The Connecticut Crowthers

Phil and Jaime Visit!!

2011-11-15T14:47:00.001-08:00

Look how happy Phil is to be in Times Square!!

Just kidding,

Phil warmed up to NYC and New Yorkers really warmed up to Phil.

Time after time after time (seriously) people from all walks of life came up to him to compliment him on his black Cowboy hat.

It was a chilly boat ride to Liberty and Ellis Island

Beautiful views in Box Elder County; but nothing quite like this...

We were so GLAD they came to visit!!

While I'll not post photos of everything, together we saw:

Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Matt, Al, Anne and the Today crew (Phil was actually on TV), we went to the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, ate at a TERRIFIC deli in the financial district, visited the 911 Memorial - so humbling, took a bus tour of Manhattan, spent time in Central Park, made it to the Manhattan Temple, ate Matzoh Ball soup at Junior's Diner, had the BEST cheese cake ever. And that was just the first day.

Thank you Phil and Jaime for coming we love you and we love visitors:

Open Invitation to our Friends and Family:

Come on out!!

Halloween Connecticut Style

2011-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Crowther Trick-or-Treaters

Abby as a surgeon

Grayson as an Oxford (our town)Little League Baseball Player

Lindsey as a Cheetah

We have learned that "country livin" has it's advantages, and disadvantages. Trick or treating is tough when there are only three houses on your hill.

Solution: a chauffeured four wheeler

Once we knocked the first door and were told that trick or treating had been cancelled in our town due to the crazy snowstorm (the officials were worried about all the downed power lines and closed roads) so we took to the "city" - a local shopping center, to try our luck there…by the time we arrived, most every other kid in central CT had already been there and the pickings were slim. So we went to a friends neighborhood in another community with tons of homes close together (the only real "neighborhood" we've even seen in CT) where our kids promptly collected more candy than any other Halloween night, and it was Lindsey leading the charge from house to house.

The best part of any Halloween night;

notice Gray's attention to organization

counting up the spoils

She'll be eating this for a month

Philadelphia

2011-11-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

With basically the whole state of Connecticut out of power due to the recent storm our children had the entire week off from school. Their schools had been turned into emergency shelters for the hundreds of thousands without power, water, and heat.

We decided to take advantage of the time off of school and made an impromptu trip to Philadelphia.

Valley Forge was so beautiful and inspiring:

General Washington's Headquarters and home during the Valley Forge Winter:

A memorial to the soldiers who were so loyal to our new country:

The Liberty Bell was fantastic:

No trip to Philly would be complete without a visit to the "Rocky" statue:

The home of Flag Maker Betsy Ross:

This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, buried here at Washington's feet is an unidentified soldier who died in the cause of the American Revolution.

The monument reads:

"Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness"

The entrance to the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin is buried:

Philly absolutely impressed us as a beautiful and historically rich city!

What a terrific and very educational trip for our little family

Driving in Connecticut during the "Nor-Eastern"

2011-10-30T08:51:00.001-07:00

Even the poor chickens don't want to come out in the cold and snow

2011-10-30T07:58:00.001-07:00

The Morning After

2011-10-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Annual Carving of Pumpkins

2011-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Each year the kids love picking and carving their own pumpkins. We learned that Connecticut Farmers are very proud of their pumpkins (we paid way too much for the pumpkins).

Happy Halloween!!

"Nor-Eastern"

2011-10-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

We are experiencing our first Connecticut Blizzard. They are calling it a "Nor-Eastern" which apparently is code for tons of snow early in the year. I'd feel a lot better about it if it were February. Although the house does look beautiful in the snow.

Scoutish Games

2011-10-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

Derek and Grayson went camping in Northern Connecticut as part of the scout troops "Scoutish Games"
Grayson loved camping, all the activities, and the food. Derek, of course, loved the Scottish Theme.

Fall in New England

2011-10-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

All the trees are so beautiful right now. Here are a few pictures of our backyard. The rock wall is one of Derek's favorite things. It was here when we moved in & from the looks of it has been here forever. We would like to thank the early settlers for building it for us.

Oxford Generators

2011-10-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Grayson is loving his first season of baseball. In honor of the week long power outage caused by hurricane Irene his team is the Oxford Generators.

Our Little Swimmers

2011-10-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Abby & Lindsey have LOVED joining the local swim team: the Oxford Razors. They are at the pool 3-4 times a week swimming laps.

First Purchase

2011-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Now that we are Nutmegers (that's what you are called when you move to Connecticut, I don't know why) we need a…CHAINSAW!!! Watching Derek with his new chainsaw was like watching the kids on Christmas morning. He could not stop grinning & sawing.

Grayson's Dream Come True

2011-05-14T10:52:00.001-07:00

About a year ago Gray was telling me that he would love to dissect an owl pellet & see what the owl ate. Well this week at school Grayson's dream came true. Yep, he got to dissect that pellet, line up all the bones, figure out that the owl had eaten a rat (there were also a few extra skulls), and glue those bones to a poster where he was able to get creative and color it!! What more could a 10 year old want. I was going to put up a picture of an owl pellet, but I didn't want anyone to lose their lunch.

Sunday Hike

2011-05-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

We have a few acres here in Connecticut so we decided we needed to explore our backyard. That meant going on a hike. About 10 minutes from our house we discovered a waterfall that leads to Jackson Cove. How cool is this...
The kids LOVED the waterfall, they took their shoes off & played in the water for at least an hour. What a great way to spend the afternoon.

Grayson's Room

2011-05-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Gray is an organizer, he loves to help if organizing is involved. This is what your sons entry looks like when his goal is to open every single box in his room. Some of you are worrying about the fire hazard, I assure you we dug him out of his room a little while later.

It is official

2011-01-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

When I came home from running errands the other day this was in our front yard. I guess this makes it official, our house is for sale. I never thought I would be so sad to leave our neighborhood here in Illinois. We have LOVED the 3 years we have been here & will miss our friends here so much. Love to everyone.

Band Concert

2010-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

We were so excited for Gray to have his first band concert. The kids were seriously amazing, they did such a great job. I was expecting it to sounds horrible considering they have only been playing their instruments for 2 months, but they did awesome.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful day for trick-or-treating this year. Gray had to take off his sweatshirt & gloves because he was to hot. Love it!!

Cubs vs. Mets

2010-09-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday we took the kiddos to Wrigley Field for our first Cubs game. Der & I loved watching the game, & the kids loved eating food… nachos, hot dogs, goldfish, pistachios & licorice.

Our Harvest

2010-09-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

We didn't plant very much this year, just a few onions, a tomato, a watermelon & a cucumber plant. The other day Lindsey & I went out to check the garden & we found several cucumbers. We were very excited. Little did we know these few were just the beginning. We have probably 18 cucumbers sitting on the counter now. We have given some away & we have tried to be very creative. We are putting cucumbers in everything.

Kindergarten here she comes

2010-09-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Lindsey started Kindergarten last Friday, & she loved it. She had a great day, she liked her teacher & she loved riding the bus. I had a brief sob fest after she left, but then was happy to go run errands by myself.

Here we all are waiting for the bus.

