Bacardi Mama

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 27

2012-01-28T13:50:00.002-06:00

Today’s assignment at the 30 Day Blog Challenge is to put your iPod on shuffle and then list the first 10 songs. This should be fun because I have a very wide range of songs on my iPod.

1. Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen
2. Forget You by Cee Lo Green
3. Secret of Life by James Taylor
4. The Man Song by Rodney Carrington
5. Sherry Darlin by Bruce Springsteen
6. Roll to Me by Del Amitri
7. Firework by Katy Perry
8. Angry All the Time by Tim McGraw
9. Growing Older But Not Up by Jimmy Buffett
10. Horizontal Bop by Bob Seger

Wish I could keep going. There is some good stuff on there. We never even got to Frank Sinatra or lady Gaga. The challenge is almost over, but there is still time to join in.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 23 / 20 Facts

2012-01-23T17:50:00.001-06:00

Today's 30 Day Blog Challenge assignment is to list 20 facts about myself that you may not know.

1. I am afraid of deep water.
2. Because of fact 1, I cannot swim.
3. I think the best vacation for anyone is to go to Disney World. If I could afford it, I would go every year. As it stands now, I have only been there three times.
4. I am 57 years old and have only lived in two houses in my whole life.
5. I have lived in the same town my whole life.
6. I love photography.
7. I am a contributing writer for the website The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.
8. I work best under pressure.
9. I fell in love and married my high school sweetheart. He is the only man I have ever loved. We have been together for 41 years.
10. If I could have a pet again, it would be another golden retriever. I loved our dog Jack so much.
11. If you are my family or friend, I will fight to the death for you. You can mess with me, but don't mess with my people.
12. I entered my first photography contest. I didn't win any ribbons, but I tried and I'm proud of that.
13. I work at a preschool and I love it. I have no plans to retire.
14. After numerous attempts to like it, I have decided that I hate running. I will not be trying it again.
15. I love to read. My goal for 2012 is no less than a book a week.
16. Although I love to blog and be on Facebook and Twitter, I am not technologically inclined. I don't have an ipad or Nook or Kindle or any of the other things that are so popular right now. I just got my first laptop (used) at Christmas this year from my nephew.
17. I have three beautiful grand kids. If you visit here at all, you have seen them.
18. I have met James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Dom Deluise, Ali Vincent and Allison Sweeney. I even got to interview Ali Vincent for the Sisterhood.
19. I enjoy walking and hiking.
20. I have four beautiful daughters that I was once accused of making on a Xerox machine. They look that much alike.

Those are my 20 facts. Sorry they couldn't be more interesting.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 16

2012-01-16T19:04:00.002-06:00

Todays 30 Day Blog Challenge post is to post a picture of yourself and your family.

Here we are!

I am blessed to have a large family that will still be growing as the years go on. Dick and I have been married for 38 1/2 years. We have four lovely daughters. Cindy just turned 37 and is married to Ryan. She is a school teacher. Kate and Sarah are 28 and are twins. Kate is a bank teller and is married to Mark. Sarah is a stay at home mom of three after working as a cosmetologist. She is married to Nick. Abby is 24 and also a school teacher. She and Myles have been together for six years. Marriage isn't too far down the road.

I have three of the most adorable grand kids that you will ever meet. Natalie is five and in preschool. Lizzy is three and mommy's little helper. Our only grandson Jack will be 2 in April. Having a boy in the family after all these girls is a whole new experience.

So that is my family and I. We are a pretty special group of 13 and not an unlucky one in the bunch.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 14

2012-01-14T11:04:00.002-06:00

Today's assignment at the 30 Day Blog Challenge was to name your favorite television addiction and why. I watch very little TV, so it was pretty easy to pick. The one show that I make a point of seeing each week is.........

GREY'S ANATOMY

I started watching Grey's Anatomy very early on. I just sicked me in and kept me there. I admit that some of the story lines are kind of stupid, but some of the moments are awesome.

I think my very favorite is the two hour episode with the shooter who was after the chief, but shooting others as he looked for him. I knew it was a television show, but I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. I was also impressed with this past week's episode with the accident with the ambulance. I admit that it hadn't been on for so many weeks that I forgot how it ended, but it only took seconds to remember.

