With Thanksgiving tomorrow I thought I would share the things I am thankful for with you.
1. Emma, Ian, & Dave of course. I don't think I could live without them and I am so glad they are with me.
2. My family, tomorrow starts the first Holiday season without my Uncle Les with us which makes me very thankful for the family members I do have.
3. My friends, I would probably have lost my mind without my friends and you so thank you for putting up with me.
4. My job, for the most part I do really like my job and right now I am SO thankful to just have a job and the fact that I enjoy it is just a bonus!
5. Dave's job, I'm sure you all know that the car business (even Toyota) is hurting with this economy so both Dave and I are very thankful that they haven't gotten rid of him.
I know most of these things seem so simple and expected but they are very important to me.
I hope you all have a great Turkey Day and for you crazy Shoppers a great Black Friday!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Yearly Exam
Today I had my yearly papsmear. This years was a little bit different because I saw a new OBGYN. Since I have had Ian I decided that I was just going to go to my family doctor because I wasn't going to be having any more children.
This fall I decided that I wanted to get an IUD instead of having to take a pill for the next 20 years or so. My family Doctor isn't able to do them so she referred me to an ne OB. It just so happen that the office she referred me to happened to be the same office that my sister did her OB rotation in. According to her Dr B. who I was referred to was one of her favorites there and she said I would really like him. She also told me that he is a Groveport alumni which was kind of cool.
Steph was right I really like Dr. B. but she left out an important part. The man is the best looking OBGYN ever and it's so not right!
This fall I decided that I wanted to get an IUD instead of having to take a pill for the next 20 years or so. My family Doctor isn't able to do them so she referred me to an ne OB. It just so happen that the office she referred me to happened to be the same office that my sister did her OB rotation in. According to her Dr B. who I was referred to was one of her favorites there and she said I would really like him. She also told me that he is a Groveport alumni which was kind of cool.
Steph was right I really like Dr. B. but she left out an important part. The man is the best looking OBGYN ever and it's so not right!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
It's Begining to Look Alot Like Christmas...
Every year my MIL's company has their Christmas party at The Columbus Zoo. The Zoo always opens their Wildlights display the week before Thanksgiving and the party is always the Saturday of opening week.
So Saturday night Dave, the kids, and I met Sharon at the Zoo. This year it was exceptionally cold. When we arrived the thermostat in the car said it was 28 degrees. The only good thing was there was no wind so we didn't have to deal with any wind chill issues. Of course we were all wearing multiple layers to keep warm and the kids brought their blankets as well as one big one to share in their wagon.
When you first get inside the zoo their is a large lake where ducks and geese swim during the summer but for the Wildlights they have a light show set to different Christmas music. They added quite a few new things to the display this year and really all over the Zoo.
After we stood and watch the light show for a while we decided to head in the direction of Old Saint Nick. Of course we were side tracked on the way their when Emma saw the Carousel. Neither of the kids had been on it before and they both really wanted to go. Sharon stayed in the viewing area with the wagon while Dave and I accompanied the kids. They both had a blast and I can guarantee we will be stopping at this the next time we visit the zoo.
Moving on we had to stop and take some pictures of the Turtle, penguins, and flamingo's before we could go and see Santa.
I was really surprised this year when we got to the building with Santa. I expected their to be a long line but it wasn't bad. I think we only waited for about 15 minutes. Both the kids seemed really excited to get to see Santa and sit on his lap. When it was their turn Emma ran right up to him and sat on one knee, I carried Ian up and as soon as he was seated on Santa's lap he started screaming and crying. Of course I was a mean Mommy but I had them take a picture anyway, and I snapped one myself. Sharon wanted to get a package of the picture but their credit card machine was not working so she is going to try and order them online. That did not go so well for us last year but hopefully they will be better this year.
Oh after the picture was taken we got Ian from Santa but Emma stayed to tell Santa what she wanted and she told him she wanted a Hippo and a white blanket. I have no idea where either of those ideas came from but I think Santa is going to try and find a stuffed hippo and a white blanket.
Even with the freezing cold it was a nice evening spent with the family and Mammaw and the lights were so much better than last years!
So Saturday night Dave, the kids, and I met Sharon at the Zoo. This year it was exceptionally cold. When we arrived the thermostat in the car said it was 28 degrees. The only good thing was there was no wind so we didn't have to deal with any wind chill issues. Of course we were all wearing multiple layers to keep warm and the kids brought their blankets as well as one big one to share in their wagon.
When you first get inside the zoo their is a large lake where ducks and geese swim during the summer but for the Wildlights they have a light show set to different Christmas music. They added quite a few new things to the display this year and really all over the Zoo.
After we stood and watch the light show for a while we decided to head in the direction of Old Saint Nick. Of course we were side tracked on the way their when Emma saw the Carousel. Neither of the kids had been on it before and they both really wanted to go. Sharon stayed in the viewing area with the wagon while Dave and I accompanied the kids. They both had a blast and I can guarantee we will be stopping at this the next time we visit the zoo.
Moving on we had to stop and take some pictures of the Turtle, penguins, and flamingo's before we could go and see Santa.
I was really surprised this year when we got to the building with Santa. I expected their to be a long line but it wasn't bad. I think we only waited for about 15 minutes. Both the kids seemed really excited to get to see Santa and sit on his lap. When it was their turn Emma ran right up to him and sat on one knee, I carried Ian up and as soon as he was seated on Santa's lap he started screaming and crying. Of course I was a mean Mommy but I had them take a picture anyway, and I snapped one myself. Sharon wanted to get a package of the picture but their credit card machine was not working so she is going to try and order them online. That did not go so well for us last year but hopefully they will be better this year.
Oh after the picture was taken we got Ian from Santa but Emma stayed to tell Santa what she wanted and she told him she wanted a Hippo and a white blanket. I have no idea where either of those ideas came from but I think Santa is going to try and find a stuffed hippo and a white blanket.
Even with the freezing cold it was a nice evening spent with the family and Mammaw and the lights were so much better than last years!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Go Bucks!!!!
We don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan
The whole state of Michigan
The whole state of Michigan
We don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan
we're from O HI O
We're from OHIO
O. H.
We're from OHIO
I.O
Oh, we don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan
cause we're from O HI O!!!!
Go BUCKS
Beat Michigan!!!!!
The whole state of Michigan
The whole state of Michigan
We don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan
we're from O HI O
We're from OHIO
O. H.
We're from OHIO
I.O
Oh, we don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan
cause we're from O HI O!!!!
Go BUCKS
Beat Michigan!!!!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta Beat Michigan Week Style
If you've been reading my blog this week you know it's been dedicated to Beat Michigan Week. Of course this means that my Friday Foto Finish has to be all about my Buckeyes.
I also said yesterday that I would share my most memorable OSU vs. Michigan games.