First Day

2010-08-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Gray started 5th grade & Abby started 3rd grade. I cannot believe how big they are getting.

school supplies

2010-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take a village to send a kid back to school it takes…Walmart, Target & Office Max. Each year we get a very specific list of school supplies for each grade. I had to take a picture this year of what I was sending with my kiddo's on the first day.

Aunt Mary's Lake House

2010-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last month we were able to head up to Michigan with some friends & spend time at Aunt Mary's lake house. It was so great. The kids had a blast playing on the beach

picking blueberries. They are the best blueberries I have ever tasted. They are so sweet!
And of course we had to visit the Giant Cow.

Why we have a son

2010-08-10T11:42:00.001-07:00

Derek has been crazy busy traveling this summer & the lawn has been a little neglected. I have mowed it myself a few times, but then it hit me…we have a 10 year old son let's put him to work!!! Gray has now mowed the lawn 1 1/2 times. It has worked out great I need the lawn mowed & he wants to earn some money. I see this as a win…win!

Niagra

2010-08-01T20:00:00.001-07:00

Niagra Falls is something that everyone needs to see at least once in their lifetime. It was so amazing, truly breathtaking. We went on the boat ride Maid of the Mist, which takes you right next to the falls. We ended up getting a lot wetter than I had expected.

Palmyra

2010-08-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Smith Home

Picnic in NY

Sacred Grove

Onto Kirtland

2010-07-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

After Notre Dame it was on to Kirtland, Ohio. It was amazing to see the first LDS temple. I know one day my kids will appreciate coming here!!

Arn't my kids just the cutest

Saw Mill in Kirtland

We didn't stop to see anything in Pennsylvania, but we had a nice time driving through it.

Road Trip

2010-07-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

First stop on the Crowther family road trip was Notre Dame.

Touchdown Jesus

Abby's Baptism

2010-07-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sweet Abby was baptized a few weeks ago. We were so thrilled to be able to share this special day with so many friends, church members, & family. She was so excited the whole day, she kept saying, "I am so happy, I am so glad for this day." Really it was the perfect day. We were so thrilled to have Grandma Riley & Grandma & Grandpa Jim fly in for the occasion. Thank you to everyone who came & supported her & thank you to so many of you who sent her cards & care packages.

5K

2010-07-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

While Derek was running the 5K we were the water girls & the cheerleaders for our church Boy Scout fundraiser.

Webelos Graduation

2010-06-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we went camping with Grayson's Cub Scout pack. All was good, we didn't have to drive far, no rain, only sleeping in the wilderness one night I was totally prepared…then we got out of the truck & the mosquitoes started swarming & the girls had to go to the bathroom. Oh things were going so well inside of the truck. We found the outhouse…oh gross & there was no lock & about 1000 cub scouts wandering around. (You should note that Derek is sitting in the truck rolling his eye's at me.) I asked Gray to be outhouse security & turn away any scouts in need of the restroom. After our fabulous potty break I GENEROUSLY spray all of us with OFF!!! After a great day & a yummy dinner they had a graduation ceremony. A very LOOOONG graduation ceremony. So many cub scouts so little time.

After graduation we had a bonfire & all the dens performed a skit. Good times!! The next day was pretty much eat, pack up, & go. While Derek packed up the kids & I found some friends.

We touched frogs, toads, & turtles OH MY!!

New Glasses

2010-06-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few of you have noticed that Abby is wearing glasses a lot more in photos. We took Lindsey in for her Kindergarten check-up & decided we should take Abby to get her eye's checked seeing as how it had been a few years. I have never worn glasses, so I didn't know you should take your kid in every year to get a check-up if they wear glasses. Yes, now I know & I will be more on top of this. Anyway, much to Lindsey's dismay she has perfect vision & did not need glasses. Abby on the other hand has quite a severe astigmatism, which wasn't diagnosed a few years ago. Our new doctor said that she needs to be wearing her glasses 24/7. She has been awesome about taking care of her new glasses & remembering to put them on. Yeah, Abby. The day's following our visit to the eye doctor Lindsey kept telling me & anyone else who would listen that, "I really do need glasses, everything is so blurry." Then she would wave her hands in front of her face like she was blind & couldn't see what was in front of her. Listen to how clever I am. When we went to pick up Abby's new glasses we secretively had the lady punch the lenses out of her old glasses & gave those to Lindsey. We didn't fool her, she figured out right away that they didn't have lenses, but she still wears them. Problem solved.

We bought Abby two pairs so she could switch things up a little bit & if something were to happen to one pair, then she has a back up.

Look at my cutie-pies!! Love those girls.

Preschool Graduation

2010-06-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last week Lindsey graduated from preschool. I can't believe it. I still remember walking her through the forest on her FIRST day of preschool, & now in a blink of an eye it's over. That was a fast two years. The graduation could not have been any cuter. Derek & I were both pushing back tears. Congratulations Lindsey, now you are a kindergartener.

So much to blog about

2010-05-25T08:52:00.001-07:00

I am not the best blogger & once you get behind it is so hard to catch up. I thought I would just post a few pictures of what has been going on in our lives.

Happy Birthday to Lindsey. I CANNOT believe that my little cutie pie is 5. She had a great birthday at Chuck E Cheese's with her cute little girlfriends. Grandma Riley sends the kids pillowcases for every month & this month Lindsey received a special Happy Birthday pillowcase. We are so lucky to have such talented Grandma's. Both Grandma's are great at sewing & we have benefited a great deal from their talents.

Bathroom redo- Yep that really is pink tile on the floor!! I like pink, but I am more of a neutral girl when it comes to my bathroom floor. Now that Gray is getting older we have decided that we can enforce child labor!! Let's hear it for kids that want to help.

Cub Scout Space Derby- Gray made a flying pencil

Abby's Brownie troop had the fun opportunity of spending the night in a museum. We had a great time until it was time to go to sleep. I'm not sure who scored the most points...Derek sleeping in a cave or me sleeping in the museum. We are probably tied for parent of the year at this point.

This is a picture of all the sleepy girls the next morning.
Late night + Early morning = Hunting down a Starbucks in Milwaukee for most of the moms in the morning.

Cookies Overseas

2010-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Abby's Brownie troop sold Girl Scout Cookies in March. All the girls reached the troop goal & generous neighbors & family members bought over 200 boxes to send to the Troops in Afghanistan.

Easter Photo

2010-04-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Since we had General Conference on Easter Sunday our dressed up Easter pictures really suffered. This is what Easter looks like when you get to stay home & watch conference on TV.

Happy Easter

2010-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter. The weather was unseasonably warm & we were able to spend alot of time outside. It was even warm enough for easter egg hunts outside. Yeah!!
We had a good time dying easter eggs & as you can see Lindsey ended up with more dye on her hands than her eggs.

Weekend Project

2010-04-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

Derek used to build in his dad's workshop quite a bit when we lived in Utah. He has built coffee tables, bookshelves, kitchen hutches,etc. He doesn't really have any of the tools here to build something, but when I said Gray needed a bookshelf he got right on it. Here are a few pictures of our weekend project.

