Home of the Hall's

My sick day

2012-01-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

Aren't these colors and patterns inspiring?
when I was home sick last week I finished a project (to be revealed soon) using some fabric

then to make myself feel better I made cranberry oatmeal scones

hot tea and a scone

crafts in front of the fireplace

how do you make yourself feel better on a sick day?

giveaway at Lisa Leonard

2012-01-30T04:54:00.000-08:00

Check out this great giveway just in time for Valentine's Day. The possibilities are endless.

special day with my kids

2012-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

The kids both had dentist appts last week so I took the day off (their dentist sees younger kids in the morning). Sydney went with the hygienist by herself and was the perfect patient and received a wonderful report. It was Griffin's first visit so he did shed a few tears, mainly over having to be still and he also received a great report.

I was a proud momma!
Since we were already in Greensboro we headed over to Target to look for plain long sleeved shirts for an upcoming Valentine project and also to look for bargains on tights for Syd. Next we made a stop at Great Harvest Bread and used a coupon to get two loaves for the price of one- what a taste treat. The kids sampled a brownie. Next we went to Panera to have lunch, this is a tradition with Sydney and I on dentist day. This time it was fun to have Griffin along.

I love their tomato soup and I tried a new Thai chopped chicken salad- yummy, it had edamame and carrots and the most delicious dressing. I should have taken the picture before I started to eat but I could not wait to dig in.

Then back to town to go the our library and pick up some great books and play around the new fountain.

Isn't it pretty? A few weeks ago when it was really cold part of it was frozen and it looked cool but I did not have my camera.

The last stop before heading home was to check out our daycare after school program that we will be utilizing in the fall when Syd starts school. I wanted to meet the lady in charge and also check out the building and let Sydney see it and play for a but when no kids were there. I did not take any pictures but we will be going back because Bill wants to see it all and meet the ladies in charge and also I want Sydney to see the place when all the kids are there.

We had a great day and even though it was exhausting and no one took a nap, I felt so blessed to spend the day with my kids.

drooling

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I know this is rather nerdy but I was reading and drooling (okay not really) over the Burpee catalog for an hour and a half last night.

I am already planning for our garden and this year I want more specific plants than I can find at my local feed store or Lowe's Hardware.

I am looking at bush cucumbers versus vine varieties and also some tomato plants that can grow in containers on the patio or in our landscaping instead of taking up space in the raised beds.

I also would love to plant blueberries but I need to figure out a place and talk it over with Bill.

Our yard has a lot of shade and it seems most of my favorite veggies like full sun.

So I have my dream list and now I need to think realistically about how much space I have and then of course I need to consider seeds versus plants.

Decisions decisions.

Are you planning a garden yet? Where do you buy your plants or seeds?

Also this is the perfect time to reveal my special Christmas present from my husband. Yes, something I have always (at least the last few years) wanted- a rain barrel. Truthfully I wanted him to build one but he did not want it to look junkie or whatever and so he bought me one, and boy is it nice. Once the weather warms we will be rerouting our downspout to collect the rain water.

Party pics

2012-01-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures from Nate's birthday party last weekend.

The kids had a great time but boy was it loud and busy!

I get overwhelmed chasing the kids and trying to keep an eye on them- plus it wears me out!

Nate!

the whole gang

I was hot on his heels through all the tunnels and down all the slides

" a big ball mommy"

it was fun

big boy bed

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Griffin started sleeping in his "big boy bed" last week. The sides come off his crib and it had shorter end pieces so now its like a toddler bed. We ended up buying him toddler bedding at IKEA this past weekend, complete with a little pillow. He is so adorable. I looked through old pictures on in my photo gallery on kodak to find a picture of Sydney when she started sleeping in a toddler bed but apparently I did not take any. :(

Sydney was 2 years plus 2 months (I did have the date written down)

and Griffin is 2 years and 3 months so about the same age.

When did you put your kids in a toddler bed?

Blessed

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Our church has been blessed by talent. We have a few worship bands and they are amazing. A few weeks ago we sang this song and I will admit I think our band sang it better. This past week our Pastor said our band members can play anything with strings and it is true. Sunday they played some blue grass type music, we sing traditional songs such as The Wonderful Cross with a twist to the music and also more modern choruses. Banjos, violins, the mandolin, keyboard, drums, various guitars- they play it all. We are thankful for a wonderful team to lead us in worship and the freedom to do so.

Hello Monday

2012-01-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

Foggy, rainy, dreary day

We had a wonderful weekend, pictures and details later

I dropped the kids off at daycare and after stopping at my office for a strep test I am home again, SICK

I despise strep throat, so I have already taken my first dose of antibiotics and I am planning a lazy day

I'm drinking hot chocolate and waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in

Last time I had strep throat I was pregnant with Griffin, so thankful I can take ibuprofen this time

so thankful we have access to health care and medication

So hopefully you are having a healthy Monday

Robot

2012-01-19T05:22:00.000-08:00

Sydney made this robot at daycare and we wanted to share pictures.

Sydney's teacher is always doing experiments and projects with the kids and Sydney loves it!

She was proud of this robot and since I did not think she would be able to bring him home I wanted to take some pictures.

Sydney wanted to take a picture of Griffin and I holding the robots hand.

We are so thankful for our daycare and the wonderful teachers.

Ribbon frame

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

I picked this frame up at Good Will for just under 2 dollars.
not quite my style

I unscrewed the screws to remove the back and the glass

then I painted the entire frame with acrylic paint

I glued pretty ribbons across the back at even intervals

and Bill hung it in the kids bathroom so we can display some of Syd's hairclips

I think it would look a little better if the walls had some color but their bathroom is white with stenciled creatures.

Two new recipes

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

This past week we tried two new recipes and they were both keepers!
The first was Melissa d'Arabian's Ginger-Lemon Oatmeal cookies. The kids loved them and at first Bill said they were just okay then he changed his mind and decided he loved them. They were so easy to make and I do keep ginger root on hand (in the freezer) and I had lemons in the house- the zest was a very refreshing touch.

The second recipe is called Glorious Morning Muffins and I love the thought of carrots and apple and raisin all together in a muffin. I omitted the almonds but I did go ahead with the coconut. The kids loved them and I figure they are getting some nutrition and yet it seems like a treat.

Have you tried any new recipes lately?

More STARS

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am just in love with stars lately and we are all enjoying the recent decorations around the house.

This is the bulletin board above my desk and I decided I needed to redecorate.

Blank- these boards are from Pottery barn

Finished - I hung a few stars for myself and then strung a pretty ribbon across that I can hand pictures on

I opted to leave off the calendar for now

I did move my mom letters to the top and I took off all the ribbon.

My sister in law Rita had these letters as a decoration at my baby shower she had for me when I was pregnant for Sydney and I love them!

what do you think? do you have a bulletin board?

Fairies

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Bill's sister Rita buys the kids an ornament each year and she has been buying Sydney the fairies. They are precious and they have these delicate wings so we do not put them on Syd's little tree (mainly because of wild man Griffin) but we really do want to display them so the past two years I have hung them from ribbon on Syd's shelf. This year when we took down all the Christmas decorations she begged me to leave her fairies so she could enjoy them longer. Of course I said sure! This picture does not do them justice. Thank you Aunt Rita!

Score

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

When I stopped by the local Goodwill I was so surprised to see these items!

I quickly checked the price and scooped them up!
I love the lime green color and also the brand.

Do you know the name on this cookware?

I can always use another small nonstick skillet and at 6 dollars it was a steal.