The most memorable game for me was two years ago during the 2006 season. The game that year between a No. 1 ranked OSU team and a No. 2 ranked Michigan team. The winner of this game would win the Big Ten title as well as go onto the National Championship game. Beat Michigan week is always crazy and intense but that year it was intense times 10 and just got more crazy as the week went on.
By some miracle the weekend of the game was the weekend that month that my MIL had the kids so Dave and I made plans to go out and watch the game with some friends. We had also made plans to go out the night before, which we did, to celebrate a friends birthday. Since it was one of Dave's friends I let him drink and I didn't. I felt perfectly fine the whole day before but around 5 in the morning I woke up with that Oh My God I'm Going To Barf feeling in my stomach. I laid very still for a while hoping the feeling would just go away but it didn't. Eventually I had to make a run for the bathroom.
This really could not be happening not for the biggest game of the season! Not for the Michigan game at home! After the first round of vomiting I was feeling a little better and thought maybe there was just something I needed to get out of my stomach and I would be ok. I went back to bed but about 30 minutes later I was running back for the bathroom and this time I only felt worse after I got sick. It really was like a nightmare come true. A few hours later I woke Dave up and made him go to the store and get me some ginger ale, Gatorade, and Mrs, Grasses soup (my standard stomach flu necessities). I told Dave that he could still go out for the game if he wanted to but being a great husband he called our friends to cancel. One of them though decided that he would just come to our house and watch the game with Dave.
The game didn't start until 3 that year so around 1 our friend showed up and he came with a bunch of football game food for him and Dave. At the same time they guys were in the kitchen fixing plates of food I was venturing out of my bedroom to pee. I was actually starting to feel a little better and then I walked into the kitchen and was greeted with the smell of warm chicken wings. It was not a pleasant smell and brought the stomach issues back.
Luckily for me the vomiting stopped by 3 and I was able to lay in bed and watch the game. From the moment the ball was kicked off the game was super intense. We would score, they would score but neither team seemed to be able to get a lead that was anything major. The game came down to the last few seconds of the game and we won 42 to 39. This game sealed the deal for us to go to our second National Championship game under Jim Tressel and it also sealed the deal for senior Quarterback Troy Smith to win the Heisman. It was an awesome night to be a Buckeye even if you were sick as a dog.
I was able to find a great highlight clip of the game and you really should take a look at it just make sure your not in a rush.
Watching that gives me chills especially the singing at the end. Of course I can't leave you without some of my favorite pictures of us on game days.
(This has nothing to do with the post but man I have lost a lot of weight between the second picture with Emma in 2003 to the last picture taken this fall!)
Now it's your turn to go and share a picture, or two, or ten, just head on over to Candid Carries.
I also said yesterday that I would share my most memorable OSU vs. Michigan games.
The most memorable game for me was two years ago during the 2006 season. The game that year between a No. 1 ranked OSU team and a No. 2 ranked Michigan team. The winner of this game would win the Big Ten title as well as go onto the National Championship game. Beat Michigan week is always crazy and intense but that year it was intense times 10 and just got more crazy as the week went on.
By some miracle the weekend of the game was the weekend that month that my MIL had the kids so Dave and I made plans to go out and watch the game with some friends. We had also made plans to go out the night before, which we did, to celebrate a friends birthday. Since it was one of Dave's friends I let him drink and I didn't. I felt perfectly fine the whole day before but around 5 in the morning I woke up with that Oh My God I'm Going To Barf feeling in my stomach. I laid very still for a while hoping the feeling would just go away but it didn't. Eventually I had to make a run for the bathroom.
This really could not be happening not for the biggest game of the season! Not for the Michigan game at home! After the first round of vomiting I was feeling a little better and thought maybe there was just something I needed to get out of my stomach and I would be ok. I went back to bed but about 30 minutes later I was running back for the bathroom and this time I only felt worse after I got sick. It really was like a nightmare come true. A few hours later I woke Dave up and made him go to the store and get me some ginger ale, Gatorade, and Mrs, Grasses soup (my standard stomach flu necessities). I told Dave that he could still go out for the game if he wanted to but being a great husband he called our friends to cancel. One of them though decided that he would just come to our house and watch the game with Dave.
The game didn't start until 3 that year so around 1 our friend showed up and he came with a bunch of football game food for him and Dave. At the same time they guys were in the kitchen fixing plates of food I was venturing out of my bedroom to pee. I was actually starting to feel a little better and then I walked into the kitchen and was greeted with the smell of warm chicken wings. It was not a pleasant smell and brought the stomach issues back.
Luckily for me the vomiting stopped by 3 and I was able to lay in bed and watch the game. From the moment the ball was kicked off the game was super intense. We would score, they would score but neither team seemed to be able to get a lead that was anything major. The game came down to the last few seconds of the game and we won 42 to 39. This game sealed the deal for us to go to our second National Championship game under Jim Tressel and it also sealed the deal for senior Quarterback Troy Smith to win the Heisman. It was an awesome night to be a Buckeye even if you were sick as a dog.
I was able to find a great highlight clip of the game and you really should take a look at it just make sure your not in a rush.
Watching that gives me chills especially the singing at the end. Of course I can't leave you without some of my favorite pictures of us on game days.
(This has nothing to do with the post but man I have lost a lot of weight between the second picture with Emma in 2003 to the last picture taken this fall!)
Now it's your turn to go and share a picture, or two, or ten, just head on over to Candid Carries.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Go Bucks, Beat Michigan Day 3
As promised a few days ago I will tell you a little about the traditions involved in Beat Michigan Week.
There are many traditions that take place during this week all over the city. Things like pep rallies, dinner, lunches, breakfasts, dances and concerts. There really are so many of those types of things that I couldn't even begin to cover them here.
So instead I am going to talk about a few things that I think are the important ones.
First up is a concert the Ohio State Marching Band holds every year during this week. This of course is just something that is fun but I had to mention it.
Second is the annual 5k run for charity. This race is held the Sunday before the game and it kicks off the Beat Michigan week.
Third is the Battle Against Hunger. Each year OSU students and Michigan students collect non perishable items for their local food banks. The school that has the largest amount in weight wins.
Fourth is the Beat Michigan Blood Drive that pits each school against each other to see which school can get the most blood donors to donate blood to the American Red Cross.
The last thing I am going to talk about is the one thing that actually involves the game itself. This tradition is known as The Gold Pants. Back in 1934 after Francis Schmidt had accepted the head coaching position for the Buckeyes he was asked how he was going to handle the Michigan Wolverines. His answer to this was "They put their pants on one leg at a time same as everybody else." Since then every time the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines the Buckeye players are awarded a pair of gold pants charms. I grew up knowing about the Gold Pants but in 2000 I learned something else about them. When a player receives his first pair of Gold Pants that player is supposed to give them to his mother. I'll just put this out their now but I would so love to have a pair of those Gold Pants. Another interesting fact about the Gold Pants is that Michigan coach BO Schembechler had a pair of Gold Pants that he had received during is time at Ohio State.
