Can Do Mom

Shopping is MAGIC in Vegas!

2012-02-17T10:56:00.000-06:00

My sister and I just returned from a trip to Las Vegas. No, I'm not a gambler. At least, not in the way that comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas. We didn't put a single nickel in a slot machine while we were there.

So, why does one go to Vegas, if not to gamble? We were there to attend four different buyer's markets that are held in about a week's span in February. My sister has a store that sells tack (equestrian items) and apparel. Lately she's been branching out on the apparel side a little more and she wanted to go and do a little shopping and a lot of looking. However, her hubby didn't want her to go to Las Vegas on her own and that's where I came in. Escape the cold winter in Wisconsin for few days in February to shop for cute, fashionable clothing with my sister? Twist my arm!

We had four full days to shop and we made the most of it. The first couple days were spent bargain hunting at the Off Price show. Don't let the name throw you. Vendors were selling really beautiful fashions there, but yes, there were plenty of bargains to be found as well. We methodically went up and down each aisle, scouring countless racks, looking for items that were a good fit for her store. Our third day found us wrapping up a few orders at Off Price and then checking out the Accessories the Show hall right next door. We found the most amazing purses there and I cannot wait until that shipment arrives. They are one of a kind, handcrafted beauties and I will be saving my pennies to buy one...

Our final full day was reserved for MAGIC, the granddaddy of shopping excursions. MAGIC is huge. It cannot be contained in one convention center and must be split into two separate locations. Somehow we ended up at the wrong vendor hall but there is a shuttle between the two, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Can I sum up MAGIC in ten words? I'm not sure, but I'll try: Fashionable, Loud, Busy, Eye-popping, Trendy, Overwhelming, Freebies, Fun, Huge & Exhausting!

We tried to methodically canvas the show but after a while we just kind of gave up and wandered. There was so much to see and we only covered a fraction of it all. When we approached the Miss Me area, a guard at the roped off entrance asked if we had an appointment. No, we did not. Access denied! We turned to leave but my sister's account rep from Chicago happened to see us and called us in. Magically an appointment opened up and just like that, we were picking out summer fashions. What fun!

All in all, it was an extremely busy, action packed trip. Shopping for a store is nothing like shopping for pleasure. It was work. Hard work. Our days were long but productive. While any purchase made for a store is a gamble, I'm confident that we selected well and I can't wait for all our beautiful fashion picks to come in and hit the racks!

A Frosty Winter's Morning

2012-02-05T12:34:00.000-06:00

We were blessed with a gorgeous view yesterday morning! When I awoke and looked out my window, this is what I saw:

God's amazing handiwork. It is though He dipped a paintbrush

in frost and painted every twig and blade of grass.

Oak leaves up close.

Lacey looking bright-eyed on our morning excursion.

Even soybean fields are a thing of beauty on a frosty morn.

My two walking buddies: Theodore and Lacey.

Every view is more beautiful than the last!

I love how something as humble as a blade of grass can be so breathtakingly beautiful.

A closeup of prairie grass.

More contrasts with the gold in the grasses and the frost covered trees.

While I'd appreciate more snow on the ground,

I have to admit the landscape is lovely!

Even scrubby cedars look good with a coating of frost.

Yet another picturesque view of one of our little wetlands.

Call me weird, but I enjoy winter! I love the fact that I live in an area with four distinct seasons. I'm missing the snow but days like this help make up for its absence... May you find God's beauty in your surroundings, wherever you may be.

I Miss You, Brett Weller

2012-01-22T16:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, Leah and I were cleaning out her closet and I was going through a box of her mementos when I found the button in the photo above. As most of you know, I'm an ovarian cancer survivor (12 years now, woo hoo!) and so for years we were active with the Relay For Life (American Cancer Society fundraiser).

When I found the button I started to cry. You see, the buttons were made in my honor by my friend, Brett Weller, who is no longer with us. Brett was taken from us in a tragic plane accident almost three years ago and for those who knew him, we feel his loss keenly. He was an amazing friend, son, husband, brother, uncle and neighbor. Someone who lit up a room when he entered and genuinely cared about those around him. He always had a ready smile, joke or hug and an encouraging word for me when I saw him.

Today would have been his birthday and while I grieve his untimely passing, I know that I am a better person for knowing him. Thanks Brett.

Daniel's Big Changes

2012-01-19T20:42:00.001-06:00

After being homeschooled his for his first six and a half years of school, we enrolled Daniel at
a private parochial school in town and he started after Christmas break. He is my first child to enter
the school system, unless you count Emily attending college.

One of the draws was being able to join the basketball team. He's played a few games now, his first experience
with playing basketball. We're still waiting for his first basket!

We just celebrated his twelfth birthday about two weeks ago.
It's hard to believe my "baby" is twelve years old!

After eating some ice cream cake and opening gifts, we played a fun game:
"Would You Rather". What a hoot! I think Daniel is feeling the effects of the cake
here and showing an abundance of energy!

My darling son is growing up and is going through a lot of changes this month: He turned twelve years old, started at a school in town after being homeschooled for his entire schooling career and he joined his first basketball team. Whew!

It's the first time I've had a child get on the big yellow bus and I have to admit, it's a little strange. I'm a big believer in homeschooling but education is not one-size-fits-all. What worked for my girls was not working for Daniel. We made a committment for the remainder of the year and will decide if we want to enroll him in 7th grade at the end of the school year.

It's a wonderful school with small class sizes. The entire school only has 116 students, PreK through 8th grade. So far, Daniel seems to be fitting right in. He is making new friends and learning how to organize himself. If he leaves his math paper in his locker, he cannot leave the classroom to retrieve it and his grade suffers. That happened to him last week. After homeschooling it's definitely an adjustment but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

So now it's just Leah and I at home. She's a sophomore this year and I can't believe after our chaotic schooling schedule of three students last year that within less than a year it's just her and I! I'm enjoying this time together and I know she is, too.

So, this is my ode to change. It took me a while to embrace it, but I'm feeling good about it now.

Catching Up...

2012-01-11T22:24:00.001-06:00

It has been a busy fall and so, inadvertantly, I took a break from blogging. It wasn't deliberate. Each week I'd think, "This week I'll sit down and do a blog post." And you know how it goes... The week would come and go and it didn't happen. In my absence, Blogger did an update and wouldn't you know, I have NO IDEA what I'm doing! (Shocking, I know.)

I went to Chicago for a long weekend with three wonderful friends: Sandy, Kim and Teri. We pampered ourselves and had a fabulous time shopping, eating, visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, laughing at the comedy club, shopping, laughing and eating some more. I want to return with my family ASAP!

Mike and I took a whirlwind trip to the coast in North Carolina. We stayed at a beautiful beach house on Topsail Island and had fun relaxing, walking on the beach, touring a beautiful old southern mansion in nearby Wilmington and spending time together. It was great.

The rest of my photos did not appear in the proper order and I'm having a heck of a time moving them around so I finally just waved the white flag in surrender.

Leah snapped a few photos of Lacey and I on a fall walk. It was a lovely evening and I think Lacey looks adorable!

Our family rang the bells for the Salvation Army with the Carters. We always enjoy doing that every year. It wasn't even that cold this time! Some years are brutal!

As the holidays approach, my girls and I host a fun holiday extravaganza cookie exchange. Much fun was had and food was consumed by all. Best of all, at the end of the night we each had a sampling of many varieties of delicious cookies and treats to share with our families.

My friend Heidi is setting hers out on a table crowded with sweet, sugary goodness. It makes my mouth water just remembering...

Even before we had the cookie exchange, there was the Christmas tree party with Tony and Brenda. Mike's sister and husband graciously host a party for family and friends every year in the great north woods of Wisconsin where we gather 'round the fire, eat delicious food, drink hot drinks and wander into the forest to pick and cut our Christmas tree. Tony and Brett (who is no longer with us and we miss terribly) planted these trees many years ago and we are blessed to have our pick! That's Leah between Amy (a cousin) and Aunt Brenda above.

Here's Emily on Christmas day, above with Lacey and below showing off some of her gifts. Happy pup, happy girl!

Our Christmas tree with all the trimmings. We purposely picked a narrow tree that would fit nicely in the corner windows in the library. It glowed at night with the lights on. Mmmmm, I love Christmas trees!

Emily and Leah posing in their Christmas outfits before we headed down to Grandmas to spend the day with family.

Gathering around the table. Being together through the years on Christmas is one of the best gifts of all.

Mike was up at the cabin on New Year's Eve and the girls had plans with their friend, Jessie, so it was just Daniel and I at dinner. We first went to the Tintin movie and then returned home to a special meal of Spicy Orange Chicken and Rice with Izzie. Daniel put the candles out on the table, a nice touch.

The girls before they went out to dinner. They were all dressed up and looked lovely! Don't worry, they were home in plenty of time to ring in the new year with Daniel and I.

Here are two of my favorite women: my Mom and Emily on Christmas day. We gave mom a framed photo of Emily for Christmas and they posed together for me. I love them both so much.

That's my fall and holiday season wrapped up in one goofy post. Thanks for putting up with the quirks of Blogger and my lack of experience in putting it all in order.

2011 was an amazing year. We had highs and lows, sadness and joy but we came through it all together as a family and that is what counts. May your 2012 be filled with love, joy and excitement too!

Football Weekend!

2011-10-23T21:24:00.006-05:00

We had a busy but fun few days around here and the theme of the weekend was football! We started on Saturday evening when my mom, son and I drove to Eau Claire for the high school first round playoff game in Wisconsin.

My nephew, Sam, plays for D.C. Everest in Wausau and we try to attend as many games as we can even though it's a three hour drive, one way. We got lucky with this game as it was only an hour and a half away.

Sam is a linebacker and a team captain. He's a senior this year so it's his final season of high school football. I can hardly believe that four years have gone by so fast. He's quite talented and one of only two players on his team to be voted All Conference by the all the coaches in his conference. He's #49 in the photo above, going out to meet the other captains for the coin toss.

My sister-in-law, Debbie, another football mom and my niece Stephanie were there to cheer Sam and the rest of the team on. Our signs and cheers must have worked, because...

If you look at the next photo and see the final score you'll see that the D.C. Everest Evergreens scored 49 points and their competitors could only put 35 points on the boards. Way to go, team! I will be out of town the next two weekends so the only way I'll be able to see them play again is if they make it to state. That would be great and that's what I'm hoping for!

The next game we attended this afternoon. Mike, the girls and I drove into Minneapolis to watch the Packers play the Vikings. We were given free tickets by our business's supplier. They always give us tickets to this game every year because they know we're Packer fans.

Well, maybe I should correct myself. MOST of us are Packer fans! Emily has to be different and for whatever reason, she has chosen to align herself with a losing team and roots for the Vikings. It doesn't make sense to me either...

Here we are, outside the dome, in the line for security. You've got to be patted down and have your bag searched to enter now. A sad commentary on our society, I suppose.

Yee Haw, the game is about to begin! Out come the flag carrying guys, the mascots and of course, the players.

This might be my favorite scene of the day. The players knelt down in the corner to pray. In the midst of the crowd, they honored God and I loved it.

I also loved when the National Guard carried the flags out onto the middle of the field for the national anthem. It was moving.

Let the game begin! Both sides were playing well and even though the Packers were favored, the Vikings started strong.

Leah looks lovely no matter where she is, a football game is no exception. :)

Here's Aaron Rogers shouting out orders and getting ready to move the ball down field.

Leah looking ferocious as she makes the G for Green Bay sign. Ooh yeah, that'll make the Viking fans cringe in fear. Ha!

This is what makes Vikings fans cringe in fear, the final score! Packers 33, Vikings 27. And so, after seven weeks of football, the Packers are the only undefeated team in the league.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

2011-10-20T19:30:00.002-05:00

Mike and I celebrating our 21st anniversary at home. It's become a tradition that our lovely children prepare us a delicious meal and serve it to us in the romantic setting of our library.

On the menu: fish with a bacon and tomato topping, vegetables and bread with heart shaped butter pats. Daniel even shared a bottle of his Izze with us for our anniversary toast.

The chefs were working behind the scenes but this is our handsome waiter.

I can't help but feel blessed to be married to my dear husband for 21 years and be served such a special anniversary meal by our children. Not only was everything tasty, but the kitchen was cleaned and immaculate after the meal.

Thank you, Emily, Leah & Daniel!

Mother Daughter Daytrip!

2011-10-08T12:02:00.008-05:00

It's been a tradition for the last fifteen years for my mother, daughters and I to take a daytrip to a little town called Stockholm about 75 minutes south of us. Stockholm is quaint in every sense of the word. My husband doesn't do "quaint" but we girls love it.

This year we decided to bring Lacey with us. She loves going on car rides and was ecstatic to be included. That is, until we left her in the car while we explored a few shops.

This shop leaned the paintings they were selling against a railing outside the store. It was very eye-catching on a lovely fall day!

Who can resist a sweet owl sign, beckoning you to enter the store? Not us!

Leah, Mom and Emily. My three favorite women! They have each blessed my life immeasurably.

Next stop, the farmer that sells pumpkins and vegetables. We go there to stock up on more unusual varieties of ornamental pumpkins.

Here's Emily hoisting one of our silver white pumpkin selections. Keep up the weight lifting Emily, you're looking great!

I'm perusing the many pumpkins. I love the cinderella style pumpkins but they didn't have a lot of those this year. No matter, I'm happy with our selections.

What did Lacey do to deserve this evil treatment? Probably barked at the farmer's very large dog who outweighed her by 90 pounds!

Look at that sweet face! You can't stay mad at her for long. She's back where she belongs, being cuddled in Emily's arms.

My wonderful girls at the Bogus Creek Cafe, our favorite lunching spot in Stockholm. They have excellent salads, sandwiches and soups.

Mom and I. I'm so thankful that my mother is able to continue to take little trips like this with us. She's a huge blessing in my life and I thank God for her and the example she has provided me through the years.

Wandering through the town, we put Lacey in Leah's purse so she could join us without getting into mischief. I'm not sure how much she liked it but she sure commanded a lot of attention from passersby!

You might have guessed by the name, but Stockholm is a cute little scandinavian town and they like to celebrate their heritage. Here are some folk dancers entertaining us.

I joked with the girls that I might get a dress like the ladies' and get Mike a men's costume and learn how to folk dance like this. They just couldn't see it. If you knew Mike you'd be likely to agree with them. He's more of an outdoorsman and his idea of dressing up for a costume party is to put on a flannel shirt and cap that both say "Arctic Cat" and call himself a snowmobiler.