I have been wanting another soup pot because the stockpot I have is 8 qt which can be a little large at times.

This pot was 6 qt and priced at 14 dollars.

do you see the name?

Yes, this is Rachel Ray cookware and I was so excited to find this deal.

Do you ever shop Goodwill? What have you scored?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Enchanted Forest and Oatmeal

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever played Enchanted Forest? If you have not you are missing out! We had this game growing up and it was a favorite. Just having the world ENCHANTED in the name makes it special! The game is made by Ravensburger and I just love their games and puzzles. My parents bought this for Syd for Christmas and her and I played on afternoon.
Under each tree is a picture and you have to travel around the board peeking under trees and remember which item is where so that when the card is up in the castle you can travel to the castle and reveal where the item is. The first person to get 3 item cards wins.

It is great for learning to add- each time Sydney rolled I had her count the dots on the dice and then count her spaces.

It is definitely a challenge to remember what picture is under each tree.

while we played enchanted forest Griffin played oatmeal

and boy did he have fun!

does your family have any favorite games?

New Year's Eve Party

2012-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Instead of going out we hosted the Parkers for a New Year's Eve Party.
Ellie and Garret

Bill and I

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese-yummy- thanks Ellie

We played Pictionary- which as a hoot.

the kids enjoyed watching

and also scribbling some pictures themselves

My dear friend Ellie

Sydney and I

Syd's turn at the board

We had so many yummy snacks: bang bang shrimp, jalapeno poppers, brie, and of course Margarita's

for dessert I made crepes with strawberry sauce and a cream cheese and yogurt filling.

Our evening was over by 10 but we had a fabulous time with friends and our kids.

windows

2012-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

We are the proud owners of 4 new windows!
The windows in our house have all been painted (by me) white and shut. The grids are just the wooden snap in grids and some of them are broken, plus we have no screens and I cannot reach the top floor windows to clean them on the outside.

The windows on the chimney side of the house were in desperate need of repair because the wood around the window was rotting. We would love to be able to replace all the windows at once but we have 20 some windows in our house so we are doing 1 side of the house at a time.

I love the new windows- the grids are between the glass, we have full screens and I can tilt them in and clean them from the inside!

this is one of the older ones that is actually in okay shape- the wood is intact just peeling- Bill was home when the guys came and he did not take before pictures. Oh well.

Bill used to sell windows so he knew just what we wanted and he measured them for the guy and we got a great price. Yeah!

seeing stars

2012-01-06T04:33:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by this idea on Little Birdie Secrets blog

and I decided to make a new wreath for the front door
I cut a circle out of cardboard and glued a few flat stars to cover the cardboard then I added the dimensional stars

I decided not to embellish mine- what do you think?

see the dimension

since I was having so much fun making stars I decided to add some to the kids rooms

I want the kids to see the stars I made for them and remember they are a star to me!

simple but fun projects for the new year

first professional cut

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have been trimming Griffin's hair and my mom cut it once but it is curly and layered and I got to the point where I did not feel confident. So I took him to Lisa and he got his first professional cut.

he was very still and quiet

it turned out cut!

do you cute your kids hair or take them to a professional?

together

2012-01-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

two peas in a pod

these two love being together

big sis and little brother

there is nothing I love more than seeing them together

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 was filled with joy, love, a bit of frustration, lots of travel and a little bit of change. We wanted to reflect on the top 11 of 2011 (in no particular order)

1. Family time- lots of walks and time hanging out around the house, watching our children grow and develop

2. Northridge Church- we finely have gotten back in to the routine of going to church and being active in a church. We are on a journey of faith and being active in a church is helping us grow individually and as a family

3. Trip to Indiana for the wedding of Bill's oldest son Marcus to Lindsey- so much fun and wonderful time with family

4. Trip to Indiana for the wedding of Bill's daughter Alexandra to Scott- a quick trip but wonderful and again a blessing to be with loved ones- details here and here

5. Sky top Orchard- check it out here- a place we will return to in the future

6. Annual July visit for Grammie la la and Grandpa- thanks for watching the kids and for bringing their cousin Daniela along-my mom captured some great pics posted on her blog here and here

7. My trip to Florida with my friend Val - taking a refresher course for my boards but lots of fun mixed in with class and study time= I passed with flying colors- thank God another 6 years of practicing medicine-you can see the pics here and here and here

8. Healthy -no one had surgery this year and overall we have all been in good health-this is priceless

9. My trip to Maine to visit the Samoluk's and met Henry for the first time- such a sweet trip and again a blessing to see people I love.

10. Trip to Michigan for my friend Pam and Jason's wedding and a family get together. Getting to spend time with my sister Audra and meeting Rowyn! And visiting with my friend Megan and meeting her new little one.

11. Financial challenges and reprioritizing, refiguring the budget and feeling very rich with all our nonmaterial blessings!

Be Filled With Joy

2011-12-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

Finally this print is matted, framed and hanging in Sydney's room. I purchased the print at least a year ago if not more and I could not seem to settle on a frame. I love the bright colors and of course the message and I pray my daughter is always filled with JOY.

Christmas part 2 videos

2011-12-29T04:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning part 1

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Griffin was so excited that Santa brought him a John Deere big scoop, it is big enough for him to sit in as you can see...

Bill was touched by a collage of pictures that I had made for him of the kids and I

Sydney opening presents

Griffin carrying cars around from lala and grandpa Korte

scrapbook kit

opening tractor and trailer

scooter from Santa

Me with some stocking treats from my sweetie

Sydney with doodle pro from lala and grandpa Korte

riding scooter

he knows how to work it already

videos to come.....

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

Our family tradition for Christmas eve is to have appetizers and snackie food- this was always the Korte family tradition and we are happy to keep it going. We had bang bang shrimp, baked brie and crackers and spinach dip and veggies! Our neighbor Lynn come over to visit and share a snack. We also had some delicious rolo cookies- I will share the recipe and pictures later.

I wanted to take a few pictures before going to church for the candlelight service.

Griffin is such a handsome little man and he loves church!

Sydney was so excited to wear a fancy dress, a hand me down from my office manager and friend's daughter Emily- so pretty.

they really do love each other

the service was wonderful but there was no nursery so Griffin was a bit of a distraction and Bill took him out at the end but they came back in just in time to see the sanctuary lit by candles and it was beautiful.

We are so thankful for the best gift ever- Christ and His love.

Christmas House Tour

2011-12-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Several people in blog land are posting some of their Christmas decorations around their house, such as Lindsey at Pleated Poppy and the Nester so I decided to do the same.

Merry Christmas!

What do you want for Christmas Griffin?

2011-12-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

When Griffin's teacher asked him what he wanted for Christmas he replied "golf cart"! This cracks me up so I had to take a picture of the poster. We were just at my dad's in Georgia and he loved riding golf carts. Sorry a customized cart is not in the budget so we will have to borrow one from our course every once in a while. Too funny.

Christmas Past

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

My sister inspired me to look back at pictures from previous Christmas'.
Sydney 2006, about 1 month old

we played the Holy Family in our church program and Sydney was baby Jesus

2007

I forgot how chunky Sydney was-look at that chin!