Derek built it, Gray sanded it & I painted it!! That is team work.

Eagle Cave, WI

2010-04-01T07:21:00.001-07:00

Derek & Gray had the fun experience of camping out in a wet, cold, cave. While I decided that the girls would skip this trip the boys (Grayson) decided this would be AWESOME

.

14 blissful years

2010-03-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!! Derek & I have been married 14 years & what an amazing 14 years they have been. We have had ups, downs, & many surprises together. We were talking on Tues. & both of us said the same thing, there is no way that we could have imagined our life now 14 years ago. Who would of thought that we would end up with 3 red headed kids living in Northern Illinois. When Derek & I met we immediately became good friends. We were able to talk to each other about everything & most of the time no matter what the circumstance we were able to have fun & laugh. Throughout our marriage we have remained best friends & we still try to laugh through the tough times. Derek I love you. Happy Anniversary!!

Say goodbye to this smile

2010-03-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

One very excited Grayson got his spacers in today. I can't imagine that all kids are as excited as Gray. He was beaming all weekend & reminding me about his appointment on Monday. The orthodontist said this process should take 10-12 months...I hope he is right. Next week he will make impressions for his expander. Let's hope that goes well.

This next photo may contain graphic images...proceed with caution!!!

Basketball

2010-03-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Gray & Abby just finished their second season of Upward Basketball. They both had a great season & we were so proud of their progress. Grayson found some inner beast under the basket this year & was a great rebounder. Abby became quite the dribbler. At the first of the season she was dribbling all over the court & not always in the right direction, but by the end of the season she would dribble straight to the basket. Way to go kids!! We are so proud of you & we had a great time watching you play.

Can't put it down

2010-03-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Grayson has been reading the Percy Jackson series, I should say he read the Percy Jackson series. He is so excited about reading that he can't even put the book down to wait for the bus. Doesn't that look like a comfy spot.

Pinewood Derby

2010-02-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Last year with the dragon car we went for form rather than function, so this year we decided to go for function rather than form. The only request Gray had was that one of his Lego guys could fit in the car to drive. Mission accomplished!! Although we had a simple car & were exact on the weight requirements this little baby didn't seem to want to cruise. Gray took it like a champ & well who knows, there is always next year. (Does anybody have any Pinewood Derby tips?
Gray's car is on the second row, third from the left #10.

Trade offs

2010-02-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Derek had the awesome opportunity to travel to Singapore a couple of weeks ago for work. After a 20 hour flight he had little time to get use to the Jet Lag before training his class. After 2 days of training he was able to spend all day Saturday walking around Singapore checking things out.

While he was away the kiddo's & I were busy busy busy with basketball, YW's, Preschool Concerts & Family Sleepovers in the basement.

6:00 am call

2010-01-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Usually nothing good happens when you get a call at 6:00 in the morning, but if you are a kid it's a different story. Friday morning I was startled awake by the phone ringing at 6:00 am. Yes I was still asleep at that time of the morning. I am not a morning person. Anyway, it was the school calling to say that school had been cancelled due to the large amount of snow we had received over night. The kids were over the moon & ate breakfast then went right outside to play in the FREEZING cold.

A kid after my own heart

2009-11-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

I had to take a picture of Gray reading the toy ads on Sunday. I remember looking through the ads when I was a kid, but the best was when my mom picked up the Sears catalog!! Talk about Exciting!!

Halloween

2009-11-15T11:13:00.001-08:00

Ready for the neighborhood parade & trick or treating

Our neighborhood has a little parade so the kids can show off their costumes before trick or treating

The parade ends at the park

Counting & categorizing their loot!! I had to make sure that the kids didn't eat all the snickers or peanut m&m's.

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

The kids did great carving their own pumpkins this year. Derek & I helped cut the tops off & scrape out the "guts", but the kids carved the pumpkins themselves.

Ghost in a cauldon, by Grayson--Being Creative, by Lindsey--Harry Potter, by Abby
Even though this picture was an oops, I still think it looks awesome of all our jack-o-lanters.

Lego Discovery Center

2009-10-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

After several days of rain we decided Saturday that we needed to find a fun indoor activity. We surprised the kids with a trip to the Lego Discovery Center. It was so cool, we loved all of the different animals, people & movie characters made out of legos. Starry Night in Legos
Getting ready for the 4-D movie
Darth Vador was totally cool.
Grayson was excited about Harry Potter, because he has been reading the series.
The Wrigley Building in Chicago

Abby lost a tooth

2009-10-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Cute little Abby has been wiggling her front tooth for a couple of days.
Derek & I had both tried to pull her tooth out earlier in the week, but that only resulted in pain. I think she lost her trust in us, because she insisted on pulling her tooth out by herself.
She did it!! She was so proud of herself & has really loved the attention of not having a front tooth. What a cutie.

Pumpkin Pickin'

2009-10-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

We took the kids pumpkin picking today. When we left our house it was an okay day, around 50 degrees so we had the kids put on sweatshirts & away we went. When we got to the farm it was FREEZING. Oh my goodness it was sooooo cold. The car said it was 36 degrees. I looked around & all the other moms have bundled their kids up in coats, gloves & hats. Nope, not this mom, my kids are in sweatshirts...I guess I'm not winning mom of the year this year. Oh well, we are here let's go get some pumpkins. As we sit on the tractor pulled wagon headed out to the pumpkin patch the wind blowing in our faces I realize it has rained everyday here for about a week. Oh yes MUD & not just a little mud, so much mud that the wagon is slipping & sliding & is about to jack knife into the wagon in front of us. Luckily we arrive safe, & all is well. And then we go to get off of the wagon & there are huge puddles of muddy water, nothing but mud & pumpkins as far as the eyes can see. Well what are you going to do, you have driven your family all the way out to this farm, you have braved the freezing temperature, now it's time to get muddy!! Little Lindsey had so much mud on the bottoms of her shoes that she looked a few inches taller. As we trudged through this muddy patch looking for pumpkins we learned that the first pumpkin crop got flooded out this year & the reason why most of the pumpkins are green is because they had to replant & this field is a few weeks away from being ripe. Okay, we are going to persevere & we are going to find ourselves some orange pumpkins. As we looked, we saw green ones, rotten ones, huge ones, white ones & in the end we only found 1 pumpkin that would work. As we ride the wagon back to the farm Derek & I look at each other & he says, "You know they do sell pumpkins at Jewel-Osco,(our version of Albertson's) & it's only a mile from our house. But you know it's all about creating memories.

Da Bears

2009-10-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our neighbor Mike invited Derek to the Bears, Lions game. Oh man, Derek was so excited. Derek called me while they were tailgating & said he was having the best time ever & that was before the game had even started.

Derek loved every minute of the game & their seats were amazing. GO BEARS!!

We love fall

2009-10-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

I guess the fact that it took me several tries to remember my blog password tells me it has been to long!! I cannot believe how fast the days are flying by & that it is already the middle of October. That is so crazy!! Derek & I have decided that even though we know winter isn't far away we are not going to let it ruin our FALL. So a couple of weeks ago we took the kiddo's apple picking. The kids liked picking apples, but were most excited that they could eat one, while they picked!! Let's here it for multi-tasking. I didn't think a 1/2 bushel would be alot of apples, but boy was I wrong. We decided we better make a few things out of these apples, so we got busy making applesauce & freezer apple pie filling!! I am shocked at how easy & yummy both of those were to make. DELICIOUS.