Even if my future as a folk dancer is doubtful, we had a wonderful day and I hope you enjoyed a little peek at a darling little town on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.

Egg-Straordinary Talent!

2011-09-23T19:43:00.006-05:00

Have you heard that you can balance eggs on end

on the first day of fall? We've done it before and it turns out I am

pretty good at it. Just another talent to add to my resume,

I guess. Daniel and I thought we'd try it again today.

As you can see, I managed to get one upright...

Daniel was a little more challenged so he resorted to

using a little salt to help keep his egg upright.

I managed to get three in a row before Daniel started

banging on the counters and sent them rolling.

The leaves are changing here and fall is definitely in the air.

Welcome, Autumn!

Sigh... My Heart Belongs To Paris.

2011-09-07T21:58:00.002-05:00

What seems like a million years ago, my daughters and I were wandering the streets of Paris. I had remembered reading about a well-known bookstore, called Shakespeare & Company when I was perusing the guidebooks back in the states. After we settled in our apartment on our first day, we went out for a walk in the evening to look for this bookstore. Imagine our surprise to find it just a couple minute's walk away. To make our visit even more memorable, they were celebrating an anniversary and had free wine and a lovely French woman singing beautiful songs (in French, of course).

If you knew me, you'd know I can no more pass a shelf full of books without stopping to browse than, say, my daughter walking past a shoe store, heh heh... So, here I am, browsing books on a lovely summer evening almost three months ago. A little slice of heaven on earth. We ended up visiting more than once as we came to know our sweet Parisian neighborhood.

I can hardly believe that I was ever afraid to go to Paris. It all seems silly now, but I was. Maybe afraid isn't the right word. Intimidated might be better. I'm grateful that we were able to safely and successfully navigate the streets of a large city where we don't speak the language. It's given me a lot more confidence to be willing to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to try new and unfamiliar things.

So, what are you afraid of doing that you just keep putting off? The biggest thing is to just get going. Don't be held captive by fear. Take baby steps, get moving and see where the Lord leads you! You may find yourself blessed beyond your wildest dreams!

I Wish I Could Say "Happy Birthday, Sam!"

2011-09-01T07:14:00.003-05:00

Leah, Samantha & Emily

This is a photo from Brenda (Mike's sister) & Tony's wedding in 1999. The girls were flower girls and Sam was Brenda's personal attendant.

The girls on Fathers Day.

You can see by the expressions on my girls' faces just how much they adored their cousin.

Today is my niece Samantha's birthday. She would have been 23. We lost her in a devastating car accident in July of 2004 and life hasn't been the same since.

Even though she's been gone for over seven years, we think about and speak of her quite frequently in our family. She was the best big cousin to all my children. She would faithfully take them under her wing and play with them at every family gathering. I'm sure at times it was boring and their incessant desire to be with her probably got old but she never complained. She was always loving and kind to them and they adored her! Actually, adored might be an understatement. Worshipped is more like it.

My oldest daughter just said to me the other day, "When I get married, after asking Leah (her sister) to be a bridesmaid, the next person I would have wanted would have been Sam."

We know our loss cannot compare to Mark and Teresa's, but we miss her and grieve all the same.

We love and miss you Sam, but we know we'll see you again someday.

MN State Fair 2011

2011-08-26T09:38:00.010-05:00

Our family took our annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair yesterday. The last few years we've gone on opening day, which (in theory) is less busy. I don't know, it seemed to be pretty busy yesterday! It was a gorgeous day. Maybe a lot of people wanted to get out and stuff themselves with lots of junk food like we did!

Daniel at the DNR fish pond, one of our first stops. Doesn't he look cool with his aviator sunglasses? He thought so. He wore them all day AND night. Kind of like hanging out with a rockstar!

Mike likes to listen to Garage Logic with Joe Soucheray so we had to stop and take in the show for a while. We were rewarded by entertainment from...

The "Spoon Man"!

He was really good, not limiting himself to just spoons.

No, he used a variety of utinsels: BBQ forks, butter knives, pie servers...

We've got some real talent up here in the Midwest!

I always get a kick out of the tiny, "about a" right in front of

the Foot Long Hotdog sign. Guess they're not a full foot long, are they?

Is nothing sacred?!

We stopped in Heritage Village and toured the circus train.

Take a look at these giant pumpkins! The winner was almost

850 pounds!

I love the seed art. All these artworks are crafted with seeds. Amazing!

I couldn't resist taking the Marine challenge and Emily joined me. I wanted the Marine cap and I had to hang there 75 seconds with my chin above the bar to get it. No problem, right? Ha ha! Wrong! I didn't even get close at 52 seconds. I have made a vow to strengthen my upper body and go back there next year and get not just the cap but the t-shirt which takes a full minute and 45 seconds. I've got a year to work on it and I intend to do it!

Note that I dropped my sandals for the challenge. I think they should pro-rate it for more "mature" persons like myself. One of the young Marines complimented me, "Good job, Mom!" when I got down. I didn't get the cap but I am now the proud owner of a Marine lanyard. :)

So, which car should be my midlife crisis car?

A Chevy Camaro?

Or a Ford Mustang?

Daniel looking good at the Cub Farm.

Speaking of farming, we love the giant cob of corn statue.

Imagine how fast our lawn would be mowed if each of our children

had their own riding lawn mower! The only problem is that they are red,

not Kubota orange like their father's lovely tractor.

Daniel on the Spam throne.

Emily had to try the sweet corn ice cream. She shared with all of us.

It was actually very good!

Our last sweet treat at the fair:

Shakes from the dairy barn. I always get strawberry.

This year was a first, I couldn't finish mine!

Semper Fi!

2011-08-21T21:29:00.009-05:00

Our little sign welcoming Emily's Marine.

Together again after 13 long weeks of separation!

Congratulations to Trent, my daughter Emily's boyfriend, who just graduated from basic training and is now an official Marine. He's home on leave until Tuesday morning. It's been a whirlwind of ten days of activity before he heads back for more training on the west coast and then still more training on the east coast.

We're quite proud of Trent who achieved his first promotion at basic training: Private First Class. He was eager to tell me all about it but what it boils down to is that among the elite he got the very top scores in his platoon and earned his First Class status. Truly, quite an accomplishment considering there was only one promotion available.

Congratulations Trent and thank you for your service to the USA. May God bless you and all our servicemen and women who are serving our great country. We appreciate your sacrifice!

My little girl is growing up and letting go is not always easy, but it helps when she has found such a wonderful young man. Don't they look wonderful as they head out for the evening?

Step Into My "Office"!

2011-08-02T06:34:00.005-05:00

Here it is, in all its glory: My new office! I'm not sure what's more impressive, the location in the midst of the boots, the fine folding table that is my desk or the cushy chair I sit on. It's all part of my new job, working with my sister at her tack and riding/show apparel business.

I also get to work with her other fine employees, who have worked for their aunt for years. Yes, that's my darling daughter #1 at the computer. She's so brilliant that she's setting up a web store for the business. I can assure you that I will not be working on that any time soon.

Then there's my other sweet daughter who toils and slaves wherever she is needed. Over the years Errin has built quite the business selling anything and everything you would want or need if you own, ride or show horses.

So, how did I get involved in the enterprise? Well, I am the newest salesperson to enter the ranks and my lovely daughter is modeling one of the outfits I will be listing on eBay. My sister has a nose for a bargain and picks up various closeouts from her vendors throughout the year and in her zeal has accumulated quite a backlog of clothing.

So, I hauled our little folding table and chair down the hill to the store, set up my "office" in the boot corner and thus my new business venture has begun! My sister and I make a great team and I'm excited to be able to work with her and earn a little extra income. I love the flexibility and she loves that the boxes of clothing she's storing will, hopefully, soon be sold, making room for the fall lines coming in.

If you've read my earlier posts about the girls and my travels, you'll know that we've been bitten by the travel bug. My sweet husband has informed me that future travels will have to self-financed as he does not intend to work until he's 80 so that the children and I can trot the globe and I do not blame him. I look at this as a win/win/win: I'm earning money for future travels or to help out with family expenses, I'm helping Errin reduce her inventory that she wants to sell and best of all, I get to spend more time with my sister in the process! What's not to love?

Do We Love Paris? OUI!

2011-07-21T12:06:00.025-05:00

Don't blame me if I dance a jig upon publishing this post. Blogger has been obstinate but, lucky for you, I'm MORE obstinate and I wouldn't give up 'til the post was complete!

The girls are standing in front of a really cool mural which is in a large courtyard next to the Pompidou Center in Paris.

We saw soldiers all over Paris. They always worked in teams of three. This group is unusual in that one of the soldiers is a woman. Apparently they take the threat of terrorism seriously and I'm glad.

The Centre Georges Pompidou built in 1977 is one of the world's most famous pieces of architecture. The building is turned "inside out" with brightly colored utility pipes of different colors on the outside of the building: bright green for water, yellow for electricity, blue for air conditioning. One of the building's most striking features is the external escalator which climbs the front of the building in a plexiglass tube. It's a pretty amazing ride!

The girls inside the plexiglass tube at the Pompidou Center. The view was fun both inside and out! Unfortunately cameras are not allowed to be used inside the museum. Some the artwork was just plain weird, some fascinating and there were plenty of masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse, Dali and more.

On our way back through the plaza, we spotted this humongous chalk portrait. Very cool!

Moving on to another museum, this is an ancient church altar carving, about a thousand years old! We saw this at the Cluny Museum, a museum of the middle ages that was only five minutes away from our apartment.

Ancient stained glass portrait of the disciples. Preserved through all the wars. Some ancient stained glass was discovered in an old barn! Apparently the villagers took the windows out of their churches and hid them during WWII in an effort to save the ancient artwork.

I loved this old carving of Jesus. There are a lot of likenesses of Christ, but not many crafted of wood that still survive. It's very large, maybe even lifesize. Beautiful.

Giant doors at the Pantheon, a gorgeous old building which is the resting place of the nation's great figures. It was originally built as a church but became a public building in 1885. Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Louis Braille and Joan of Arc rest within the Pantheon, among other historical figures.

We couldn't resist having a little fun in the giant rooms of the Pantheon.

Leah's not a midget. The building is enormous!

Me, surrounded by splendor, looking small.

Another day, another museum... Rodin's "The Thinker". It seems that every time you turn around in Paris, there's another masterpiece waiting to be savored and enjoyed.

You can't go to Paris and not bump into this guy. In case you don't recognize him, it's Napoleon Bonaparte at the Hotel des Invalides, an enormous old hotel built for wounded soldiers that is now a large museum. Actually, a handful of old soldiers still do live here.

Napoleon's tomb. It was his final wish to be situated on the banks of the River Siene and so his body was moved nineteen years after his death to this final resting place, the Hotel des Invalides, not far from the Siene.

Ooh La La! The most famous icon of France, the Eiffel Tower! The girls and I were struck by the beauty of this gorgeous structure. It didn't matter whether you were down below looking up, or...

at the second level looking out on the wonderful view. We're hardy Wisconsinites and so we did not take the elevator but used the stairs. There are 720 steps in all. They thoughtfully mark them off, ten at a time, so you can see the progress you're making as you ascend and descend.

That's the Sacre Coeur you see on the hill in the distance. The basilica was built as a memorial to the 58,000 French soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and took 46 years to build, finally completed in 1923 for 40 million francs! Priests still pray for the souls of the dead there 24 hours a day.

One of our favorite museums was L'Orangerie. It is a small museum but it houses Monet's eight huge Water Lilies canvases. They're placed on curving walls and are so huge that when you stand or sit in the middle of the room, the gorgeous artwork surrounds you. It's like you're right there in Monet's gardens.

So beautiful! It was hard to choose a favorite scene to stand by...

Also in L'Orangerie are select impressionist artworks by the masters. I loved this still life by Renoir. Wouldn't you like to pick up one of these peaches and take a bite?

After our tour at L'Orangerie, we moved on to the grandaddy of museums in Paris... The Louvre!We thought Daniel would appreciate this ancient Easter Island head after seeing a likeness in "Night at the Museum".

Sigh... No words necessary. Will you think I'm a total geek if I confess to getting choked up when I saw the Mona Lisa for the first time? It was just one of those moments. I truly never thought I'd actually have the privilege of seeing the Mona Lisa in person. Such an iconic painting... Even though we weren't allowed to get close, it was still a special moment for me.

Another gallery, another masterpiece at the Louvre. This is the Venus de Milo, believed to represent the goddess Aphrodite from the second century BC discovered on the Greek island of Milos in 1820. Isn't she beautiful?

Walking home from the Louvre, we crossed this bridge, the Rue Dauphine, which is literally covered with padlocks! Apparently when lovers come to Paris, they put a lock on this fence to signify their never-ending love. Trust me, Paris is full of lovers!

Believe it or not, when we went to the Cluny Museum the first time, we missed the star attraction: The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries! I read about them in our guidebook and I talked the girls into returning with me so that I could see them in person. There are six huge tapestries in all and they each represent one of the senses. This is the sixth tapestry in the series and is titled, "My Only Desire". The tapestries are gorgeous and remarkably well preserved, given that they are estimated to be over 600 years old.

Okay, I begged the girls to go to the Louvre twice because I knew we couldn't do it all in one day. We didn't even come close. I hope to return someday, but even if I don't, I'll never forget the priceless works of art we were able to see. The girls and Mona. You can see that they don't allow people to get close to her anymore after she'd been stolen and attacked in the past.

A close up from The Coronation of Napoleon, a huge canvas measuring over 20 feet by 32 feet by Jacques-Louis David from 1805-1807. It's enormous and not many museums could properly display such a grand piece of art, but the Louvre does it with style. I could have stood staring at it for hours, there's so much going on in it. A fascinating view of history of the coronation of Napoleon at the Notre Dame, but not entirely accurate.

They were working on the ceiling in this gallery, hence the cloth hanging from it. Even the display areas are gorgeous! Notice the gilding, the ornate wainscoting, the beautifully painted walls. It almost distracts from the artwork and ancient artifacts within the room! The Louvre was built originally to be the fortress of King Philippe-Augustine in 1190 and was turned into the home of King Charles V. Napoleon renovated the Louvre as a museum at the end of the 18th century and what a museum it is, filled with 35,000 priceless objects!

Another painting I have long admired, "The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds" by Georges de La Tour. The young man on the right is being plied with women and wine and will lose his fortune before the night is over!

