Just us . . . . .

The Big O Pizzaria

2011-01-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

We had our 8th snow day on Friday, UGGG! So technically that was our second day of summer vacation since we now are tacking make up days to the end of our school year. This momma has officially reached the bottom of her bag of tricks to beat the boredom. This is a project that The Hubs and I have said that we wanted to try, for years.The roads were just clear enough that I made a trip to our local Farm Boy market. I had never been there before, so there was a lot of guess work in buying my supplies. We now know exactly what we need. Thanks to my dear friend, Mandy, who we stole the idea from. It worked great and we'll do it again for sure.

To get started, these two had to go to doggy prison, they didn't like it.

While The Hubs and I started organizing supplies . . . .

. . . these two started ripping foil sheets. Yes, they fought the whole time. Yes, I almost screamed "forget it!". But we carried on . . . .

We did four sets of six pizzas. I also made the executive decision to keep it simple this first time. So all of our pizzas are pepperoni/sausage.

Ooops, we got a little side-tracked.

Round one, ding ding!

Some of us got a little creative.

After a couple of hours, we had 23 pizzas in the freezer, and . . . . .

Dinner in the oven.

Pretty + Practical = Perfect

2010-09-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love paper. Ok it's out there, I LOVE PAPER! I'm very guilty of buying beautiful papers and sitting at home swooning over them, but fearful of using them. So they sit! Here are some of my pretties now for you to swoon over:

I know, right? (In my best Monica voice).
Here's a little secret, I love this kind of paper too, but hate this word, practical. On a side note, you're welcome Sam Walton, I hope your descents are enjoying the royalties that my household alone gives them. Anywhoo . . . .

I get these at Sam's for under $6, this is half the package. They also come in the large 8.5"x11" pads too, but these are the ones that I use the most. Now look at this beautiful union of pretty and practical paper.

I left a few of them in practical mode for The Hubs. He could care less if it's pretty or not, but practical . . . . have I told you the story about the headboard?

Baby, take a look at her now

2010-08-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

I've gone absolutely crazy with my Cricut. It seems every time I go blog hopping I come away with another idea to use with my Cricut. This picnic basket was a cheapy from Target. When I looked at it in the store, I thought the basket part came off, because it has velcro straps around the top. I had all these visions of having my local embroidery shop add my monogram, or something equally as cute. Well, inside it is attachd with brads. Plan foiled! I decided to give it a run with my Cricut and some outdoor (really sticky) vinyl. Here is the before:

Cute, but nothing special. But baby, take a look at her now:

The Hubs swears it won't stay on. I promised him it will, I'll never tell him if it actually comes off.

This plate I made for my beautiful aunt/godmother for her birthday.

And lastly, this is my idea for teacher gifts this year. Both of my kids got male teachers, which is a bit more challenging. This is my first run at it, I think it still needs some tweaking.

Linking up here again this week. Go check it out, great stuff!

Goodwill Gold

2010-08-21T18:46:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I made a trip into a Goodwill in Corydon that I had never been in before. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of good junk they had. I found this picture:

I know she was a beaut, but I just couldn't figure out how she could fit into our home in her present state. So here she is after some primer:

And here she is after a little Cricut magic and my favorite black matte paint.

Note: I'm not really happy with the shelf, I just stuck some things up there to take a quick picture.

I'm linking this up with Today's Creative Blog!!!

">

Glitter Toes

2010-07-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Out thieving again

2010-02-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

I've been out thieving again. I stole this idea from 320 Sycamore, and I think lots of us loved them because I've seen several people feature them. They were so easy to make. I got the frames in the $1 section at Target. They were silver. I painted them with my BFF, Rustoleum Heirloom White. Next I cut a piece of my other BFF, scrapbook paper (oh how I love pretty papers) and put it behind the glass. I then rummaged through my extra scrabble tiles that I buy on ebay. I glued the tiles directly to the glass. Easy, easy, lemon squeezy! I have some adorable Halloween paper and plan to make a "Boo" next. My daughter wants me to make a July 4th that says "Boom". Sounds like a great reason to go paper shopping.

Awesome give away . . .

2010-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

If you love the power of a word, just like you know I do, this is a give-away you don't want to miss. Tracy at "Beneath My Heart" is offering a blogtabulous prize from The Red Lettered Word. You can reach Beneath My Heart by clicking on it under Blogs I Stalk to the right (would someone please tell me how to embed links in my posts!)

Merry Hallowgiving! (Yes, I'm that far behind).

2010-01-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how far behind I have gotten. It's been a whirlwind Fall/Winter. I'm ready for the cold, quiet days of January and February that slide into a beautiful March and then April Spring. Who am I kidding, we have birthdays and basketball and numerous other things that will ultimately result in the same whirlwind that we call life. Regardless, here are a few things I worked on over the holidays and then gave as gifts.

