A.Lovely

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

I hope your day is filled with all your favorite things!

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it so cute...easy...happy...perfect for this day!

Had to share the love!

Flower Girl Cottage heart tutorial

Source: flowergirlcottage.blogspot.com via Alicia on Pinterest

cooking dinner...

2012-02-09T08:16:00.001-05:00

A lot of us are in the same boat...we are busy moms who wake up early each day to take care of our families. In my case, I wake up at 5:15am and get my hubby out the door, I usually get on the computer and do something (this blog, email, shop, read news, or nothing particular...it's my ME time!). I wake kiddos about 7 and get them off to school by 8 and head to work by 9. This working away from home is new to me...I have spent the last 12 years of my life being a stay-at-home-working mom and a lot of you continue your work all day at home. Some days, I am amazed when I realize it's already time to think about dinner.

Do you do the whole weekly or monthly menu plan? I try. I also try to not wear my yoga pants when hanging at home, eating lots of yummy chocolate and snacking on chips but it doesn't usually happen...I end up in the same comfy yoga pants, eating junk and racking my brain to figure out what I am feeding my brood that night. Oh the joys!

Some days I am totally prepared. Some days I have the slow-cooker going by 9am. Those are really nice days. The only problem...there are only so many things you can do in a slow-cooker.
(By the way...don't ever do a whole bone-in turkey breast all day in your slow-cooker. You nearly end up with sand paper and funny looks from your family who is wondering what happen to mom's food tonight...not a good thing!)

Most of the time, I find it very relaxing though to sit on my kitchen stool and make a wonderful dinner for my kiddos and their Dad. Last night was one of those night. It wasn't a big deal but I got enough compliments that I thought I would share.

My Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

1 T. oil
1 whole onion, chopped
2 whole carrots, chopped
2 whole celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. sage
1 t. thyme
a little salt
a lot of pepper
8 cups low sodium chicken broth

your fav noodles
2 cups pre-roasted (or rotisserie) chicken, shredded

*using a large pan, add oil to pan. Once the oil is hot, add your onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the sage, thyme, salt, pepper. Now add broth slowly, 1 cup at a time letting it blend in nicely each time, about 1 minute between each cup. Now turn down heat to med low and add your noodles. When noodles are just about done, add chicken. Let sit for a couple minutes. Serve this with croutons, warm cheesy bread, or your favorite grilled cheese sandwich!

I served this with french bread, brushed with olive oil and topped with Swiss cheese. I let them sit in a 350 degree oven for 3 minutes till melted! YUMMY!

This is lunch today!

A quick tip-we like to watch our salt intake in food and the precooked rotisserie chicken you buy at the store are full of salt so I roast a large chicken in the oven every couple weeks. At this point though make sure you DON'T cook it thoroughly...leave it a bit under-done. Then shred the meat and use it in several meals. At that point it wil get thoroughly cooked.

Now...what's for dinner tonight?
The life of a busy mom...one crazy, fun, vicious circle!!!
I am thankful!

Everyone play nice!

2012-02-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

I am glad we are all different.
Let's embrace it and make this world a LOVELY place.
Please be kind to each other!

Source: Uploaded by user via Alicia on Pinterest

13!

2012-02-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

My oldest is now a teen...for some reason this birthday was not just a day or a week...this one kept going and going! Here are some pics of the fun!

Let's celebrate!

Not only is it her bday, it SNOWED! She was super excited!

The kiddos have all made such nice friends since we moved to WG...friends make all things better!

Hi girls!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Katia, Happy Birthday to you!

YUMMY!!!

Presents are awesome...Thanks girlies!

Flowers from M and D!

Happy Birthday K! WE LOVE YOU!

(*I so need a new camera...coming soon!)

I never knew...!

2012-01-30T07:13:00.000-05:00

Some things you might not know about me...

1. I taught myself to sew, crochet, quilt, and embroidery!
2. I love Kansas State University (I quess you might know that if you saw my last blog!)!
3. I met my best friend at Kansas State our freshman year,1987...we started talking and never stoped!
4. I celebrated my 20th Wedding Anniversary in December!
5. My favorite colors are lime green, turquoise, cranberry red and bright pink!
6. I have 2 big sisters whom I adore!
7. I love hanging with my Mom!
8. I love to bake!
9. I love my Honda minivan (thanks biggest Sis!)
10. I am a new lover of yard sales!
11. I am a fabric addict!
12. I love road trips with my family!
13. I read every night before bed!
14. I love a bargain at the Goodwill!

Kansas State University!

2012-01-28T20:19:00.002-05:00

I love Kansas State! I have all my life! I think I might have some purple blood.
My Dad played football for KState in the late 50's and I always knew that I would be a KStater.
There was really no question.

I spent my highschool years going to every football game...when they weren't so good.
I my spent college years going to more football games and lots of basketball games...when the BBall program started being pretty darn good at KState.
Now I am quite a good distance from Manhattan, KS and KState but they are always my favorite. Forever!

I have an unhealthy dislike for the "other" school in the state...wait...what other school?!!!
See?!
My kiddos sometimes get confused about which Kansas school they are supposed to like...so not OK with me! I only say this because I think most of the "other team's" fans have just as unhealthy dislike for KState.

Thanks to the internet, I am watching KState Basketball against Oklahoma, listening/ignoring my kids while they "rough house", doing my blog and finding fun stuff on Pinterest!
Life is good!

and...if I were at the game right now, this is what I would be wearing!!!

Source: polyvore.com via Rechelle on Pinterest

PERFECT, right?!!!!

GO WILDCATS!

I think I get it now!!!

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

So I have mentioned Pinterest a couple times lately and that it's relatively new to me. I just didn't get it at first but I think I am gettin' it now.
So the best way I can explain it is when I am online, say a fabric store, I can "window" shop to my hearts desire and when I see a fabric I like I "pin it" and put it on a board. These boards are "virtual" files of things I love and I can make and label them whatever I want them to be. Now I have kept real files with pages and pages from magazines of great ideas...craft ideas/recipes/decorating ideas/dream home stuff/etc forever. This is just a non-bulky method of doing the same thing.

Pinterest is also great because the picture I "pin" links me back to the page where I found it. This way I can buy it when I am ready. Great idea!

Now I suggest you go lose yourself as I have...Pinterest

Some fun stuff I have found on Pinterest and now WANT!!!!

Source: thehighheeledhostess.com via Alicia on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Alicia on Pinterest

Now for the questions that arise...where can I get it all and how much is it going to cost me?!!!
The green in the second set of pics is awesome!

Happy Thursday and maybe happy pinning/shopping!

Just randomness busyness!

2012-01-25T08:34:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Well I got my fabrics, my machine and my other essentials out and into the family room the other day and all I succeeded in was making a mess. I also gave myself a slight annoyance though because my girls decided I got it all out just for them and that I must have the time now to teach them how to sew.

Oh the joys...breathe, just breathe!

I am actually more busy now than ever and that's ok with me...most of the time.
I do lose it though...just ask the hubby.
I enjoy all of the stuff I am involved in but man the days can be a bit crazy.
K and L are in figure skating lessons and need to practice at least 2 nights a week with their lessons taking a 3rd night.
Z has started Bball and has official practice 1 night a week but wants to practice on his own 2 other nights.
K has yearbook and student council along with all her studies.
Of course that means I am running back and forth to schools, work, the schools again, and then to the rec.

The life and times of a crazy, busy, happy mom!

Back to the old "grind"!!!

2012-01-19T11:58:00.000-05:00

So I am thinking I will get out my fabrics today!
This makes me smile!
I haven't had my stash out in about 8 months and I am looking forward to seeing all those great fabrics once again.
I know it's going to lead to trouble though...

the need (want) to buy new fabric/craft supplies

late nights staying up crafting away

oh well...I will manage!

One thing I found the past couple years is to always have a crochet project going. It's easy to cart around all over the place because all you need is yarn and a hook! Easy enough!
So this has been my latest project...!

Our neighbors are having a baby in March (obviously a girl!) and I wanted to make them a little baby afghan for the car seat/stroller. It's turning out nice.

As you see, I have 3 more squares to do plus I am thinking of doing a few with white on the outside...I just think it needs to be a bit bigger still. Those 3 sticky notes are the 3 I still need to do and the order I want them in. Funny story: One of my kiddos picked these notes up and brought them over to me and said "Mom, what are these?". I over-reacted just a bit...only a bit. It's not like I spent an hour setting these up in the correct order and figuring out what I was missing. I "nicely" said "PUT THEM BACK and STAY AWAY!" Nice and calm! Ha!

These colors make me happy! I LOVE them so much, especially that green and turquoise.

I also need to figure out how I want to finish it off. When I do I will share the masterpiece!

What are you working on? Link up and share!

Attitude!!!!

2012-01-18T07:52:00.000-05:00

Source: zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com via Michael on Pinterest

Back to normal?! Maybe a little...

2012-01-18T07:46:00.001-05:00

Things are starting to feel settled...it feels really good.
As most of you know, we have done a bit of moving the last 2 years. We sadly left our life in Boulder the summer of 2010. Carl's little brother in FL had suddenly and shockingly past away. We arrived in FL thinking we would stay a couple weeks and hang with the family. We had options because Carl was out of work so once those 2 weeks were up we decided that maybe we could make FL work for our family. We got the kids enrolled in school, moved our stuff down (several trips) and started making our new life.
Well...it didn't work out. We loved the beach, being near my In-Laws and the warm weather, but there just was no way to support our family.
And then things changed...for the better! Carl started working for a company in St. Louis
...the bad news...it was in St. Louis and we were finally all moved in and settled in FL. At first he would leave us for a couple weeks at a time, work his butt off, and then drive or fly back to visit a couple/few days and then leave again. It was hard for all of us and just a bit expensive.
The decision was finally made to move to St. L. While I packed up the house in FL with a lot of kiddo help, Carl was back in MO working and trying to find us the perfect community. With a little help from new friends, we found the perfect rental, the perfect town and great schools.
So now we are here! We have a nice, old home (built in the early 1900's-LOVE IT!), our stuff has made it's way from FL, the kids love their schools and have made new friends, Carl's job is going gang-busters, and I have startled back into the working world. I am working part time for the same company as Carl but I work in the accounting dept.
It feels good. I feel like we are getting ourselves back on track. I feel as if we are living in a place that could be home for a long time. We all feel the same way.

We learned a lot a long the way...
1. you don't NEED everything you WANT
2. don't be afraid to try something new
3. it's OK to ask for help when you truly need it
4. it's hard to stick together and tough it out but it feels so good when you succeed
5. have faith that you can MAKE things different
and finally...
6. garage sales are AWESOME!


	Off we go!

2012-01-15T23:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday!

I have found a new thing...some of you probably know this thing...Pinterest.

I have heard people talk about it but didn't know much...still don't know much. All I know is there are a lot of pics and if I like the pics I can "repin" them. If I don't...I don't. Simple right?

My question (ignore my stupidity for a moment)...where are all these pics coming from?
I guess when I am searching the web I can "pin" things that I like. They post to Pinterest and people on Pinterest see them.
Hmmm...seems simple....but who cares? I guess its advertising without paying for it? I am a bit perplexed. I will figure it out though.

