The Fink Link

Shutterfly Projects

2010-12-06T21:31:00.002-06:00

I use Shutterfly for a number of photo needs - print, invites, notecards and photobooks. They are working on our holiday cards as I speak!

Below is an example of one of the projects I created at Shutterfly. It's a picture Dave took of the field last year. This was an invitation to a football party we hosted. What have you OR could you create at Shutterfly?

Classic Without Edge 5x7 folded card

Unique party invitations and greeting cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly's Holiday Promotion

2010-11-02T21:09:00.002-05:00

It's around this time every year that I start to think about our family holiday card. Of course, I always want to get the perfect photo and then find just the right card for it. I was excited to see that Shutterfly had some new layouts this year. I have used Shutterfly photo cards many times in the past - for birthday invitations, thank you's, party invitations and of course, holiday cards. See - Shutterfly is way more than just a place to develop your photos!

While I don't yet have that perfect holiday photo, I enjoyed looking at all of the holiday designs. Looking at the Christmas cards, I thought the Pictures in Red card was beautiful. I love the idea of being able to showcase several photos, not just one. That's great for the times when you just can't decide!

I exchange holiday cards with many of the families at our church. I was glad to see the selection of Religious Cards. The sentiment on the Faith and Family card says it all.

I haven't ever sent out cards for Thanksgiving, but I think it's a super idea! I would love to get a card that shared someone's thankfulness. When I saw the Season of Thanks Fall Invitation, I thought it could also make a good name card or menu display.

So, no matter what photo I choose, I know I can find just what I need at Shutterfly!

Hoping for Results. Good Results

2010-04-20T21:04:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow, I have an appointment at the Spine Institute. A long overdue appointment, I must add. I hurt my back/hip tubing this summer at the Ozarks. It was bumpy that day (made Dave seasick) and the way I sat in the tub, I got jammed in. Every wave we hit, jammed me deeper in the tube. It hurt for a few weeks but then felt better. Then, Thanksgiving weekend, the day of the state football championship, I did something to hurt it again. I blame Christmas decorations :) Regardless, it has hurt since then. I finally broke down and went to the doctor in March. She ordered back and hip x-rays. I was hoping this would give me an answer of what was wrong. Well, the x-rays were "clear" which meant nothing was broken. I could have diagnosed that! She told me to wait it out, thinking it would get better. Of course, nothing got better. So she referred me to the Spine Institute. For tomorrow. I want to think positively - that they will find what's wrong and make it better. But then, I think back to last summer and this:

My allergy testing. 144 injections. Which told me that I am allergic to nothing. NOTHING. But didn't explain all of my sinus problems, sneezing, itching, scratchy voice, etc. So, needless to say, I am a little hesitant about tomorrow. Worried that I will go in there and they won't be able to find anything wrong. And then I will cry. Real hard.

2010-04-04T16:13:00.001-05:00

Ruby Relaxer

1 part Peach Schnapps
1 part Vodka
1 part Malibu
3 parts cranberry juice
3 parts pineapple juice

Yum-o!

Vitamin D

2010-03-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

Do you believe all of the hype about Vitamin D? I am starting to think I do. Last winter, I tanned all winter. I didn't do it to get tan but instead I was thinking the warmth and light would help my mood. I didn't think it made a difference and I was crazy busy at work this winter so I didn't tan. Well, guess what? I think that tanning and the Vitamin D maybe did help! So, I started tanning again today. Let's hope my mood improves soon :)

I heart food blogs

2010-02-22T19:30:00.005-06:00

I follow a lot of blogs. A lot. Like 125 or so. Some of them are related to my job. Several of them are coupon/money-saving sites. I follow a few celebrities and TV show wrap-ups. But a majority of the blogs have to do with food, cooking, restaurants, eating, etc. I love to see the photos, read the recipes, investigate techniques. If I had more time and planned meals more ahead of time, I too would love to maintain a food blog. My mom often calls to borrow recipes. I am actually thinking about starting a separate blog to digitally record my recipes. Tonight would have been a great night to record my cooking and recipes - I think I made the most creative use of leftovers that I ever have. Here's the background:

We had a small party for the girls on Saturday to celebrate their birthdays (Kelsey on the 15th and Kaitlyn on the 28th). I got a meat and cheese tray from the store. When I ordered it, I saw you could also buy a condiment tray. For only $10 it came with pickles, olives, shredded lettuce, onions, sliced tomatoes and multicolored peppers. It was actually really pretty - I should have taken a picture. We had some chips and different dips too - including Kaitlyn's favorite taco dip. We all ate well but there were lots of leftovers. Yesterday, I had to babysit for some friends. I knew I wanted to do something with chicken for supper so I put some in the crockpot to cook while all 4 kids played. Since there was still lots of good stock still in the crockpot, I decided to cook more chicken for the week. I went ahead and made chicken divan for dinner last night.

Tonight for dinner, I knew I would make schezwan chicken for Dave with some of the extra chicken I cooked last night. I didn't want any and I knew the girls wouldn't eat it either. So, I asked if they wanted tacos. I dismantled the leftover taco dip to make some yummy, meaty, melted cheesy tacos for them. I went ahead and just ate the taco dip along with my margarita. It is National Margarita Day after all! Even after making Dave's dinner, I still had leftover chicken. We are all busy this week with basketball, church, 4H and birthdays so I knew I needed to do something with it. Then I saw the condiment tray still in the fridge. Guess what I made to put in the freezer? Chicken fajitas! To the chicken I added the peppers, onions and tomatoes along with some taco seasoning. When I go to make them, I will add some salsa as the liquid. Genius, if I do say so myself :)

Monkey Muffin Recipe

2010-02-02T20:22:00.001-06:00

Monkey Muffins

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 bananas, very ripe

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease up muffin tin (recipe yields 9 muffins although we made them mini).
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a seperate bowl, mash up bananas with a fork. Mix in sugar, egg, butter and vanilla. Mix to combine.
Now have wet ingredients meet dry ingredients. Slowing start adding in the dry ingredients, mixing as you go until just combined. Last, toss in chocolate chips. Fold mixture over to distribute the chipsthroughout the muffin mix.
Fill muffin tins almost to the top, and bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes.

These muffins are super moist and yummy still warm from the oven.

2010-02-02T18:31:00.001-06:00

I found this quote when I was cleaning tonight: "Thank you. You've given me an image of myself toward which I can aspire." Love it!

Mommy Notes

2010-01-09T16:28:00.003-06:00

This was sent to me on Facebook. Novel idea!

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself! Tag 10 mommies when you're finished.

Let's see how much you remember!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? And then some! She was conceived through in vitro.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Shocked that it finally worked!

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 23

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? They told us that we weren't pregnant at first. And I had an awful weekend. Monday, I had to go back for blood tests so we knew when to start again. They called Thursday and said "Ooops, you really are pregnant!"

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I was too stunned. I don't know that I told anyone!

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Absolutely!

9. DUE DATE? 3-9-99

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not really, but I couldn't overeat or I would get sick.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Taco Bell. It made me gain 11 pounds in one month!

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?Are you kidding? All I wanted was that baby!

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Girl

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? We just wanted a healthy baby.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 31

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Kind of :) I was on bed rest and couldn't go. Dave went in my place.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew. And it had to be rescheduled twice because of snow.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Oh yeah! Low progesterone, problems with the placenta, preterm labor

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Carle Hospital, Urbana,IL

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Induced at 9 am, started pushing at 9 pm. She wasn't born until 11:49 pm.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Husband

22. WHO WAS WITH YOU WHEN YOU GAVE BIRTH? Husband, doctors and nurses.

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? I didn't want to at first but when I couldn't stop getting sick, I did.

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 6 lbs. 4 ozs.

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? Monday, February 15, 1999

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Kelsey Margaret

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 11 next month

Here's to 2010!

2009-12-31T16:10:00.003-06:00

OK, so I fell apart on blogging this year. Many apologies. I will try to do better next year. Will I resolve to do better? Um, no.

I did ask the girls today what their wishes and hopes are for the next year. Kelsey, my ever serious and thoughtful kiddo said she wanted the economy to improve because she knows some people are still hurting. Kaitlyn on the other hand wants more snow and a lot more ice cream.

Hope you have a prosperous and sweet New Year!

Too Busy!

2009-12-11T13:15:00.001-06:00

A major work project has been kicking my butt - apologies for no posts.

This post is no different. I am testing something for that project.

A New Recipe

2009-11-04T19:56:00.000-06:00

I made these for dinner tonight and they were really good: http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2009/11/pioneer-womans-potato-bundles-and-ree-i.html. I am not sure if they are company-worthy but they sure were tasty!

Help with a Costume Idea?

2009-09-29T15:30:00.006-05:00

Help, faithful readers! I am going to an adult costume party for Halloween this year. It has been 7 years or so since I have attended such an event. We dress up here at work every year. I have included those pictures (we have had some good times!) I have also included some pictures from the girls' school. But I need some new ideas. Do you have any? Thanks in advance for your help!

Scooby Doo Gang

80's Prom

Sarah Palin

Medieval Woman

Biker Chicks

2009-09-14T06:45:00.002-05:00

Trying to blog from the Berry. Successful?

What Would You Do?

2009-08-26T21:38:00.003-05:00

I know that I am super behind on blogging again - I need to finish posting about our Ozarks vacation, I need to talk about our STL trip (my 3rd favorite weekend of the whole year), the end of summer, the start of school ... I know that. I just realized that I can do blogging from my Berry so that might make things easier when I am outside with the dog in the middle of the night.