2008

This picture was taken at my Aunt Patty and Uncle Mike's house and you can tell their tree is very tall!

opening presents at my parents

so excited about her doll house and accessories

playing in the snow in my favorite jacket and matching hat, and scarf that Grammie made (she had mittens but kept taking them off to feel the snow)

2009

surrounded by his presents

Sydney digging deep in her stocking

sad to say I cannot find Christmas 2010 pictures but here is the post I blogged last year- I know I took them but we may have lost them when our computer died.
I love seeing how the kids change year to year

I vow to not wear my same red pjs although I am wearing them as I type this post and I also won't take pictures of me with the kids wearing my gray sweater- so funny I migrate to the same outfit

Georgia trip

2011-12-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Georgia on Friday about 5:30 pm after 11 hours of travel, 6.5 of which were in the state of Georgia. We were less than 30 minutes from both Florida and Alabama.

The weather was great when we got there, hot actually at 75.
Sydney loves the moss hanging from the trees

the kids ran around Saturday collecting moss, asking Bill and I to pick them up so they could pull it from the trees and make nests out of it

thankfully it did not have a bunch of bugs in it this time of year

Sydney with little man- my dad's dog- Syd was in Heaven

Sydney with my dad and of course little man riding golf carts

My dad and uncle have a golf cart business where they ship parts all over the world actually and they customize carts

We spent lots of time outside Saturday to try to let the kids run off some energy and we rode golf carts around the area- Griffin kept asking my dad for the keys- so sweet

Syd holding little bit- little man's brother

he was so cute in his sweater

popcorn party

pecan trees

we passed field after field of pecan trees- so pretty

the rows were so straight

cotton filed and bale- Bill picked a plant for each of the kids

sorry blurry- he was so happy to hold his own cotton plant

Syd with her plant- she talked for miles about how they clean the cotton and then turn it into various products

All in all it was a good drive-long but the roads were clear, we only ALMOST ran out of gas once- of course in Georgia. The gas light was on and kept beeping to remind us, as if we needed a reminder. I was praying that we would see a station and not have to walk with two small kids. We finally found a place, just in time and vowed if ever in Georgia again to fill up when the tank got to 1/2 empty because you can drive for miles and miles and all you see if cotton, pecan trees and plantations.

My Grandma Sandera

2011-12-20T04:48:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we traveled to Georgia to see my dad and my grandma Sandera. The last time I saw her was about 4 years ago and her health has changed a lot. She had a heart valve replaced a few years ago and her heart is weakening and she does not want to have another surgery. The doctors have told her that her heart will give out soon. We really needed to make the trip to spend some time with her. My grandparents love in northern Michigan but have a home in Georgia that she wanted to visit again so my dad drove her down. My grandpa is in a nursery home in Michigan with Alzheimer's and is unable to travel. My grandma will be 85 next March and she is such a cool lady. I have some of the best childhood memories that involve my grandparents. A few years back I wrote them both a letter recalling memories that are dear to my heart, thanking them for all their love and the special times.

It was painful to see my gram so different- quiet, small, weak and fragile. My grandma raised 5 boys and she has lived a long full life. Her words "a full life, not all of it good but life owes me nothing". Her and my grandfather have been married 60 some years and it is so hard for her to be away from him. She told me this is not the way they planned it, they wanted to take care of one another and now he has dementia and she is too weak to care for him at home. It is sad, I want to go back to the way things were before. I dislike change and it breaks my heart to know they are both aging.

We did the best to soak up out short time with my dad and my grandma.

Here are a few pictures that I will treasure forever

I will share more pictures from the rest of our trip in the next day or so

Doodles at Breakfast

2011-12-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have had a student with me on Thursday mornings since May and she is so sweet. Her and her husband and daughter came to our Christmas open house and she bought this book for the kids. It is made up of 36 tear off placemats that show step by step directions for drawing. Syd loves it!

Ho Ho Ho- videos

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Wreath

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this beautiful wreath in Woman's Day magazine and since I did not have a Christmas wreath for my front door I decided to make one.

I already had two colors of felt so I went and bought another shade of green. I made my circle patterns out of cardboard and started tracing felt circles and cutting them out.

the Styrafoam wreath is wrapped in yarn- which I believe makes them glue stick better

Each circle gets cut like a spiral leaving a small circle in the middle that you glue to the bottom of the rosette

the finished product! It seriously took me 10 hours, maybe more- but it will be reused year after year so it was worth it!

Do you make a wreath for your front door?

Materials:

1 skein green yarn

12" styrofoam wreath (I bought a 14")

fabric scissors

ballpoint pen

scrap cardboard

3/4 yard each of felt- red, light green, dark green

hot glue gun and glue sticks

TIME AND PATIENCE

Cover wreath with yarn, wrapping around and tying to secure. Draw and cut 3 circles from scrap cardboard- 3.25" (small), 4.25" (medium), 5.5" (large) in diameter-I used a compass. Using cardboard circles trace on felt and then cut out. The directions say 18 small, 16 medium and 5 large of each color- I gave up on counting and just made lots and then had to make more! To make a rosette cut a spiral into each circle leaving 1'" to 1.5" circle in the center. Starting from the outside end of the

spiral coil the felt inward until you get to the circle in the center and dab glue on the circle and then press the coiled felt onto it and hold until dry. Once you have all the rosettes made glue them to the foam wreath alternating colors and sizes!

Mantle

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

This year I wanted to change my mantle a bit from the usual decorations- I was inspired by Lisa Leonard.

So I headed out to Hobby Lobby as usual and bought several Styrofoam cones in various sizes

I already had Christmas fabric and a hot glue gun

so all you do is tear the fabric in strips and wrap it around the cone, gluing as you go

easy craft and I think they are so cute

I did not make the candle holders because I already had a few
my Christmas sign was a gift from Laura years ago and I love it

instead of my green garland I used a lighter beaded garland and a few pine cones I glittered

what do you do with your mantle? same thing each year or do you change it up?

Party

2011-12-12T04:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had a party- Christmas Open House/Birthday for me

It was great fun, yummy food and we had wonderful guests.

I made a new appetizer spinach, feta and roasted red purses and

mushroom and Havarti cheese purses

I will admit the phyllo pastry is a bit of a chore-it is so thin you have to be gentle

aren't they cute though

I made up the mushroom recipe and it was a hit

we made them a week in advance and froze them, 15 minutes before the guests arrived I put them in the oven

of course I had to make labels so everyone new what was inside

Sydney helped me make all the skewers

we had two varieties

green olive, grape tomato, prosciutto and mozzarella balls

and

cucumber, feta, kalamata olive and grape tomato

then we had cookies and fudge

cranberry, orange walnut and

cherry and almond

our little man- excuse the boo boo on his cheek-boy meets train

silly with daddy

the whole spread-yummy

Me with Ashleigh- my right hand gal at work

a snapshot of the crowd before it even got crowded

dance party!

cheers- we had a great night

we feel so blessed to have such great friends and neighbors- who really are our family away from home

Preparations

2011-12-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

    We have been so busy- preparing for the season and for a greatly anticipated Christmas open house on Saturday (which also happens to be my 32nd Birthday). I have been crafting, baking, cooking and decorating. I have some great recipes and craft ideas to share, I just need the time to type it out.
    My kids have been loving our advent scratch off- so far these have been our activities: drink hot cocoa, do something nice for someone today, make a donation to charity, share your favorite Christmas snack, make Christmas card, write Santa a letter, and set up the Nativity. It is starting to feel more like Christmas with the weather cooling and some fun festivities.

tired

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day we skipped nap and after our big meal we went for a long walk- with snow white costume! After we got home Syd and Bill were relaxing and watching ice skating on tv and Griffin and I were organizing a bit and I came back downstairs to find Syd asleep on the stack of pillows! So precious.