It's kindof like how I feel about twitter...why the heck do I need to know what you are doing at this precise moment or why do I need to know the crazy idea you have in your head at this very moment?
I just don't need that info.
Some things I just don't get...don't think i ever will but I will try. I love my simple cell phone, my simple computer, my simple bookmarks...it's hard to change.

I feel like this lady that I ran into once...I was in Hays, KS, making my way back home to Boulder and I stopped in a SuperWalmart and asked this lady where the Starbucks was. It seemed a simple request. She looked at me with disdain in her eyes and said..."We don't have none of that Fancy coffee here".

Hmmm...I am just saying...I feel like I am falling behind the times...I don't have none of that fancy stuff.
I don't have a "smart" phone...I guess mine is a bit stupid but I love it!

What I am finding is that a lot of you out there spend a lot more time surfing the web than I do. A lot of you "window shop" a lot more that I do...and then when you find those "great things" you need to share. I guess it's the old time playgroup where I used to hang with my girlfriends and we would gossip about the lastest this or that. I don't want to do it on a computer though...I like getting together with the girls and chatting up the latest thing.
I miss the good ole' days...thats sad...I sound like my grandma! I loved her dearly but she used to say that to me alot.

Well I will reluctantly follow...eventually. For now...you can check out Pinterest yourself and see some of my pins. See the new button on the side...over there to the right...?! Yup, that one. Click there and start a new adventure!
There aren't too many "pins" as of yet. Maybe more to follow soon. When do you all find the time?!!!

I can't figure out how to put a "pin" on my blog...any ideas? Email me.

Have a great week! Love!!

2012-01-12T08:22:00.005-05:00

Thankful Thursday and...Thirteen!

So just last week I was saying how this is the day to focus on something small that we are thankful for because our kiddos and family are always on the top of all of the list. That's a given...

But today is not going to be about the little things...
Today I am thankful for my new TEENAGER!!! She just appeared...this grownup!

*She is kind!*

*She is loving!*

*She is a good big sis!*

*She is smart!*

*She is stylish!*

*She is silly!*

*She is a good friend!*

*She is talented!*

(*most of the time!!!*)

She is a TEENAGER and she is thrilled about it!

Where did these days go...???

They seem to have just wizzed by...not fair!
...She thinks it's totally fair!

Happy 13th Birthday K!

We love you!

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday!

I have another great TV show to tell you about!
If you haven't heard of the PBS Masterpiece show called "Downton Abbey" then you must check it out.
It's my newest favorite. I mentioned last week I love the show Parenthood...this has all the same stuff, drama, family issue, and humor, but is set in England before and then during WWI. It's a wonderful glimpse into life of privilege that most of us don't really understand too much.

I recently saw an ad for the show's Second season and thought it looked interesting. I checked it out and so enjoyed it. I spent some free time this week catching up on Season 1 which begins when the Titanic sank in 1912. Last night (Sunday) was the premiere of Season 2 but you can easily catch all the episodes any time online at PBS...here is the link.

I just checked...they already have tonight's episode ready to watch! I actually like watching it online...watching it tonight on TV was a bit difficult as there are no commercial breaks. Sitting there for 2 hours without having to get up for something...laundry, kiddos, a snack, potty break...is impossible but then of course you miss something.

And if you just can't get enough info about the show...one of the my favorite blogs called "Hooked on Houses" did a blog just today about the show as well. She shows a bit about the amazing castle where the show is filmed. It's really beautiful. I couldn't even imagine living in a place like that.

Check it out...I think you would enjoy it!

Back soon!

2012-01-05T08:02:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

If you have read my blog for awhile...you know this blog is about random stuff, it's my random blog and Thursday are now Random Thankful Day!

You already all know that I am thankful for family, kiddos, job...

So from now on, when I say Thankful Thursday, just think of those things as a forgone conclusion...I want this to be something random in life that makes this particular day easier.

It's something that I/we might not think about too often or take for granted...for example, Oxygen...I don't think about the fact that I am able to survive on this earth everyday because of O2 (let's keep it clean please, I would like to keep on breathing for many years to come!).

Maybe it's something simple that makes you smile...example...the show Parenthood!!!

Love this show!
I love that it makes me laugh and cry within the hour that its on my TV. It's like an cleanse of all the emotional crap that seems to build up in a week. I hate when they take breaks though...thank goodness they are back with more shows now!

Maybe you are thankful for something that doesn't get used often but you are sure happy you have it when you need it...and that leads me to my thankfulness of the day...health insurance! When you don't have it, it can be stressful, I know this as we didn't have it for a while and we had some major health issues.
Today I need to make an appointment for my littlest for new glasses...the glasses I blogged about last year around this time. Yes, her and I together lost her glasses. I think what happened was she decided to use a new backpack a couple months ago and I decided to donate the old one to Goodwill without checking to make sure it was completely empty. Some body at Goodwill got some very cute purple prescription glasses and I now need to replace them! Oh the joys! Last year though this was a bit of a strain for us, this year, not so much, thank you job and Anthem/Blue Cross!

I wonder if she will choose purple again...???!!! I will let you know!

2011-12-31T20:58:00.003-05:00

Oh my...has it really been this long since my last post?!
Are we here...at 2012 already?
Why does time go so slow when we want it fast and so fast when we want it slow?
Why are my kiddos so old already?
Why am I always perplexed by this?

Last year C and I said we were going to make this year different...we accomplished that and I am so proud of us. We started off in the beautiful state of FL where we found that for us, it's the perfect place to visit. We all missed winter, snow and wearing our long johns. I can't wait to visit my Family-in-Law again and hang out on Anna Maria Island...love that place!
We have settled in our new hometown, a suburb of St. Louis. I love it! It's a college town that has remained small with a large city all around it. The schools are really great and my kiddos love it. That is really all I could ask for. Carl has a great job although a bit stressful at times. I have also started working again. Carl's company needed some help in the office so they offered me some great part-time work. I love getting out and having a bit of an intellectual challenge to add to my busy Mom-life...although I must say the geometry my 7th grader is bringing home has proven to be a challenge all over again...ugh...I was never great at math.

So here are some highlights from last year...Enjoy!

The Byars visit to FL!

The Fam at Myaka State Park!

Carolyn's Bon Voyage Party for her 4 month Cruise around the World!

Carolyn's completed journey! We followed her via this map and her itinerary the entire way!

Carolyn telling the kiddos about an adventure on her trip and the kiddos have on some of their goodies Baba brought home with her!

Carl up in the tree dropping yummy FL mangoes in our backyard!

Us!

One of my favorite pics! Friends are great!

Eating at Anna Maria Island Pier restaurant with G and G!

Kids night out with Dad! Fishing in Palma Sola Bay!

My big sisters and nephew Daniel came to visit!

On Anna Maria Island Pier once again...one of our favorite spots!

Katia's orchestra concert!


After packing up and leaving FL, kiddos and I were on a big road trip! Our first stop was to visit Carl in MO and see our new hometown. Then it was off to WY to hang out with Gram and Gramps Osborne and friends in CO!

My best buds! Can't ask for a better bunch of girlfriends!

Love and miss ya Scill!

Zander on bottom holding up Gabe...his BF!

"The Cruncher" strikes again! Zander loves this...he begs Gramps for the cruncher!

In WY on M and D's property!

At Grams and Gramps Osborne!

Campfire with friends!

The lake below G and G's...their house is behind the big rock at the center-top of picture!

Our new home!

First day of school 2011!

Celebrating Carl's b-day at Johnson's Shut-ins!

Yes, we now live in the beer capital of the US...StL...home of Anheiser-Busch!

The Andrew's visit to MO...poor Eleanor really had a great time...just didn't want to leave I guess!

Halloween!

Zander at 5th grade music performance!

Moving our stuff all in! Yay!

Thanksgiving in Chicago with Big Sis Lori and her family, G and G too!

Thanksgiving in Chicago..."grab a weapon" says Daniel when we walked in the door! They were out the door and having a blast! Big cousins are AWESOME!

20th Anniversary!!!!!!

The Fam!

At the Arch! me, Grams, Z, K, L and Gramps

Cool pic Aunt D!

...and the stocking were hung by the chimney with care!

At Steinberg Rink in Forest Park! This was FUN!

Saying goodbye to G and G...Christmas 2011 was great fun!

Love!

We had a great 2011 and can't wait to see what 2012 brings to all of us!
We are so fortunate for all that we have and by this I mean friends and family.
There isn't a day that I don't think of all of you and feel blessed!
Peace and Love!

Alicia

New Fav Thing!!!

2011-09-22T13:00:00.001-04:00

I have found a new love. I know I am slow to find this love. I guess I was never patient enough before.

GARAGE/YARD/TAG SALES!!!
Whatever you call them, I am an addict.

So we have moved once again and have not been able to get our stuff up here yet (so pricey!) so we have had to buy a few things to get us through. You know things like a comfy chair, a table to eat at...you know, so we aren't sitting on the (awesome) hard word floors eating breakfast etc. We have found so many great things and I am thrilled.
Here is my new comfy chair...it's from Lord and Taylor furniture and is nearly new. The lamp ($5) is also new and in really great shape.

Our new dining room table and 4 chairs from World Market! The lady with the above chair also had this table...she had good taste!

We have also been lucky and found some free stuff just sitting out waiting to be given a new home... these wicker tables I will eventually paint and use them outside or in the girls' room but for now they are very handy in the L.Room. The futon pad (temp. couch) my neighbor found and gave us.

My neighbor also scored this sewing machine table w/ a great sewing machine and chair! Her daughter's GS troop had a GSale (I didn't know about this one) and these items didn't get purchased. She brought it all home for me! Ohhhh, I also love my new neighbor!

The top of the sewing table folds out and to the left. The sewing machine lays under and you fold it up to use. The chair had an awful tweed fabric and I recovered it this week. So great now!

I also found these pillows...love them so much...Just my style and the perfect colors!

My entire family love the garage sales...hubby was the one getting me going last Saturday by making the pot of coffee and the kiddos always grab their wallets.

Some of our other scores...
Washer/Dryer...also from the woman with the chair and table. They aren't shiny and new but they wash clothes perfectly!

and....
K and L have found lots of very cute clothes
Z found a new bike for $10!!!

Each Friday our little local and FREE newspaper comes out and they have a great list of garage sales. I map it all out with the maps app on my hubbies iphone and we are set to go!

A great way to start the weekend!

What will I find this weekend? I will let you know...

Girl Scouts!

2011-09-16T10:59:00.001-04:00

My littlest is officially a Brownie GS and she couldn't be happier about it. She was so excited to be asked to join the troop and didn't hesitate. Of course I thought there might be a bit of hesitation because we are new to this school but no, not one bit of thought required.
We went to the GS store the day before the first meeting and she got her garb needed to be "official". Of course that was a lot of the fun...shopping! As we still don't have a lot of our stuff from FL, I borrowed my neighbors iron and got those patches on good and tight. I would prefer to sew them but for now they seem to be holding good.

She was easy to wake this morning...I told her the sash was ready to go and she JUMPED out of bed to get dressed and put it on.

