Flashback

Last Saturday we had almost the entire day at home - I'm not sure what contest we won to be granted such a luxury, but it was nice. Alayna loves to wear dresses, and any opportunity she has to wear a dress she takes it.

Well, recently after cleaning out at my dad's, I brought home some dresses that were mine as a kid. Unable to part with them I hung them up in the back of the girls' closet for safe-keeping. So, this past Saturday the girls wanted to try them on. The one dress I had that Julie could try was a dress my mom made me when I was 5 or 6, and was the flower girl in my aunt's wedding. Alayna chose a long-sleeved red number, with a pinned on bow tie. Very elegant.

After seeing the girls in my clothes I remembered that we had an outfit that was Dave's, his mom had passed along to me. I found it and put it on Joel. The kids thought it was so fun, and my dad got to see them in their outfits when he dropped by that morning. They spent the rest of the morning in their outfits pretending Joel was the prince and they were the princess'.

Two Year Olds and Cameras

What do you get when your 2 1/2 year old steels your camera???? These pictures!

I found Joel at my desk the other day snapping away with my camera, at his face. I couldn't delete the pictures, it was just too funny. After reprimanding him for playing with my camera I decided to share some of them with you.

Christmas on the Brain

I am still around...honest!  Tis' the Season to put off all other hobbies and throw yourself into trying to create traditions with your kids that they will remember forever, while trying to keep from losing your mind over all that needs done....hmmm, somewhere in there I know the most important thing is focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.  I will think about it while I'm baking cookies, Christmas shopping, decorating, going to 12 different parties, watching the kids in the Christmas program, wrapping gifts and sending cards.  Phew...I think it's time for a long winter's nap.  Bears have it so good....

This morning I was giving Dave a haircut and we were talking to Julie about what she wants for Christmas.  She said she would like a specific Dora game for the Wii.  I said I didn't realize there was a Dora game for the Wii, and she replied, "yes, and you can buy it wherever DVD's are sold."  Who said commercialism doesn't work? 

So, I want to get caught up on some blog posts, but I know that I cannot add one more thing to my already hectic December schedule.  So bear with me, I will do my best, but I really am going to try and relax when I can, and just enjoy the season, and focus on the true meaning we celebrate. 

Matthew West - My Own Little World (Slideshow With Lyrics)

As I listened to this song on the radio this morning I was struck by how true and powerful these words are. Please listen and read the words, also.
Dave & I are seeking to do ministry in Erie - and we are, with the school & daycare. This past Sunday evening I visited a local church in downtown Erie with my dad & his fiance'. They attend once a month, because Mary volunteers in their nursery. This church is part of the larger church (McLane Church) they attend in Edinboro. The name of the church - Church in a Bar. Yep, that's right! It's a church that's held in a bar. Each Sunday night they have the use of this facility (The Cell Block), because in PA bars cannot be open on Sundays, unless they are a restaurant. They open up their doors to the people in inner-city Erie. They offer them a church service, preaching from God's Word, and a free hot meal every Sunday night. Homeless off the street, people with very little material posessions, children who have a rough home life, etc. It was such an incredible gift to be a part of this last Sunday night. An added bonus was seeing my mom's Hospice nurse there. She is also a part of this ministry, and helps serve the hot meals. She was such a blessing to our family during a very difficult time, and I am always thankful each time I have an opportunity to see her again.
I am grateful that Dad & Mary are a part of this ministry once a month, & I look forward to going again and bringing Dave along the next time.
Is this world Population You? Or does your heart break for what break's our Heavenly Father's?
I am asking myself the same questions.

Trick-or-Treat and Other Stuff

Where have I been for the past two weeks, you might be asking? Most likely you are not asking this, and I must come to the realization that blogging is strictly for my enjoyment and no one else's. Oh well...I will continue to blog-on.

Life is busy, illness creeped into our little world, and well, did I mention that life is busy?

We have not been as sick as other members in our extended family, but we've been fighting colds and Joel & I spent the past couple days with a stomach bug. My brother, his family & my Grandma have suffered with the full blown flu - as well as most of the daycare staff and children that I am with a couple days a week.