human

2011-12-08T04:00:00.001-08:00

I really am human. Some of my friends and family joke about how I am Betty Crocker and or Martha Stewart and I seem to do it all. Most of the time I do well at my little juggling routine. I manage to work full time, care for my family, cook, clean, read and find time to craft. But I do have those days where I feel like every ball is falling and hitting me in the head on the way down. I get to feeling blue when I think about all the negative things going on that I see daily- teens in crisis, kids that are abused or neglected, families that do not have enough to eat. I know I cannot cure the world but some days I do wish I had that magic wand. I am learning to prioritize, live in the moment and savor the little things. However I have those moments I am not proud of myself, I do get impatient (way more than I would like to admit), I yell, I say things to my husband I do not mean and I have the occasional breakdown on the way to work and cry. Seriously I sometimes feel so overwhelmed and I also feel like I have so much to be grateful for that I should just bite my tongue and keep plodding along but I still feel the need to complain or act ungrateful. I need grace that is the truth. I need time to be quiet and think, time to exercise and get out my aggression and rethink my emotions. Some days I truly walk down our stairs praying and telling God that I intend to do better today and 20 minutes later I am not doing so well. I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way and it is hard for me to admit that I struggle- that is the perfectionist in me but it is true. I am human and I do struggle. So today is a new day and I am praying for grace and patience and a spirit of love toward my kids, husband, coworkers, patients and strangers I may meet.

What do you do?

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am just curious how you do things at your house with Christmas gifts. I was driving home the other night and was listening to KLOVE and a woman shared that her kids get four gifts: 1 gift they want, 1 gift they need, 1 thing to wear and 1 thing to read! I thought this was so neat. Bill and I are in agreement about Christmas- we try to keep it simple and put more of the focus on the real meaning of Christmas versus the gifts and all the commercialism. We still buy our kids gifts but we stay within our budget and also try not to set this huge expectation of piles of presents. We also talk about Santa and his reindeer but more than that we talk about the birth of Jesus and the gift of his life. Our kids still end of opening plenty of presents because they have generous grandparents and also neighbors (that sometimes act like grandparents and spoil our kids). We enjoy the season thoroughly and love all the decorating, baking, Christmas crafts, singing songs, being involved in charities, Christmas festivities and more. As the kids get older I am sure it will be harder because they will be influenced more by other kids and also television but for now they are very happy and recognize that we are very blessed. Do you have a set number of gifts or a set dollar amount? Just curious.

Yummo!

2011-12-06T04:37:00.000-08:00

My last morning in Maine my sister and I went downtown Bangor- such a cool city

she took me to a place called Giacomo's-the place was so fun

I love this chalkboard menu

my sister always has the same thing- The Rohman Holiday: imported prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil on ciabatta (left)

I ordered the Davide: imported prosciutto, hot capicola, provolone, tomato, romaine and red onion on ciabatta (right)- seriously love at first bite!
there was not a thing on the entire menu that I would not order- so appetizing

Henry was our lunch date!

we had a great time and a wonderful send off lunch together

when in Bangor visit Giacomo's it is a hidden gem

Orno Bog Boardwalk

2011-12-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

While visiting my sister and her family in Maine we went to the Orno Bog Boardwalk. I have been to Maine several times but this was a new experience!

The weather was cool but not unbearable and with the exercise we were warm enough.

Maine is full of pine trees and they are beautiful

Micheal and Ava ahead of me

Ava

cool

I could not resist a few black and whites

Ava took this pic-not the best but one of the only few of us mommas

Ava and I

It was awesome, I would love to go back some time- maybe next year!

Advent Project

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

WARNING, when my sister and I get together we get crafty. Amanda is a scrapbook queen and always dazzles me with her creativity. While I was visiting we decided we needed a craft and we went to AC Moore and browsed but came up with nothing. So I was telling my sister about this article in my Parenting magazine I had read on the plane and showed her an idea for advent cards. Well we decided to tackle them and add our own spin. The directions said to go to parents.com/adventcards

we decided we did not want to use their cards so we cut squares and circles out of pretty Christmas paper

and 2"x2" squares out of white card stock and wrote down the activities we wanted to do with our kids

we covered the card stock squares with clear packing tape and rounded the edges with a punch

then we painted all the squares with a mixture of 1 part dish soap (we used Dawn with oil of olay) and 2 parts acrylic paint (gray). It takes very little paint so we did 5 ml of soap and 10 ml of paint and had plenty left over. Once the first coat dried we added a second coat. We tested it out on a plain square first and used a coin to scratch it off and it works wonderful. We were absolutely giddy!

so here we are painting the cards

drying

Amanda AKA Martha Stewart

we bought little clothespins and I decided to hand mine in front of my french doors- the directions said to glue the scratch off part to the card and we decided to use Velcro so we could take them off and repaint them or move the activities around

I embellished the cards a little with some rub ons, stickers, glitter and buttons

I know the kids are going to have a blast scratching the paint off to see which activity we are doing

the possibilities are endless you could make scratch off cards for a party to see which type of prize they get

some of the activities on our advent calendar:

make Christmas craft

drive and look at Christmas lights

make cookies

drink hot chocolate

snuggle on the couch

read Christmas story

discuss what we are thankful for

have a dance party

picnic for dinner

play a family game

If you want to see how Amanda finished and displayed her cards take a look at her blog.

A family chore

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Leaf clean up is a bit of a chore at our house but we try to make it fun and also
a family event

Griffin loves to run through the piles

wheelbarrow ride

Bill is in charge of the burning

the kids clapping for daddy and the fire

me hauling leaves

the yard is covered again but the trees are empty so one more round of cleanup and we will be done!

Maine Trip Part 2 Book Club and Library Tour

2011-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

While in Maine I went to my sister's book club with her- it was Saturday morning at the Pittsfield Library. Everyone brought a breakfast dish to share and we discussed The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly.

Before we started our discussion we were given a tour of the library (one of the club members is the librarian). The dome mural was awesome- painted by a Maine humorist Tim Sample.

cool bench made from card catalogue

cozy area

kids area

We had a great discussion about the book and other books and various other topics.

I joked that I might have to join the next meeting via Skype- but I did enjoy the group and I wish they were closer. I plan to read the next book that they are reading called The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown.

Trip to Maine part 1

2011-11-25T04:32:00.000-08:00

So I finally was able to snuggle my nephew Henry! He is an active little man so I had to catch him first and he is very attached to his momma so I was not his favorite.

He is a lot like Griffin in a lot of ways, just 1 year younger.

precious

I also found some time to snuggle Ava bean!

silly faces

Henry likes his picture taken

I had some drama getting to Maine- delayed flight, broken CPU -which meant a cold plane in Greensboro, turbulence landing in New York which resulted in me getting sick on the plane and then an almost lost suitcase

but I made it and it was worth some drama, I had an awesome visit with my sister and her family and friends and I have more pics and stories to share

Home Again

2011-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

I am home, well actually I have been since Monday night. I went to Maine for a long weekend to visit my sister and her family. It was so GOOD. We had a few adventures and all kinds of fun so I have lots of pictures to share I just need time to catch up and get organized. It is so good to be home snuggling my little ones and being with my hubby. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving and lots of December plans. I will post pictures and trip details soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Photo Shoot

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago after church we took some pictures outside

here are a few favorites

now for a few duds...

do you have a favorite?

griffin and puzzles

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Project

2011-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

We started by cutting pumpkin shapes out of cardboard

then I let the kids paint them

on a another day after the paint was dry we used our craft supplies to decorate

yes still in pjs

Griffin's pumpkin- I guided him a bit by putting glue in certain spots

Sydney's pumpkin

we had fun

the party continues

2011-11-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our friend Max's birthday party at the gymnastics place
Sydney and I had a blast (Bill stayed home with Griffin because he was running a fever and has croup)

Bill and I met Max's parents in our childbirth class and when we went to the hospital to have Sydney Bill ran into Max's dad in the hallway. We put their little bassinets side by side on November 12th 5 years ago- Max was 1 day old and Sydney had just been born- too bad we did not take a picture. This one will have to do- Nicole and I got together for a walk with the babies
Sydney and Max together at just a few weeks old

Sydney and Max now

Max's super cool cake

Slumber Party

2011-11-14T04:50:00.000-08:00

Sydney had her friend Addyson over for a slumber party to celebrate her birthday.