We saw this statue on one of our many walks. I'm not sure what happened here but it probably has something to do with the protests we witnessed earlier in our stay. Apparently this is nothing new, as anti-war vandals have also painted a bronze statue of Winston Churchill's hands red, signifying his role in WWII. I'm a big fan of Winston Churchill and in my opinion, he didn't have much of a choice about entering WWII. They'd be better off going after Hitler, but I doubt there are many statues of him in Europe.

Our final evening found us relaxing in the Luxembourg Gardens in the sun...

Such gorgeous gardens! Lovely! We soaked it all in because the next day...

That's right, there we are, packed and waiting for the Eurostar train to bring us back to England.

The Eurostar is a very comfortable train to travel on. In about two hours we were back in England after traveling under the English Channel. We hated to say goodbye to Paris as we had so much fun there. I only hope to be able to return someday but I'm grateful for the wonderful time the girls and I had and the memories we created.

Au Revoir!

Ooh La La - Paris!

2011-07-14T10:43:00.019-05:00

After two weeks in England, the girls and I travelled to Paris, France for a week at the end of June. What a magical, beautiful, elegant city! I wondered if we'd find enough to do to keep us busy for a week but that wasn't a problem.

On our first night there, we stopped by Shakespeare & Company. Paris's favorite bookstore which was a two minute walk from our apartment. They were celebrating a store anniversary and had free wine and music for all their customers. It was a lovely evening, completely unplanned.

The next day, the girls and I took a walking tour and strolled along the River Seine with a guide and four other people. We spent the day exploring the city by foot while Erin told us fun facts and stories, showing us the sights.

Interesting looking gargoyle on a church. Did you know that gargoyles are used to disperse rainwater of the roof of the church?I didn't, but now I do.

Same sweet church, interior view.

The girls and I in front of the Louvre. The Louvre is huge, U-shaped and confusing to get around in but honestly, I could spend a week in there! It's full of the most incredible masterpieces.

The glass pyramid entry is an interesting juxtaposition to the rest of the older, classic architecture.

Our guide told us they had a contest to come with a creative metro (underground subway) entrance and this was a winning entry. Isn't it fun?

Leah standing on an interactive sculpture artwork piece. The entire plaza is full of these black and white circular projections, all at varying heights. Very cool effect.

Lavender garden within Tuileries Garden, a beautiful, enormous park.

Bicycle taxis waiting for passengers outside Tuileries Gardens.

The Arc de Triumph, the largest triumphal arch built in Paris was ordered by Napoleon. That's him, in the "Triumph of Napoleon" on the left, celebrating the Treaty of Vienna in 1810, when his empire was in its heyday. The Arc de Triumph wasn't actually finished until 1836. Four years later Napoleon's funeral procession passed beneath it on his way to his burial in Les Invalides, his final resting place.

The Arc de Triumph is in the middle of an enormous roundabout without any lane markers! The cars travel around it at a great speed and somehow manage to avoid hitting each other. Seeing the people standing beneath it shows just how huge it is. If you look closely, you can see flowers marking the tomb of the unknown solder.

Walking back from the Arc de Triumph on the Champs-Elysees we stopped in at the Swarovski store. The girls and I loved the sparkly stairs full of Swarovski crystals!

The obelisk on Place de la Concorde with its glittering gold cap. It was erected on this site 150 years ago but is actually over 3,000 years old; a gift from Egypt. At one time, this was a central location in the French Revolution and the site of the guillotine where Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette and more than 1,000 others were beheaded.

On a lighter note, we saw darling little fruit and produce stands on many corners in the city.

Mmmm... Very tempting!

Formal gardens outside the Carnavalet Museum, devoted to the history of Paris.

The girls relaxing on a bench in the lovely gardens.

On our way through the plaza in front of Notre Dame, we witnessed a protest. You can't see the protestors in the center but they are protected by the French police in full riot gear. I wanted to stay and see what happened but my girls thought it better to move along.

The girls were (almost) always happy to pose for me in front of yet another monument.

When we went to the Luxembourg Gardens we were blessed to happen upon this glorious outdoor concert, grand piano included! There was plenty of outdoor seating, so we rested a spell and simply enjoyed the beautiful music. (Bonus: no translation necessary!)

I watched a sweet father/son duo taking in the music. The son was too short to get a good view so his father gave him a lift.

After the concert we walked over to a pool and saw a little sailboat being enjoyed by a family with young boys.

Until it landed, that is. There was a slight squabble over who got to pull it out!

Aren't the gardens beautiful? The city of Paris must employ a lot of gardeners.

This is the first apartment we stayed in while in Paris. We have the distinction of staying in the "Narrowest Building in Paris". In fact, while we were there, a tour group walked by and snapped some photos of our building from the street. The girls happened to be at the windows and had fun leaning out and waving to the photographers below!

Such angelic faces... such sweet smiles.

Sharing a laugh at the windows with lovely geranium flower boxes.

The statue of Charlemaigne at the Notre Dame Cathedral. We were so close to the Notre Dame that we could sometimes hear the bells tolling from our apartment. What a magnificent building. So much history has taken place here!

This spot marks the point from where distances all over France to Paris are measured. It's right in front of the Notre Dame.

Beautiful stone work on the front of the Notre Dame. The craftsman who worked on these Cathedrals were amazingly gifted.

This is a banner left over from the protest we walked by the day before. I wish I could read French so I could see what the protest was about.

Sainte Chapelle, the Gothic masterpiece built by Louis IX, completed in 1248. Considered the most beautiful church in all of Paris and I would have to agree. It has gorgeous stained glass windows that soar 50 feet! Truly amazing.

Another photo of Sainte Chapelle. I'm afraid that photos do not do this beautiful chapel justice. The chapel was originally built to house the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus when he was crucified, or so the story goes. Louis IX was a devout King who also acquired pieces from the cross Jesus was crucified on, nails from the crucifixion and a few drops of Christ's blood, paying almost three times more for them than the construction of the Sainte Chapelle itself. The relics now reside at Notre Dame but we were not able to see them as they are only shown once a month which, unfortunately, was not when we were visiting.

I hope you enjoyed the first half of our Paris visit.

Stay tuned for yet more Parisian adventures!

Visiting London - Part 2

2011-07-09T05:19:00.016-05:00

The girls at the gates of Buckinham Palace.

It really is quite a regal estate. As you can see, the flag is flying
so that means that the Queen is in residence. It's really much bigger
than what you can see here, taking up a large city block.

The beautiful Victoria Monument in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Queen's Guard, the "Blues and Royals" riding to the

changing of the mounted guard at the Horse Guards Arch.

The girls standing on The Mall, with Buckingham Palace in the background.

Inside the British Museum in the Great Court.

It's an architectural masterpiece.

Oh My Gosh! It's the Rosetta Stone!

It really is amazing to see all these ancient artifacts

that up until now we'd only read about.

Surrounded by more grand ancient artifacts at the British Museum.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Magnificent!

Buckingham Palace from the London Eye.

The London Eye is the world's tallest cantilevered

observation wheel. The views are amazing!

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament along the River Thames.

Sometimes you've just got to do the tourist stuff.

Here we are the following day with family members

at the top of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

What an amazing and gorgeous cathedral!

Views of London from the top of St. Paul's.

This is the cathedral that Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married in.

There's the London Eye in the distance.

You can see how huge it is when you compare it to the

tall buildings around it.

The girls and Watson at the Sherlock Holmes museum.

Emily and a man from Scotland Yard.

Karl looking very distinguished with his hat and pipe!

London is full of gorgeous parks. We visited

Queen Mary's Gardens in Regent's Park.

They have over 400 varieties of roses in this enormous park!

We were fortunate enough to visit when the roses

were blooming. The flowers and their scent were beautiful.

Karl and Leah on a bridge in Regent's Park.

Arlene and I watching the ducks in

Regent's Park.

We had such a wonderful time exploring London but it was just a taste of all that lovely city has to offer. I am hoping to return and bring Daniel next time to see more of London. Leah had such a great time that she is now working and saving to buy a plane ticket to join us when we go. You truly cannot do it all /see it all in one visit. We didn't wear out our welcome, thankfully. Our family across the pond has already asked us when we're going to return. :)

Let's Go To England - Part 1

2011-06-29T18:43:00.025-05:00

What?! You can't POSSIBLY fit three week's worth of

clothes into a carry-on bag, can you?

Trust us, it can be done, although I seemed to

struggle with that challenge a little more than the girls!

In England, their homes have names.

My niece's husband Ray's family home is named "Bundanoon"

which means "place of deep gullies".

I didn't see any deep gullies on the property but there

are lovely valleys with gorgeous views nearby.

Bundanoon, a delightful estate in a small village

just south of London.

One of my favorite parts of traveling, gathering

with family around the table.

Ahhh, the fabulous city of Bath.

We stayed here four nights and took two tours

with the Mad Max Tour Company.

Our first tour took us to Stonehenge.

It was cold and wet and windy on the Stonehenge hill

so we didn't linger as long as I would have liked.

Stonehenge really is an amazing sight to see.

A farmhouse in the English countryside

with sheep grazing in the pasture. Lovely!

Stonehenge gets more publicity, but the Avebury

site is just as fascinating, maybe more so.

It's a series of huge stone circles, situated at the centerpoint

of the east/west axis of the island and is one of the

earliest stone circles in all of England.

Sheep grazing in the field with the huge stones

that form the Avebury circle.

The Red Lion pub in the town of Avebury.

Note the thatched roof. It takes a real craftsman

to create and maintain the beautiful thatched roofs

you see in the countryside of the Cotswolds.

Looking out the abbey door in Lacock.

Lacock is a little village in England that appears to

have stopped in time about three hundred years ago.

Many movies and period pieces have been filmed here:

"Harry Potter", "Pride & Prejudice" & "Cranford" among others.

This is a street in another quaint village called

Castle Combe. A new Steven Spielberg movie called "Warhorse"

was just filmed here as was "Dr. Doolittle"

with Rex Harrison back in the 60's.

An ancient tombstone at the church in Castle Combe.

Wouldn't you love to move into this little cottage

on the banks of the river?

Leah and I in Castle Combe.

Back in Bath, they have a canal that you can rent

one of these neat old house boats on.

Who can go to Bath without visiting the Royal Crescent?

An exquisite example of architecture ahead of its time.

Back then the rich and famous resided here.

I don't know about the famous, but the rich still do.

I loved this old mirror and the effect it made

when shooting photos.

The ancient roman baths in Bath with

the Bath Abbey in the background.

Emily taking shots at an ancient Roman bridge in Castle Combe.

Taking tea in a family owned tea room in a

quaint English village.

There is a little river running by the road

in Castle Combe and the villagers

love their ducks.

I wish my front yard looked like this,

don't you?

Even the chairs holding the herbs

for the restaurant are pretty!

The girls thought I was weird for taking a photo of this...

but really, the "British Toilet Association"?!

Even if the dues are free, I think I'll pass!

The Bath Abbey.

This isn't even one of the "biggies" as far as English

cathedrals go, but isn't it beautiful?

On our way home from Bath, we made a pit stop

in Salisbury to see the Salisbury Cathedral which has the

tallest spire, 404 feet, in all of England.

Original stained glass in the Salisbury Cathedral,

almost 800 years old.

Magnificent!

We took the tower tour and were able to climb

the many steps to the external gallery at the base

of the spire. The views were incredible!

Another lovely estate called Knole House

that we toured in Sevenoaks.

This photo tour of the beginning of our stay in England may seem lengthy but I had to severly edit to get down to just this many photos to show you! The girls and I had the perfect mix of touring time, family time, down time and shopping time on our trip. It was tempting to rush around and try to see more because there are just so many wonderful, historical sites in England but the whole idea of a vacation is to enjoy yourself, so we chose our itinerary carefully. I had to keep telling myself, we'll see that next time...

Farewell Sweet Sister

2011-05-21T12:53:00.002-05:00

How do you say goodbye to someone so dear to your heart?

My beloved sister, Elaine, has passed from earthly life to eternal life this week. She left us on Wednesday, May 18th at 10:10am.

Our relationship was a bit unusual in that she was 36 years older than me. Both my parents were widowed and had remarried and my father was older than my mother. Elaine was dad's daughter from his first marriage. Given our age difference it was surprising that we were as close as we were but perhaps it was because we had similar personalities. Sweet and kind, but fiesty, too.

My father died when I was only 3 1/2 and Elaine would tell me stories about him which I loved because I felt as though it helped me to know him a little better. My whole life long, whenever I met someone who knew my father they would always, (ALWAYS) say, "Oh, your father was a wonderful man." He was a butcher and grocery store manager in a small town on the corner of main street. Back when he was alive, there were no stoplights or pedestrian crosswalks and kindergartners would have to cross the busy street at noon. My dad would go out on his lunch hour and guide the young children across the street to ensure their safety. Just a small but telling example of the kind of man he was. But, I digress, this post isn't supposed to be about my dad!

Elaine and Tom, my brother-in-law, moved to Florida when I was only ten years old. I missed them, and my nephew John, (who is the same age as me) a great deal. Thankfully they visited frequently, especially once Tom retired and they bought a trailer on a lake up by us. They would spend their summers up here and our extended family would get together regularly.

Elaine was a three-time cancer survivor from the 70's and 80's and as she aged, the surgeries and treatments she had endured all those years ago began to take their toll. She lost her ability to walk and had to use a wheelchair. Sadly, eventually, they were unable to make the trip up north to spend their summers with us.

We decided that if they could not come to us, we would go to them and so three years ago my family began vacationing in Florida for a month in March or April. We found that we could rent a condominium for a month for not much more than the cost of a week's rental and decided to pack up our homeschool books and hit the road. We were in the same complex that Tom and Elaine lived in and could walk to their townhome and visit. The condos were so roomy that we were even able to host other family members while we were there and it kind of felt like old times, with everyone all together again.

We had so many special times together, but one memory stands out in my mind. Two years ago we were packing up and preparing to head north and we decided to have a little goodbye party at Tom and Elaine's. Elaine loved ice cream and so we brought ice cream and toppings to their home for an evening treat. She went to bed early in her later years and was already in bed by the time we arrived after being waylayed by chatty neighbors on our walk there. I remember her soft voice calling from the bedroom when we arrived, "Let's eat ice cream in here!" So everyone loaded their bowls and brought their chairs in the bedroom. While we were in there, my daughter Leah asked about some photo albums she saw in Elaine's closet. We ended up bringing out a bunch of old photo albums and reminiscing for hours, way past Elaine's "bedtime". Every time we said, "Oh, we should go, we're keeping you awake." she would protest that she wasn't tired and ask us to stay a little longer. It was a wonderful evening.