I realized I did not post any pictures from our fun evening of trick-or-treating. We had the cutest fairy, flower & dog you've ever seen. We start our evening dropping in on family, and end by walking my Grandma's street in her subdivision gathering more candy than we possibly need. But, it's fun and the kids's enjoy talking to each person they get candy from. In fact, I usually have to pull them off of people's porches because they stop to visit and start telling their whole life story. I'm glad they're so friendly.

My Grandparents love seeing the kids, and my grandpa gets an even bigger kick out of teasing the kids with his funny hats and noses.  Julie walked in, took one look, and said "Graaaannnndpa, I knew it was you." 

Other than busyness and illness, life is about the same. I am in a contest with some co-workers to lose weight. I've been working very hard and changing my way of eating. I refuse to diet, my goal has been to do this in a way I can live with and maintain. So far I'm in the lead with a 17lb. weight loss. If you have healthy recipes your family loves - I'd love for you to share them with me. Please leave them in the comments or e-mail me.

Hip Hip Hooray! The Christmas Tree Shop Saves the Day!

I've had the desire to post something for several days, but as I rack (is it rack, or wrack?) my brain for something to talk to you about, nothing comes to mind. Honestly, that's nothing new. I think...blank. I think some more...blank. I try to form a complete thought...totally blank. Oh well. But, as I was out running a few errands this morning the inspiration finally came. It came in the form of my very favorite store in all the world.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHOP!

Originally this store was a New England states only store, and I was introduced to it while living in Schenectady, NY, during our first years of marriage. After moving from Schenectady (an hour and a half south), I would still, on ocassion, make the trek (is it trek or trech?) back to Colonie, NY (where the mall is), and shop at the CTS.

After Julie was born, and I became a stay-at-home mom, a good friend of mine, and I would meet almost weekly with our babies and shop at the CTS. We didn't always buy much, but it became our "thing." I loved that "thing." I miss it...I miss her! She lives in PA, too, but not close to me.

So, as I was out today I saw a sign advertising that the CTS was hiring...and I thought to myself, "What? Could it be? Yes, Yes, Yes it's true, it's true, it's really true!" We have a CTS going in right next to our mall. I immediately called my husband; since he would be the only one locally, that would truly understand my excitement. His response, "oh great, we can't afford to have one this close to us." :)  But, he loves me, and I know he'll understand when I need to just go and browse.

Okay, I might be making too much out of one store - and you may have visited one and not thought it was all that great. However, for me it's the memories the store brings. When my mom would visit we would make a trip to the CTS because she fell in love with it, too.  It also is a reminder of all the days as a young, new mom, who just needed an outing with a friend, to escape the house.

Thank you Christmas Tree Shop! Thank you for coming to Erie! I can't wait until you open...someday can I do a commercial for your store?

My Little Man

Monday morning this is where I found Joel watching TV. Apparently the couch alone was not working out for him, and he needed to sit up higher.  Good to see he found a cup-holder, too.  This little guy cracks me up, and makes me want to pull my hair out, on a daily basis. I love him SO much!

The newspaper spread out all over the floor was his "doing" before watching TV.

36 Years Ago...

Thirty Six years ago today my dad married my mom. God blessed their marriage and blessed Doug & I with incredible parents.

Julie & Alayna wanted to talk about Mimi this morning, and I asked them what they picture her doing. Alayna just said, "I miss her." Julie said, "I picture her in Heaven."

I picture her laughing...I miss her so much!

Fall Fun On A Friday

Catchy title, huh?  After 260+ blog posts it becomes difficult to be creative with the titles. Sorry, I'll do better next time.

Julie was off from school the past two days due to teacher in-service. Thursday was rainy, so we spent a few hours at the McDonald's playland having lunch with two of my friends, and their kids. It's so nice now that Joel is a bit older and able to enjoy the playland with the other kids, rather than being too little where I spend the entire time pulling him off of all the things he's too little for. There are still things he is too little for, (ie., voting, driving, shaving, dating, playing with small LEGO pieces), but the McDonald's playland is no longer on that list. Yay!