Instead of writing about all of those things, I am going to answer a question I saw on another post: what would you do if you had an hour all to yourself? You are not supposed to think deeply about your answers, but write what immediately comes to mind. Here we go:

Read a magazine in the tub.
Drink a cold drink on the deck with the dog while rocking on the glider.
Swing at the park with the girls.
Go to the library and browse.
Sit in the sun and do nothing.

What would you do if you had an hour to yourself?

Vacation, Day 3

2009-07-26T21:33:00.004-05:00

I am almost too tired to write tonight! We met for a family breakfast again this morning. It's a nice little ritual we have! We then split up to get suited up and then spent the rest of the day going between the indoor water park and the outdoor pool. I haven't downloaded my pics yet, but I will then add them back in. We had happy hour for quite awhile out on the patio before Oma and Grandpa had their date (and even got all dressed up for it!) The 8 of us went out for dinner and then to the arcade. Kelsey loves Skeeball! We split up again and my family went to the pier and we fed the carp. Gross but cool all at once!

Our plans have changed a bit for tomorrow so I still don't know what all it will entail. It will be a surprise for all of us!

Vacation, Day 2

2009-07-25T21:53:00.012-05:00

I am sunburned and tired. But had a great day :) We all met for breakfast this morning around 8:45. Then, the kids and the dads went and played Putt Putt. We moms went and explored the resort. We had a nice big lunch before we headed out on a boat for the afternoon. We tubed and swam and gawked at the great real estate. Dave got seasick and had to be brought back to shore. We went on without him! We split up for the rest of the night and did our own thing. We had dinner on our patio and then went swimming. I think we are all waterlogged! Some of us are sunburned too. Luckily it's only the grown-ups! Tomorrow we are going to an indoor waterpark. It looks awesome! Kelsey and I checked it out tonight. Oma and Grandpa are having a date night tomorrow night so we will do a cousins' night.

Vacation, Day 1

2009-07-24T21:02:00.005-05:00

Whew - we made it and I am glad! We had a super smooth trip down here to the Lake of the Ozarks. We are staying at TanTarA. For the past few years, my mother-in-law has taken us all on a trip as part of our Christmas present. There are 10 of us here - my family of 4, my in-laws, my brother-in-law, his wife and their 2 kids. We were also lucky enough to see some friends from Colorado who are also vacationing at the lake. Unfortunately, they are leaving in the morning but we spent all afternoon and part of tonight with them.

I haven't downloaded my camera pics yet, but I did post a pic of our view on Facebook.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are boating.

Blogging Anniversary

2009-07-23T06:38:00.002-05:00

I sure did miss my own blogging anniversary. Insert "Wah-wah" here. I really thought it was this week as we are leaving on vacation tomorrow and that is the reason I started blogging in the first place. Well, regardless, I have learned a lot about blogging in the past year. I know that I need to make more time to site down and write - I always have ideas in my head! And I am still not at the coveted 100 posts which means I need to blog more.

We leave on vacation tomorrow morning. We are going back to the Ozarks. No houseboat this year - we will be staying at a resort. Stay tuned!

Cross Linking

2009-07-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

I don't have time to write on my own blog, but I had to blog for work. So, I'll link to it here: http://ncteinbox.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-reading-record.html.

Today is Summer Learning Day

2009-07-09T08:23:00.001-05:00

Today is Summer Learning Day. Here are some resources: http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/.

Where did June go?

2009-07-04T12:26:00.002-05:00

1. Ballpark almost every night (and I love it!)
2. The end of school.
3. First weekend in June = trip to Dallas
4. Basketball camp
5. Volleyball camp
6. Trip to DC - work for me, touring for Dave
7. Tolono Fun Days

I have lots more details I could add but not enough time. Maybe I will add some pictures at some point. I have lots of other blog ideas in my head - maybe they will make it to the screen at some point ...

Happy Fourth of July!

Field Trips with the Girls

2009-05-28T22:25:00.007-05:00

I am super lucky with the job I have that I can do school things with my girls. Here are some pics from our field trips in the last few weeks.

Love them :)

Apologies to ...

2009-05-21T22:36:00.002-05:00

those of you who have listened to me cough and hack and sneeze and blow for the past few weeks. It annoys me so I know how the rest of you must feel. Kaitlyn's ENT gave me a referral yesterday to go and see an allergist. Yay! However ...

In order for them to do all of the tests they need to do, I have to go off of all meds for 2 weeks prior to my appointment so they can see what I am truly allergic to. So, if I think I am a mess now, I can't even imagine what I will be like then.

Stay tuned ...

I love being a mom!

2009-05-11T22:44:00.004-05:00

I really wanted to post something yesterday on Mother's Day but decided to spend the day with family instead of the computer :)

My girls, Kelsey Margaret and Kaitlyn Dolores, are absolutely the lights of my life. I pray every day that they will grow up healthy, happy and strong.

Although this picture is almost 2 years old now, it is my favorite picture ever.

Love you, Girls! Thanks for letting me be your mom.

A Fink Girls Book Club

2009-04-30T22:28:00.003-05:00

I read a blog post this week which challenged readers to think about reading what has really touched their lives. It was very thought-provoking but I didn't have anything fantastic to repost. As we know, I tend to read magazines more than books or other texts. That may be changing! Kelsey proposed the other night that she and I start our own book club.

Here's how it started: When shuffling through the mail the other night, I noticed my yearly newsletter from an author who is dear to my heart, Elizabeth Berg. I was introduced to her years by my mentor (I need to write about her some day!) I own several of Elizabeth's books and have one that she signed a few years ago when she was in town. Elizabeth sends out a yearly newsletter, usually around the same time as the publication of a new book. She talks about the new book, shares a new recipe and tells an anecdote about her family. I sat right down to read the newsletter and Kelsey asked what I was reading. I told her all about it and she asked about the book. It is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter. (I ordered it today and will let you know more about it!) SO, Kelsey said, "We are a mother and a daughter. We should read books together!" What a great idea! When I get back from my work trip, we are going to chose a book to read together. She suggested we read 5 chapters at a time and then chat about what we read. I hope I can keep up! I found out recently that she goes to the school library every day to check out new books. I love that girl :)

Any title suggestions for our mother-daughter book club?

Busy Week for Kelsey!

2009-04-27T21:47:00.003-05:00

Kelsey had a busy week this week! She started the week off with her Spring Music Concert:She had softball practice in the middle of the week. No pictures yet - plenty to come later!

Finally, her basketball season ended on Saturday. They had a great season and fantastic coaches again this year. Next year, she will play in the fall and will be on an all-girls team. Way to go, Kelsaroo!

My Little Prodigy

2009-04-27T21:40:00.005-05:00

I think it's safe to say that I like to take self -portraits. Well, I don't know if I like them but if I am ever going to get into a picture, I feel like I need to take them myself. Here are a few from the weekend.

My little Muffin has decided that she also likes to take self-portraits. Here are a few of her works of art :)

Backwards Day?

2009-04-20T12:57:00.001-05:00

The girls have spring pictures at school today. These are more casual pictures and you can bring props. Well, it must be backwards day too because Kelsey chose to wear a dress and Kaitlyn is wearing jeans and a T-shirt! For those of you who know my girls, that is the complete opposite of who they are! I can't wait to see these ...

Kaitlyn's Thoughts on Her Mom

2009-04-16T20:45:00.003-05:00

I have been spending tons of time with Kaitlyn since her surgery. So today, she took a quiz about me. Here are her answers:

1. What is something mom always says to you?
“I love you”

2. What makes mom happy?
“When I eat my dinner all gone.”

3. What makes mom sad?
“When I tell her I do not love her”

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
“She tickles me!”

5. What was your mom like as a child?
“She had long hair.”

6. How old is your mom?
“33”

7. How tall is your mom?
“5 8”

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
“Cooking”

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
“Watch TV”

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Cooking”

11. What is your mom really good at?
“Cooking”

12. What is your mom not very good at?
“Whistling”

13. What does your mom do for her job?
“Teaches teachers”

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
“Pizza?”

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
“She loves me.”

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
“Super mom”

17. What do you and your mom do together?
“Stay home.”

18. How are you and your mom the same?
“We love us.”

19. How are you and your mom different?
“We are not the same size.”

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
“She loves me, I just know!”

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
“Tanning place”

The Week in Review

2009-04-11T20:21:00.011-05:00

I have had several blog posts in my head all week and this is the first time I had sat down to type them. So we will have one big mess of a post.

Sunday, they girls and I went to the NKOTB concert. I won tickets on the radio and it was Kaitlyn's turn to go since I took Kelsey to REO in the fall. Wellm two days before the concert, my friend Annie called and said she had an extra set of tickets - she was already going. Annie said her mom was going to use one of the tickets and said Kelsey could use the other. So we all got to go see. NKOTB. I wasn't a fan back in the day, but I have to say, it was a great concert!Tuesday, Kaitlyn got her tonsils and adenoids out. She has had strep nonstop since January. In fact, her tonsils were infected when they took them out. Kaitlyn did a great job! She hated the IV and asked the nurse what she had to do to get it out. Once that happened, she wanted to go home and asked again what she needed to do to go home. When she found out she was discharged, she got out of that hospital gown so fast! She is doing well and I have learned to stay on top of her meds. The hospital had a stuffed animal on her gurney when we got there. It was super cute :)

Before we knew Kaitlyn was going to have surgery, Dave and I planned a trip to Memphis. We were going to take the girls to his mom's Thursday night and leave for Memphis super early Friday morning. We were going to stay right on Beale Street at the Peabody and be back in timie for Easter dinner. Well, that trip was cancelled :( I think now instead Dave is coming with my to DC in June. All of these trips can now be possible because my mother-in-law retired last week. Her party was a week ago Friday. We had a great time! Slim Skinny and the Bunkhouse Bunkaroo played.Tonight, the girls and I colored Easter eggs. Most years, we host a BBQ and egg coloring party the day before Easter. We have a lot of friends come, we eat drink and dye. Kaitlyn was disappointed that it was only going to be the 3 of us tonight. I will add pics once they are uploaded.