This year, my entire family was not able to make the trip for a month, but my other sister, Errin, and I visited for a week in March. I had a strong feeling that we should go because it would probably be the last time I shared with Elaine on this Earth. We stayed with them and had a wonderful week together. Elaine was noticeably weaker but her spirits were high and we made the most of every moment.

Elaine and I developed a sweet ritual of praying together after she was put to bed. On our last evening there, she shared that she was ready to go home, to her heavenly, eternal home. We talked and prayed of the freedom she would have and the beloved family members she would be with again. It was a sweet moment and such a gift from God. I knew while we were praying that I was spending my final moments with her because our flight went out very early the next morning and so we were saying our goodbyes that evening.

I left Florida with peace and joy in my heart because I knew to the depth of my being that our earthly goodbye was not the end. Elaine isn't shackled by a wheelchair any longer. She is healthy and strong! Her body is whole! She walks streets of gold with loved ones and her Savior!

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:54b-55

Though I grieve her earthly passing, Heaven has become dearer to me. Farewell, Elaine. I look forward to seeing you again!

With love, your littlest sister.

Time In A Bottle

2011-05-14T08:42:00.003-05:00

Emily at 11 - Seven years ago.

Leah and Daniel with my nephew's dog, Alice,

taken when we were building our house in the summer of 2004.

The children posing on our property in 2004

on what is now one of my walking trails.

I am acutely aware of the passing of time, for many reasons.

I just celebrated my 46th birthday two days ago. At breakfast when my elderly age was being commented on, I realized that I had known my husband half of my life. Wow! That's a long time to be with someone. I only had three years with my dad but have been blessed to share 23 years with the same man. I thank God for that blessing.

We are in prep mode for Emily's graduation party which is next Sunday. That's just over one week to pull it all together! Usually by now my gardens and landscaping around the house have long been weeded, pruned and cleaned up. Enter (so-called) spring of 2011: cold, snowy, rainy and generally miserable! So, I've been waiting to get out there and this week was the week. My back is a little sore today but the shrubs have been pruned, weeds have been pulled, dead plants removed. We are now in the process of putting down new mulch.

Of course with all that yard work to accomplish, the house and garage haven't gotten much attention. That will be the focus today and tomorrow. Even though it's a cold, rainy day today, I want to get out in the garage and clean it, although with three dogs and lots of dirt in the great outdoors, I'll probably leave the garage floor until later.

Anyone wondering about my fabulous eating plan? Hmmmm... Is birthday cake one of the food groups? That's been my downfall lately. Emily baked me my favorite cake: my mother-in-law's famous "Kay's Rhubarb Cake". Soooo yummy! Then Daniel decided he needed to make me a cake as well: vanilla cake with orange buttercream frosting. It's delicious and beckons me to have a piece more than once a day. So much for going sugar free! Both cakes are almost gone so there's hope for me yet. If I hadn't been walking with my sister and in a gardening frenzy, I'd probably be in real trouble!

Yesterday the children got out our video recorder and started watching old family videos on it. Talk about being made aware of the passage of time. There are loved ones who are no longer with us on there; my children as babies, toddlers and little children... Seriously, if it wasn't so cute, it could have brought me to tears. I realize with my head that my children are a gift from God, on loan, for a time. All the while, however, they are growing and maturing and if things work the way they're supposed to, they will grow up and leave our home. My heart just needs to catch up with my head, I guess.

So that's where I'm at. Preparing for a new phase in our family, with our eldest daughter graduating and going to college. Not only is she 18 and graduating, she's even met and begun dating a young man. We like Trent. He's respectful, mature and very kind to our precious girl. He's enlisted in the Marines and will be leaving for basic training tomorrow. He's got a bright future ahead of him and who knows, it may include our daughter.

It's a lot of change in a mighty short span, but with God's very real presence, we march onward with anticipation and maybe just a twinge of longing for days gone by. I guess it's a good reminder to me: Wake up! Don't miss these precious and fleeting days. I say that frequently, but as I just celebrated my 12th bonus birthday (that's what I call my birthdays ever since my cancer diagnosis) I can't help but be grateful for the gift of life, chaotic and challenging as it may be.

SURPRISE! Emily Turned 18 Today!

2011-04-26T20:50:00.005-05:00

Our "baby" girl, Emily, turned 18 years old today. It seems like just yesterday that we were rushing to the hospital on a beautiful April morning and now, 18 years later, here we are. I always thought it ridiculous when I heard older adults bemoaning the passing of the years but now I'm beginning to know how they feel.

The years have flown since Emily was a baby and keeping me on my toes. She wanted to nurse constantly and never wanted to sleep. We worked our way through the feeding and sleeping issues, thankfully! She was a zealously "loving" big sister and Leah tolerated her sister's attention admirably. From learning how to ride a bike to starting her own girl's magazine that she self-published for five years, it's been a fun to watch her handle life's challenges. She's always been a natural leader and has an artistic gift that she's continued to develop through the years. She was the youngest leader our church has ever had in their Awana program and has been leading Cubbie groups for the last seven years.

Mike and I decided we wanted to do something special to celebrate her 18th birthday and upcoming graduation so we decided to buy her a car. We found a used Grand Prix and bought it as a surprise.

We've been working on this for a while and I was wondering if we could really pull it off, but we did! She was shocked, amazed, thrilled and yes, even speechless when Mike pulled the car up by the front door and rang the doorbell . Then she began screaming and hopping up and down, asking if it was really for her. Later, after our guests left, she took her sister and brother out for a maiden voyage run around town and returned grinning ear to ear. I'd say our surprise was a rousing success.

Happy Birthday, Honey! May you always walk with God and may you have many happy miles behind the wheel of your "new" car!

Ultimate Sweet & Salty Fix

2011-04-11T14:24:00.005-05:00

Danger! Tasty treat recipe ahead!

What is it?

Chocolate covered potato chips!

It may sound weird, but once you try these tasty little tidbits, I promise you'll be hooked:

I prepared an entire pan for our art academy class tomorrow.

Last week I was talking about how good they are and nobody believed me so I volunteered to bring some to our next class.

When I made them last time, I dipped about half of the chip in chocolate but I was under a time crunch before our class tomorrow so I came up with this brilliant idea: Spread the chips out on a piece of parchment paper and drizzle the melted chocolate over the chips. Then sprinkle ever so lightly with sea salt.

Are you hungry yet? All it takes is a bag of Old Dutch potato chips, one cup of milk chocolate chips (or use semi-sweet or dark, whatever you prefer). Melt the chips at half power in the microwave, transfer into a ziploc bag, snip a small portion off the corner and squeeze the chocolate all over the chips. Sprinkle kosher style flake salt lightly over the chocolate covered potato chips. Let cool and enjoy!

Life Trumps Blogging

2011-03-28T06:43:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been absent for a while. It's been busy around here!

With our travel plans meaning our absence in the month of June, we decided to enroll Leah in Driver's Education classes last week in order to finish them up early. That means I've been taking her to Stillwater for a three hour class, Monday through Thursday. We had Friday off but we're back at it for the second week now.

Just to add to the fun, the Stillwater bridge may be closing, increasing our drive time from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. The St. Croix River is flooding in Stillwater but the cooler temperatures have actually helped with the flooding so I'm not protesting our cool spring too much.

Once the bridge is closed, it will probably be closed for a while so I'm glad we only have four more classes until the classroom portion is completed. The behind the wheel doesn't begin until Leah turns 15 1/2 and gets her permit and that's not until July 29th so we've got a little time before we'll have another driver in the family.

I've been doing a ton of research for our trip. For all the hours I've spent on it it doesn't seem like I've accomplished much but I have been working on firming up the itinerary. We will be spending a week in Paris, France and I located and secured an apartment in a wonderful location right off the banks of the Seine River near the Notre Dame cathedral. We will be within walking distance of so many sights, shops, cafes, museums, gardens, etc.

I just purchased our Eurostar tickets on Saturday. The Eurostar is the train that goes under the English Channel from London to France. It's just over a two hour trip with 19 minutes of it being under the channel. I am slightly claustrophobic but I can do this. I plan on seeing my doctor to obtain some anxiety reducing drugs to help me in my quest.

Now I'm trying to figure out how we will spend our two weeks in England. We will be staying with my niece and her family just south of London. They live in a spacious old estate and they've got room for us. We are very fortunate to have this home base to explore from although we may venture out and stay in the Bath area a couple nights. Decisions, decisions...

We will be doing a lot of walking on this trip so the girls and I need to get our walking shoes on and get outdoors. Actually, they are doing a better job of that than I am. Between my busyness, the snow outside and this cold I picked up, I haven't been exercising much. Gotta work on that.

That, and, oh, a million other things. You know, like feeding my family, time with my husband and children, homeschooling, planning Emily's graduation party, trying to keep this place in order, dealing with the endless paperwork and paying the bills. The normal stuff of life!

I hope the stuff of your lives has been fulfilling and brings you joy and satisfaction. I love how God is at work, in even the mundane areas of my life. When I'm feeling burdened and the endless wintry weather is depressing and I'm fighting a cold, it's a good thing to remember.

Gotta Get Gutsy!

2011-03-17T12:37:00.005-05:00

Okay.

I did it.

I've talked about doing this for years but I finally did it.

I booked a round-trip flight to London for myself and my two lovely daughters for three weeks in June. I'm still a little shocked that I actually did it.

We have family that lives outside London so we will be spoiled by them picking us up at the airport and providing a place for us to stay while we're in the London area. Of course we can't just fly to London to spend three weeks there so we've got to go exploring. The question is, where else should we go? I'm planning on making Paris a part of our itinerary but after that it's a big question mark. Should we head south to Spain or north to the Netherlands?

How far north do we want to go in England? All the way up to Scotland? To the lakes district to visit Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm? Questions, questions... Then there's the biggie: Can we fit everything we want to take in carry-on sized suitcases? I've always been a big believer in packing light, even before they started charging for checking your luggage.

We leave in 11 weeks and in that time we will be finishing school for the year, hosting Emily's graduation party, going up to the cabin for Memorial Day weekend and getting ready to go. I'd say that's enough to keep us busy this spring!

The Last Snowshoe of the Season?

2011-03-15T08:34:00.003-05:00

Last week I took the dogs out for what was probably the last snowshoe of the season. The weather is finally warming up here and we've got a few days of 50 degrees or higher predicted. Woo Hoo!

I'm going to use this opportunity to introduce our new golden retriever pup, Millie. Mike got her a couple weeks ago and she's a little sweetie. A little sweetie who seems to be having a difficult time being housetrained, unfortunately. When he mentioned getting another dog I told him that the responsibility would have to be mainly his. So Millie spends a lot of time with him and I'm hoping that she will figure things out soon.

Millie and Theodore had a great time playing in the snow.

Sniffing around...

She looks so cute with her snowy little nose!

One of my favorite photo-ops was damaged in our heavy snow earlier this winter.

There used to be three trees leaning over and one fell down.

Now there are only two.

Millie taking a break and sitting in the snow.

After leaning over all winter I wonder if this little cedar tree

will ever stand upright again!

Theodore doing what he does best: running around in the snow.

Frisky pups wrestling in the snow.

I love winter and playing out in the snow but I've got to admit

that I am SO ready for spring. Bring it on!

ADHD Cleaning House - Part 2

2011-03-14T06:37:00.006-05:00

If you read my earlier post about my ADHD house cleaning tendencies, you'll remember the chaos that followed my attempt to clean the house, change the winter for spring decor and pull, organize and price books to sell for the upcoming used book sale.

Happily, after a lot of work on Saturday, the house is back in order and looking far more spring-like!

The china cabinet is displaying our spring-floral tea set

and the pretty colored glassware my mother gave me.

If you look closely, you'll see little shells peeking out around the candles.

Even the hall table has one of Leah's pretty little floral arrangements

that she made for me. I've got them all over the house.

They're easy to make and brighten an area like a smile on your face.

I swapped out the winter greenery and wreath with

a spring wreath, tulle and flower petals.

A close-up view of the mantle looking light and bright.

What is this you ask?! Let me reintroduce you to

my library floor. It was there all along, hiding under

piles of books. Imagine that!

Where are those books now? Well...

They've been boxed up and are hiding in the entry closet

until the book sale, four weeks away.

Thankfully, we don't use this closet much.

Last but not least, Leah cleaned the bonus room for

me yesterday afternoon. I helped a little and together

we got it spiffed up. Hurrah!

Hmmmm... I wonder where I can go and create a little chaos today? ;)

Blessings to you today in blogland, friends!

ADHD Cleaning House

2011-03-12T08:02:00.003-06:00

This is what happens when a person with ADHD "cleans house". Not that it was perfect before I started, but it looked a LOT better than this!

I do this quite frequently. I begin one project which somehow morphs into another. And another. And another... You get the idea.

Yesterday was supposed to be house cleaning day.

This is how it looked this morning.

I thought it made sense to switch our decor from

winter to spring since I was going to be cleaning.

Not a bad plan, really.

THEN, when I was putting a few books away in the library

I thought I'd pull some books off the shelves that I want to sell

in a homeschoolers' used book sale next month.

So now there are books stacked everywhere around my home

because I wasn't content to leave the mess in just the library.

Books need to be boxed so we've got boxes everywhere too.

Here's the mess from taking the winter display down from
my china hutch in the dining area.

We can't leave the living room out of my destructive path, can we?

Guess what I'm doing today? It may take all day but I've got to restore order to our home. Preferably before my husband gets back from the cabin later this morning. Time to finish my breakfast, get off the computer and get to work!

Sister Trip to Florida!

2011-03-11T06:56:00.008-06:00

This is my sister Errin and I on the beach at Cape Canaveral.

We flew down to Orlando on March 1st and rented a car and drove

over to the Cape to stay with my other sister Elaine and her husband Tom

for a week. They live in a townhome complex right on the beach.

Elaine is my half sister and her health is not the best.
She cannot walk on her own anymore and her memory
is getting poor. Even though she was mixed up from
time to time, she never forgot who I was!

Elaine, my nephew Tom, my brother-in-law Tom, Errin and I
at Grills for lunch. They have the best breakfasts and the best
seafood. Yum! I love Grills!

We can watch the cruise ships go out because we're right by
Port Canaveral. Here goes the Disney ship!

A cat sitting on the fence that surrounds the complex.

There were beautiful flowers everywhere!