Her troop is big...29 girls but there are 4 leaders and they seem to be extremely organized. They work on a badge at every meeting and there is even a back yard camp-out coming up in a week or so.

The above, first pic was taken pre-hairbrushing as sissy pointed out to us. "Lili you really need to brush your hair". So I had to take a second...

Now we were pure Brownie perfection! Can you tell she is excited?! I sure can!

To help us Remember...

2011-09-15T16:00:00.000-04:00

A group of volunteers here in St. L put together a very touching memorial to help us all remember those people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Its was really an amazing sight and put into real, hands-on meaning just how many people were affected that terrible day.


This location is Art Hill in Forest Park and the large building is the St. Louis Art Museum.

Each flag was numbered and labeled with the name of a person who died that day, a picture (if avail.), their age, where they worked, and where they died...in the Twin Towers, one of the 4 airplanes, or the Pentagon.

Hearing all those flags wave was such an experience...very chilling reminder of what those people heard that day. The shadows on the ground also made me think of the person who is no longer here on earth with their family.

It was a wonderful honor to be there and celebrate those that lost their lives on 9.11.01. I applaud those that had this idea...it was perfectly fitting.

My thoughts...

2011-09-12T11:40:00.001-04:00

It's been 10 years since the attacks on 9.11...hard to believe. It still feels like yesterday and I wasn't directly affected. It was an awful feeling of helplessness. I can't imagine what the families of all those innocent victims must have felt while they were talking to their family member on the phone or watching it on the TV.

We all have the stories of where we were that sad day. I too have my story. I had just had my 2nd child and had been home from the hospital only a few days. My mom was still in town helping out. My husband called from work and said I must turn on the TV. We sat there stunned as that 2nd place flew into the 2nd tower and spent that day watching the events unfold.

Our country came together in those days. We were a team. There were none of the usual differences whether they be political, religious, cultural, or ethnic. All these differences were put aside and we were one. It's not like that today. We seem to be so focused on defining ourselves in terms of those differences.

We all want what is BEST for our country, BEST for our citizens. We may not agree on how to go about it but I choose to stay positive. I liked being part of a team. Lets get back to that.

If we haven't learned anything but hatred and fear, then we have lost.

Happy Fall...or at least it feels like Fall today here in MO!

2011-09-09T14:47:00.003-04:00

These were all taken from our house in CO which we miss but we are loving our new home in MO!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and GO WILDCATS!!!!

Forest Park, St. Louis

2011-09-07T13:50:00.002-04:00

So far my favorite place in St. Louis is Forest Park. Well I guess my second favorite...our house is pretty great too.

Forest Park is the second largest municipal park to Central Park in NYC. It was the home to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition otherwise know as the 1904 World's Fair. It was a spectacular event for it's day. The first weekend we were here in St. Louis, the kiddos and I headed to the local library, got our new library cards and I checked out 2 different books about the Fair. The second weekend we toured Forest Park and St. Louis Zoo (within the park).

I am including a link for a website from the Missouri History Museum. They did a big exhibit in 2004 to celebrate the Centennial of this grand event. Here is the link if you're interested...1904 World's Fair.

A few interesting facts I discovered...

1. most of the "Palaces"-12 in all-were built for the fair were temporary and an agreement was made to have the park returned to it's original form afterwords.

2. only 2 buildings remain in the park today from the Fair...the Art Museum, and the Flight Cage.

3. the large Ferris wheel or "Observation Wheel" (36 cars total and each held 60 people) built for the fair was dynamited afterward and buried on site...such a shame...it's was a cool structure. There is a pic on the site I included.

4. the Fair lasted 215 days, 18,317,457 people attended, and it cost $31,500,000.

Here is a far away view of the Art Museum...not great as they are doing some major remodeling but you definitely get a scope of how large Forest Park is as this is a small section.

That is a very big concert tent on the other side of the pond or Great Basin as it's named. I believe that was there for the fair too.

Here is the Flight Cage


right outside the entrance


From the inside

So great!

Inside the cage is this cool "porthole"...I love the look I captured.

The cage remains at the St. Louis Zoo and the intention of it's design was to feel as if you are walking through a bird cage. It's filled full size trees and many birds. It's very cool.

Oh...here is one other pic. The building is called the Jewel Box and I believe it was built in the 1930's. I love this building. It's a very large greenhouse and is magnificent!

Such a lovely day too!

If you visit, leave me a comment! I love comments!

Looking back...

2011-09-06T11:20:00.000-04:00

Today is Tuesday, September 6th and I have been doing a bit of reflection this morning. Lili is home with me today...a bit of a cold...the sudden chill here in MO isn't helping. We decided to hit up the library for some books to read and movies to watch while we chill out together today.
So...
It's been quite a year and I am liking where we have ended up.
The kiddos also seem to be very happy. Its amazing how much that matters. I didn't realize how much stress I was carrying last year just because I knew the kiddos were unhappy. It's so much different now. Their schools are wonderful, the teachers are amazing, they all have lots of friends and they are getting involved. Lili is joining the G.Scouts, Zander will be doing sports (not sure which yet), and Katia is in Yearbook, Orchestra and Student Council. Go Kids!
I have already gotten acquainted with several women from Lili's class mostly but will soon be active with the PTO's. So far, the minute I say we are new here the conversation gets started and everyone is so excited to share whatever they feel I need to know. I LOVE IT!
C's job is constantly keeping him busy and that is a great thing. He loves the challenge and feels he can really be a great asset to the company. We don't get to see him a lot during the week but at least we are all together at night and not in 2 separate states.
Sometimes when things seem hopeless you just have to keep plugging away. We did that. It was tough at times but we did it. Things are not always perfect, some decisions are not always the best but you can't throw in the towel and give up. I am proud of us! We did it and I am thankful!

Happy First week of September!

Fun was had by all!!

2011-08-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

Exploring St. Louis has been really fun! I am loving all the little, quaint neighborhoods and old areas of the city. There are so many ethnic neighborhoods and can't wait to explore them all...I am excited about the food in each one too! The big city seems to be filled with all these small "cities" and the people who live in these smaller areas are very proud of them and all feel they are "the" place to live. I am loving our area as well but have really enjoyed seeing all these great parts of the whole.

This weekend however, we headed out to the country. It was a state park called Johnson's Shut-ins (a shut-in being a part of a river where it seems to shut down by rock or other obstruction). This Shut-in was caused by erosion and massive boulders. Totally cool, totally dangerous...kiddos loved it!

I loved this part of the river...just a nice lazy river!

Not too bad...right?

This is where it starts getting a little more dangerous...dangerous in the since that these are huge, slippery boulders. The water was so slow moving really and it was very shallow but the rocks were SO slippery.

I know, believe me when I say the picture makes it seem much worse. HOLD ON!!!

This is when I got a bit more nervous...

It's a bit hard to tell but these 2 pics show K and Z each jumping off of a boulder around 5 feet into a deep section between the rocks. Yikes! They LOVED every minute of it!

We had a great time! It was a warm MO day and another one of those places we can say we did (and don't have to do again)!

Happy Birthday C!

The new/old digs!!!

2011-08-24T11:53:00.001-04:00

We are here!
We are somewhat settled (kids are in school and I have a roof over my head!)
We are all loving our new home, our community and the people we have met
I have lots to update you on but I know you want to see our new old house!
Here it is!

Our side!


It is much bigger than it looks...way bigger than our house in CO with wood floors everywhere, a basement, an attic and 2 main floors! We are loving it!


The view from the street! Our neighbor is a nice guy, and the house on the left (just see a corner of it) is another duplex with 2 great families!

What do ya think? I think it will be great once I get a chance to decorate and add my touch!

I am also loving the St. Louis area! It's a well established community with so many quaint towns that surround the main city. We did some garage sales last weekend and what a great way to explore the area plus everyone is so welcoming! I can't wait to show you all more...just you wait!

It's been a while...again!

2011-08-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know I have not disappeared and will soon be back to my normal life once again.

We are getting settled in St. L. and really loving our new community.

So far we have done...
St. L Arch...check
Forest Park...check check
St. L. Zoo...check check check

We love our new house but don't yet have cable or internet so I am REALLY loving my city library. Soon I will and will be inundated you with lots of new photos of everything.

Love to all and Happy First days of School to all my Mom friends!

So Proud!

2011-06-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

So I must brag a little about my Sister-in Law!
The story starts like this...
I taught myself to crochet about 2 years ago and I became hooked (no pun intended!). I tried to teach my own girls how to crochet but it hasn't quite sunk in yet and that's ok...I am 41 and it just sunk in for me. This past Christmas my Sister-in Law said she really wanted to learn so I gave her the book that worked for me, a hook and some encouragement...never did I think I was creating the next crochet phenom. She tried it, got frustrated, tried it again, got a little less frustrated, tried again and she got it! I am so proud!!!

Here is her lastest project...Look at this...AMAZING! Remember she has just been doing this for 6 months!

How great is that?!!!

I love the different sides...perfection!

I have known this amazing woman since she was 7 yrs old and we have always been close. When C and I started dating she became my own little sis, the one I always wanted. She is really so special to me and my family and I was thrilled she asked me to help her learn something that I love to do myself. I am also so proud that she didn't give up and now has a lifelong hobby that fills her with lots of joy.

Awesome Sis!
Love!

Mom, we LOVE summer but hate being bored...

2011-06-28T15:57:00.001-04:00

I remember those days...i tell my kiddos they are lucky to have each other..."when I was a kid... (blah, blah, blah)"

So we have been doing a lot packin' up and hangin' out. We have also been doing some math, journaling, and reading...which also brings about some complaining too. The majority of the time they appreciate having me give them some work that they must complete and then move on with their day. Today, not so much agreement to the idea. I just keep telling them I can't have their brains turn to mush...that would really be gross and to that I get "the eye treatment" as my Dad so lovingly calls it. You know, the rolling of the eyes that our generation started when we were teens and now have to endure. The problem is I was the one who taught it to them as I still do it and I must say I am a great teacher. The do it so well, especially my preteen. Oh the joys.....

We have also been TRYIN' to get to the beach. The weather has not been very cooperative. I guess a lot of people have been dealing with the same thing and not just here. The thunderstorms are horrendous lately. So I guess we will just keep on packin', hangin' and homework and when we finally get to the beach it will be an even better treat!

Happy Summer!

Grateful for...

2011-06-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

1. Hubby-he has a new job and is having to work mega hours
2. Kiddos-helping me pack the house, putting up w/ my moodiness and still smiling
3. my Family- for always showing me their unending love and support
4. my minivan-for getting my hubby back and forth safely
5. boxes and packing tape- it's the little things that help you make big changes
6. my current book-always a nice escape
7. morning coffee ('s and afternoon too)-what would I do without you?
8. OWN-Thank you Oprah for always providing quality TV anytime of the day
9. nightly prayer-a time to give thanks
10. sleep-you don't always appreciate something until it evades you

Our weekend!

2011-06-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

The weekend is here...yea...what are you doing?

