Gingerbread Houses

Last week, my library offered a DIY, Do-It-Yourself Night on making gingerbread houses for families. Emily had dance so I signed me and the boys up. I rarely spend time with just the boys. What a fun evening. They are funny, fun and quite creative, my boys.

Casey said, "Take my picture mom!" They are so used to having a camera in their face that now they ask for it! Ha!

There was an extra pre-made gingerbread house, so it was sent home with me for Emily to decorate!!

It was only an hour, but it was an hour of sweet fun!!!

Happiness is....

Happiness is....
Getting nice big windows in your new home....

Playing in the snow...

Decorating cake balls for Christmas parties...

Green frosting....

Having enough chocolate leftover to eat by the spoonful! And having a mom that lets you!!!

Lastly,

Happiness is being the one who doesn't have strep throat!!! Poor Casey is home with strep throat right now. Maybe we have another tonsilectomy in our future???

The Holidays this year...

Have been more stressful than usual...I must have procrastinated more than I usually do because for the past week and a half I have been frantically trying to finish my yearly calendar gifts that I give and throw in 3 new photo books since they are 67 percent off and you have one crazy schedule on top of everything else! So no I have not forgotten about my blog, it's just been a bit pushed back.

The house is now all enclosed so that no more snow can get it!! Yea!! Al had to clean out one 4 foot drift already. Whew!!
We have had concerts, shopping, playing in the snow,...all kinds of fun!!! I'll leave you with a few pictures of our Christmas tree this year. The last one for this house...It's an original. For the first time ever, we were able to use all of our toppers on our tree.

I hope your holidays have been fun and relaxed! Now I have to get shopping and wrapping because Carter is worried that he doesn't see any presents under the tree and it is only 8 days until Christmas!!

Non Sequitor

Warning: The following items are non sequitor!!

Last Sunday Al rolled his ankle....

This is the job to have. He is putting rafters on my house as we speak!

Max, the poopy puppy, who is currently eating a hole in my garage: out of boredom.

Finally, my new home with rafters! It's a beautiful thing!

Windows

Have I ever told you that I am not a very visual person? It drove Al crazy trying to talk about building a house and design things and I can't always "get it" until I "see it"! Case in point: Windows. Our designer and Al assured me I would like the windows, but on paper they just seemed small.

We finally have walls up and voila! I can "see" the windows and they are huge and awesome!!! Love it!!

This one is a view out the window above my sink of that willow tree the kids love! Maybe I'll actually like washing dishes with a view like this?? Doubt it...

These two are in our living room and are as wide as a sliding glass door: each! (they just don't go all the way to the floor) AWESOME!! I love light!

Here's just one window pointing out the front of the house and the driveway!

We get rafters this week!! Woo Hoo!!! I can't wait!

On Building a House....

Is building your own home on your "bucket list?" It seems like it should be. To build your own house, to design every little detail, to make it flow just exactly the way your life does instead of making a house fit your style, to make it everything you ever wanted....What's not to want? Funny thing about building houses....

Al says, "Building your own house doesn't give you everything you've ever wanted. I've had to compromise more on this house already, than I have in 14 years of marriage!!"


Still....

Rooms are taking shape along with dreams of what they will look like when it's all done...

Life is kinda like building a house. You can make it everything you ever wanted...it just takes a little compromise along the way.

House Updates

Look!!! A Walk Out Basement and some walls!!!

OOOHHHH!! And a well!! Be still my heart!

Tonsils

So my big boy Carter had his tonsils out Friday. We figured since he's had strep throat about 9 times this year, it was about time. I was allowed by Doctor Hart to wait...I am hoping forever, but that is another story.

Carter is such a brave big boy!! He was a little nervous, but quite proud of himself when he was able to have an IV. He really has done amazingly well since he's been home too! Only a few times has he not wanted medicine and now he's figured out he needs it so he doesn't complain much. I don't think he wants to wake up much at night, but....I am sooo proud of him! I am not sure how well I would be doing right now....

The doctor says it'll be about 12 days until he's feeling like doing much, so Al and I are home with him and watching movies, etc. Nice that we are able to do this.

Wish him well!! My amazing boy!

Surprise Teacher!

This morning on the way to drop the kids off at school, Casey pipes up and says,

"Mom, Mrs. Preschool Teacher isn't going to be there today, we have a surprise teacher."
"Oh, a substitute teacher, huh?"
"No, it's a surprise teacher!"

What a great way to look at it! Teachers, school, all of it!! It's a surprise!! And surprises are always fun right? Love the joys of children, don't you??

Progress...

My Life Motto...

Any of you that know me very well, know that cleaning is not a priority of mine. I'd much rather play with my kids, read a book, or take pictures!! Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to problems in finding things...Sadly, I was looking for one such thing, but ran across this e-mail I received several years ago instead. It was my motto then as it is now. Not much has changed. So even though, I have misplaced something, I have found this fun little thought sent from a friend. And I have no doubt my misplaced item will soon right itself.


