Saturday, December 27, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
I survived... Now its on to the Holidays!
I survived my crazy week of working 3 jobs.. I can hardly believe I did it but for some reason there's a little voice in the back of my head saying it was the right thing to do??? I worked about 17hrs for the chamber, 17hr at Applebee's and 27hrs at the new Mad Anthony's..
Now comes the fun part, making more $ and hopefully spending more time with the kids and Brandon :o) Stay tuned for some cute pics.. Alex is currently missing his two front teeth so we might have to make a video..
"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"
Now comes the fun part, making more $ and hopefully spending more time with the kids and Brandon :o) Stay tuned for some cute pics.. Alex is currently missing his two front teeth so we might have to make a video..
"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What did you do this weekend?
We had a fabulous long weekend, Eating Turkey, shopping and hanging out with our family. It was pretty eventful I'm not gonna lie.. Alex lost a tooth,
Audrey got her first black eye, Drewbie got a fat lip, Brandon and I shopped till we dropped! Then on Saturday Reese turned One.. and We visited Santa although Drew was a little shy Audrey and Alex hopped right up there and gave Santa a list a mile long!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Hanging Out in Shipshewana
We stumbled over to Shipshewana yesterday afternoon for some lunch with Jenny and Reese and a little fun afternoon on a cold wintery day. The kids loved hanging out at the toy store and riding the carousel. We also stopped in at Yoders to replenish our freezer for the upcoming weeks gotta love some good Amish Cow..Yum!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Its Beginning to look a lot like....
Today we are officially experiencing our first real snowfall of the season, although I love the beautiful fall weather there is nothing like snow to put you into the holiday spirit! Ask me how much I love snow again on January 4th and you will get a completely different story, when we are digging out from our usual dumping and dreading another 3 months of WINTER... Brrrr!
The kids are super excited and can't wait to go out and play! Audrey asked if we could make a snowman already this morning when there was barely a small dusting on the ground in our backyard.. Although she might not be disappointed just yet:o) Its coming down pretty heavily and we have another I believe 3-5 inches in the forecast for overnight tonight! Gotta Love the "Lake Effect" Stay tuned for some fun pics of our first snowplay this season!
The kids are super excited and can't wait to go out and play! Audrey asked if we could make a snowman already this morning when there was barely a small dusting on the ground in our backyard.. Although she might not be disappointed just yet:o) Its coming down pretty heavily and we have another I believe 3-5 inches in the forecast for overnight tonight! Gotta Love the "Lake Effect" Stay tuned for some fun pics of our first snowplay this season!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Happy Anniversary Smoopie :o)
The beautiful weather we are having this week reminds me of our wedding day which coincidentally was November 6, 1999. That's right today we are celebrating our 9 year wedding anniversary. I think we were about the first of our group from Purdue to tie the knot so no that doesn't make us all really old it just makes Brandon and I a little crazier then the rest of you! 9 years seems like such a long time that's almost a third of our lives that we have been together. And I have to say it has been pretty cool to spend all that time with my best friend. We have a cute little house, a wonderful family, three famously gorgeous children and a large circle of fantastic friends. The only thing missing just happens to be that winning lottery ticket.. But there's still time! Cheers to Us and 90 more years of Wedded Bliss!
Prima Ballerina
Miss Audrey has been enrolled in a pre-ballet type dance class for about 8-10 weeks now and she LOVES it! This week was parent "review" normally we have to sit outside the room (no watching). But this week we were invited in to see their progress.
Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com
Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Barack the Vote!
Election Day is FINALLY here! Lets keep our fingers crossed that the best man wins!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Anyone have time for A Drink...
Halloween has become one of my favorite times of the year, I just LOVE fall in general. This weekend is no exception the weather is crisp, the leaves are changing and its trick or treating time! I can't wait for tomorrow night when we get to host our family and friends for a night of drinks and treats.
After this week I'm so ready for a drink, More Lemonade anyone? Friday night we'll be adding Vodka.. The economic effects of our unstable economy are still finding their way to our house, Brandon has reduced his work hours a little so that means a little less of the "extras" we're accustomed to. Hopefully the financial crisis won't have too big of an impact on Elkhart County our house, but I have a feeling its not over yet, That being said, I think its time to take a deep breath and relax, spend time with our family and friends and just enjoy the simple things this weekend. So who's ready to have a little drink with me? Grown ups can trick or treat for beer right?