Tomorrow, the in-laws are coming for Easter. We typically go up there but I'm not ready to put Kaitlyn in a car for a 65 minute drive yet.

I am sure there was more I wanted to say for this week. But that's all I've got.

A Word from Kelsey

2009-03-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

These questions were asked of Kelsey (10 years old) about her mom.

Here are her answers:

1. What is something mom always says to you?
“Kelsey, stop crying!” is what she always says to me at stores when we hear someone else crying. It’s annoying.”

2. What makes mom happy?
“Good grades”

3. What makes mom sad?
“When I do or say something bad”

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
“???????????????? I have no idea!”

5. What was your mom like as a child?
“Red head”

6. How old is your mom?
“33”

7. How tall is your mom?
“5’ 8” I asked”

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
“Go on dates , drink, party”

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
“???????????????????????????? I’m not here!”

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Cook or teacher”

11. What is your mom really good at?
“Cooking”

12. What is your mom not very good at?
“Art”

13. What does your mom do for her job?
“Teaches teachers”

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
“She told my sister nachos earlier today.”

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
“All the kids in my class love her.”

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
“Courtney off Total Drama Island – she follows all the rules and goofs off at the right time.”

17. What do you and your mom do together?
“School work”

18. How are you and your mom the same?
“We look alike”

19. How are you and your mom different?
“She loves to shop – I hate it.”

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
“She tells me”

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
“Saloon”

An Interview with Myself

2009-03-26T21:51:00.004-05:00

My friend, illini_girl posts interviews with herself every now and then. I have always thought that would be fun but never knew the right time. Guess what, Readers - tonight is the night! Here we go ...

Lisa, how are you?
I am OK, but tired. Excited too - Kaitlyn lost her front top tooth!

Why are you tired?
I am on a work trip right now. I dropped the girls off at school on Tuesday morning and headed to the airport. I flew to NYC for some meetings.

Yeah, and?
Well, after meetings in NYC and doing NYC, I took the high-speed train to DC for meetings.

Wow, aren't you just a teacher?
A teacher who got a cool job! So, I left for the train station at 6:15 this morning and it took 3 hours to get to DC. I sat in meetings all day, but with super smart people that I enjoy.

Right. Why are you still so tired?
We had a really good dinner and I chose to stay after to talk with a colleague. We talked about kiddos and special ed and professional development. As I said, I like being with these super smart people.

So, dinner and small talk ended.
Yep. There is a hotel that my work has an agreement with that I have to stay in when I am in DC. It's fine. Kind of art deco. Except, I am not staying there tonight.

Are you staying with your colleagues at the Capitol Hilton?
Um, no. I ended up in Georgetown.

Come again?
I got to my approved hotel around 10:15. The manager met me at the door and walked me to the desk. He welcomed me back (I have been there before). Then he told me that there was no room for me there tonight. The agreement is a suite upgrade, not no room! Apparently, there was a flood at the hotel, so they called around to find me a place to stay. It's the Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend so rooms are hard to come by. Therefore, I am in Georgetown.

You got in a cab and went to an unknown hotel?
A bit different than that. The bellhop from the first hotel took me in his own car. I was so in shock by all of this that I couldn't even stop to think about any of this. My luggage went in the backseat with his 2 kids car seats. So, here I sit in Georgetown.

What is your room like?
I guess you could call it a suite. But it's not. It's kind of like an apartment. With a kitchenette. I have photos.

Where are they?
I'm tired, remember? Look for them this weekend.

That's quite a story!
I know! I am glad I could share with you. I wish someone was with me to see all of this too!

I hope you all have a good night. Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Clever Song Titles

2009-03-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title.

My artist: John Mayer

Are you male or female: Daughters
Describe yourself: Slow Dancing In a Burning Room
How do you feel about yourself: I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Describe where you currently live: In Your Atmosphere
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Out of My Mind
Your best friends are: The Heart of Life
Your favorite color is: Bold As Love
What's the weather like: In Repair
If your life were a TV show, what would it be called? Dreaming With a Broken Heart
What is life to you: Free Fallin'
What is the best advice you have to give: Your Body Is a Wonderland
If you could change your name, what would it be: My Stupid Mouth
Your favorite food is: No Such Thing

Test

2009-03-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

I am testing the posting options. Stay tuned!

Dear Readers

2009-03-08T22:14:00.002-05:00

Dear Readers -

I was in a meeting for work the other day and we were talking about blogs, their use, and some "rules" associated with blogs. Come to find out - I break all sorts of rules! So, this post is an apology to you. First of all, we were told that blog posts should come almost daily so readers don't get bored or leave. Well, I have so many unwritten blog posts, it's unbelievable! Also, it was mentioned that I should personally respond to all comments on the blog so readers feel welcomed and they want to comment more. I think I am guilty of not doing that either.

Well, I know the rules now and I promise to do better!

Thanks, Loyal Readers.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-03-05T12:28:00.002-06:00

Our New Puppy

2009-02-16T14:01:00.002-06:00

When we were all home together, we decided on a name: Charley :)

A Busy Weekend!

2009-02-15T18:49:00.011-06:00

Whew - it has been a busy weekend! First of all, Kaitlyn left at 6 am Friday morning on her trip to Texas with her Oma. A trip is a special something that my mother-in-law does with all of the grandkids when they turn 7. They went to Dallas to visit the cousins, Mason and Lauren.

Friday was Kelsey's class Valentine Party. I was able to go and volunteer with my 4th grade friends. From school I took Kelsey and her two best friends for Kelsey's birthday party. We went uptown to a hotel to stay all night.

The hotel has a limo that you can use. So we did :) We went to the movies to see Pink Panther 2.

We stayed all night, swam, ate pizza. It was fun!

Kelsey's actual birthday is today, Sunday. The biggest surprise of all is that we got a puppy today! It caps off a week-long puppy search. On Monday, someone sent me an email with a link to local Humane Society and an adorable puppy. I sent it to Dave and he suggested that we call about it. I did and ended up going to visit after work that night. I went back two more times. There were some fantastic dogs there and they run a great facility. We decided that we wanted to get a dog where we knew the background so we asked my mom for help. She is a vet tech and knows many families and their animals. I called her on Thursday and by Saturday, yesterday, she has a lead on two. One was a Golden Retriever and one was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. That was the same dog as our Copper. We looked on their website and we were pleased with what we saw. So Dave called them last night. They called back around 9:30 last night and answered many of our questions. They told us that they were going to be around until noon today if we wanted to come look. So Dave left around 7 this morning and made the almost 4 hour drive north to see him. Dave called while we were at church to let me know he was on his way home with the puppy. They got home around 2:30 and we surprised Kelsey with him. We are waiting to name him until Kaitlyn gets home. I have some ideas but we will wait and see!

A Few Words from Dolly Parton

2009-02-11T22:32:00.002-06:00

I am a huge fan of magazines. I should really count how many subscriptions we have at our house. We all get a pile of magazines. Anyway, there are some I read right away - US Weekly or People and Time. Others, I save for special occasions. I will only read Glamour or Cosmo in the tub or on the plane. My cooking mags are easy to skim and read over and over again. I have a pile of some others in my bedroom and I am trying to whittle it down - some are fairly old. I just read a Ladies Home Journal from March 2008 over the weekend. I am glad I did! 1) I found a recipe for a dessert I made for a meeting tomorrow. 2) I found an amazing quote from Dolly Parton on friends. Seems strange, I know but it really spoke to me:

"I think there is nothing in the world like girlfriends. I have five sisters and every single one I could tell anyone on earth - just like they can with me. For me, (the perfect night) is to be with friends where you can be your perfect self. Or your imperfect self. Whether you eat too much, drink too much, talk too much and get pissed off. Where you can feel like any emotion you have is okay. To cook, to laugh, to eat. To gossip, try to solve problems. Just being able to vent can be the best healing and therapy."

Love it!

In a Bad Mood

2009-02-08T09:42:00.002-06:00

So, I'm in a bad mood. It's one of those things where I know exactly why I am in a bad mood but I can't say it out loud. However, if I verbalize why I am angry and pissed off, I am sure someone will tell me to shut the hell up. So, I sit here and simmer.

Hilarious Answer to a Quiz

2009-02-02T22:40:00.001-06:00

So, I was cleaning out my Facebook tonight - what a mess! A friend sent me a link to a quiz on your mommy style. I am sharing my result below. Thoughts?

Soccer Mom

Your kids are busier than a CEO of a Fortune 500 company - BUT they love it!! You have several activities planned during the week and on the weekends. It takes two assistants to manage your family calendar! Due to your busy schedules, you have to pass on the housecleaning, cooking and work at times - but you are never home so no worries :)

Another Email Survey

2009-01-29T21:16:00.002-06:00

It feels like people are going crazy right now with email surveys and Facebook notes. I got this one today from a former colleague. It seemed more fun than some of the others. Here it is:

42 ODD Things about you!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes and I talked about it at work today

2. Have you ever smoked? Yes

3. Do you own a gun? Is my name on one? No

4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite? Cherry Red

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Sometimes and it gets worse the later they are

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like them at the ballpark.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Story

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Wild Cherry Pepsi Fountain Drink

9. Can you do pushups? Can I? Yes. Do I? No.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? The ring I inherited from my Gram.

11. Favorite hobby? I have been told I would be happier if I had more hobbies. I guess I would have to say collecting recipes.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? No, but I am always multitasking.

