Monsters inc.

We took the girls to the movies yesterday. We saw Monsters, Inc. it was Betsy's first movie theater experience. Se did great in spite of the fact that the glasses were too big and the chair nearly swallowed her whole.  Andy ended up holding her and holding the glasses on her head.  We had a grand time. I love making memories with this little family of mine. Blessings.

Merry Christmas

Hope you have a Merry Christmas, time with your family and friends while celebrating the birth of our savior. Blessings.

1st day of winter

It is snowing here.  I love welcoming winter this way.  So much fun.  The girls played on the deck, because the driveway was too icy, but they had a blast.  Too bad it is not a good packing snow, the girls kept asking for snow balls and snowmen which we couldn't make, but we were able to accomplish snow angels and tossing snow up for snow showers.  They were happy with that.  Blessings.

Sudafed

I've had some nasal congestion and a few other cold symptoms the past few days. NyQuil has been very helpful at night as well as sudafed pe. Last night, Andy picked up the non- drowsy sudafed at the pharmacy. I took it at 9 p.m. My nose is clear, but I didn't get much sleep. At. All. Thanks sudafed, i think. This day could be interesting-even more than usual. Blessings.

bad mom - Cinderella

We are pretending this morning. Mollie informs me that I am supposed to be the bad mom and she and Betsy are slave sisters.  Sort of like Cinderella I guess.  I tell her to go mop the floor, she erupts in gales of laughter.  Blessings.

stole the show

Mollie stole the show.  On Friday night, she marched around the stage on her tip toes, paused at the front of the stage and gave a glowing smile.  She won the crowd over with that pass.  I heard them from the side of the stage.  I couldn't see her and didn't know it was her until after the performance.  We were talking at home, Oma said that she'd heard that she stole the show.  Mollie looked worried and said that she did not steal the show.  We took a few minutes to explain the saying to her, but I think she understood.  Saturday's performance went without a hitch.  I was sitting in the audience, watching for her.  She did another great job.  Her class even remembered to "fly, fly, scoop, spin." She and her classmates forgot that part on Friday.  Oh well, no one knew or noticed, we were all happy to see our little girls on stage. Blessings.

ballet party scene

Last night, at the technical rehearsal for the Toy Maker's Son, Mollie was insistent that there would be food at the party.  Well, she is only in the party scene, and I guess she figured that if there is a party there should be food.  It took some explaining to do on my part that the party was just pretend and there would not really be food there.  Blessings.

mud daubers

Last night, we had no heat on the second floor of our house, so we all slept bundled in extra blankets..  Andy was checking things out last night and found a mud dauber's nest blocking some of the piping and fan housing.  He didn't get it working last night, but the heat is on this morning. After an early trip to the attic, he found and cleared some mud from another hose in the furnace that he didn't check last night. Thankful for a warm house this morning. Blessings.
Mud dauber

preschool oldies

Last night, I gathered with some friends that I worked with 10+ years ago for a Christmas dinner.  It was nice being with my old friends and reconnecting with them.  These ladies helped me so much when I first started working in the school system. I know I am a better person for knowing them.  Blessings.

birthday fun

We had another party on Sat. celebrating Mollie's birthday with my family. Everyone had a wonderful time.  I know one 4 year old that is very pleased with all of her gifts and thankful for her family and friends that could attend her parties.  Blessings.

Here she is pushing her babies in her new stroller.  Having a great time. 

20 Questions - Mollie

1. How old are you? 4
2. Who is your best friend? Aubrey H.
3. What is your favorite thing to do? Play dolls
4. What is your favorite color? Purple and pink
5. What is your favorite food and drink? Orange drink and vegetables
6. What do you like to do with your family? Go out to Gattitown
7. What is your favorite toy? Aurora horse
8. What do you want to do when you grow up? Gymnast
9. What makes you happy? Big great smiles
10. What makes you sad? A scrape
11. What is your favorite show to watch? The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe
12. What is your favorite book? Tickety Tock
13. What do you love to learn about? Shapes
14. What was the best part of your birthday? Getting the pink flowers
15. Where do you like to go? Gattitown
16. What are you really good at? Jumping
17. What is your favorite treat? Hershey kisses
18. What do you think about before going to sleep? Narnia
19. What is your favorite animal? Butterfly
20. What is your favorite song? This Little Light Of Mine

