Happy December first

I can't believe it is now December first. Christmas is right around the corner We are sitting at the neurology office for an appt for Benjamin. We really like his neurologist. Tim took a vacation day today and we took advantage and purchased a few Christmas presents today. It is hard to believe that I've even purchased one gift already. That is do not like me. I'm usually pretty far behind. Tonight starts the advent calendars and after homework we hope to put some more ornaments on the tree.

I hope your December is filled with lots of blessings and fun family traditions. Hugs

A close up view of a table

Here is a picture of one of the tables close up. We use the good china that was handed down to me by Mehlville and Anna Garrett. We also use Waterford glasses. A lot of these were wedding presents and Mom and Daddy have found them for sale in houses throughout the years. The silverware is stainless I have the set we received when we got married and mom found a similar set for sale a long time ago and we bought it right away. It is fabulous to have that many stainless pieces. The napkins and tablecloths are all cloth. This year mom ironed all of them for me. I need to find another 8 foot tablecloth. The one I have is showing signs of use.

The decorations are fun. I find a few things to add each year but I try to stay along the simple side. That way it will all still go together.

Hope your Thanksgiving was filled with love and friendship and many many blessings.

Thanksgiving tables

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Here is the set up of our tables at Thanksgiving. We had 15 people fir dinner and 17 for dessert. It was a fabulous dinner. We all had a great time.

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving to all! What a beautiful day!!!! We even had a little snow shower this afternoon! Kind of funny to see the purple flowers on the Ramona Climatis covered with snow.

A little stressed this morning... the boys just needed to realize that the jobs I gave them really did need to be done. It all worked out. Everyone was invited for dinner at 3 pm. Dinner was actually ready and when everyone got there, we ate! Yummy yummy dinner... turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, green beans, cranberries, applesauce, relish tray, rolls, pumpkin pie and apple pie! So tasty!!!!! We had 15 people for dinner and 17 for dessert. We love having our families here for Thanksgiving. It is Tim's favorite holiday! Tim is fabulous in the kitchen. He made the turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans. Plus he helps with it all! The tables were set up so beautifully.

I am so grateful for the many, many, many blessings in our lives! Tim, Peter and Benjamin head the top of my grateful list. They are so wonderful!!!!! I love them very very much!!! Our family and our friends are important to us as well! We are so grateful for each and every one of you!!!

Happy Thanksgiving and always remember to count your blessings every day!!!

Thanksgiving invite

Our Thanksgiving dinner invitations have already been sent. Of course Thanksgiving is next week. We will have a great group of family here once again. We love hosting Thanksgiving. Even though it is a lot of prep work. The dinner is always wonderful. I just love how we all sit around the table and chat about being thankful and grateful and about all kinds of stuff

The invitations turned out pretty cute. I used the Thanksgiving Cricut cartridge to make the cuts. Inside is a cut out pie abc the actual invite. I love how they turned out. Simple but yet fun!

Hugs

Altered my journal

I fancied up the front of my 21 day challenge journal today. I really like how it turned out. I liked it simple before but I just was playing with a few things still lingering on my desk and this is what happened. So fun!!!

Today our family went with Tim's parents and his sister's family in a four mike walk/bike ride around Creve Coeur lake. It turned out to be a beautiful day. A bit chilly but the sun was shining. The boys and I started out on our bikes but with everyone else walking the boys soon walked their bikes. It was a great hour. Four miles of exercise is pretty awesome!!
Hugs!

21 day challenge

I've decided to accept the 21 day challenge with Rhonna Farrer. Today is day 5. I've done pretty good so far. Along with the physical challenge I am also journaling every day. This has been fabulous. I bought a small lined journal and decorated the front with glimmer mist and the challenge mantra. The kit was purchased from house of 3 and has so many great art inspirations. Instead of putting the whole thing together at once, I'm forcing myself to journal and artsy it as I go. Love it!!! I'm do glad I decided to go this route. Along with the journaling this is allowing me not to beat myself up for not doing more. After all, every but I do is more than I may have done.

This has been do great for me. I don't do well with competitions. But since this is just for me it is great. I think I'm enjoying the journaling the most.

Rhonna says that it takes 21 days for a habit to sync in or get busted out. Really I can do as many 21 days as I choose. Rhonna also stresses that one thing at a time is it. We all have so much that we want or need to change but focusing on one thing at a time really works. I love this!! If you want to do your own challenge I encourage to click on the picture on my blog of the 21 day challenge. It is linked to Rhonna's blog and you can get the whole scoop.

Hugs and blessed happiness to you!