Tomorrow I will share with you the most memorable game for me.
There are many traditions that take place during this week all over the city. Things like pep rallies, dinner, lunches, breakfasts, dances and concerts. There really are so many of those types of things that I couldn't even begin to cover them here.
So instead I am going to talk about a few things that I think are the important ones.
First up is a concert the Ohio State Marching Band holds every year during this week. This of course is just something that is fun but I had to mention it.
Second is the annual 5k run for charity. This race is held the Sunday before the game and it kicks off the Beat Michigan week.
Third is the Battle Against Hunger. Each year OSU students and Michigan students collect non perishable items for their local food banks. The school that has the largest amount in weight wins.
Fourth is the Beat Michigan Blood Drive that pits each school against each other to see which school can get the most blood donors to donate blood to the American Red Cross.
The last thing I am going to talk about is the one thing that actually involves the game itself. This tradition is known as The Gold Pants. Back in 1934 after Francis Schmidt had accepted the head coaching position for the Buckeyes he was asked how he was going to handle the Michigan Wolverines. His answer to this was "They put their pants on one leg at a time same as everybody else." Since then every time the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines the Buckeye players are awarded a pair of gold pants charms. I grew up knowing about the Gold Pants but in 2000 I learned something else about them. When a player receives his first pair of Gold Pants that player is supposed to give them to his mother. I'll just put this out their now but I would so love to have a pair of those Gold Pants. Another interesting fact about the Gold Pants is that Michigan coach BO Schembechler had a pair of Gold Pants that he had received during is time at Ohio State.
Tomorrow I will share with you the most memorable game for me.
Welcome The Newest Baby Buckeye
I want to say welcome to Colin Scott Bruce III who was born this morning weighing in at 6lbs 4 oz. Colin is the first child of my very close friend Shanna. Colin was born 5 weeks early and even though he is breathing on his own they are still going to place him in the NICU for some observation. If you could say a prayer for this little guy and his new parents I think it would help.
As soon as I have pictures I promise to share them.
As soon as I have pictures I promise to share them.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Go Bucks, Beat Michigan Day 2
Yesterday I said that I would tell you all about the many traditions that take place during Beat Michigan week but I have decided to wait and do that another day. Instead I am going to tell you all about the greatest prank I was part of that revolved around this game.
This may be shocking to some of you but some of Dave and my oldest and closest friends are Michigan fans. This friend of ours comes from a family where he, his mom, and his two sisters are Wolverine fans and his Dad and brother are Buckeyes. I have never been able to figure out how his Dad and brother managed to survive football season because his mom is one of those bad winner/loser types of fans.
During the John Cooper years (90's) Michigan was on a winning streak against us and every year that they won we would have to hear this friends mom make one rude comment after another. She was even known for walking up and down the street blaring the Michigan fight song.
Then after the horrible 2000 season Cooper was fired and OSU hired a unknown man from Youngstown named Jim Tressel. During a basketball pep rally shortly after Tressel was hired he made a speech and swore to all of us fans that he would march into Ann Arbor and beat the Michigan Wolverines. to the surprise of most of us Tressel actually pulled this off and we were so unbelievable happy.
That year Dave and I were with a couple of friends at a bar watching the game. One of these friends was the girlfriend (now wife) of the Michigan fan. She was with us because her boyfriend and his family were all out of town and not due back until the following day. After years and years of her rubbing it in and running her mouth we so wanted to do something to get back at our friends mom.
we discussed a few options and decided it would be fun to get Scarlet and Gray streamers and kind of Tp their house. Once we got to the store we decided we had to do more than just that. So we ended up buying Scarlet and Gray streamers and balloons, a giant roll of craft paper, and a bunch of markers.
We all headed back to another one of our friends houses who just happened to live across the street from the target house. The first thing we did was have the guys climb up to the roof of their ranch style house and staple a Buckeye flag to the roof, then we went inside and made a huge sign that had a Block O with the Buckeye leaf and buckeyes and it said Go Bucks Michigan Sucks. The M in Michigan was even drawn to look like their M. The sign was the entire length of the house.
The next day shortly before they were to arrive home our friends and us went to work and we put the sign up and we got some of the streamers and balloons out but mid way through their van appeared coming down the street. Of course we took off running but they had all seen us.
It's never been confirmed but I am pretty sure our friends Dad and brother were pretty excited about the decor we had chosen for their front yard but his mom was PISSED OFF! Apparently she can't take what she gives!
Now I know some of you might be thinking this was very mean if us and normally I would agree that doing something like that is just wrong. I swear on my life though if you would ever met this women you would understand why it was the best prank of all time!
This may be shocking to some of you but some of Dave and my oldest and closest friends are Michigan fans. This friend of ours comes from a family where he, his mom, and his two sisters are Wolverine fans and his Dad and brother are Buckeyes. I have never been able to figure out how his Dad and brother managed to survive football season because his mom is one of those bad winner/loser types of fans.
During the John Cooper years (90's) Michigan was on a winning streak against us and every year that they won we would have to hear this friends mom make one rude comment after another. She was even known for walking up and down the street blaring the Michigan fight song.
Then after the horrible 2000 season Cooper was fired and OSU hired a unknown man from Youngstown named Jim Tressel. During a basketball pep rally shortly after Tressel was hired he made a speech and swore to all of us fans that he would march into Ann Arbor and beat the Michigan Wolverines. to the surprise of most of us Tressel actually pulled this off and we were so unbelievable happy.
That year Dave and I were with a couple of friends at a bar watching the game. One of these friends was the girlfriend (now wife) of the Michigan fan. She was with us because her boyfriend and his family were all out of town and not due back until the following day. After years and years of her rubbing it in and running her mouth we so wanted to do something to get back at our friends mom.
we discussed a few options and decided it would be fun to get Scarlet and Gray streamers and kind of Tp their house. Once we got to the store we decided we had to do more than just that. So we ended up buying Scarlet and Gray streamers and balloons, a giant roll of craft paper, and a bunch of markers.
We all headed back to another one of our friends houses who just happened to live across the street from the target house. The first thing we did was have the guys climb up to the roof of their ranch style house and staple a Buckeye flag to the roof, then we went inside and made a huge sign that had a Block O with the Buckeye leaf and buckeyes and it said Go Bucks Michigan Sucks. The M in Michigan was even drawn to look like their M. The sign was the entire length of the house.
The next day shortly before they were to arrive home our friends and us went to work and we put the sign up and we got some of the streamers and balloons out but mid way through their van appeared coming down the street. Of course we took off running but they had all seen us.
It's never been confirmed but I am pretty sure our friends Dad and brother were pretty excited about the decor we had chosen for their front yard but his mom was PISSED OFF! Apparently she can't take what she gives!