I can't wait until I can see flowers here at home

but this was a nice taste of spring.

A lizard sunning himself on a rock. I was on a

birdwatching tour at the Merritt Island National Wildlife

Refuge when I saw him along with tons of beautiful birds,

alligators and a rattlesnake!

A wonderful old hallway at the Lightner Museum

in St. Augustine, Florida.

The dining hall in Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.

I think I could used to eating in such elegance, couldn't you?

Firing the cannon at the old Fort in St. Augustine.

St. George's Street is the pedestrian street lined

with stores, restaurants and candy/ice cream shops.

I saw this pair of shoes just sitting there when we

first arrived and I couldn't resist taking a photo of them.

I wonder if their owner was walking around barefoot.

Errin posing by the "friendly" alligators.

Cute, aren't they?

Elaine liked having her nails painted. I don't paint

my own nails but I did a pretty good job, if I do say so!

Another glorious sunrise on the beach. We tried to

walk on the beach at sunrise every single day we were there.

Heavenly!

My ride in Florida.

Heh heh, not really...

A fun car parked outside the tourist mecca of

Ron Jon's in Cocoa Beach, just down the road.

Another gorgeous bird, a Snowy Egret

that we saw on our morning walk. Isn't he handsome

with his beautiful plumage, black legs and gold feet?

We are back home now. Back to reality of cold and snow for a few more weeks at least. I don't care because we had a fantastic trip. Elaine and I shared many special moments. My favorites were when we prayed together when she went to bed at night. Errin and I had a wonderful time together as well. It was her first visit to Florida and I enjoyed showing her around. I love my family and am blessed that we were able to visit, connect and create special memories.

American Birkebeiner 2011

2011-03-01T09:38:00.008-06:00

We came, we saw, we froze!

The 2011 American Birkebeiner is just a memory now but we surely had a wonderful weekend up at the cabin with family and friends. After last week's loss, it was a restorative, fun filled weekend and everyone loved it!

Our cabin was full with 12 people. I think that's about the limit with two bathrooms. ;) Our family was there along with John, Ann, Nate, TuAnn, Kim, Perky and Bruce.

This was my first Birkie experience and I fell in love with it. The Birkebeiner is not the only race run during the weekend. John and Ann participated in the Kortelopet which runs at the same time but runs in a loop and ends in Cable while the Birkie ends in downtown Hayward. Our cabin is right between the two little towns. John and Ann did very well and so did Nate, who finished his second Birkie successfully. Yay to Nate, John and Ann!

Over the course of the weekend I was overtaken by some strange force and I pinkie-promised to compete in the Kortelopet next year, a 27km ski race. What was I thinking?! I guess I'll have to strap on my cross country skis and get training next year...

Cheering on the skiers

The finish

Congratulating Nate after the long race

Everyone sacked out after a fun and exciting weekend.

A Day of Tears and Smiles

2011-02-25T08:04:00.002-06:00

Uncle Ronnie's funeral is today.

We learned just over a year ago that he had cancer but we hoped he would be able to overcome the dreaded disease and that we'd have him with us for as many years as God would give us.

After a valiant struggle he passed from this life on Monday night.

Uncle Ronnie was married to my husband's Aunt Betty, Mike's mother's sister. We've enjoyed his warm smiles, funny sense of humor and generous spirit for the years we've been blessed to have him with us.

After the funeral we are all heading up north to our cabin for the American Birkebeiner cross country ski race tomorrow. It's the biggest cross country race in North America so it's a big deal and our cabin is within minutes of the action. I'm ashamed to admit that after all these years I've never seen the Birkie in person! I aim to change that this year.

We'll have a cabin full of people as our relative Nate will be competing so he and his family and a few friends are staying with us. It should be a lot of fun (and not a little cold out there - brrrr!).

Grief and gratitude all rolled up into one busy weekend. Good bye Uncle Ronnie. We love you and we'll miss you.

A Bit of Spring

2011-02-14T11:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Leah and I stopped in at my favorite florist in a neighboring town. The greenhouse was full of gorgeous cut flowers and flowering plants. There were baskets overflowing with green plants and the smell was like Heaven on Earth to my nose. I smelled dirt and flowers. It was the scent of spring!

I was in search of a flowering plant to give to a friend and found a pretty little Cyclamen with fuschia flowers. Just the thing to brighten a home with a wintry landscape outside. We stopped to smell some Paperwhites that had been forced to bloom and I was thus inspired to purchase seven Paperwhite bulbs.

Leah and I "planted" them this morning in a pot with small stones instead of dirt. You place them in a dark place for a week or two to let the bulbs establish a root system and then bring them back out into the light and keep the gravel moist so the flowers grow and bloom. Hopefully we'll have blooming plants in about 3-4 weeks.

Spring is on its way... The snow is melting off our roof here in Wisconsin and I've been walking outside which feels oh, so good.

Happy Valentines Day friends!

Time to Press the Reset Button!

2011-02-11T07:32:00.004-06:00

Sigh - just a sweet memory...

The view at sunrise from our balcony in Florida last year.

My health resolutions have not stuck very well.

I need to press the reset button and get back to making healthy eating choices, drinking my water, moving my body more, etc, etc...

I've decided that January is a more challenging month for eating well than the holidays. We have a bunch of family birthdays, the Super Bowl party and plenty of other events that have LOTS of tempting treats. To top it off, I have made the mistake of buying candy, of all things!

I'll never reach my goal at this rate. In fact, I'm heading in the wrong direction!

So, I am relisting my goals to remind myself and strengthen my weakening resolve:

* Drink 9 glasses of water daily

* Exercise 240 minutes a week

* Ditch the candy and limit myself to one sweet treat daily

* Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night

Those are not impossible goals. In fact, we are heading into a warm-up around here, the days are getting longer and I'm feeling the need for a walk "around the block". In the summer my sister and I walked a 4.7 mile loop almost every morning. It was the ultimate stress reliever, weight-buster workout, just over an hour long. I think it's time to get out there again!

I haven't done a very good job of checking in on my goals so I am making a public pledge to report back weekly on my progress.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Memories of Last Summer...

2011-02-02T09:41:00.002-06:00

I love this series of photos. It's up at our cabin at the lake in northern WI.

Lacey and Daniel had discovered

a painted turtle and they were checking it out.

Lacey was dashing all over the place, barking and growling.
She hates "intruders"!

It's barely visible, but you can see her head peeking in on the right,

watching as Daniel is about to bravely pick up the scary turtle!

Now she's behind him, still watching, still waiting...

"Careful, young boy, careful!" she seems to be thinking!

The turtle was temporarily captured and then set loose to continue on

his merry way to either the lake in the front or the bog in the back.

It's a wildlife critter's paradise up there.

These photos were taken last Memorial Day weekend.

I just needed a little summer breather on my blog.

It felt so good I may do it again,

just for a change of pace from all the whiteness I'm surrounded with!

Guess Where I Went?

2011-01-29T12:09:00.006-06:00

This is your first hint!

I was invited to join a friend on a midwinter's getaway
at the Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, AZ
for four nights about a week ago.

They pampered us in every way. This is how we
were welcomed our first night there. Marshall came to our room
bearing a tray of fine china and silver and delectable treats of
cheese, fruit, crackers and bottled water in glass bottles!

I was blessed to be asked to join Kim for restorative trip
away from home. Kim is a dear friend that I've known for many years.
She has spent the last year caring for her beloved mother who
passed away earlier this month. It was her husband's idea to give
her a mid-winter break to rejuvinate after such a difficult time.

This is Michelle, the wonderful concierge who helped us
make the most of every moment we spent at the Phoenician.
Not only was she extremely helpful but she always had a smile for us.

I got a kick out of the giant stacks of towels in one of the
ladies restrooms. Every time we went in there the stacks
were completely full! Did they have someone on staff full time
just watching and filling those stacks of towels?

This is a photo I took of the resort from Camelback Mountain which we
hiked twice while we were there. The mountain was within walking distance
from the Phoenician so we laced up our hiking shoes and had a fabulous
time hiking the trails and taking in the breathtaking scenery on two
glorious mornings. You could see for miles from where we eventually
stopped our climb!

Two fearless hiking/talking/scrambling-on-rocks buddies.
It was a beautiful way to start the day.

This was the view from our balcony. It was such a
delight to wake up each morning and see the lovely grounds
with the mountains in the distance.

We sat out on the patio at night, enjoying a glass of wine
and watching the sunset with the lights of Phoenix twinkling in the distance.

They had these amazing tables with fire pits in the middle of them.
We sat around the table visiting with others before our meal. Such a delight!

We rented a car one day and drove outside of Scottsdale and visited Taliesin,
Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona former residence and school for architects.
The tour and property are amazing and were fascinating to see.

Our lunch we shared (one delicious crab cake each) at
Arcadia Farms. I think I could eat there every day and never
get tired of food like that.

There's a part of the city called Old Town Scottsdale that
is filled with art galleries full of amazing art. I quickly snapped
a photo of these incredible wooden spheres in one of them. They
were quite large, maybe three feet, four feet and five feet tall
and smooth as silk with nary a seam felt in the wood.

Behind the resort is a beautiful cactus garden with walking trails.
I enjoyed checking out all the different desert vegetation.
It's so different from home but beautiful in its own way.

We enjoyed a high tea in the hotel lobby on our last day.
I think I could drink tea and eat like this every afternoon
with no complaints but it's probably better for my waistline that I don't!

Here I am on our last morning, in the depths of despair.
I'm begging Kim, "Please don't make me go!"

Saying good bye to the Phoenician in the gorgeous lobby.

I will never forget our wonderful stay in this most welcoming

and special resort. Good bye, Phoenician! I hope to return someday!

As fabulous as the Phoenician was, my time spent with Kim was even better.

It was a time of laughter and tears and reminiscing and healing. I will

treasure the memories we made here for the rest of my life.

Thank You, Lord,

for blessing me with a friend like Kim.

Wow.

2011-01-12T13:33:00.003-06:00

Do you remember my new year's resolution?

I gave God my year.

I said, "2011, it's all yours God, do with me what you will."

Well.

I had no idea what He'd do and if I want to be completely candid, I'll admit to being a little nervous about putting myself out there like that. Even so, I did it. I said the words and I meant them.

So here we are, not even two weeks later and I'm shocked. Perhaps you are smarter than me and this is probably painfully obvious to you but this is what I've learned thus far:

God wants me to be available for Him to use me.

Keep myself open and be willing.

Be willing.

Get that?

Mmm hmm - W. I. L. L. I. N. G.

No passing the buck, as in, "Can't you give this request to _________, God? She's better at that than I am."

He whispers, "My daughter, I didn't choose _________. I chose you."

No, "Sorry, God, I am really too pressed right to stop and pray with a friend. It'll just have to wait."

He tells me, "When it is convenient for you, it will be too late to bless your friend."

No, "I am setting such a lousy example of what a Christian looks like. There cannot be a worse example of how to live a godly life for my children to witness!"

He repeatedly affirms, "I gave you your precious children and I can think of no better example of a genuine Christian walk than for them to see your persistence and tenacity, even in your struggles."

God has been at work, using me. Me, a flawed sinner, being used by God to bless others. It is amazing beyond words. If you only knew how inadequate I have felt when being used, you might be surprised. I never feel completely up to the task. When I respond, I'm doing so out of obedience and trusting that God will do what I'm not capable of and He has been completely faithful to fill in my gaps.

Thank you for showing me yet again, Lord, that I can trust You. I'm looking forward to more adventures in the coming year and pray that You will continue to reveal more of Yourself to me.

To God be the glory.

Guess Who The Girls & I Saw In Concert?

2011-01-08T21:36:00.003-06:00

If you're a fan of old musicals, this will mean something to you: Debbie Reynolds!

She sang at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. I bought the tickets last summer as a special surprise for my girls. They both love Debbie Reynolds and were so excited to go. We watched "Singing In The Rain" on Saturday night to get ourselves in the mood. What a voice! Obviously many years have passed since she made that movie but even at 78 years of age Debbie can still belt out a tune.

She looked amazing, was quite a character and entertained us thoroughly. She told us she's been in show business for 64 years. 64 years! It was touching to hear all her stories about the people in show business that she had worked with that are all gone now: Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland and more.

I'm not a huge fan of the entertainment industry, in fact, I think it's pretty dysfunctional for the most part. However, I love the old musicals: Singing in the Rain, Annie Get Your Gun, Calamity Jane, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Meet Me in St. Louis, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, My Fair Lady and more. It seems like Debbie Reynolds is the only one left from that era. I'm glad we were able to see her perform.

Bravo, Ms. Reynolds!

Must... Stop... Eating... Junk...

2011-01-05T20:00:00.005-06:00

The last of the Christmas cookies we made last month. Mmmmm!

Okay, the house has been cleaned up so now it's time to tackle a few other priorities...

After a great summer of eating better I managed to get within five pounds of my goal weight but I've been stalled out for the last three months or so.

Could it be the large bowl of popcorn with real butter and lots of salt that I must eat whenever we watch a movie?

Could it be the Christmas cookies we consumed last month?

Could it be the countless loaves of Cranberry Bread that were baked for family, neighbors, friends (and us!)?

Could it be the Christmas candy that entered the house during the holidays and is still present (although rapidly disappearing, thanks to yours truly and others who shall remain anonymous...)?

Well, if I'm honest, it's probably a little bit of everything I've listed above. Thankfully, I didn't gain weight even with all the snacking and junk I've been eating, but I don't like feeling the way I do when I don't eat properly. I'd also like to get rid of the last five pounds and I need to make some changes for that to happen.

With that in mind, here are my eating and exercise goals:

- Limit myself to 20 grams of sugar per day

- Limit myself to 6 carb servings per day

- Begin baking bread for family via "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

- Healthy meal planning and preparing

- Drink at least 8 (12 oz.) glasses of water daily

- Sleep 7-8 hours per night

- Exercise 300 minutes weekly (roughly 45 minutes 6 x week)

- Begin lifting weights

An ambitious list, to be sure, but one worth striving for. I'm not planning on accomplishing everything immediately or even everyday, but hope to find a balance that works for our family. Now that I've written it down and posted it publicly I will have to be accountable so don't be afraid to ask me how I'm doing.

Here's to a happy HEALTHY new beginning of a new year. Make your own goals and join me, it's more fun with a friend!

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-04T21:00:00.004-06:00

Hey, I just noticed that my last post was my 100th post! In blog world I think that's something to celebrate. It's a celebratory mood around here, all right.

