Happy Birthday Mom

Happy birthday mom. I may have posted this pic before, but it is so fitting for today. It would have been my mom's 74th birthday.

I miss her terribly. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her or hear her voice in my mind. I think of all the things that she's missed, but I carry her in my heart every day.

Mom, your kitty - Angel - can be quite the devil sometimes. Like just now when I walked past her on her perch, she swatted me. She is so sassy!

Your granddaughter Dani - what a beauty she is growing up to be. Did you know that Pam has her picture on her desk & her co-workers thought she might be Scott or Chris' girlfriend?

Scott is working hard, every day! He's still quiet, still shy, but he's a wonderful young man.

Chris is Chris. What can I say? He marches to his own drummer & that's why I love him so much. He is still in school, finally has a direction & is working hard to achieve his dreams.

Chad is now a full time adult. Working at a job that is awesome. He's reaching out to God again, he's grown up SO much in the past few months.

Shaun is loving life at Hope. He's still quite the athelete. You & dad would be so proud & would love to watch him on that field!

Kylie Sue is still a silly little, well......not so litle anymore. She's as tall as Dani! Until Dani's last growth spirt!

Life is going on for all of us, but all that you taught me, Pam & Robin - we hold onto dearly. We pass on the traditions (like chocolate pie at Thanksgiving) & we share you love of Jesus.

Miss you mom.

Happy birthday mom!

Once Again....

Our son has been honored by the MIAA and named Defensive Soccer Player of the Week. WOW! He didn't even know it when I texted him yesterday to congratulate him!

Not many players get this honor bestowed on them in their total college career, so to have it twice in the same season is huge!

They played 2 games last week and won both. Their biggest rival & the 1st place team in the MIAA lost both of their games! So we are now in 1st. If we win tomorrow, we go on to tournament play next week & possibly nationals after that.

This past Saturday night, Halloween, was the final home game of the season. Seniors were honored and afterward we were able to get shots of the guys' with their classmates. From left to right are Mitch, Sam, David, Shaun, Logan, Paul, Andrew & Scott.

Mitch, David & Shaun grew up playing travel together. Shaun & David room together. These guys' are super & have such fun families to be around!

And here we are with the honoree! It was cold Saturday night, as has been most of our season. But we were thankful that it didn't rain!!!

So on to Olivet tomorrow - Dutchmen, Dutchmen, Dutchmen, Dutchmen, Dutchmen!!!!

A Give Away At Donna Downey

So, who doesn't like a free giveaway?? I certainly do! You can check out Scarlet Lime or head on over to Donna Downey & check out this giveaway.....

It has been an awfully long time sinced I've blogged - my sister told me so!!! But I haven't had time to.....don't seem like I have anything to blog about.......oh.....I just don't have a good answer!!!

I have been busy & it seems like when I am on the computer (other than to play bejeweled on FB) I'm editing pictures. Soccer pictures, senior pictures, baby pictures, lots & lots of pictures. I'm also working on some Christmas presents, trying to get a jump start on the season. LOL!!!

We ended up having 4 days off from school a little over a week ago due to the H1N1 virus. It has spread pretty rampantly over the state of Michigan. SEVERAL school districts had all or some of their schools closed. In our building it seems to have helped. I haven't had very many calls in the morning at school for illness like I was getting in the weeks leading up to our closing.

I will try & do better with my posting - but now I have to run off to my niece's birthday party! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday & have wonderful week!

God's Beauty Surrounds Us In Michigan

It's a beautiful time in Michigan. God's handiwork is glowing more & more each day as the colors are changing & the crispness of fall is in the air. It's been a bit too crisp for my liking until yesterday. We were given 2 days off of school - closing all the buildings in our district until Thursday because of the flu bug that is raging through Michigan schools! Several are off for 2 or more days to sanitize the buildings & hopefully keep sick kids' home long enough to feel better.

Yesterday turned out to be a glorious fall Michigan day. The temps were in the low 60s & the sun was shining enough to bring out the beautiful colors!
I worked & worked on a video yesterday, but sadly it won't load to my Blogger as it said it would. So these are just a few of the pictures I took.

But if you would like to see the beauty of fall in Michigan & the full video, click on this link to enjoy. Go ahead.......click that button, sit back & smell the freshness of the crisp autumn air, the apples ripening on the trees ready to be picked, the donuts being made in the local orchards & hear the children laughing as they ride the little train into the pumpkin patch to pick their favorite pumpkin.

Enjoy!

Delicious...

We got the new Basic Grey Line - Nook & Pantry into the store. I had to work yesterday morning & the more I looked at this line, the more I knew I had the perfect picture to make a layout with it!
This paper reminds me so much of my mom when I was growing up - the laciness of it & the colors. While my mom wasn't a "wallpaper person" this fruit print is very reminiscent of my childhood. The dishes, the aprons, the curtains, everything!

My mom loved to bake, especially at Christmas. This picture is of her at the table laden with plenty of her homemade goodies & the giant turkey. I'm not sure exactly where this was taken, but she's opening a jar of homemade pickles too!!!As I was working on this layout & was matting the picture to the pink & brown lace patterned paper, I realized how close it matched the pattern of my mom's apron.

What fun this was & what great memories it brings back! I'm almost tempted to go into the kitchen now and bake something............almost, I said!

Halloween Treat Boxes

Are these just the most adorable little boxes??? I put these 4 together tonite in under an hour! Now I can't take credit for the pattern - although I did come up with the pumpkin's on my own. I found these on Chic-n-Scratch . I must give Angie the credit for the box pattern & the step by step directions on her video.

BUT - I'm taking the credit for these adorable little guys. They're big enough to fit a Kit Kat Bar, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, a couple packs of gum......it's endless! You've got to try them - you get 2 boxes out of one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock!

Think about Christmas coming up - snowman, Santa, oooo - how about a reindeer?

So what are you waiting for... go check the link above & get busy!!!

WHAT next?????

Okay....this one "takes the cake" so to speak!! While playing in my creative corner today & watching "I Love Lucy" this infomercial comes on...



The Perfect Brownie Pan??????? Oh come on.......seriously????