Fun with the fam...

This weekend we spent Saturday together as a family.  Joe didn't have to work so we decided to take advantage.  We went to a local park and had a picnic.  Played some "fusbee", baseball, chased each other, and played on the play ground.  It was a bit cold but Griffin loved it.

We also went to the pet store and saw a humongous snake named Elvis.  He is an albino python and weighted slightly over 200 pounds.  He has a turtle and iguana that live in his cage with him. Griffin just thought it was so crazy a turtle would want to be in the same place as such a large snake.  Not sure if he saw the iguana.

We got a surprise visit from Nate, Heather, and Ella.  They decided to come up for Nate's brothers basketball tournament.  It was a really quick trip but we were really happy to be able to say hi!

Heather took LJ's four wheeler out for a spin.  Love the look on her face.  She did quite well and even took it for a spin in the dirt.

Ella hung out in the garage with Joe.  She is really cute especially when she walks around. Her and Griffin played quite well together and she just followed him around.  We are looking forward to having her come and visit us for a whole week!

Of course if the four wheeler is out Griffin has to sneak a ride!

Pockie was even able to come over and visit with us.  Ella decided he was okay and spent some time on his lap!

Miss Ella loves to eat!  I am totally amazed by how much she eats.  She even had a little fit because Heather moved her peaches!  She loves peaches!!

We all had a really good time.  It was a wonderful Saturday!

Family pic

For FHE last night Joe taught a little lesson about where we come from.  Griffin was more interested in playing with his "fusbee".  He doesn't do good just sitting and listening.  He always, I mean always, has to be moving!

LJ was kind enough to snap a little family  photo for us.  Griffin again, was not happy because he had to stand there, so barely a happy face from him!

Around Town #1

So...I saw this little piece of drama at the local recycling center.  Had to take a picture and share because well, it is funny!

A close up of the fine print.  I have to wonder a couple things after seeing this...

#1 Do you think they are really going to come and pick up their very large TV packaging? I don't think so they are most likely at home watching it.

#2 It said to read the signs so I did...they don't recycle glass, cardboard, or aluminum...so apparently you can only recycle newspapers and plastic...kind of strange for a recycling area. no?

#3 I wonder how long this little piece of drama is going to be hanging around the center?  It serves as a great warning to anyone who is going to come and try to recycle their cardboard.

Watch out they might duct tape it to the nearest telephone pole and write a silly little note with permanent marker demanding you come and pick it up!!!

They were so mad in fact, it appears the original message was written in red permanent marker, and then they realized you can't see it so they got their black one out!

#4 I think more than one person wrote on the sign...the writing isn't the same...oh and I don't think anyone can see the tiny print while they are driving by or into the center for that matter.  So it was totally unnecessary and I for one am offended by it....not really but I had to mention my disapproval.

This is Griffin's favorite blanket. We have to find it every night so he can go to bed.  He hates when I wash it!

Griffin loves riding his trike through out the house.  Lately he has been loving wearing his goggles while he rides.  Guess it is just part of the fun!

Funny Message

My Stampin Up! workshop order came yesterday and this is what was on the box:

I can't believe Stampin Up! actually put this on the box.  LOL!!!

Happy Birthday Heather!

Just wanted to wish my sister a Happy Birthday!  She is turning 27 today, and yes the picture above is her.

Here are 27 reasons why I love my sister:

1. She always offers to help me with Griffin even though she doesn't live near me.  Just the other day she told me, "I would watch Griffin for a month if I had to"

2. She is a good wife, mother, and housekeeper. Whenever we come to visit her house is always clean and welcoming.  There are fresh sheets on my bed, and she even has a special mat for Griffin to sit on while he eats his breakfast and watches Fox and the Hound.

3. She calls me for advice.

4.  She always has really yummy and easy recipes for dinner.  Her latest and greatest discovery is Taco Chili and it is so yummy!

5. She remembers things from our past that I have no recollection of, but is still fun for me to hear.

6. Sometimes when I get cranky she will just say, "Are you cranky today?"  and then she will let me go.

7.  She calls me almost every morning just to see what is going on and she is always so chipper!

8. She reminds me of all the good things about life when I am feeling sad.

9. First she will tell me she is not into blogging, and then she will decide she likes it, and then she will change her mind again!  It cracks me up.

