Wishes Dreams Love

A photo shoot with a Tween!

2011-12-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

My oldest wanted to do a mini photo session this evening and boy was it a quick one. Now mind you she is really testing the weather in this outfit. It's one week away from Christmas in Minnesota, the temp was around 34 degrees when I took this photo.

November: In the classroom

2011-11-19T20:23:00.000-06:00

As of September I took the big leap and returned to work full time, I'm assistant teaching preschoolers in a Montessori school.

One idea I found online I felt would definitely benefit our students was this idea using unpopped popcorn in a glass bowl. I used scrabble tiles same as shown below and taught the students how to use their pinchers to find the letters to form the words on the sheet of paper. The younger students are working on letter recognition while the older students are asked to state the letter and sound it makes.

Next month I've got plans for the winter theme...I've dyed rice blue and have blue letter tiles from a container I bought years ago from Walmart.

http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/files/thanksgiving-story-bracelet.doc from http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/my_montessori_journey/2009/11/thanksgiving-story-bracelets.html

For our Thanksgiving unit I read to the kids the story of Thanksgiving each day for a week (I wanted to add something I did while homeschooling my kids during their preschool years...Five in a Row program). Yesterday the students made retelling bracelets that I found online to go along with the our unit. We also made a turkey for our door. I had the kids pin punch out red maple leaves from construction paper and asked them what they were thankful for this year. In the end all the leaves formed the turkey's feather tail. We also made this together as a class for our cooking project and had it for dessert at lunch: http://thecraftingchicks.com/2010/10/mini-pots-of-pumpkin-cream-pie.html . We actually used whole milk and the kids used one graham cracker square in a ziploc baggie to pound themselves and pour the crumbs into a small plastic cup to start their own personal pumpkin cream pie. Almost all of them loved their treat and I was especially proud to hear a student that is a little fussy when it comes to eating their lunch say they LOVED IT and asked me numerous times to give the parents the recipe for them to make at home.

I found this cute little guy at the Target dollar spot a few weeks ago on a quick trip to the store and thought this was perfect for our students to work on number sequence, colors and fine motor skills with the puzzle.

I traced the entire puzzle on cardstock than laminated it so the kids had a guide for self correction.

A's Senior Pictures

2011-11-19T19:29:00.000-06:00

Last month I did a senior session with my niece's best friend. Here are my top 3 choices, she asked for lots of sun and softness for her session. I believe we captured both!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-03T08:12:00.000-05:00

Teaser went to my preschool Halloween party Friday night as Clark Kent. I was able to talk him into this costume just by saying, "anyone could be superman but no one would think of going as Clark Kent, you'd be original." Of course he was!

Nutmeg went as a good witch Halloween night.

Teaser than got into character Halloween night as the Walking Dead. Can you tell who has been watching bad movies with daddy?

Back to school clothes

2011-09-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

Sweetpea wanted to do a quick photo shoot to show off her new school clothes. I chose to do them all in the new wood chair I bought early this summer to practice poses

No summer is complete without an ER trip!

2011-08-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

Teaser was attacked by a 9 month old black lab puppy this past weekend at the lake cabin.

This here is his left leg that was bit first, just bruising and scratches from the puppy teeth.

This is where the worst had happened...left leg the dog clamped down hard and punctured the leg at the top. The ER doc said they don't stitch dog bites up any longer due to infections being worst that way. So teaser is on meds to fight the infection and is a bit sore when walking around too much. The bruising has gotten worse each day hopefully by the first day of school he'll be mostly healed.

Hubby said teaser's new nickname should be "milkbone" or "scooby snack".

So teaser has now moved up in the lead to having the most ER visits between all 3 kids. Of course, hubby said he's still in the lead for most scars in the family.

He caught the BIG ONE!!! and more...

2011-08-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

Teaser had a great time this past weekend at the lake cabin...papa and hubby took him out fishing for just 1 1/2 hours and he came home with a load.

This sunny is our favorite...what a BIG ONE!!!

2011 Summer Soccer

2011-08-04T05:25:00.000-05:00

It was quite a full month in July for us when it comes to sport tournaments. Nutmeg ended her soccer season shortly before sweetpea's softball and teaser's baseball.

Way to go nutmeg! SCORE!

The end of our softball season

2011-08-01T21:48:00.001-05:00

Sweetpea just finished her softball season with a big BANG!!!! Her team came in 2nd after playing a two day tournament, one the second day they played 5 games total, every 2 hours. Way to go girls!

This night the game was missing an ump so hubby "stepped up to the plate" to fill in. Here's sweetpea up to bat.

Wouldn't we all love to have those tone shoulders.

Alli's quilt

2011-06-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Hubby's niece graduated high school this past month and our gift to her was a handmade full sized quilt from us that I made. I had asked her early on in the school year what 3 colors were her favorite: violet, lime green, and teal blue (almost aquamarine) is what she told me. I was able to find pieces here and there over the school year that were in her color choices and that went well together so finally have this quilt completed 2 weeks ago. I made the backside with one full print that is colorful as you can see here in the photo so it's reversible as well. Enjoy Alli and congrats!

Kids Summer Photo Challenge

2011-06-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

This summer I wanted the kids to explore more and view things a little differently, "creatively" I would say. I challenged my two girls with using their new cameras to capture one of three things each week.
Week 1: letter, shape, or home

This is sweetpea's choice for LETTER!

"D"

Week 2: Emotion, Paint, or Animal

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

2011-05-18T09:52:00.001-05:00

All links on sidebar

Memorial wall in DC

2011-05-17T18:37:00.000-05:00

Remembering one of the finest men I know...uncle Joe!

Hubby finding his uncle Joe's engraved name on the wall.

Where the Lions Rest

By Oscar Thomasson , March 4, 2011

Of all the monuments engraved in stone,
there is one that comes very close to home.
A simple stone wall honoring some of America's best,
on a piece of sacred ground, where the lions rest.

A sister, a brother, a husband or wife,
honored here because they gave their life.
Having passed the warriors final test,
on a piece of sacred ground, where the lions rest.

Behind a shield taking a stand,
to bring justice and order to our blessed land.
A brave heart once beat in their breast,
on a piece of sacred ground, where the lions rest.

Now they walk a quieter beat
Where evil has already seen its defeat
May they spend eternity among the blessed,
on a piece of sacred ground, where the lions rest!

Uncle Joe joins the 19,298 fallen law enforcement officers on the National Memorial wall in DC.

Reading

2011-05-05T17:13:00.003-05:00

All links on sidebar.

Recipe: Lemon Treats/ Teacher gift

2011-04-29T09:07:00.008-05:00

When spring comes I get a craving for something lemon and this recipe just hits the spot for me.

Lemon Treats

9 cups Rice Chex

1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

4 tsp grated lemon peel

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter together, than add lemon peel and juice to pan; stir altogether. Put cereal in big bowl using a soft spatula mix lemon mixture with cereal gently. Place half of mixture and powdered sugar in paper bag and shake, do the same for other half. Lay out on wax paper to cool before storing in air tight container.

It seems I always have a box of Rice Chex in our pantry as we love to make snack mixes with it. It's a quick treat and great to take on the road to the cabin.

I forgot to add this to the post:

I'm giving these as teacher appreciation gifts next week along with one little item. The tag on these lemon treats will read, "Lemonee just say how special you are to me. Thank you teacher, "

Uncle Joe's Family Fun Fundraiser

2011-04-25T10:17:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was the big event that the Maplewood Police Dept. put together to raise money for uncle Joe's memorial that is being built in front of the police department.

The kids had a blast from face painting, free balloons, 2 bounce houses, air hockey, photo booth, practice hitting baseballs, and more for all kids.

Nutmeg also found a cool car she wanted to ride home in but there were plenty of cool vehicles shown.

Teaser had a great time hitting baseballs. I'd say it came in second to the bouncy house.

The Maplewood Bounce Team came out for an hour and had folks bouncing in the air...they had aunt Gail up there, as well as sweetpea.

There were lots more activities going on that we didn't even get to.

Next Sunday May 1, 2011 will be the one year anniversary of Sgt. Joe Bergeron's death. We will be attending the revealing of the memorial that afternoon in Maplewood, honoring uncle Joe.