13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I gravitate towards negative as my first reaction.

14. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I need to finish Kaitlyn's room, what am I going to wear tomorrow, and what am I forgetting to do?

15. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Wild Cherry Pepsi Fountain Drink, water, Blood Mary

16. Current worry? The economy

17. Current hate right now? How busy I seem to be. I was too busy to attend a time management workshop at work today!

18. Favorite place to be? With my girls

19. How did you bring in the New Year? Vomiting

20. Where would you like to go? This is a conversation we have at my house. Hubby wants to go to Europe but there are too many places in the US we haven't been yet. I would love to drink wine in Napa and see the life in the Hamptons.

21. Name three people who will complete this? Since it's on my blog, I bet I will get comments but probably not other completions.

22. Do you own slippers? They are somewhere ...

23. What shirt are you wearing? A Marshall sweatshirt. I have no idea where it is from. It came home with me from Melissa's wedding weekend.

24. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I don't think I ever have! I used to like flannel sheets.

25. Can you whistle? Not well

26. Favorite color? Red

27. Would you be a pirate for Halloween ? Why not? I love to dress up!

28. What songs do you sing in the shower? I like to listen to the radio in the shower. If I sing along, it's usually to what's on.

29. Favorite Girl's Name? Margaret

30. Favorite boy's name? Glen

31. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have pockets!

32. Last thing that made you laugh? Kaitlyn's bedtime stalling tactics

33. What vehicle do you drive? Chevy HHR

34. Worst injury you've ever had? Hurting my back my senior year of high school

35. Do you love where you live? Sure

36. How many TVs do you have in your house? A lot!

37. Who is your loudest friend? Umm, I am really loud myself. I don't know who trumps that.

38. Do you have any pets? Since we lost Copper, we have 2 guinea pigs.

39. Does someone have a crush on you? That would be awesome!

40. Your favorite book? I love children's literature.

41. Do you collect anything? Recipes and cookbooks

42. Favorite Sports Team? Whatever my kids are playing

Enjoy and play along!

The Green Movement

2009-01-26T20:34:00.002-06:00

I think recycling and paying attention to what we do to and for the environment is important. I also know that we should do more at our house about this. However, there are times when this movement goes a little too far. When I was at the pharmacy yesterday (for the 3rd time that weekend!) I saw a woman with a purse made out of obviously recycled materials. What, you ask? A dog food bag. Her purse, which now holds a wallet and key, used to hold kibble. There has to be a happy medium ...

Pear Cake

2009-01-24T19:51:00.001-06:00

I made this yummy new recipe for a meeting at work on Friday. Too bad I didn't get to go (sick Kaitlyn again) I guess that means I get to keep all the cake for myself :)

Check it out: http://www.recipezaar.com/Apple-or-Pear-Cake-98869

A Great Article to Share

2009-01-23T10:48:00.004-06:00

My husband passed an article on to me today from one of his favorite writers at ESPN. It wasn't about sports at all - it was about his dog. I will warn you - it made me bawl like a baby.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090122

The article was so well-written and it made me miss our Copper even more. It makes you remember that you need to appreciate every day with the ones you love - no matter how many legs they walk on.

The Inauguration

2009-01-21T21:10:00.005-06:00

The inauguration was fantastic yesterday. I am so glad to be an American right now. I watched/listened to as much as I could yesterday. Several of my colleagues from DC were there and I have truly enjoyed looking and their pictures and living vicariously through them.

My older daughter got to watch all of it on TV yesterday. I was glad for that. She was in the voting booth with me when we elected our president. It was interesting to get an almost 10 year old's take on the events of the day.

She and her friends were glad that Obama was not shot yesterday. With the inauguration following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, assassination was on their minds.
They didn't like the poem that was read by Elizabeth Alexander. I have to say that I am on the fence about it myself, although I did think of a lesson plan idea based upon it.
They liked the Benediction. They thought he was a funny speaker and they liked that he rhymed even if the poem before him didn't!
They paid attention to the clothes that everyone was wearing. I wish she could have watched the balls with me later.
In her Time Magazine for Kids, she really enjoyed the new photo of the living presidents. Obama is sandwiched between George HW and George W.

She didn't mention it yesterday but she has commented several times lately - she doesn't think Michelle Obama is completely happy. The cover of the Sunday magazine insert featured a family picture of the Obama's. Maybe I agree with her in that case, but I thought Michelle looked beautiful, happy and proud yesterday.

What were your thoughts about the inauguration?

BTW - this is my 50th post. Who knew?

More on Recipes

2009-01-19T22:08:00.003-06:00

Tonight, the girls and I updated my notebook. I seemed to have mainly appetizers and desserts, which makes sense. Those are my favorite things to make. I also had a number of chicken recipes. I know they are all things I would like, but I am not sure about the rest of the members of my family. We'll see. There were a number of recipes that I had printed or cut out that I wondered why I had done that. Some I saved, loosely in the back of the notebook. Others, I threw away. One I am on the fence about - a recipe for a Bloody Mary using pasta sauce. It came from an insert "50 Things to Do with Pasta Sauce". I am a huge fan of Bloody Mary's and don't know if I could do that. Maybe if someone else made it for me ...

Change of focus?

2009-01-15T22:11:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I think I should change this blog to one about cooking and recipes. Those are things I make time for every day. However, I read other food blogs every day, and I know I couldn't compete with them. Instead today, I will share with you the best new recipe I have tried lately. It is from Paula Deen and it is Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/apple-butter-pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html. Oh, it was so good! I made it during the holidays when my folks were here. I was lucky enough to have homemade apple butter from someone at my church. Mmmmm.

Reflections on NYE

2009-01-08T20:16:00.004-06:00

Since we have been in 2009, it's about time that I write about New Year's. Out of all of the holidays, it has never ranked up there for me. One of our family friends has always called it "Amateur Night". I think I agree! When I was a kiddo, even through my early teen years, I spent NYE with my Gram. She was my favorite person in the whole world. She was the Margaret in Kelsey Margaret :) We had crackers and cheese and hot chocolate and watched Dick Clark. I have no idea if we ever made it until midnight, but we created some of my best childhood. As a teenager before boyfriends, I went to friend's houses for sleepover parties. Although we had fun, to me, they felt like just another sleepover. One year, I think we had a co-ed sleepover too. Since then, I have done almost everything to celebrate - house parties, progressive parties, hotel parties, club parties, etc. Still, I have never felt like NYE was any big deal. I told myself that this year, I would go into NYE optimistic and have a great time. We went to our friends' for a party - I think this was the third or fourth year. They recently remodeled their basement (it looks fantastic!) so a majority of the people were down there. I decided to hang out upstairs, near the food of course. Long story short - I am no longer in practice to hang with the big boys. However, I had more fun at this party than I have had at any NYE party in a long time. Thanks B Family!

Update on our Adventure

2009-01-06T19:33:00.011-06:00

I finally have my pictures uploaded from Christmas and beyond so I can finally update my blog (thank you for being patient) On December 30, Dave and I made it to Lovell's restaurant.
It was really cool inside with all sorts of space memorabilia:

Dave had a $16 burger, I had a $17 chicken salad sandwich. We also had some yummy drinks with space names. Dave had an Apollo 13 and I had a Heat Shield.
At one point, Dave was excited to see Jim Lovell's son who is the executive chef. He came out of the kitchen to talk to the hostess about the dinner specials. Towards the end of our meal, we saw him - Jim Lovell! There was a little boy eating lunch at the restaurant for his birthday and Jim Lovell came over to talk to him. The little boy lit up! Then, Jim invited the boy to come and take some photos. I told Dave that we should hover and swoop in when the boy was done so Dave could have his picture taken too. Dave wouldn't do it. I did get to talk to Jim's handler though when she pointed out where more artifacts were for us to look at. I told her it was awfully nice that Mr. Lovell was talking with that little boy. She did not make the offer for us to talk to him though :)

An Adventure Up North

2008-12-28T20:54:00.002-06:00

We are leaving first thing in the morning to head north to see my folks and to celebrate Christmas with them. Dave is actually excited to go! That is a shocker for everyone. He has an ulterior motive you see. He is a huge space geek. Loves all of the facts about the space program, knows facts about the astronauts, etc. Well, through some online searching, he found that Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame (played by Tom Hanks) owns a restaurant up north with his son. So, on Tuesday, we will be going there for lunch. It will be super expensive so we are calling it our anniversary celebration (we made it 13 years last month). Check it out: http://lovellsoflakeforest.com/home.

Secret Santa?

2008-12-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at work I received a package from Harry and David's. Inside was a fantastic box of gourmet cookies. Problem is - I have no idea who they are from!

So Readers, if the lovely present is from you, thank you so much!

The Joys of the Season

2008-12-21T22:49:00.002-06:00

So, I had my first holiday meltdown tonight. You know, where the stresses of the season overwhelm you and you rant and rave? It went a little something like this:

Me: "I am having a hard enough time getting everything done at work and at home - I cannot add another big project like rearranging a bedroom! I am cooking and cleaning and shopping and wrapping and baking and organizing all of the activities! I can't do one more thing"

Him: "So I should have helped you fold the laundry right now?"

Me: "Or at least put your book down when I am having a meltdown!"

Happy Holidays to All!

A Christmas Quiz

2008-12-15T19:48:00.007-06:00

I kind of enjoy those "get to know you" quizzes that we all get through email. My friend Suzanne posted hers on her blog and tagged me to do the same. OK :)

Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like both - although I can't seem to find where my bags are this year.

Real tree or artificial? Since we have been in this house, we have had a real tree. This tree its HUGE!

When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend.