Mollie is 4

We have had such a busy day of celebrating our sweet girl.  Andy wanted Mollie to open her cupcake Lego set before he left for work, so I got the girls up while he went out to get doughnuts.  Play date and lunch with some friends, nap, ballet (in her new leotard), dinner at Burger King (her choice), a tour of the Chinoe House and then on to watch the Christmas parade.  We came home and did Advent while drinking hot chocolate.  It was a nice end to the day.  Right now, Andy is reading The Horse and His Boy to the girls.
Mollie had lots of phone calls and a couple of cards in the mail.  She said she had a great day. I think that we all did. Hope to get some pics up tomorrow.  Blessings.

ballet party

Mollie wants a ballet party this year.  We are going to try to meet her expectations.  We'll see how this goes.  I was able to find some sweet plates and party supplies.(Here is the link to those party supplies.)  I have some crepe paper to hang, I've printed off some ballerina coloring pages and we will do a craft.  (Making bead "candy canes" to go on the Christmas tree.)  I had a hard time finding stickers of ballerinas, so I got Tinkerbell fairy stickers instead to remind us of the ballet we attended this summer.(pictures below)  Tonight, I need to do some party prep, but I think everything will work out well.  Blessings.

jinger bells

Betsy is really trying hard to say and sing "jingle bells," but it keeps coming out as jinger bells.  It is very cute.  These girls are just too much fun.  Blessings.

nativity

We have a new nativity set. (See it here.) Grandma Martin purchased these for each of the families with grandkids.  I know ours is getting a lot of use.  We are so thankful for it.  The girls enjoy arranging it and rearranging it. Their favorite part may be pushing the angel down to hear Away in a Manger. Blessings.

missing slipper

The girls got slippers from their aunt while we were in Indiana.  They were wearing them yesterday.  Today, we can only find 3 of the 4 and the first two found were not mates.  I really don't understand how they are so hard to find.  Off to search some more.  Blessings.

princess legos

Mollie got some princess Legos for her birthday.  She loves them.  Right now, she and Betsy are upstairs building a castle to put Aurora in.  She is feeling much better today and is playing happily at least at the moment. I'm sure the new blocks are a distraction.  Blessings.

strep throat

Well, strep has hit the house.  Mollie is suffering from a fever, then chills. Thankfully, her symptoms started only yesterday and we were able to get in to see the doctor early this morning.  Already she has taken one dose of antibiotics (9 more to go).  Poor kid.  Andy thinks she probably picked it up in the chick-fil-a play place on Friday after Thanksgiving.  Betsy will probably come down with it too, so we may be going back to the doctor later in the week.  I just feel bad that I never even thought to look inside her throat.  Hopefully, we will get back into the swing of things soon.  Hopefully.  Also, I am praying none of the extended family gets it as we were all together over the weekend. 
Blessings

barky

Poor Rocky dog, he thought he was going to get left here by the Vogels, so he spent the whole time that they were packing their vehicle barking and barking and barking. Of course, they got everything loaded up including the dog.  Now the house seems almost too quiet.  Hope you have a good day of preparations and travel. Blessings.

Getting ready

Tomorrow we leave for my sister-in-laws. The girls are beyond excited about the trip.  Today, we went shopping for our contributions to the Thanksgiving meal and weekend snacks.  This afternoon, I made some sweet pecans and almonds in the crock pot. (They are very yummy.) Andy and I have loaded some items into the van already because we will be picking him up from work.  I am getting ready to pack my bag. I love getting ready for a road trip.  The feelings of excitement and anticipation for the fun time we will have together builds into the beauty of the trip itself. Hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Blessings.

being deliberate

One thing that I realized from the fast, was that I want to be more deliberate with how I fill my time  (and by extension my family's time-especially the girls). It is so easy just to sit down and play a game, get on pinterest or check face book and an hour passes.  I like those things, but I don't want my days and nights absorbed by them. I want to play more with the girls, be with them, read to them, try out the things I've pinned, and live life. With the holidays fast approaching, there will be less "free" time anyway to give to those things.  It is a good time of year for reflection on the things that truly matter and be given to those activities and not all the fluff that can steal the time away.  Hope you take some time to reflect on your blessings and how you want to spend the holiday season this week.  Blessings.

church fast

I am writing this on Tuesday but it won't post until Wednesday.  Our church is doing a fast, and one of the things I am fasting is computer time.  (So there will be no Thursday or Friday posts this week.)  I am looking forward to the absolute break from computer, TV, i-pad, novels etc. to have more time to pray and read the Bible and pray and read.  It is a challenge for sure, but I know that God will honor the sacrifice.  Blessings.

opa

One of the benefits of having another family living with you is shared family time. The girls love having Opa read to them and I think he enjoys it as well.  Blessings

dirning room make over

The bench - after

Bench - before

Chairs - after (can't find the before pics - sorry)

The curtains-before (I loved them, but the kids and dog like to play in them too much so they often looked like this)

How I preferred the curtains - before

Kids and dog can't even reach the valance :)  - after

I love this look too. Although I may add some long drapes as well b/c the DR gets a lot of evening sun.

