. Ugh!! We'll probably stop off and pick up some inexpensive remedy so I can take it as soon as the test is over.
So those of you who can, please pray that I'll be able to make the next few days without too much misery. After being on proton pump inhibitors of one sort or another since about 1993, my body's not too happy to have to go cold turkey like this. I can do it, but your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
*Smiles*
So far it hasn't been too terribly bad, but today, I can feel the pressure and the slow, steady ache at the top of my stomach. It's not bad at the moment, but I can almost guarantee that by the time I leave the doctor's office on Thursday, my menu will be limited to applesauce, jello & clear soup. Ugh!! We'll probably stop off and pick up some inexpensive remedy so I can take it as soon as the test is over.
So those of you who can, please pray that I'll be able to make the next few days without too much misery. After being on proton pump inhibitors of one sort or another since about 1993, my body's not too happy to have to go cold turkey like this. I can do it, but your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
*Smiles*
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Underappreciated
For a couple of years now, I've been totally trying NOT to like John Mayer's music. I had in my mind that he's just some young pop star and his music is bubblegum pop. Well, tonight I finally sat down and listened to an entire album, and I think my attitude toward his music has changed.
My sweetheart loves "Waiting On The World To Change", and since I'd put the album on my laptop, I thought I'd play it for him tonight. Well, apparently my media player has a mind of its own, so it just kept playing. And I let it.
This guy has true talent for songwriting and his voice has that smoky, husky quality that just makes me want to listen. I love some of the less radio friendly songs. I guess now I'm going to have to start downloading his music.
I thought my music tastes were extremely eclectic, but now I have to add him to my playlist. If you haven't listened to him, you might like it if you try it. :)
*Smiles*
My sweetheart loves "Waiting On The World To Change", and since I'd put the album on my laptop, I thought I'd play it for him tonight. Well, apparently my media player has a mind of its own, so it just kept playing. And I let it.
This guy has true talent for songwriting and his voice has that smoky, husky quality that just makes me want to listen. I love some of the less radio friendly songs. I guess now I'm going to have to start downloading his music.
I thought my music tastes were extremely eclectic, but now I have to add him to my playlist. If you haven't listened to him, you might like it if you try it. :)
*Smiles*
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Just for Gennie
I got a phone call from a good friend this evening, and she happened to mention that I needed to update here. So Gennie, this one's for you!
A lot has happened in the past few weeks. I've had quite a few doctor's appointments, and good things are in the works there. Peter's working quite a bit still, and we are no longer keeping Val and Monkey. I'm sad about that, and miss them something fierce, but hopefully they're happy.
We've finally started to get the Christmas spirit. We pulled out a few things to decorate the living room, which is nice. Guess I need to pull the autumn leaves window clings off and find some snowflakes or something to decorate the front door with. I've been doing most of my shopping online this season, just hoping everything is delivered in time. Got my fingers & toes crossed on that one. Now I just need to get busy wrapping stuff instead of leaving it for the last minute.
This weekend is our annual Yoder Family Cookie Day. Not sure what kind of cookies I'm going to be making, but Paula Deen has a cool cookie that I'm thinking of adapting to my own. It involves sugar cookie dough and Thin Mints cookies, but I think I'll just use Andes mints instead. Nothing like biting into a cookie filled with yummy minty chocolatey goodness. :)
Hannah's spending the night tonight, which is always fun for me. It's nice to have some companionship while my sweetheart's working. She's so much fun and keeps me laughing!
So that's about all that's going on in our little corner of bliss. What's happening in your neck of the woods?
*Smile*
A lot has happened in the past few weeks. I've had quite a few doctor's appointments, and good things are in the works there. Peter's working quite a bit still, and we are no longer keeping Val and Monkey. I'm sad about that, and miss them something fierce, but hopefully they're happy.
We've finally started to get the Christmas spirit. We pulled out a few things to decorate the living room, which is nice. Guess I need to pull the autumn leaves window clings off and find some snowflakes or something to decorate the front door with. I've been doing most of my shopping online this season, just hoping everything is delivered in time. Got my fingers & toes crossed on that one. Now I just need to get busy wrapping stuff instead of leaving it for the last minute.
This weekend is our annual Yoder Family Cookie Day. Not sure what kind of cookies I'm going to be making, but Paula Deen has a cool cookie that I'm thinking of adapting to my own. It involves sugar cookie dough and Thin Mints cookies, but I think I'll just use Andes mints instead. Nothing like biting into a cookie filled with yummy minty chocolatey goodness. :)
Hannah's spending the night tonight, which is always fun for me. It's nice to have some companionship while my sweetheart's working. She's so much fun and keeps me laughing!