Tonight we have free tickets for a minor league baseball team, the Marauders. It's the minor league team for the Pittsburgh Pirates and is right here in our town. Very Fun! K has a sleepover with a friend so I am minus 1 kiddos...I don't really like that. I like my kiddos with me but I know know she will have a great time. I hate that I can't hold on forever.

Tomorrow will be a hang out day...swim in the pool, maybe bbq, watch Nascar (go Carl Edwards!)

Sunday we are headed to MOSI, museum of science and industry, in Tampa. My MIL gave us a family membership for Christmas. The kiddos are so psyched...I am too actually. I have heard awesome things about it.

What are you up to this weekend? Whatever it is...HAVE FUN!!!


JUST HANGIN' OUT!

Books, Books, Books!!!

2011-06-01T14:11:00.000-04:00

I love Books! Do you love books? I always have a book I am reading. I carry a book with me wherever I go...you never know when I might be sitting somewhere waiting for someone or something and have a few minutes to catch a few more pages. Some might say that I am escaping reality a bit and they might be right...who cares?!
A couple years ago, I started to write down all the books I read. If you are anything like me, I forget what I have read and what a book was about (I call it "mommy memory"). Once I start a new one I forget a lot of the details of the last one only because I get so in the next. Because of my "mommy memory" I started keeping a little journal where I write down the books I have completed, the author and a brief summary of the plot. This helps...a lot. I also started using a great website called goodreads.com...I highly recommend it...helps keep track of book you have read, books you want to read and books you are currently reading, and recommends great new books to read. You can also link up through facebook, find your friends and send out your own recommendations, do your own review of a book, and set reading goals. I am happy to say through goodreads.com I set a reading goal of 15 books for 2011...I just completed my goal! This seems quite exciting to me as I have 3 kiddos and love to watch tv...this can cause issues with getting books completed but I did it! Yea me!

Here is my most recent favorite...I just finished this book today...A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. You can check out my other recent books (some good, some bad) with the little widget on the right side of my blog...just scroll down a bit and you will see it...maybe they will be one of your favorites. You can read about it here and then maybe sign up for your own Goodreads account. It's so worth it!

I also must say that I LOVE the library. This has been an acquired love...I used to love Barnes&Noble but when things got a bit tough financially for our family I couldn't afford to buy books like I used to. I knew I still needed/wanted to read so I had to use the library. Thank goodness for the establishment of libraries! I still go to B&N but for a whole different reason (to their dismay)...I go there when I need to run away (all you moms understand this), get my Starbucks Venti Skinny Caramel Machiatto, grab my notebook out of my bag and browse. When I find a book I want to read I write it down along with the authors name. I run home, check the library's online catalog and find out whether they have the book and grab it up if they do! It's like finding a treasure! The other great thing about the library...books are due by a specific time...you must get them done an turn them back in. If you have too have kiddos and like to watch tv, this due date can be very motivational.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!

So the kiddos and I are headed to the library in just a bit with my Mom In Law (cookies, milk and tea to follow at Baba's!). This makes for a good day...I have 3 kiddos who love to read nearly as much as I and love to get new books. Off we go...!

Family!

2011-05-31T10:20:00.001-04:00

Family connection is really so amazing. I am always so happy to see what happens when my family gets together year after year...how the kiddos always just begin right where they left off. They just know family, they know who loves them nearly as much as their own Mom and Dad. Even when they were babies, they knew. They feel that amazing connection instantly every single time...no nervousness, no pretense, no getting to know each other again. It's family and it's so special.

My 2 big sister's and my youngest nephew came down to visit us in April (during my blog break!) and as always it just happens. I thought maybe with our move to FL and this new environment things might be different. It wasn't. It was so fun as it always is. We talked, we ate, we watched kiddos swim, we hit the beach, we talked more...just like always.

The cousins!

Daniel is now in high school and my younger kiddos might drive him crazy at times but I think he has a lot of fun too. My kiddos adore their cousin!

Love you guys!

On Anna Maria Island City Pier...happy hour! Hubby and biggest sis chatting away, middle sis taking pics, and all the kiddos hanging out! This is one of my favs!

And it's definitely not limited to just direct family...I am lucky enough to have a bestie that I consider my 3rd sister and it always happens with her kiddos too. We walk in their door, the kiddos find each other and disappear...not to be seen again until us Mom's decide we had better feed them. As soon as that's done though they are off again.

I am so thankful for my Family...they are amazing! LOVE!

In Memory...

2011-05-30T15:38:00.000-04:00

I am thinking of you today...
Grandpa Grover, Grandma Viola, Grandpa Olin, Grandma Elsie, Father-in-Law Slavko and Brother-in-Law Michael...You are all missed very much!

Love!

Baba's back!!

2011-05-27T13:05:00.000-04:00

As some of you might remember, I mentioned a while back that my MIL had left on a world cruise for 4 months. She was so thrilled to go but knew that she would miss us all terribly. She did and we missed her a lot too but she had an amazing trip.

She is back now and had a fabulous time! Her visited so many cool places and took thousands of pics (literally)...Chile, Easter Island, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, United Arab Emirants, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, and Spain to name a few.

Here is the map we used at home to follow her along on this journey. You can't make out all the specifics but you get a great perspective.

She made some new friends, saw many amazing sights she had always wanted to see, and got 4 months to put her life and our world into a whole new perspective.

As always, she brought home lots of treasures for us to enjoy. As she put it, shopping for these things helped her think of us while she was so far away. The kids loved all their stuff!

Belly dancer outfits for the girls! Halloween costumes-check!

Baba must be telling them some amazing story...L's face is hilarious!

She is such a great MIL and I am so very thankful that she took the time to do this for herself.

You deserved every minute of it Carolyn! Love!

Time flies...

2011-05-26T15:07:00.000-04:00

So where does the time go...? It is now the end of May and it's been a month since I last posted again. There are reasons for this.
Last year was a big year for our family. We moved from our home of 18 years to a new and different "world". As I have learned over the last year, we lived in a little utopia. Everyone it seemed was a friend, the parents all had the same values and beliefs, the kids were well behaved, respectful, and happy, we had easy access to bike trails that took us anywhere we wanted to go, and a small suburb of a larger town that both had very little crime. We miss it...a lot.
Sometimes it's a bit too much and it's hard for me to write. Being down is something I don't have a lot of experience with. I have always been a very positive person and been able to see the proverbial glass half full and not half empty. But this has been rough.
I have not been myself. I hope to get back to myself soon.
The other thing I have realized was the minute I had followers the desire to blog disappeared. This is very strange because this is what I so wanted from the day I started blogging. I wanted people to read my blog, like it, and comment about it...everyday. The minute you all did that was the minute I didn't want to do it anymore.
Thanks to Oprah's finale yesterday, I think the problem was I felt I didn't have anything worthy to say and the validation I was receiving from you was not deserved. (What are we all going to do without Oprah?!)

I have said before that I want to use this blog as a place to share with friends and family, as if we are sitting on the couch just sharing our lives, the good stuff and the bad.

Our Royal Wedding Watch Party!

2011-04-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

Here is what we were doing at 6am ET...

and we loved every minute of it!

I have such fond memories of watching the wedding with my mom in 1981 and am thrilled that my girls and I got to share this experience again but with my own girlies!

She looked amazing! They both looked so happy! It was so fantastic!
Did you watch?
I am a bit tired today but it was so worth it!
LOVE!

Back??!

2011-04-28T14:28:00.000-04:00

I am back...I think.

I can't believe it was mid-March since I last posted . It has been a nice break. It was a much needed break. I don't like to be too personal on my blog because I like keeping my family's privacy in mind but I been focusing on me, the hub and my kiddos for a while.

To say this past year has been difficult is an understatement but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I learned many lessons...what matters most in life is family, good health mentally and physically and...groceries. I felt a bit dishonest about my posts when I would post all the lovely pics of the beach and the fun we were having (on one hand) and then not sharing the more difficult side of life (the other hand). I don't think I ever want to use this as a dumping ground for my struggles but I do want to be more honest...when I'm having a rough day I want to share that too. I don't want there to be someone out there struggling and read my blog and leave thinking that all is just perfect.

There have been times when I have finished reading someone's blog feeling so completely down. I would either be jealous that I am not able to live my life like they are, sad that I could not run out and buy this or that thing, or outright mad that they do not appreciate the fact that they CAN go buy all this great stuff or make these incredible crafts. The whole blogging thing had become very discouraging.

So I must make it a real account of my life. Good and bad days, pretty and ugly days! We all have them and it's okay to share them.

When my kiddos were little, I was in a weekly playgroup. That day was the best day of the week sometimes. We would all arrive at whomever's house, the kiddos would all congregate somewhere together and us moms would sit around the family room, the dining table or kitchen island with coffees in hand and share anything and everything...that is what I want this blog to be. A play date! I would love you to join...but you must be honest too...it goes both ways!

Be Back soon!

2011-03-14T10:26:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Been a bit "away" from blogging. All is good just taking a "Spring" break...all you mom's know what I mean.
Love!

Grandma and Grandpa!

2011-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Visit #2: G and G came to visit and we had such an great time. They arrived a day early and stayed a day longer (for them, that is amazing!) and we filled our days.
We now live very far away from them but we live in a place that is great to visit in Winter and I am hoping they will take advantage of that and stay a lot longer during those freezing winters that WY endures.

Some of the fun...
Day 1-Friday, hanging at home

C getting oranges from the tree in backyard!

Thanks Aunt Lori and Daniel...these guys loved the goodies G and G brought!

Earning a little $! Quote of the day, "Grandpa, I charge $3 but I also accept tips!" The girl knows what she's doing!

Day 2-Myaaka State Park and Siesta Key Beach

Visitors must go to Myaaka State Park!

They were finally out and they were everywhere! We saw so many this time. Very cool!

Siesta Beach...the kiddos made this incredible volcano and used their swim tubes to make it work! Very, very cool!

I love this picture!

Day 3 was spent at home watching the Daytona 500! I was so into the race that I forgot to take some pics...it was a really fun race. I am a new Nascar fan!

Day 4-our favorite place Anna Maria Island!

Anna Maria Island City Pier...celebrating 50 years!

G and G!

Enjoying Happy Hour at the AMI City Pier Restaurant! Thanks Gramps!

Happy Kiddos!

Day 5

We had a wonderful visit! I hate saying goodbye...so it's so long for now!

Yea me!!!

2011-02-28T10:05:00.004-05:00

I got an award! I am very excited about it and I have this lovely, "Crazy Mom" to thank for it!
Thanks Lori at Chronicles of a Crazy Mom!

I don't want to keep it to myself...I am going to pay it forward. I do this blogging thing because it's a an important connection to my family and friends back home and frankly, it's cheap therapy but when other bloggers acknowledge your work, it feels really good.

So I want to...

Thank and link back to the person who gave me this award... Crazy Mom Lori

Share 7 random things about myself...just because... (check!)

1. I love anything to do with sewing and I taught myself to embroider and crochet this year

2. The library is one of my favorite hangouts...one can never have enough books to read

3. Parenthood (the show) is must-see TV

4. I firmly believe that you can never have too much Chocolate

5. I love to scuba dive w/ my hubby

6. Coffee is a wonderful way to begin the day

7. I dream of opening a yarn/fabric shop

Pay it forward to other great bloggers and let these bloggers know how much I enjoy their blogs! (check!)