Prayer

2011-04-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

photo from flick
My prayer from my bible study on the Fruit of the Spirit:

This morning I am literally charging up the mountain path -- avoiding all the switchbacks placed in my way. I am following after You, Jesus - propelled along by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I am not seeking after reward, fame, security - all the things the world values. I am seeking after love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self control. I am looking out with renewed eye's, renewed hope, and my faith is being lifted up on eagle's wings.

photo from flickr

I pray for the fruit of the Spirit to penetrate every fiber of my being. Wake me up -- restore my peace -- empower me through the power of the Holy Spirit within. Free me from fears and teach me Your ways! May I rejoice in You.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again - Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything. by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of god which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:4-7

Word Roll

2011-04-15T09:58:00.005-05:00

Click here to print word roll

I saw something similar to this that sent me off in the right direction in a game I felt my son would enjoy with practicing his 100 sight words. I made up the spreadsheet and printed it off, now all I have to do is go back and change the words each time I want to make a new gameboard.

Directions to make and play the game: 1 or more players.

1 gameboard sheet

2 dice (one for numbers and the other I just put sticker dots with the letter on them)

marker for each player

Object of the game:

Roll the dice and read the word that corresponds with your roll. From example above: he rolled 4/c, he then read the word: OUT. Once he correctly reads the word he crosses it off with his marker. Each child can use a different colored marker to see who wins the game with the most crossed off or I had teaser play the game by himself to just get an idea of how the gameboard worked.

I was very impressed with his spreadsheet skills in matching the letter and number up to get the correct.
also linked up at: http://www.word.notimeforflashcards.com/2011/04/link-learn-6.html

Moments alone with a child

2011-04-13T10:26:00.001-05:00

photo from flickr

I asked my oldest daughter yesterday after track practice, "what was the best part of your day?" Her answer: archery

Then I asked her, "what was the worst part of your day?" Her answer: 3 bees chased me at track practice, I had to run even faster to beat them.

YEAH Spring break!

2011-03-24T19:29:00.002-05:00

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Word Game

2011-03-23T18:23:00.006-05:00

Teaser was needing some extra help with his 1st grade high frequency and sight words, so I searched the net for a game we could make at home that would encourage him to retain these words.

This game is called many names, but we call it "BANG", as it was suggested by a teacher and teaser loved hearing me yell, "BANG" when one of us pulled out that card.

Instructions to make game:
1 container
cardstock to print or write out 30 words, plus 5 "BANG" cards

Pick 30 words you wish to work on with your child and write on the cards so they fit easily in your container but still can mix them up, add 5 cards that say, "BANG" on it.

Object of game:
2 or more players, one player picks out a card, reads the word. If word is read correctly they get to keep the card, if incorrect it must go back into container. Next person repeat. If you get the "BANG" card you must put all your cards back into the container. The game is never ending! We have changed the rule about how many cards go back with the BANG card to be able to finish for the night, as we got further down to a few cards I pulled the BANG cards out so we could end the game.

Note: when I play with my son, I make sure to show him the card and say the word in case it goes back into the container and he gets it some time later he has already seen and heard the word correctly. Also, if you are using fresh words your child hasn't seen or heard before I recommend pulling all the cards out first and repeating the words to them to give them a little help in preparing for the game.

Daily devotion

2011-02-28T12:50:00.002-06:00

"So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." Romans 14:19

2011-02-16T11:44:00.004-06:00

pic from freepeople.com

I'm so in love with this ring!

I found this wonderful quote a few days ago as I'm preparing my speeches for the kids Art Adventure program at our school. This year we are doing "Sources of Strength" theme and Dorthea Lange is one of the photographers I'm sharing with the kids.

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." quote by Dorthea Lange

REFLECTION

2011-02-15T09:09:00.003-06:00

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Happy Valentine's day!

2011-02-14T10:48:00.004-06:00

The BIG winner!

2011-02-07T09:59:00.003-06:00

No, not those green guys...ME!!!!

Last night our church had it's big superbowl party that the youth group puts together. We turn our big fellowship hall into a game room with lots of couches, comfy chairs, big screen tvs, tables with games, and LOTS of food.

This year they decided to have a chili and cornbread cook off. There were I believe 17 crockpots FULL of various chili's and 8 different kinds of cornbread to pick from.

Now I'm not a big chili fan due to the beans, hot spices, and strong tomato taste but my hubby LOVES it and makes the best that people request it often. Of course that was once again proven last night when he was chosen #1 by the judges and #2 by the people's choice award for best chili. Neither of us voted for his chili to make sure it was fair, and he was actually one of the judges for tasting all the chili's.

And another bigger surprise for me was I took home WINNER for best cornbread by the judges and 2nd place by the people's choice as well. I was really surprised by this because at one point I noticed only 3 muffins gone and I didn't go back to check on the supply left before the winner was announced.

My favorites were the white chicken bean chili that was sooo good, I've been on the hunt for the owner of this recipe to get it myself. I also splurged and ate not 2 but 3 cornmeal sweet bread fritters.

We felt blessed to receive the winning favorites but we put half of our awards into the basket for a donation to the 30 hour famine that's taking place at our church with the youth group next month.

Snow cream

2011-02-01T12:38:00.004-06:00

Well this weekend the kids wanted to do another fun and yummy experiment. So I agreed especially since we were going to use snow (which we have an abundance of I remind you..ack SPRING please come sooner rather than later this year!)

So nutmeg scooped half a gallon bag of snow from the deck (this area is an animal free zone for us) to use for our ice cream experiment.

I mixed these ingredients with it to make vanilla snow cream:

1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup 2 % milk

There you have it! A nice snow cream treat to eat. As they ate, they thought about what other flavors they might like to try in the future.

BRACES!!!

2011-01-31T09:42:00.004-06:00

Well sweetpea got her first braces!

We are starting with the top teeth first. She only had one baby tooth left so they skipped that tooth until it comes out. As she's sitting in the ortho chair she asks the woman, "would you like me to take it out now for you?" The dental assistant didn't quite understand what sweetpea was asking because she'd never heard such a thing before. What she doesn't get is that sweetpea has been pulling her baby teeth out by herself whenever she wants to. The assistant simply said, "no thanks". Which sweetpea replied to her saying, "I'll do it at home and have it out by tomorrow, should we come back than?" Honestly folks, this woman literally blinked 3xs with her eyes opened wide. I explained to her what sweetpea does and she just chuckled saying to tell her on our next visit how long it took to get the tooth out.

She took it out Thursday night!

The perfect Valentine!

2011-01-29T16:28:00.002-06:00

I know what I'm giving my family for Valentine's day! I LOVE this idea from: http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2010/01/valentine-day-gifts-we-make-great-pair.html

Classroom Valentine treats!

2011-01-29T15:33:00.007-06:00

Since our school does not allow homemade treats, it's difficult for me to find come up with unique gifts. Here are some awesome ideas I found online:

1. http://blonde-designs.squarespace.com/blonde-designs-blog/2010/2/3/lip-and-moustache-lollipops.html
2. http://www.designmom.com/2009/02/maudes-valentine-friendship-bracelets/

3. http://inplaceofhercrown.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-dig-you-valentine-fun.html

4. http://jacolynmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/01/dont-go-changin-valentines.html
5. http://jacolynmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/01/you-are-amazing-just-way-you-are.html

6. http://jacolynmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/01/wild-thingyou-make-my-heart-sing.html

Words from a child

2011-01-28T22:31:00.004-06:00

It seems even though it's been two years since my son (now 7 years old) came to understand what funerals meant, he still states the most amazing things when he attends them.

Yesterday's funeral for aunt Jean, was no different. As his nana wrote out her personal information to give to the pastor for future reference he commented to her, "isn't that illegal, without having permission". Coming from an officer's son no less.

At my grandmother's funeral when he came to the understanding of death, he recalled the little things he remembered about his great grandma Opal. While my mil, his nana, walked with him as he showed her the flowers that graced around grandma he asked her, "why did people send her flowers after she died because I know she liked flowers so she would have liked to receive them when she was living?" He was so right, my grandmother LOVED flowers, actually any floral plant or gardening in general but her favorite was purple flowers.