First Day of School

2009-10-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness I can't believe it has been over a month since the kids have started school. Even crazier is that Gray started 4th grade...yes, that's right 4th grade. Abby started 2nd grade this year. It was hard to get pictures of the kids because it was like a monsoon outside.

It's August...Where did June & July go?

2009-08-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

To say we have been busy this summer is a HUGE understatement. I like being busy, but I also like sleeping in & being able to wear my "jammies" all day.
The summer isn't official until Abby's friend has her schools out party. Let's here it for 30 crazy kids with water balloons!!

Swimming Lessons for the girls & Scout camp for Gray

Gray was thrilled to use power tools to make his boat for the Recycle Regatta.

Derek went to the US Open in New York. Sorry there are no pictures because no cameras are allowed. Just know that it was the coolest thing he has ever done. Aside from marrying me & the birth of our 3 children.
Nothing screams summer like "Camping Out" on the floor.

Grandma & Grandpa came & we stopped at Lambeau Field on our way up to Michigan.

Gray spent his birthday in Michigan & was lucky enough to get presents from people he didn't even know.
The girls were even lucky enough to get presents on Grayson's birthday. Lets hear it for Aunt Mary
While in Michigan we were able to stay with Derek's Aunt at her new Lake House. It was so great!!We also got to milk Michigan's biggest cow!!
I'm exhausted just remembering June, I will have to blog about July...later...much later.

Martha Stewart eat your heart out!!

2009-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today is Abby's birthday & she wanted to take cupcakes to school for her birthday treat. Her school doesn't have the NO homemade goodies rule, so I decided to make cupcakes. Butterfly cupcakes to be exact.
I saw them in a cupcake cookbook & thought I could totally make those. Well it turns out I can make those, but I'm not real sure I will be making them again anytime soon. The butterflies took FOREVER & once they were done & I had to place them on the cupcake. Talk about scarey, I had spent hours on these butterflies & now I had to pick them up & put them on the cupcake without breaking them. And don't even get me started on the antenna! Well with Derek's help (I love my husband) we were able to finish the cupcakes. FYI-Real men do make cupcakes!! Now the only problem was transporting them to the school & then getting them distributed to the class without breaking them. I drove to school like I had a new born baby in the car & was happy when I arrived & the butterflies were all still in tact. Lindsey helped me with the doors to the school & we made it to the office, were we have to wait for Abby to come pick them up & take them to class. Her school has a pretty strict policy about parents walking the halls of the elementary. So, I can only pray that my butterflies made it safely to her classroom & that there were no accidents on the way there. As for now I have my fingers crossed & am waiting to hear if the cupcakes arrived safely.

Exciting Day

2009-06-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Friday was an exciting day, Abby was able to get her cast off. Yeah!!! No more plastic bags in the shower, no more plastic bags around her arm at the beach & hopeful plenty of time in the sand box & the swimming pool this summer. I think I was more excited to get her cast off than Abby was. Having cast really didn't slow her down to much. She is so ticklish, she was laughing the whole time the doctor was sawing her cast off.

If you have a keen eye, you will notice her cast changed color. The piece that goes between your thumb & pointy finger broke off a few weeks ago, so we had to go back to the doctor. Instead of putting a new cast on, they just wrapped a few new blue layers (Abby chose blue)around the existing cast & in between her fingers. Poor thing her cast was so thick, it looked like a big club. She could have used it as a weapon.

Our New Friend

2009-05-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

We have a new friend here in Gurnee, his name is Simon. He loves cantaloupe, strawberries, Doritos & nuts.

Bye Bye Big Round Mounds

2009-05-13T19:36:00.001-07:00

Derek & I had been talking about updating our front yard. We were tired of the big, round bushes in front of our porch & we thought we needed to add a little color. Well when Derek makes a decision it does not take long for that plan to go into action. Last Wednesday he worked from home & watched Lindsey while I had a fun filled day with my friends. When I left that morning our front yard looked like this...When I got home that afternoon our front yard looked like this... Bye Bye big round mounds...Hello cute little bushes with color.

What the kiddo's have been up to

2009-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Since a lot of you don't get to see my kiddo's on a regular basis, I thought I would show you what they have been up to these days. Grayson is very much into reading, pokemon anything, he is over Baukugen & now loves these little men you can trade called Crazy Bones, and his new passion is drawing. Whenever we go to the bookmobile or he goes to the library at school, he is always checking out how to draw books. Here are a few examples.
He was really proud of this picture. This was a page in a book he was reading that he wanted to try & draw. I love that he put his name & age, makes it easier for me when I put it in his keep folder. As you can see he also wants to make it clear that he did not trace this!!
Abby is doing really well with having her cast on. She misses gym & being able to run around at recess. She is such an outside girl, she loves to climb trees, ride her bike, & play with her friends. Since she can't do any of those fun outside things with her cast she has found inside things to do. She loves to play & collect Littlest Pet Shops, listen to her ipod & sing Karaoke!
Lindsey is my shadow during the day & Abby's shadow after school. Lindsey loves to play with Abby & her friends, & they are very good & including her in most things. Lindsey loves a TV show called Hi-5 & watches that every morning (I cannot stand to be in the same room as that show), she also loves to play Littlest Pet shops, sing karoake, play go fish, snorkel in the bathtub & play Barbies. This girl loves her Barbies!! Her new thing is to play American Idol. Please meet...Randy, Kara, Paula & Simon.

The official cast

2009-04-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Abby wanted to make sure a picture of her with her sling made it on the blog. On Tuesday we went to the orthopedic specialist to get her "official" cast. They didn't have red with pink hearts, so she settled for hot pink. Of course that was after I told her she couldn't have the fluorescent lime green. I know...I know...I should let her get whatever she wants, but seriously lime green doesn't match anything she owns. She did excellent while getting her cast on. I could tell it hurt pretty bad when the doctor was squeezing her pliable cast to set the bone back in place, but she was a trooper!! When she got to school of course her whole class had to sign her cast. Unfortunatley, they didn't sign it with a permenant marker so most of their signatures have either rubbed away or been replaced by those of us smart enough to sign with a sharpie. I think that is the official marker of cast signing.
Even though she is loving all the attention having a cast brings, she is finding that there are some not so great things about having a cast. She can't ride her bike, it's harder to write, she can't play in the sand box or dig for worms, most of her shirts won't fit over the cast (this is more me complaining than her)& you can't take a bath & splash around in the water. Today she counted & there are only 34 more days until she gets her cast off. That's right, the poor little girl is already counting down!!