First presents, oh yeah, I love to wrap. Can you tell?

Can you guess what was in this box?

You guess it, the much sought after, the most stressful $8 of my Christmas shopping: Zhu Zhu Hamsters. (Notice that Santa put tu-tu's on her Zhu Zhus).

Here is what I made for my mom and mother-in-law. I'm very pleased with the outcomes. I think they liked them too. Since my mom doesn't have as many kids/grandkids, I had asked her for a list of special "words" a while back. She said she had forgotten all about it. John's mom's was full of all of her kids/grandkids, I even added in the new baby that isn't born yet. She called the next morning to tell me she had already hung it up, that meant a lot to me.

Lastly, here are a few pics of God's greatest gifts to me. I thank him every day for this.

It's a great day for a Picnik

2009-10-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

Fall is definately in the air. It is really chilly today. We had a great football game this morning and guess what? Nothing else to do today. So I spent a good part of the day on (a) Picnik. My kids think I'm nuts, I dread the day that Kennedy won't be my guinea pig any more. This afternoon when I took her outside to take this picture I asked her if she would "come and be my guinea pig". I should have known when she was so excited to come outside that she didn't realize what it meant to "be a guinea pig". She really thought I had one in the back yard . . . God love Kennedy!!!

Just me

2009-09-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

I know we all say it, but I truly mean it. I take horrible pictures! But this past weekend we went to Indianapolis for the Colts/Jaguar's game and I was bound and determined to get a good family picture. Well I didn't get a good one of all 4 of us, but Hubs did take one of me and the kids. I am so pleased with the picture! Oh I still did all those neurotic, self-conscious things. My hair needs some help, I need to lose 50 pounds, etc, etc, etc. But what I saw the minute that picture was uploaded was this. I look happy. I am happy. I love this picture!

My Labor of Love for Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's the Labor Day weekend! Yea! Aren't you excited for a long weekend? I sure am. Every year we go down to Lake Barclay and stay with Mom and Dad. We have not had good luck this summer, every time we have gone down it has rained. Correction, not just rained, it has poured. Of course, this weekend the forecast is calling for rain. This time I'm taking an arsonel of activities. The kids get so bored when they can't swim, I mean how many episodes of The Suite Life of Zac and Cody can you watch in one weekend, seriously? I got this idea from over at "Just A Girl". Just like her, I had most of the items already, I grabbed a few extra things in the school supplies section at Wal-Mart and then a few more things at the Dollar Store. I already had the little pails and used one large soup can. There is absolutely nothing in this basket that my kids haven't seen/used before, but because it's new and organized differently, I think they're going to be so excited!

Sometimes you just HAVE to have it

2009-08-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I stopped by our local antique mall looking for anything I could paint, strip, decoupage, or otherwise destroy. I ran across this old door and instantly,pasionately, 100% fell in love with it. So I called my mom and said "I just HAVE to have it!" Since she agreed that "yes, you just HAVE to have it" well that just added more fuel to my fire. When Hubs got home that night I told him all about it, promising to do all the work, lifting, etc. if only he'd help me get it home in his truck. He then asked the big stinker of a question, "how much?" Well, I hadn't actually found that part out (honestly, I didn't really care) I just knew I had to get measurements and go back and get it. On Saturday I ran over and took the measurements and it, of course, fit perfectly. So then came the time for me to ask, "how much?". Brace yourself, $12.00! Can you believe it? For that price I would have strapped it on my back and carried it home. So Hubs went back and got it for me that afternoon. Once I convinced him that , yes, I was sure that I didn't want to scrape, sand, or paint anything on it, he conceded to help me. We basically built a cleat and then hung it on the wall. It is perfect! My only mistake in this whole process is that while hanging it up, Hubs asked me to run and get a tape measure. I quickly said "Oh, I have one in my purse!" Ooops, that was his favorite one he's been looking for!

Also, the bedding was a project I did last year before I started blogging. I bought the coverlet at TJ Maxx and then made my shams and throw pillows, except the leather one of course. This was one of my first big projects and Mom taught me a lot about becoming one with my sewing machine!

Back to school

2009-08-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

I've not been very good at keeping up my blog this summer. It seems that this summer has flown by. I'm pretty ready for the kids to be back in school. I'm sure at this point that people with more than 2 kid are rolling their eyes right now. I am craving some sort of routine. We seem to run crazy all summer long, stay up too late, sleep in too long. Is it wrong of me to be ready for school to begin? Just for a few moments of quiet, sweet, sweet quiet. Just for one day of a clean (enough)house. Just for one moment to have an uninterupted thought.

Of course, I got all that on Wednesday when the kids went back to school. I spent the morning doing laundry, mopping floors, went to Wal-Mart and worked on pendants.