Now I know some of you might be thinking this was very mean if us and normally I would agree that doing something like that is just wrong. I swear on my life though if you would ever met this women you would understand why it was the best prank of all time!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Go Bucks! Beat Michigan
Let me start by saying that if your a Buckeye hater you will want to stay away this week because my post will be all about my Bucks. I am not in the mood for mean spirited haters.
Now having said that, if your not a Buckeye fan but not a hater either, or you don't know much about football then you might not know that this Saturday the best Rivalry in College Football (an ESPN poll even stats this)will take place. That rivalry is The Ohio State University Buckeyes vs. The Michigan Wolverines, or as us Buckeyes like to say "that team up north" (thanks Woody). In honor of Beat Michigan week I have decided to write some post about this rivalry starting with tonight's of some basic history.
The very first game was in 1897 and "that team up North" won it 34-0. They also won all of the games between then and 1919. In 1919 things changed and the Buckeyes won 13-3. Those of us today think one of the traditions surrounding this game is that it is the last game of the season but this wasn't the case until 1935. Since it has become the last game of the season it has many times been the determining factor in who wins the Big Ten title and represents the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. In recent years it has been the determining factor for not only who goes to the Rose Bowl but who goes to the BCS National Championship game.
The week leading up to the big game has allot of events that take place and tomorrow I will tell you all about them. Until then I leave you with this;
That was TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band In The Land) performing Script Ohio for the OSU vs UM game on November 18 2006. That game was one of the best in the entire rivalry and it sent us to the National Championship instead of "that team up North"
Go Bucks!!!
Now having said that, if your not a Buckeye fan but not a hater either, or you don't know much about football then you might not know that this Saturday the best Rivalry in College Football (an ESPN poll even stats this)will take place. That rivalry is The Ohio State University Buckeyes vs. The Michigan Wolverines, or as us Buckeyes like to say "that team up north" (thanks Woody). In honor of Beat Michigan week I have decided to write some post about this rivalry starting with tonight's of some basic history.
The very first game was in 1897 and "that team up North" won it 34-0. They also won all of the games between then and 1919. In 1919 things changed and the Buckeyes won 13-3. Those of us today think one of the traditions surrounding this game is that it is the last game of the season but this wasn't the case until 1935. Since it has become the last game of the season it has many times been the determining factor in who wins the Big Ten title and represents the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. In recent years it has been the determining factor for not only who goes to the Rose Bowl but who goes to the BCS National Championship game.
The week leading up to the big game has allot of events that take place and tomorrow I will tell you all about them. Until then I leave you with this;
That was TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band In The Land) performing Script Ohio for the OSU vs UM game on November 18 2006. That game was one of the best in the entire rivalry and it sent us to the National Championship instead of "that team up North"
Go Bucks!!!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Down for the Count
For the past two months or so I have been fighting off colds left and right. This time I am not the winner and I am sitting here dying. My nose is running, my head hurts, my throat hurts, my chest hurts, and I can't stop coughing.
I felt so bad when I got up this morning, actually for a few minutes I was wondering if I had strep but I don't think I do. Of course the kids could tell I wasn't feeling well and they were trying to take full advantage. After breaking up the fifth fight in less than an hour with no voice. So I called my mom and she took the kids for me for the afternoon.
Since they have been gone I have slept and taken a shower. What is it about a shower when you don't feel good? Anyway now I am waiting for the second half of my Buckeye game to start and praying they can keep the momentum going in their favor.
The only good thing I can say about being sick today is it's the prefect day to stay inside with the cold rain out there.
I felt so bad when I got up this morning, actually for a few minutes I was wondering if I had strep but I don't think I do. Of course the kids could tell I wasn't feeling well and they were trying to take full advantage. After breaking up the fifth fight in less than an hour with no voice. So I called my mom and she took the kids for me for the afternoon.
Since they have been gone I have slept and taken a shower. What is it about a shower when you don't feel good? Anyway now I am waiting for the second half of my Buckeye game to start and praying they can keep the momentum going in their favor.
The only good thing I can say about being sick today is it's the prefect day to stay inside with the cold rain out there.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta
It's time again to play Candid Carries Friday Foto Finish Fiesta.
This week I have been thinking allot about Christmas and finalizing who is getting what. My picture today is what my brothers and sister got our mom last year for Christmas.
As a mother a picture of all your kids and grand kids is the perfect gift. This is the exact picture we got her in the 16x20 wall portrait size and we had it framed. The large picture is of everyone. In the top row left to right is my sister Steph, Me holding Ian, and my SIL Alicia. Bottom row left to right is y brother Nick, Dave with Emma, and my baby brother KJ. The small picture top right is just of us kids, and of course the bottom right picture is my kids, her grand kids.
I must say that those pictures were the most stressful I have ever been a part of because there were so many people to get to smile and look right. We had Ian who up until recently wanted no part of having his picture taken, my brother KJ who has never taken a good picture in his life and just likes to goof off. Add to that Dave and Nick who prefer not to smile therefore looking pissed off the whole time. the savior of the whole thing was Miss Emma who is a natural just like her Mama! I am very glad we did it though because my mom absolutely loves it!
Now it's your turn, head over to Candid Carries and share a picture with us.
This week I have been thinking allot about Christmas and finalizing who is getting what. My picture today is what my brothers and sister got our mom last year for Christmas.
As a mother a picture of all your kids and grand kids is the perfect gift. This is the exact picture we got her in the 16x20 wall portrait size and we had it framed. The large picture is of everyone. In the top row left to right is my sister Steph, Me holding Ian, and my SIL Alicia. Bottom row left to right is y brother Nick, Dave with Emma, and my baby brother KJ. The small picture top right is just of us kids, and of course the bottom right picture is my kids, her grand kids.
I must say that those pictures were the most stressful I have ever been a part of because there were so many people to get to smile and look right. We had Ian who up until recently wanted no part of having his picture taken, my brother KJ who has never taken a good picture in his life and just likes to goof off. Add to that Dave and Nick who prefer not to smile therefore looking pissed off the whole time. the savior of the whole thing was Miss Emma who is a natural just like her Mama! I am very glad we did it though because my mom absolutely loves it!
Now it's your turn, head over to Candid Carries and share a picture with us.
Pushed Back
Five minutes ago we were informed the Rhino will not be coming back until December 8.
At this point I really just want to get this over with so she needs to do one of two things.
1. Get her ass back to work and accept all the changes and her punishment.
or
2. Go on permanent disability so we don't have to worry about it or deal with her!
So now we wait some more, but I promise when she gets back and it all goes down or when we get word she is never coming back you all will be the first I tell.
At this point I really just want to get this over with so she needs to do one of two things.
1. Get her ass back to work and accept all the changes and her punishment.
or
2. Go on permanent disability so we don't have to worry about it or deal with her!
So now we wait some more, but I promise when she gets back and it all goes down or when we get word she is never coming back you all will be the first I tell.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Santa Claus is Coming to Town.....