After this week I'm so ready for a drink, More Lemonade anyone? Friday night we'll be adding Vodka.. The economic effects of our unstable economy are still finding their way to our house, Brandon has reduced his work hours a little so that means a little less of the "extras" we're accustomed to. Hopefully the financial crisis won't have too big of an impact on Elkhart County our house, but I have a feeling its not over yet, That being said, I think its time to take a deep breath and relax, spend time with our family and friends and just enjoy the simple things this weekend. So who's ready to have a little drink with me? Grown ups can trick or treat for beer right?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Make Lemonade..
When Life throws you lemons what do you do? Make Lemonade :o) This weekend turned out to be not at all what I expected... I tend to be laid back (sometimes a little too much) which is possibly why I have gotten so good at making lemonade? I believe last week Elkhart County boasted the highest unemployment rate in US and this weekend I got to see the effects first hand, because there is no one eating out which meant that I made about 1/2 of my usual income. BUMMER! Hopefully next week will bring lots of hungry ND fans who are just dying to give me big tips for their beers and cheeseburgers???
The one bright spot was on Friday when I got to have lunch with My bestest friend Krista and my bestest sister Jenny! I loved all the snuggle time with baby Reese and baby Emily they are two of the sweetest babies on the planet. Although they did give me a bit of baby fever so I keep having to remind myself A) We cannot afford a baby and B) No More DIAPERS!!! (which we probably can't afford anyway).
Stay Tuned for our Halloween Pictures and some shots of Alex tearing up the basketball court! I forgot my camera again this week.. (Bad Mommy)
The one bright spot was on Friday when I got to have lunch with My bestest friend Krista and my bestest sister Jenny! I loved all the snuggle time with baby Reese and baby Emily they are two of the sweetest babies on the planet. Although they did give me a bit of baby fever so I keep having to remind myself A) We cannot afford a baby and B) No More DIAPERS!!! (which we probably can't afford anyway).
Stay Tuned for our Halloween Pictures and some shots of Alex tearing up the basketball court! I forgot my camera again this week.. (Bad Mommy)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Fall Fun!
Grandma Cindy and the kids raked a pile of leaves into to our front yard on Saturday, I'm sure it will just be one of many as our leaf count is usually outrageous! I grabbed my camera to try my skills at one of these "spectacular" slide shows.. ENJOY!
Oh and Don't forget to Vote November 3rd, Audrey gives her official endorsement in the video :o)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday Already?
I'm seriously beginning to wonder if I will ever have enough hours in the Day or enough Days in the week to accomplish even half the things on my to do list. Brandon would say this is a horrible trait of mine I need to slow down and finish one activity before going onto the next! Possibly true I remember when I was little my Grandfather often referred to me as the "messer" because I would bounce around to 50 different things never stopping for an instant to finish what I was working on and clean up.
This weekend was fun but it went by way too fast. We basically did a lot of nothing, although I did have some time to myself .. or at least some time when I was left alone with Audrey for a few hours, during which I was able to clean my entire living room! I put away all the video games, dusted and re-hung a few pictures in the process. When they returned home my boys all commented that it actually looked a little more like a grown up house~ Who knew!
Now that I have actually gotten to finish cleaning hopefully the next few weeks will just be light maintenance coupled with a blitz of home improvement projects in preparation for the holidays..Kicked off by our Super Fun Halloween Extravaganza on October 31st.. Let me know if you want to stop by!
This weekend was fun but it went by way too fast. We basically did a lot of nothing, although I did have some time to myself .. or at least some time when I was left alone with Audrey for a few hours, during which I was able to clean my entire living room! I put away all the video games, dusted and re-hung a few pictures in the process. When they returned home my boys all commented that it actually looked a little more like a grown up house~ Who knew!
Now that I have actually gotten to finish cleaning hopefully the next few weeks will just be light maintenance coupled with a blitz of home improvement projects in preparation for the holidays..Kicked off by our Super Fun Halloween Extravaganza on October 31st.. Let me know if you want to stop by!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
My Favorite Field Trip
Yesterday I got to accompany Drew and Audrey on my most favorite field trip to Kercher's Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch! I was a slightly cool morning but just right for fall fun. The kids had a great time running around with their friends and they are now expert Apple Pickers.