I spent the afternoon (with my uninterupted thoughts) staring at the clock, counting the minutes until they came back home. I emailed the Hubs once to see if he had seen them and how were they. I couldn't wait for them to get here to tell me everything about their day. I really missed them.

But it was nice, for a short time.

What do I do with this?

2009-07-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Look what I found on my porch this morning. . . .

A couple of months ago my wonderful neighbor, Ray, stopped me and told me he was growing cucumbers in his garden and I was to help myself when they were ready. Well then a few weeks ago he sheepishly told me those weren't cucumbers he was growing, but I told him "never fear, I love zucchini too!" So this morning I awoke to a rather large pile of zucchini. I am determined not to let it go to waste, so I started stalking other bloggers looking for ideas. I found a recipe for I Hate Zucchini Bread, Bread, I'm definately going to try that one. I also found a recipe for Zucchini Fritters. So that is what I did today. Oh and guess what Ray has on his front porch this evening? You guessed it, Zucchini Fritters!

They remind me very much of Fried Green Tomatoes.

Here is the recipe:

5 T Bisquick
1/2C Parmasean Cheese
1/4t Salt
1/8t Pepper
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2C Grated Zucchini

Mix it all together, drop by spoonfulls (I used the large Pampered Chef scoop) into a hot skillet/griddle. I used butter for the first round (in the picture) but after that I used non-stick spray. Both worked fine. Let me know if you try them.

Oh and I have since figured out that I can freeze some of that zucchini. We'll have fritters in February! Enjoy!

Picture perfect

2009-07-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Kennedy performed at the Somerfest parade talent show. She did a ballet dance to "I Love Being A Girl". There were 7 girls in her group and they were so lovely. I knew she would only wear the dress a couple of times and since they were quite expensive, I was bound and determined to get a good picture of her. I ended up taking her to the backyard, putting her on a towel and standing on a chair over the top of her, then taking several pictures. Next I went to Picnik.com and played around with the picture. I'm really proud of the finished project, of course having a stunningly beautiful model makes it so easy.

Oh yeah, they got FIRST PLACE in the Gibson County Fair talent show!

The summer heat is upon us

2009-06-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the first days that I really felt the heat. I wanted to do something fun with the kids, but since I worked today there wasn't much time. So we made snow cones.Even Daddy took some time off from working and came downstairs for a treat. Saylor got a treat too, but hers was plain ice, no cherry syrup for her. Can you imagine what she would have looked like? A pink Bichon!

It's the most wonderful time, of the year . . .

2009-05-27T14:25:00.001-07:00

We pulled the boat out last week! Yeah! I took this picture of Wes as he was handing all the stuff over the side. We always take the first week to clean and wax and polish the boat. After all, it is a part of the family. We took it to Lake Barclay over Memorial Day weekend, but it was almost a complete wash out. It rained the whole weekend. So we are starting this weekend on the Ohio River. We are so excited! Sand, sun and water: here we come!

From Wes

2009-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder, what did I ever do to deserve this beautiful life God gave me. From a ten-year-old boy this is as mushy as it gets, and I absolutely LOVE it. Thanks Wesley, I think you rock, rule and are "aswem" too!

Kennedy's First Communion

2009-05-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a huge milestone for my littlest monkey. We celebrated Kennedy's First Holy Communion. We are so proud of her. She takes the sacrament so seriously. We spent a few weeks getting ready for the big day. We shopped, we planned the menu, and we made invitations. I took my wedding dress to a wonderful seamstress, here in town, and had her dress made. The veil was also made by the same person. My friend Michelle did the beading on top. I think Kennedy was a little disappointed that we didn't get to go shopping for the dress. But those days will come. Once we picked up the dress, she was very excited. I stressed all week, because it rained, and rained, and rained. As the weekend approached the chances of rain hovered around the 80% mark. I was a mess. Our house is just so small to have 25-30 people here. But, as you can see in the pictures, it was a blessed day. The weather held, my daughter received the sacrament of Holy Communion, and my tender heart survived another step in this journey of watching her grow up.

Save me some smashed potatoes. . . .

2009-05-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Such a sick little boy. Wes woke up Thursday with a raging fever. I qualify for "Mom of the Year" because he woke me up in the middle of the night and said he wasn't feeling well. I felt around on him and told him to get a drink and go back to sleep. John woke me up about 6:30am and told me to come and feel Wes. He had a temp of 103.4. Poor kid fought it through Saturday before it finally broke. When the kids are sick I make them a "sick bed" on the couch. He slept in his sick bed all day on Thursday and Friday and woke up Saturday feeling better. His biggest worry through all of this was that he wouldn't get any mashed potatoes and corn (mixed together, he is my kid after all) at his sister's First Communion Party on Sunday. He was a trooper and kept telling me he was sorry, as if he could help being so sick. I realized it was all over on Saturday afternoon when he got in trouble for, once again, throwing a football in the hallway.