I used to watch it with friends every Thursday night, but we haven't been doing that this year. I'm not quite sure why. I'll have to check into that. Grey's Anatomy is great show. It has suspense, humor, love and heart stopping moments. You will laugh just as easily as you cry at this show. I love it. Pure and simple.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 13

2012-01-13T15:52:00.005-06:00

Today's blog prompt from the 30 Day Blog Challenge is to name your favorite musician and why he is. Piece of cake, folks.

I love Bob Seger. I have loved him since I was a teenager. Everyone who knows me knows that I love Bob Seger. I love his voice. I love his music. I have seen him more times in concert than I can count. Isn't he beautiful!?!?
The last time I saw him in concert was May of 2011. Two daughters, a son-in-law, a brother-in-law, a hubby and I made the trip into Chicago to see him and hear him and the Silver Bullet Band. As always, it was an amazing concert. His voice is still clear and strong and sexy. That in itself is amazing because he is 67 years old now.

There is a running joke in my family that Bob is the father of my children. My husband takes this well and even joins in the fun. When we were planning the wedding of of our first daughter to get married and the bills started to come in, my husband told her that it was time to call her real dad.
Bob never changes. He still has the same two signature moves on stage. He can belt out a tune like nobody else. To quote one of his song titles, he's "Still the Same".

Well....kind of!

You Capture / Morning

2012-01-11T20:46:00.007-06:00

I just couldn't think outside of the box of this assignment.

I tried, but it just didn't happen.

These are my breakfast choices these days with my new commitment to healthy eating.
These are the tools of the trade that make me not scarey to the preschoolers.

But...this was my very favorite thing this week before I went to work.

Head over to Beth's. I bet lots people who had better ideas for morning than I did.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 8

2012-01-08T13:27:00.003-06:00

Today's assignment at the 30 Day Blog Challenge is to post a song and a photo to match your mood. Lucky for all of you, I am in a pretty good mood today.
I have been in love with James Taylor since I was a teenager. His music can calm me or inspire me. He always makes me feel like things are going to be okay. I picked "The Secret of Life" for my song today. (Sorry the song is so far down this post)

I spent the morning with my hubby. Nothing extra special, just some grocery shopping. But, I was happy and we talked about all kinds of things, but it seems like we always at some point, end up talking about these three adorable grand children up there. One thing that I want for them is to really know the secret of life. It's not about how many things you have or what kind of house you live in. It's about the people in your life and enjoying the time you spend with them.

If you listen to the song and read along with the words, you'll see what I mean. My favorite line is "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time". I want Natalie, Lizzy and Jack to enjoy their life. I want them to not be worried about keeping up with other people and worrying that they might not have the same things. It doesn't matter. One of my favorite quotes is "The most important things in life aren't things".

The people in your life are the most important thing you have. Everything else could be gone tomorrow, but people will stay by you. If you pick them well, you will never have to worry about them leaving you. I have been blessed with some truly wonderful people in my life. I hope you have too.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 7

2012-01-07T12:24:00.002-06:00

Today's assignment at the 30 Day Blog Challenge was your dream wedding. I don't mean to sound like a Pollyanna, but I had the dream wedding.

I got to be the princess and I married the prince.

I'm sorry I can't give you more pictures, but my scanner is broken, so I can't get them in the computer. I pulled this picture from a past blog post.

It was September 8, 1973. It was a beautiful sunny day with just the right temperature. A little warm, but nothing too hot and humid. Believe it or not, I was 18 years old and my hubby was 21. When I think back now, I can't believe I got married that young. Also looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing.

We got married at my family church. My mom and dad were even married there. It was a beautiful ceremony and as we stood in the back of the church waiting to walk down the aisle, my dad asked if I was sure I wanted to do this. He said we could just as easily walk out the door as walk down the aisle. I said I was sure and up we went.

One of the most memorable moments of that day was after the wedding and we were coming out of the church. It was just our luck that our wedding day was the day picked for the old YMCA to be torn down across the street. We walked out of the church and stopped in the doorway and kissed and down came the building. It was really pretty awesome.

Back in the early 70's, the parents pretty much planned the wedding. My parents were Polish, so we had a Polish wedding. If you have never been to one, they are the best. Great food, a polka band and a great time. I loved every minute of it and would love to have had it all on video like they do today.

So yeah, I had my dream wedding and I wouldn't have changed a thing!

