Now it's time to diet...

We officially finished up our holiday season on Monday with a big ol' family gathering at my aunt's amazing home.

My mom along with 3 of her 4 sisters were there, with 8 of 13 cousins, and lots of babies and more kids. And most importantly my grandpa and his wife. It was a great time. This was our 37th Annual [I think someone just pulled that number out of their behinds...we've never kept track before] Christmas gathering with our 1st Annual Soup Cook-Off. [My mom won! With her Chili recipe. There was some gooood soup! Over there she is with what she is dubbing as her secret recipe. She did later admit that there is no real recipe, just a little of this and a little of that.]

I didn't take any soup as I had been visiting with with family for 2 days prior, but I did make yummy Peanut Butter Swirl Bars. I also did up cute little hot pads for

my aunts and mother with the recipe and a photo of my grandmother on them. The hot pads and bars were both a big hit.

New Year's Eve we spent at my sister's. Had a good time with the kids all being together. Really wish her house was a little bigger so they could have ran around more. My niece was confused about what it meant for the "ball to drop". She kept asking if it was time for the ball to fall. We ate at Pizza Hut for dinner came home and made a little Cotton Candy, and played with the baby.

Got up and headed to my aunt's house and spent the day there with her and my mom. Helped

get ready for the family Christmas and just had a good time. Her house is amazing and it always makes me want to come home and clean and change things up here. She had a huge collection of old dishes that are all so cute. Makes me want to hit up the Antique Malls and get some of my own. She has recently added a sun room for all of her plants and I loved it. Only thing I'd change is I would have a chair and little table for book time.

Since I have such a wonderful photographer [my 13 year old son] I'll share more of our fun weekend.

Hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start! After eating way too much over the past 2 weeks it's definitely time for me to get back to eating healthier.

Me any my baby boy. My New Year hug!

Simon playing a card game at Aunt Sally's house.

Me on dish duty...check out the kitchen! I love it!

Mom playing for the grandkids.

Aunt Sally

It's amazing how a little rearranging can change your whole mood.
We are on week 2 of yucky, rainy weather here. I need a little boost. So what better to do that change it up?

I went to my first auction of the 'season' this past Saturday and was able to get a cute plant stand for $2. Who says plant stands have to hold just plants? When I bought it I had intended to place all plants but the little shelves didn't want to move to positions I wanted. I was afraid it would be uneven with it's weight so I added a few of my favorite smaller items. You can't make out the photos that well but the top black and white is my favorite old, old family photo. It has my great-great grandparents, along with other family members. The bottom, color photo is my mom and her family when they all were younger. I just love 'em both.

When my husband built our house 12 years ago the building plans were for this area to be a closet. He chose to leave the doors off so we have a cozy little area by the front door. I just added the wooden stand, which is my mothers sewing machine table.The white chair belonged to my grandmother. I repainted it last summer and redid the cushion.

Its an oak chair but she had painted it blue and the paint was getting very faded. I love the fact that both of our hands played a part in making over this chair. The coat hooks are metal shoe hooks I came across at a flea market. I attached them to a piece of wood my mom and I found while "picking" in my grandpa's barn. Hopefully visitors will feel welcomed when they come in the front door.

This area gets the most use in our home, our dinning room.

I moved the plants around and added a couple more family photos to my hutch. The hutch has a china cabinet that goes on the top of it. When we repainted, we decided not to bring that back in. I really like having an area to display my plants, and they love all the light they get from the patio door. The

hutch belonged to my husband's grandmother. And the plant in the blue pot belonged to my great-great grandmother (the one in the picture earlier). She gave a start to my great grandmother, and each generation it has just been passed along. I love it! And it's so easy to take care of.

Stuck in among the plants are a couple more photos of my grandparents and great-grandparents on my father's side. I just love having a piece of history mixed in with our everyday life. Simon enjoys telling everyone that the picture on the right is his "great-great grandma and great-great grandpa and that they are in heaven now because they died".

I have gotten hooked on the whole vinyl lettering thing. These 2 phrases came from Simply Said. My mom has the stuff all over her house...in a nice decorative way...and I love it. I can't wait to get a little more money saved up to add something else to the house.

I hope that everyone had a great Easter weekend. We had my in-laws over for a late dinner/early supper, and an Easter egg hunt. I am so glad that the rain held off so Simon could have fun with the hunt. Sounds like rain the most of this week (again). Can't wait for the May flowers that are surely in our future....right??!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Last weekend Joey/Dad/Hubby went into our bedroom closet to get a new book of checks. Simon/Cooper/Big Brat followed him.

The closet has been, for years, our hiding spot for Christmas presents. Everyone knows it and knows if they snoop the presents go back. Everyone but Simon.

Simon came running from the bedroom shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, guess what I saw! It's for me".

Simon saw his 'big' present. An Imaginext Bat Cave. I have no idea how he spotted it because it was hidden under bags and bags of other things. Somehow the little Batman logo stuck out like a sore thumb. When dad shooed him from the bedroom and wasn't going to let him have it, Simon started to cry.