Abby vs. the Swing

2009-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Abby & her friend were swinging on Saturday evening, her friend told a funny joke & when Abby went to cover her mouth while she was laughing...BOOM she flew off the back of the swing & landed on her back & slammed her head on the ground. Derek was outside working & I was outside chatting with a friend when we heard her crying. We all went running over to her & she was freaking out, writhing in pain. We got her inside & I still couldn't get her to calm down. I tried all the usual thing to get her to stop crying. I tried being nice & rubbing her head, Lindsey tried rubbing her head "because that's nice to do when someone gets hurt", I tried the mommy voice, "Abby you NEED to calm down, it is only making your head hurt worse", I put her in the tub (her favorite place to find her CHI)to try & get her to relax...that didn't really work either because now I just have a hysterical child wet in the bathtub. Finally I asked Derek to come in & help me & about 40 minutes later we got her to calm down. She said her back, head, wrist & legs hurt. Well, what do you do when everything is hurting? You eat a bowl of cereal, take some Tylenol & watch cartoons. This seemed to help immensely. Sunday, Abby woke up & said her back & wrist still hurt, but mainly it hurt to move her wrist, so we decided to put an Ace bandage on it. WOW when you are 6 everything feels better with an Ace bandage. She was pretty excited to get to wear that to church. Later that night Derek asked her to color & write, & she seemed to be doing okay. This morning when she woke up she said her wrist still hurt, so we figured we should probably take her to the E.R. to get her wrist checked out. Lindsey had gymnastics this morning, so Der said he was able to take Abby in to see the doctor. (Derek being able to take her to the E.R. is a miracle in it's self. He has had the craziest schedule since we have moved to Illinois.) Well around 9:45 I got a text...BROKEN WRIST!!! Now I ask you what kind of parents let their poor daughter go 2 days with an ace bandage around a broken wrist? Yep us that's right Derek & Heather do!! On the bright side, Derek said Abby was beaming when the doctor said her wrist was broken & that she was going to need a cast. She has already decided she wants a red cast with pink hearts. So tomorrow morning I'll take Abby to the Orthopedic Specialist for her cast. What do you think the chances are that they make a red cast with pink hearts? Here's hoping.
One of her x-rays.

What to do?

2009-04-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last week the kiddos had the whole week off for spring break & as you can see there was not a lot of playing outside at the park, flying kites, sidewalk chalk or any other "spring" activity. Today they have the day off for Good Friday & even though it is a lot nicer day, I still wanted to come up with some kind of little activity for my kids to do. Then I remembered a website I saw on my friends Jamie's blog & it hit me...we would make little Pickachu's out of peeps!! Grayson is a total Pokemon addict so I knew he would love it & they girls like any activity. So we ran to Micheals to track down some edible markers...sucess, Yeah!!! Then it was off to Target to find yellow, bunny Peeps. No such luck, they had orange, pink, blue, green, even red, but no yellow bunnies. I was bummed & not very excited about dragging all my kids to another store, but I thought I could handle just one more. Luckily Jewel (the midwestern version of Albertson's) is very close to Target so we gave it one last shot. Yeah, we were in luck, Yellow peeps. We got crafting as soon as we got home. Here is the blog I found from Jamie's blog (thanks Jamie for the new fun blog site). http://www.bakerella.blogspot.com/ This lady is amazing & has such cute ideas. I totally want to try some of the Easter pops, maybe next year....

Lindsey

2009-04-09T11:48:00.001-07:00

Cute little Lindsey had her fourth birthday on Tuesday. I cannot believe that my baby is 4 I am kindof freaking out. When she heads off to kindergarten I am going to be an absolute wreck!! Anyway, she had a fabulous day starting with opening her presents at 7:00 a.m. (we didn't have the heart to make her wait until everyone got home from school & work.) You will notice that this is the absolute first thing we did in the morning! Who wants to do their hair & get dressed when there are presents on the table. For dinner it was off to Steak & Shake. This decision made Derek & I very happy, because for days she had been saying she wanted Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner. I don't know about you, but Chuck E Cheese's was one of the last places I wanted to be, so with a little persuading we were able to change her mind. After dinner it was time for cake, Delicious! THANK YOU to all of our friends & family who remembered Lindsey on her birthday & sent cards, packages & made phone calls. We love you!!

Honey Nut Cream Cheese

2009-04-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was telling my friends that the kids & I made our own honey nut cream cheese. Our family loves cream cheese & bagels & the other day we had bagels but no honey nut cream cheese. Well what is a mother to do in this crisis, but try & make her own. Grayson was skeptical that we could pull this off, but I am pleased to say that we did & it was DELICIOUS. Not only was it delicious, but it was CHEAP. Who doesn't love that? I thought I would share our recipe for any honey nut cream cheese lovers out there.
Honey Nut Cream Cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T honey
1/2 t vanilla
2 T brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
chopped nuts (I used pecans because that is what we had.)

Put all ingredients in a bowl & mix it. TA-DA you have honey nut cream cheese!!!

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

2009-04-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

For a couple of years I have been telling Derek that whenever we go on another trip, it needs to be to somewhere warm where I can just lay on the beach. We like to travel & be able to see & experience new things, and it came to my attention that wherever we go most of the time we are walking through museums, walking around the city, walking from one place to the next, walking...walking...walking. Don't get me wrong I like to walk around & see things, but I was pretty sure that I would also like sitting in the sun on a beach chair drinking a pina colada. Lucky for me I have a husband that listens & likes to plan BIG surprises. So for our anniversary he planned a trip just for the 2 of us to Mexico. Five glorious days of spending time together, eating anything & everything, a little walking (we did want to shop & experience life outside of our resort),massages on the beach, snorkeling & laying in the sun!! It was absolutely fantastic & it was so great to be able to spend time together. I am already looking forward to next time. We are forever grateful to Grandma for flying out & watching the kiddos so we could spend time ALONE!!!
My first time snorkeling, I was a bit nervous!!
Mayan Ruins
Our resort was amazing
Couples massage on the beach. We could have done this all day long!!

Happy St. Patricks Day

2009-03-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

You will have to excuse Gray's enthusiasm, he has been home sick for 2 days.
Before I went to bed last night I went to check on the kids to make sure they were safe, covered, etc. When I opened the door Abby rolled over & said, "Mom, Lindsey & I changed into our green shirts for tomorrow so that we don't get pinched in the night!! Leprauchans could be hiding under our beds!!" I told her that was fine, no problem & then Lindsey rolled over & said, "Mom, I don't want to get pinched so Abby & I changed clothes now no one will pinch us!!" This morning when they woke up I asked if they had been pinched. Lindsey said,"Something pinched me on my little toe! How would a Leprauchan get in my bed? I bet he would just climb up. I am going down to check the milk!!" Lindsey is worried about the milk because every year we have sneaky Leprauchans that turn our milk green & our muffins or pancakes green. And sure enough they did it again this year. Abby was so excited about all this green food, that we packed her green muffins & milk in her lunch box.

13 & Counting

2009-03-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Derek & I celebrated our 13th Anniversary. I do not know where the time has gone. I cannot believe that we have been married 13 years, that we are the parents of 3 children. It seems like yesterday that we were newlyweds living in Logan, UT. Derek attending Utah State University during the day & working at Gossner cheese at night. I worked at Lewiston State Bank full time & we saw each other on my lunch hour when I would pick him up from school & take him to work. Oh my goodness how things have changed. Now we live in Illinois where Derek works for Takeda & I am a full time mom. We see each other on weekends & some times during the week in between YW, basketball practice, gymnastics, cub scouts, brownies & out of town trips. It has been a wonderful 13 years & I feel so blessed to have Derek, Grayson, Abby & Lindsey in my life.
Then...