We were somewhat prepared for my grandmothers passing but in my grief I didn't realize the full depth of my young son's understanding of death for the first time. He was taking the day quite well but once teaser saw grandma moved to the hearse and driven away he cried terribly for her in my arms, screaming for them to bring her back in front of all the family members. He was the only person there that had showed so much emotion in front of everyone.

I love this little man soo much!

2011-01-14T13:32:00.006-06:00

He won't admit it but he does love her...

2011-01-14T09:34:00.004-06:00

"She is the tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast." Proverbs 3:18

2011-01-12T09:30:00.006-06:00

This is by far my favorite photo from all my holiday photographs, even though only hubby is looking at me I see in his eyes his love for his daughter and her smile shows how much she loves her gift...WILDS sweatshirt that she'll wear every game and watch it from her daddy's lap.

I made this Christmas gift for my mil. I wanted something unique and special to give to her.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and family filled holiday season as we did!

Photography inspiration for me:

2011-01-11T10:15:00.002-06:00

Forums:
http://www.clickinmoms.com/ (paid membership)
http://ilovephotography.com/forums/index.php?act=idx
http://www/twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&forum_id=21&thread_id=2953908

Photo gifts:
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?g=1&seed_id=22719&f=n

Photography supply stores:
http://photojojo.com/

blogs for inspiration:
http://www.pixelperfectblog.com/
http://julestrandem.com/meet-the-teacher-san-diego-child-photographer/
http://phipps4blog.blogspot.com/
http://www.merakoh.com/
http://shutterbugandthesweetlife.blogspot.com/
http://kristendukephotography.com/
http://aliedwards.com/
http://www.iheartfaces.com.

workshops:
http://www.willettedesigns.com/
http://nicolesclasses.bigcartel.com/
http://maggieholmes.typepad.com/my_weblog/

photoshop actions:
http://paintthemoon.net.blog/videogallery.php?GalleryID=20&GalleryName=Tutorials&OrderNum=1 (tutorials)
http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/search/label/Photoshop
http://www.beckyhiggins.com/freestuff/
http://www.photographybb.com/photoshop-stuff/3-free-photoshop-christmas-card-templates/
http://myluckylemon.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-freebie.html

Tips:
http://www.amywenzel.com/?p=541
http://sites.google.com/site/biowbiow002/twopeas_12week
http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/06/photography-with-kristen-dukeself.html
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/05/05/photo-tip-getting-in-the-pictures/
http://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-photo-traditions.html

Props:
http://thecraftymamablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/mustache-on-stick.html

Next years Halloween ideas for parties!

2011-01-11T10:04:00.002-06:00

Having one Kid's halloween party under my belt during our vacation time now I can get myself a little more organized and plan things out more. We had a blast but definitely I needed more activities, less candies, more foods, and better ideas on how to transport it all for the 5 hour drive than set up the next day. I think that's what did it most for me is not having the party in my home but in a new space 5 hours away, with bare minimum cooking supplies and no room in the van to transport all my decor ideas and platters.

I'm just going to compile ideas and see what I can come up with next year:
Craft idea:
caramel apple making: http://fahrenheit350.blogspot.com/2009/10/ga-ga-for-gifts.html

inspiration: http://onecharmingparty.com/category/halloween/
http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/cat_reaction.html

activities:
http://www.life123.com/home-garden/housekeeping/cleaning-with-vinegar/baking-soda-and-vinegar-bombs.shtml

Recipes I want to try:

2011-01-11T09:08:00.002-06:00

Desserts:
http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/2009/01/classic-vanilla-bean-panna-cotta.html
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/04/perfect-panna-cotta/
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/apple-pie-bars-920531/
http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/11/peppermint-truffle-pie.html

Appetizers:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/smoked_salmon_and_goat_cheese_toasts/

Main dishes:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ham-balls/Detail.aspx (while visiting friends in PA this was a meal my oldest dd wanted again and again)

Gift style foods:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/hot-chocoate-on-a-stick/
http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/02/09/hot-chocolate-on-a-stick/
http://www.giverslog.com/?p=3290
http://cookiesandcups.blogspot.com/2010/02/words-and-valentines.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5165451_thin-chocolate-dipping-candy.html
http://blog.tinyprints.com/diy/diy-smores-party-favors/

Baking inspiration:
http://www.bakeitpretty.com/

Party snacks:
http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2010/04/caramel-chex-mix.html
Oreo truffles: http://cookiesandcups.blogspot.com/2009/02/superbowl-cupcakes.html
I love anything VANILLA!!!! http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/08/11/vanilla-cut-out-cookies/

Organizing my favorites tab:

2011-01-03T15:09:00.002-06:00

Halloween themed finds:
http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/10/halloween-mummy-birthday-party.html#more

http://kitchenwitchcookie.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/hob-knobbing-with-goblins/

http://craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/2010/10/witch-hat-cookies.html

http://crafts.slides.kaboose.com/316-halloween-crafts/4

http://crafts.kaboose.com/stained-glass-pumpkins.html

http://crafts.kaboose.com/spider-candy-holder.html

http://www.pleasant-home.com/2009/10/easy-peasy-tic-tac-halloween-gift.html

Thanksgiving themed finds:

http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/11/thanksgiving-entertainment-for-kids.html#more

Christmas themed finds:

http://capcreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/inn-keepers-key-with-printable.html

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-planners.html

http://www.tipjunkie.com/home-made-christmas/

http://pioneerpartyandgift.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-gift-ideas-free-downloads.html

http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BiblesCraftsChristmasNamesJesus.html discussion with this project http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1679.html

Neighbor and teacher gifts

2010-12-21T11:26:00.002-06:00

I was totally inspired by this post: http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/12/snow-cone-neighbor-gift.html as I LOVE to give gifts that the kids enjoy as much as the adults for christmas.

I went to various stores and found no snowcone syrup available so I decided to make my own! It was absolutely easier than driving to all those stores and will not make that mistake again. I did want to have the spout kind of water bottles but I did make another mistake by just grabbing ones I liked without looking. Did you know they now make child proof water bottles where you CAN NOT take the spout off the top of the bottle to open it fully? Hah...who would have thought that with water!?!?!

I did keep one bottle for ourselves as it just wasn't fair that my own kids wouldn't get a chance to enjoy this fabulous treat when we have TONS of snow handy right on our own deck untouched.

I've spoken to two neighbors and they stated that the kids LOVED this gift and one teacher was once again thrilled to be receiving a gift she could enjoy with her sons as she LOVES that I remember them home without mommy while 25 other kids have her attention all day long.

The morning I made these I had to go into school that afternoon to volunteer in the classroom. Big mistake because not only did my house smell like a candy store but I DID TOO!!! I think the kids had a sugar high just sitting next to me while they read to me their lessons.

Let's bowl!

2010-12-20T09:42:00.003-06:00

It was teaser's 7th birthday earlier this month and since it was the off year that we don't do the big party for him we gathered with family members to celebrate a few times. First with the grandparents and than Nana decided to make it a date on her day off. Plans began to explode from there!

When Nana asked what fun kid thing teaser wanted to do, he chose bowling. Nana brought along some cousins as well as us inviting more cousins and there you have it...a quick birthday party!

Nutmeg bowling...she helped prepare homemade cupcakes that we wrapped in cardstock with the paper covers (sorry no pics..they got eaten so quickly they were so good!) We picked vanilla flavored cake mix so I think that made the big difference in flavor!

Little Loo here was super quick to bowl!

Sweetpea enjoyed the morning as well and helped me make up simple favor bags for the cousins to take home. We put silly bands, glow bracelets, tattoos, candy, and a sticky slap hand for the favors into the bags.

The oldest cousin also enjoyed her time with us. It's nice to have an activity that all ages enjoyed together! Nana bowled too, she loves to bowl! Afterwards we went out for pizza and pasta. Teaser got his last gift from nana and LOVED IT!!! The girls and he played the game right away once we got home...Headbanz. Definitely something all ages could play as well.

Multi tasking days...

2010-12-15T10:29:00.004-06:00

I did a bit of this yesterday!

The kids came home and started counting out the gifts. I told them it was the same as other years...THREE gifts!!! each. We took this approach years ago and it has worked out great. We explain to the kids that Jesus received 3 gifts at his birth from the wisemen, which we celebrate this holiday season for, and they haven't complained once.