Stylish (lovely) Blogs!

1. Family Secrets

2. Sit a While

3. Reinvented

4. Haute Mom

5. Queen of our Castle

6. Crystal Jigsaw

7. Raising Little Women

8. Saved By Love

I so enjoy the company I keep with these and so many other bloggers out there in the WWW. I just want you to know I appreciate your time spent sharing you life, loves, heartaches, families, etc. Women are great! We listen, we share and we support each other any way we can. When my kiddos (ages 12, 10,7) were little my Mom's club group was an important part of my week. The kiddos came along and got to play but it was us Mom's who really got the most out of our time together and this is what I get from blogging.

Now go check out these ladies and their lovely blogs!

Cheers Bloggy Ladies!

Fun was had by all!

2011-02-23T11:27:00.001-05:00

We have had some visitors the last few weeks. I so love visitors and it seems FL is a bit more appealing than CO was...especially when the snow is falling up North!

Visit #1: A couple weeks back our great friends from CA came with their 2 girly girls!

Swimming in the "warm" pool! S was a good sport.

At the Siesta Key Beach...known for it's amazing white sand. It was a bit chilly this day but that never slows the kiddos or dampens the fun!

Requisite sand castle building!

This is sweetie pie #1!

...and sweetie pie #2! I loved getting to hang with these little girls. I miss little girls...my girls are getting so big!

The wind was surprisingly wimpy at the beach so S's kite didn't work this day but we took it to the park a couple other times and LOVED it. The kiddos all handled it great and I got a turn...so cool. We definitely need one of these

All the boys and girls!

C and S have been buds since elementary school and when we all get together it's just hanging out with family. We are lucky to have many friends that we consider just a part of our family.

Thanks S, M, M and S for making the trek our way...we loved it!

I am so thankful for our friends and family and we can't wait to see who else will come visit us. I know of a few visitors already...yea!!!

Wednesday...

2011-02-16T10:13:00.001-05:00

It's already Wednesday and I have been a bit absent from the computer world.

I have had a bit of a chest cold...quite annoying!

Not much going on in our world today...I will sew a bit, talk with my hubby, kiddos come home early (every Wednesday!), hang out, make dinner, you know, the normal things but it feels good to be out of my room/bed and feeling more like my normal self.

What are you up to today?

Glad to be back!
A

Family Secrets...a blog definitely worth checking out!

2011-02-10T09:59:00.002-05:00

Today I want to fill you in on a great blog. The blog is done by my amazing friend who I have been lucky enough to know now for 24 or so years. She is a lovely woman, an amazing mom and wife, the best friend anyone can ever have, and a wonderful counselor to families and kiddos in her community and around. She is opinionated, funny, sarcastic, and loving all at the same time. Her job can be difficult as she works with families in very hard situations and with kiddos who's parents are not always the best. But she does it with grace and dignity and really has some amazing insights to share. She posts little tidbits almost daily to help us all appreciate our kiddos through all their troubles and reminds us all why we wanted those little people in the first place. I find myself remembering what I read from her blog that morning and it helps me get through the day sometimes. I am lucky enough to be able to call and chat with her as often as I want but now you can get her wise words yourself.

Family Secrets
...from her blog

Meet Shana
Shana Schmidt ~ ms lpc is the founder and owner of Just Kids & Some Babies, LLC. and has been serving families and professionals for over 15 years.
After completing her master’s degree in counseling, Shana found a niche working with families who struggle to manage day-to-day activities and pressures. Shana has worked in community mental health, addictions counseling, foster care, and early childhood emotional development.
Shana’s passion for work with families brings a unique spin on typical. Never before have families had the opportunity to share secrets about the children they have both been blessed to nurture.
Through her own experiences raising children and living life Shana has learned that humor is the best medicine when dealing with typical behaviors, however love is the driving force behind teaching a new skill to replace unwanted behaviors.

We all need a little support every once and awhile and her blog does that. Plus, you can email her with questions or thoughts anytime and she is more than happy to give you her opinion.
So go on...go check her out...you can thank me later!

A good book...

2011-02-09T13:40:00.001-05:00

There are a few things I really enjoy in my little world that are all for me. I love to sew, I love to embroider, I love to do my blog, I love to bake, and I love a good book.
I don't devote a lot of time to reading...it's mostly at night when I am tired and ready to go to bed. I usually read for those few minutes before I fall asleep. Some nights that takes quite a while and some nights I get only about 5 pages read before my eyes are closing. I seem to fall victim to the tv at night. I have only a hand full of shows that I really enjoy watching but I can usually find something interesting with all the channels that we have. Once kiddos are off to bed, I should always just go to my book and start reading but a lot of times I turn on that TV and I am sucked in for at least a couple hours and then too tired to read anything.

I get my books at the library. I love going to the library and coming home with a bag full of books!

Some of my favorite books...
The Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Beach House by Jane Green
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Some of my favorite authors are also listed above but again...
Elin Hilderbrand
Jane Green
Kristin Hannah
John Jakes
James Patterson
Nancy Thayer
Jennifer Weiner
Luanne Rice
Nicholas Sparks
Elizabeth Berg
Elizabeth Strout

I must say I am not a picky reader...I love whatever is current and popular and like the books to be fun, quick and smart.

Some of you might want to find me on Goodreads.com It's a fun website where you list the books you have read or are reading and can comment and rate them and this is shared with you friends. Here is the link! Come find me! Goodreads.com

This is what I am currently reading...
The Lake House by James Patterson

What are you reading? Who are your favorite authors? Let me know what books you loved!

Happy Reading!

Now we have crazy kids!

2011-02-04T11:43:00.000-05:00

So you might remember just the other day I was talking about the crazy rain we were having...well now the kiddos have lost it. Seriously.

Here's the issue...we have friends visiting this week and in preparing for the visit, we made sure the pool was "ready" to go. You know, cleaned and pretty. It obviously way too cold to swim...at least that's what I thought.

I was so wrong!

Wahoo! Yippee! The pool is ready!

C had been working on the pool for the past few days. I guess he is a bit more in tune with the child he used to be because he kept saying that they would all love it. I couldn't imagine wanting to swim. There are solar panels on the roof that helps warm the pool water but we haven't used them as they needed a bit of attention. When we started this whole thing the pool was 61 degrees. It is now 68 degrees and according to kiddos, ready to go!

Or almost!

He looks like he's having fun right?!

They said they were doing water aerobics...I think they were just trying to stay warm. I think they last about 10-15 minutes.

L-"This is awesome mom!" Me-"It looks awesome honey!"

I know a lot of you are freezing where you are and I hope this only brings you hope for an early spring!! That is what Phil predicted!

Stay Warm! Stay Safe! And may we all remember what it's like to be a kid!

For your sweet valentine!

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

So these are my newest fun stuff!
I absolutely love these. These are the wall hangings. I embroider the front, border with some adorable fabric and then hot glue them onto artists canvas bought at the art store. They are so fun to make and would make such a great gift for Valentine's Day!

I am doing them for all occasions, not just Valentine's...everyday stuff..."Happy Birthday", "Lots of Laughs", "You Make Me Smile" and I have started doing personalized ones with family member names or a special saying.
I have a family member one ready right now...wish I could show you know but it's for a friend of mine for...um...Christmas and not next Christmas either. Yes I am a bit behind on that one but I had the idea way too late and now it's Valentines and I have to get the V-Day ones done.
Sorry my friend...you know who you are!
So what do you think?

This one is a creation from my littlest! She drew this out on paper then I transferred it onto the cloth and embroidered it. So sweet!

This one was done by my oldest...nice cursive sweetie! I love choice of colors...I happen to have a lot of pink and bright green...just ask my hubby!

Don't you love them? Don't you want one too?

I have also done a few pillows!

This "Mom" pillow is gracing my Mom's home right now and the E, P, L pillow in the back is gracing my Sister's home. The both love their pillows. The Peace pillow (middle one) is ready and waiting to come home to you but if you need a Mom or E.P.L. pillow just let me know.

Also ready and waiting!

So if you want one of these, go to my etsy site and buy it! Just click HERE! So simple!
Once I send my friend her pillow I will post a pic of that too. For now you'll just have to trust me...They're really GREAT!

Baby needs glasses!

2011-01-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

Yep...L needs glasses. She thought she might so we had been talking about it for a couple weeks. Then last week she came home from school and said she had her eyes tested and the nurse said she does need glasses. We made an appt and that confirmed it. Her right eye is the weaker of the 2, in fact left eye is perfect.

She is so excited...can you tell? She was also excited to be leaving school a bit earlier than everyone else.

We found a really nice doctor and they got us right in.
*I forgot to let the dr. know that I would be taking lots of pics (us bloggy moms, you know) and I startled her with the first pic I took...oops!

L did such a great job!

Now the fun part...picking out the perfect ones. We did a good job too, I think we tried on just about all of them.

The overall favorite! Purple with engraved polka dots on the side...that's my L!

She can't wait for them to arrive!

Crazy Rain!

2011-01-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

A lot of you are having some amazingly awful winter weather. I know it's no fun but it will be spring again soon, I promise.

We had some crazy rain the other day...the rain just amazes me down here in FL. I am not used to this kind of rain. CO didn't have rain like this. In CO, it was either sunny and warm or snowing!

Take a look!

Not a great picture but does show the river in the front yard.

Near the pool...the pool is so full now.

I think we got 3 inches in less than an hour. Crazy.

I hope you are staying warm and safe wherever you may be!

I moved...

2011-01-26T08:42:00.002-05:00

...my sewing room that is! A lot of you know we live in a much bigger house now and space is abundant. One of the things I was psyched to have in this new house was a room all to myself for sewing, computer, writing, etc. My own space, my hideaway!!! Our home in Colorado was one C and I bought in 1993...we were 23 yrs. old and we thought the house was amazing. It had a huge backyard, a 2-car garage for C, a large master bedroom and 3 other bedrooms that we used for misc. other things. We didn't have kiddos until K arrived in January 1999 so there was lots of space.

Over the years those 3 extra rooms were used for many different things. Sewing/craft rooms, C's hobby room, computer room, eventually kiddo rooms and then the office for our company.

We grew out of that house years ago but always seemed to make it work. The living room started as the hangout for parties, throwing darts and watching movies. Then became all things baby...swing, bassinet, toys galore and then held the sewing area where I started A.Lovely.

It was a well-used, well-loved house!

We moved to Florida in 2010 to be near C's family and our new house is much bigger. So much bigger that we are sometimes at a loss for where to put things, ironic huh? The funny thing is the kiddos, C and I are not used to it. We grew used to being close together and always knowing what everyone was doing at any time. This is the reason why my sewing room has moved...I couldn't get comfortable being across the whole house and never got anything done except when kiddos were at school. So, the dining room is now mine and I am thrilled!

Have a look!

Still organizing but looking at this pic makes me happy...kiddos were happy too!

What can be better than fabric, a sewing machine and a hot cup of coffee?

I love the window!