My friend and housemate, Susan, helped me with this project.  She did most of the work in fact. What a good friend. We love the look of the updated dining room. Blessings.

babysitting

On Thursday and Friday of last week, I was able to keep a friend's kids while she sold some crafts at a holiday fair.  Baby girl (41/2 months) would not take her noon bottle (she typically nurses).  I know that this was definitely more stressful for me than for her as she was quite content without it.  She was so pleasant.  Little boy (4 yrs) was very active and loved playing with the girls albeit a little rougher than they normally play.  It was a good experience for them as well to be stretched out of their comfort zone of princess and tea party.  It was a great way to serve the body.  It was a challenge to me as well as fun. Blessings.

beauty school

A friend and I go out to get hair cuts and then to dinner every 6-8 weeks or so.  I am loving this time out more and more.  We go to the beauty school, so the cuts are not expensive but still nice.  All of the student's work has to be approved and then checked by a teacher, so it's not too scary.  We scheduled our appointments for 6 weeks out next time. (7 weeks was the day after Christmas!) It's nice having this time already on the calendar.  Then, we head to dinner.  Last night we went to Ramsey's, a local favorite.  We both enjoyed veggie plates and split a slice of pumpkin pie.  Yummy and fun. Blessings.

election results

Well, the election is over.  We stayed up for a while last night watching the results come in but went to bed before anything was confirmed.  Betsy woke up at 2 a.m. and cried a couple of times.  Andy jumped out of bed, I thought to take care of her, but he got on the computer to check on the results.  He told me that Obama won and went back to bed.  No matter your political leanings, the Bible commands us to pray for our leaders.
Thankfully, Betsy calmed herself down. 
Blessings.

^“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” -1 Timothy 2:1-3

Mama

My mom's birthday is today.  She is a breast cancer survivor-diagnosed just after Mollie was born.  So, every year, I am thankful that she is with us.  She is such a good example of love and sacrifice and we all love her to pieces.  Blessings.

Logan's

We went to Logan's for lunch yesterday.  The girls loved munching on the peanuts.  Too bad they were so impatient that occasionally they would eat shell and all. LOL.  Blessings

thankfulness

To quote a veggie tale song - "a thankful heart is a happy heart"
I have found this to be true and "to be thankful for what you have is an easy place to start." 
Love November to remind myself daily to be thankful. Blessings

h'ween in pics

Indian Princess

Fairy

sweet sisters

passing out candy

Betsy's jack-o-lantern

Mollie's jack-o-lantern

Happy November - Hope your day is fantastic.  Blessings

Halloween

I will put up some pictures tomorrow, but we did go trick-or-treating.  The girls got quite a haul.  Our neighbors were so generous. Some giving out 2 handfuls of candy.  I think the turnout might have been low because of the cold and rainy weather.  We had a great time in spite of it.  Then, we came home for some treats, popcorn, and watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It was a great night. Blessings.

Sandy

It is crazy to think that a hurricane can affect a day in a land locked state.  Sandy takes the cake though, she is a huge storm.  Some of our friends to the east are dealing with snow.  Fortunately, we are only having wind gusts and rain here.  I am praying for all those effected by the storm on the eastern seaboard.  It was more than a little disconcerting to see a darkened New York City on the news last night. All of the pictures of flooding and fires and reports of rescues and on the news this morning made for a crazy news day.  I am praying that all goes well for our fellow countrymen this week as they truly weather the storm.  Blessings

London trick-or-treat

We were at my parents for the weekend.  On Saturday, my brother called and said the downtown shops were doing trick-or-treat.  My sister fixed the girls costumes this year, so we had everything we needed on hand to make the rounds.  I figure we will do very little trick-or-treat on Wednesday because of the cold weather, so it was nice to take advantage of it with my family.  Blessings.

the plan

Well, the day is shaping up nicely. I have already walked with a friend, showered, and dressed for the day. Getting ready to go to the library (not the kid section), shop, eat and get a massage.  Church tonight then go visit with my family.  Great plan if I do say so myself. Hope you get to do something fun today.  Blessings.