When do you take the tree down? Sometime before the Super Bowl.

Do you like eggnog? I do. I like to drink it with my dad.

Favorite gift received as a child? As a kid, it was my Sony Walkman. It took cassette tapes. As an adult, I guess it would be my diamond ring. 15 years ago this Christmas Eve.

Hardest person to buy for? My mother-in-law, although she has great taste.

Easiest person to buy for? Dave - he likes stuff.

Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, and it stays up all year long.

Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail - did you get yours? If not, see below.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One that wasn't meant for me - you could just tell.

Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, maybe it was to you :)

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love all of the appetizers and festive drinks.

Lights on the tree? Of course! And I like lots of them.

Favorite Christmas song? Let it Snow

Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay at home Christmas Eve and we are free to travel any time after 2 pm on Christmas Day.

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, and I will even sing it for you it you want!

Angel on the tree top or a star? We can't seem to agree on that here so we do both. Compromise :)

Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with the in-laws and Christmas morning with the 4 of us.

Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The traffic - I just don't like it.

Favorite ornament theme or color? I love the ornaments from my Gram.

What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace and harmony.

When do you start shopping for Christmas? I actually shop all year long. If I find something I know you like, I buy it when I find it.

Favorite Christmas dinner? Steak and cheesy potatoes at our house on Christmas Eve.

Happy Holidays to all!

The Christmas Cards are Out!

2008-12-08T22:50:00.003-06:00

In case you don't get one in the mail, here is the pic for the Fink Family Christmas Card this year.
This is not the tree we bought (although it was shaped so nicely!) The tree we brought home is almost 10 feet tall. It's huge!

I'm Thankful

2008-11-28T22:19:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for many things. Overall, this has been a very good year. As I was going through my pictures from the week, I realized how lucky I am to have the job that I do. While many people were surprised when I left the classroom, I needed to be more available for my own kids. And now I can be. And I am thankful for that :) Case in point, I was able to volunteer in both of my girls' classes this past week. We made homemade bread and butter in Kaitlyn's class on Tuesdayand a full Thanksgiving meal in Kelsey's class on Wednesday
And I am thankful for these memories with my girls.

Back Home

2008-11-24T17:36:00.003-06:00

I made it back home from my work trip, safe and sound. More to come on that later. I wasn't home 15 minutes today before the phone rang. It was the groomer - it was time for Copper to come back in. :(

A Tribute to Veterans

2008-11-17T20:36:00.004-06:00

My girls' school does a wonderful thing every November - they host a Senior Citizen/Veteran's Day luncheon. I am lucky enough to be able to go and volunteer at this luncheon every year. We are even more lucky that our favorite veteran, the girls' grandpa, comes down for the celebration.

I started crying when I pulled in the parking lot and saw his big red truck already there. I was able to sit with him on and off when not helping with the luncheon. We served lunch to 254 folks that day! It's great because we have real lunch ladies who cook everything from scratch. There was turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable (that I just don't remember!) frozen fruit salad and some other garnishes. Families are asked to bring in pies for dessert. I made a pumpkin pie and Kelsey offered to take it to school for me. She has a really nice duffel bag and the pie set nicely on top of her social studies book. When I thanked her for taking the pie to school for me and asked how it went, she told me that the office accepted it regardless. Hmmm, Kelsey what do you mean? Somehow the pie got folded in half in her backpack :) I looked when we were serving and never did find the double decker pumpkin pie.

After lunch and dessert, the kids put on a music program and there is also a Color Guard. They sing the National Anthem, songs from each of the 5 branches of the service and other patriotic songs.

BTW - I did cry again. Watching my Kelsey belt out the National Anthem got me.

Going to the Movies

2008-11-08T12:09:00.004-06:00

Last night, the four of us went to dinner and the movies. A pretty common Friday night activity, right? For most people - yes. For us, no. As my friend Amy pointed out, I NEVER go to the movies. In fact, I have only been to the movies 12 times. Going to the movie theater has never really been something I have done. As a kid, we did things mainly with family. In high school, I mainly dated farmers and we would rent movies after working in the fields. In college, there were other things to do. Now, our social life revolves about sporting events.

So what 12 movies have I made it to:

The Muppet Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
One of the Batman movies
Wayne's World (at the drive-in)
Titanic
Madagascar 2
Speed (at the drive-in)
Ocean's Twelve
Kung Fu Panda
One of the Harry Potter movies
The Firm
The Distinguished Gentlemen

Hmmm, fairly eclectic and not in chronological order but an interesting list nonetheless.

And by the way, I guess I should be glad that we don't do the dinner and movie thing very often. It was a hundred dollar night!

Get the Vote Out!

2008-11-04T09:57:00.000-06:00

Halloween, Part II

2008-11-02T08:10:00.009-06:00

A few years ago, Kelsey asked how Halloween started and wanted to know it's meaning. I went through the whole thing with her but she still seemed to have questions. So, I told her the purpose of Halloween for us was to get dressed up and go visit some people we don't often get to see. We don't trick or treat door to door or throughout our town. We go to a handful of our immediate neighbors and then we hop in the car. We go visit good friends of our family - a farming family in the country, our Pastor and his family, our afterschool sitter, some big Unity fans. Then, we head to the neighboring town to see some very good friends of ours. Check out what kind of treats they had for the girls:

We visited 5 or 6 houses in Tolono to see friends of the family. One of the families then invited everyone to stay after for a bonfire.

That lovely piece of wood is from our wood hunting excursion a few weeks ago. Oops, it's really a fence post with wire still on it! We made it work :) It was nice to have some grown-up time and let the kids play with their friends. It was a busy day and we were all exhausted. This is one way to end a party!

Halloween, Part I

2008-11-02T07:48:00.018-06:00

I was lucky enough again this year to spend the afternoon with the girls at their school for their Halloween parade and classroom parties. I started out in Kelsey's room, working with her 4th grade class. We pretended that we were mad scientists and we made slime. The verdict? Mixed? Some of the batches turned out really well. Others looked like nasty milk. Oh well, we had fun and learned some things about science. When Kelsey's class went to Art, I went to Kaitlyn's class to help get kids dressed in their costumes. Kaitlyn was a Unity Rockets' cheerleader. Thanks for Aunt Jenn for the costume as a gift a few holidays ago and to Mimi for the poms (authentic poms from the dance squad!)

After Kaitlyn was dresses, I hauled it down to Kelsey's room to help her get dresses. She was a "Goth Teenage Queen". She had that idea months ago. I told her that I wasn't sure how appropriate that would be. Well, she drew me a picture of what she wanted and thanks to the Internet, I was able to find something that we both liked. When all the kids were dressed, there was a parade around the playground.

When the parade concluded, both girls had parties in their classrooms. I floated between the two parties - I called Bingo in Kaitlyn's class and picked up trash in Kelsey's class. All is all, it was a great afternoon. Apparently my Daphne costume of last year set the bar pretty high. Many people were disappointed in my take on Sarah Palin.

Quote of the evening

2008-10-29T07:07:00.001-05:00

Kelsey said last night, "Mom, you have no idea how hard 4th grade is! The schoolwork is getting harder and the friend-thing -- whew!" Oh baby, if only you knew.

Ah, to be a kid again ...

2008-10-27T20:45:00.003-05:00

If you ask me (maybe even if you ask them) my kids had a great weekend! It all started with a half day of school on Thursday. That was so mom could meet with their teachers for conferences. And those conferences, and their accompanying report cards, were fantastic! I was super proud of both of them and they were proud of themselves. Friday, there was no school but I still had to work. That was kind of a bummer but they were able to rest up at the sitter's for our Friday night plans. Kelsey and I went to see REO Speedwagon at Assembly Hall on campus. I really wanted to take Kelsey to her first concert and when I won tickets on the radio, I knew she was the one who had to go with me. We had pretty good seats and REO played a great set. Kels really like the opening band too. Poor Kaitlyn - she didn't get to go. And she was glad she didn't get to go! :) Instead, she got to hang out with her aunt and uncle. They took her out for ice cream and then to our favorite local bookstore. She got to choose a book to take home too. And it was hardcover! We didn't get home until 11:15 that night. The next day, Saturday, Kelsey had her soccer tournament. It was run differently from last year and they only had to play three games. They won those three games and won the tournament! She got a very cool medal for it too. Kaitlyn got to leave in the middle of the tourney to go to a birthday party. Kels had a well-timed break so we could spend 25 minutes at the party - enough time to scarf down some really good food. When we got home from soccer, there was a message on the machine for Kaitlyn. One of her very good friend's was hosting a High School Musical 3 party and sleepover. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself! I think her sister was glad she was gone as well. Sunday was "boring" only consisting of Church and a playdate with the neighbor. What a great weekend for all of us!

Kelsey's First Concert

2008-10-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

An interesting greeting

2008-10-20T14:29:00.002-05:00

I ran errands today during lunch. I walked up to the counter at one place, and the guy behind the counter said, "Tell me the best thing that happened to you today." OK, so maybe it was weird that was the first thing he said, but it was also thought-provoking. How many times have we all been part of the "How are you?" "I'm fine." conversation? I think maybe I will try that sometime. Probably not to a random stranger but definitely in lieu of the other idle chit-chat.

My answer? We don't have soccer tonight - we have a bye!