Notice the kiddos have a table in there too...we like to be together!

So we are slowly getting settled in, making this house work for us. I am thrilled we all like to be together...they may make me feel crazy at times but I guess I would rather them want to hang with me than the alternative!!
I am thrilled with where we are in life right now and look forward to making this my best life!
Might as well right?!

My latest!

2011-01-24T23:10:00.000-05:00

I am linking to Today's Creative Blog today...it's "Get Your Craft On" Tuesdays!

Here is one of my latest projects...Valentine's Day is on the way and here is a great gift for your sweetie!

The Front!

The back!

I love this pillow! It turned out so great that I wish I could keep it. I will just have to make more! If you want it, check out my etsy site...ALovely

Here are some just waiting to be made into either more pillows or some very cute wall hangings (I will show them off soon!). Some of these designs were done by my daughters and they loved seeing their drawings after I got them embroidered.
So, So (Sew, Sew) Great!

Now I am off to go create some more good stuff!

A full week of school!

2011-01-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

I really love my kiddos. We do lots of fun stuff...crafts, tennis, the beach, museums, wii, etc. But like many Moms, sometimes they make me crazy and I feel like running far, far away.
One of the things I really enjoy as a working/stay-at-home-mom of 3 school age kiddos is when they actually have school.

I am very much a routine person and the routine as been nothing but screwy for awhile now. It all started with Thanksgiving, continued through Christmas break and then right when I finally feel I made it through to a new year and am excited for the next 5 months of school there comes (for us) 2 3-day weekends...in a row, no less.

I did make it...with C's help and encouragement. They are back in school and will be until it looks like...February 21. Until then I will enjoy my days, working at home and not hearing "mom, I'm hungry" randomly throughout the day...that is until 3pm!

So Cheers to all us working Moms!

At GWiz Science Museum...3 crazy kiddos in the background looking at 3D art and me with my coffee!

Baba's gone cruisin'!

2011-01-19T23:26:00.000-05:00

For Carolyn!
My mother-in-law (Baba to her grandchildren) is a really amazing woman. C and I started dating when we were seniors in high school and she made me a part of the family from the beginning. I have always been able to count on her...for anything.

This woman has done nothing but work HARD her whole life taking care of her family-husband, children, mother, father, in-laws, sister and now grandchildren. Like many Moms, she has put herself last on the to-do list...always wanting to make sure everyone she cares about are taken care of first.
She turned 72 in May and just retired this past summer from her position as Director of Extension for Sarasota County here in FL.

This woman deserves a BREAK and I am proud to say she knows how to do it...in STYLE! Right now she is 2 weeks into a 3 and 1/2 month cruise of The World! Yes...The World. She is on Holland America's Cruise ship The Amsterdam which is one of their most luxurious.

She is having the time of her life and I am so over-the-top thrilled for her!


The first Formal Night!

From her emails she is sending, she is very busy. She walks the decks every morning, has started a total body conditioning class, Tai Chi class, digital workshops to help her improve her camera work, dance lessons, learned to play blackjack, gone to several shows, lots of reading on the days at sea, emailing her family lots and the most exciting thing she said was trying out and making the ships Chorale. That's right, a chorus of all passengers and they will perform 2 concerts during their journey. It sounds so completely amazing and I am so, so glad she is taking it all in.

Sitting at one of the many ports!

The Panama Canal...she said this was just completely amazing!

Where is she now? ...the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The kiddos and I are following her along the way with the map she included with her itinerary. We mark it daily with our Sharpie. Her next stop is Easter Island then it's on to Tahiti, Bora Bora, The Cook Islands and on and on and on until the end of April!

We miss her lots around here but we are all so glad she is having the time of her life! I will continue to follow her journey periodically as this is a big event for our whole family.

Cheers and Bon Voyage Carolyn! I am so happy that you did this for yourself and that you are really enjoying it from head to toe, forwards and backwards. You are AWESOME!

Our new family thing...Tennis

2011-01-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

Tennis is something C and I really enjoy, watching and playing and we have decided to make it the new family thing. We have forever wanted to do this with/for our kids and now that we are in FL, we can do it...a lot.

This is the covered play area at Z and L's elementary school. I only wish the wall was full height...we chased many balls over that wall that morning.

I took lessons when I was a kid and quit...no reason, probably laziness more than anything. I have always been that way. For some reason I am scared of success. I don't think I can do it so I will make damn sure that I prove myself right. Oh sorry...back to the point...this is not about me...

So we are taking on the challenge of teaching our kiddos about tennis...so far they/we are totally digging it. I was tempted to wimp out yesterday (for before-stated reason) and C reminded me of the goal we have set so I got myself ready. The kiddos were thrilled when we told them that it was time for practice and to get ready to go. Today is not a practice day and this morning I got a big thumbs-down for it.

So who knows where this will lead us. My main goal is to have fun with C and my kiddos and that's really easy when everyone likes the activity. So far that is where we stand. We will keep going and hopefully we will keep having fun (and hopefully my back will quite aching!)!

You all might have seen my post recently about Just Doing It...this goes right along with that. I have kept up with my walking goal (YAY!) but have now proudly added daily stretching and tennis 3-4 times a week.

I feel good!

Saturday...

2011-01-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

I do love a weekend day that is filled with stuff to do. I like it when we have a plan and I really like it when the kids are busy and not making me crazy. Winter time can be a bit of a drag when it's the weekend...in CO that is what would happen a lot. Now that FL is home, there are a lot more things to keep our weekend's filled.

Saturday was nice.
Friday, Katia had a sleep over with a friend. They stayed up way too late and she was really tired on Saturday. That was the excuse we needed to just hang out and watch movies all day. I loved it. Kiddos had a lot of movies of their own to watch (thanks to Aunt Lizzy and Redbox!) and I had checked out a few from the library and we started the movie watching marathon.
The first...Driving Miss Daisy. I love that movie. It is hard to imagine how a movie about an old man driving an even older woman around town would be entertaining but the movie is so much more than that. It really shows the building of what becomes a special relationship between 2 totally different people from 2 totally different backgrounds...she is a very traditional Jewish woman and he is a very proud black man in Alabama in the 50's. I love the part where she tells Hoke, "Hoke, you are my best friend"...brings tears to my eyes. They relationship is based on truth and love and stayed strong even with all the prejudice they both endured. They are each others best and most loyal friend.
The next movie was a surprise. It was Herman Wouk's The Winds of War. It's quite the commitment (7 part series) but so far we are enjoying it. It's about an American family stationed in Berlin during WW II. The father is the Naval Attache for U.S. It's really interesting seeing the perspective of people who didn't know what Hitler was all about as we do now...to imagine that they actually thought he had only good intentions is truly difficult. I made it through 2 1/2 parts before I gave up for the night but looking forward to finishing them.

The kiddos were great sports for the entire thing. As I said they had their own movies to watch but when they weren't busy with that, they spent time playing outside. They are older now and sometimes that is a good thing...sometimes!
It was a real treat to just do nothing all day except enjoy some great movies and work on finishing some sewing projects.

Send any suggestions for movies you have enjoyed lately, I love suggestions!
I am a huge reader too so send those book suggestion too!

Sweet, loveable, and odd all at the same time...

2011-01-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

and no, this time I am not talking about my kiddos/family!

I am talking about Snooty, our town's Manatee mascot who lives at the South Florida Museum.
But manatees in general are just odd, adorable creatures.

Snooty! He has lived at SFM since 1949...spoiled rotten!

See?! Look, here's another...

They can stay under water for up to 20 minutes at a time.

And another...

These 2 are manatees being rehabilitated and will soon be released back into the real world soon.

We have been to see Snooty a couple times now and I find this odd creature (have I said that already!) so cute. The closest relatives are the elephant if you can believe and that's because of their snouts. They are herbivores, usually very fat (average 1000 lbs), extremely slow, can't see well, can live in both salt and fresh water, have no natural predators and are endangered.
They are endangered because of us humans and not for the reasons that you might think...they are endangered because they are so slow they can't get out of the way of boats and get hit by the propellers. They have major rules for the speed of boats in waters where manatees might be but it still happens quite often.

So the majority of the year, the manatees are hanging all around town...in the inlets, canals, drainage outlets, the bays...all over but in the winter this is where they go...

The Tampa Power Plant

We are all unhappy with this cold weather that we are enduring right now but manatees are especially sensitive to the cold and have learned where the warm waters are this time of year. The plant actually has a viewing site where you can go and see the hundreds of manatees just hanging out...it's on our to-do list!

Gotta love all the worlds creatures!

It's just walking...

2011-01-12T23:41:00.001-05:00

For goodness sakes!
It's not a marathon. It's not even a 5K. It's just a walk around the neighborhood that takes maybe a half an hour...at the most. I always feel better when I'm done. It always make the rest of the day just a bit easier. I know that it is so good for me.
So why does it feel like I am off for a trip to the dentist to have my teeth yanked out?

My Mother-in-law has walked every morning for the last 20 or so years...not too many exceptions. She gets up every morning and that is what she does. She is even on a world cruise as I write this (she really is) and I could safely say that she is probably waking up every morning on that magnificent ship, slipping on her walking shoes and hitting the deck. Yes, I know she might have a magnificent view from that ship and I could use that as an easy excuse but I am only 10 minutes from the beach and my view could be close to the same as hers. There are only 3 minor/major differences...she gets up and goes...I get up and have to get 3 kiddos (the minors) clean, clothed, fed and off to school (one major job). When I am done I just want to sit, drink my now warmed-up coffee and watch The View. Just little differences but they make for major excuses in my head.
I wish I had her work ethic. There is no option. There is no other choice. It's what she does, PERIOD. I think, no I know my big problem is that I think about it way too much. I start contemplating all the things I could be doing/should be doing instead (sewing, checking blogs, sewing, checking facebook, a little cleaning, etc.) or that my ear buds are broken, that I didn't get that music I wanted on my mp3, that I am just plain tired. The list can go on and on if I want it to.

I need to instill Nike's slogan from the 90's...JUST DO IT. Whether it's exercise, work, cooking dinner, or reading that bedtime story for my kiddo for the 1000th time...just do it...it's only a few extra minutes of your day, you get a few minutes of "Me" time, and you/everyone feels so much better when it's done.

So tomorrow I will get up, put on my yoga pants, stick in my 1 working ear bud and walk around the block. All the other stuff can wait...it really can wait.

Not too shabby!

Happy Birthday!

2011-01-12T11:04:00.001-05:00

I love your smile,

I love your laugh,

I love your kindness,

I love your thoughtfulness,

I love your spirit,

I love your spunk,

I love you!

You are my sunshine!

Happy Birthday Sweetpie!

I am doing this today...check out all the creativity!

2011-01-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

A Really Nice Day!

2011-01-10T10:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes (a lot of times) you need to do something that reminds you why you live where you live. In CO, we used to go hiking in the foothills or biking on the miles of bike trails that lie all over or hit the ski slopes at Eldora. The beach is such a major part of FL and this past summer we spent a lot of time on Anna Maria Island but hadn't just hung out in quite a while.
It felt good to be back...feet in the sand, the sun warming our skin, listening to the waves rolling onto shore and searching for the most beautiful shells.