Friday the weather was on the cool side, but it was sunny and gorgeous. Most of the leaves are still on the trees around our house, but they have changed color and we are enjoying the beauty of fall. I did spend quite a bit of the day indoors getting housework done, but after the kids got up from naps I sent them outside. They played in the backyard for the longest time, but then I found them out front - raking! Julie found her plastic rake and she was making a pile for them to jump in. I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of them having a great time.

The house accross the street from us is for sale....anyone interested in being our neighbor? 

I edited this one.  I love how it looks with just the mums and pumpkin color showing. 

Alayna dresses herself most days (most days that we don't have to be seen in public that is).  She wanted to wear this dress all day that Uncle Doug & Aunt Andrea bought her.  When I sent her outside she needed pants, so she wore sweatpants, a dress & a jacket.  It really was a lovely combination.  :)

His face turned out a little blurry in this one, but you get the idea of how happy he was to be throwing leaves.

Nothing Too Exciting

I haven't posted anything in about a week, and since I am trying to discipline myself to blog more often, I figured it was time for an update.

We have really been enjoying this stretch of nice weather the past several days. Last Saturday was the first time in a while that we didn't have anything planned. It was the perfect day to get outdoor projects done before the colder weather is here permanently. Dave has been working hard on our garage. We are now able to get both vehicles in (when we moved in last June we dumped everything we didn't know what to do with in the garage), and he got the garage door opener working - which was broken when we moved in. Yay Dave! We scrubbed and hosed down the pool, and it's now packed away. Julie helped me paint a couple shelves that have coat hooks, and they are now hung by the front and back doors. I spent a couple hours at dad's again, going through more things. It was a very productive Saturday. We ended the day by eating pizza and watching Beauty & the Beast with the kids. They're young, they still think we're awesome, and they want to hang out with us on a Saturday night. :)

Today Julie didn't have school, but it was Parent/Teacher conference day. Dave & I met with her teacher and she was very complimentary of Julie. She struggles a bit with spelling, but seems to really enjoy math. Her teacher did tell us though, the other day Julie really had "had it" with a kid in her class. She finally told the boy that if he didn't stop he would have to go to her dad's office, "The Principal." Her teacher said she decided to stay out of it, and let the two of them work it out. We are pretty sure that using her dad as a threat may not be the best way for her to resolve her problems...but it is funny!

Don't ask me why I decided to throw this picture in of our cat, Reggie...mostly because I am jealous of his life. The kids adore him, and are gentle with him. He can curl up in a basket of teddy bears and sleep the day away and no one bothers him. Eating when he feels like it, but not gaining too much weight, and being outdoors whenever it suits him. I really should've been a cat...

Mom's Hutch

I spent today at Dad's house.  I got there a little after 11, and left around 4. 

The task:  sorting out my mom's hutch.  Deciding what should be kept/saved, and what needs to go.  This is difficult for one person to decide.  Dad has someone interested in buying the hutch.  It is not a piece of furniture any of us can use - however sentimental it may be.  So, I sorted, became overwhelmed, and sorted some more.  I had a small list from my sister-in-law of items she was interested in (she was working out of town, otherwise she would've been my right arm on this project).  I chose some pieces for myself, I chose pieces for other people, and I boxed up things that could be donated.  I made a stop at my Grandma's afterwards to drop items off to her.  I made a stop at Doug & Andrea's to deliver stuff to them.  I came home and Dave helped me unload our items.  I still have more to do. 

This was a physically and emotionally exhausting day...


Mom's Hutch
(photo taken by Andrea this summer)

Fishing Tournament Saturday

For the past ten years I have wanted to share my love for the Pennsylvania State Championship Fishing Tournament, with Dave. This may sounds ridiculous, but if you grew up in Tidioute, PA (Tid-e-yute), you would completely understand. Really, you would! Since we spent the first nine years of our marriage in New York it never worked out to be in PA for tournament weekend. But, this year it did!

Now, mind you, if you did not grow up with this tradition you may not understand. The fishing tournament is a 3-day event (Thursday through Saturday), and Sunday the winner is announced/awarded for the winning fish he/she caught.  The town has a small (by small I mean small) fair throughtout the weekend and a nice parade on Saturday. 