In honor of Earth Day: My Recycling Project

2009-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

This week was Earth Day and we were blessed with beautiful weather! I was desperate for a project that would get me outside and kept thinking, "what can I paint?" I had a spot in my dining room that was driving me crazy. I just couldn't figure out what to put there. Look at it, it will drive you crazy too:

I was nosing around on Blue Castle's blog (you can click on it to the right, sorry, I haven't figured out how to embed links to my postings), and she is re-doing her front porch. I stole this idea from her like a thief in the night . . . Several years ago, the hubs replaced an old rotting, wooden garage door with a sparkling new one (he's good to me). I managed to wrestle him to the ground and save the panel that had the windows. Amid much grumbling and eye rolling he broke out the saw and separated them for me. Next I did the 'ol 1995 crackle job, hung picture wire and just hung them on the wall. Here is how they turned out:

They were just ok. So this week I sanded them down, and painted them glossy black. Next I got online and ordered 8x10's of the kids from Sam's online. I then called the best friend on earth, who I might add was having the most "terrible, horrible, no good, worstest day of her life" and asked her to stop by Sam's and grab my pictures for me. (Thank you Lovey!) I then mounted them evenly on the glass. Next came the worst part, measuring and leveling. I hate that part. Entire project cost less then $8.00, I had everything but the pictures. Now look at that spot in my dining room. . . .

Happy Earth Day! Recycle, look how beautiful it can be.

Things that caught my eye today . . . .

2009-04-20T18:15:00.001-07:00

Back in black. .

2009-04-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought a black O, our initial, to use somewhere in the house. It was a little small and weak to hang alone, plus when your initial is an O it just looks like a circle on the wall. I had some stuff stashed away that I knew I would eventually use. So this is what I did this week. Painted an old white shelf. Sanded and painted another $.50 find from Hobby Lobby and then applied a decal over the top. I then painted an old 11x14 picture frame (I stashed the backing and glass, (you never know). I had already made the pictures of the kids, but didn't have a place for them. Next I ventured over to Etsy.com and ordered two prints from an artist named Laryssa Hubert that I have been admiring for a while. You can visit her blog "Heaven In The Home" by clicking on it to the right. The hardest part of this whole job was the measuring, leveling, etc. Sometimes I need three hands. Enjoy!

It really has nothing to do with a rabbit . . .

2009-04-13T12:35:00.001-07:00

This year was one of the best Easters yet. I have to start out by bragging a little about my family. I am so proud of how they respect the Lent season. Everyone stayed true to their Lenten promises, with no nagging or pushing from me. John and I decided a long time ago that our kids would carve their own way in this world with gentle guidance from us. I have never forced my children to make a sacrifice during Lent, but every year they humble me with their eagerness to participate. Although temptation is always there, they stay true every year. I promised John that I would really cut back on my spending this year and I'm proud to say I did. I really focused on the purpose of the season. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us and I have to be honest, it is so hard for me to wrap my brain around. He made those sacrifices for me. Me! Why me?

I was so proud of my son on Good Friday when he said to me "Hey Mom, you know what happened at 3:00 today, don't you?" I have to be honest I didn't know it was at 3:00. "Jesus died for us, can you believe it?" I was so taken aback that a 10 year old had that running through his mind on that morning. After all, he got out of school early, we were going to the movies that night, the Easter Bunny was coming the next night. There were so many other things I expected him to say. You know what, that's my kid, and I'm so proud of him!

As you have already read and as you can see in the pictures, it really has nothing to do with a rabbit. It is about sacrifice and love and joy. It is about family.

In Technicolor

2009-04-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jana, here in town got some chickens a while back, and well you know what comes from chickens. She has been selling the eggs to cover the cost of food, which I have taken full advantage of. I was very excited to see how our Easter eggs would turn out. Here they are before . . .

. . and after.

Today's thoughts

2009-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

So here's to you.
Familiar faces at my breakfast table!
Here's to smiles, sleepy kisses and theological questions at dawn!
Here's to unbrushed teeth, unmade beds, and unpicked-up clothes!
Here's to dirty tennis shoes with one blue sock and one brown!
Here's to last night's scores and news told before I read it!
Here's to my cold cup of coffee, to the lunch forgotten!
Here's to the little girl who wants ice cream with her eggs!
Here's to the daddy who thinks that's funny!
Here's to the man who loves us so and lets us know!
I cherish you who breakfast with me.
You are sun in my rain - sustenance and star.
-Ann Weems

Plotting Her Revenge

2009-04-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was April Fool's Day. I think it was the first time the kids were really old enough to get full enjoyment out of the day. Kennedy planned for days about what we could do to prank her brother. Some of her ideas were way out there, but thanks to little snippets on Nickelodeon we were able to come up with some fun stuff. I played a couple of tricks on the kids. First thing in the morning I made them cereal for breakfast. I put food coloring (green for Ken and red for Wes) in the bottom of their cereal bowl. Next I poured the dry cereal on top. When the kids poured their milk over the cereal it turned colors, that was cute, they got a kick out of it. Next, I stripped everyone's beds and hung sheets on the line (mmm mmm smells good) I then folded the kid's flat sheet in half with the opening at the head, so that when they climbed in they were in a short "pocket". That earned me a resounding "what the heck!!!" from Wes. Kennedy noticed it before she climbed in.