....or is he?
As soon as Halloween is over in this house the threat given from parent to child when the child is misbehaving is "if you're not good Santa wont bring you any presents." Things are no different this year, I've probably used this threat 10 or so times in the past two weeks.
After the conversation the kids and I had in the car today I'm not so sure that threat will work this year. Well it may no work with one of my kids but you tell me what you think. The conversation was as follows;
Me: If you two don't quit fighting Santa is going to bring you coal and only coal, NO PRESENTS!!!
Emma: Fine, I'll stop fighting.
(5 minutes later I hear this from Emma and Ian)
Ian: There is no such thing as Santa
Emma: Yes there is! Santa is real
Ian: No Santa is not real.
(Now I am driving down the road at this point in complete panic mode. My three year old is telling his five year old sister that Santa is not real. How in the hell does he know this, and who the hell told him.)
Me: Ian why do you think Santa isn't real?
Ian: Because he has a mustache and I don't like it.
(thank the freaking lord, he is just crazy but he I can't handle this reason)
Me: Well just because you don't like it doesn't mean Santa isn't real. Plus Santa needs that and his beard to keep his face warm in the freezing cold North Pole.
Emma: Yeah Ian Santa needs that to stay warm and how would we have presents under the tree on Christmas morning that weren't there Christmas Eve if Santa wasn't real. I bet when you see those presents this year you will believe he is real.
So for the time being Santa Claus is coming to town!
P.S. I don't know what the heck is going on but the stupid Rhino didn't come in today and no one said anything to us about why she wasn't there. This means I have to be nervous because she could be there tomorrow.
As soon as Halloween is over in this house the threat given from parent to child when the child is misbehaving is "if you're not good Santa wont bring you any presents." Things are no different this year, I've probably used this threat 10 or so times in the past two weeks.
After the conversation the kids and I had in the car today I'm not so sure that threat will work this year. Well it may no work with one of my kids but you tell me what you think. The conversation was as follows;
Me: If you two don't quit fighting Santa is going to bring you coal and only coal, NO PRESENTS!!!
Emma: Fine, I'll stop fighting.
(5 minutes later I hear this from Emma and Ian)
Ian: There is no such thing as Santa
Emma: Yes there is! Santa is real
Ian: No Santa is not real.
(Now I am driving down the road at this point in complete panic mode. My three year old is telling his five year old sister that Santa is not real. How in the hell does he know this, and who the hell told him.)
Me: Ian why do you think Santa isn't real?
Ian: Because he has a mustache and I don't like it.
(thank the freaking lord, he is just crazy but he I can't handle this reason)
Me: Well just because you don't like it doesn't mean Santa isn't real. Plus Santa needs that and his beard to keep his face warm in the freezing cold North Pole.
Emma: Yeah Ian Santa needs that to stay warm and how would we have presents under the tree on Christmas morning that weren't there Christmas Eve if Santa wasn't real. I bet when you see those presents this year you will believe he is real.
So for the time being Santa Claus is coming to town!
P.S. I don't know what the heck is going on but the stupid Rhino didn't come in today and no one said anything to us about why she wasn't there. This means I have to be nervous because she could be there tomorrow.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Charging Rhino
Do any of you remember way back in May I had a post on How To Stop A Charging Rhino and the Predator? If you don't remember them or never read them you should probably go there now then come back here.
Now that you're caught up you're probably wondering why I never talked about it again or updated you on the situation and it's because I was waiting for the conclusion of everything. So to fill you in a little, the complaint was filed, the Rhino was informed and she was not happy but she followed the rules and didn't speak to me. She did however tell one of our coworkers that she was going to break my skinny as, actually I should use her exact words which were " I am going to break that little girls skinny ass in half"!
That quote of hers was said in early July right before my week of vacation. When I got back from that vacation (or week off)she was not there and my coworkers informed me that she was going to be off for a few weeks. Those two weeks turned into two months which then turned into 4 months. It has been absolutely wonderful not having her in the office and our staff works so much better without her. We are not perfect and we do have problems but we are able to work them out.
Unfortunately the peacefulness is about to end because the Rhino will be back at work Wednesday. I am not looking forward to seeing her ugly face or hearing her nasty voice again. I can also guarantee this Rhino is going to be charging very soon after being in the office because there have been a ton of changes that she will not like.
The first one is we moved and the managers had to move her desk including all the personal belongings and they put her in the desk in the corner where she will no longer be able to stare at what we are all doing instead of actually working herself.
The second item that is going to tick her off is they have changed what her job duties are and some of the old duties have gone to me. She always thought she was better than the rest of us and more important because she handled his one duty, now that she doesn't have that god only knows what she will do.
Third and last up the Human resource department finally came to a decision on my complaint and the decision was in my favor. Basically not only was she creating a hostile work environment she was also discriminating against me for age. I know this seems a little crazy because I am in my 20's and age discrimination usually happens to older people but this women can't stand us little/young girls and has made comments about that quit a bit. So this means one of the first things my manager has to do is discipline her according to the recommendations from HR.
I really do wish that I could take Wednesday off because I'm not so sure it will be safe for me to be there but I can't so I will suck it up and go! Please say a prayer for my safety and the safety of my coworkers, I think we will need it. Now I am off to refresh my memory on how to avoid a charging Rhino.
Now that you're caught up you're probably wondering why I never talked about it again or updated you on the situation and it's because I was waiting for the conclusion of everything. So to fill you in a little, the complaint was filed, the Rhino was informed and she was not happy but she followed the rules and didn't speak to me. She did however tell one of our coworkers that she was going to break my skinny as, actually I should use her exact words which were " I am going to break that little girls skinny ass in half"!
That quote of hers was said in early July right before my week of vacation. When I got back from that vacation (or week off)she was not there and my coworkers informed me that she was going to be off for a few weeks. Those two weeks turned into two months which then turned into 4 months. It has been absolutely wonderful not having her in the office and our staff works so much better without her. We are not perfect and we do have problems but we are able to work them out.
Unfortunately the peacefulness is about to end because the Rhino will be back at work Wednesday. I am not looking forward to seeing her ugly face or hearing her nasty voice again. I can also guarantee this Rhino is going to be charging very soon after being in the office because there have been a ton of changes that she will not like.
The first one is we moved and the managers had to move her desk including all the personal belongings and they put her in the desk in the corner where she will no longer be able to stare at what we are all doing instead of actually working herself.
The second item that is going to tick her off is they have changed what her job duties are and some of the old duties have gone to me. She always thought she was better than the rest of us and more important because she handled his one duty, now that she doesn't have that god only knows what she will do.
Third and last up the Human resource department finally came to a decision on my complaint and the decision was in my favor. Basically not only was she creating a hostile work environment she was also discriminating against me for age. I know this seems a little crazy because I am in my 20's and age discrimination usually happens to older people but this women can't stand us little/young girls and has made comments about that quit a bit. So this means one of the first things my manager has to do is discipline her according to the recommendations from HR.