Now...

If you ask me, I think we are getting better with age.

Sledding

2009-03-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went sledding with our friends Shawn & Ashley. I am not a sledder, something happens to all of my coordination when my bottom meets the sled. The first time I went sledding I ended up with a concussion & well there hasn't been a time when I haven't been injured...including this time. This time about 1/2 way down I totally biffed it, unfortunately for me I was able to some how keep heading down the hill. Little did we know that there was a huge chunk of ice under the snow at the bottom of this hill. As I was coming to the end of my ride I somehow biffed it again & hit my knee on this big chunk of ice. It hurt so bad, that when I got up I thought I was going to pass out. I told Gray who had slid down after me that he was going to have to carry my sled back up the hill to dad & Shawn because I couldn't walk (Thanks Buddy). Needless to say I didn't experience going down the hill a second time. Oh sledding...isn't it so much fun!! I will say though that the kids, Derek & Shawn had a blast. The kids were troopers, they loved every minute of sledding in the below zero temperature. Ashley was deemed the designated photographer since she is pregnant & unable to sled. Thanks Ashley for all the great photos.
Cute Little Lindsey

Derek & Shawn
I share this photo only so you can all have a good laugh
Abby screaming in joy & misery
Grayman

2009-03-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

My friend Angela sent this video to me & I loved it & thought it was worth everyone else seeing. Instead of e-mailing it to everybody I figured I would try & put it on my blog for your viewing pleasure. So please enjoy The Mom Song.

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bit late to blog about Valentines Day, but better late than never. Valentines Day for us is a family event. Every year I cook crab & lobster (this is mainly for Derek & I) & then after dinner we have chocolae fondue (this is mainly for the kids & I). Delicious!! This year Derek had the romantic task of replacing the bathroom faucet (Thanks a bunch). Thanks sweetie for my new camera!! Watch out Kevin, Mike & Andrea because I have a ton of camera questions.

Abby & Lindsey were thrilled to get "the thing that helps me sleep" as a gift for Valentines.

My dad

2009-02-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

It was 4 years ago today that my sweet dad passed away. Day's like today make me stop & reflect. It gives me a chance to think about how blessed I was to be raised in a loving home with parents who cared for me & were always there to help me. There are so many things I miss about my dad...most of all I miss being able to talk to him, he was such a great listener & always gave me such sound advice. I miss being able to give him a "bear hug", make him burnt chocolate chip oatmeal cookies,or staying up late talking, playing games & eating junk food. I miss watching the little things he would do to show my mom he loved her. I am so grateful for the knowledge that my family will one day be reunited with my dad & that our Families are Forever.

Finally...

2009-02-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

So last night as the kids & I were eating dinner Abby yelped & started to cry. We asked what was wrong & through the miracle of not so official sign language, tears & hysteria we were able to make out that she had bitten down on her fork. Ouch!! Abby kept crying & saying her tooth hurt, then Gray being the genious that he is suggested maybe her tooth was loose. Yep, it is official Abby has her first loose tooth. Yeah Abby. She is so excited about this because many of her friends have already lost teeth. I cannot tell you how many times last night I heard, "I can't believe I have a loose tooth" or "I didn't think my tooth would be loose today." Oh the thrill of growing up. I have a hunch that this is going to be a long & painful process. Let's put it this way, Abby is not known for her pain tolerance & can sometimes be a bit of a drama queen. So we will see how this whole loose tooth things goes.
P.S. Grandpa we need you to fly to Illinois to pull out Abby's tooth!!

Pinewood Derby

2009-01-25T13:14:00.001-08:00

Today was Grayson's first Pinewood Derby. What an exciting day for a boy & his father. Grayson wanted to make his car look like a dragon. He found this picture in a book.
Luckily, Derek is great at drawing & sketching. (This Derek Crowther original might sell for big bucks one day!!)
Grayson concentrating on his job of painting the "Shen Lung".
The finished product.
Moments before the big race
Crossing his fingers, arms & legs.
This year Gray went for looks over speed. He has declared next year he feels the need for speed.

It's haircut time

2009-01-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

Grayson hates getting his haircut, so I thought I would do a little reverse psychology on him. Since he is such a stinker about getting his haircut I told him fine I will just stop cutting your hair. See, I thought this would work because although he hates getting his haircut, he likes it a very specific way. Well it totally backfired on me. He has had shaggy hair (although very in style) for about 4 months. I just couldn't take it any more. His hair was getting out of control so today I asked if he wanted it cut & he said yes!! HURRAY, I was very excited.
BEFORE
AFTER
P.S. I am so mad, because I took all of these great before shots & then when I was taking the after shots I discovered that the photo card was not in the camera!! UGH!
Abby on the other hand has always wanted her haircut, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to cut it. Well a couple of days ago (apparently I get crazy when Derek has been out of town for a while)I took her for a haircut. Initially I was thinking 2 maybe 3 inches. Well as it turns out we ended up cutting about 5 inches. Derek is so going to kill me! Abby was so thrilled. As soon as the hairstylist was done Abby said thank you like a million times. Abby loves it, I love not having to get all the knots out of her long hair every morning, it is a WIN...WIN. I hope Derek thinks so, he hasn't seen either of the kids haircuts yet.
BEFORE
AFTER

Wisconsin

2009-01-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone keeps telling us that we need to go to the Wisconsin Dells. So this weekend we decided to go check it out for ourselves.
This is a ski slope here in Wisconsin. I am not sure if you call this a mountain or a hill?
This is an Ice & Snow sculpting competition that happens every year.

Marshmallow eating contest

Only in Wisconsin can you enjoy a snow sculpting competition one minute & the next minute be going down water slides. (Notice all of the ice on the door!!)

Hearty Mid-Westerners

2009-01-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

How do we know it's cold outside:
1. You get a phone call from your kids school at 5:30 in the morning saying school has been cancelled due to the extreme cold conditions!!
2. After you take a shower you notice the inch of ice on the Inside of your bathroom window!!

3. As you drive to the grocery store to buy eggs your car thermostat reads -7 degrees. And yes that is before the wind chill!!
4. To take the trash out you bundle up like you are going to race in the Iditarod!! Unfortunately for me the garbage can ended up being frozen shut & I wasn't strong enough to open it.
Yep it's cold outside.

Extreme Snow Sports

2009-01-15T14:08:00.001-08:00

After the games on Saturday we decided to play out in the snow. Who doesn't love getting pulled behing the 4-wheeler on a sled? And what better place to do it than your yard. Derek was our driver for this fun day in the snow!! Thanks Der.

Unfortunately I don't have any snow pants, those would of come in handy. And unless your thirsty, always sled behind a 4-wheeler with your mouth closed, no matter how bad you want to scream.