Our day...

The water was cold (60-65 degrees) so kiddos didn't spend too much time swimming but they couldn't resist a little!

The kiddos wanted to be buried!

These are the moments that make life special.
It was just a really nice day!

We got this in the bag!!!

2011-01-06T10:59:00.001-05:00

My kiddos think this is SOOOOOO ours.
HGTV Dream Home!

My girls have picked out their bunk, they are this close to having the bus route to the slopes mapped out, they love the car, K is nearly cooking in the kitchen already, and the downstairs family room is all theirs. I actually forgot to register a couple days ago and my littlest came running into the office after I had tucked her in and said goodnight just to remind me to get that done before I turned off my computer. It's just that easy!

Check out the video or view the pics and daydream to your hearts desire... HGTV Dream Home!

I have already done a bit of daydreaming myself...slightly different though...my dream is to have that exact same house in Wyoming next to Mom and Dad. Do you think they can move the house? It's just that easy!
I think anything is possible.

I am off to do a little more daydreaming...maybe a little sewing too!

My Motto

2011-01-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

Make what I want, want what I make and love doing it!

People who are successful and love their jobs are always following their passions. I love sewing, embroidery, small amounts of quilting. My goal is to bring those favorites things in to some focus and help support my family. That's what I want to do in life...something that makes me smile every time its work time.

I like certain things. I like certain colors. I have my style. I have never considered myself an artist but in some way I guess I am and as an artist, I need to make what inspires me.

Here are some of the things I have been working on for 2011...Enjoy!

Some great stuff in the works...Valentines Pillows (yes, it's already another holiday)!

Can be personalized just for you or someone special!

Reflections on a year gone by...

2011-01-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

In the book Eat, Pray, Love, Liz gets asked the question "what is your word?"-a word that describes you at this moment in your life. Change...that would be my word for 2010.

I have never been afraid of change, always thinking of it as exciting. I moved to Kansas when I was 13, leaving my childhood home and all my friends that I had grown up with from preschool to 8th grade. Overall, I was excited about moving...of course there were hard times but I only have very fond memories of the whole event. After C and I got married, we moved to Colorado and it was nothing but exciting. We loved every minute of it. We were ourselves, we had no ties to hold us down and every decision we made was ours. No one really was affected.

But a lot of things have changed since those days. In the 17 years we lived in Colorado we bought a house, we had 3 amazing kiddos, and we all developed some amazing friendships.

So the change that our family went through this year was not easy...

1. C's little brother suddenly passing away
2. we left Colorado and moved to Florida
3. our kiddos left their beloved friends and schools
4. C and I left our wonderful friends
5. we left our house of 17 years
6. having to leave my sister and my parents who were now finally living so close
7. snow-skiing, sledding, shoveling

I now know what change really feels like and it's very scary especially when it doesn't just involve you. C and I were making these hard decisions and they were going to affect a lot of people...the kiddos, my parents/kiddos Grandparents, sister, friends, teachers.

It has now been about 5 months since that decision was made and things are relatively good.
The easy decisions...where to put the towels, where the blender should go, how to arrange the living room (even though I still keep changing my mind), have been made.

The harder things have gone relatively well too. The kids are settled in school, enjoy most all their days, have met a lot of nice friends, and have wonderful teachers. They also get to know the Gregov side of the family
so much better. They love getting to hang out at Baba's house which is a whole 5 minutes from us and their Aunts and Uncles are fun new source of entertainment!

I miss my friends like crazy and am not too interested in starting all over again just yet. No worries...I will just not yet. Right now my focus is on the kiddos and creating a comfy life here in Florida.

For all the things that changed there are many things we gained...
1. We now live in Florida!
2. We have a beach at our beckon call!
3. We live near C's family!
4. We live in a beautiful house!
5. My parents can come down and stay with us during their cold Wyoming winters!

The big lesson we learned this year was that change can be hard but can so worthwhile...a new chapter to learn from. Right now, life is good.

I want to send my love to all my family and friends! You all bring a little something different to my life but yet it's all the same...LOVE! We all are so lucky to have each other.

Goodbye 2010, and welcome 2011!!

Happy New Year to all my Friends and Family!!!!

Christmas Craft #2

2010-12-31T12:00:00.003-05:00

The kiddos were all excited and ready for craft #2...see jammies are even still on! That makes a mom feel good!!

I had cut Christmas trees shapes out of old cereal boxes from the recycling bin and got all the "goodies" I could think of for the kiddos to have a free-for-all and decorate however they wanted.

I love this...their creativity shines bright!

So simple yet so fun!

Can you see the shine? Creativity I tell you!!!

The finished masterpieces...awesome!

So proud...they even got dressed for this one! Isn't Christmas break the time to wear your jammies for most of the day? I think so!

Christmas Day Fun!!!

2010-12-30T10:19:00.001-05:00

We had a really wonderful Christmas day with all of Carl's family! It's really nice being around so many family members...I don't remember the last time I had 15 people at my house for dinner!

Lots of fun was had by all...lots of presents to enjoy as well!

Some of the favs...

Love the Legos...always a huge hit w/ Z!

More Zhu Zhu Pets to join the fam!

K w/ her beading kit from Aunt Lori! This one got lots of clothes too...a lot of changing happened throughout the day.

Uncle Rich w/ Z's rubik's cube!

Z's new Nerf gun...has clips that hold 15-20 nerf darts and he absolutely loves it!

But the most favorite presents of all were from the Grandparents!

On Christmas eve, Baba gave the kiddos a year membership to MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) in Tampa! Not only that but it gets us into our local museum to see Snotty the manatee any day we desire.
We love snotty...he is a fav in Bradenton.
And finally the last fav gift of the season was from Grandma and Grandpa...Dance Party II for wii!

See the fun for yourself!

Aunt Liz joins the fun!

I think she's having some fun!

Aunt Liz finally gets Rich to join in too!

You go girls!

We hope you all had a great Christmas day too! I send my love to all

Now on to the New Year...2011...here we come!

The Christmas/Holiday/New Year's Card!

2010-12-23T10:10:00.002-05:00

When can I stop worrying about the holiday picture/card???

I always did one up until about 3 years ago. I still stress about it though and even yesterday was trying desperately to find a picture that I could get printed up to send out!

It seemed extra important after we had our kiddos. I, like everyone else wanted to show off my kids because of course they are the cutest things ever. I even started an album (in the midst of my scrap-booking phase) that was just for the holiday letter and the pic. That's it...one album that would show the changes from year to year. It's a good idea but I didn't follow through and now it's just a reminder that I didn't follow through.

Why do I/we add this stress onto an already stressful time? There is always so much to do...endless shopping for needless things, groceries out the wazoo, pies and desserts to make and then stress about eating, making sure the house is cleaned up (kiddos are wonderful helpers in the job-thanks kids)...so many expectations to live up to or at least feel we must live up to, and worrying that all those loved ones will make it safe and sound. I love it when everyone arrives and the fun begins but I could so live without the crap beforehand.

So why then do I want to add in to that mess a pic that I must pull teeth to get taken and LONG letter about our year in review??? Then I remembered something...I have a blog!! And it can reach all of you all at once, all year long. I have thousands of pics already on my computer that I can choose from and post to share our perfect days, the crazy days, the adventurous days...etc. All of you who knows us, know all about what's going on in our lives anyways.

So Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Holidays/Happy New Year! This blog is the best record of 2010 for our family!

Look in the Archives for past blog posts about our new life in Florida and leave me a comment! I love comments!

Happy Holidays to all of you who mean so much to me and my family!

Siesta Key Beach!
This beach is not too far south of us and is known for their white, flour-like sand. It is really amazing and a fun place to hang!
Come visit!!!!

We send lots of love!

Karaoke Night!

2010-12-22T21:22:00.001-05:00

I am not a big Karaoke fan...in fact I had to look up how to spell it but my kiddos love it.
I do love watching them.

They got the High School Musical Sing It for Wii last year from their Baba.

It's a riot!

Trying to do the copy the dances is fun but it much more fun to just be crazy!

This one is the star...she loves to shine for all to see!

I love that their personalities shine through...Z hates to make mistakes and tries to be very precise.

Hello, can you hear me, is this thing on??!!! Yes honey, we hear you loud and clear!

Just another fun night at home. C has the tv hooked up with the stereo so when we watch movies, we have great sound...it also makes for a wild (i.e. LOUD) Karaoke night!

Thanks for the entertainment Baba!!

Hope you are all enjoying your Holiday break with your kiddos!!

Holiday Craft #1

2010-12-21T16:20:00.001-05:00

A lot of us moms are home with kiddos right now and a lot of us know that the day will go so much better if we have a good plan...my plans always include crafts. It is one-on-three with my kiddos...we craft, we laugh, we critique, we laugh more, and just plain have fun together. I LOVE it, I really do and I know the kiddos love it too.

Craft #1...Puff Ball Ornaments!

Styrofoam balls, puff balls, hot glue gun, jewels and anything else you could think of to put on them!

Busy bees! BTW... The Elmer's glue just didn't cut it.

Holiday Boat Parade!

2010-12-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

The Holiday Boat Parade put on by the Bradenton Yacht Club was high on all of our lists and it didn't disappoint!

The boats were all decked out and a lot of them had Christmas music. It was very cool!

Most of the crew hanging out on the pier!


My FAM! I Love you guys

I like this one...the towns big Christmas tree and the native palm tree side by side!

"Mom, we got to bungee jump!"

2010-12-16T10:41:00.001-05:00

So after Santa arrived by helicopter no less (see previous post), there was a small festival/carnival to take the kiddos to. C and I were not there...the kiddos went with their Aunt Liz, Rich and Baba. They filled us in when they got home.

This was the highlight...bungee jumping!!!
What was that? Did my sweet, adorable (breakable) kiddos just say bungee jump?

YEP! That's what they said!

K!

Cool contraption!

Why might that ambulance be there?...hmmmm

Z's turn!

Look at me!! Are you guys watching me?!

End it with a flip...that's our girl!

They LOVED it...what a cool way to experience what real bungee jumping might be like. Hopefully the real thing is something they will never want to do.

Fun Times!

This is how they do Christmas in Bradenton!

2010-12-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

Just like everywhere in America...
People put up the Christmas tree, decorate the house, they put up lights all over the outside of their houses, buy lots of presents for the ones they love

But not too many places does Santa arrive like this...

Is that him?

Is that red I see?!

Definitely red!

There he is!!

He's coming!!!

Hi Santa!!!!

Aunt Lizzie, Rich and Baba took them to the rec center just down the street from our house and they had a blast! This was very cool for all of them and they loved getting to go hang with their Aunt.

Part 2 tomorrow...they came home so excited because they got to bungee jump!!! WHAT?!

Getting ready for Christmas!

2010-12-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

It was a cool evening...a nice reminder of doing this in Boulder for so many years.

We all got into the groove and got the lights up...well I took the pics, Aunt Lizzie, Rich and the kiddos did all the design and work. It looks quite festive!


Decorating the front yard!

We didn't have a pool house in Boulder to decorate though...fun!