What can any good parent do but give it to him. We very well couldn't follow the "they will go back rule". So we gave it to him. Made a big deal out of it. Had him sit on the couch and close his eyes. I came into the living room and shouted, "OPEN!" He acted like it was Christmas morning! He was so excited that we got him the 'espensive' (that's how he says it) Batman that he wanted from Wal-Mart. "This is the best Christmas ever!" He said it would be okay if that was his only gift. What a sweetie pie. He has played with it every day since. He even has been sleeping with Batman and Robin and the Bat Cave on a few occasions.


I finally finished up my Christmas table runner. Rachel of P.S. I quilt had a tutorial a while back for a table runner, but after I re-looked at it, it really wasn't what I wanted. So I snooped around her blog some more and found a table runner she had made for her MawMaw and loved it. I used the vintage fabrics I scored at the nearby antique mall, and finally got it done today. I also made 3 others for my mom and sisters and gave those at Thanksgiving. I loved hearing my sister say that I have too much time on my hands. This table runner was super easy to make but looks complicated. I love it.

The 3-tiered serving tray you see is an idea that I saw in a Gooseberry Patch Christmas book. I haven't been able to come across an evergreen tree that I'd like to swipe some boughs from. I just love Christmas and all the decorating that comes along with it. The ornaments are all mostly glass, some vintage, some not, just a cute combo.

I'll leave you with some other random shots of our house all dressed up for Christmas. If you have your house displayed on your blog, leave your blog info. I'd love to see what you have done.

Memorial Day

The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from his honor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief
N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General

This order was read today at our town's annual Memorial Day ceremony and I wanted to share it with all of you. Here is also a link to other good information about Memorial Day. I hope that we all can take some time to reflect on all that these men and women have done to help us have the freedoms that we have today in the United States.

The photo is of my grandfather Roger Neil Kiester. I feel terrible that I can not remember the the branch that he served in or the conflict he was a part of, I believe he served in Vietnam.

Land of the Free and Home of the Brave because of the Brave.

What a Wonderful Weeked

This past Saturday Joey, the boys and I went to see the Michigan football team play their Spring Scrimmage in Ann Arbor. It turned out to be a great day. Simon ended up sleeping through most of the game, which was a plus for us. He saw the football field, and the players and once he had enough he was out.
I have to share a funny story. While I was posting some of these football pictures on facebook Joey came into the room and I was asking him who some of the more famous past players were that I had gotten photos of. He asked why, who are you blogging that to? And I don't know why but this had me in tears. He is always making fun of me Tweeting, and Blogging and being on Facebook. He really needs to get all the terms straight. I mean come on, I wasn't blogging it to anyone. You don't blog to someone.

He feels that we are all 'friendless' people. If we all wouldn't be on the internet so much we could have friends.

While I'm on the computer he's busy doing my chores around the house. Dishes, cleaning, putting the kids to bed.

My reply was, "I know. I've blogged about that already." Geez...just lay off, Joey!
Okay, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.....this is for Aunt Staci. Simon loves his Diet Dr. Pepper. I wonder who he gets that from?
Simon, Alex, and my niece Ali with their eggs. We had wonderful weather. The kids all had fun. There was just enough to eat. It was just a great day.
The high school was supposed to have an away track meet tonight that I was going to drive the bus to, but it was canceled because of the weather. Didn't hurt my feelings too much because I didn't get the call until my sub was already at the school getting ready to take my afternoon kids home. So I was able to go to our Middle School track practice, and help the hubby.

When we got home it started to rain and I noticed the sun shinning too. The rainbow I saw out our front door was the brightest, biggest rainbow I think I've ever seen. I just wish this photo captured the beauty of it better. I just love seeing rainbows.

They really are a promise of a new day. And thank God for that. I'm ready for today to be over...after reading over my shoulder Joey is going to beat my ass tonight. So pray for me. [Just kidding, he doesn't hit me. Simon would never let him!]

Happy Easter

For those of you who remember my maiden name, you should get a real kick out of it!! Have a wonderful day!

2009

The holidays are finally over.

The new year has begun.

Only two more days and it's back to work.

We shared a fun day with my Mom and step-dad, Emily and Ali this past Thursday and Friday. We went to Splash Universe in Shipshewanna, IN. The kids all had a blast. We did a little browsing in the shops in town and got home last night just in time to see dad get home from work. It was nice spending time with them all doing something fun with the kids.

It will be nice getting back into the swing of things. Plus school's half over, which means summer's just around the corner...right?!

In my spare time this holiday break I have been doing more research on my family tree. Our computer that has the main copy of everything has decided to take a crap so I started over on my laptop, just for fun. I have started to find people who I hadn't discovered before. I look forward to keeping up the search.

I've also stumbled across another fun site that I like spending time at. It is Paper Back Swap dot com. You swap and share books with other members, only paying shipping to send your books to others. You can request and post paperback, hardcover and audio books. It's fun to have someone want your book, because then you get a 'point' and can request a book from someone else's library. I love it! It's been a great way to get some of my older books off the shelf.

Have a great first week of '09!

Holiday Memories

I can't help but feel a little nostalgic this time of year. Yesterday we spent the day with my parents. A yummy lunch, with the now traditional pizza. Opening gifts, the traditional way with the littlest ones opening first, everyone one at a time so we can all see what they get. A heartfelt gift from my mother. And then a long drive home.