More about Costumes

2008-10-19T19:55:00.006-05:00

While I like Halloween and dressing up, I like themed parties even more. I am a big fan of getting dressed up in a particular style or decade. Last night, we went to a beach-themed wedding reception. It was a celebration of their elopement the month before. We were all encouraged to wear beach attire. I wore an extremely floral dress and had a great time. I think my all-time favorite themed party was at our friends' Josh and Brooke's 6 years ago. They had an 80s Halloween party. Not only did people dress up in costumes from the 80s, but the food and drink was from the 80s too. Boone's Farm, gummy bears, Easy Cheese, etc. There were also some of the most clever, thoughtful costumes I have ever seen! Cops from CHiPS, characters from The Facts of Life (skates included!) smurfs, the Karate Kid ... Thinking more about this, I probably like themed parties because of the thought and effort they take. I enjoy planning and searching for the perfect costume and accessories. I probably enjoy even more when other people put forth the time and effort.

As for the party last night, I had a great time. I am sore all over from dancing, my dress has random drink stains on it - again from the dance floor, one of my feet was bloody, and on the other foot, the polish came completely off one of my toes. That is the sign of a good time!

Thinking about Halloween

2008-10-17T22:22:00.017-05:00

I have been thinking about Halloween quite a bit lately. Well, it's only two weeks away! I love the whole process of dreaming up what you want to be and how you can make it happen. I don't think I have ever had a store bought costume in my whole life. My two favorite costumes when I was a kid was a roll of Lifesavers and a clown costume my Gram made. Kelsey wore it too :)

This year, Kelsey is going to be a Goth Princess and Kaitlyn is going to be a Unity Rockets cheerleader. Kelsey drew me a picture of what she wanted and, thanks to the magic of the Internet, I was able to find something! Kaitlyn already had the cheerleading outfit - we are just going to bling it up a bit!

My work is really cool about Halloween. They host a costume contest and pumpkin carving contest every year. There are lots of good sports at work and we have dressed up in awesome costumes the past few years.

I am not sure what way I should go this year. Any ideas?

Livin' in a small town

2008-10-12T19:22:00.008-05:00

I started thinking about this post at work the other day when a friend said that he had never been to a tailgate. I was shocked! Then, last night after driving a 4-wheel drive through a field to a burn pile to get wood for a bonfire, I knew I had to write this :) I have seen this list passed around as an email and it always made me chuckle.

You don't put too much effort into hairstyles due to wind and weather.
Thank goodness for my naturally curly hair - it masks the mess from the humidity!

You are related to more than half the town.
I am not, since I didn't grow up here but it is true for the rest of the town. You should never say anything negative about anyone because you may be talking to their cousin or brother-in-law.

You can tell the difference between a deer and a cow from a distance.
At home, yes. But here, I have been told, that it's silly to have cows and waste all that good farmground.

Using the elevator involves a corn truck.
And it's a half-mile from my house.

Your mayor is also your garbage hauler, barber, and insurance salesman.
In our town, the mayor is a professor at a local university. In a neighboring town, the neighbor is the town barber.

Your car breaks down outside of town and news of it reaches back to town before you do.
I made the mistake of getting pulled over in town once. Everyone knew about it by nightfall!

You know you should listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
Exactly! It was 48 this morning when I got up and was 83 by afternoon.

You are walking knee-deep in snow.
Not yet, but the Farmer's Almanac said it's coming.

There's a tornado warning and the whole town is outside watching for it.
It's a big neighborhood event!

You go to the State Fair for your family vacation.
We would all pile in and stay together - parents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We saved the change found in the laundry for treats at the Fair.

You get up at 5:30 a.m. and go down to the coffee shop.
I don't but many people do. If you need anything in the morning, that is where you can find many people.

You are on a first name basis with the county sheriff.
We have to know the county sheriff since there aren't town cops.

You call the wrong number and talk to the person for an hour anyway.
You can probably give them the correct number, too.

You can tell it's a farmer working late in his field and not a UFO.
There was a harvest party in the field across the street last night. Perfect night!

Your nearest neighbor is in the next area code.
It is long distance to call the town next to us!

Your excuse for getting out of school is that the cows got out.
I was late to a National Honor Society dinner my senior year because the pig feeder broke.

It takes 30 seconds to reach your destination and it's clear across town.
That is one nice thing - driving 10 miles takes 10 minutes.

The meaning of true love is that you'll ride in the tractor with him.
I prefered combining - there was more going on. I also used to sit in the middle seat in the pick-up to be even closer.

When someone says they are going out for dinner or supper, you know which meal they are talking about.
"Lunch only comes in a brown bag."

The only traffic jam's are caused when a farmer drives down Main Street on his combine.
Or there is a train stopped at the elevator.

You don't signal turns because everyone knows where you're going, anyway.
And they talk in your car is in a different driveway than it should be.

Everyone knows all the news before it's published. But, people read the paper to see whether the publisher got the facts right.
And to see who has a birthday or anniversary that week.

You miss a Sunday at church and receive a get-well card.
It's easier to call in your attendance than to face the questions later.

You know what 4-H is.
Proud member! And so are my kids :)

You ever went to parties at a pasture, barn, or in the middle of a dirt road.
And maybe I still do!

You used to drag "main."
In Marengo, I think it was a sanctioned Saturday night event.

You schedule parties around the schedule of different police officers, since you know which ones would bust you and which ones wouldn't (same goes with the game warden)
Knowledge is power!

You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew how old you were (and if you were old enough they'd tell your parents anyhow).
Thank goodness for the cig machine at the bowling alley in Crystal Lake.

When you did find someone old enough and brave enough to buy cigarettes, you still had to go out to the country and drive on back roads to smoke them.
The field by the Junior High was perfect.

It was cool to date someone from the neighboring town.
It was even cooler to wear their football jersey.

You had senior skip day.
And everyone skipped.

You don't give directions by street names or directions by references (turn by Nelson's house, go two blocks past Anderson's, and it's four houses left of the track field).
In our town, you turn at the Casey's.

You can't help but date a friend's ex-girlfriend (or boyfriend).
I have a great (but not printable) story about this from high school.

Your car stays filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will never own a dark vehicle for this reason.
My car is always dirty.

Anyone you want can be found at either the Dairy Queen or the feed store.
Well, in the morning, they are at coffee. Back in my hometown, it was the Dairy Mart - there were no chain restaurants.

You see at least one friend a week driving a tractor through town.
And maybe caught a ride to school!

Football coaches suggest that you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.
I had the best looking arms the summer I baled hay.

You can charge at all the local stores.
And now you can charge at the restaurant uptown.
It is normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawnmower.
Kids too. Golf carts are fairly common too.

What is unique to where you live?

17 Breakthroughs

2008-10-05T20:49:00.018-05:00

I love magazines, no doubt about it. I would probably be flabbergasted if I actually counted how many subscriptions we have. Even my kids get several of their own! Well, I was flipping through one of my magazines the other night while cooking dinner and found an interesting article. It was titled, "It's a Wonderful Life: 17 breakthroughs that have changed our lives." So, I thought I would go through the list and share my thoughts and opinions.

TECHNOLOGY
The Internet
Uh, hello? Thank goodness that was #1 on the list! What would I do without the internet? I don't even want to think about answering that question!

Cell Phones
Dave and I, in some combination, have had a cell phone since 1993. His first phone was purchased by his folks when he was driving 130 miles per day - and it was a bag phone. I may have to find a photo and post it here - it was so awesome. I am trying to resist the allure of a Blackberry or iPhone. How much linger do you think I can hold out?

Digital Cameras
Have you seen how many pictures I have posted here and there? We didn't really have many pictures growing up. Even in high school and college I didn't take many pictures. Call it a New Year's resolution, but I vowed to take more pictures and I have! Finally, a resolution I could keep :)

GPS
I bought a GPS for our family in the spring when I drove to Louisville for work. Dave had borrowed one for a hunting trip to Texas. I think we got the exact same one. Dave calls it Michelle. I think she's abrasive. Although, she did amuse me when we were on the houseboat this summer and used her - the image she projected was a car floating in the water.

TiVo
We don't have it. We don't even have a DVR. Are we missing out on something?

HOME
Superstores
Love 'em and use 'em regularly. Going to Sam's Club this week ...

FOOD
The Organic Movement
I grew up in a farming family (I miss that sometimes). I have said for a long time that farmers were the first to realize the benefits of organic food and keeping it natural. I have also said that farm families were the first to recycle. At my Gram's house, we threw scraps over the fence like fertilizer, recycled cans and bottles and burned the rest of the trash. OK, maybe the burning barrels weren't the best idea, but that's what we did.

Microwave Meals
My kids like the ones in the blue boxes but I think they are too expensive. So we buy the ones in the red boxes.

FASHION/BEAUTY
Spanx
This is another no-brainer! Everyone needs substantial undergarments. Some of us more than others.

Affordable Designers
I at first scoffed at this one but then realized that I like that I can buy some version of Vera Wang at Kohls and Isaac Mizrahi at Target. I used to be embarrased that my Lee jeans came from Farm & Fleet when I was a kid. Now you can buy Levi's at Wal-Mart!

Antiaging Products
Some day I might want to talk about these. Not today.

FINANCE
Debit Cards
Is this where I admit that I don't have a debit card and have never used an ATM? Deficit in my use of technology I guess.

HEALTH
Genetic Mapping
I have often wondered if this is something I should look into. Until then, I will keep getting my mammograms every six months and endure my other yearly appointments. I have to say that I don't mind visiting my dermatologist. He's dreamy!

Smoking Bans
Well, it's nice not having to shower as soon as I get home from being out. However, ...

The Workout Video
I still own my Jane Fonda video, with her in the metallic spandex. Actually, I think it may be an ex-boyfriend's mom's. Regardless, I have it and it's fabulous. I also have some yoga videos and some Pilates and I know I can access videos whenever I want On Demand. And yet, my ass is sitting here in the chair with a drink and a computer. Yep.

MRI
See post about genetic mapping. I would love an MRI too.