The 30 Day Challenge / Day 6

2012-01-06T13:18:00.000-06:00

Today's assignment is to post a picture of the animal you'd love to keep as a pet. If I could keep any animal for a pet it would be a penguin. I love them. They are adorable and funny. We went to the aquarium in October and I had a blast just sitting and watching them with the grand kids. Yes, I'd pick a penguin!!

The 30 Day Challenge / Day 5

2012-01-05T04:06:00.000-06:00

Today's assignment was to post a picture of ourselves from two years ago. This is my daughter Sarah and I at her baby shower. My first and only grandson Jack would be born just a few weeks later. I am the person who always is behind the camera, so it is rare for there to be a picture of me in front of the camera. Usually if there is, I am with someone else and that is just fine with me

You Capture / 10 Best of 2011

2012-01-05T03:57:00.000-06:00

These are my 10 best of 2011 in no particular order.

The Gary Air Show.
The view from the highest freakin dune at the Indiana Dunes State Park.
The Dolphin show at the Shedd Aquarium.

Jack and poppa checking out the store windows as they wait for Santa to come in the parade. I especially love Jack's reflection in the window.

My full moon picture that I have no idea how the other thing got in there. What is it? A reflectionof the moon. A random planet? Anyone??

The best buddies you could ever find.

The beach in New Buffalo, Michigan on a calm December day.

The river in Chicago as I ran by to catch the train.

The fireworks outside my daughters door on New Year's Eve

The sweetest, cutest, most adorable three children you will ever meet. Spoken like a true grammy, right?

I can't wait to see all the other great shots of 2011 over at Beth's.

30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 4

2012-01-04T17:27:00.003-06:00

Today's assignment is to post a picture of your best friend.

This is Vickie and I. This was at the end of her family reunion day, so neither of us is looking all that great. I had some better pictures of us, but they were in the files in my old computer that crashed and I had nothing backed up (I'll never make that mistake again!).

Vickie is the best friend a person could ask for. She would do absolutely anything for you with no questions asked. Our girls all grew up together and are best friends to this day. There are times that I think she remembers more about my kids childhood than I do.

Vickie is fighting cancer with a will and spirit that I can only hope to have one day. She lives each day to the fullest and never once have I ever heard her ask "why me?". She is truly the best person I know. I love her like a sister with all my heart.

The 30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 3

2012-01-03T11:20:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of the 30 Day Challenge was just too easy. They asked me what was my favorite store. I didn't have to think a minute about that. There she is, folks...........
I have been a huge fan of Kohl's since they opened a store in the next town several years ago. They have just about everything I ever need. There are a few things they don't have and then I have to go to the hardware store, but that doesn't happen all that often. Check out the receipt below.....

How can you possibly not love a store where you save more than you spend every stinking time you go. This day of shopping was exceptional, I admit, but I always save so much. So yeah, my favorite store is Kohl's. Hands down, the best store around if you are looking for good quality and great savings.

The 30 Day Blog Challenge / Day 2

2012-01-02T18:38:00.003-06:00

This is going to be a quick post. I have to get ready for zumba and I have been in my jammie's cleaning house all day. The girls at class would probably like it if I cleaned up a little.

Today's assignment is to take a photo of something you ate today. It is the first day of my new goals for the new year. Healthy eating is one of those goals. I made a pretty awesome dinner. It was kind of like going to Olive Garden and ordering the soup, salad and bread sticks. I made Caesar salad with low calorie dressing, homemade spicy chicken soup and bread sticks. I only ate a half a bread stick, so I call that good.
I know it is only day 2, but I am really liking this challenge. I hope I can keep up with it for the whole month. Thank you ladies for coming up with it.

The 30 Day Blog Challenge

2012-01-01T15:15:00.000-06:00

Day 1 of the Challenge ~ Today's assignment is to post a picture of yourself and a description of how your day was.

Well...this is me! My name is Nancy and I am a 57 year old wife, mom and grammy.

Today started at 12:00 a.m. with the New Year and fireworks from my daughter's neighbors. I was watching the grand kids so their mommy and daddy could go out and have some fun. I spent the night at their house. Two out of three kids were up and down all night, so a restful nights sleep was not for me.