Addyson and Sydney went to the same daycare up until about a year ago. They see each other at the pool and when I asked Syd who she wanted to spend the night she picked Addyson.

Pizza party

Kettle corn while watching Tinker Bell

sharing a candy treat

The girls stayed up until 10 and then Bill and I were exhausted so I tucked them in bed.

We heard some giggling til about 10:20 then they were out until 6:30.

We had fun!

Five Years Ago

2011-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

November 12, 2006 was the day we became parents to Sydney Nicole. It was truly one of the most precious days of our lives. I can remember trembling with excitement and to be honest a little fear (not about being a mom but about the pain of child birth). We were so excited to have her in our arms. She was so perfect and very alert right after she arrived.

We are continuously overwhelmed by the joy of being parents and Sydney is such a gift.

Happy Birthday baby girl.

Finally Fits

2011-11-10T04:36:00.000-08:00

Grammie La la bought this outfit for Griffin a long time ago, maybe July or even earlier, last winter? Anyway it finally fits him and it is finally cooler here. It is an 18 month outfit but he is small so it works. So comfy and soft, thanks Grammie.

Fun and Learning

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for ways to make learning fun so I made this worksheet for Sydney using some of my fall stamps and I had her match the number of items to the correct number. It was easy for her so I guess we need to work on higher numbers and maybe some addition.

How do you make learning fun?

ARGGH

2011-11-03T04:01:00.000-07:00

Our computer is sick again- remember it just crashed and I bought a new hard drive, well now it is acting crazy and shutting itself down in the middle of a task. So I am dropping it off at the "computer doctor". I may be missing for a short time depending on what needs fixed.

Inspiration

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Dwell on this:

I will stop looking back with regrets

or looking forward with fear

and give the best I have today

Halloween

2011-11-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

Several people that work in my office dressed up for Halloween. We figure it is a pediatric office and if kids are sick on Halloween they should at least have some fun at the doctor's office. We never managed to get a picture with everyone but a few of snapped a few pictures.
It was fun for all the kids, and us adults.

Speaking of kids- here are Sydney and Griffin or should I say Snow White and my little Giraffe.

We went to a trunk or treat at our friends church and went on a hayride-cold but fun.

the kids enjoyed saying "trick or treat"

Griffin was not shy or afraid of any of the customes or decorations

some of the trunks were decorated so cool- Sydney enjoyed fishing

The kids had trunk or treat at daycare and also at the nursing home affiliated with the daycare and then had parties. They both received so much candy!

Wheew!

2011-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got our bikes out of the shed and cleaned them up a bit and put air in the tires. Bill and I bought really nice bikes a few years ago and have not ridden them in over a year, maybe two. Griffin had to wear Sydney's helmet (even though it is pink) because we haven't bought him one yet and it no longer fits her. He enjoyed the ride and I need the exercise.

Remember when Sydney rode on the bike?

summer 2008

Don't tell daddy

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

that his little boy sometimes wears Snow White high heels
Griffin loves these little shoes

Daddy's Helper

2011-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Griffin received some birthday money in the mail so he now has a new mower and blower- which both make noise!! He is so happy working in the yard with Bill. I need to get a video soon.

Loose Ends

2011-10-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

Busy lately- the weekends have been full of time outside playing and yard cleanup, going for walks and bike rides. Pictures soon.
I finished reading Weird: because normal isn't working a few weeks ago and it was eye opening and thought provoking. I am not going to outline the rest of the chapters although I did take notes and I will probably share a few quotes and verses. Bill is reading the book now.
Griffin had his 2 year check up and with clothes he weighed 26.5 lbs and was 33 inches which puts him at 25th percentile for his height and weight. He is our little guy!
On Saturday Christopher proposed to Lindsey and she said "yes!" so there will be another wedding in the near future- which means all the big kids will be married. We think Lindsey is great and we are excited for her to be our daughter in law. (yes Marcus married a Lindsey) so we will have two daughter in laws with the same name. We love both Lindsey's and could not be happier for the boys.
Life is busy but with all good stuff and we are enjoying the changing seasons. More posts soon.

P.S. All my followers are back-yeah!!!

Help

2011-10-23T16:32:00.001-07:00

Does anyone know why it is not showing my followers all of a sudden? I tried to go under design and edit it but they are gone? If you were a follower will you sign up again?

Mama's Ugly Apple Cake

2011-10-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have a student shadowing me on Thursday mornings and she sent me the link for this recipe and I am so glad. Since we were just at the orchard and have lots of apples I wanted to try a few new recipes. Well this recipe for Mama's Ugly Apple Cake is a winner. I actually made a few adjustments- I used 1 cup sugar in the cake and 1 cup of splenda. I used 2 golden delicious apples and 2 galas. I also only made 1/2 of the frosting and I used a little milk instead of the lemon juice so that we could drizzle it instead of frosting the whole cake. Then I decide to just leave the frosting on the side and the cake is actually delicious without the frosting. So yummy. Griffin had a check up this am so we took some to the office to share with my coworkers so we may actually have to make another cake!

Trees=Leaves

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Is it any wonder or yard is starting to fill up with leaves. We have lots of trees. We are loving fall and even though it is a lot of work we all enjoy working in the yard.

Sky Top Orchard

2011-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

We went to the orchard Saturday- we left home at 7 and did not get home until after 7. The orchard was in Flat Rock, NC which is about 3.5 hours away from our house, way into the mountains. Apparently Flat Rock is a stones throw from Lake Lure, which is where they filmed the movie Dirty Dancing.

The orchard is at the top of a huge mountain and it was quite the climb up to the top.

We hiked out to pick our own apples- we picked 13 pounds of cameo apples.

Sydney loved looking for the big apples

every time Griffin pulled one of the tree it fell out of his hands on the ground

We had a yummy picnic lunch

played on pumpkins

this is a happy doughnut face

yummy pumpkin doughnut

they had these old fashioned machines that made doughnuts- pumpkin or apple cider- it was fun to watch and they were delicious

we want to keep track of how tall the kids are because we plan to go back and compare each year

we wanted to go to this orchard last year but when Bill's mom died we were unable to make the trip

we went on a tractor ride around the property and the scenery was beautiful

they had animals that we fed corn

they also had a bamboo forest

Griffin got stuck, for just a moment

I had to stop and admire the roots of the bamboo, have you ever noticed bamboo roots?

we had the best time just hanging out together

as a kid we always went to this great orchard- actually two different ones, Spicer's (by our home) and then John's (I think this is what it was called- on the way up north)

since then I have been to several orchards and they never hold a candle to my childhood memory, FINALLY we found an orchard that was so awesome and very worth the drive

We bought a total of 30 lbs of apples, and a dozen doughnuts. We had hours of fun and created great memories. Sky Top had varieties of apples I have never heard of plus the usual and they made everything from apples- fritters, pies, cider, cider slushies, chocolate covered apples, carmel apples and more!