So, this past Saturday we loaded up the minivan, packed our lunches, and made the one hour and fifteen minute trek to Tidioute (in case you didn't catch the pronunciation the first time, that's Tid-e-yute).  I grew up in this town.  I was born in Erie, and at age 10 my parents moved us to this small (by small I mean small) town.  I graduated from high school here.  I have wonderful memories of people, activities, and mischief here.  Yes, I said mischief....I'm not perfect, ya know!

The kids loved the parade.  They each filled a quart size freezer bag with candy.  The kids seemed to enjoy the fair.  It's not the same as it was when I was a kid, and I'm pretty sure after being at Waldameer this summer....well, who can top Waldameer?  It's almost as big as Disney....ahem...okay, not really...

I was happy to share this experience with my family for the first time.  Dave was happy to know that next year he will fish the tournament and not have to go to the parade or fair.  Oh well, I tried. 

Yes, we let our kids ride this rickety thing.  They survived...

A Chuck E Cheese Birthday

Last Tuesday was Alayna's fourth birthday. We celebrated by going to Chuck E. Cheese with Uncle Doug, Danika, John, Papa & Miss Mary (Aunt Andrea was out of town on business...we missed her). The kids had a great time. The adults are still recovering....

Here are some pictures from Alayna's birthday bash!

Joel & Danika...whatever was on the screen, they couldn't take their eyes off of it.

Pink icing & sprinkles...what else do you need for a little girls cake?

Papa & Miss Mary bought her this adorable tiara (among other things), and we bought her the pink Hello Kitty scooter. She rode it round and round our table.

She's already decided she wants to return to Chuck E Cheese for her fifth birthday. I think I'll stock up on Excedrin now - and coupons...lots of coupons. That place is pricey!

Yummy! Delicious! Mouth-Watering...

This is my all-time favorite thing to bake. I don't make them often, but when I do, I am reminded of how much I love to fix them for people and watch them enjoy eating this tasty treat.

Apple Dumplings! They were somewhat of an obsession in my family growing up. There are a lot of memories that swarm around this special dessert. From Christmas gifts for our neighbors - to fixing them for company that had never tasted them before. But most of all, for me, it is the memory of my mom teaching me how to make them, and then baking them with her. Once I learned how to make them, it became my "job" to fix them.

After Dave & I were married we would come home at Christmas to visit, and one of the first things my dad would ask me is, "would you mind making apple dumplings for the neighbors while you're here?" Sure!

I made this batch about a week ago for our small group Bible study. I took a few pictures to share with you.

"The Dough!"
A couple years ago my dad was telling someone about the apple dumplings I make, and he informed them that I just make the dough part from bisquick! BISQUICK!!!!! WHAT???? Don't get me wrong, I love bisquick for many things, but this dough is made from scratch. Scratch, I tell ya! So, it has become a small joke between my dad & me when I make them. "Here are your bisquick apple dumplings, dad." Enjoy!

The apples...my favorite apple to use is Cortland's. I do use McIntosh or Empire, too, if that's what I have. Each dumpling contains half of an apple.

"The Sauce." A wonderful blend of sugar, water, nutmeg, cinnamon and BUTTER!

The end result. I'm pretty sure they are calorie, fat & sugar free because they're homemade. :)

Happy Birthday, Alayna!

Tuesday, our baby girl turns four! Four! If there was an award for a child most anticipating her birthday, it would go to Alayna. Ever since we celebrated Julie's b'day back in March, she has asked if it was her birthday yet. Then came Dave's birthday in May, then Joel's in June, and then the long wait for September. She has waited and waited and waited, and she can hardly stand it she's so excited!

Tomorrow, I work. So today I made a batch of pumpkin shaped cut-out cookies for her to hand out to her classmates at daycare. Then we celebrate tomorrow night with family at Chuck E. Cheese. She has asked, and asked, and ASKED to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her big day. We could not disappoint the child who has waited so patiently for her special day.

I love you my precious, imaginative, sweet, hillariously funny little girl! Happy 4th Birthday!