So that's about all that's going on in our little corner of bliss. What's happening in your neck of the woods?
*Smile*
Friday, November 30, 2007
One Smart Cookie
I just love watching Kellie Pickler, there's no telling what's going to come out when she opens her mouth. BTW, I got the answer right within 2 seconds of seeing the question on the blackboard. LOL
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Super Easy Entertainment
The girls have such curious minds, sometimes it's difficult for me to think of things to entertain them. Today was a great exception.
We were chilling out and I heard this awful racket out front. I realized that the utility company was probably chopping up trees, so we all went to the front door. There it was - the coolest entertainment we've seen all week. A huge truck with a wood chipper on the back, a bunch of guys in hard hats and a HUGE pile of tree limbs. Presto! Easy entertainment.
The guys probably thought we were silly, but the girls thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys shove the limbs into the chipper and the way it sorta "sucked" the trees in and chopped them up. We could see the pile of wood chips in the truck when it pulled up the street a little, and that was even cooler. So for a wonderful price (free), we got to spend a very cool 20 minutes or so watching the free show that took place right in front of our house.
Cool beans!!
*Smiles*
We were chilling out and I heard this awful racket out front. I realized that the utility company was probably chopping up trees, so we all went to the front door. There it was - the coolest entertainment we've seen all week. A huge truck with a wood chipper on the back, a bunch of guys in hard hats and a HUGE pile of tree limbs. Presto! Easy entertainment.
The guys probably thought we were silly, but the girls thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys shove the limbs into the chipper and the way it sorta "sucked" the trees in and chopped them up. We could see the pile of wood chips in the truck when it pulled up the street a little, and that was even cooler. So for a wonderful price (free), we got to spend a very cool 20 minutes or so watching the free show that took place right in front of our house.
Cool beans!!
*Smiles*
Monday, November 12, 2007
Abundantly Blessed
I've been intending to go through my closet and clean it out for a while now. Everything needed to be sorted into seasons, not to mention there were loads of things in there that I just don't wear anymore. So I bit the bullet today. With no children and my sweetheart working all day, this was the perfect time.
Everything is now sorted and the seasonal clothes are in bins. The only items left in the closet are the ones I love and can wear right now. There's also a basket of purged items to pass on to someone who needs them. It's like a huge weight has been lifted. Why do I procrastinate about things so much? It took roughly 45 minutes or so and I'm all finished! I'm so thankful for the clothes I have. There was a time when I had roughly 2-3 outfits and that was it. Now there are not only clothes in my closet that I can wear now, but also at least 2 bins full for later!! I am abundantly blessed.
A dear, sweet friend called me this morning. She invited Peter and myself to go to the beach with her for the weekend. We had to decline, although we really wanted to go. I'm so thankful for wonderful friends who love me and allow me to share in both their good times and bad. I am abundantly blessed.
I talked to T this afternoon and she's going to come up to spend the day with the girls and myself tomorrow. She's helping me get our house straightened out and cleaned so we can entertain again. I'm so thankful for the loving family who is always there for me when I need them. I am abundantly blessed.
My sweetheart is going to put in for his vacation time, hoping to take it at the same time the babies' Mom is going to take hers. A whole week with just the two of us - how awesome would that be?? Even if we just have Hannah here, it will be so wonderful. We haven't had more than a couple of days alone in a few years, and we need it. I'm thankful that he is a hard worker and good provider, allowing me to be a SAHW. I am abundantly blessed.
The doctor called me yesterday afternoon with my latest lab results, and all the levels are WAY better than they were just 2 short months ago. The medication is working, and all the doctor's appointments we've had lately are worth it. I'm so thankful to have a great MD who takes the time to talk to me and answers all my questions. I am abundantly blessed.
I'm just in an extra thankful mood this afternoon. I have a beautiful, warm, well-built home; I have lots of clothes to wear; I have plenty of food to eat and don't have to worry about not having food to feed the girls; I have a husband who loves me and provides for me without having to nag him all the time; I have a family who allows me to be a part of their lives; I have friends who love me and worry about me; I am clean and sober (15+ years now!!). These things may not seem like much, but to me, they're simply awesome. 15 years ago, I didn't have ANY of these things. So I am ABUNDANTLY BLESSED.