PARENTING
Time-Outs
Totally believe in them and dish them out! I have been known to put myself in time-out too.

So, those are my thoughts on 17 breakthroughs. What are your thoughts?

Food Photography

2008-09-24T23:51:00.016-05:00

I love food. I love to eat it, make it, smell it, read about - you name it. I have also learned that I love to take pictures of food. It makes me happy when something yummy comes right to me and looks so beautiful. Some people laugh. Some people roll their eyes. Guess what? I keep snapping away! I love to try regional food and photograph that.

When I was in San Antonio, the guac they made at the table was fantastic!

I was just in DC last week. I had some more great guac - this time on my friend's roof. She made it along with some Cosmos and we watched the sunset from there. Perfect!

This is probably one of my favorite food pictures. I have some problems when I travel - I have been stuck in Chicago more than once. This photo was taken at almost 1 am, after I had been in an airport or on an airplane for 10 hours. I finally made it to my hotel and was starving. I asked at the desk if there was any place I could eat and they told me that the bar was still open. I didn't want anything fried or heavy, so I chose the cheese plate. I tell you what - I almost cried when they brought it over to me. I think that was the best cheese and vodka I ever had.

Remember that sunset? Here it is - and it was beautiful. Thanks, Suz!

"Big Girl" Dates

2008-09-24T23:37:00.008-05:00

First of all, my apologies for taking so long to post. I can get my Facebook status updated in 15 words or less, but actually writing takes more time and effort. However, Kelsey and I had one of our "big girl" dates the other day and I wanted to write about it.

Since her sister came along, I have done my best to make time for just she and I. Since Kaitlyn is younger, she and I are naturally together more when her sister is off doing older sister things. When Kaitlyn was a baby, toddler, and even a preschooler, these dates were easy - when Kelsey had a day off school, I would take off work and we would hang out. Most times, she would want to sleep in, watch TV and then head to Tuscola for the Pizza Hut buffet and the outlet mall. Now that Kaitlyn and Kelsey have the same school schedule, making time for each of them is a bit more challenging. Luckily, Kaitlyn is a social butterfly and gets many invitations. The last two birthday parties she has been to provided a time for Kels and I to hang out. This summer, she chose for us to get our nails done while Kaitlyn was at her party. Fine with me - my feet were a mess!

This past weekend, Kaitlyn had another party (same venue - the bowling alley). The party started at 1 so Kels and I decided that we would stay at the bowling alley and eat pizza and cheesy fries. Mmmmm - so tasty! Kelsey also had a chocolate shake, which was a treat for her. We had a great time together and I am so glad we could do this.

This morning, Kaitlyn and I went to the bank together. Almost as fun :)

Adventures with Notebooks

2008-09-14T21:03:00.002-05:00

When I was in high school, it wasn't cool to just pass notes. Instead, we passed notebooks. Keep in mind this was before the time of text messaging :)

I spent hours every night putting entries into my notebook to pass on to my friends the next day. I think there was more collage work than writing but those notebooks were works of art. All of my Glamour and Teen Beat magazines were fair game. And when I needed something more, I would sometimes even use my mom's Better Homes and Gardens! I think the last notebook I have was from a boy who loved me my first year of college. Ahh, memories.

I recently purged my pantry. It was truly an example of the snowball effect. I bought some new Pampered Chef things from a girl at work. I brought them home and was going to put them away. I decided that I didn't like the way my Tupperware and things were organized. So, I emptied out that cabinet. I thought that the pantry would be a better place for them. So I emptied out the pantry. I could only get so much done before the girls went to bed and that was noisy work! That night, I decided that the pantry was not the place for all of that, so the next night, I emptied out the Lazy Susan. Well, four days later I finally had it all organized and put away the way I wanted it to be. All of this led to yet another project, one I started tackling tonight. I love to cook and bake and I love collecting recipes. Organizing cookbooks is one thing, but what about all of those things I print out or cut out of magazines? I found a notebook at the store the other day that seemed perfect - 5 subjects with dividers. I spent time tonight with a pile of recipes, some scissors and tape and a Bloody Mary. What fun! My girls joined in several times and did some cutting and helped me sort. I have much work to do but I tickled to see my work thus far.

A Web Site to Share

2008-09-03T21:40:00.002-05:00

I like to cook and bake. I don't think that's a secret to any of you who know me. It makes me happy to feed other people. Well, since it's football season as well as soccer season, our household is a bit chaotic! I was looking online today for a crock pot chicken recipe - Chicken Parmesan to be exact. Looking during approved breaks of course! :)

I found this fantastic site that I wanted to share. It is called "A Year of Crock Potting". A woman set a resolution for herself to use her crock pot every day for a year. And I am glad she did! Check it out for yourself:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Yearbook photos

2008-08-27T20:26:00.003-05:00

My friend Cari in her blog profiled a hilarious website that mashes up your real picture with yearbook styles and poses from the decades. As long as I am showing awesome pictures of myself, I thought I would share my senior picture. What's bigger - my glasses or bangs?

Photos gone wrong

2008-08-26T22:01:00.018-05:00

I don't have many pictures from growing up. That's probably good - not a good looking kid :) Anyway, I am apparently trying to make up for it now as I take lots and lots of pictures. One of Kaitlyn's friends calls me the Lady with the Camera. Well, as we all know, sometimes there is a photo opportunity and no one to take your picture. I have realized that I am terrible at taking self-portraits. So, now to poke fun at myself and my awful picture taking - here you go.

Maybe my next post will be the good pictures that came from this mess.

Back to school!

2008-08-19T20:42:00.003-05:00

The girls start back to school tomorrow and we are all so excited! It took 40 minutes for them to get settled and stay in bed. They also decided to sleep in their back to school outfits. They are freshly bathed so why not? One less thing to do in the morning :)

As we drove to the eye doctor this morning (my glasses are still broken) I asked them to set goals for themselves for the school year. Kelsey decided that she wants to become more organized. I couldn't agree more! I would also like to see her practice her math facts more. We'll see. Kaitlyn wants to learn more words. When pressed further, she wants to learn how to read and write more words. Perfect work for first grade!

Look for photos tomorrow.

Copper

2008-08-16T14:20:00.002-05:00

Copper's ashes came home today. I am glad he's here, but I miss him so much.

Thursday's in Sidney

2008-08-15T20:42:00.010-05:00

Thursday is the new Friday - at least, that's what my new band t-shirt says from the Sidney Saloon. My husband, Dave, has been playing with a band for almost 2 years. The two guys he plays with play in a full band, New Twang City. However, the three guys who play in Sidney every week call themselves Slim Skinny and the Bunkhouse Bunkaroo. That is our friend DB modeling his new shirt as well.

I love to go as often as I can and that's usually once every 2 months. I was able to go quite a few times this summer. Last night was probably my last time for awhile.

Dave's mom and dad and aunt and uncle came last night too. As usual, they had a great time :)

Check out more Saloon pictures on my Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64031&l=4f500&id=731091130.

Our new pets

2008-08-15T17:47:00.004-05:00

After we lost our little Copper two weeks ago, we said that we weren't going to rush right out and replace him. We knew we couldn't get a new dog now that it's football season. But, after a week, we missed having something furry to love. So, we bought 2 guinea pigs last week! Kelsey has a long-haired white and orange pig named Nibels (her spelling). Kaitlyn has a black and white short-haired pig named Oreo. She said she picked him because he looked like Copper.

Catching Up

2008-08-07T21:27:00.002-05:00

I realized earlier that it had been almost a week since I had posted. So much to say ...

We found out that Copper died due to a pulmonary embolism (blood clot to his lungs). That is also what almost killed my dad in the fall. I guess there was nothing we could have done to prevent or save him, but that doesn't make us miss him any less. I have posted a bunch of pictures of him here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63418&l=f628d&id=731091130. I am also working on making a scrapbook for the girls.

So, last weekend was our trip to STL. My third favorite weekend of the year :) Although I cried here and there (and thanks to my friends for putting up with it) we had a great time. I have some pictures to post, but they are on my computer. Dave's computer was up and running and it was easier to sit here than to get mine out - right?

The Cardinals won - yeah! There was some dancing, some drinks, and overall merriment. I took some terrible self portraits of me with everyone. At the end, some did turn out. The Big Bang was much better this year. They actually talked less and played more music.

The shopping on Saturday was fine. But, why is it that when I am ready to spend money, I can't find things to buy? Overall, I spent less than $100 shopping. Probably better in the long run. Fast Eddie's was a better time than I have had there in a long time. The band this year was Millenium. They were great! I danced my tail off! I can always tell the caliber of a band if I dance with a glass cup or plastic. This girl was drinking draft beer out of plastic! I danced with several of our friends but had one interesting interaction - some guy came up and danced with me. And his cell phone. Texted the whole time. Awesome.

On one hand, I am glad that STL only comes once a year. I am not sure my body can take it all. On the other hand, I wish it was more often. I need that kind of fun in my life.

Sad News

2008-08-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning with all sorts of ideas about what I was going to write as we get ready to head to STL (for my third favorite weekend of the whole year). But then we got the news that our dog, Copper, died this morning. I am too sad to write anymore but I am sure I will at some point. Rest in Peace, my pooch-i-licious.

In Cary

2008-07-30T22:35:00.002-05:00

So, here I sit in my childhood home in Cary. I am in my old room - the girls are sleeping with my mom in the guest room. It's funny - the only thing that is the same about my room is the wall color. It is Peppermint Pint. I remember what a big ordeal it was, choosing paint. My dad cautioned that I needed to choose wisely since this paint would be on the walls for a long time. He wasn't kidding! I wish I could remember how old I was when we painted it this color. I haven't lived here in 16 years, so I would say it has to be 25 years that we have had the same color! The furniture is all different and used to belong to departed family members. The furniture that I had growing up came with me to our first or second house. Of course, my room looks smaller than it did when I was a kid. I loved my room and used to spend lots of time in here. As an only child, if there weren't neighborhood kids to play with, I had myself. I used to have a little table in here and I would write notebook after notebook. My "boom box" purchased with babysitting money used to sit on my dresser.