I made up these not as gifts but to send to a friend who owns a cutesy gift shop up north that wanted to try selling them to see if they were an item she could stock. I pray that they sell well because I could use some extra cash especially after the holiday season.

Two years ago I made these for folks (
http://wishesdreamslove.blogspot.com/2009/01/recipe-20-chocolate-covered-coffee.html)
and took a year off from dipping items in chocolate because that was alot of work for those little beans (dipped 3xs for good coating). They were a BIG hit! though.

This year I wanted to try something similar and found inspiration from "theidearoom" website. I made chocolate covered hot cinnamon gummi bears, which only took 1 chocolate coating this year. They are very yummy!

Christmas goodies

2010-12-07T08:39:00.003-06:00

I needed something quick to add to our cookie platter for Saturday's church decorating party and these were perfect!

You start with these three ingredients, bake the pretzels and rolo's at 200 degrees for 8 minutes.

Than press a M&M into the center before it cools. Definitely don't forget the tin foil on your cookie sheet to help with the cleaning.

Edited to add: I came upon this wonderful gift tag to include with I'll be using to give these as gifts to teachers and Sunday school teachers.

http://mycomputerismycanvas.blogspot.com/2010/11/m-nativity-legend-recipe-and-printable.html

Christmas goodies

2010-12-06T11:20:00.003-06:00

I needed to have some Christmas cookies prepared for our church decorating party so I made up some mint M&M sugar cookies.

When sweetpea got home first I of course needed a taste tester and some practice with portraits.
I'm thrilled how these two pictures turned out as the catch lights hit her eyes beautifully to light them up...these are SOOC. I'm always having a hard time with that as all my kids have DARK brown eyes, especially teaser as his are the darkest you can't even see the difference between his pupil and iris most of the time and it certainly doesn't help that his eye condition doesn't allow much light to entire his left eye to help me do the catch lighting effect.
We decided to add the Christmas lights necklace to make it look more festive.

Another issue I'm having is finding photographs that aren't vertical for our calendars as gifts to the grandparents. Seems this year I really went with vertical when capturing the kids individually but as a group they are good horizontal yet who can find a few pictures let alone more than one where all the kids look at me and good.

The Spirit of Christmas: neighborhood

2010-12-01T14:51:00.005-06:00

I've shared this idea before here on the blog a few years ago but I wanted to capture my son actually doing this lovely tradition for our Christmas photo book.

The Spirit of Christmas:
(Make a star from foil and secretly deliver it with this poem and a plate of treats to three (or more) neighbors)

Add this tag:
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS HAS JUST VISITED YOU!
The spirit of Christmas is moving quietly and quickly through our neighborhood. The Christmas spirit is the warm feeling you get inside when you show someone how much they mean to you.The plate of goodies/gift that you received represents the special kind of unselfish love that Christ has for all of us.The star is the bright star of Bethlehem that showed others the way. Place the star in your window to let others know that the spirit of Christmas has visited you.Make two plates of goodies/gifts with notes like this, each gift should have a star like yours and should be delivered anonymously, to others that have not been visited by the spirit of Christmas, letting the star be your guide. Please spread the spirit within 48 hours for each house must have a star in the window by Christmas day.Thank you for sharing the spirit of Christmas. May happiness and joy be yours throughout the Christmas season and always.

Here's teaser working on his stars.

And this year I chose to give our two neighbors Advent calendars for their kids to share. I thought they were a perfect compliment to The Spirit of Christmas.

Birthday's

2010-11-30T11:21:00.004-06:00

Before we begin all the holiday hoopla we must celebrate some wonderful birthday's. In our family we have a tradition where you get the BIG birthday parties with friends during your Kindergarten year, 10 yr, and 16th birthday. On the other years we celebrate it with a gathering of family or occasionally one friend outings/sleepover. We also have the child whose birthday it is pick the menu and cake that will be served.

Nutmeg turned 9 years old, early in November and since teaser turns 7 early in December we bring both sets of grandparents together between the birthdates and have a party!

Nutmeg chose the menu "Surf and Turf", those are hubbies awesome Broiled Scallops with Tomato Jam he makes himself, and teaser picked the cake (chocolate of course!).

We're wild about the MN WILD hockey team.

This little kitty has been sitting on my mom's dresser for several months and I know for a fact that when she walked by it she'd pet the kitty to make it kick at her, I was surprised she gave it up she enjoyed it soo much herself.

Teaser has a love for bird calls. We could be hiking in the north shore, sitting on the beach at our cabin, or playing just outside our home and he'll be asking, "what bird is that mom?" This book is awesome.

She immediately went to her roomafter the party and made bracelets and necklaces for her friends.

I really wished I had him open this gift at the table so I could get his reaction better, even nutmeg was hard to photograph because her hair would continue to fall forward closing off her face for me to take good pictures.

Of course, hubby just goofing off because I turned the camera lens on him.

Afterwards, I cleaned everything up just to make even more of a mess the following night for our junior high youth group gathering here for we consider a T-day meal for them. We decided on a taco bar theme night and played games with them. Quite a gathering with 10 youth group kids, 4 adults and our added two younger kids. The next day I didn't do a single thing but relax knowing I was going to have to prepare for Thanksgiving day here for our family and 3 guests.

I felt like we were a "party" house after all those gatherings.

Keeping her warm!

2010-11-28T19:48:00.002-06:00

Sweetpea was to go on a 3 day class field trip with 1/2 her class to Deep Portage and the temps were 23 degrees so hubby thought she needed some new fleece pants to keep her warm in the evenings.

She loved them soo much she put them on immediately than in the morning forgot to pack them for the trip!

Hubby was one of the chaperone's for the trip and he chuckled when I told him she not only forgot the fleece pants I made the day before they left but her toothbrush and hairbrush.

Gift ideas for boys: 4 to 8 years

2010-11-26T12:47:00.005-06:00

This Christmas my son and nephews are getting beyond the actual toy stage (that we can afford) but they all have a love for Lego's which is nice. Having to come up with gifts in a reasonable price range that they actually like is hard to do. I'm hoping in my search for the right gifts this holiday season these posts may help others out there too and have a less stressful holiday season.

If you follow along this blog often enough you know that we take annual trips up north and do quite a bit of hiking and nature walks as a group activity. I thought these gifts would do nicely.

A compass: now there are many different styles out there so I haven't looked them all over but these were my first choices. These have nice clasps to hook onto belt loops.

There is also this style my hubby carries with him on his hunting gear.If you are looking for something nicer this one is good too.

Than every kid needs a magnifying glass, sturdier the better!Of course, the kids want to be like the adults and these head flash lights are terrific for some fun outdoors.

Now this one is really cute for those younger boys and better for indoor playing.And to complete the look is durable binoculars to catch a bird in flight. (my kids also like to bring along ziploc baggies on our nature hikes/walks to carry their treasures but you could also make canvas bags or backpacks for them to make the gift come together while adding a small water bottle)My youngest nephew has a great LOVE for garbage trucks and if you add lego's to the mix all the better. I'm definitely getting him this set this Christmas.

My oldest nephew is in 2nd grade, LOVES lego's and I'm thinking what kid doesn't love to wear a cool watch! This is another definite gift I'm getting this Christmas to give.

I was looking over at a favorite blog: theidearoom and thought this was a terrific idea to give along with any Lego set to help those mama's keep them pieces together. You could label the container, "Luke's Legos", also each compartment have a label so the kids could keep things neat and organized themselves.

One last thing, I like to keep a list handy with extra ideas to pass along to those aunties, uncles, and grandma's that call asking for ONE MORE gift idea for each of the kids. I include on my list beside each item the price and location where to buy it. That way I can ask how much they want to spend, than go over my list and give them 2 options. If they tell me right away which one they are getting I cross it off the list so I don't repeat the item to someone else otherwise I sometimes ask two weeks before Christmas what they may have gotten because my ideas list is pretty limited by that point.

Oh, and there is one tradition (I think you'd call it now a tradition as it's been going on the past 3 years) is I keep a list of the kids favorite treats/sweets because it's nice to add a little something they can have immediately upon opening their gift especially if you give gift cards to those older teens. One niece is getting Itunes and sour patch kids candies as her gift this year. Or I know we never have enough fun winter gloves around here so I tuck gift cards inside winter gloves/mittens, add a gift tag, and hang it on the tree. That's a super quick and waste not gift wrapping idea.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2010-11-25T22:55:00.004-06:00

As most Thanksgiving days go for us here, hubby was at work but he wasn't the only one. My sil also had to work from 5 am - 5 pm, she is a paramedic/EMT with a bachelors in nursing.