I really do wish that I could take Wednesday off because I'm not so sure it will be safe for me to be there but I can't so I will suck it up and go! Please say a prayer for my safety and the safety of my coworkers, I think we will need it. Now I am off to refresh my memory on how to avoid a charging Rhino.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
American Wife
Today I had the bookclub at my house. When the meeting is at your house you get to pick the book that will be discussed. I picked American Wife, it was released in September and it's on the Best Sellers list. Everyone loved the book which is very rare in are group. I think this may be the first time in over 3 years that I have picked a book that was liked by all!
American Wife is loosely based on a true first lady although the majority of the book is pure fiction. I would highly recommend this book to any women out there but just remember it is fiction. If you read it I would love to hear your thoughts and whether or not you do some real research on the first lady the book is based on.
Now every bookclub meeting we have has to have food at it. I usually try to make a meal that follows the book in some way. This time around I did not do that because my friend Shanna (who is pregnant) asked if I would make my Kielbasa & Apple dish. Since it is fall and that dish is the best this time of the year I agreed and the theme for the food became Fall. So the menu for today was:
Cheddar Cheese Pumpkins
Apple and Pear shaped cheese ball
Sausage Skillet Dinner, and warm Cherry Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of the last two things.
I was very excited for this meal because it meant I could use my wedding china which I almost never get to use. Here is an up close picture of my wedding china.
It is white with a white floral print on it and a platinum trim.
Now the last picture is of the full table all set and waiting for the guest to arrive.
The meeting went very well, the food was good, the book was good, and the conversation was great!
American Wife is loosely based on a true first lady although the majority of the book is pure fiction. I would highly recommend this book to any women out there but just remember it is fiction. If you read it I would love to hear your thoughts and whether or not you do some real research on the first lady the book is based on.
Now every bookclub meeting we have has to have food at it. I usually try to make a meal that follows the book in some way. This time around I did not do that because my friend Shanna (who is pregnant) asked if I would make my Kielbasa & Apple dish. Since it is fall and that dish is the best this time of the year I agreed and the theme for the food became Fall. So the menu for today was:
Cheddar Cheese Pumpkins
Apple and Pear shaped cheese ball
Sausage Skillet Dinner, and warm Cherry Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of the last two things.
I was very excited for this meal because it meant I could use my wedding china which I almost never get to use. Here is an up close picture of my wedding china.
It is white with a white floral print on it and a platinum trim.
Now the last picture is of the full table all set and waiting for the guest to arrive.
The meeting went very well, the food was good, the book was good, and the conversation was great!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta
Friday, Friday, Friday!!!!!
Thank god it's Friday, this has been one long, crappy week for me so I'm so glad it's over.
There was one good thing that came out of this week and I have a picture of it.
That is me holding a beautiful baby boy that is about one day old. My really good friend Jenn had her second boy late last night. I went to see them this evening and he is such a cutie pie! He had just woken up when I got there and he stayed awake. The whole time I got to hold him he was staring at me with these very quizzical eyes. I only heard him give one little cry and that came just as I was leaving when his grandma was changing his diaper. So to Jenn and Tim congrats on your new baby boy!
Oh and just in case someone feels the need to say something like I need to have another baby, it's not happening for more than me just not wanting to! I will just go see this baby and the baby my friend Shanna will be having in about a month.
Now if you want to join in head over to Candid Carrie's and join the fun but make sure to read the directions because she has changed things up.
Thank god it's Friday, this has been one long, crappy week for me so I'm so glad it's over.
There was one good thing that came out of this week and I have a picture of it.
That is me holding a beautiful baby boy that is about one day old. My really good friend Jenn had her second boy late last night. I went to see them this evening and he is such a cutie pie! He had just woken up when I got there and he stayed awake. The whole time I got to hold him he was staring at me with these very quizzical eyes. I only heard him give one little cry and that came just as I was leaving when his grandma was changing his diaper. So to Jenn and Tim congrats on your new baby boy!
Oh and just in case someone feels the need to say something like I need to have another baby, it's not happening for more than me just not wanting to! I will just go see this baby and the baby my friend Shanna will be having in about a month.
Now if you want to join in head over to Candid Carrie's and join the fun but make sure to read the directions because she has changed things up.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Crap-tastic Day!
My day started off around 12 something this morning when Dave woke me up to say that Obama won the election. If you know me or have scrolled down and to the right on this page you know that I am a McCain/Palin supporter so my guy lost. I am sad about this and I feel bad for McCain because I truly believe he has dedicated his life to this great country and would have made a great President. Now that is all I will say about that, the people have spoken and picked our President and I will not bad mouth him before he has a chance to prove himself to our nation and the rest of the world.
Moving on though, I get to work and as I am walking in the door one of the ladies I sit by who is an Obama supporter is walking up and down the aisles singing Signed Sealed Delivered waiving a B.O. flag. I really hate poor winners and poor losers and I'm sorry but the workplace is not the place to act like that.
Strike number three for me for the day was the three hour long Sexual Harassment Awareness Training (SHAT as our office was calling, I swear on my life) I had to sit through because of the crap the old Attorney General Marc Dann pulled last spring.
The fourth crappy thing to happen today was that instead of my Bookkeeping section just having to pack our desk up to move we were told at 11:45 this morning that at noon we were to stop all work, pack up our desk and carry the bins down a floor to our new desk, unpack everything and bring the empty bins back up so the other people on our old floor could pack. The original plan was to pack up our desk starting around 2 this afternoon and then General Services was going to move the heavy ass bins down for us but apparently there was some kind of shortage on the moving bins and the rest of our section couldn't wait until tomorrow morning to move. Oh and we had to do this is our dress clothes. I am seriously thinking about giving them a bill for my dry cleaning!
The fifth and final thing was after I had all of my things packed in bins and moved down to my new desk our Manager informs us that we needed to keep some work upstairs with our computers and do some work! Seriously his email to us at 11:45 said;
"Stop working and pack it all up"
I don't know about you but "pack it all up" sounds to me like I needed to pack everything up to move.
All and I did all of this with a massive headache!
Now I realize this is a pretty depressing post but I really needed to get this out there and off my chest so thanks for listening and I promise tomorrow will be much better because even though the actually moving today sucked, the move itself is very awesome and my new cube is so much better than my old piece of crap.
Moving on though, I get to work and as I am walking in the door one of the ladies I sit by who is an Obama supporter is walking up and down the aisles singing Signed Sealed Delivered waiving a B.O. flag. I really hate poor winners and poor losers and I'm sorry but the workplace is not the place to act like that.
Strike number three for me for the day was the three hour long Sexual Harassment Awareness Training (SHAT as our office was calling, I swear on my life) I had to sit through because of the crap the old Attorney General Marc Dann pulled last spring.