The family and I are watching a Doris Day and Rock Hudson movie to celebrate. Celebrate what, you ask? Well, the hurculean task of putting away the Christmas decorations including the Christmas tree is done. D-O-N-E!

Every year it's the same old story. I drag out the multitudes of boxes full of all our Christmas decorations (um, well, actually my dear husband gets the boxes down from storage up in the shop) and decorate the house for the holidays. Five weeks later when it's time to take everything down and put it all away the job is not so fun and it seems like a lot more work. Every year my family wants to know why we go through all this work and sometimes I even wonder myself.

Anyway, it's all put away and the house is back to "normal", whatever that is. After all the excesses of the holidays I like the clean, uncluttered look.

Christmas is a wonderful, special time but I'm afraid that the true meaning gets overlooked with all the hoopla we engage in. I'm ready to put the hoopla aside and dig into God's Word and draw near to Him. If I'm serious about giving my year to Him, I need to be seeking Him today, tomorrow, every day!

So, what's on your agenda for 2011? As you know, a year is made up of 365.25 days. Don't let them get away from you! Make the most of each one for they all add up and they're shaping your future.

Welcome 2011!

Good Bye 2010!

2010-12-31T09:20:00.002-06:00

Lacey is sacked out after a very full Holiday season...

I want to do the same thing but it's "Back to School" today!

It's hard to believe we're wrapping up 2010 but the calendar doesn't lie. Overall, it's been a full but fun year for our family. When family and friends read my obligatory Christmas letter foisted upon them with the family Christmas photo the most frequent comment heard was, "Wow, you guys are BUSY!"

We ARE busy but it doesn't seem so much so in the day-to-day hum of activity. We've got church activities (but it's actually just the girls who volunteer on Wednesday nights for Awana) and the weekly services, 4H activities, concerts at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, downhill skiing at a local ski hill, Valley Voyaguers - a public speaking/field trip group Daniel and I enjoy, art classes on Tuesdays and the girls both work for my sister next door. I guess with all that, life is pretty full. Then when you throw in visits to the cabin, a trip to Florida, our trip out west in the RV last year... Okay, suddenly I'm starting to feel tired.

We're wrapping up the holidays and while I'm a little sad at the thought of business as usual on Monday, part of me anticipates the clean start of a brand new year. 2010 has been good to us and I wait with anticipation to see what God has in store for our family in 2011.

A friend on another blog posted about giving God her year. I'm going to steal her idea (thanks, Keelie!) and use it as my New Year's Resolution: God, I'm all Yours. Take me, shape me, grow me, mold me in 2011. I only pray that I would be worthy to be used by You. Thankfully, I know that you use imperfect people, history has shown this through Your Holy Word and I trust the Bible.

May God's blessings be abundant in your life and may you come to know Him better in 2011. Happy New Year!

Wrapping Up Loose Ends

2010-12-24T10:35:00.004-06:00

It's Christmas Eve already! Every year the month of December seems to fly

by and this year was no different. Even with everything on our To-Do list we

managed to have one final cookie bake before Christmas. It was actually

pretty easy because I had made the dough a month ago and froze half

for our Christmas sugar cookies.

A tray waiting to go in the oven. Don't they look yummy?

Leah rolls out the dough and cuts them and bakes them.

After the icing has been applied, Daniel takes over,

adding the finishing touches.

As you can see, sometimes Leah really gets into baking!

I love it when all three children join me in the kitchen.

We have so much fun with our baking/cooking projects.

Of course it doesn't hurt that we all love to EAT!

Mmmmm - these won't last long!

While Leah slaves in the kitchen, I slave at the wrapping station I've set up

in my bedroom. We've got a little portable table that I haul up

along with all the wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbons, bows, etc.

Earlier, to simplify matters I separated each person's gifts into their own box

that I would add to as I purchased gifts for them.

That makes the wrapping job so much simpler!

Our bed, covered with wrapping paraphenalia. That's a powerful motivator -

if you want to go to bed, you've got to finish wrapping everything!

Here we are the next morning: Child #1's wrapped portion of gifts.

I always buy the children books and I don't wrap those or the things

that go in their stocking.

Child#2 and #3's gifts in our closet. Done!

I cheated this year and did the stockings early. I'm breaking with tradition here...

So, shoot me!

That's it. All I have left to do is one final batch of cranberry bread

(my husband likes it fresh) and my work is done. :)

Later today we'll be off to church and then over to my niece's home to celebrate Christmas Eve

with my husband's side of the family. Our niece just bought this beautiful old home in a darling town last summer. We're happy to help her ring in her first Christmas in her "new" home!

Merry Christmas to all of my friends in Blog Land.

May your holidays be memorable and joy-filled!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:10-14

Theodore's Snow Adventure

2010-12-21T16:10:00.007-06:00

This morning, Theodore and I went out for our first

snowshoe since the "big snow". It was HARD work! The snow

was about 24" deep and each step meant sinking about 12" and

lifting about ten pounds of snow, boot and snowshoe.

Theodore couldn't run off through the woods because the snow

was too deep. He had to wait and follow me. When I stopped to

catch my breath he looked up at me as if to say,

"What's the hold up?"

We walked by the desolate corn field but didn't

explore out there. The deep snow was wearing me out!

If you look closely, you'll see the mouse highway

from the hideout at the tree trunk. It crosses over

the trail and heads off somewhere in the woods.

Bent over trees, anointed with snow.

The tall tree stump which marks the corner of our land.

Theodore tried to venture off the path but ended up in snow
over his head. He's not very tall and the deep snow swallows him up!

Back on the trail, running back to me.

He's a schnauzer/poodle mix, commonly
referred to as a schnoodle. They have keen noses
and he's always sniffing the air, like he is here.

One of his favorite things to do is roll in the snow.
I've never seen a dog who loves the snow as much as he does!

Rolling around, getting full of snow...

Look out! It's the abominable snow-pup!

Digging and burrowing in the snow,

I'm not sure what he's looking for.

Mission accomplished! It's time to go

back home and get warmed up.

Theodore and I took our first snowshoe in a couple weeks today and it was quite a workout. Lacey, perhaps wisely, did not follow us and someone let her back in the house while Theo and I adventured out in the wilderness.

We have a series of trails that the dogs and I like to go snowshoeing/hiking/exploring on. It's been too cold and I've been too busy to get out lately and I needed to break a new trail. Whew! Every single step felt like I was being sucked back to Earth with an invisible force field. It wasn't long before I was huffing and puffing.

There's something about being out in God's beautiful creation that fills a void in me. I start to get depressed if I get stuck inside for too long. Now that I broke the trail today, I want to try to make it a point of getting outside every day.

Enjoy God's beautiful creation and celebrate winter, wherever you are!

Mother/Daughter Cookie Exchange

2010-12-18T07:42:00.005-06:00

The closet is full and boots, mittens and coats

are spilling out into the front entry.

A sure sign that a party is in full swing!

Hannah and Emily. We are so blessed

to have Hannah's family back in our area!

What are Emily and Jessie so excited about?

Could it be all those yummy cookies?!

Leah and Caelynn.
Isn't Caelynn adorable? I have a softspot
for little girls and party dresses with big bows in their hair.

Another adorable little girl, Ashlyn and her mom, Andrea.
Big smiles from wonderful friends!

Leah and Amanda, looking festive for the party.

Errin (my sister), Karen, Hope and myself.
Are we happy to be together or because we got all our
cookies finished for the party? Both!

Friends visiting, cookies to share and sweet treats to eat.
What's not to love?

This was taken before ALL the cookies were placed on our dining room
table. Even with both leaves in, the table was completely full.
That's a lot of cookies!

My girls were aghast because I did not do a post on our third annual "Mother - Daughter Cookie Exchange". I guess I just got busy but thought I'd throw a quick post in (is there such a thing?) about our holiday party that we host at the beginning of December every year.

It all began with my eldest daughter, Emily, who loves to throw a party. She had been asking me for years to put something like this together. Finally, three years ago, we went ahead and did it! We created invitations, mailed them to our friends and had our first cookie exchange. Now we're three years into doing it and just had another wonderful evening with friends a couple weeks ago. It is fun to make up a bunch of cookies and swap with friends to get a large variety of treats. We ask each participating family to bake ten dozen cookies to exchange and when we get together, we swap.

It forces me to get the house cleaned and decorated early in the season which is always a good thing. We like to have the party before we put the tree up because we usually have full house. This year there were 35 of us! We invited our entire 4H group. What a lovely bunch of mothers and daughters.

Usually we play a game but this year we were having so much fun visiting that we didn't even get to it. Here's to friends and fellowship at the holidays. May your holidays be blessed with friends and a few sweet treats, too!

P.S. I need to add that we are equal opportunity cookie exchange hosts. For those wanting to attend without a daughter, I graciously offer to share mine for the evening. Women without children, women with sons, come one, come all, you are welcome here!

Cranberry Bread Baking

2010-12-16T08:47:00.004-06:00

Ingredients assembled and mixed.

Cranberry chopping station.

Bread pans filled and ready to go in the oven.

Eight loaves of goodness baking!

The first four loaves cooling on the cooktop.

Now we're up to eight loaves.

The grand finale (for yesterday morning's baking, that is)

16 loaves of cranberry goodness!

Here's a few, tagged and beribboned,

ready to bless friends and neighbors.

I am known in these parts for baking and giving away large quantities of cranberry bread. I usually bake and give away about 80 loaves. Add in a dozen or so extra loaves for my family to consume and I'm pushing 100 loaves of that wonderful baked treat!

The girls used to say, "Mom, you're not going to make cranberry bread again, are you? Everyone is probably getting tired of it!" In reality, people began asking them (hopefully), "Is your mom making cranberry bread again this year? We love it!" That's when they realized that perhaps their mother was on to something. Let's face it, nothing beats warm cranberry bread with a cup of hot tea on a cold winter's day.

This year I decided to simplify my life a great deal by ordering disposable aluminum baking pans and clear plastic lids for each pan from webstaurant.com. What a treat! No more endless washing of bread pans. I love it! Although, I still bake our personal loaves in the bread pans, but that pales in comparison to the number of loaves I bake for others, so it really has made a difference in my workload.

I've gotten to the point that I won't even pull my trusty KitchenAid mixer out unless I can do four batches. Once the ingredients are out and the oven is warm, I'd rather keep at it. I've got a few baking marathons ahead of me between now and Christmas, good thing I'm efficient!

My Kind of Day

2010-12-14T21:17:00.003-06:00

Ringing the bells for the Salvation Army.

Daniel's got antlers with bells on them over his Santa hat for

an extra-special effect!

My latest cookbook finds from the library.
I can't wait to look at them!

Today was a low-key day, the kind of day I like. In fact, I'd call it my kind of day.

What did we do today that makes it so special? Well, for one, we braved the elements for over an hour ringing the bells for the Salvation Army at County Market. People were so generous, they really made it seem worthwhile and the time flew by. It was c-c-cold, only about 5 degrees above zero, but we rang the bells, sang Christmas songs and had a great time doing it. Daniel and I got into the spirit of the event by donning our Santa hats as well. The girls were too cool for that but they tolerated our exuberance.

I did a little grocery shopping and warmed up a bit after our bell ringing and then we all went out to dinner at Culvers including my dear husband who joined us. Now, I know Culvers is not gourmet food but we enjoyed our butterburgers anyway. ;)

After that Mike and the girls headed home and Daniel and I made a stop at the library where we lingered for almost an hour, looking at and picking out books. I don't know what it is, but I love hanging out in a library almost better than any other place. It's like I'm in a time warp there, completely unaware of my surroundings and the passage of time. What books so enchanted me? Well...

I was inspired by my blog friend Shelley's post earlier today showing all her lovely library books focusing on healthy cooking and eating. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Shelley should be flattered indeed because I was motivated to order a few of the titles she took out from the library that you see in my stack. I can't wait to peruse them and pick out a few new recipes to try. Thanks Shelley!

So, now we're all home, the girls just finished watching a movie that they picked up from a separate trip to the library and it's time to call it a night. I lose my internet at 10:45 so if I've got any blogging to do, it has to be done before then.

I don't know if I confessed this on my blog before, but I used to have a real problem logging off the computer for the night. I'd read a whole host of blogs, check up on the happenings on facebook, read the news, check out my eBay auctions, etc. Anyway, time would get away from me and I was staying up too late. Sooo, I reset my router to "turn off" the internet at 10:45pm. The thing is, I used to be able to override this time device and I did it all the time, kind of defeating the whole idea. Since then, my computer had a virus and my computer guru fixed it. When he did, I lost my easy access to controlling the router and voila! No more changing the router access "just this once..." That means it shuts down at 10:45 and I get to bed at a more reasonable hour.

Hope your day was just a good as my low-key day. The perfect kind of day...

Good Old Fashioned Blizzard!

2010-12-11T15:43:00.008-06:00

A fox squirrel hiding from the snow on our deck.

Doesn't he look miserable? Usually they're after the birdseed

at our birdfeeders and I let the dogs chase them away but

I let this little guy stay put.

Here he is, a little later, watching me in the kitchen

from the railing.

The day after. The truck has thigh-high snowdrifts around it!

Those are my shrubs and rosebushes that are about 24-30" tall,
just peeking out of the snow!

I'm thankful I filled the birdfeeders before the storm.
I'll bet the birds and squirrels are too!

Looking down at the truck from the bonus room above the garage.

Here's a different squirrel, taking a nap on the top of our column
on our deck. He was there for over an hour and it was subzero temps
outside! I thought he'd frozen to death but when Daniel went out
to check it out, the squirrel jumped up and ran away.
Their blood must be made of antifreeze!

The troops coming to rescue us! It's my brother-in-law and nephews
from next door. They made a pass down 2/3 of the driveway so that Mike
and Daniel could get in when they got back home. Thanks guys!

My brother-in-law Neal, hard at work. It's good
to live next door to family when your husband is gone and a blizzard hits!

We're getting hit with a good old fashioned blizzard today here in Wisconsin. I'm not that old, but old enough to have experienced the winter blizzards of the 70's and 80's which I've heard referred to as a mini-ice age. Not sure about that but I do know that the winters were much snowier back then. My younger brother and I used to be able to do back flips off the roof of the machine shed into the big snowdrifts below. Yep, no doubt about it, we got more snow back then!