I thought with the icy road conditions it didn't seem like her girls were going to get to Nana's house this year so I invited them to our home. I was already preparing our feast to begin between 2 to 4 pm (depending on the calls they were to receive) so it made sense to feed those men and women working hard this Thanksgiving protecting our community and keeping us safe and healthy.

I quickly took a few photos of the girls, of course that put my mashed potatoes behind schedule in getting cooked because I wasn't thinking about food but photography.

All is good! because LOOK at that turkey breast! It came out perfectly I think.

I also wanted to send out a prayer to heaven, "Happy 50th birthday Uncle Joe, we love you and miss you greatly. You always made our Thanksgiving's a special time of year so we could celebrate your birthday. Now we will continue to celebrate your life on this day each year. God bless you Uncle Joe."

It's a HOE DOWN!!!

2010-11-23T21:45:00.002-06:00

Every year the 1st and 2nd grade classes put on a hoe down for their parents. In the last 6 years I've gone for each of my children, except one year between the girls so I'm a pro watcher!

This year it was teaser's turn to impress me with his dancing abilities and charm with the ladies.

Here's teaser and his partner Jenna.

This is an action shot when they got to dance funny for one part in the dance.

They're all (150 1st graders) are just too cute when they dance together.

Jenna and teaser before the square dancing begins, smiles from start to finish!

A special visitor

2010-11-15T15:10:00.007-06:00

In late September we had a very special visitor arrive from France.

The story began back in 1958, my mother than a young girl sitting in her English class as her teacher informs the students they will be exchanging letters with students who live in France. Everyone was given a name of their penpal, my mother's was Jean's. They have written to each other all these years still corresponding about their daily lives and families.

This late September, Jean flew for the first time to the United States to meet my mother and our family face to face after writing to one another for 52 years.

That's my dad on the far left, Jean in the middle, and my mother on the right.

Jean and mom.

Of course there is more to this story. This is NOT the first time I had met Jean. During the summer before my senior year of high school I was a foreign exchange student living in Europe (mainly Germany). During that time I was able to visit with Jean and meet him, it was wonderful to have finally meet him face to face after all those years reading his letters.

After that visit I began writing my own letters to Jean about my daily life and over the years celebrating the news of my marriage and each of my children. We think of Jean as a long distance uncle. Of course now we have moved into the generation of emailing instead of letter writing but Jean still has the very first letter my mother wrote him as well as mine.

Our family's goal is to visit Jean one day in France...soon I hope!

Rock Memorial

2010-11-12T21:16:00.003-06:00

Rock Memorial for Uncle Joe

2010-11-12T09:27:00.003-06:00

Two brothers in arms.
Two brothers armed for our communities and country.
Two brothers in their mother's arms praying she does not lose them as she has lost her brother.

Our Halloween party up north!

2010-11-09T11:21:00.006-06:00

We had a family halloween party. We had a snack bar with just Candy! (the first words I heard when sils arrived that it smelled like a candy store in our villa) They first had to guess how many candy corns were in the jar to win it. Than onto the spider web that it took us quite some time to make but well worth seeing some of the young ones get tangled up in it trying to find their prize at the end of their web. We played other games like pin the tail on the black cat, a relay race with ping pong ball eyeballs on spoons, witch's stew race, face painting/tattoo's, and stop and go dance time. They also got to decorate their own trick or treat bags while getting a break to snack on the goodies and enjoy their orange soda. I felt we needed to quiet down before the moms came to pick them up so I found a great game where you fill a bag with prizes for each person than read a Halloween story that repeats one word often enough that as they pass the bag around the circle when the word is heard that child gets to pick a prize from the bag. It worked great and everyone had a BLAST!!!

I heard my oldest nephew ask if we could do this again next year. DEFINITELY!!! I will have to come up with more games those and prizes as I felt there just wasn't enough. The dance game was a last minute time filler we added to burn some of that sugar off before we did the relay race outside.

The kids could dress up in costumes if they wanted to, which most did. When we danced I blasted the music that even people outside were laughing and dancing with us. Once outside they could probably tell it was a halloween party with the costumes and the relay race happening as they watched us.

I'll add instructions tomorrow for all the party games and a few extra photos of the decorations we had. I didn't get a picture of every child alone or even as a group in their costumes, guess next year I'll have to try that or have one adult stay and take pictures for us.

Last of Grand M. vacation 2010

2010-11-09T11:04:00.005-06:00

Here is our very last morning as we are leaving and stopped at Cascade Falls to get our family pics for a short hike. The men of the family...hubbies younger brother, hubby and fil.

My mil and fil!

Hubbies older sister and her two girls.

Our family together. Okay, if anyone sees this picture that knows me in person will notice that I'm much taller in this picture than I actually am in person. I'm only 5 feet tall and I happened to be standing on a tree root because I had no other place to go with my feet so I'm taller than normal in this picture.

Here's hubbies younger sister and her three kids.

Lastly, one of teaser from a hike we did the day before that I just love of him!

Grand Marais 2010 vacation

2010-10-28T09:03:00.003-05:00

Nutmeg found some moss in various places and different kinds.

Sweetpea located moss on the trees as well.

We found the best location to start a fort with teaser, although he didn't want to climb inside.

More rock climbing!

Our best pic of us!

2010-10-27T09:07:00.003-05:00

It's difficult to find a good picture to keep when you have little ones taking your picture I suppose.

Grand Marais 2010 vacation

2010-10-27T09:00:00.004-05:00

One of the kids favorite things to do on our vacation is climb around on these rocks.

Of course we have to get our annual picture of these two together in this pose. I wonder how many more years we will be able to keep this tradition going.

It was the coldest and very windy this day only for us, otherwise we had good weather.

More vacation time

2010-10-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

Snapshots from our vacation

2010-10-25T21:48:00.002-05:00

It was our annual family (hubbies side of the family - 15 of us) vacation to Grand Marais during the MEA weekend.

Sweetpea catching the wind.

Even though there was no snow this year, we did get LOTS of wind and cold days.

Her final choices for senior pictures

2010-10-19T13:40:00.005-05:00

This was a tough decision for "A" to pick only 4 final pictures to get prints of.

We did find out that the senior yearbook crops how they want the full body photos to look in the space provided so we went back and chose this picture for the yearbook. I love this close up of "A".

We had alot of fun and now I'm just waiting for my next opportunity to take pictures of someone else to gain more experience.

The OuTtAkEs

2010-10-13T23:07:00.003-05:00

Okay, I personally think these are the cutest outtakes anyone could ask for. These truly are the pictures that I think shows the real "A" I know, and her mother agrees with me.

Got to put that monkey in a cage!

This truly would have been the perfect picture of "A" except her eyes are not open enough. Her true self ... LOVES BUBBLE GUM!!!!

This is her natural look we see typically, isn't it great that as her aunt I get to take the pictures?

Her mom and I got a few good laughs out of her, especially when she was getting too serious about all the little details and not enjoying our time together.

These photos especially will be going into a little photo book or collage to her mom so she can pull them out next year while she is away at college. We'll miss you "alleycat".

A few of her top picks ...

2010-10-13T22:49:00.003-05:00

These were the other 3 shots she was trying to decide between for her senior yearbook picture.

I absolutely LOVE how this picture turned out...one of MY favorites!

A few she picked ...

2010-10-13T22:32:00.003-05:00

Here is just a taste of the pictures I took of my niece.

Outfit #3, headband

Outfit #3, baseball cap

Outfit #2, hair behind ears

Outfit #1, hair down

And the winner IS .....

2010-10-12T19:05:00.003-05:00

I got the priviledge to take my niece's senior year pictures. I've never done this before but plenty of people say I should give it a try. Well we gave it go for two days (just two short sessions so we could catch the right lighting) and I think we have quite a few winners!

This is hubbies oldest niece and we had a blast taking pictures in our beautiful town with the fall colors showing through.

Here is the winner for senior yearbook picture ... boy with over 100 pictures to pick from she got it narrowed down to two definites.