Apple Picking at Eckerts

What a fun day we had! It was the Alberici picnic at Eckerts! Off we went to get some yummy apples and pick out a pumpkin. It turns out that each of the boys were able to pick out a pumpkin.

Wow! Eckerts has changed. There was so much to do. The boys fed the parakeets, watched a pig race, rode a couple of rides and lots more. We did end up with a few apples. But not too many. It is too easy to go to Kirkwood Farmer's market and get apples almost any day.

The apple picking event was October 3, 2010. Of course the only pic of me has my eyes closed. I do have some great pics of the boys. They sure are growing up fast!

A picture of us in Ireland

This is a picture of us in Ireland this past June. I just love seeing all of the smiles on our faces, the lush green of Ireland and the ocean in view. This picture was taken in the front yard of the house we rented for the week. We had the best time!!! Love the memories!!!!!

A bday card

This is a card I made for Benjamin's teacher. I made it 5 x 7 so that there would be enough room for all the kids to sign it.

This card was do much fun to make. I made 3 crepe paper flowers (2 pink and 1 white). Then I used glimmer mist on pink bubblegum to spray the white flower and the front of the card. I used pink polkadot crepe for the ruffle. The cupcake border was punched in white and then glimmer misted in lucky. The leaves were cut out on white and glimmer misted in lucky. The happy birthday is a rub on.

This was a fun card to make. I know the teacher liked it. The class presented it to her without an envelope and all had a Krispy Kreme doughnut to celebrate. Hugs

Decorated Mirror

Last weekend I was with some friends. We had a wonderful time. So much fun and laugher and friendship. Of course, we were also crafty. Some of us decorated mirrors. With Halloween the end if this month, most of the mirrors were decorated with that theme in mind. I made mine girly. Here it is. This really was a fun project. I learned how to use alcohol inks and also used crepe paper flowers that I made. The crepe paper flowers are my newest obsession. I just love them. Hugs

Yummy

Look at these yummy cupcakes my sweet mother in law brought me. Yummy. Yummy.

Today I am 43 years old. I have a pretty great life. I am married to Tim. He us the best in the solar system. I have two great boys. Peter is 12 and Benjamin is 9. They are my world

I have a great family and lots of wonderful nieces and nephews. I have great friends and we have lots of fun together.

All in all my life is fabulous. Of course we all have our moments. I still miss my daddy every day. I can't believe it has been 4 years. There are always little bumps but with my fabulous family and friends we can make it through anything

So thanks for being you and helping to make my life fabulous. Love to all

Love this book

I read this book and loved it. We were at Innsbrook enjoying family time. I am the only night owl in the family so I read after everyone went to bed. This book is great. The next day I finished it while sitting in the sun watching the boys fish. Just had to share!

Love this card

I learned how to make crepe paper ruffles by watching Heidi Swapp's web show. I am so excited!!!

Happy 17 years, Tim!

Happy Anniversary to Tim! We have been married for 17 wonderful years!!! We went to Maggiano's for dinner that night. It was Yummy!!!

I know I'm a lot behind in posting from the summer... More to come later and hopefully soon.

Hugs to all!

Memorial Day and Benjamin is now 9

What a fabulous day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today is Memorial Day which means a lovely day with family and friends remembering all the brave men and women that serve and have served our country.

Today is also Benjamin's 9th birthday! So we had a fabulous outdoor party. It sure is a hot day today, but everyone had fun. We had very large pitchers of lemonade and ice tea and Peter set up a sno cone stand. He made sno cones for everyone. So great!!!

We called it Benjamin's Backyard Barbeque Birthday party. Yummy food... BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade potato salad, homemade slaw, baked beans, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and cake, of course.

We had a great day with family and friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Summer!!!!!!

Happy St Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone!

The boys have been enjoying the sunshine and riding their bikes! Hooray for warmer weather!!!

Scrapbooking with the Girls

Hello all,

Spent yesterday scrapbooking with the girls! How I love love love to hang out with my girlie friends and scrap the day away! I actually got quite a bit done.

I'm working on the scrapbook from our trip out west in 2007. Can you believe it? I am way too far behind... Anyway, a while back Kathy gave me some Bazill stuff (complete with album how to's) and I made the start of an album. Then yesterday I actually put pictures in it! I'm thankful I actually started the album. Now to finish it! This was the trip when we drove to Sioux Falls, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Missoula to see my brother, his wife and two adorable children, then to Yellowstone. What a fun trip!!! I loved seeing Michael, Julie, Alexia and Aiden. I miss them very much!!!

Hope all is well in blog land! Hugs to all!
Me