Dust if you must. But wouldn't it be better to paint a picture, or write a letter, bake a cake, or plant a seed. Ponder the difference between want and need. Dust if you must. But there isn't much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb! Music to hear, and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must. But the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come round again. Dust if you must. But bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go, and go you must, you, yourself, will make more dust.

Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write "I love you" on the furniture!

Wowie Wednesday

Beauty is all around. You just have to open your eyes and look.

Home Sweet Home

This Weeping Willow Tree or "Sleeping Willow" as Casey calls it, is the kids' favorite thing about where we are building our new house. The creek lies just underneath the willow. The house will be up the hill where I am standing to take this picture.

Here.

I can't even imagine that we are really building a house! I never dreamed that we'd be building our own home! Wow! I don't think it's sunk in yet...

We have outgrown our current house and the opportunity arose so we checked everything out. And double checked and Al checked again. We finally decided that we could do it and hopefully by next week we'll have a driveway and a start on our walk out basement already!

Whew! The times they are a changin! Wish us luck!

A Favorite Picture and some questions...

This is one of my favorite farming pictures that I've taken. The light was just glowing and the beans were looking all golden. You can even see the litte hairs on the pods. Cool. I remember the evening well. Emily, Carter and Casey were playing house along the edge of the field and up in a little tree. It was cold enought to have jackets and small gloves on. We had brought Al something to eat and decided to hang around a while. I was just taking all kinds of pictures. I was trying to capture a sunset and a combine at night with the lights on.  I was freezing my fingers off taking pictures and loving it!!

I haven't had much chance yet this fall, it's been too wet. Next week is looking up...Perhaps I can get some then.

I haven't been posting in a while...seem to have lost any creative flow I had going....oh and Carter and I got strep throat...sorry about that...

I do write 1 to 2 times a week on a blog for the library, if you are interested...http://waverlypubliclibrary.blogspot.com/ Check it out!

Anyhows, I dropped in to a blog I read the other day and she had put some questions out there. They were kind of fun and I thought I'd try a few here...

What is your least favorite thing about laundry??? Mine is putting away. I have no problem getting them clean, can usually fold in front of tv and then they sit in the laundry baskets like a dresser!!! Our house would seem so much less cluttered if I could just get those darn clothes put away!!!

What are you reading right now? I am reading a book called Veil of Night by Linda Howard...Not my typical book, but I am taking a reader's advisory class on mysteries and am supposed to read and review a mystery before class in October! This one happens to be mystery romance. I am not sure I could do it if it was just straight mystery!! *smile*

Name something you love about your "honey". I love the effort he puts forth in everything he does. He works so hard at everything, loving me, possible plans for moving, farming, his work at the city, he always goes that extra mile!!

What's your favorite part of your job? Mine is helping people find a good book!!

One more before it gets to be too much! This is a question Carter keeps asking me....

What's your favorite animal?

I am not sure that I know...I have always loved horses so that's what I am saying today, but being out west this summer I realize I really like a lot of wildlife. It was such fun seeing bears, wolves, coyotes, fox, buffalo!!

So there are a few thoughts to get us started this week!!

Moments to Remember from Labor Day 2010

Labor Day Weekend 2010 we went camping out at my family's land. We decided to stay close because there were parties to go to and things to be done. But we still wanted to camp one last time before Fall officially set in. Here area few moments and memories from our time.

Cool sky! Or maybe I just slowed down enough to notice.

Playing "Picker" in Uncle Stevie's treasure pile....

If the camper hadn't been here we would have been knocked out by all of the acorns!!!

We learned an important lesson. Never leave a campfire unattended!!!Wow were we lucky.....

Taking time to notice the beauty around me.

My hubby....I just love him.

Max doesn't mind water so much!! Hooray cuz we love it!!

Casey giving Mommy a "tied up" massage!

66 degrees is not a perfect temperature for tubing, BUT....we did it anyway and had a lot of fun along the way!! Way to go grandma and grandpa for enjoying the ride with us!

Wow were there a lot of monarchs!!! Clustering all over the trees like this.

And then just clouds of them flying in the air. Very cool.

My boy Carter likes to have his picture taken. Must be because I am always sticking a camera in his face!!

We found my grandparent's old croquet set and taught the kids how to play! How fun!! Memories collide.

SHHHHhhhh!! Don't tell! We had a fireworks summer birthday celebration!!

MMMMMM!!!! We made homemade bread in the Dutch Oven!! And ate the whole thing in one sitting!!!Yummy!

What a daughter!! What a dog!!!

I

P.S. I have found that I want these memories and thoughts to look back on but it seems to be hard for me to take time to blog it!! But I read recently that a blog was kind of like a plant....if you don't water it ever it will die....