We started off the morning with a Hayride to pick our a gourd out of the patch, then it was onto Apples. I believe this makes 3 years of field tripping out to Kercher's and honestly it never gets old, I love the fact my kids are Apple picking experts, it could be the most adorable thing ever, I remember going as a kid to Wicks Apple House in Michigan and later to Dyers Orchard in Spencer, those are some of my favorite fall memories and I love sharing that tradition with my children. Even at a newly turned 3 Audrey has the whole picking schpeel down. First you"grwab" it in your Hands then you twist it and twist and twist it and twist it until it falls off the tree.. then of course you Eat it! We learned about the different styles of Apple eaters, top down, middle of the roaders, hackers and side winders. Drew is a side winder and Audrey is between a middle of the roader and a hacker.
We concluded the day picking out some pumpkins for carving and enjoying some delicious apple cider. Then after our little trip we got to stop off at Daddy's office and go out for lunch in Downtown Goshen. We dined at the newly opened Kelly Jae's (excellent food but not the most kid friendly) much to Drew's dismay chef Kelly did not have "chicken nuggets" on the menu (maybe we can request she make him up some next time?), He did seem to like her special of the day which was a yummy chicken salad sandwich?
It was a beautiful fall day and lots of fun. Stay tuned for pictures, I forgot the digital so I had to improvise with a disposable.
We started off the morning with a Hayride to pick our a gourd out of the patch, then it was onto Apples. I believe this makes 3 years of field tripping out to Kercher's and honestly it never gets old, I love the fact my kids are Apple picking experts, it could be the most adorable thing ever, I remember going as a kid to Wicks Apple House in Michigan and later to Dyers Orchard in Spencer, those are some of my favorite fall memories and I love sharing that tradition with my children. Even at a newly turned 3 Audrey has the whole picking schpeel down. First you"grwab" it in your Hands then you twist it and twist and twist it and twist it until it falls off the tree.. then of course you Eat it! We learned about the different styles of Apple eaters, top down, middle of the roaders, hackers and side winders. Drew is a side winder and Audrey is between a middle of the roader and a hacker.
We concluded the day picking out some pumpkins for carving and enjoying some delicious apple cider. Then after our little trip we got to stop off at Daddy's office and go out for lunch in Downtown Goshen. We dined at the newly opened Kelly Jae's (excellent food but not the most kid friendly) much to Drew's dismay chef Kelly did not have "chicken nuggets" on the menu (maybe we can request she make him up some next time?), He did seem to like her special of the day which was a yummy chicken salad sandwich?
It was a beautiful fall day and lots of fun. Stay tuned for pictures, I forgot the digital so I had to improvise with a disposable.
New Orleans 2008
It was a fantastic time! I will admit I almost started to miss the kids a little by day 2, honestly I was more worried that they wouldn't get to where they were supposed to be but obviously their grandparents are perfectly capable of handling a little running around. It was good to get away hang out with some friends we don't to see very often and just relax with each other. Brandon and I are coming up on our 9 year wedding anniversary which probably means we've been together at least 11 years but neither one of us are very good at math so who knows what's actually true?
On to New Orleans...
Day 1
We arrived a full day after the other couples we were meeting so by the time we checked into our hotel around noon on Friday they were ready to hit Bourbon street and begin our unofficial pub crawl lead by our fabulous unofficial Tour Guide Mr. Ribble. On Bourbon this takes on a whole ne
w meaning.. There are NO open container laws so basically you can just grab a beer or cocktail to go and be on your merry way to the next bar. We started out sort of in the middle of the street and made our way down through the gay district to what is supposed to be one of the oldest bars in America then we made our way back up the street stopping along the way for food, lots of drinks and Purdue Beads! By this time it was getting a little dark and we were scheduled to go on a Vampire tour that evening so we collectively decided that food was probably a good idea before setting out on a two hour walking tour. Our restaurant choice was the Acme Oyster house to sit for a while and enjoy some Louisiana specialties.. Yum! The Vampire tour was very cool a little more "theatrical" then I thought it would be but I'm so glad we did it. Afterwards we sat for a bit while the boys tried some Absinthe and afterwards we stopped off at possibly one of the worst nudie bars in the world, then it was time for BED! At the conclusion of day one we were worn out! Close to 12 hours of New Orleans on 5 hours of sleep was fun but we crashed fast.