The biggest and best prank of the day was from none other than Daddy. After we tucked the kids into bed, he went in their rooms and was "feeding their fish". In Ken's room (remember, the light was out) he opened the tank and sprinkled in fish food and then yelled "Oh no, one jumped out!" then he flung a wet, crumpled, paper towel on Kennedy. I kid you not, that baby screamed at the top of her lungs and flew out of that bed! He's lucky she's got a great sense of humor. Wes, hearing all the comotion didn't fall for it.

Only 365 more days for Kennedy to plot her revenge on Daddy!

It went so fast . . .

2009-03-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

Spring break came and went. We had a good one. Nothing exciting, but the down time was nice. I took the kids to the movies one night. I wish I would have waited for Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend, we saw Race to Witch Mountain. Definately a boy movie. John played golf for 3 days at Barclay Lake. Mom and Dad came up and hung out on Saturday afternoon. The pictures are from Wednesday. I told the kids to just play and ignore me. I took close to 200 pictures. I got a really nice assortment of facial expressions. I'm learning to recognize when the light is just right and running to grab my camera. One of the kids said the other day (as I was taking a picture of some bannanas) "why do you keep taking pictures of everything?" I don't know why, I just do. They are all back to school today. My house is quiet, I'm a smidge-bit (Kennedyism) lonely. Only 8 more weeks until summer vacation.

Recycling again

2009-03-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Kennedy has issues with where to put her jackets. She is not tall enough to hang them in her closet, and we don't have anywhere to put a hall tree for her. I have been trying to come up with something for her to easily just "hook and go". I found this hanger at Hobby Lobby this week. It was in the 90% off section. I paid a whole $.50 for it. Not only was it ugly, it was really banged up. I took the pom poms, and the GO off the front. Sanded it smooth, painted it white and scrounged in my crafting supplies for the other things. The "K" letter was from an old monogram thingy I had, the pink ribbon was a scrap from a bag I'm making for my friend right now, and the pink tulle came from an old Halloween costume. I remember Kennedy stepping on the tulle and ripping it off and I just stuck it in a tub. That was probably 5 years ago. Look at it now. . . .

Spring is trying to spring. . .

2009-03-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

Everything is stretching and yawning and coming alive. . . .

Only 67 more . . .

2009-03-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here lately, every time I go to Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's, even Everythings $1, I've been seeing re-usable shopping bags. Yes, I feel the guilt, but at the same time, I'm a cheapskate. I don't want to spend the money on an ugly bag that advertises a store that I spend too much money in anyway. These bags cost around $5 in materials, so I decided to make my own. I went to JoAnn's and bought the pre-cut quilting squares. That made it easy to just cut off my handles and start sewing away. My only raw seam is down inside where I left the opening to pull it all right-side-out. They are lined with contrasting fabric, which you can see on the little ties in the middle. They can roll up onto themselves for easy storage. My only problem (which was pointed out by my old friend Dianna), I now only need 67 more to cover my bi-weekly trip to Wal-Mart/Sams. My intentions were good.

There's nothing to eat . . .

2009-03-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

I just want to clarify something. There are things in this house to eat. Since I hear on a daily (hourly) basis, "Maaaawwwwm, there's nothing to eat . . " I felt the need to let anyone, who may be blessed enough to be in the presence of my children, know that I do indeed feed them. There is food in this house. You see, in our house we are dedicated followers of the "O" diet. No it's not low carb, it's not low fat or low cal. It's anything that ends in the letter "o". Burrito, Dorito, Cheeto, you get the point. Now don't get me wrong, I love my "o's", but the madness has to stop. I so badly don't want the kids to fight their weight when they are older. John and I fight, fight, fight! I am emotionally and physically exhausted being a fatty. So when you have my kids for a sleepover, or whatever, please make note, they do get fed, they are nourished, they are not happy!!! Ok I will let them have an "o" for breakfast, Cheerios with a banana-o. Like I said, they are not happy!

Daddy, turn off the sun . . .

2009-02-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm reeling a little this week. My first child turned 10. That is a 1 and a 0. That is double digits. That is a decade. That is a pre-teen.