The kiddos with Aunt Lizzie and Rich

Our tree...this was done in record time too. It was up and decorated in about 15 minutes!

Even the girls' girls are getting ready for Christmas

Z's buddies are set as well!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

The Table! The kiddos were the first to fill their plates and were trying to wait patiently for the rest of the group to join.

Aunt Liz and Rich...We are thrilled to have them back in Florida with us!

After dinner fun! Throwing the football around in the empty lot between our house and the neighbors. It belongs to the neighbors but they have graciously allowed us to use it.

It was a great day to be outside. The weather was beautiful...perfect for some toss.

We all got into the fun...I still got it!


The gang! After this, it was dessert time!

I am so very THANKFUL!

"These are a few of my favorite Christmas things!"

2010-12-06T10:33:00.001-05:00

We all have Christmas decorations that we love and every year when they get unwrapped it's always like, well...Christmas. But I am sure we all also have our favorite ones...I definitely do.


This was an old postcard I found in an antique store. I used a cute holiday fabric and adhered it to the mat, then did the same with the postcard. The frame makes it perfect though!

This is Katia's and she adores him! He is pretty handsome.

For the ever important Christmas cookies!

Our family's favorite holiday treat...Cranberry Bread. I could eat this all year but the cranberries disappear soon after the holidays!


All wedding gifts from our December wedding 19 years old ago!

I have many silk poinsettia stems that I place all over...I love them so much! They look amazingly real too.

My favorite...my kiddos! The joy just shines through them!

Happy Holidays to all!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-12-05T08:12:00.000-05:00

Dad couldn't have found a more loving wife...

Lori, Donna and I couldn't have had a better Mom...

Max, Noah, Daniel, Katia, Zander and Lilijana couldn't have gotten more lucky than to you for a Grandma!

We are all so blessed!
Happy Birthday Mom...WE LOVE YOU!!!

Sand sculpture Fun on Anna Maria Island!

2010-12-03T12:27:00.001-05:00

One more joy of being close to the beach...

Sand sculptures!

There were some amazing ones but the kiddos loved this alien sculpture a lot!


Yes...this is all sand

The joys of the beach!!

random backyard fun!

2010-11-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

K,Z and L pounding rocks into clay. You can tell it was a bit chilly this day. Felt a bit like home!

The craziness of my backyard...yes this is my backyard.

Making a witches brew!

Our First Visitors!!!

2010-11-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

We were so thrilled...Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and we were all over-the-top about it!

They arrived while kiddos were at school so I had them to myself for a while. This was nice for me...they are so special to me and I miss them so much. I showed them our new house and the gardens. They both liked the house and Mom commented a couple times that the house just feels comfortable. That makes me feel really good. We then went to Baba's house so they could visit with her. Baba's house is so lovely and we had a great time visiting with her. Her apple cake was just the icing on the cake...Thanks Carolyn!

We then headed to school to get the kiddos...this was the reaction!

It was a really HAPPY moment!

We got K from her school and headed out to the beach. Grandma grew up growing to the beach on the Pacific Ocean and had never set foot in the Gulf...I think she felt a little at home when we arrived.

The shell hunting began!!!

We had a wonderful time! It was just happiness and joy the entire short-but-sweet visit. They couldn't stay long as the house in WY still needs some attention before the holidays but we can't wait for them to come back and stay awhile. They even talked about staying a long while over the cold WY winters...that would be amazing!

This helped remind me how much family means to me. They have always been wonderful parents and I am so thankful we got to introduce them to our new home.

I saw a saying this morning that said "Friends are the Flowers in a lovely garden"...if that's true then family must be the veggies...you absolutely need their nutrients they provide in order to live a healthy, happy life.

I can't wait for the next visit...I love you Mom and Dad!

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-11-04T13:18:00.001-04:00

It was a lovely day! Baba came over and we headed out to get pumpkins at the Farmer's market. The kiddos picked out their favorites in record time and we headed back home to do the carving. I like carving pumpkins but it's not my favorite Halloween activity (that would be helping eat the treats we bring home after trick or treating!!). I love having kiddos old enough to do most of the carving themselves!

Baba took the job of separating the seeds from the muck (another not-so-favorite activity) so she could roast them for the kiddos. Thank you Baba!

This year, the kiddos had to create their costumes all themselves. I didn't want to have to buy anything. They were excited and ended up doing an amazing job. I did make the capes but they did everything else...GREAT JOB guys!

I hope your Halloween was creative, fun, and spooky all in one!

The differences...

2010-10-27T12:15:00.000-04:00

Just today the differences between where we live now and where we used to live are vast...
Colorado-40 degrees, Florida- 75 degrees
Colorado- freeze warning, Florida- sweat warning (aka-high humidity)
Colorado-bags and bags of raked leaves by the curb, Florida-nothing (yet if you have seen the large oak that looms over our house in some of the pics I have put on the blog, you know our time is coming...I hear it's December-January though)
Colorado-gardens are long gone, Florida-gardens just getting started
Colorado-no mangoes, Florida-mangoes in droves and oranges are just around the corner
BUT...
Colorado-my family and the best friends my kiddos and I could ever ask for, FL.......

Eldora!

The Fam at Siesta Key Beach! That is not snow but it is the whitest, most powdery sand that you can imagine.

We are enjoying Florida a lot but we miss you all back home so much and know that you are all invited for a visit! We would love it!!!

Happy Friday!!

2010-10-22T10:59:00.000-04:00

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Ours will be filled with kiddos, sewing, KSU football, food, family and fun!

Grandpa with kiddos, We all love our wildcats!

I don't think there are too many chores to be done. Here are some pics of the house after a lot of hard work. We finally have our lawn mower so C got the yard mowed...makes such a huge difference. MIL has brought over many plants (THANK YOU CAROLYN!) and we have worked hard on transplanting from our jungle in the backyard.

What do you think?

Remember this is where we started...an overgrown mess!

So many of the neighbors have stopped by and let us know how much they appreciate all our hard work and to tell many stories about the doctor who lived here for many years and made the house what it is. I guess it was once the hangout for all the neighborhood kids. Maybe it will again...sounds good to me...what do they say, "keep your friends (my kids) close, keep your enemies (their friends) closer"!!!

I mentioned sewing...the current project is once again baby quilts...to be done and sold soon. No, there babies in my future but I love working on these little quilts! My blanket was so important to me as a child and I love that one of my quilts might comfort a new little person somewhere out there.

I will post the finished quilt next week...ENJOY your weekend everyone!

Day to Day...

2010-10-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

Things are good. Life is moving along. K is enjoying school and has a school dance next week. Z and L love their school.

I have been working on organizing my/our office and my craft space...love it. I could do without the pink walls but I will put that on the "projects for another time" list

I think I am getting my mojo back...haven't done too much with my hands lately except unpacking so a bit of hand sewing was in order yesterday.

Here are some of my unfinished projects that I think I will tackle before any new ones...

This will be a wall hanging for Ms. K's room!

Lili's wall hanging!

Not sure what these will be...probably small wall hangings or incorporated into pillows to sell

Not sure when I made this but when I was unpacking craft boxes, found it. LOVE IT and I did a darn good job with it too!!!

It feels good to feel settled enough to get back to the things I really enjoy. My hands like being busy and I love having my inspiration back in one, organized place.

"Lemonade for sale"

2010-10-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

It was a dream realized...I never imagined that I had deprived my kiddos all these years. In Colorado, our house set on a great, quiet street. Never much traffic...I love it...I thought we all did until the kids came running in and announced that now that we live in FL they can finally have their own lemonade stand. Our new street is much busier, not bad, just busier. I shrugged like I do when they have a "crazy" idea (I was unpacking and I think I was also watching a KSU football game too) but got my butt up and made them some lemonade...they did the rest.

And they had a great time!!

Here is K setting up...Z is in the back waiting to flag down customers!


The booth and a bunch of smiles! We saved the signs for another day!


Customers!!! They were very well received.

I really should totally get the excitement...where I grew up in CA, we lived on 5 acres. My friend who lived next store and I would beg our parents to do a lemonade stand and they would have to explain that there was only 1 house down the road past ours that would be our potential customer. We outsmarted them though...one Saturday, we pulled all our Dads' beer out of the fridges. After they got done cutting firewood or whatever was on the list for that day, they had to buy their beer from us! HA!!! That's what you get for putting a house at the end of the street!

Back to the kids...
In the end they made a total of $12!!! Split 4 ways...they made their weeks allowance in just a couple hours. I have already anticipated that this will happen again soon so I have the frozen lemonade in the freezer...I am ready kiddos!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Junior Ranger!

2010-09-29T12:41:00.000-04:00

We have a National Park just minutes from the house and school called Desoto National Memorial Park. On Wednesdays the kiddos get out of school about 2 hours earlier than the other days so Z, L and I have been a few times waiting for Katia to get out of school. On one of our visits, the attendent gave each of them the booklets to become Jr. Rangers. Z was all over this idea! He got the book done in a couple days and we were back for him to get his Jr. Ranger badge.

He did it and loved every minute of it! The Ranger went over the whole book with him, made sure he had the right answers and corrected any that were wrong. Then it was ceremony time. Right hand up, and repeat after her...

Great job Z!


"It's so heavy Mom!"


"I wouldn't want to wear that Mom!"

Now let's find another park to do it all over again! Maybe Yellowstone?! Go Wyoming!!

It's so hard to keep busy...NOT!

2010-09-24T11:49:00.001-04:00

So, after the kiddos are all dropped off at school and in between unpacking boxes, I head out for some "me" time.

This is my new fav!

Biking along the beach. Out on Anna Maria Island, there is a sidewalk that runs along the beach.
It's a perfect recipe to a perfect morning!

The path!

The view!!

It's so easy and convenient!

It helps me physically but also mentally...
I love breathing that moist gulf air-it fills me
I love how there is no end to the view-the hope it brings
I love watching the birds-the freedom

Come join me!~

Welcome to the jungle!!

2010-08-25T11:50:00.001-04:00

Our house! Let me restart...this is the house BEFORE we put in about many hours digging it out of it's jungle.

Here is an AFTER pic! I see the light!

In the above pic you can now see the screened in pool and just the corner of the pool house on the right.

Now this next couple of pics are the remainder of the front of the house. It's very big and takes 3 pics from across the street.

In this pic, on the far left you can see the white fence...that will come down and that is boat parking for our boat...yes we own a boat!

Now for the "Bridge to Terabithia" backyard...it's a kiddos paradise (esp. when it's not 100 degrees and 80% humidity)! These next pics were all taken AFTER our hard work...it's so fun to explore it all!

But here is what we had to go through to get there...the BEFORE! I was actually scared to go out there before!

Lastly...the pool! We LOVE the pool! Before school started, the kids swam several times a day (since school started it has been non-stop rain).

It's all screened in for the bugs and critters but it seems to also help with the sun...an added bonus because sunscreen is one of the things I just don't like about summer.

That's where we are and I am looking forward to making it a home...filled with all our stuff! There is still more to do on the exterior but for now, it's so much better than it was! The neighbors are loving it too...so many have stopped and enjoyed all our hard work.
But for now, enjoy the jungle tour!