A Day For Pirates

Last week I helped chaperone the elementary field trip for Julie's school. The Tall Ships were at Dobbin's Landing for three days, and we had tickets to tour two of them. I was excited about seeing the tall ships, I was excited to spend time with Julie, however, I was not excited over the fact that I had to take Joel with me. I love him, don't get me wrong. More than life itself, in fact - but I just knew this could either go really well, or really bad. There would be no middle ground.

Well, he was not the most pleasant participant in the field trip, but we did survive. I have vowed to never chaperone a trip again where he has to come along. That may seem harsh, but it was a vow that had to be made. Perhaps it was the one hour of screaming that pushed me to this point, or the constant running away from me when I did allow him out of the stroller, that drove me to make this vow. Either way, when he's 10 I may re-consider and actually attend a field trip he is on. Until then - No Way!

"Mommy, please don't make me walk home."

Aboard the "Pride of Baltimore."

"The Bounty." This ship has been used in several movies, including "The Pirates of the Caribbean."

The kids enjoyed seeing the pirates walking around. This one was handing out gold coins.

Julie & Alayna with a boy from school.

Mom's Flowers

Andrea recently tooks these pictures of my mom's hydrangea's. I wanted to share them with you. I'm going to have them framed and put in my house somewhere. These flowers are beautiful. But they are more than just a pretty flower, they are a reminder of my mom. I don't need something physical to help me remember her. I think of her each day. Sometimes through tears and sometimes through laughter as I tell a funny story about her, or see the kids do something that would have made her laugh. She loved to laugh and make us laugh. How I miss that...

But, I wanted to post these pictures because it is a part of my mom. She planted them, she loved to see them bloom each summer. They were part of the walking tour of her yard that I'd have to take each time I came home for a visit. I miss that...

I am having one of those moments. Those moments of: I can sit and blog about this and not cry. But, here I sit, with tears in my eyes remembering my mom. How I miss her....

A Spur of the Moment Afternoon...

Now that the weather is cooling down a little around here I can say that I'm enjoying being outdoors more. I love summer in Erie - the lake, boating, Waldameer, etc., but the heat just makes me want to curl up in front of a fan and be left alone.

Since school is back in session for Julie, and I work a couple days a week, I am trying to take advantage of the couple hours each afternoon we have together. Whether we just played outside in our own yard, or go somewhere. The other day I picked up Julie and we decided to head for the Erie Zoo. We have a membership, so going for a couple hours is no big deal. It's not a big zoo, you can see everything you need to in a couple hours anyway. If it takes you more than a couple hours....well, you just walk too slow.

The zoo is not a busy place during the week right now, so it was just us and a few other people that seemed to have the same idea we did.

Julie is a huge help to me with Joel. She tries to help with Alayna, but that usually doesn't end well. Alayna is a free-spirit....enough said. Julie practically took over Joel's care at the zoo, and he preferred it that way. She is patient with him, carries him, gives in to whatever he wants....she'll make a great wife some day. :)

I love this picture of the three of them walking down the boardwalk. It's so them...Julie & Joel hand in hand, and Alayna following behind in her own little world - wearing black sparkly shoes, capris and a jacket (free spirit).

The other day Alayna was going on and on about her baby doll and I asked her, "do you live in reality or make-believe?" She said, "I live in that house right over there," (pointing to the empty space behind our couch. :)

I wish the picture didn't turn out blurred - but my camera is just like that, and I'm not happy about it.
(Dear Santa, I want a new camera for Christmas)!

Julie is helping Joel with his zipper...see, I really don't have to do anything for him when she's around.

This was the high-light of our (mostly Joel's) afternoon. The zoo just added this "exhibit" if you will. A train track with a couple different trains going at the same time....this is a boys' paradise.

This picture cracks me up of Alayna...she was trying to be obedient and look my way for a picture, but she just couldn't take her eyes off the train.

Joel wasn't happy when we had to move on from the trains...one of these days we'll go to the zoo just to sit and watch the train go round and round the track. I'll take Julie with me so I can go see the other animals while she watches Joel. :)