The fourth crappy thing to happen today was that instead of my Bookkeeping section just having to pack our desk up to move we were told at 11:45 this morning that at noon we were to stop all work, pack up our desk and carry the bins down a floor to our new desk, unpack everything and bring the empty bins back up so the other people on our old floor could pack. The original plan was to pack up our desk starting around 2 this afternoon and then General Services was going to move the heavy ass bins down for us but apparently there was some kind of shortage on the moving bins and the rest of our section couldn't wait until tomorrow morning to move. Oh and we had to do this is our dress clothes. I am seriously thinking about giving them a bill for my dry cleaning!
The fifth and final thing was after I had all of my things packed in bins and moved down to my new desk our Manager informs us that we needed to keep some work upstairs with our computers and do some work! Seriously his email to us at 11:45 said;
"Stop working and pack it all up"
I don't know about you but "pack it all up" sounds to me like I needed to pack everything up to move.
All and I did all of this with a massive headache!
Now I realize this is a pretty depressing post but I really needed to get this out there and off my chest so thanks for listening and I promise tomorrow will be much better because even though the actually moving today sucked, the move itself is very awesome and my new cube is so much better than my old piece of crap.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Chicken and Dumplings Gone BAD
Those of you not from Ohio may not remember what happen in this great state on Election Day 2004. We had record turn outs at the polls which meant we waited in line for hours upon hours to cast our vote ultimately being the deciding factor that got George W. Bush re-elected. For Dave and I we arrived at our voting location 15 minutes before the polls opened and 5 hours later we cast our vote. It was awful, miserable, and just plain retarded.
So this year we prepared for the worst. I knew that I would be getting up and leaving the house earlier than I would normal get up for a regular work day. That meant I would probably be tired tonight (which I am) so thinking ahead I decided that I wasn't going to want to cook. My solution to that was to make the awesome, easy crock pot version of Chicken and Dumplings my friend Lindsay gave to me. I got everything ready and in the dish part of my crock pot last night and placed that in the fridge so it would be ready to go this morning. When I got up this morning I forgot to take the dish out of the fridge to let it warm up a little before I turned the crock pot on so right before we left to vote I pulled it out. When Dave and I returned from voting(only one short hour later thanks to the new early voting laws) I transferred the kids directly to my car and I asked Dave to do one teeny weeny, itsy bitsy favor for me and turn the crock pot on low.
Two hours later Dave called to say hi and I asked him if he turned the crock pot on. His response of "Oh Shit" was not exactly what I wanted to hear. His little mistake left me a little upset. We were going to have to dump the Chicken and Dumplings down the drain wasting that money and the only thing we have to eat in this house is some Velveeta cheese.
Ok that last part isn't really true I just had to work Velveeta cheese into a post for Candid Carrie.
Anyway, I really don't have anything else to make for dinner because everything is frozen and I am not eating Tomato soup for dinner when I had it for lunch. I called Dave on my way home and told him he would be taking the kids and I out to a nice dinner because fast food is not going to take care of the Chicken and Dumplings craving I have. I think going out is a fair trade and even if it's not I don't care.
So this year we prepared for the worst. I knew that I would be getting up and leaving the house earlier than I would normal get up for a regular work day. That meant I would probably be tired tonight (which I am) so thinking ahead I decided that I wasn't going to want to cook. My solution to that was to make the awesome, easy crock pot version of Chicken and Dumplings my friend Lindsay gave to me. I got everything ready and in the dish part of my crock pot last night and placed that in the fridge so it would be ready to go this morning. When I got up this morning I forgot to take the dish out of the fridge to let it warm up a little before I turned the crock pot on so right before we left to vote I pulled it out. When Dave and I returned from voting(only one short hour later thanks to the new early voting laws) I transferred the kids directly to my car and I asked Dave to do one teeny weeny, itsy bitsy favor for me and turn the crock pot on low.
Two hours later Dave called to say hi and I asked him if he turned the crock pot on. His response of "Oh Shit" was not exactly what I wanted to hear. His little mistake left me a little upset. We were going to have to dump the Chicken and Dumplings down the drain wasting that money and the only thing we have to eat in this house is some Velveeta cheese.
Ok that last part isn't really true I just had to work Velveeta cheese into a post for Candid Carrie.
Anyway, I really don't have anything else to make for dinner because everything is frozen and I am not eating Tomato soup for dinner when I had it for lunch. I called Dave on my way home and told him he would be taking the kids and I out to a nice dinner because fast food is not going to take care of the Chicken and Dumplings craving I have. I think going out is a fair trade and even if it's not I don't care.
Monday, November 3, 2008
A New Opportunity
There was so much going on this past weekend that I haven't had the chance to share the big news with all of you.
Dave got a promotion. It came has a big shock to us but last Thursday he was called into the General Managers office. On his walk to the other building his heart was in his stomach. If you have been here on Earth and not Mars than I'm sure you are aware that the car business is not doing very good. Sales are down for every manufacture and dealership because of this wonderful economy. Add to that the normal winter slow down that starts this time of the year and it equates layoff's and budget cuts.
Dave has been nervous for the past month because of the slow down even though he was the senior salesman for the Mazda building. So back to the point he was worried walking into the office that he may be the next to go.
Thankfully he was wrong about that and instead the GM told him that he really like the way Dave worked with the customers, his great organizational skills, and his attitude. This really surprised Dave because allot of people he works with think he has a negative attitude because he doesn't kiss ass, put on a happy face all the time, or go along with everything everyone says. His GM is the first person to recognize that Dave is just the type of person that tells it like it is and never sugar coats things which is apparently what the GM wants in a manager so he offered Dave the Internet Sales Manager for the Direct Autoplex position. This means he runs Internet sales for Toyota Direct and Mazda Direct. Of course this also means a pay raise and more importantly a salary with bonus money for the cars his Internet sales team sells, and commission on the cars he sells himself. The only downfall to all of this is that Dave will probably have to work more hours than he was but some of those will be from home.
So far the past two days have gone very well for Dave and he has sold two cars himself, and his saleswomen has sold two.
Dave got a promotion. It came has a big shock to us but last Thursday he was called into the General Managers office. On his walk to the other building his heart was in his stomach. If you have been here on Earth and not Mars than I'm sure you are aware that the car business is not doing very good. Sales are down for every manufacture and dealership because of this wonderful economy. Add to that the normal winter slow down that starts this time of the year and it equates layoff's and budget cuts.
Dave has been nervous for the past month because of the slow down even though he was the senior salesman for the Mazda building. So back to the point he was worried walking into the office that he may be the next to go.