I swore it wouldn't happen, I promised I wouldn't let it, I took steps along the way to prevent it, but it did. I blinked. I can honestly say that when they laid that baby on my stomach and I looked down it was the first time in my life I saw the fingerprints of God. He was a huge baby, he didn't want to come out. He was a week over-due before he made his easy, gleeful journey to the world. We still laugh and say the inside of my uterus says "Wes was here 1999". He was a little pioneer in the adventure that we call parenthood. He survived the first fumbling baths (too hot,too cold?). The creamed spinach baby food (I gagged when I fed it to him). He survived the Hamburger Helper years (ironically that is what he asked for for his birthday meal). He survived always matching, never getting dirty, and a mother who screeched at every teeter and every gonk to his noggin.

God blessed me with easy babies. Wesley never complained about anything, except once when the sun was shining in his eyes as we drove. He yelled "Daddy, turn off the sun!". He may have been 3 at that time. Around that same time when he had asked me 1000 question in about a 5 minute span and I had answered "I don't know" too many times for his liking, he said to me, "Mommy you need to find out a lot more stuff, 'cause there's a lot I want to know!" We'll I've sure learned a lot more stuff. I've learned patience, understanding, unbelievable frustration (we've all locked ourselves in the bathroom to escape for 5 minutes, right?). Mostly, I've learned what true, unconditional, soul-searing, love is. He was the beginning, our beginning, my beginning.

Is he really a 3rd grader?

2009-02-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

I wish I had a dime for every time someone asked me how old Wes is. I was always the tallest kid in elementary school and I hated it. I hope it is easier for a boy. With me at 5'8" and his daddy at 6'5" he doesn't stand a chance at being average height. As a matter of fact our pediatrician predicted he may pass his dad, oh my! He already wears a size 9 men's shoe, his dad wears a 15, no that wasn't a typo, 15! When we walked into his basketball tourney last week the people taking money asked how old he was and then exclaimed "we are in trouble!" I feel bad for him sometimes because being so big puts such huge expectations on his young shoulders. He's still only 9 (for one more week, yes prepare yourself for a sappy, birthday post). He's gangly and for lack of a better term heavy. His dad assures us that when he was Wesley's age he was the same way. John says he woke up one day and (thanks to the awful onset of puberty) had coordination and his athletic ability exploded. I so hope that for Wes. I see him being frustrated because he's slower then the little guys, he just doesn't understand. I wish he could see how perfect and adorable he is. But it does stop me in my tracks when I realize we wear the same shoe size and when we hug his head brushes my nose, after all, he's only 9 (for one more week)!

Girlfriends . .

2009-02-02T09:02:00.001-08:00

Oh to have a core group of friends. We have now lived here 10 years, wow can you believe it? It took me a long time to meet people and really feel a part of things. Thanks to Lee Ann, mostly, I really feel like that has finally happened. I feel so blessed to be a part of a group of moms who share my values, my love for life and family, and my twisted sense of humor. I love you guys and thank you for weaving me into the fabric of your lives!

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Every year the kids and I always get excited for a big snow. Kennedy has dreams of the biggest, most elaborate snowman. Wes is ready for an all out snowball war! You know the old cliche, be careful what you wish for. . . . .

Nothing Like A Snow Day

2009-01-19T14:01:00.001-08:00

There is nothing like an unexpected snow day. We went to bed last night with just a little dusting that wasn't supposed to amount to anything. We woke up with just enough snow to play in. Nothing like wet mittens, cold feet, and exhausted kids!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

2009-01-12T10:28:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today. Kennedy is officially 8 years-old. I just can't believe it. We just blinked and she's no longer a chubby little baby (and chubby she was). John and I laughed last night about the night she was (supposed to be) born. He had a football banquet so he took me to my parents so he could make a quick appearance. My parents took Wes and I to the hospital to get checked in. Since Wesley was almost ten pounds we decided that we would have Kennedy at 38 weeks so like her brother, she was induced. We knew nothing would happen until the next day so everybody was pretty relaxed. Of course the day we scheduled to have our daughter was the day that St. Mary's and Welborn hospitals merged. What a disaster! Long story made short, she didn't come for another two days. We watched it snow, melt, snow again. We changed rooms 3 times, the last time at 3 am with me and Ken in a wheelchair with everything piled on top of us. Everything that could go wrong (excluding actual medical problems, including the epidural locked up and no one had a key) did. I remember John was so stressed out. St. Mary's had talked up these brand new birthing suites. The big thing was that they had put DVD players in the rooms. Well, we didn't get a fancy suite or a DVD player. We got a closet with no heat! John had had enough after they failed to put his name on her birth certificate (someone told them we weren't married). He stood in the hall and yelled "I want my DVD player!" We got one, rolled in on a cart. I don't even remember if we had a movie to watch. What we got, that was even better, was Kennedy. She has been such exasperating joy since the day we brought her home. She was an easy baby, good sleeper, good eater (she was saving up). It's amazing what you see in your children's eyes. I see so much hope, and life in her. I see all my dreams coming true. Sometimes I see a mirror (sorry that I was difficult Mom). Mostly, I see Kennedy, our daughter, our dream come true! Thank you, God, for Kennedy. Happy Birthday baby girl!