We will go back to Sky Top in the future and we may need to make a weekend out of it and check out the surrounding area.

Scrapbook pages

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to Scrapmania and scrap booked from 8 am to 8 pm! I went last year and it was so fun and I was excited to go this year again.

Here are the pages I completed:

I used someones cricket to cut out the apron and kitchen utensils

again the cricket for the paint pallet and brush

the 4 squares are actually paint samples from Lowes that I stitched together with twine

cricket again for the tractor!

also the barn and fence sections- I loved using the cricket

can you tell I loved using the cricket- I cut out these sailboats to match the ones the kids play with in the tubby

Some of the details are hard to appreciate in these pictures but you get the point. I had a great time and I was happy with what I accomplished.

cold mornings

2011-10-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

mean snuggle time with a blanket on the way to school

Spray

2011-10-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Griffin loves to spray- inside, outside, everywhere. If he sees a spray bottle he wants it and he wants to go outside. I use the spray bottle to wet Sydney's hair in the mornings so he sees it everyday.

He walks around the yard spraying the fence, flowers, trees, people! When the bottle is empty he comes to me or Bill and says "want more water please"

When we got home from church Sunday and our neighbor David was outside watering his new grass Griffin was so excited. He was even more excited when David let him water the lawn.

Whenever we are outside you will see Griffin with a spray bottle in his hand.

Happy Birthday to Griffin

2011-10-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Griffin is 2 years old

2011-10-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

Griffin is two years old today. We cannot believe how quickly the time has passed and we are trying to savor each moment with our little guy. Tears come to my eyes as I type because we are so in love with our sweet boy. He is a gift, and we are so grateful. We have so many wonderful memories of life with Griffin over the past two years plus the time he was growing inside me. I was a little nervous about having a baby boy and Bill was in shock when the ultrasound technician said he was a boy. I am not kidding we have so many pictures of his boy anatomy because Bill kept asking her is she was sure he was a boy. So funny. Having a son has been so fun and new yet he is similar to Sydney at times. Griffin is always happy- really. People have commented to me that he is just so happy and smiley. You can make him giggle to the point of losing his breath so easily. He has a smile that will brighten any ones day and the sweetest voice. I made a list of some of the words that come to mind when I describe Griffin. Can you think of any I forgot?

talkative
energetic
affectionate
excited
loud
smiley
giggly
generous
adorable
silly
social
hungry
smart
sweet
outdoors man
snuggler
tricky
small
polite
daring
musical
determined

Here are a few pictures I took-1 week before his birthday. He was so happy to be outside (although it was cold) and he loves riding the tricycle.

We are having a small family celebration Sunday after church- I will share pictures later.

Weird-Time

2011-10-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

The first section in the book Weird: Because normal isn't working is about TIME. Of course I hear people talk about time all the time- everyone needs more. When in reality of we were given more time we would just waste in on the same stuff we do now.

More time is not better we just need to use what we have more wisely. 2 Peter 1:3 says "His devine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" and Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will."

A few other highlights -we need to say no to some things that are good to leave room for great things. Many of complain about our relationships- whether they be with our kids, friends or our spouse yet me do not invest the time to make them strong because we are too busy. We need to re prioritize.

Craig talks about the power of being present- this is huge. When your with your spouse talking- do not think about all the things you have to do or make that grocery list in your head- just be with your spouse. The average American watches 28 hours of tv a week and so by the time they are in their mid seventies they have spent 10 years watching tv- WOW this makes me sick- can't we think of something better to do with our time. Craig points out that we are so caught up in being busy that we are missing many of God's blessings.

And lastly we all need a day of rest. Some of us like to think we are so important that we cannot take a day to rest- but God himself needed a day to rest. Lots of thoughts but truthfully I grabbed a few nuggets and I am hoping and praying to make healthy and Godly changes. Craig says it way better than I did so pick up the book and let me know what you think.

WEIRD-Money

2011-10-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have started reading Weird: Because normal isn't working by Craig Groeschel and it is captivating. I am taking notes and looking up scripture and rethinking the way we live. Last week was the first sermon in this series based on the book Weird and it was convicting and eye opening. Pastor Dean did not preach but a man named John who is in charge of finances at our church. I have heard many sermons of tithing but this one was different. It was not just about tithing but about the way we perceive our money (actually God's money). The main points of the sermon were as follows:

Everything Belongs to God (Exodus 19:5 and Job 41:11) If we think of everything we have as a gift from God then it is easy to see why we should give back to him. If a friend gave you 10,000 dollars shouldn't you be happy to give him back 1,000.
God gives us money to be Generous
Money is related to Worship ( Philippians 4:18, Malachi 3:8-10 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-7) I am not sure why I had not thought this way before but why is that I think of worship as singing and praying and not tithing? In the Old Testament we read all about the temple and sacrifices that were made. The Bible tells us to give our first fruits ( Proverbs 3:9-10) and so often we give the leftovers or none because there are no leftovers. God did not want a 2 legged goat and he does not want leftovers -we need to have FAITH that if we give what is in our heart to give God will provide.
The Gospel Motivates us to give radically

The book expands on money and more about what the Bible says about wealth and money. I was convicted and we plan to make some changes in our household. Our culture is consumed with money and the things we can buy with it. I want something more than things- since I cannot take them with me they are of little value. I will share my thoughts and what I learned on time next.

By the Light of the Moon

2011-10-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Bill and I were sitting in the sun room enjoying coffee, dessert and conversation after the kids had gone to bed and we noticed the moon. It was so bright and beautiful against the dark sky I had to run in the house and grab my camera. Have you looked at the sky at night lately?

Carousel Festival

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

We love the Burlington City Park Carousel Festival- we have gone the last several years- minus last year. We usually meet our friends The Parker's there and have a great time.

Sydney by this boy on stilts

Griffin riding cars

Griffin and Charlie- so adorable

Watching the magic show- very cool

my gang riding the carousel

We had a wonderful time. Do you have any festivals that you attend each year?

A fall treat for my husband

2011-10-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

I made these adorable acorns for a little gathering and I left one for Bill to find when he got home late Thursday night. I heard him laughing from upstairs when he read his note.

Hersey kiss-mini vanilla wafer-piece of pretzel stick- use chocolate frosting as the glue- so easy!

Weird

2011-09-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new sermon series at church and it is centered around the book Weird: Because normal isn't working by Craig Groeschel. Sunday we talked about the series and some of the sermons topics to come. We are excited to be WEIRD! Matthew 7:13-14 says "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

More to come....

Twist on an old favorite

2011-09-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon while I was making meatloaf I realized we were a little low on ketchup so I substituted BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece Southern Style) and it was yummy. I also added 1/4 green pepper finely diced because I had some and peppers are high in vitamin C (Griffin is fighting a cold). One medium green pepper has more vitamin C than a medium orange. This is the recipe I usually use from Betty Crocker for Meatloaf:

1 lb lean ground beef (I use 93/7)
1 clove garlic or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 small onion finely diced
2 slices of bread with crust- cut up small
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sage ( I usually do not have)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard (dry)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup ketchup

Heat oven to 350- combine all ingredients and put in ungreased loaf pan. Midway through I drain off any grease. Bake uncovered 50-60 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and cut. Sometimes I put ketchup on the top but usually I mix at least half of it in and this time I mixed all the bbq sauce in the meat mixture. Yummy. Bill loves meatloaf and so do the kids. Today has been rainy and he had been working all day so I wanted him to come home to a hot meal, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans.