Day 2
Started off with Brandon and I taking a walk to the French Market to find some souvenirs and FOOD! The Market is totally fun, lots of Cheesy stuff it kind of reminded me of Shipshewana only New Orleans style! There was also some pretty cool little places to eat and lots of live music. We walked a lot and finally decided to eat at Jimmy Buffets honestly because it looked like the least wait.. it was good food and a New Orleans spin on the menu made it pretty interesting. By that time our friends were calling us to meet up with the group at Razoo's on Bourbon and cheer on the Boilers! Not sure if anyone noticed but they ended up getting their butts kicked by Notre Dame! The evening gets a bit fuzzy from here but I believe we ate at someplace sort of out of the way and laid back. Then headed out to get our Tarot Cards and Fortunes Read. Our Fortune Teller was about the most bogus guy ever "Jeffery" was really funny! We coughed up $35 because he kept us laughing for a good 45minutes, Although we never learned what our "fates" would be. The evening concluded with more pub hopping and a nice little trip to the grocery store and some relaxation time in the Court Yard of Place D'Armes.
Day 3
Let the Good times Roll! Brandon and I headed out this morning in search of Beinees better known as Fried Doughnuts at the French Market, We also attended Mass at the Basilica in hopes of resolving some of our sins from the debokory of the weekend. It was a beautiful service possibly one of the highlights of the trip for me. After mass we wished our friends a Safe Trip home and began our hike to the WW2 D-day museum. This is not a recommended WALK.. smart tourist would hope on the St. Charles Street Trolley but we figured no one would mug us on a Sunday and we needed some fresh air and exercise. The museum was nice but after seeing about a zillion pictures of casualties I was more then ready to leave it was putting a serious downer on my vacation! Ok for the trip back to Bourbon we hopped on the St. Charles Trolley and headed through the Garden District All the up the Line and Back it was really neat to see that part of the city but a LONG ride. By the time we returned to Bourbon we were STARVING! But still had a little time to stop at the Hustler Store which I would recommend it was really cool! That night we stopped at a BBQ place and ordered the feast for two which we ate possibly a third of it was enormous. We then took the left overs to our hotel and decided to do one last pub crawl before heading back home. While sitting on the balcony of a bar on about my 3rd huge beer, we met another couple who was also out on their own. They were veterans and decided to invite us along for some pub crawling. It was super fun but what little I had of that super platter for dinner found its way back up later that night. I can't say for sure what happened all I know is we managed to end up with TONs of beads? What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans I guess?!?!?
Well that's it we're glad we went and glad to be home. Brandon is ready to go back again but I think I wouldn't be sad if we didn't? There are much less stinky places on my "must see" list :o)
On to New Orleans...
Day 1
We arrived a full day after the other couples we were meeting so by the time we checked into our hotel around noon on Friday they were ready to hit Bourbon street and begin our unofficial pub crawl lead by our fabulous unofficial Tour Guide Mr. Ribble. On Bourbon this takes on a whole ne
w meaning.. There are NO open container laws so basically you can just grab a beer or cocktail to go and be on your merry way to the next bar. We started out sort of in the middle of the street and made our way down through the gay district to what is supposed to be one of the oldest bars in America then we made our way back up the street stopping along the way for food, lots of drinks and Purdue Beads! By this time it was getting a little dark and we were scheduled to go on a Vampire tour that evening so we collectively decided that food was probably a good idea before setting out on a two hour walking tour. Our restaurant choice was the Acme Oyster house to sit for a while and enjoy some Louisiana specialties.. Yum! The Vampire tour was very cool a little more "theatrical" then I thought it would be but I'm so glad we did it. Afterwards we sat for a bit while the boys tried some Absinthe and afterwards we stopped off at possibly one of the worst nudie bars in the world, then it was time for BED! At the conclusion of day one we were worn out! Close to 12 hours of New Orleans on 5 hours of sleep was fun but we crashed fast.Day 2
Started off with Brandon and I taking a walk to the French Market to find some souvenirs and FOOD! The Market is totally fun, lots of Cheesy stuff it kind of reminded me of Shipshewana only New Orleans style! There was also some pretty cool little places to eat and lots of live music. We walked a lot and finally decided to eat at Jimmy Buffets honestly because it looked like the least wait.. it was good food and a New Orleans spin on the menu made it pretty interesting. By that time our friends were calling us to meet up with the group at Razoo's on Bourbon and cheer on the Boilers! Not sure if anyone noticed but they ended up getting their butts kicked by Notre Dame! The evening gets a bit fuzzy from here but I believe we ate at someplace sort of out of the way and laid back. Then headed out to get our Tarot Cards and Fortunes Read. Our Fortune Teller was about the most bogus guy ever "Jeffery" was really funny! We coughed up $35 because he kept us laughing for a good 45minutes, Although we never learned what our "fates" would be. The evening concluded with more pub hopping and a nice little trip to the grocery store and some relaxation time in the Court Yard of Place D'Armes.