Happy Graduation "A"!

Let's play ...

2010-10-06T21:43:00.003-05:00

I'm really excited about this coming weekend. My sil called me asking if I'd want to try doing my niece's senior pictures. Oh YEAH!!! I wanted to make this a really awesome experience for both of us. As I was talking with my best friend afterwards I realized wouldn't it be great if I borrowed her hubbies lens that I've been wanting to try out to see if I want to buy it myself. He has loaned me lenses before and I thought why not go out on a limb and borrow his Canon 5D camera as well.

I've got 3 days to make this work or I'm going back to my camera and basic lens that I'm most comfortable with but I LOVE the quality I'm already getting with just day 1 try in 30 minutes.

These photos are completely in raw format, no touch ups! I love the fact that I was able to instruct my daughter as well in poses for the first time, but I need more work.

The apple outing ...

2010-09-25T15:09:00.003-05:00

Well what started out as a great apple picking time ...

Turned quickly into CANDYLAND ... once these aisles were spotted!

Nutmeg found yummy watermelon treats and pushup suckers.

Teaser found the longest candy necklace he has ever seen AFTER I told him he couldn't have the largest tube of gumballs I'd ever seen!

Oh look, sweetpea found those same gumballs of course she put those down once she saw the LARGEST gummy snake ever. (look behind teaser in his photo and you'll see them)

I didn't get a picture of this but even hubby found jellybeans that he's been wanting...they are joke ones where you pick a color like say brown for chocolate but look out you might not get chocolate flavored instead it's canned dog food. YUCK!!!

Hubby and I had lots of fun finding all our childhood favorites and talking to the kids about our childhood memories. I even found CHICLETS GUM! You remember those? They were super bright colored square pieces of gum. My grandma had them in her purse ALL the time.

Girlfriends getaway! Grand Rapids, MN

2010-09-17T09:48:00.003-05:00

Jodi and I decided we needed a quick getaway before school started as we know fall season/back to school is major crazy for us! Grand Rapids MN here we come!

We had a fabulous time chatting on the drive up and back, shopping at a great store..."Red Willow" every girl must stop there, it's like 3 levels! FANTASTIC food and wine that makes my mouth water just remembering it ... "River Italian" is the place to eat great homemade pasta dishes with all daily fresh foods. The place doesn't even have a freezer...everything is bought that day! Of course, after all that wonderful food we need to get some exercise. We wanted to do bike riding but the rental place isn't open on Sunday's so we decided to just hit the trail walking. Beautiful area and great weather.

We did a great hike!

Walked downtown in the evening which was a great place to relax.

I don't know Jodi, I think we need a bigger chair!

One of our must find places when we go out is a great coffee shop. This cute place...Brewed Awakenings was THE place! We went back again the next day and hung out a bit more.

Jodi and I seem to have a long standing tradition when we head out for these getaways...talk up a storm, eat great food, hiking, find a cute shopping store, and wonderful coffee shops in these little towns we just decide at the last minute to visit. This fall was Grand Rapids, MN. Last time was Winona, MN. I wonder where we'll go to next!

Ending our vacation in PA!

2010-09-13T09:46:00.002-05:00

We headed to a beautiful beach to capture a few pics of the families before our trip ended.

The girls together...
The boys...

The group ...

There is no hope for Julie and I when it comes to our hubbies!

vacation

2010-09-13T09:23:00.003-05:00

This is probably my favorite action shot.

Of course her little brother would lock her up!

Got to get Julie in there too!

Come on...she's just too cute to be locked up!

Now that's more like it...can I get one to take home when I need it for this rascal!

This ride was amazing!

2010-09-13T09:07:00.002-05:00

This was a super cool ride that we don't have here in MN but definitely one I know my hubby would love to ride again and again. Although nutmeg would disagree with him. She didn't enjoy it "not so much". I didn't see one smile on her face the whole time nor did she open her eyes much either.

It's always "the big kid" in the group that likes to talk you into doing such crazy things!

Vacation

2010-09-13T08:59:00.002-05:00

The girls on a ride together... Spinning ... Spinning ... Spinning ...

Julie says if she closes her eyes it's very soothing for her on rides.

Teaser and daddy!

Vacation: fun day

2010-09-13T08:46:00.002-05:00

I must confess that I'm one month behind on keeping up with the blog. It's all these vacation pics I must get loaded but my laptop is slow going right now. It's back to school time for us as well as all our church functions are starting back up. I've been extremely busy getting all three kids ready for school plus sewing like a mad women, of course my sewing machine as been in the shop for some major TLC and was just returned to me this past week on Thursday.

Here are more pics from the amusement park:

vacation

2010-09-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

This day of our vacation we finally left the area and headed to Waldmeer for some fun.

As you can see I'm hanging out with teaser while the taller, big kids head over to the other rides he couldn't do. It's a shame that his mother is so short (I"m 5 feet tall) that even kids 2 years younger are taller than him.

He did enjoy himself but I think I got on 3 rides and no pics of me really that day to share. Hubby did treat me to my favorite fair treat...funnel cake. Of course, I must state that our MN funnel cake is much better. Who knew they could make funnel cakes different.

Vacation

2010-09-07T10:47:00.002-05:00

Teaser at the campfire.

The kids and hubby went 4 wheeling and dirt bike riding...lucky them!

Teaser getting ready to ride...I sure hope someone was on with him!

Hubby on the boys dirt bike

Alyssa and Kendra on the 4 wheeler

More vacation

2010-09-07T06:44:00.002-05:00

In the evening around the campfire...B is cheesy

The girls together...

All our kids together at last.

Proud dad!

The grand cheering section for Kenton!

Day 4

2010-08-26T19:25:00.005-05:00

Time for the scrimmage, #10 practice jersey for Kenton. GO KENTON!!

Mama got on the trampoline to help teaser to bounce...oh boy more sticking out the tongue, what's with everybody?

Make me go HIGHER mama!

Teaser went to the "creek" early in the morning and found a cool friend to bring home.

Vacation: Day 3

2010-08-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

We arrived in PA, to visit friends of ours for a good long visit. The kids were excited to go down to the "creek" for some swimming and fun.

As you can see it's not deep but the kids did say it hurt the feet occasionally from the rocks.

Teaser is going to jump in....he actually didn't make it but fell in sideways before I could snap a picture. BUT...

V was able to show us how it's done!

Here's a shot of all 7 kids together, that was difficult to take at this point since everyone was going different directions.

Nutmeg did an awesome jump for me to capture!

Day 2: We arrive in PA

2010-08-19T23:06:00.003-05:00

We stopped to take this picture as we crossed over the state line.

We had never taken our children over our state line until this road trip so they loved being able to cross the various states the past 11 days.

My first pics of the girls together.

We got to spend the evening (well actually every evening...loved it!) watching K#10 practice football.

Teaser got to drive his first tractor, of course I wasn't there a few days later when he did it ALL by himself in the little green one. I sure wish my grandfather could see his only great grandson driving a tractor...he'd be so proud!

11 Days LATER!!!

2010-08-19T18:10:00.006-05:00

We are finally home from our family vacation to visit close friends in PA. It all started with filling our mini van with the essentials for a family of 5!

This is the before picture and I should have taken an after picture...my poor mini van is in desperate need of deep cleaning.

Our first stop was in South Bend, Indiana for the night and we decided to take in the zoo.

Teaser thought this bird was hilarious.

Oh, how teaser loved the lions!

I hope to have more tomorrow...this was just day 1!

Baby gift...another quilt!

2010-08-05T12:46:00.004-05:00

My neighbor just had her beautiful baby girl, Lucy at the end of last week...three weeks early! I'd been working on this custom handmade baby quilt for about a month now and I was just a few days shy of the birth when it was completed. My neighbor also LOVES hats so I asked which colors she prefers and knitted two of them for her daughter.

Now having seen her newborn daughter of all of 5 seconds I'll have to get the knitting needles out once more and make up a few tiny hats for this fall as she was soo tiny when I saw her. Her feet were literally no longer than 2 1/2" in length from the tip of her big toe to the bottom of her heel, she was soo tiny!

Soccer straps!

2010-07-27T19:31:00.005-05:00

It can't get any simplier than this...can it?!?!