Thankfully he was wrong about that and instead the GM told him that he really like the way Dave worked with the customers, his great organizational skills, and his attitude. This really surprised Dave because allot of people he works with think he has a negative attitude because he doesn't kiss ass, put on a happy face all the time, or go along with everything everyone says. His GM is the first person to recognize that Dave is just the type of person that tells it like it is and never sugar coats things which is apparently what the GM wants in a manager so he offered Dave the Internet Sales Manager for the Direct Autoplex position. This means he runs Internet sales for Toyota Direct and Mazda Direct. Of course this also means a pay raise and more importantly a salary with bonus money for the cars his Internet sales team sells, and commission on the cars he sells himself. The only downfall to all of this is that Dave will probably have to work more hours than he was but some of those will be from home.
So far the past two days have gone very well for Dave and he has sold two cars himself, and his saleswomen has sold two.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The perfect fall night
I would have to describe last night exactly this way, The perfect fall night! The weather here was a little warmer than normal but cool at night and we were lucky enough to be invited to a Bonfire at the McCallen's house. They live out in the country and have the perfect setting for this.
So when Dave got off work we packed the kids up and headed and hour north east. We got to Dave and Tif's around 8 and the other guest Chris, David (not mine), Tif, and Noah had already gathered around the fire. My Dave, the kids, and I quickly ate some of the great food Tif made for the evening and then we headed out to the fire pit to have some fun. The guys and Tif part of the time were drinking a variety of Beers but Tif also made a fabulous warm Apple Cider drink that had Carmel and bourbon in it. Let me tell you that you must go over to her post and get the recipe because it is well worth it!
Tif was smart enough to pull her riding lawn mower out so Ian and Noah could play on it and we didn't have to chase them all around the yard.
Emma even joined in the fun with the boys at one point.
Of course the kids did still run around the yard some which meant us parents doing some chasing. Here is Tif after chasing Noah.
Dave and I were lucky enough to get some cuddle time with our kids while watching the fire.
Of course no bonfire would be complete without the making of smores. This was Emma's and Ian's first bonfire which meant their first smores so I had to take some pictures. First up is getting the marshmallow on the stick.
then came the roasting in the fire which Tif and I had to take over because the kids were getting too hot.
last thing was to eat them. Emma loves hers but Ian wasn't all that impressed, for some reason he isn't a fan of marshmallows.
Around 12 or so we finally made our way inside and my two, who were still up, played with some of Noah's toys while Tif and I talked, David and Chris played pool and had a hopscotch contest with Emma, and my Dave fell asleep in a chair. Finally around 1 Dave, the kids, and I stole the guest bedroom and fell asleep very quickly.
David and Tif's guest bedroom is home to a handful of deer heads and some rather large fish so this morning when Ian finally got up he asked me why their were moose and sharks on the wall, I just laughed. :)
So thank you David and Tif for hosting the perfect fall night!
So when Dave got off work we packed the kids up and headed and hour north east. We got to Dave and Tif's around 8 and the other guest Chris, David (not mine), Tif, and Noah had already gathered around the fire. My Dave, the kids, and I quickly ate some of the great food Tif made for the evening and then we headed out to the fire pit to have some fun. The guys and Tif part of the time were drinking a variety of Beers but Tif also made a fabulous warm Apple Cider drink that had Carmel and bourbon in it. Let me tell you that you must go over to her post and get the recipe because it is well worth it!
Tif was smart enough to pull her riding lawn mower out so Ian and Noah could play on it and we didn't have to chase them all around the yard.
Emma even joined in the fun with the boys at one point.
Of course the kids did still run around the yard some which meant us parents doing some chasing. Here is Tif after chasing Noah.
Dave and I were lucky enough to get some cuddle time with our kids while watching the fire.
Of course no bonfire would be complete without the making of smores. This was Emma's and Ian's first bonfire which meant their first smores so I had to take some pictures. First up is getting the marshmallow on the stick.
then came the roasting in the fire which Tif and I had to take over because the kids were getting too hot.
last thing was to eat them. Emma loves hers but Ian wasn't all that impressed, for some reason he isn't a fan of marshmallows.
Around 12 or so we finally made our way inside and my two, who were still up, played with some of Noah's toys while Tif and I talked, David and Chris played pool and had a hopscotch contest with Emma, and my Dave fell asleep in a chair. Finally around 1 Dave, the kids, and I stole the guest bedroom and fell asleep very quickly.
David and Tif's guest bedroom is home to a handful of deer heads and some rather large fish so this morning when Ian finally got up he asked me why their were moose and sharks on the wall, I just laughed. :)
So thank you David and Tif for hosting the perfect fall night!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Trick or Treat 2008
If you saw yesterday's post you know that I had a lot to live up to as far as the kids costumes went. I mean nothing will ever be better than the OSU Cheerleader and Brutus the Buckeye, but I at least wanted it to be close.
At the end of September the kids still didn't know what they wanted to be and I didn't have a clue either. Then one afternoon Emma asked if she could watch the Wizard of OZ and it came to me.
So here is what Emma was last night;
and this is what Ian was;
It wasn't hard to pick Emma's but I couldn't decided what Ian should be. The lion would be cute but that would be allot of work to make. See I knew I wanted them to have homemade costumes. I was thrilled with the Tin Man either, it just didn't seem like a toddlers costume, so that left us with the Scarecrow. The more I thought about it the more I loved the idea. When I finally asked the kids if they wanted to be Dorothy and the Scarecrow Emma asked if that meant she got to wear her Ruby Red shoes and Ian turned to Emma and told her he would be the Scarecrow to scare all the mean people away for her.
Now I can't take full credit for the costumes. My mom is the one that sewed them and I added the straw to Ian's so really she made them and I touched them up but they are still homemade and maybe one day Emma and Ian's kids will get to wear them.
The kids were a big hit last night and got more candy then they will be able to eat. The most important thing is they had a blast going door to door and other than one talking skeleton they didn't get scared.
Here are a couple more pictures from the night of Emma and Ian and my baby brother KJ.
At the end of September the kids still didn't know what they wanted to be and I didn't have a clue either. Then one afternoon Emma asked if she could watch the Wizard of OZ and it came to me.
So here is what Emma was last night;
and this is what Ian was;
It wasn't hard to pick Emma's but I couldn't decided what Ian should be. The lion would be cute but that would be allot of work to make. See I knew I wanted them to have homemade costumes. I was thrilled with the Tin Man either, it just didn't seem like a toddlers costume, so that left us with the Scarecrow. The more I thought about it the more I loved the idea. When I finally asked the kids if they wanted to be Dorothy and the Scarecrow Emma asked if that meant she got to wear her Ruby Red shoes and Ian turned to Emma and told her he would be the Scarecrow to scare all the mean people away for her.
Now I can't take full credit for the costumes. My mom is the one that sewed them and I added the straw to Ian's so really she made them and I touched them up but they are still homemade and maybe one day Emma and Ian's kids will get to wear them.
The kids were a big hit last night and got more candy then they will be able to eat. The most important thing is they had a blast going door to door and other than one talking skeleton they didn't get scared.
Here are a couple more pictures from the night of Emma and Ian and my baby brother KJ.
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