Have a fabulous week. :)
*Smiles*
Everything is now sorted and the seasonal clothes are in bins. The only items left in the closet are the ones I love and can wear right now. There's also a basket of purged items to pass on to someone who needs them. It's like a huge weight has been lifted. Why do I procrastinate about things so much? It took roughly 45 minutes or so and I'm all finished! I'm so thankful for the clothes I have. There was a time when I had roughly 2-3 outfits and that was it. Now there are not only clothes in my closet that I can wear now, but also at least 2 bins full for later!! I am abundantly blessed.
A dear, sweet friend called me this morning. She invited Peter and myself to go to the beach with her for the weekend. We had to decline, although we really wanted to go. I'm so thankful for wonderful friends who love me and allow me to share in both their good times and bad. I am abundantly blessed.
I talked to T this afternoon and she's going to come up to spend the day with the girls and myself tomorrow. She's helping me get our house straightened out and cleaned so we can entertain again. I'm so thankful for the loving family who is always there for me when I need them. I am abundantly blessed.
My sweetheart is going to put in for his vacation time, hoping to take it at the same time the babies' Mom is going to take hers. A whole week with just the two of us - how awesome would that be?? Even if we just have Hannah here, it will be so wonderful. We haven't had more than a couple of days alone in a few years, and we need it. I'm thankful that he is a hard worker and good provider, allowing me to be a SAHW. I am abundantly blessed.
The doctor called me yesterday afternoon with my latest lab results, and all the levels are WAY better than they were just 2 short months ago. The medication is working, and all the doctor's appointments we've had lately are worth it. I'm so thankful to have a great MD who takes the time to talk to me and answers all my questions. I am abundantly blessed.
I'm just in an extra thankful mood this afternoon. I have a beautiful, warm, well-built home; I have lots of clothes to wear; I have plenty of food to eat and don't have to worry about not having food to feed the girls; I have a husband who loves me and provides for me without having to nag him all the time; I have a family who allows me to be a part of their lives; I have friends who love me and worry about me; I am clean and sober (15+ years now!!). These things may not seem like much, but to me, they're simply awesome. 15 years ago, I didn't have ANY of these things. So I am ABUNDANTLY BLESSED.
Have a fabulous week. :)
*Smiles*
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Busyness
Wow, it's been pretty busy around here since my last updation. There was Halloween, sick babies, we had Emma here a couple of days, Peter's been working crazy hours and my allergies have kicked into high gear. Not to mention the doctor's appointments and get-togethers with our family. It's all good though.
Hannah was Ariel from Disney's "The Little Mermaid". Love the hair - I'm actually almost jealous. Sometimes I miss being a redhead. LOL Val and Amber were hunters, complete with guns and hats. Not sure where their orange vests are, though! Val dipped into her basket and gave me a Reese's cup. How sweet is that? Hannah brought me some candy the next day since I didn't "get" to go trick-or-treating. My girls are SO sweet!
The past couple of weeks, the girls have been fighting colds. The doctor gave them an oral antibiotic that caused Val some bad gastrointestinal issues. I had to give her two showers on Friday, so her Mom took her back to the doctor and got a shot for her. Hopefully that's going to take care of all the snotties, pukies and all the other yucks that go along with it. I really am hopin that once we get them well, we can keep them that way for quite a while. It seems like such a vicious cycle - about every month or two we all pass this crud around. We're all ready for a long bout of wellness.
Other than that, we're just enjoying life. I'm itching to get back to my scrapping desk and be creative. I just got a rather large package of photos in the mail on Friday, and I can hear the siren song now....
Here's a couple of pics of my sweet babies. Enjoy! :)
Hannah was Ariel from Disney's "The Little Mermaid". Love the hair - I'm actually almost jealous. Sometimes I miss being a redhead. LOL Val and Amber were hunters, complete with guns and hats. Not sure where their orange vests are, though! Val dipped into her basket and gave me a Reese's cup. How sweet is that? Hannah brought me some candy the next day since I didn't "get" to go trick-or-treating. My girls are SO sweet!
The past couple of weeks, the girls have been fighting colds. The doctor gave them an oral antibiotic that caused Val some bad gastrointestinal issues. I had to give her two showers on Friday, so her Mom took her back to the doctor and got a shot for her. Hopefully that's going to take care of all the snotties, pukies and all the other yucks that go along with it. I really am hopin that once we get them well, we can keep them that way for quite a while. It seems like such a vicious cycle - about every month or two we all pass this crud around. We're all ready for a long bout of wellness.