I also used to spend a great deal of time in the basement. The basement is awesome and big. I always wished that it would have been completely finished, but it was perfect for me as a kid. One half of the basement had the washer and dryer, as well as an additional fridge and two freezers. Coming from an agricultural family, we always had half a steer or meat from a hog. The rest of that room was storage and my dad's workbench. They also built a cold room when I was a kid where we kept food and some beverages. The other half of the basement felt like it was all mine! There was a desk and a bookshelf. On the bookshelf was a set of encyclopedias that were my uncle's when he went to college. There was a couch that I remember from our very first house. There was a corner table with - wait for it - an 8 track player. My favorite thing to do was to roller skate throughout the basement, jamming to an 8 track. There was also an unfunished bar and I stored my toys behind it. Somehow, my dad was also able to find a big classroom sized blackboard. That was in the front of the bar and I had all sorts of chalk of all colors.

There is a nice bathroom down there too. That is where everyone showers. When I was younger, it was a huge shower. It reminded me of a locker room shower - you could fit 6 or 8 people in it! Will and Melissa had a similar shower in their house in Urbana. Right before my 7th grade graduation, my dad redid that bathroom. He did a great job! I wish he lived closer so he could come do work on my house ...

What a walk down memory lane! I should sign off and fall asleep listening to AM 780 like I always used to.

Back home

2008-07-26T09:34:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it back home around 3 on Thursday. The kids were super glad to see their rooms! They ran right in and jumped on their beds! I was most glad to see the shower. We unpacked, did laundry and generally got caught up here at home.

I was also glad to get my tooth fixed - whew! They took off my old filling, cleaned the tooth, and then were able to recreate the missing part of the tooth with something. I have no idea what it was! I can tell you that something they used smelled like acrylic nails. My mouth is still sore, but I can drink now using my whole mouth not just the right side.

Everyone shared their pictures yesterday. I am anxious to dig through them and get them posted. I need to figure out something fun to do with all of those pictures. Any ideas?

The vaca blogger at work

2008-07-24T19:12:00.003-05:00

2008-07-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

The last sometimes is the best

2008-07-23T20:18:00.002-05:00

This will probably be the last post I make from Lake of the Ozarks. We had a great day today! After we got the boat serviced at noon, we decided that we were going to cruise the lake. We did that for quite awhile and then found a great place to anchor up and swim. The kids and grown-ups swam all afternoon! Jenn and I were able to sneak up to the top deck and take a nap. It was exactly what I needed! We cruised a bit more in the late afternoon before we came to dock in the marina. We had a nice supper and started packing. I am using my time now to upload pictures and check some email.

At supper, we all went around the table and said our favorite things from the day. It was really nice. Here are the things I will miss from the trip:

Bloody Mary's after breakfast every day - thanks Chad!
Taking turns cooking - food really does taste better when you don't have to work for it!
Swimming every afternoon
Swim suit and shorts as my uniform
Ice cold beer and frosty wine from the cooler
Watching my kids play with their cousin

I am looking forward to some things at home:

A nice hot shower!
Clean clothes - although I still just want to wear athletic shorts and t-shirts every day
A trip to the dentist - who would have thought I would have ever wanted that!

We are very thankful to Pam and Dave for this trip. Pam is right - we will take the memories with us.

Pictures

2008-07-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

Here is the most comprehensive group of pictures thus far:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60995&l=baae3&id=731091130

Last full day on the lake

2008-07-23T10:53:00.002-05:00

Well, we survived another night at Lake of the Ozarks. We had some generator and propane alarm problems last night so there was beeping on and off all night. Add in another thunder storm and some of us are tired :) But the tooth fairy made it through just fine.

We are parked at the marina right now to get those problems worked out. We are finding a nice cove to swim in this afternoon and then spending the last night at the marina. Where we parked for last night was very beautiful but snake infested, we found out. So, we will be a bit more selective this afternoon.

Here are the meals on tap for today:

Breakfast - Dave and Lisa = hashbrowns, bacon and sausage on the grill, coffeecake from the 4-H cookbook and banana bread
Lunch - Dave and Pam = hot dogs and brats
Dinner - Chad and Jenn = pork chops, beans, garlic bread

Tomorrow will be leftovers before we leave around 1o. One Dave wants to get back in time for guitar and the other Dave wants to get home to mow.

Well, gonna finish my Bloody Mary before the Pina Coladas are done. More later ...

Rain on the lake

2008-07-22T20:43:00.002-05:00

OK, so our second full day here started out kind of rocky. It rained here on and off until 4 or so. We moved from our spot at the state park last night to another spot but then had to move again. We finally got settled late in the afternoon and then the weather improved so that was good.

Here is our menu for the day:

Breakfast - Dave and Pam = bacon and eggs on the grill, biscuits and gravy
Lunch - Chad and Jenn = cold meat sandwiches
Dinner - Dave and Lisa = pork loin, potato casserole, rolls, cheesecake.

We are in charge of breakfast in the morning.

The theme of the day seems to be teeth - I broke a tooth at lunch. I bit something the other day and hurt my tooth. When I looked at it I didn't see anything. Figured I hit a filling wrong. Well, ONE CHIP into lunch today and away went a quarter of my back tooth. Put a call into the dentist ... Also had no real pain meds so I am trying Dramamine. We'll see!

And for the second time on this trip, Kaitlyn lost a tooth! Her two missing teeth both happened on this trip!

Pictures tomorrow.

Some pictures from the Dirty Duck

2008-07-21T20:23:00.003-05:00

First full day ...

2008-07-21T19:55:00.005-05:00

Well, the tooth fairy came last night - I am sure you were worried about that! We all tried to go to bed last night around 9:30. We had to do some rearranging but finally made it work. I ended up with 3 of the kids in 2 Queen size beds.

The houseboat we are on is 65 feet long. Since I am not a spatial person, my dad had to tell me that was almost as big as their front yard! Here is a picture of our boat when it was still in the marina. We are boat #288. There are 4 bedrooms, plus a pullout couch. There is airconditioning throughout - thank goodness! We have 2 full bathrooms and we have designated them as girls and boys. There are only 4 boys and 6 girls but I still think we lucked out.

On this trip are my in-laws - and thanks to them for this trip. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece and nephew from Dallas are here, and the 4 of us.

Those of you who read my other posts know that I pay attention to food and drink. We are each in charge of a days' worth of meals while we are here. We switched it up a bit so one family wouldn't have to cook all day long. So here is the menu from today:

Chad and Jenn - breakfast = doughnuts

Dave and Lisa - lunch = taco/nacho bar

Dave and Pam - dinner = chicken kabobs, baked potatoes and corn on the cob. Yum!

I will work on posting more pictures.

On the Houseboat

2008-07-20T21:27:00.002-05:00

Well, after 7 hours on the road, we made it to the houseboat. It is awesome! I have pictures that I will try to post tomorrow. Right now, we are trying to get showers in and beds made so we can hit the sack early. Boat orientation is at 8 tomorrow - when we find out the rules of the lake.

We were able to get on the boat at 4 and were unpacked by 5. We took some time to settle in and then went to dinner. That was the most interesting part so far. Dinner at the Dirty Duck. Super interesting to say the least! I only took one picture there, but I bet the mental pictures you have are fairly accurate.

Well, off to bed before we hit the seas tomorrow. Oh - and the tooth fairy gets to come on the boat for Kaitlyn tonight. She lost her first tooth with all 10 of us here :)

The List of My Favorite Things

2008-07-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

So, we are getting ready to leave on vacation - and we are all super excited! The planning and anticipation made me think about my "list" of favorite things. Yes, I keeps lists - lots of them. And I realized that vacations were not on my list! So, here is my newly updated list of my favorite things:

My girls' birthdays - My girls are 3 years and 13 days apart. Both were born in February. After Kaitlyn's first birthday, we decided to throw a huge birthday bash for both of them. I think we topped out at 48 people. I absoluntely love throwing that party! Food, beverage, gifts, genuine excitement - who could ask for anything more!
Christmas - Kind of a given, right?
Our Annual St. Louis trip - We go to STL right before football starts every summer. We wives make the joke that it's the last itme we see our husbands until Christmas! We do the same things every year - Cardinals game, shopping, eating and drinking. But, by the end of the weekend, my face hurts from laughing and smiling so much.
Swimming on Sunday in the summer - We are very lucky that many of our good friends have pools. So, every Sunday in the summer, we try to go swimming. After church, we make some calls, pack a cooler and float and drink. What a perfect way to end the weekend!
And finally, vacations - Since I was 3 years old, summertime was the time to take vacations. Until I was 25, that meant going to Lake Lida in Minnesota. When I was 25, Dave and I went to Florida for our 5 year wedding anniversary. The start of Kaitlyn? Maybe. The year I turned 30, we went to Jamaica to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. Thus far, my best vacation. We still have a picture on our entertainment center from that trip. We are already planning our 15 year wedding anniversary trip. Bahamas, I think. The Disney Cruise was the best trip the girls have taken. Being warm in January was good for me too.

Stay tuned to see where Lake of the Ozarks fits in.

Welcome!

2008-07-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Howdy All!

I hope to use this blog as a way to document our vacation next week at Lake of the Ozarks. Come back soon for posts and pictures!