Grayson being dragged by the sled
Abby could do this all day long

A few minutes after I came in (mainly to get the snow out of my pants)I looked out the back door & saw Lindsey getting ready to sled down the slide.

Anybody up for a little B-ball?

2009-01-15T13:49:00.001-08:00

Grayson & Abby had there first basketball game last Saturday. It was so fun to watch & cheer them on. Abby was so funny, she would run/skip down the court & then when she got to where ever she was going she would hop. It was so cute. There were a few experienced girls on her team but at least 1/2 of them were a little confused. There was alot of clustering, the girls would run as a group & then stop whenever somebody else did. It will be fun to see them get better & know what they are doing. Grayson's team is older, so they know more about the sport. They were competetive & knew what they were suppose to be doing. Both kids had alot of fun. After each game the team goes back to a room for the "Star Ceremony" were each kid earns a different colored star depending on there strength for that game. Grayson's star was for best defender & Abby's star was for most Christ like.

Time to Catch Up

2009-01-09T08:30:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't blogged FOREVER, but talk about being busy. I can't seem to get caught up on anything. Here is a catch up on what we have been up to...we surprised the kids with a trip to Utah for Christmas. We had a great trip, once we were able to actually reach SLC. Here are pictures of the kids walking off the back of the plane to the UVU "airport". Don't even get me started on the flight to Utah.

I will have to finish later, Lindsey needs help.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2008-12-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last week after going up & down the stairs about 100 times I walked into my bedroom to put something away. As I was standing there looking at my bed I thought, wouldn't it be nice to have a little cold & just be able to lay in bed all day. Well I didn't get just a little cold, I got a doozie. You know the kind were you cough so much that you feel like you just did about 300 crunches. My head hurt, my abs hurt, my nose was stuffy & runny & I was coughing my head off. Not only was I not feeling well, but Derek & I both had crazy busy schedules. I didn't really get the chance to just stay in bed all day. I do have to give a shout out to Lindsey, who let me stay in bed for a few hours on Monday. She was such a good girl to entertain herself for a little while.

I Am So Over It

2008-12-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

I guess it is only fitting that it would snow on the first day of December. The kids were so excited, they played in the snow in the morning while they were waiting for the bus & as soon as they got home from school. They LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I on the other hand am already over WINTER. I know it hasn't even officially started, but I AM OVER IT!!!! There are lots of great things that come with winter, snow covered trees, sledding, skiing, snowball fights, hot chocolate, a white christmas, being able to wear my sweats to the bus stop, soup on a cold night...but does it have to be so DARN cold. I am already loathing wet boots, helping the girls put on snow pants, boots, gloves, scarves, hats & coats, shoveling snow & driving on slick roads. Thanks to my spin on the freeway last year now I am terrified of driving in the snow. What I wouldn't give to be wearing my shorts & flip flops right now.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

I would first like to say THANK YOU to my mom & mother-in-law for all the hard work they have done over the years making incredible Thanksgiving feasts. They are both GREAT cooks & I love eating a meal I didn't have to make. This year though I was on my own, I had to actually make Thanksgiving dinner. I have always helped by making whatever side dish I was assigned...Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, rolls, etc. But never never had I actually made THANKSGIVING DINNER!!! I was FREAKED OUT for such a huge responsibility, but felt up to the challenge. (Knowing that Boston Market is only 2 miles away gave me some relief, because getting food through their drive-up was my backup plan.) I started the night before making the stuffing & the pies. The next morning Der & I prepped the turkey (Yuck, I hate raw meat) & put "Tom" in to cook for several hours. Luckily I had purchased the worlds most awesome meat thermometer at Target the night before, because as we prepped "Tom" we noticed he didn't come equipped with a pop up timer. Now I am starting to relax, because the pies are done, the stuffing just needs to bake & "Tom" is in the oven. All we have to do now is the mashed potatoes & gravy. To me making the gravy is the most stressful part. I either make it to runny or it looks like Jell-o. I think it was a Thanksgiving MIRACLE, because the gravy did turn out pretty good. We were elated that our Southern friends Shawn & Ashley would be joining us for dinner. (They are from Louisiana, & moved to Chicago about the same time we did for the same reason we did.) And lucky for me Ashley is a good cook & wanted to help by bringing some of their favorite side dishes. She brought Sweet Potato casserole (this was to die for), some sort of broccoli rice casserole (this is a family tradition of hers that was very tasty), deviled eggs (another family tradition), & rolls. We had quite the spread. We had so much food that it wouldn't all fit on the table. Ashley & I were so excited that we had pulled it off, we had made our very first Thanksgiving Dinner & it was DELICIOUS!!

Thanksgiving Tradition

2008-11-29T07:35:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I saw the cutest turkey cookies I have ever seen. So the kids & I decided that we were going to make them & take them to Thanksgiving dinner as the kid dessert. We had so much fun making them, that we decided it would be a Thanksgiving tradition. (We didn't do it last year though because we were moving 1/2 way across the United States.) The kids have been talking about this tradition for a couple of weeks now. So this year the night before Thanksgiving we made our cookies. The kids all loved it & the cookies turned out so cute. Keep in mind that I made a few cookies, but most were made by the kids all by themselves.

You Want What For Breakfast?

2008-11-18T06:07:00.001-08:00

Lindsey has a hard time deciding what she would like to eat for breakfast. Most days she would like green beans, or corn, or a grilled cheese. I know I should just give her green beans, but I just can't. So finally yesterday she decided on a waffle. Great, waffles are breakfast food, but she wasn't done. She wanted waffles with syrup & a dill pickle!!! Nothing like the smell of syrup & dill pickles in the morning. Maybe she is having sympathy cravings for her Aunt Holly.

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!

2008-11-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

Der was patient enough to let all the kids help

You can see my handy work on the wall

All Done

While I was in "Mootah", having a weekend away, my sweet husband was playing super parent. Chauffering the kids, cooking fabulous dinners, trying to keep the house picked up, putting in ponytails & redmodeling. Yes that is right, I said remodeling. The best part of it all, is that he remodeled my office!!!! I know hate is a strong word mom, but I can honestly say I hated the ivy stenciled border that was put up by the previous owner & wanted it to go away. One day (about 9 months ago) I had a little paint left on the roller from the room I was painting and decided I would see how the color looked in my office. I rolled the roller a couple of times & then I was out of paint & that is how it has looked ever since. (Not one of my best decisions.) So while I was away, Derek totally redid my office. He painted, put up new blinds, installed a new ceiling fan, bought new lamps, printed out adorable pictures of the kids, framed them & hung them up all over the office. But that is not all, he even...organized all my stuff. (I have a lot of scrapbook stuff, so this was not an easy job.) Thanks so much Der, I love it!!!! (Cinda, Jennifer & Tracey you guys better come check it out fast before I mess it all up.)

Christmas Music

2008-11-12T05:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was talking to my neighbor about Christmas Music. I love Christmas music, my favorite Christmas CD is Home for Christmas by Amy Grant. My FAVORITE song on this CD is Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song). I have listened to that song over & over & over. If you have never heard this song, you so need to check it out on itunes. I am always looking for new Christmas CD's, so please share with me your favorite song or CD!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-11-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

BOBA FETT, ARIEL & HSM CHEERLEADER

TAKING TIME OUT FOR A PHOTO OPP

WAITING FOR OUR FRIENDS

THE GREAT CANDY SWAP

All you can eat...