a free day

My mom is coming tonight to take the kids home with her.  She had a floating holiday to use and was getting off early today, so she thought she would offer to spend time with the girls. She is picking them up after dinner and keeping them until we get down there tomorrow night. I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow, it is nice to have a day to myself though no matter how it gets filled - not that I don't love my girls - I do, but the break is greatly appreciated. Now, I've got to go make a plan for tomorrow. Blessings. 

bi-water farm

The girls and I went to the farm today with some friends. It was an amazing day.  It was such a treat to be out and about with our friends from church, loving each other and enjoying nature together. Blessings.

braids

The girls are wanting me to braid their hair these days. Betsy's long hair is easier to deal with for sure, but I do manage to get a couple of braids for Mollie too.  It was so sweet, yesterday Betsy kept holding her braid to make sure it didn't fall out.  Too bad I missed that picture.  I think my up-do skills may be improving - oh, they're sure to only get better and better as time goes by.  Blessings.

a camel bottom

Andy was spreading some mulch this morning when I brought the girls back from back a make up ballet practice.  When I opened the van door, Betsy said it smells like a camel's bottom.  LOL Blessings

Kohl's

I went shopping for an outfit last week at Kohl's.  I got a couple of gift card from there for my birthday and thought I'd get something for myself (per my friend and sister's instructions). After an hour in the store and several trips to the dressing room, I found jeans and a shirt. The gift cards didn't quite cover it, but I was happy with my purchase so I didn't mind putting in a few dollars of my own.  I did forget my coupon, and I was also disappointed that the store wasn't doing the Kohl's cash that day.  I didn't think there was a "season" on that program.  Overall a successful trip, but it could have been so much better.  I just love a good deal.   Blessings.

everyday dog food

Today, while we were eating breakfast, Mollie said that Rocky just gets his everyday dog food. He doesn't get cereal like her. She is too funny sometimes. Blessings.

Disney princess

Disney has the market on princesses.  It is all my girls want to play. I am also encouraging them to play Queen Esther, Mary, the Ingalls girls, Annie Oakley and any one else I can think of. It is a challenge though.  I love my girls but I don't want them to be bound to some unrealistic ideas about womanhood, dating, or marriage promoted by Disney and company.  Blessings

Cavity filled

Betsy had a small defect on her front tooth which was filled today.  She did a great job. The dentist didn't give her any shot or numbing cream, just drill and fill.  As a reward, she got a squeeze toy from the treasure chest there and daddy said she could pick out a $5-$10 item from the Disney store.  She chose a Minnie Mouse scooter and loves it.  Hopefully, won't have to go through that again, but I am pleased with how brave she was today.  Blessings

Another "sick" day

This fever has been persistent to say the least.  Mollie is continuing to feel better though. Playing and eating as if she is fine.  For that I am grateful and for the fact that Betsy continues to be unaffected.  Blessings.

The girls were enjoying some i pad time the other day. 

This morning they are setting up for tea.

viral pharyngitis

Fancy words for sore throat, which Mollie has.  I took her to the doctor today because she woke up with another fever.  I thought after her good day yesterday, we were in the clear.  Thankfully, she is not complaining today and is continuing to eat and play normally.  Well, she did complain of her toes hurting earlier this morning, but I think that is because the footie pajamas she was wearing was a size too small.  [Andy bathed the girls and got them in bed, while I shopped at Khol's last night.  Sweet man.] Anyway, if her symptoms aren't gone by Monday the doctor wants to see her again. Hopefully with some more down time and extra rest, she will be all better by then.  Blessings.

fever

We had a sitter lined up for Monday night, but by the time dinner was over, Mollie was feeling feverish, so we canceled our date.  Mollie was pretty lethargic yesterday. Fever topping out at 102.  This morning she woke up with a low grade fever 99.5 and is eating and playing like she is all better.  I am praying that is the case.  Betsy seems to be unaffected at present.  Blessings.

The Biltmore day 3 and 4

We breakfasted on apples and granola bars and enjoyed the coffee service in the library on Monday and Tuesday of last week. 

Monday: Took the shuttle to the house, did the friends and family tour, and completed the self-guided tour of 2nd floor, basement, Italian gardens. Then, lunch at the stable cafe, shuttle to Antler Village, ice cream at the creamery, toured the Legacy exhibit, tasted the grape juice, toured the winery, walked back to the Inn.  Pizza for dinner while watching Monday night football.

Tuesday: Check out after breakfast, drove around the property, short walk to see the statue of Diana, parked at the conservatory and walked around for a bit. Lunch at the Moose Restaurant.