Nutmeg started soccer camp yesterday morning and she has been needing these shoulder straps for a few years now. We've always made do with hair binders but I finally pulled out my craft supplies to make this.

Just took two equal lengths of the velcro to wrap around the shirt neckline and pull the sleeve up so she stays cooler.

Yummy...no oven summer dinner menu!

2010-07-15T14:32:00.004-05:00

It's one of those days where I have time to actually be in the kitchen to get supper going early and making it special for no reason.

Since it's super hot out I can't be using the oven or it will heat the house up too much. That makes for some difficult meals, we are definitely bored with brauts too.

I started with my mom's no bake lazy cheesecake. This recipe was given to me years ago from my mom who hates to cook so it's got to be easy right, YEP!!!

No bake lazy cheesecake

8 oz softened cream cheese (I used whipped)
1 container cool whip
2 cups sour cream
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding; mix with 1/2 cup of milk

Add first 3 ingredients together with blender til smooth, now add the pudding mix. Pour into a bowl, place in frig until ready to serve. Make sure to give it at least 1 hour to set in frig before serving. Just before serving add 1 can cherry pie filling or blueberry pie filling, whichever you like best.

Next came my aunts coleslaw mix

1 pkg coleslaw mix
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup salad oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
celery seed for taste

Blend everything together, let set in frig for a few hours. Stir before serving.

BBQ Shredded beef

6 lbs chuck roast
1 large onion
1 Tbsp butter- cut into meat
1/2 cup worcestersauce
1 16 oz tomato sauce - may need more
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Place in crockpot on high for 6 hours or on low for 9 1/2 hours. You should be able to see near the end cooking time that you can pull the meat apart with 2 forks BUT I have a way to save your arms from all that shredding. Place cooked meat into a large bowl and with a mixer set on low let those blades shred the meat apart for you. You can turn up the speed once you get it shredding some. Pour the shredded meat back into the crockpot with the sauce. Have buns ready for sandwiches.

"Celebration of Life" Uncle Joe's benefit night!

2010-07-05T11:03:00.004-05:00

A week ago Friday we attended uncle Joe's benefit in Hugo. The kids had a great time visiting family, grabbing kids to go into the photo booth, and having body painting done.

The paintings definitely represent each child well...sweetpea's heart!

Nutmeg's butterfly love, that represents her life.

And teaser chose the flame since he couldn't find the joker face.

Please continue to keep aunt Gail and her two girls in your prayers. Martin was sentenced to 35 1/2 years in jail this past Thursday but it cetainly doesn't seem to be enough. He is 21 years old and he will be released at an age younger than uncle Joe's life was taken from us.

I must keep telling myself, "it's not how we die that matters, it's how we live ".

Oh Oobleck!!!

2010-07-05T10:44:00.003-05:00

Another science experiment we did over the weekend. Of course we've done this one before but this time we added color and talked more about how much cornstarch to add to make it JUST right!

Teaser had his hands so full of it and messy that I just couldn't get a decent pic to add here. Here are the two girls having fun making it go from soupy to firm material that you could walk on it quickly without sinking.

The instructions:
1. Have kids add 1/2 cup of water to their bowl.

2. Now begin by adding 3/4 cup of cornstarch to the bowl, stirring with a spoon. Once it starts to get hard to stir with spoon change to fingers. Talk about the consistency, it's probably still quite soupy. Slowly stir in 1/4 cup more cornstarch with your fingers. Ask kids how different this feels from the other amount before. Are you able to pick up the material and make a ball quickly with it before it falls back into a puddle? There you have it...oobleck!

3. Optional: add 2 drops of food coloring with your fingers slowly to the oobleck if you want it more colorful than white.

Note: I placed old plastic kids placemats under the bowls at the table to catch spills or they can use it as a surface to make a puddle and scoop it back up again. Everything washes off with water, it just looks messy.

Finding the JOY! (can't forget teaser)

2010-07-02T22:18:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pics I took of teaser from our little photo shoot last week.

In this picture I worked on fixing his booboo on his forehead, I think I got the hang of it...can't even tell he had been hurt there I think.

I tried a different photo action in this shot to bring on more light, not sure if I like it as much.
Okay, I know what you are thinking ... why can't she get at least one picture without his sunglasses on? Well, it was super sunny that day and even in shade if that kid is outdoors the shades are on and if he had them off, you'd see the tan lines like crazy around his eyes (he's got racoon eye shading, just the opposite white instead of black around them). I'm prepared for the future years when everyone asks to see pics of teaser and they all see that I only got sunglasses on him. My comment will be ... "have you seen how beautiful his eyes are? all the girls would swoon if they did."
I've been told lately that teaser is looking an awful like his uncle (hubbies younger brother) when he was that age. Hmm...guess I need to have mil dig out pics for me to compare since I didn't grow up with these boys. Oh, and lastly that is the longest I've seen my sons hair in YEARS! The very next day hubby shaved his head once again. Shoot...I got a quick glimpse of teasers reddish tint on the top of his head while it was this long, but now it's gone.

Finding the Joy!

2010-06-30T08:37:00.005-05:00

Finding the Joy!

2010-06-28T13:45:00.004-05:00

Here is sweetpea playing her guitar...she plays both acoustic and electric. I love her expression in this pic, it's so natural of her.

After our little photo shoot downtown I took the kids to a cemetary that hubby recommended we try for pics. He was right! There were a few places that were perfect for the kids. Here's nutmeg at a beautiful prayer spot.

This picture is ALL nutmeg's idea. She wanted to climb up there with the statues and capture this moment. I mentioned she shouldn't be smiling at the feet of Jesus on the cross when I took the picture but she said the sun on her face felt sooo wonderful she couldn't help herself.

Ending the boredom...GAK!!

2010-06-17T13:52:00.005-05:00

Last week we went to nana's to visit with the cousins. I decided to keep them occupied for a little while outside by making GAK! together.

I wanted everyone to make their very own so I needed a recipe to use for ages 3 to 11 years old, also in individual sizes so it would remain in those little hands with much mess.

Here's what I did:

* Fill a baggie with 1/4 cup liquid starch

* Add 3 drops of food coloring into baggie (I had each child pick their own color and count the drops as I added them)

* Lastly, add 1/4 cup Elmer's glue to the baggie, seal it... NOW mash the ingredients together until mixed (there will be a little amount of colored liquid left in baggie but don't worry about it)

Take out of baggie (you can toss the baggie away and use a clean one for taking your Gak home).

Now begins the fun!

It does NOT stain hands but do keep AWAY from clothing and carpets!

Great idea for kids at end of school year!

2010-06-10T16:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I happened to come across an idea that I just HAD TO DO even though I had to drive 20 minutes to the nearest mall to get to the bookstore but it was well worth it!

I picked up 3 copies (one for each child) of this book or you could get Dr. Seuss "Oh, the places you will go" instead and had each of my kids teachers sign the book. I did express to the teachers that I will be giving this book to them after they graduate high school not this year. Since my oldest is in 5th grade I had to do a little back tracking with all her elementary teachers but it was worth my day of running around. It was last minute so I emailed all the teachers ahead of time this morning and gave them a heads up that I was coming and they could either just sign the book (inside the cover) or even better if they wrote a bit of wisdom or encouragement for that child.

I know when this is given at their senior graduation by me this book will be cherished and very much filled up with signatures. I also asked the principal (terrific woman) to sign just my oldest daughters book at this time because she will be graduating up to the middle school come this fall but the other two will remain behind in her school. For my son I asked the school librarian to sign his book as well because she is very close to him (he LOVES to read). For my middle daughter I did ask two teachers to sign her book as well, her home room teacher and her flex math teacher because she spent quite a bit of time with her as well. I'm excited to see what each of these books will look like come their senior graduation after years of teachers signing them.

OUCH!!!

2010-06-09T11:38:00.003-05:00

Teaser just flew over his two wheel bike handle bars and stopped himself with his forehead!

I'm wondering if this is just a prelude to our summer....to be continued!

ftj...self portrait

2010-06-04T19:37:00.003-05:00

Okay, the challenge was for us to do a self portrait this week and I must say I have a terrible time with this one. My arms are so short that holding it out in front of me just doesn't cut it and trying to set the tripod up at the right level isn't working for me either. So this is what I got to show for a days worth of pictures.