We all couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that mom got our 'big' gift from a garage sale, but after the trip home I couldn't help but feel nostalgic about the Longaberger basket that I received. It was a 1998 Dresden Tour basket, that is signed by 3 or so of the basket makers. 1998 happens to be a special year to me because that was the year my first son was born. I received a Christmas basket that year (1998) that I still have.

I got the basket down this morning, and after cleaning the dust off read through the cards that I've been storing in it. It was fun to go back through old birthday, Mother's Day, and Christmas cards. Plus there were some photos from when Alex was born. Pretty special.

We were discussing last night what we wanted to do this year for our Christmas dinner, and I found that I didn't care what we had for dinner because breakfast is the important meal to me. My mom would always make a fancy, huge breakfast. And that's what I enjoy doing for my family. Joey on the other hand likes the big dinner. This year we are going to do both. Some of my favorite dishes for breakfast and some of Joey's for our late lunch. I want our kids to have special memories of the time we spend together. I really don't remember too many of the gifts I received as a child, just the special time we spent together.

This year make time to create small, special memories with your family.

Last night it snowed buckets and I am forced to spend the entire day at home with my family....here's our plan

Here's what we've done already:

• Made chocolate chip pancakes for the kids
  
• Changed Simon's bed, because it was "Durtie, Wet, and Uckie"
  
• Played a little Texas Hold 'Em Poker with Alex...I lost
• Played some other card games with these cute Christmas cards I have (Alex is 10 and unfortunately for me has to be entertained constantly like ALL the time. Simon is 2 and has been playing at the dinning room table for 4 hours All. By. Himself. No joke!)
• Did a little laundry, dished, and vacuumed.
• I'm making the kids do their own lunch because why should I? I've got the day off! Oh, and I had to show Mr. Not-Independent how to make hot cocoa. I mean come on. He was trying to follow the directions on the package. Come on, Man! (Guess I'm a little edgy towards him today, and he's been at his friend's house playing in the snow for a couple of hours...so I've had a break....what's wrong with me??!?!??!)
  
• Nap time is coming soon, and the rest of the day is going to be lazy, like the next 2 weeks!
• Dad will be home around 3, and I'll have to act like I've been busy all day doing 'housework'
• Tonight the girls are leaving for their mom's, and I'm sure we'll just laz around.

I love Christmas Break!

Martha Stewart

If her show has not aired in your part of the world yet today, you must watch it. She proves to us all that even she makes mistakes. And not just one mind you 2! I've been searching for clips on You Tube but no one has anything posted yet. It's just nice to know that even good ol' Martha screws up her Cranberry Cosmopolitan and Sticky Buns every now and again.

So now on to something absolutely divine....Carmel Corn. I have been dying for some for several weeks now and since there was no school today Alex and I made some. I was a little irritated to find that I must have trashed my hot air popper so we had to go with microwave popcorn, which I would not suggest. Ours seems to be a little mushy still. But it is still delicioso!

{Which I must say is our new word of the week....delicioso that is. Simon was eating a graham cracker the other morning and told me that it was delicioso. And who says watching TV isn't any good for kids. We love Diego and Dora! And there is this new Chineese girl, Kyan, who is teaching us Chineese.}

So, here's the Carmel Corn, I'm sure you can Google the recipe. If you want mine my mom's I'll share.

That's a lot of Carmel Corn! (And look, it's one of those photos where it's blurry in the front and back. I can't remember what it's called but I know I've seen something about it on some piture site.)

haaaggghhh

...as in wow....what a busy couple of days.

Thanksgiving on Thursday, which for us meant the start of Christmas shopping at 6 a.m. Which means you have to get up at 4 a.m. to make it to Meijer at 5 a.m. to wait in line until 6 to get the much coveted gift.

We spent the day with my mom's family in Indiana and had lots of goodies. I need to get my aunt's recipe for her Pumpkin Cheesecake, because it was the bomb! so much so I had 3 helpings of it.

Friday was the official start of the Christmas shopping season for the rest of the world and Alex wanted to see what the hype was all about so we got up kinda early (6:30 a.m.) and made a trip to Kmart to get a Handy Manny Talking tool set for $9.99-normally $34-ish but they were gone! :( That's why you get up early. We did get a few good deals. But I went over my limit so now we are going to be eating Ramen noodles and grilled cheese all week....no joke.

Friday afternoon we got the tree set up.

I actually did get some help from Coopie


But the help didn't last too long

This morning we put the lights up outside and Alex and I made some cute fruit decorations/ornaments.

Dad bitched (sorry mom) griped about the tradition that he started with the girls, where a kid puts the angel on the top of the tree. This is him griping...

But being the great daddy he is he suffered through it.

We took some family photos by the tree. This is the picture I wanted to use but of course....I can't

Daddy took some smoochy pictures with me.

And now it's pretty peacefull around here. The girls are with their mother, Alex is at a birthday party and Simon's trying not to fall asleep in his room...even though it's way past nap-time.

I think I'll join him in nappy land.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.