10. She enjoys watching what I think are really silly movies, and she loves to call and tell me about them.  Most of the time she is laughing so hard I can't even understand what she is saying.  A couple of her favorites off the top of my head Dumb and Dumber, and Baby Momma.

11. When we go shopping for clothes together she can always find me really cute tops for cheap.  And she will stop me from buying what she would deem old lady clothes.

12. I enjoy when she comes to visit and we go to our secret cookie place for some of the yummiest sugar cookies ever made!  I only go when she is here, and sometimes with my mom.  We save up our change and go through the drive thru, yes it is a drive thru bakery!  I think one time we went every day for three days straight and then we were too embarrassed to keep going through and ordering two sugar cookies.

13.  She loves to eat fruit and has passed this trait on her to her lovely daughter.

14. She will let you know if she doesn't want to do something but she will do it anyways if she knows you really want to.

15. She is always willing to help others.

16. She is a hard worker and will keep on a project until it is finished.

17. She is always in the know about certain crafting trends. i.e. she was into letters before I knew about them...she also was ahead of the beaded watch band trend and learned how to make them, and she knew about the Cricut way before I did.

18. Lately she's been into learning about parenting.  She loves to share her tips with me.

19. She introduces me to new gadgets. Like DVR (still don't have one), the Cricut, cool waffle makers, and wrought iron decor just to name a few.

20. She is friendly and outgoing.

21. She trusts me enough to let me watch her baby.  Not many people get to do this so I feel it is a great honor!

22. I know I could call her at any time of the day about anything and she would listen to what I had to say.

23.  Sometimes we will just text each other about nothing, but really all that nothing is something quite special.

24. I would consider her to be quite humble.  She is happy with everything she has and recognizes the blessing she has been given.

25.  She has an ability to "bloom wherever she is planted".  She is always finding interesting people and involved in her community.  Ever since we were little she's just been out and about in the neighborhood getting to know everyone, finding babysitting jobs, or helping out where she could.

26. She really is a great hair stylist.  She gives Griffin the best hair cuts and I hate to take him any where else because they just don't turn out as cute.  She is good with all types of hair even though she doesn't think so.  I've had lots of fun with her cutting and dying my hair.  My favorite time was when she was in styling school and she gave me an A-line cut, which was not easy for her to do because she had only recently started, and she gave me some high lights.  I think that was my best hair cut ever, I mean obviously if I still remember it must have been good!

27. Finally, there are many things to love about Heather.  She is truly wonderful in so many ways.  Everyone should have a sister and a friend like Heather in their lives!  I am most grateful that we are sisters.  I am sure we were great friends before we came to Earth, and I am sure we chose each other to be sisters.

Happy Birthday Heather, my sister and my best friend!

Love Notes & "Blue Days"

So most people who know me know I love to make cards.  I really enjoy sending friends and family mail.  Just little notes that will cheer them up, notes of thanks, or some kind of special thought.  Something about going out to the mail box and finding a letter from someone is just very special to me!

Today I got my own little love note in the mail.  I was having kind of one those days, I like to call them "blue days".  Nothing was really wrong I was just feeling a little down and not too chipper.  So when I got home from work I stopped to pick up the mail.  There was a little letter tucked in between some junk mail, I almost missed it because I usually just take my junk mail straight to the trash. There was no return address on the envelope but I did recognize the hand writing....but I wondered why is she sending me a note?

Well it was my sister who sent me a little thank you for her Christmas stuff and Ella's birthday stuff. It was a really super cute picture card with three pictures of my adorable niece Ella.  They made me smile.  On the back she wrote me a special note which was just what I needed to hear today!  It truly did change my whole day around.  Can't help but think she was a bit inspired to write what she wrote because I have had a few topics weighing on my mind.

So thanks my dear sweet Heather, I truly appreciated your thank you note and also the love note you wrote me!

And perhaps if you have taken the time to read my thoughts you should send someone you know a love note because you never know, it might just turn their "blue day" all around!

Spider Cake

Griffin wanted a spider cake for his birthday!  So the above is what I came up with.  Pretty scary but cute looking all at the same time, right?

I was pretty excited when I got this done.  I had an idea in my head and just hoped it worked out.  In the end I think it worked a little better then I envisioned.  I made the spider look hairy, or maybe more textured is a better word, by cutting up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and smashing some Oreo's.