2008-11-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Grayson had the opportunity to go out to dinner with his friends family last night. When he came home he was elated. He said, I am so stuffed, I wont be able to eat breakfast tomorrow. I ate a mini hamburger, two pieces of pizza, mashed potatoes with gravy, french fries, chocolate & vanilla ice cream, some chocolate ball thing, a coconut cookie & a few other desserts. Where did he have such a feast? Well it was none other than Golden Corral. Our poor kids have been deprived all this time, because Derek & I both despise buffets. We have many reasons for not visiting these eating establishments, but we will save them for another day.

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Last year we didn't get to carve pumpkins. Derek was living in Illinois, while I was trying to sell our house. The day before Halloween the kids & I were on our way home to carve pumpkins & the realtor called & asked if we could show our home. So instead of carving pumpkins we ended up driving around waiting FOREVER for this family to leave. It all worked out in the end though because they ended up buying our home. This year I was not going to let pumpkin carving escape us again. (Mainly because the kids were so sad about not being able to do it last year.) We all had a great time, except for the part where you have to reach your hand into the slimy pumpkin & get all the guts out. This was so disgusting to Abby & Lindsey. We were so proud of Abby & Gray, because they were able to carve their own pumpkins this year. Good Job Peeps!! Derek was especially proud of his pumpkin this year. He drew on a spider & a spider web. This was pretty intricate & took A LOT of time to carve.

The cinnamon bears have arrived!

2008-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

All of us Mid-westerners would like to give a big WHOOP WHOOP (imagine us lifting our arms as we say this)to Jen P. & Grandma & Grandpa Jim for bringing Cinnamon Bears to Illinois. I received these tasty, chewy treats on Thursday & ran outside to share them with my neighbors. It seems that about 95% of Midwesterners give these little bears a thumbs up!! I haven't had a chance to share these dipped in chocolate, but I plan on doing this soon.

A day at the farm

2008-10-15T12:08:00.001-07:00

The kids & I went pumpkin picking at a farm with a few of our friends. The farm was huge & had tons of stuff for the kids to do.
Pumpkin picking

a petting zoo, huge hay bales to climb,

a cannon that launched pumpkins 2000 feet, wagon rides, yummy doughnuts & cider,

some funky corn launching gun,

a corn maze & a corn pit.

I love fall

2008-10-15T11:53:00.001-07:00

This is the view from our front yard. Isn't it beautiful!!

Fall is absolutely the best time of the year, I love everything about it. I love the crisp air, the beautiful trees changing colors, raking leaves, picking pumpkins, pumpkin everything...breads, cakes, muffins, cookies & pies. I get excited to be able to wear sweaters again & of course being able to pull out my brown sweatpants to wear to the bus stop!!

Cinnamon...what?

2008-10-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

So a few times a week after our kids hop on the bus, a few of my neighbors & I go walking. One day we were talking about appetizers. (I mean who doesn't talk about yummy, gooey, cheesey appetizers when they are exercizing?) So I said, "Have you guys seen the chocolate fondue fountains?" They all say "Yes..." Then I say, "One of my favorite thing to dip in the chocolate fondue is cinnamon bears." They all look at me like I'm a total idiot. "What, you know little cinnamon bears...red...chewy...hot?" Again, I get nothing. That's right people they have no idea what I am talking about!! They have never heard of a cinnamon bear. I cannot believe this. Where do I live that they have never heard of a cinnamon bear? But wait it gets worse. So yesterday we are out for MOB (moms only breakfast...except for now it should be called MOB&L Moms only breakfast & Lindsey.) Some of our other friends are with us & some how we got on the topic again of cinnamon bears. So I am trying to explain again what they are. "They are like gummy bears, except not so chewy. Kindof like Jelly Rings. (crickets) Like orange sticks...you know the jelly stuff inside the chocolate covered orange sticks? (Again, crickets.) That's right, they don't even know what those are. They have never heard of those either. No cinnamon bears, no jelly rings & no orange sticks. What the Junk!! So I have checked Target & World Marketplace & come up empty handed. I love you friends in Gurnee & if it is the last thing I do I will find these items & share them with you.

Fun Filled Weekend #2

2008-09-30T07:53:00.001-07:00

Yeah, another visitor!! We were in amazement when we found out that we would have not only 1 but 2 visitors in the month of September. Yeah for us!! This past weekend Derek's friend Kim came to visit. Kim flew in Friday, & with no time a wastin' the guys headed to the city. You don't realize how much walking you do in the city, they walked & walked & with no whinney kids (not that our kids ever whine) they were able to see & do alot...the bean, Millenium park, the Magnificent Mile,ride up to the top of the John Hancock Tower (sorry about the Sears Tower Jennifer, definetly next time),eat fabulous pizza & much more.

Unfortunatley for Kim we decided to purchase a basketball standard on saturday. Putting this together took a few hours & alot of "re-doing"!! (Thanks Derek & Kim the kids & I love shooting hoops.) Luckily they finished the basketball standard just in time for their tee time at Black Hawk Golf Course. What a manly day, building things & golf!!

The next day we decided to leave early & drive up to Wisconsin. We discovered a new place to see Lake Michigan, it was a beautiful spot.(Don't worry Kim I won't tell them about you getting drenched by the huge wave!!) Then back to Illinois, to hang out at Illinois Beach State Park. We love the beach & the kids always have a blast in the water. Kim & Derek were totally interested by the hang gliding surfers. Some of them were amazing, maybe next year we will give that a try!! And just like that the weekend was over & it was back to real life. Thanks for coming Kim & hanging out with us here in Illinois. Come back soon & bring Angie next time!!

Good Times

2008-09-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

My friend Jennifer came to visit us last weekend, it was so great to have her here. Thursday night we took her to get REAL CHICAGO style pizza at Giordano's, it was delicious!! The next day it was off to Wisconsin to hang out in the apple orchard, then the Jelly Belly factory where we tried some of the best & worst Jelly Belly's. Some of the worst being skunk smell, baby wipes & boogers some of the best were caramel popcorn, pear & grapefruit. Then shopping at the outlets in Pleasant Prairie. Saturday we got up early to go into the big city. Every time we go to Chicago I am amazed & how wonderful it is. The best thing about the city was...Derek surprised Abby, Jennifer & I with tickets to go see Wicked!!! Yeah!!! That Derek he is always full of surprises. Sunday Jennifer & I stayed up most the night talking. That for me was the best night, just hanging out & catching up. We love having visitors & if you come we promise to show you a good time!

Dare to Dream

2008-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I asked for Grayson's help cleaning the bathroom. He has always loved scrubbing the toilet!! When I went in to check on him he asked me to check out how sparkling clean the toilet was. When I told him good job, he said, " Now you know why I want to be a toilet scrubber when I grow up!" What can you say, other than Dare to Dream Gray, Dare to Dream!!