Pic #1: I love the coloring in this picture compared to the last one. Hubby likes my full lips.

Pic #2: a self portrait doesn't really have to be of my face, so I took a picture of my favorite necklace.

Pic #3: this is the same photo as 1 but darker.

So which one?

ftj...our neighbors we love sooo much!

2010-06-04T12:12:00.003-05:00

All American Boy!

Follow ME!

Lovely!

Finding the JOY!!!

2010-06-03T12:48:00.003-05:00

So I treated myself to a birthday/Mother's day gift. I'm part of the group that signed up for "Finding the Joy!" in photographing your kiddo's. It's a 6 week online course and I'm super excited with all that I'll learn. Now if my kids would just let me PLEASE take a picture of them.

Finding the Joy! week ONE...people

Teaser at the cabin...our first trip of the year!

Sweetpea and all her sweetness!
Lastly, brotherly love!

Practice numbers

2010-05-28T11:55:00.009-05:00

Well I knew that teaser was going to need some extra help this summer with his numbers, letters, phonics, sight words, etc...

So I found this great little card set that would be perfect for him to play in a baggie but it came with the pictures of Barbie and some other little kid character that he doesn't care for. Of course, being a crafty mama I decided to make my own. I hit the thrift store and found a book with enough pictures to cut out 10 pages that he would like to look at.

I made myself a template with one of the pages by tracing the area I wanted to match all 10 pages. I cut them all out, made color copies on cardstock.
Here you see below how I cut each picture into 3 sections, on the reverse side I wrote the number, made the number of dots, and wrote the number word. I than laminated them with contact paper to keep them longer.
Than I let teaser play the game. It's self directed and correction is easy for him to do because he just needs to turn the sections over to make the correct peanuts character picture.
He loves it and I'm sure will become a favorite game in a baggie this summer.

Awesome Sunday School teachers!

2010-05-26T09:06:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year once again where our Sunday school year comes to an end. We have wonderful and very committed teachers at our church that love teaching God's word to our children so I wanted to give them a little thank you gift.

Nutmeg has a super great and patient teacher that I just adore as well as nutmeg does too! So she learned how to finger weave and made Miss Pat a "rope of hope" with the prayer card as her gift to give.

Onto our other fabulous teachers. Yes, it looks like we have more children due to the number of gifts you see here but we have two couples that share teaching for teaser and there is a wonderful woman that teaches our 2 and 3 year olds that I just adore soo much and wanted to bless her myself. See mom's can give gifts to just about anyone she wants to.

Teaser gave his teachers each a candle, the label I made reads, "Thanks for being faithful in shining your light for God."

Sweetpea has a male teacher and I thought it might be difficult to think of a gift but this one was super easy. He works on computers and other small electronics for work so I went to Home Depot and bought a 4 in 1 pocket screwdriver for just under $2. I attached a gift tag that reads, "You help hold us all together." Just a few words of wisdom on buying a pocket screwdriver, make sure to get one that has a cap over the tips so it doesn't poke through their clothing and this particular one has 4 different tips so they just pull the one out and flip it around on either end.

Lastly to the wonderful 2 and 3 year olds teacher I blessed her with lavender calming lotion with a label reading, "God has made a soft place in our hearts for you."

I wrote down more ideas to keep for next year so I don't forget and wanted to share:

1. paper or real fortune cookies - "We are fortunate to have you!

2. homemade cookies - "You are one smart cookie!

3. whoppers - "Thank you for a "whopper" year!"

4. flavored coffee - "Thanks for working so hard to add extra flavor to school."

5. any handknit item - "We are so thankful God knit you together in a special way."

6. plantable flower paper - "Thanks for helping me grow."

Silliness

2010-05-18T16:44:00.002-05:00

Another free picture collage by Smilebox

We really needed some giggles and after a long day of school, work than soccer and softball practice hubby decided it was time for treats. It all started with sweetpea trying to eat that huge onion ring, she sure was hungry and room still for a Jamocha shake.

I tried out a new site for collages because I've been wanting to make collages for some time but just can't figure them out. It's still not the way I want to do them here on my blog but at least you don't have to look through 9 photos one right after the other this way.

My favorites were nutmeg's imprompt poses or facial expressions really I was able to capture. She's like this with family but so out of character for school.

Look what I can do mom!

2010-05-15T09:38:00.002-05:00

Well teaser decided that he needed to learn how to ride a 2 wheel bike. He practiced all day by himself and here is his results.

We have this fabulous walking path close to our backyard so he was safe the entire time practicing on his own. I didn't want to worry about traffic like we did the first attempt with hubby, this way he could do it on his own time and speed.

Teaser says, "safety first! Always wear your helmet."

There he goes...zoom!

The service

2010-05-11T10:47:00.003-05:00

As we came to the Maplewood Community Center for the visitation this is what greeted us. We arrived at 1:30 pm to meet up with friends who came from out of state to be with us during this time. All the pictures but one were taken by our friends. I just didn't have the heart to bring my camera although there were times I did wish for it because there were some AMAZING moments that could only be captured on camera that words I could never express to you how we felt or what we saw.

Although we don't attend nor uncle Joe either we had chosen the Cathedral in St. Paul so there was enough room to hold all of us. Having 10 siblings, uncle Joe was near the youngest of them so space was necessary. We also wanted room for those officers that came so far, in the end they still had to stand outside surrounding the building. In hindsight maybe a large sports center would have been better to hold us all.

The bagpipes are one of my hubbies favorite sights and sounds.

I found this picture on flickr. Such a beautiful picture with all those officers saluting us, and flags waving. You may have to click on the picture to enlarge it if possible and you will be able to see us barely...it's teaser that stands out the most. There he is on the right side of our entire family holding my hand, the little guy looks so tiny up there but he did such an awesome job for how long we had to wait throughout those 2 days, all the crowds, hugs, and tears. Our girls were tucked pretty close to daddy on the other side so they aren't as visible.

Here is one of the final pictures as we drive into the cemetery behind the family, no one from the general public was allowed into the cemetery with us which was good because Gail and the girls needed that privacy.

Rest in Peace Uncle Joe! Squad 4357, badge 357 is 10 - 7.
End of tour May 1, 2010

If you wish to hear the dispatches moment of silence and call out for 10 - 7 go to http://www.twincities.com/ci_15032602?source=pkg&nclick_check=1

A time to ...

2010-04-27T19:34:00.010-05:00

photo from flickr

"A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent, and a time to speak."
Ecclesiates 3:7

Freebies....

2010-04-23T09:52:00.006-05:00

This is the time of the year where I'm completely overloaded with gift giving. I've found vistaprint to be my best friend these days.

Early this week I ordered a great gift for my folks to celebrate Mother's and Father's day. Since my folks don't really 'need' anything we have started a tradition a few years ago where we purchase a few supplies for the cabin that gets used up quickly when our family of 5 visits them (paper products mainly) or convinent food packages they like to keep on hand for quick meals: mashed potato packets, pasta and rice mixes, our favorite juices, etc...

I generally like to add a few small personal items that are usable (stationary, stamps, bottle of dad's favorite drink, a good book) but this year I found vistaprints has 10 page flip books for free. I thought this would be a nice little gift that shows how much we appreciate having the cabin together and those wonderful family moments shared with my folks and friends.

Here's just two photos I added to the flip book: nutmeg starting out the season by the firepit eating a blueberry roasted pie and smores.

A cabin neighbor that came up from Texas, enjoying tubing with papa and the kids.

It was great going through all my photos from just last summer taken at the cabin. I feel the memories were enjoyed by all. We had family friends from TX to PA, relatives (actually landing on the lake in a plane), my bf Jodi and her boys, grandkids from neighbor's cabin, big 3 day birthday celebration for my oldest daughter, and even some quiet time for myself to renew my spirit.

As we come into the season of Teacher Appreciation week (first week of May), Mother's day, end of the school and Sunday school year gifts, Father's day, and practically ALL my families and extended families birthday's I'm looking forward to seeing what vistaprint has for free for me.

Please do note that you have to pay for shipping but if you get it enough ahead of time you can get the cheapest rate. I also read somewhere that you can get up to 4 free items at a time I believe.

I'm in the process of getting the Teacher Appreciation gifts done...for free!