Happy 4th of July!

We are having a party/bbq here and are expecting 25 people. Yikes! So, I am off the computer for now but wanted to wish you all a glorious day today.


A little preview of the show we will be having tonight out in our street!

Happy Dad

Just a happy, heart full kind of day for Dad. The smiles and hugs show it all!

Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day, Kerry Layne! You are the glue that holds our family together and even after 26.5 years I am still thrilled that you picked me. Our kids have had the BEST Daddy ever!

A Real FatherIt’s not so common anymore
to have a dad who’s really there,
who is the provider for his family,
who comes home every night,
whose predictability
creates a sense of stability and security
in his household.
Your routine may not seem valuable to you,
but it’s worth a lot to me.
I’m thankful that I can depend on you
to always be you--
a real father,
responsible, trustworthy,
and a great role model.
I’ve learned a lot of good things
from watching you.
Thanks, Dad.By Joanna Fuchs

adapting

Change of plans... Plan B... Alternative plan... Flexibility.

My sister is sick.
She was going to host Easter dinner.
Guess who is going to host it now?

I better get that list filled out because tomorrow will be busy with a capital B! My dream of not needing to deep clean my house is shattered.

A big, big thank you to my girl tonight. She came over after work and dusted and vacuumed my house for me while I tackled the boys' bathroom which double as the guest bathroom.

Off to make that list!

love

Dear little friend
With your merry smile
And laughing big bright eyes,
I wish you'd come over and
play with me
And help me make mud pies.

Don't you just love vintage cards? I do! There is something so simple and nostalgic about them. I about choked when I went to pay for the cards I picked out for my little family this year: a husband, 3 sons and a daughter. WHEN did cards get so expensive? I won't even say how much it cost. I will say though, that it took me a very long time to find just the right one for each special individual personality! I know, I know...I could always make my own. But let's face it. That just isn't happening.


I am not a rabid Valentine's Day celebrator, but I do like to give a little treat bag to my kids along with that oh-so special card. Kerry and I give each other a little something and usually try to go out to dinner--not so much because it is the expected couple's thing to do, but because we like to eat out!

Tonight we are meeting my parents, and my sister and her husband for dinner--to celebrate my Dad's birthday which is on the 26th. He will be 73. I feel bad that my boys will be home alone for dinner as this is a grown up only dinner out--planned by my mother, not me. So we will have goodies with the boys when we get home.

I hope you all have a special day of feeling loved.

Happy New Year Wishes To You!

Christmas: part 2

December 25th

** Kerry and I woke up first, around 9, and for the first time in 25 years had to wake up the kids!


** We woke to snow showers, which continued all day! The first white Christmas since 1996.

** We had a yummy breakfast of cinnamon rolls, sausage patties and scrambled eggs. (a tradition) We ate breakfast after several turns of unwrapping gifts. We go around the circle, youngest to oldest opens a gift as we all watch. With so many of us, gift opening took until around 2:30!







**The post unwrapping gala mess!


** Most everyone stayed in their jammies all day. I did not, as I hate to cook in my pajamas. I did however manage to not get dressed until about 5:00 p.m.


** Activities: open gifts, eat appetizers for lunch, play games!! The kids spent the first part of the day playing with the new Guitar Hero: World Tour for the wii. Then, they moved on to play various card games which they had received as gifts. I loved seeing everyone playing games together around the table.


After Sarah and Jesse left to travel back to their cozy little apartment, the boys and Kerry and I played a rousing game of Phase 10. We ended about 1:00 a.m., and the boys proceeded to suit up for a middle of the night romp in the snow. They built the first snowman of the season--we were all committed to not walking through the front yard during our week long snow event so as to keep it looking pristine. Well, since rain was forcasted for the day after Christmas and the snow would be going bye-bye, they decided it was time for some fun. Once the snowman was built they progressed into a all out snowball war! Watching and listening to my 3 boys was delightful!

**Menu:
Beef Tenderloin (Fillet Mignon), Sarah's Rosemary Potatoes, cranberries, *special* green salad, popovers, olive/pickle plate. Everything was so good and I know I will be serving that same cut of beef again next year as it was so tender it melted in your mouth!




It was such a lovely day spent together as a family, celebrating the Lord's birth! What an awesome gift God gave to us, and even more precious was the gift Jesus gave us as he gave up his life for us.

The 24th

Whew! What a whirlwind these past few days have been. I know that not all of you want to read about every detail of my family's life but I do want to some how document the events as that is part of my purpose for this blog in the first place!

December 24th:

This was the picture out my bedroom window and you guessed it....MORE snow.


**We had already decided to postpone Christmas Eve festivities planned at my mom's house until the weekend when the snow would/should be melting. They live about an hour north and had even more snow than us--roads were treacherous! But seeing as how my sister and her husband and my daughter and her husband all live 10 minutes from my house, I decided to host a mini Christmas Eve at my house.

**Cue: *operation -get- this - house- picked- up*!!!


**Church canceled Christmas Eve services as you couldn't get in or out of the parking lot.

**Menu:
Appetizers: spinach dip, cheese ball, pickle/olive plate, Crispix snack mix, multiple goodies Kerry received from people on his mail route.

Dinner: Clam Chowder, homemade applesauce, croissants, *special* green salad

**Activities: Chatting, eating, chatting, and more eating! Playing wii, and opening up new Christmas sleeping pants and winter themed pillowcases handmade by me!


**Got to bed very late