It's A Whole New Year

2009-01-04T13:45:00.001-08:00

The holidays have come and gone again. They just seem to come around quicker and quicker every year. Overall 2008 wasn't really that great for us. We started the year off losing John's dad on Jan. 21,from there I was just about bedridden until late June when I had my second back surgery. It didn't really pick up from there. I am grateful that we both got new jobs this year. But due to the economy we didn't really get to enjoy the additional income. We just kind of stayed on an even keel.

I don't really do well with the New Year's holiday. It makes me sad to see another year pass. I don't like that about myself. I'm trying to do better, and look at all the positive things happening in our lives. We have our health and and children and each other. That is all that really matters, isn't it! So I'm going to start this new year with a big kiss from Kennedy. I have hope that 2009 is going to be much, much better.

Just Breathe

2008-12-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

It is that crazy time of year again. Every year in early November I start getting excited for the holidays. I start planning and making my lists (yes I check them twice), I start looking for new recipes, you know all the things a Domestic Diva should do. Then reality sets in. I feel like I'm living in the scene on "Shrek the Halls" where everybody is all comfy and cozy and then they open the front door and there are people running in all directions screaming "I forgot the eggnog!" I know I do this to myself, I need to force myself to slow down, to enjoy the little things, like making candy with Kennedy today. But it is hard. We live in a crazy world and if you slow down sometimes you get ran over. I wish I could get it through my thick head that if I got ran over, at least I'd get to lay down and rest for a second.

Christmas Creativity

2008-12-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

Since Ashley issued her crafting "cage match", I was compelled to add my own "moves". I blogged earlier in the week about the awesome aprons my mom made for us girls at Thanksgiving. I added a close-up picture so you can see how awesome they really are. I love mine so much and I will keep it forever! Dad and John can make fun all they want, but it is truley a Christmas treasure for me. The other two pictures are my projects. I know they pale in comparison, but mom and I have this student/master thing going. One day I will be at master level. The runner idea I got from Family Fun magazine. They used burlap for a turkey day runner. I had this white fabric that is a little stiffer than burlap, mom didn't even know what is was. The red fabric has tiny little snowflakes on it. I had sewed the band of snowflakes on and then lined the entire runner. My only regret is that I didn't make it about 10" longer, but hey I'm learning. These are great projects for me to get used to my machine. I'm having a blast! The picture of the gifts I took because I was playing with my new camera. I love to make my gifts a part of the decorations. My husband thinks I'm crazy that I take so much time wrapping, but I love doing it. Most people think I had them wrapped at the store, but no, I do the gifts especially for the recipient. My mom started this a few years back which then got me started (notice a pattern here). John makes fun, but last year he wrapped my presents and put bows on them for me. They really didn't match and they were a little "off", but I loved every single one, it made me very happy to open a gift that he put extra time into. I wish I had taken a picture of them. Happy Crafting!!

Ho ho aprons!

2008-12-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

This year at Thanksgiving mom surprised me, Grandma and Linda with matching Christmas aprons. My dad was so relieved they were for us, he was worried she would make him wear one! The aprons are so cute. She hand pieced them together with sequins, beads, feathers, and even hand-stitched swirls on the beards. We decided we probably can't wash them, but who cares, we'll spot clean them. Kennedy's nose was a little out of joint because she couldn't find a red apron to fit a little girl. As soon as we find one, Kennedy will get an apron too. What fun we had in our matching aprons!

My house smells so gooooood. . . . .

2008-11-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving I try to do something for the kid's teachers. I made pumpkin bread a few years ago and thought I would try that again this year. I asked John for a list of people at school that he would like me to make extra loaves for. Before it was done I needed 15 loaves of bread. I can bake 4 at a time so I ended up with 16 mini loaves. Mmmmm the house smelled so good. I started about 8am on Tuesday morning and finished decorating the loaves about 6pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it. John told me I was working way too hard when he saw me stringing the beads on the raffia, but I think he enjoyed passing them out. Being thankful and being gracious is so important to me. I hope I let the people around me know how much I appreciate them and what they do for us. The Obermeiers have a lot to be thankful for this year.