Daddy's Boy

2011-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Griffin is a daddy's boy and he LOVES being outside- it does not matter how cold, wet, or hot it is he wants to be outside. Griffin especially loves helping daddy with yard work. If he sees a stick on the driveway he picks it up and throws it on our burn pile or over the fence. When Griffin wakes up in the morning his first sentence is about eating breakfast and the second is "I want to go outside". Recently Griffin wants to use daddy's blower and he has a fit when you take it away. This is just a snap shot of him with his new favorite toy!

First Day of Fall

2011-09-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Last week we had cooler temps and it really made us feel ready for fall. Fall is my favorite season for many reasons.

I wanted a fall wreath for the front door but even the ones that we half off at Hobby Lobby were too much so I made my own.
The wreath and all the sprigs I used to decorate it were all half off so I spent 13 dollars.

I used some decorations I already had to change the mantel for the fall season.

Bill's daughter Laura made me the stuffed pumpkins several years ago and I love them.

Have you decorated for fall?

My Sister Bracelet

2011-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I was a winner, again, on Lisa's blog and this time I selected a bracelet. It is called the daisy chain bracelet and mine has 5 discs, 3 of the discs have a name, one of my sister's names to be exact. I love the design and I love that when I wear it I am reminded of my three sisters. I am thankful to have each of my sisters in my life. Miss you guys!

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

2011-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Friday night I made cinnamon swirl bread again, and it is so easy to make. I do not have a bread machine so I just mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and then I knead the dough for 3-4 minutes by hand.

I decided to use the bread to make french toast Saturday morning and it was so yummy!
I love seeing the swirls of cinnamon.

I sprinkled some toasted pecans on mine!

You can find the recipe here. If you think it is too good to possibly be healthy I think you will be surprised. I feel good about feeding my family something that I have made that has no artificial ingredients and is made with whole wheat flour.

Cooler temps welcome

2011-09-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well the cold front is here and we love it! The kids wore pants, long sleeved shirts and jackets to school today. We are ready to say hello to fall. We had plans to head to an orchard this weekend but due to the probability of rain we are staying closer to home. We have plans to decorate for fall, grill out if the sun shines, go for a long walk and I am baking another loaf of cinnamon swirl bread to use for french toast-yummy. What are your weekend plans?

Favorite Story

2011-09-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sydney loves to hear the story of when she was born. She thinks it is funny that I ate lots of Mexican food the night before and that Bill and I almost spent the night at our friends house in Greensboro and thankfully decided against it just in case I went in to labor. She laughs when I tell her that when I was sure I was having contractions and woke Bill up he wanted to take a shower and I said "no, we need to leave now." She also loves the part about Bill and I walking the halls and talking about how exciting it was that it was the day of her birth. Then just before she was born I told Bill we had plenty of time and he went down to the cafeteria to get breakfast only to have the nurse run down moments later and tell him to hurry or he was going to miss his daughter being born. Bill and I love to reminisce on this joyous time and she loves to hear the story over and over. Do your kids know the story of their birth?

School Pictures

2011-09-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

The daycare the kids attend has someone come in and take pictures a few times a year. We never buy the pictures because the cheapest package is still expensive and not big enough for all of our family. So anyway the kids always get there picture taken and they are usually cute but we never buy them.

This last session the pictures turned out adorable! I took pictures of the proofs just so I could show them to you. I was tempted to buy but resisted. Honestly my kids are cute in every picture I take so I have lots of great photos.

Griffin is just so adorable, he melts our hearts

see the reflection of his face

Sydney is growing up so fast. She seems so mature in these pictures!

She is so natural in this picture- very photogenic!

Which are your favorites? Does your daycare take pictures of your kids?

More deals

2011-09-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

There is a consignment store here in Asheboro called The Red Door and they accept donations (ladies clothing) and all the proceeds go to the family crisis center. I had driven past several times but decided to stop in a few weeks ago and I found two great deals.

This Talbots sweater was 2.50!

this jacket was 10 dollars but I love it

What deals have you found lately?

How I ended up with my hand in ice cream

2011-09-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had the role of "KP" kitchen prep. When I worked as a waitress at Bob Evan's there was an older lady whom we all called "momma" and she worked in the back in KP. Momma's job was to prepare everything for the cooks- she cut veggies and was also in charge of desserts. Since I was gone all day yesterday at Scrapmania (another post) I wanted to get organized for the week today.
I made a roast for Monday night dinner.

I also made jalapeno poppers for Sunday night appetizers and even though I thought I was being careful I got some juice on my left hand and it was on fire.

I kept rinsing it as I was preparing a few other things and the burning was getting worse.

I went outside to talk to Bill and take Griffin out to play and my neighbor was out talking to Bill so I asked her if she new what I could do with my hand to stop the burning.

She had me pour lemon juice on it and that did not help much so she got on her lap top and found a site that said to soak it in milk or ice cream.

Well she had some old ice cream that she said she needed to throw out anyway so I stuck my hand in it and guess what it worked! The poppers were amazing and next time I make them I will wear latex gloves!

The recipe is easy, wash jalapenos and cut in half. I used a spoon and carved out the seeds and then put them in a little water in a saucepan and cooked them for 10 minutes maybe. Drain water and fill jalapeno with cream cheese putting the halves back together and wrap in bacon slice- secure with toothpick and grill. So delicious!

I also made a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread for breakfast for Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday night is my late night to work now so I made a chicken and bean chili so Bill does not have to mess with dinner- we are going to eat ours with sour cream, fresh cilantro and tortilla chips.

I prepped lettuce, cucumber, beets, peppers and onion for greek salad for lunches and also made the dressing.

So we are ready for the first half of the week-and it only took me 1.5 hours.

Griffin Update

2011-09-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Griffin is 23 months old. One more month before our baby boy is 2 years old. Griffin will repeat virtually any word you ask him to and he is initiating 4-5 word sentences. He articulates very well and everyone can understand what he says. We have been working on peeing in the potty before tubby and this past weekend every time I changed his diaper I would ask him if he wanted to go pee pee on the potty and he consistently said "uh huh" and several times he went! As long as he is willing we will continue to attempt to potty train. Griffin is visiting the 2 year old room this week and moving up completely next week- a little early but they need his spot. He is really going to miss his teacher and a few of his friends but he knows several of the kids that have already moved up and we think he is ready. Just last week he started a new love for socks. Every night after tubby he wants socks on and he gets rather upset when you take the old pair off. So he has traded his crocks and flip flops for tennis shoes. He still loves to be outside and he starts asking or rather demanding "OUTSIDE" the moment he wakes up. I am so glad it is cooling down a bit because it makes hanging out outside more tolerable.

Focus on the Family

2011-09-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

Focus on the Family has a great website with lots of links and great advice. I subscribe for free to their magazine called Thriving Family. A recent magazine I was reading through had "Ways to Pray for your Kids" and I clipped the page and keep it posted on the fridge. Here is the highlights:

Pray for Protection: Psalm 5:11
Pray for Grace (for you and them): 2 Corinthians 9:8
Pray for Wisdom Philippians: 1:9-11
Pray for People in Authority: 1 Timothy 2:1-3
Pray for Daily Choices: Ephesians 6:1

I pray for my kids all the time but sometimes I need some direction. Join me this week and pray for your kids daily!