Day 3
Let the Good times Roll! Brandon and I headed out this morning in search of Beinees better known as Fried Doughnuts at the French Market, We also attended Mass at the Basilica in hopes of resolving some of our sins from the debokory of the weekend. It was a beautiful service possibly one of the highlights of the trip for me. After mass we wished our friends a Safe Trip home and began our hike to the WW2 D-day museum. This is not a recommended WALK.. smart tourist would hope on the St. Charles Street Trolley but we figured no one would mug us on a Sunday and we needed some fresh air and exercise. The museum was nice but after seeing about a zillion pictures of casualties I was more then ready to leave it was putting a serious downer on my vacation! Ok for the trip back to Bourbon we hopped on the St. Charles Trolley and headed through the Garden District All the up the Line and Back it was really neat to see that part of the city but a LONG ride. By the time we returned to Bourbon we were STARVING! But still had a little time to stop at the Hustler Store which I would recommend it was really cool! That night we stopped at a BBQ place and ordered the feast for two which we ate possibly a third of it was enormous. We then took the left overs to our hotel and decided to do one last pub crawl before heading back home. While sitting on the balcony of a bar on about my 3rd huge beer, we met another couple who was also out on their own. They were veterans and decided to invite us along for some pub crawling. It was super fun but what little I had of that super platter for dinner found its way back up later that night. I can't say for sure what happened all I know is we managed to end up with TONs of beads? What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans I guess?!?!?
Well that's it we're glad we went and glad to be home. Brandon is ready to go back again but I think I wouldn't be sad if we didn't? There are much less stinky places on my "must see" list :o)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hello
Hello everyone,
Well I've said for months I would start blogging for something other then work so here I am!
Its been kind of a big week for us but when are we not "busy" Right?
Monday ni
ght Brandon and I returned from a whirlwind weekend in New Orleans (more on that later). As you can imagine after 4 days apart the kids missed us terribly so it was fantastic timing that Tuesday morning Drew and Audrey were allowed to bring a special person with them to preschool. So off we went for a couple hours of play time with our little sweeties! We spent the morning making puzzle people, Rice Cake faces, and playing parachute games!
The other exciting event in our house this week was Big Brother Alex's 7th birthday on October 1st! We decided not to do a kid party again this year and instead invited the grandparents, Aunt Jenny and Uncle Nick to go out to Hacienda with us for dinner! Talk about fun! Alex's favorite gift was his new RollerBlades (that is until Brandon unpacks and sets up his new backstop in the yard) It's no surprise that our little sports nut is actually not bad at blading even over Grandma Vicky's hardwood floors!
Well I've said for months I would start blogging for something other then work so here I am!
Its been kind of a big week for us but when are we not "busy" Right?
Monday ni
ght Brandon and I returned from a whirlwind weekend in New Orleans (more on that later). As you can imagine after 4 days apart the kids missed us terribly so it was fantastic timing that Tuesday morning Drew and Audrey were allowed to bring a special person with them to preschool. So off we went for a couple hours of play time with our little sweeties! We spent the morning making puzzle people, Rice Cake faces, and playing parachute games!The other exciting event in our house this week was Big Brother Alex's 7th birthday on October 1st! We decided not to do a kid party again this year and instead invited the grandparents, Aunt Jenny and Uncle Nick to go out to Hacienda with us for dinner! Talk about fun! Alex's favorite gift was his new RollerBlades (that is until Brandon unpacks and sets up his new backstop in the yard) It's no surprise that our little sports nut is actually not bad at blading even over Grandma Vicky's hardwood floors!
This week also marked the conclusion of Alex's soccer season, although it wasn't the best one ever, I'd like to think he at least learned a little something about sportsmanship. His team went 0-9 and lost their first tournament game last night. I believe he gets a week off then it will be on to Basketball which he's looking very forward to. And already asking when we're going to buy his new shoes, apparently even at 7 you must have the proper foot attire for each sport!
That's it for this week.. We're glad it's Friday and happy to be heading up the lake tomorrow for a little fall play time.
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