My Sweet Saylor

2008-11-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

My poor, sweet, Saylor. She just hates these long boring days when the kids are at school. They are so horribly mean to her. They close their bedroom doors every day when they leave. For some reason the kids (Kennedy especially) doesn't appreciate the fact that Saylor loving gnaws on their toys. We've sent one biddy baby to the American Girl Doll Hospital for limb replacement. The kids don't understand it is out of pure love and contentment that she burrows down in their stuffed animals for a 9 hour nap (we should have named her ET). They don't understand that a dirty sock is just a reminder to Saylor that her peeps will be home soon. Now dirty underwear, that is a treasure to her. They don't even realize that she changes beds several times at night to take turns sleeping with each of them. They never know that in the mornings before I wake them up, she sits outside their doors and sniffs and whines. They never know how many times a day she goes to their bedrooms and looks for them. They never know her excitement when she sees them coming up the sidewalk in the afternoons. They never know the unconditional love she has for them.

Tricks or treats . .. .

2008-11-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween has come and gone again. It seems every year we really hype it up and seem to be disappointed. We had only about 10 trick or treaters. We bought entirely too much candy so now I have a ton left over. We had fun trick or treating ourselves. The Stephanich's came in town and walked with us. We walked around from 5:30 to about 9:00. My dogs were barking at he end of the walking. We could have gone more, but Kennedy got cold. I made her costume this year. I didn't have a pattern so I had to wing it. It was ok, a litle short, but ok. They are shephards at the Christmas program, thats my next sewing challenge.

Nothing like a new baby . . .

2008-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

We had great news in our family yesterday. John's brother, Tim had another baby. Well obviously Brenda had him, but anyway. . .we now have 3 boys and 3 girls.

Wes is so thrilled that the numbers are equal. Although when Colton was born was told us, "He's cool and all, but by the time he's in T-ball, I'll be in the pros."

I just can't believe it has been 15 years that I have been a part of this family. John and I and Tim and Brenda were in our early 20's, trying to decide if we wanted to grow up or not. Connie and Lee were just little kids. Now here we are 6 kids later. I'm sure there will be a couple of more added before it's all said and done. I'm sure Lee and Jen will add one or two more, and although Connie said last night she's taken herself out of the running, I'm not counting her out just yet.

It was rough to be back at Jasper Hospital last night. I'm sure John's dad was watching us, getting a peek at his namesake. Andrew is named after both of his grandfathers, both of which he lost before he was born. It has been a rough year for everyone. But as my picture shows, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

The Haunted Gingerbread House

2008-10-17T18:20:00.001-07:00

My goal this weekend is to spend some one on one time with the kids. I bought this kit at the craft store today. Kennedy was so excited she exhausted me asking when we would get started. I struggle with things like this because the messes stress me out. I knew the icing would stain anything it would touch, and it did. We put on old T-shirts and she actually wore an apron. I did pretty well with the mess. I really forced myself not to clean as she worked. I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. I let her lick her fingers and the spoons. I even pretended I was fooled when she said she couldn't think of another place to put candy, that was her plan to eat the leftovers. Tomorrow night Wesley and I are going to make a fleece, Colts, floor pillow. I'm looking forward to it.

Super Freak Pirate

2008-10-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Casino night was a lot of fun. The crowd was pretty small this year, which is disappointing. I haven't heard yet if the church is coming out ahead or not. John worked most of the night, but gambled with me a little. I would like to say he is a big blackjack dealer or something, but no, he ran the Bingo room. You gotta do what you gotta do. Sunday was nice at our house. We watched the Colts game, which was awesome. They truley are the comback kids. We then all put out the Halloween decorations. I'm the only person in town with a 6' pirate, skeleton that sings Super Freak on their front porch. John says whenever he pulls him out the garage, he feels like the guy pulling a new Corvette out of the garage. The women all roll their eyes and the guys all want one too.

The beginning

2008-10-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well this is the first time I have tried blogging. I am actually inspired by my friend, Mandy, who uses her blog to chronicle her family. I once was an avid scrapbooker and I vow to one day catch up again, but until that time comes, I thought I could just try something different.

We've had a pretty average week. I worked two days, which was nice. Two seems to be the perfect week for me. I get out of the house and talk to people and see things, but I also still get stuff done around the house. For those of you who know me well, you know I don't do well if I'm behind on housework. I absolutely hate going into the weekend knowing that we will all four be home and I have to clean and do laundry the whole time. That is the beauty of my job right now. I work full time, but some of my week is at home doing paperwork. I can get my laundry moving and then do my paperwork, phone calls, etc. throughout the day. It is perfect for a mom. The flip side is that when I am out in the field, I love what I do. I so thoroughly enjoy going to the daycares and seeing the little ones. I miss my kids at that age, but I know that God had a plan for me when he stopped our family at 4. He knew I'd be back with babies and toddlers on a weekly basis, the best part is I get to come back home and rest at the end of the day.

We have a fun weekend ahead of us. Wesley has a football game Saturday morning. Saturday evening is Casino Night at Holy Cross. Last year was the first year and it was a lot of fun. Last year I bought a picture package in the silent auction and had the kids Xmas pictures done. That was nice. I'll let you know how it goes.