Playground Fun

2011-09-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

While in Indiana for Alexandra and Scott's wedding Bill played golf with a friend and I took the kids to visit IWU and also to the park.

Since we moved they have built a new playground and it was amazing!

It was huge and had smaller stuff on one end higher and bigger things on the other end.

We were not sure what this was but it was fun!

It was great for the kids to run free and play, especially after being in the car 12 hours and knowing we had another 12 hour ride home.

Wedding Part 2

2011-09-02T04:44:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from the reception- Laura and her friends put on the whole thing and it was amazing. If you missed the wedding pictures they are here.

Cupcakes- delicious and lovely

Sydney sampling crackers and dip (displayed in wheelbarrow on ice)- at this time it was still raining but it did clear and then sun came out!

Ireland- Laura's daughter (so Bill's granddaughter) I still remember the day she was born, wow has she grown

Introducing Mr and Mrs Scot Schuler

My kids love being outside and they were playing on the swing set and with match box cars

snacks- see the wood sign that says "Schuler August 20, 2011"

Griffin playing cars, I cannot resist taking pictures of him

Sydney helping herself to lemonade

Table decorations- flowers from gardens

the only picture of me with kids

Griffin played in ice for the longest time

Sangria cart -yummy

deposit used mason jars in wagon- such a clever idea

lights on picket fence

Alex changed into a shorter dress for part of the reception- ta da

These pictures do not show the true beauty of the reception and of all the work that went into putting it on!

Have you been to any outside weddings or receptions lately?

what we are reading

2011-08-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Help and loved it! My friend Ellie and I went to the movie which was very good but as always the book was better than the movie. Wow it makes me think about a lot of things. I am young enough that I have never seen separate bathrooms and drinking fountains for blacks and whites. I admired Skeeters character and the bravery that was displayed by all the women who told their stories. Did you read The Help? What did you think?
The kids and I have been reading Shel Silverstein Where the Sidewalk Ends and we have been giggling like crazy. We are also reading some Eye Witness books from the library about Mammals and Butterflies. What have you been reading with your kids lately?

Wedding part 1

2011-08-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Bill's daughter Alexandra married Scott Schuler on August 20th so we went to Indiana for the festivities. Bill's oldest daughter Laura and her friends helped with the decorations and the reception (at Laura's house)
Simple but very pretty decorations at the church

(flowers were all from friend's yards)

Marcus, Bill, Ryder and Christopher

(Bill's big boys and grandson)

Christopher and his girlfriend Lindsey

Bill and Griffin

Both Lindsey's, aren't they cute!

(Marcus' wife and Christopher's girlfriend)

All the girls, plus Ryder

the dresses were a dark blue- my pictures did not turn out the greatest in the church

Alex and Laura (Bill's big girls)

Alex and Bill

The wedding was beautiful (I actually missed most of it because I had to take Griffin out but what I saw was lovely)

I will share reception pictures soon.

Hurricane Irene Update

2011-08-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Category 1 when it hit the shores of NC, we are getting super high winds and our yard is a mess with limbs and leaves but so far that is all the damage. We are so thankful. Things are not nearly as bad as they prepared for so we are blessed!

Yes, hurricane Irene is on her way. Lots of evacuations and preparations under way. Right now it looks like it will be a category 4 hurricane. We should be fine, just wind and rain. One of my best friends lives on the coast so I am hoping their home is safe. We may have some company this weekend. Pray for those preparing that they get out safely.

IWU and Memory Lane

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

We were in Indiana last weekend and I took the kids to visit IWU, the university I attended for 4 years. It was a walk down memory lane yet so much has changed since I left 9 years ago (more than 9 new buildings).

Jackson Library -I believe this was finished before I graduated but I remember studying in the old library

Burns Science Hall- I spent SO MUCH time here since I was a biology major

Shatford House is an all freshman dorm except for the resident director and resident assistants. I actually lived here two years because my sophomore year I was the resident chaplain. Being a Shatford sister was an honor and we had so much fun.

The Williams Prayer Chapel which was finished my last year of school and was donated to the school by Wilbur and Ardelia Williams. I had Dr. Williams for Old Testament and he was an amazing teacher and mentor. Professor Ardelia created all of the stain glass windows.

I have a picture of myself in front of the chapel when I graduated but I do not remember spending any time in the chapel, I am not sure if this is because it wasn't done until the end of my fourth year or if it was because I lived on the other side of campus and was busy with school and work and did not make time to stop and visit.

The IWU campus is amazing and always immaculate. These hanging baskets are so huge and beautiful.

Inside the Student center- which was expanded right about the time I was graduating

coffee bar and fire place

new area outside the renovated Wild Cat Express

student center mall, complete with theatre, art gallery and restaurants- pizza, subs

hammick outside dorms- we had so much fun

Sydney was pretending it was a cacoon and then she hatched into a butterfly and flew around the yard

bells on outside of new Chapel Auditorium

chapel- this is new since I graduated, we used to have chapel in the Phillippe Performing Arts Center (picture below) three days a week

I lived in one of these apartments my senior year- this is where I was on 9/11 getting ready for chapel

I lived in one other dorm that I did not get a picture of this trip. I had one stroller and the kids were taking turns walking and they were tired so we needed to end the visit. IWU was a wonderful experience, both in terms of my education and also my emotional and spiritual growth.

Sydney enjoyed seeing where mommy went to school for undergrad and Griffin had fun running around.

Good Will finds

2011-08-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

We took some clothes to Good Will a few weeks ago to donate and then we found a few deals.

Sydney still loves skirts and I love skirts or pants that can go with any top.

This jean skirt was a 6T but did not fall off her hips so we bought it for 1.75

We also found 2 pairs of 2T jeans for Griffin 1.75 each. One pair had an adjustable waist so they will stay up and the other pair fit nicely.

Frog and rainbow pjs for Syd for 2.50- small stain on top but I think I can get it out

I plan to go back to Good Will and shop more when then kids are not with me because they were running all over and it was hard to sort through the clothes.

Sydney and I need to have another fashion show and try on all the pants from last year to see if any of them will work for this fall.

Have you found any deals lately?

Theme Song

2011-08-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is my theme song lately. I know a few different people have recorded it including Jeremy Camp and also Fernando Ortega. I want to continue to focus on what truly matters and I know that this world and all it troubles are so brief in the scheme of eternity. Here are the lyrics to "Give Me Jesus"

In the morning, when I rise

In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

When I am alone

When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

When I come to die

When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

inspiring

2011-08-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

"....there's the real danger of overlooking a very important day...today... For this is the place and time for living. Let us live each day abundantly and beautifully while it is here. " Esther Baldin York

Happy Birthday Micheal!

2011-08-18T03:09:00.000-07:00

Just looking at these pictures brings tears to my eyes! We were so excited to meet you and spend time with you. We knew you were a very special boy then and we know it more now.

We love you so much. Wish we lived next door so we could see you all the time. Aunt Meghan, Uncle Bill and your wild cousins love you so much. Happy Birthday!

Key Lime Pie

2011-08-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

I just love key lime pie and I was so happy when I came across this simple but delicious recipe.

1 (8oz) container whipped topping
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust

finely grated lime zest for sprinkling

In a medium bowl mix condensed milk, whipped topping and lime juice until smooth. Spoon mixture into pie crust, sprinkle with lime zest. Cover (I use the pie crust cover and put in freezer until firm (30 minutes or so). Enjoy! I cannot remember where I found this recipe but it is so yummy, light and fresh.