When my children hear stories like this, they sigh and pine for snowy winters like yesteryear. Until today that is. My middle daughter tells me she's had enough of this snow and she wants it to stop snowing! We're invited to go sliding at our friends' home about five miles away and we probably won't be going. Not only do they have the best sliding hill around, they even have their very own tow rope! Their oldest son built it last summer and fall with a little help from his father. Very cool! Sigh - if only we weren't snowed in and could go and give it a couple runs...

The weathermen tell us the snow will be ending this evening but tomorrow brings extremely cold temperatures and lots of wind to whip the snow around. It's too early to tell but we will probably get over a foot of new snow, added to the ten or twelve inches we already had. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Instead of playing outside we're wrapping a few gifts, listening to Handel's Messiah (saw the production at St. Paul's Cathedral just a couple nights ago - magical!) and drinking hot tea. All in all, not a bad day. I'll feel better when my husband and son make it home safely from our cabin 125 miles away. We're hoping tomorrow will be a better day for travel.

Stay warm my friends!

P.S. This post was written on Saturday and not posted until today. The guys made it home safely and we're all plowed out now. It's bitterly cold now though - subzero temps all day long. Let's hope tomorrow is warmer for Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army!

The Great Christmas Tree Adventure

2010-12-06T11:13:00.007-06:00

Watch Out! 10 year old boy with dangerous weapon!

If you're a Christmas tree, that is...

Daniel gets to shake the snow off the tree because he's got a hood.
Lucky him!

Tackling the tree with the saw.

Dragging the tree back to the truck.

Daniel's a little snowy after getting dumped off the sled
being pulled by the 4-wheeler. Lucky for him
he's got a roaring fire to warm up by!

Leah and her Aunt Brenda, who knows how to throw
a great party and is a chef and baker extraordinaire!

Daniel modeling the latest in Christmas string light headwear.

So fashionable!

Christmas tree lighting engineer with trusty sidekick, Theodore.

YAY! The lights are on and we get to do the fun part:

Decorate!

The final result.

Doesn't it look pretty?

Leah cuddled up in a chair, reading by the light of the Christmas tree.

No presents under it yet, but Daniel aims to fix that ASAP!

We don't have an artificial tree or buy one from a local Christmas tree lot. No, we're hardy Wisconsinites and so we venture forth to the frozen tundra to go and cut down our own.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have a cabin in the middle of nowhere about an hour northeast of our home. It really is in the middle of nowhere! There's a very rough road leading back to the cabin in the woods but it's looong and extremely rough. Without our truck's high clearance and four wheel drive, we'd never make it back in there and out again.

We head over after lunch and bring some yummy food to share. Even though they're off the grid, they have a generator to supply electricity so my cheesy queso dip stays piping hot in the little crock pot! There's always lots of great food to eat: chili, hot dogs, soups, cheesy dip and chips, Christmas cookies and this year Brenda baked the most fabulous lemon poppyseed cake ever! She gave me her secret recipe but sadly (for you), I'm not allowed to share.

The whole idea is to get together with family and friends, find your perfect Christmas tree in the Christmas tree forest that Tony planted years ago, hang out around the blazing fire, go for a ride in the sleds pulled behind the 4-wheeler if you're feeling daring and eat good food, drink hot drinks and spend a few hours reminiscing, laughing and having a great time. It's a win/win all the way around.

Getting the tree is the easy part compared to the next job: putting it up, adding the lights and then decorating it. Normally I do not mind putting the lights on the tree but for some crazy reason yesterday two lines of lights failed on the tree after they'd been tested and lit up perfectly before all my hard work. Sigh. I guess if that's my biggest problem then I don't really have much to whine about, do I?

Once the lights were finally on to my satisfaction, after dinner we cranked up the Christmas music and everyone went to work decorating the tree. It was so much fun and I think it just may be our prettiest tree yet. For a change of pace, we put the tree in the library this year. It will twinkle and shine in the corner windows for all to see (not that anyone can see it but us, we're in the country with a long driveway) but hey, we'll enjoy it when we're outside at night, right?

Happy Christmas to you and may your own Christmas tree adventures be filled with fun and joy!

Stop By For A Christmas Tour

2010-12-04T19:27:00.006-06:00

Looking out my kitchen window, I can see the beautiful snowy landscape.

We put an iron tree up behind the sink.

The children get to put a new ornament on the tree each day.

It'll look prettier and prettier as Christmas approaches.

The kitchen, looking deceptively clean.

We're usually cooking, or these days baking, up a storm in here!

The dining room with the china cabinet all decked out.

The entry bench, come and set a spell!

The Happy Holidays banner hanging in the foyer.

The dining room table centerpiece. I couldn't find a black velvet table runner

so I used a black velvet shawl/scarf that I had. It looks great!

My tea cart in the corner.

I just bought the spinning wooden pyramid that is sitting on it.

I've wanted one of those ever since I was a little girl!

Poinsettias next to a little green cart stolen

from the family room.

The dining room, ready for company!

A little table with a lit porcelain angel and

a few favorite Christmas books.

The living room, waiting for someone to come and sit a spell.

Another basket of the children's favorite Christmas books sits by the fireplace

on the floor. We try to read a different book from it each day.

I saved the grand finale for my 10 year old son's room.

He decorated it himself with lots of lights and 3M hooks.

It's that time of year again...

Time to decorate for Christmas! Fun, fun, fun! I love to decorate my home for Christmas. (Let's not talk about my post last year about taking it all down...) It's a big, but satisfying, job. Once again I prevailed upon my sister-in-law Debbie who, along with my brother, visited us after Thanksgiving for the weekend. She's amazingly creative and has a wonderful eye. I turned her loose on my dining room china cabinet and she transformed it!

My nephew Sam graciously transported furniture from downstairs to the main floor and back down again in our quest to create the perfect ambience. That was just a small portion of all the heavy duty hauling, moving and lifting that went on in our quest to create a bit of Christmas joy right here in our home. My husband kind of rolls his eyes but he's a good sport about bringing the boxes down from storage. He likes it when it's all done and he's conspicuously absent during the process, deer hunting up north. Be careful honey, that's when the wooden pyramid from Germany "magically" appeared! Heh, heh, heh...

Time to wrap up my little blog tour. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thank Heaven For Little Boys

2010-11-26T11:29:00.003-06:00

Shhhh! Don't tell! I'm supposed to be putting away the fall decorations and putting up the Christmas decorations and here I am, on my blog.

I put the Christmas music on and have been perusing the house, looking at what needs to be done. There, in the middle of the living room is my son's Rockenbok set up. The first thing through my mind upon glancing at it was, "He's got to get that picked up and put away so it doesn't interfere with my decorating." That thought was quickly followed by the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear, "How long do you think you're going to have Rokenbok in your Living Room, anyway?"

The truth is, my children, like all children, are quickly growing up. My oldest daughter is 17, our middle daughter is 14 and Daniel is 10. The years don't slow down as they grow older. If anything, it seems like we're on warp speed. I fight my longing to hold on to my "babies" with all my might with my responsibility to give them wings. Usually responsibility wins the day, but it's not easy.

So, what's the big deal if there's Rokenbok taking over my living room, legos in the family room, laundry in the laundry room (and everywhere else) and dirty dishes in the kitchen multiplying like rabbits? It's a season! A season that goes all too quickly. I'm thankful that I've been reminded of that this morning.

I'm going to go decorate now. Around the Rokenbok.

Packer - Viking Football Game!

2010-11-24T21:24:00.002-06:00

We had great seats, Row 11 on the end zone.

My now officially "football loving" girls. Note Emily wore my

cycling jacket in hopes of catching a cameraman's eye!

That's Aaron Rodgers, Packer QB getting ready to hand off
the football. He had a great game!

Emily and I, cheering for opposite teams.
(Don't ask me why, she's a Viking fan!)

The final score. The fans were chanting to fire Childress,
the Vikings head coach. He was fired the next day!

Mike's supplier very graciously gave us four tickets to the Packer - Viking football game last Sunday. Mike and I have gone a few times (tickets all from this same supplier!) and we've always brought Daniel. This time he opted to stay home so the girls came with us and experienced their very first professional football game.

They were not really that excited about going but found it to be a great time, even if we were surrounded by Viking fans. The game started out loud but I noticed the decibel level decreasing markedly as it progressed. That's because the Pack was dominating the Vikes my friends! :) It was a sight to behold.

We left a couple minutes before the game ended in an effort to beat the crowds and as I walked up the stairs I thought to myself, "that's probably the last time I'll ever see Bret Favre play football." Based on his performance that day it might not be such a bad thing. :(

Anyway, it was a fun day for all of us. We're very fortunate that Joe chose to share his tickets with us. Thanks Joe - and, GO PACK GO!

Christmas Shoe Boxes

2010-11-15T12:33:00.005-06:00

My handsome boy with his shoebox.

Leah and her shoebox.

Emily was a little giddy. Perhaps it was the Christmas
music but we can't be sure...

Mission complete!

Getting silly!

Too much fun!

It's that time of year again. With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Christmas nipping at its heels, we've got to prepare our Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes!

This has been a family tradition for a long time, probably about 15 years or so. How it works is that you fill a shoebox with essential items and a check to cover the shipping costs and bring it to church to be donated to a needy child somewhere in the world.

Each of our children fills a box with soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, flashlight and batteries, comb, brush, hair binders, socks, markers, crayons, writing and drawing paper, small toy(s), stickers, hard candies, gum, soap, washcloths, pens and pencils, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, pencil sharpener and more. We always use a reusable plastic box with a lid so that they will have a place to store their special things.

I usually pick a lot of the items up during the back-to-school sales in late summer because it is so much cheaper then. The rest we procure during the fall until the beginning of November when it is time to package it all up. It can be tricky trying to fit everything into the box but that's all part of the fun. It's a big event around here with certain rules we must follow:

The packaging must take place after dinner.

Everyone is allowed to pick out their favorite Christmas CD to listen to which must be played obnoxiously loud. This year's picks: Christmas With The Chipmunks, Sarah McLachlan: Wintersong, Jo Stafford: Happy Holidays, The Carpenters: Christmas Portrait.

We must sit on the floor in the living room.

It must be done all together.

We must laugh and have a really fun time.

Okay, I just added that last one in for good measure, but we always DO have a lot of fun with our shoebox packing event.

My children usually include a photo of our family or themselves and a letter. Emily has been pen pals for 6-7 years with a girl from Macedonia who received her shoebox one year! What a special friendship that has grown to be. :)

The boxes have now been transported to our church and will soon be on their way to a child far away to bring love, hope and joy from our hearts to theirs!

My Holiday Planner

2010-11-09T19:31:00.014-06:00

Ta Dah! My new Holiday Planner binder!

Dividers with pockets

There's the calendar, looking deceptively empty...

Our family Christmas letters and photos from previous years.
Note the young son who had tired of having his photo taken in
the bottom photo. We thought it was so funny we sent out both!

Photos of my decorating to help me remember what
we've done in years past.

Just in case I need a little inspiration I've included
a few idea pages.

Next section - Cranberry bread spreadsheet

Christmas Card spreadsheet and label forms
with addresses

Address corrections are easily inserted in a
page protector so I don't forget to update our list.

Our list of Christmas gifts given in 2009

There's my holiday helper with my cookbooks

in the kitchen - easily accessible!

With the holidays on the horizon I wanted to share my Christmas & Holiday Planner with you in case it would benefit anyone. I read about making this binder in Family Fun a few years ago. As I am prone to do, I ripped it out of the magazine with great intentions. After waiting only a few years, I created my wonderful Holiday Planner last year right after the holidays.

So, what's so great about this binder and why should you make one? If you're trying to stay on top of all the fun/stress/busyness that the holidays entail, it could bring you through the season with your sanity intact!

I started with a 2" binder, added 5 tabbed pocket dividers and labelled them: Events, Decorating, Baking & Recipes, Christmas Cards, Gifts.

Events: I have a calendar page printed off the computer that is filled with all our Christmas activities. Our party invitations go in page protectors here after they've been added to my other calendars. They are fun to look at and bring back memories of previous years' entertainments. I also have a section of events that we host. That includes Thanksgiving, a holiday we always host for my family, and our Mother/Daughter Cookie Exchange. We're hosting that party for the third time this year and the invitations are going out tomorrow! It's a lot of fun and the girls and I look forward to it. The guys aren't invited but they DO enjoy the cookies afterward. :)

Decorating: I am boring and very happy to decorate my house the same way (for the most part)every year. I decided last year to take a photo of all the decorations and make it easier for me to remember what went where. The photos are fun to look through and I'll continue to add to them as necessary.

Baking and Recipes: This helps me stay organized with my Cranberry Bread baking marathon. I made an Excel spreadsheet and I can easily see who got my world famous cranberry bread. I give away about 80 loaves so that's a lot of baking! It's a labor of love, trust me. I'm considering going to disposable aluminum pans this year in an effort to simplify.

Christmas Cards: No explanation necessary, I'm sure. Good old Excel spreadsheet and label-making program with addresses saves me a lot of time. I have copies of letters and photos from cards we've sent out each year. It's fun to read what we wrote through the years and look at the old photos.

Gifts: This one isn't so crucial but I thought I'd keep old Christmas lists from the children here and a sheet with all the gifts we gave each year. I'm hoping it will prevent duplicates from one year to the next.

So there you have it. Not that difficult or expensive to create and so helpful! I've already referred to it numerous times and we haven't even hit warp speed yet. The Christmas card photos are ordered, gatherings are being planned and I'm looking forward to all the joy the holidays bring and my planner's assistance in the days to come.

Stuffed With STUFF

2010-11-05T18:49:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of stuff. In fact, I have TOO MUCH STUFF.

It's a sickness I tell you!

I'm feeling a really REALLY strong urge to do some major house cleaning, as in purging.

I've been listing things on eBay and that has helped. It's such a great feeling to declutter and get paid for it all at the same time. Still, I doubt that everything I've got will be able to be sold on eBay. Some can go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army but, sadly, some of it will probably end up in a landfill somewhere.

What is it about me that clamors for more things? Why am I drawn to yet more books? I just went to yet another used book sale and came home with another box of books! They were a bargain but if I'm completely honest, I don't need any more books. My shelves are almost full.

My pantry is full as well. So's my closet and the mechanical room. Now, I should preface these statements with my definition of full. These areas are tidy and organized but there is not a lot of spare room on the shelves in any of these areas. No stacking on the floor or anything like that, but, BUT... I have more than what I need and the holidays are rapidly approaching which usually results in MORE STUFF invading our home.