Other than that, we're just enjoying life. I'm itching to get back to my scrapping desk and be creative. I just got a rather large package of photos in the mail on Friday, and I can hear the siren song now....
Here's a couple of pics of my sweet babies. Enjoy! :)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Such a Special Child...
The scenario: Hannah was smacking her forehead with both hands over and over.
Me: Hannah, what are you doing?
Hannah: Trying to get my brain out.
Me: Why? You need your brain. It tells you when to breathe, it tells your eyes when to blink and it tells your tummy how to work.
Hannah: Well, I've got boogers in my brain and I'm trying to get them out.
BOOGERS? In the BRAIN? Where on earth did she come up with this? Probably from the discussion we had earlier about her ear boogers. It only stands to reason that after she grasped the concept of nose boogers and eye boogers, her brain just has to have boogers too.
She may be a booger-brain. but at least she's good for a laugh!!
*Smile*
Me: Hannah, what are you doing?
Hannah: Trying to get my brain out.
Me: Why? You need your brain. It tells you when to breathe, it tells your eyes when to blink and it tells your tummy how to work.
Hannah: Well, I've got boogers in my brain and I'm trying to get them out.
BOOGERS? In the BRAIN? Where on earth did she come up with this? Probably from the discussion we had earlier about her ear boogers. It only stands to reason that after she grasped the concept of nose boogers and eye boogers, her brain just has to have boogers too.
She may be a booger-brain. but at least she's good for a laugh!!
*Smile*
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Long time, no blog
Since I've been (reasonably) gently reminded that it's been a long time since I have updated, I figured the world must have a burning desire to know that I'm still alive and kicking. One of the reasons for the lack of updation is that there's really nothing going on around here. Same old, same old. Get up in the morning, get the girls, go back to bed for a few hours, get up and feed them lunch, chill until time for them to go home, eat supper, chill out until my sweetie gets home and hit the hay somewhere between 12:00am and 1:30am, then get up the next morning and do it all over again. See, I did say boring, didn't I??
There have been a few wonderful things happening to those around me.
There have been a few wonderful things happening to those around me.
There's been a much anticipated reunion with our Caleb... it's SO wonderful to have him "home" again. He still gives the most wonderful hugs. Truly an answer to the Saints' prayers. :)
We've had bubble chases at our home. My sweetheart blew the bubbles, the girls chased them, and I sat back and took photos of the whole thing. It was just one of those things that made my heart smile. There's nothing like the laugh of a child!
Oma got a chance to catch up with KayKay. This was the first time I've seen a photo of them together like this in years! Time may have changed them somewhat and they sure are a lot wiser, but they're both just as wonderful and caring as always. :)
EmmaLemma had a blast at Mandy's house, scootching all over and having a blast. We've bonded lately, which is a good thing. She's such a little firecracker, and is so adorable. Her Mommy thought she'd look good with her balloons helping her along, so she tied them to her strap on her dress. Guess baby girl was planning to go on a ride! Cute stuff!
There was a BEAUTIFUL wedding last weekend. My beautiful niece, Faith, married David, who's a really nice guy. I created this digi page in their honor. :)
The newly minted Mr. & Mrs. Persle. You two look so good together!
A very dedicated groomsman! After trying to get him to smile for a photo with his lovely wife the evening before, I was in the right place at the right time to catch him with a pew bow on his head and a full smile on his face. This bow later made it's encore appearance on the back of the newlyweds' getaway car.
While hanging out with "PetePete" during the ceremony, I got this adorable shot of EmmaLemma. Love the tongue hanging out. Too cute!
Emma had a birthday last weekend. She turned the big "O-N-E"! She had her own little cake and instead of digging her fingers into it, she just picked up the whole plate and licked the frosting off it! Even after her Mommy showed her how to dig into it, she was just too feminine to do it. She did eventually poke one finger into the cake very delicately, but decided she's just rather lick the thing rather than get her fingers dirty! Cute, cute, cute! (Thank goodness the cake stuck to the plate instead of sliding off into her lap!! Now THAT would have been a photo opportunity!!)
And finally, my babies are getting SO grown up! I happened to look over on Friday and saw Monkey and Val reading books together. Aren't they just simply adorable?
Soooo, I hope that's enough of an updation for now. I'll really try to be a better blogger and update more often. :)
Have a fantabulous week and don't forget to *Smile*!
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