We found the eyeballs, banana fangs, and sour green licorice at our local candy shop.

After we got it all done Griffin was so excited.  He kept wanting to touch it.  We had to put the spider to sleep in a garbage bag over night so it would be ready for his big day!

I know the cake is real scary looking but I must say it was quite delicious! Joe even said so, and he doesn't like cake!

Thanksgiving 2009

I need to do some catching up on my blogging...I am trying to use my blog as a journal and I am hoping to get it printed in a book each year so we can all enjoy it, so it is important for me to journal some of the happenings in our lives!

Thanksgiving was really fun.  We all went to Nate and Heather's house. I think it is becoming a tradition because we have been there for the last three years!  My mom couldn't make it this year but she was there is spirit.

Heather sent me a picture of our mom and I blew it up and then we put it on a stick just so she could be there with us.  Griffin loved the stick and took it every where, but he did end up getting in trouble with it, so the "mom stick" had to get put away.

Heather made a really wonderful dinner and the jello was my favorite, but I think everyone knows that!

Dinner was completed with magic juice. Griffin  and Ella really loved it!  I really like the glasses we used, they made the magic juice that much better.  Ella got so messy from eating jello she had to be taken out of her clothes.  She still looked stunning!

No Thanksgiving is complete without going thru all the Black Friday ads.  LJ was very excited about getting up early and seeing what all the fuss was about.  Joe and him went out shopping but didn't leave until around 6, Heather and I, well we woke up at 4:30 AM to head to Target.  Most of the items we wanted were at Target so we figured we would wake up early and get there when it opened.

Let me tell you it was CRAZY!  Crazy but lots of fun. When we got to Target the line was so huge, it wrapped all around the building.  We decided we would wait in the warm car until they opened the doors up and then we thought we could sneak in. We were wrong.  They had some really big mean security guards that made everyone go to the back of the line.  It took about 15 minutes until the end of the line finally came to where we were.

Once we got inside we divided and conquered.  Silly me forgot to charge my cell phone so I couldn't get a hold of Heather to tell her where I was.  She was trying to hold a spot in line but then decided to come find me. I decided I would just wait in the toy section and observe the madness, just hoping she would find me.  Eventually we did meet up and by the time we did the line was all the way around the store! It was so crazy!  People were just grabbing stuff!  The workers were trying to restock the shelves and people would just bombard them before they could even get out the door.

We waited in line for an hour, but it was very entertaining. I think my favorite memory was when the strange looking girl came over to the movie kiosk and rummaged around a bit.  All the sudden she looked up with this really giddy look and ran off with some season's of Monk.  It was truly hilarious!

LJ was even able to get some things on his list. However he was disappointed he didn't get the tool door buster he really wanted.  We tried to tell him to make a list and decide what was a must and go for it...but you know when you are a novice Black Friday shopper you don't always listen...

I am sure my mom would have loved to go shopping but I don't think she would have woken up to go with Heather and I.  She would have opted to stay home and watch the babies.

One day we went to a play place.  They had a huge jungle gym, laser tag, and all kinds of video games. Griffin had a lot of fun climbing around and riding some rides.  He used to be so afraid when the little quarter rides started moving and now he is begging me for more money!

Joe found the Dance, Dance Revolution game and was having a fun time.  We all were ready to go but he had to finish his game.

He was moving around a lot, so here is my creative attempt at showing his motion.

Here is my ever so fabulous sister sitting with Ella while we all went out and had a bit of fun.  After our play day we went to the Olive Garden where we had some of the slowest service ever. LJ was the one who reminded us to enjoy being together.  I think we were all just hungry and suffering from low blood sugar.

We made lots of fun memories this year and a good time was had by all!

I believe in Santa!

The other night LJ, Griffin and I went out to do a bit of Christmas shopping. LJ was showing Griffin all the animals and the fish tank when a man with a round belly and a long white beard came over.

Griffin was naming of the different animals and as soon as he saw "the man" he shouted, "Santa Clause!"  Then rushed over to start talking with him.  LJ apologized and a few innocent bystanders had to scurry away due to too much laughter.  "The man" just laughed and said it happens to him all the time.

Once we all met up both Griffin and LJ wanted to show me Santa Clause, but of course for very different reasons. I think LJ was completely mortified!  I must say he did look a lot like Santa except his outfit was more fit for Santa's wood working shop than Santa's sleigh!