Sooooo - I'm looking around and everything is fair game. My family gets a little nervous when I start acting this way but I think it's good for all of us. A little clearing up and cleaning out will end up blessing others, perhaps put a little money in the bank account and give us a little breathing room. The real key, however, is to keep the newly created space and not fill it up with additional STUFF.

It's a big project but I can work at it a little at a time and that is what I intend to do. I'll keep you posted!

Girls Stockholm Trip

2010-10-30T15:59:00.005-05:00

The Smiling Pelican Bakeshop in Maiden Rock, WI.

An unbelievably good bakery - worth the trip!

We bought cookies, muffins and a loaf of bread just waiting to be tasted.

Mom and the girls just outside the bakeshop with our goodies. Yum!

The old post office and now museum in Stockholm.

We usually eat at Bogus Creek Cafe in Stockholm.

The food is good and they always give you a basket of fresh

baked breads with flavored butter. Mmmmm!

Leah sees what is left for her after Emily ate her fill.

(Not really! It's a joke guys!)

My lunch, Chicken & Dumpling Soup. Yum!

Leah sitting in the arbor and petting the

Bogus Creek dog.

The entry to a lovely amish furniture shop.

I'm a sucker for a red front door!

This sign was inside the amish shop.

I think I need a sign like this to hang in my house!

Stockholm has blue bicycles located throughout the town

that you are free to borrow and ride about.

Leah showing me the Zak bowl she wants for Christmas.

She's already got a Zak cup that she loves!

A cute little hut at the Chicken Coop Antique shop.

I loved this display of antique colored glass in the window.

Isn't it beautiful?

Today was the day my mom and daughters and I made our annual fall trek down to Stockholm, WI. It's just over an hour south of us and it makes a delightful day trip. We've been going down there since Leah was a baby and she's now 14 so you have an idea of how many trips we've made.

It all began fifteen years ago when my dear husband and I were driving south for a special anniversary outing to a bed and breakfast. Just so you know, Mike is not really a B&B kinda guy. He's not all that into "quaint" and he deems B&Bs very quaint. Even so, way back then it was our five year anniversary and we wanted to do something special and so he was willing to endure quaint for a couple nights. As we drove to our first B&B we drove through Stockholm at night and I oohed and ahhed over a beautiful old building all lit up. It was an Amish quilt shop and it just beckoned to me. Did we stop? No, we did not. Mike is not a shopper and even the pull of Amish quilts was not enough to make him change his mind! He told me to go back and visit with my mom at a later date and I took him up on it!

So, for about 15 years we've been enjoying visiting Stockholm. Some shopkeepers have grown to be old friends through the years. One woman in particular has helped me decorate my home! I've got things from her shop all over my house! Sadly, (for me) she just sold her shop and today was probably the last time I'll see her. I had my daughter take a photo of the two of us "just because". Other shops have come and gone through the years. We still miss Pepin Toys, a wonderful toy shop run by two sisters. That place was a treasure! Still, many wonderul old favorites remain and we are always making the acquaintance of new people as well.

The weather was cool and fall-like but the sun was shining and we enjoyed a box of chocolates I grabbed for the road. Mmmmmm... It was truly a delightful day. I'm so blessed to have these special times with my mother and daughters. What a treat!

Shredding It Up!

2010-10-29T16:08:00.003-05:00

Okay, for those of you who are out of it like I am, you may think I'm talking about cleaning up my desk and getting rid of old papers. Ha! I wish! No, I'm talking about a new (to me) work out that I'm doing with my girls. It's a Jillian Michaels DVD called "The 30 Day Shred".

I'm so out of it I didn't even know what the heck a "shred" workout was. Now that I've done it twice I'm still not sure. I guess it means being willing to abuse your body and get yelled at by Jillian for 20 minutes. Okay, I'm kidding. It's not that bad and she really doesn't nag that much.

I don't watch a lof of TV so I've never seen this woman in action but according to my beloved children she yells at the contestants on "The Biggest Loser" and runs a boot camp to keep them moving. You probably already knew that.

We're only on Phase 1 out of three phases but I like that it's doable and that it's only 20 minutes long. I can do just about anything for 20 minutes! It's a great workout for my upper body which gets neglected on my walks with my sister and/or the dogs.

I'll let you know if I make the entire 30 days and what kind of results I get with it. I'm all for working out if it means I can eat buttered popcorn when we watch a movie or sample all these treats we've been baking lately!

Pumpkin Carving Party!

2010-10-24T19:36:00.005-05:00

My brother-in-law bought his own apple cider press.

They pressed a bunch of apples and we enjoyed fresh cider.

Delicious!

Pumpkin carving artists at work.

A sweet angel checking out her pumpkin.

My girl, giddy about carving her grandma's pumpkin.

Daniel showing off his masterpiece.

My nephew sporting his super-crusader mask and cape.

The girls hanging out.

Isn't she a sweet angel?

My niece and her soldier son.

Daniel's glowing friend "Jack" smiling on the front doorstep.

Today, after church, family and friends met at my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's home in the country for a fun afternoon of fellowship, food and carving pumpkins.

Everyone brought a different kind of soup. I brought Italian Vegetable with Ham and there was Curry Vegetable, Chicken Wild Rice, Mexican Chicken Chowder, Sausage and Cabbage, French Onion and more! That was just the soups. In addition there were too many yummy treats and desserts to list. Let's just say we eat really well at these family get-togethers.

After we ate, everyone moved to the garage to begin the pumpkin carving. We had young and old alike creating all sorts of goofy, pretty, silly and scary pumpkins. It was a lot of fun to watch.

We're home now and getting ready for the week ahead, but we had to put Daniel's jack-o-lantern out on the front step and light a candle to put in it. Jack is out there, smiling and glowing. A fitting end to a wonderful day.

Fabulous Fall Days!

2010-10-22T09:46:00.007-05:00

A beckoning fall path.

I love old stumps!

It's fun to walk in the crunchy leaves!

More paths, leading to more trails in the woods.

Don't forget to look up!

When the corn has been picked we can walk out that field, too.

Daniel and I like to make a game out of catching

leaves as they fall from the trees.

The colors were so brilliant on this bright autumn morning.

Here in Wisconsin we've been blessed with a spectacular autumn. It's been warm and sunny and the foliage has been breathtaking. Daniel and I were out for a walk in the woods a couple weeks ago and I snapped a few photos of our lovely outing.

I walked the same path this morning with the dogs and while still beautiful, it looks decidedly different. Most of the trees are bare with just the oaks and buckthorns still clinging to their leaves. Everything is fading and withering, preparing for the winter ahead.

It's time to clean up the yard, burn the brush pile, empty the planters and (finally!) fill the birdfeeders. I couldn't stand it any longer and a couple days ago I decided to take my chances with the bears and start feeding the birds again. They are just rediscovering them so I haven't seen a wide variety yet, just the white breasted nuthatch, chickadee, downy woodpecker, goldfinch and blue jay.

Have a glorious day, whether you're in the country or city and may you be blessed!

It's Our Anniversary!

2010-10-20T18:04:00.005-05:00

Anniversary coat #1 - chosen by yours truly -

it's very warm but not so stylish.

Anniversary coat #2 - picked out by my two daughters.
Not as warm as the other coat, but in their words, "Who cares?!!"

A close up view because Emily insisted it was necessary.
She really digs those very large buttons!

Dear Husband and I have been married twenty years as of today.

TWENTY YEARS!

And I wasn't that young when we got married... The ripe old age of 25. Boy, I thought I knew it all back then. Heh, heh, heh... Mike would probably say I haven't changed all that much. But, really, I have! Twenty years of marriage and three children later, I've grown up and matured a lot.

Mike and the girls went on a secret shopping mission last night and today I was the lucky recipient of their labors: a darling new winter coat! This is a rather odd coincidence because LAST year I also received a coat for our anniversary. Never before other than this year and last have I received a coat from my husband for our anniversary or for any reason at all for that matter. As I reflected on the choice of coats I was bemused by the differing tastes between my girls and I. If you look at the photos above you'll see what I mean. The first coat is extremely warm and utilitarian. I like it a lot but it's not exactly a fashion statement. I probably don't need to tell you this, but it's the one I picked out.

Then there's the second coat. Well! Va-va-voom! (If a Wisconsin winter coat can say such a thing.) It's a racy little red number that my daughters say Barbie would wear. Mind you, they're both way past the Barbie stage but they don't mind when I try to dress up and look a little more fashionable. I almost (ALMOST!) wish it would get cold so that I could wear it.

So, which do you prefer? Do I even need to bother asking?

Happy Anniversary Honey and thanks for the fun new coat. Hope you love those SuperCedar fire starters I got you! ;)

Baking Cookies!

2010-10-18T22:16:00.003-05:00

Frosting and decorating our yummy fall cut-out sugar cookies.

Mmmmm... Don't they look good!

Chief cookie decorator hard at work!

Hurry up so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor!

I posted last month about spending an evening in the ER with chest pain. Not a fun night. Well, today I followed up on that with a stress test at the hospital. I'm pretty sure I passed with flying colors because the doctor and two nurses commented on my level of fitness. I made it over 13 minutes on the treadmill before my heartrate reached 160 bpm. Apparently most people only last 6-7 minutes before they get there. Every three minutes the treadmill incline increases 10% and it speeds up, getting harder and harder. I was really huffing and puffing at the end! Then they have you jump off the treadmill, quickly lay down on a bed and a doctor looks at your heart with an ultrasound wand. They tell you to breathe out or hold your breath while you're gasping for air, not an easy thing to do!

It was interesting seeing my heart beating on the ultrasound screen. I've seen various parts of my body, but never my heart. It looked pretty good, beating a steady thum THUM, thum THUM, thum THUM...

So, to celebrate my successful stress test it only makes sense to bake cookies, right? That's what I did this afternoon and this evening we frosted and decorated them. A warning to all young parents out there: For years my children would beg me to bake cookies that we could frost. It's a time consuming and messy job so I would sometimes hesitate or say no. Well, guess who was asking everyone to participate in the big cookie bake? Yep, the tables have turned. I now have to beg my children to bake with me apparently. Once they got into it however, we had a ball.

The cookies turned out great, everyone had fun, the dishes are washed and the counters have been wiped down. All in all a successful venture, I'd say. The cookies are out on the screen porch. Tomorrow we'll enjoy them with milk and I'll look at my precious children and hold these moments close to my heart. My blessedly full, healthy, life-giving heart!

Busy Fall Days

2010-10-15T21:49:00.003-05:00

Lacey inspecting the empty-looking screen porch.

The pantry now, after many hours of hard work!

The pantry before which does not reveal the true mess in there!

I don't know what it is about fall that makes me want to clean and declutter, but that's what I'm up to these days.

Today I did not accomplish everything I hoped to but I did get a number of tasks done:

Cleaned and reorganized the pantry. Whew! Big job and I'm glad it's done. You can actually walk in there now and I have open shelf space - Woo Hoo!

Closed the screen porch. :( I'm always sad to do this as it means that summer is officially over. The cushions have been brought in the house to hide out under the stairs and covers are on the furniture to protect them from winter's harsh conditions.

Moved the deck furniture under the deck and brought the table into the screen porch. Our patio table is all metal and it becomes my giant cooking and baking cooling rack. This is probably the best thing about closing the screen porch.

Well, that and filling up the bird feeders and putting them back out. I love watching birds. I have been patiently waiting to put my bird feeders out and I want to do it NOW! The big question is, do I dare? We have bears in our area and they love to destroy bird feeders. It's been a warm fall for us so I doubt that they are sleeping yet but I want to attract the migrating birds. Hmmm... What to do?

I also burned off the brush pile in our back yard. We had an old straw bale for Daniel to practice using his bow and it was sprouting so my husband put it on the burn pile. It was rather damp so we created a LOT of smoke with our little fire. Sorry, Mom! (She doesn't live that close but it was a still day and the smoke went through the valley and hung around her place for a little while!)

So much for cleaning the house. I guess that'll have to happen tomorrow, or the next day!

Mom and Daniel's Day Out

2010-10-13T14:26:00.003-05:00

Old jewelry in an antique store in Stockholm, WI.

Daniel's new "prize" that I let him pick out at the curiosity shop.
It's a magnetic base with little men and bars that you balance.
The whole family is having fun playing with it!

Daniel giving me the thumbs up in a little park in Stockholm.

Yummy grilled cheese! Was it worth the hour wait?

Doubtful! Did we have fun getting to know our "neighbors"

while we waited? Of course!

Our favorite pumpkin patch where we loaded up the car

with pumpkins of many varieties and squash and indian corn.

Daniel and I had a fun Mother/Son day out on Saturday. We drove to a little town called Stockholm just over an hour away. The fall colors were breathtaking and the weather gorgeous so it was a good day to go.

I have been going to Stockholm with my mother and daughters for years and we always come home and tell Daniel how much fun we've had. Finally he had had enough and decided it was HIS turn.

There is a wonderful old curiousity shop in town that I knew Daniel would love and I was right! He and the wonderful old proprietor talked for over an hour. He had a lot of treasures that was right up Daniel's alley.

Now Daniel is not so sure that he wants us to go without him so we might have company when we venture down there again in a few weeks.

A New Goal For Myself...

2010-10-06T11:33:00.003-05:00

My full freezer in the garage.

An equally full freezer in the house.

The overcrowded pantry begging for mercy!

Perhaps none of you suffer from this problem, but it's an issue for me. I'm in the grocery store and I see something that I think would be fun to cook at home and so I buy it and then it sits on my shelf, ignored, until I look at it blankly six months later and wonder what on earth I bought _____________ (fill in the blank) for. I'm also a sucker for a sale. Buy one, get one free! Who can resist? It's all fine and good, unless the food ends up going to waste, getting freezer burn in the back recesses of our freezer.

Or maybe I get all virtuous and decide we will never eat white sugar or white flour again and then I go to the co-op and fill bags with bulk ingredients and bring them home, unlabelled and unloved and, eventually, uneaten.

So, here's my challenge to myself: Use up all the stuff I've bought before I go out and buy more. Of course I am not going overboard here, my family will have fresh milk and eggs and other produce but I really want to clean out the freezer and pantry. They're both pretty darn full.

This will save us money and give me more storage space. That's a win/win, people.

I ran out of traditional oatmeal and so I used steel cut oats this morning to make homemade oatmeal with an apple cut up and thrown in. Wow! Everyone loved it! Delicious! Would I have made it if we had those little flavored oatmeal packets? I doubt it. This little project is going to force me to try new ingredients and recipes in order to use everything I've purchased. I like it!

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Let's hope I do better on this goal than the giving up shopping goal!