I came home a little after 9:00 this morning. I changed my clothes and headed to church and then on to the grocery store. I bought things to make my part of a meal for a good friend and her family. Her dad died on Christmas eve and her brother was leaving to go home this afternoon. Some friends and I made a nice meal for them to share before he had to leave.

After that was taken over, I came home and started on some desperately needed computer time. I am behind in too many things lately. One of my big goals for the new year is to be better organized with my time and my home. I did laundry at the same time. After that, I got on the treadmill for a half hour.

Now it is 5:00 and I am making dinner. I have fish in the oven for fish tacos. One of our family favorites. After dinner is done and cleaned up, it will be time to start taking down the Christmas decorations. I may or may not finish tonight.

So...that is how my day was. Al in all, not a bad day to start 2012. Later tonight, I'll be back to check and see how everyone else's day was.

Just a little side note...I am a contributing writer for the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. We are a website dedicated to weight loss and fitness. We are starting a new challenge today if anyone is interested in checking us out and joining in.

Relax

2011-12-29T17:05:00.002-06:00

3:06 remaining in the first quarter and Notre Dame is up by 7. That makes me happy. So happy, I think I need to celebrate with a nice tall Bacardi and diet with lime. It's the last Notre Dame game till next year.

I'm typing this on my new laptop. It's a Lenovo netbook that I bought from my nephew. So far, so good. It runs Windows 7 and I am used to XP, so that is taking a little getting used to.

It has been a pretty busy break so far. Some things I hadn't anticipated and a few day trips and lunches I hadn't planned on. Tonight, I have chosen to relax and enjoy the last game before the craziness commences again tomorrow. I am looking forward to the last days of break next week when I don't think there is anything going on and I can get some things done.

Enough for now. I just wanted to do a quick post on here and see how the new laptop did. I'll post again with lots of pictures from the break so far. See you then.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:05:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas

from our family to yours.

You Capture / Festive

2011-12-22T10:29:00.009-06:00

Finding festive wasn't too hard. I love Christmas. Now that I am finally on Christmas break, I'm sure I'll be finding festive all over the place. Here's what I found so far.

Poppa got in on some baking with the grandkids.
This is our new tree. I'm still getting used to the white lights and not as many lights as the old tree, but I think it's growing on me.
This is probably the most special ornament on our tree. It is one that we made for my dad when we were kids and it is always the first to go on the tree. I really miss him.

Natalie and Lizzy finally sat on Santa's lap!

I couldn't resist this last shot. This is what festive looks like when it throws up! At least The Polar Express was on when I was trying to unearth it.

Time to head to Beth's for the festivities.

The Boy With A Heart of Gold

2011-12-19T18:58:00.003-06:00

Look at that face. Look at those adorable blue eyes. Is this not one of the cutest kids you have ever seen? Come on. You know he is. I think that Santa would bring him just about anything he asked for. He is that cute. But...this little man doesn't want Santa to bring him any toys for the second year in a row.

This boy with the big heart is asking for donations from all of us to give to Charity Water. He wants to raise $10,000. to bring clean, safe water to 500 people. Can you help him? Will you help him? There is no amount that is too big or too small. This is the season of miracles. Please help him with his dream. His miracle! Would you please share his story on Twitter, Facebook or your blog? If we all help, we can give this little boy his Christmas wish, his Christmas present, his Christmas miracle.

Go read his mom's post and then head over to Charity Water and dig in your pocket for a donation. I did and my grand kids did. I promise it will make you feel good. It's the week before Christmas. Don't we all want to feel good? Thank you so much!!

This and That

2011-12-09T20:34:00.003-06:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last wrote on this blog. Life is getting so busy and I keep finding less and less time for the things I really love. Hopefully, things will calm down in a few weeks and I have two weeks off school. That has to help, doesn't it?

Last weekend was really busy. We went to the book fair at Barnes and Noble for the school that I work at. Natalie and Lizzy decided that they weren't afraid of Santa this year. I wasn't planning for them to sit with him and all I had was the point and shoot camera I keep in my purse. Oh well, it's better than no picture at all. It melted my heart to see them up there. It's been a long time since I saw little people excited to be with Santa.

Saturday morning found Dick and I out and about in the shopping craziness. Our goal was to find a Christmas tree. We finally found one. It is the first time in 38 years that we don't have colored lights on our tree. It is hard to get used to white lights, but I'm getting used to it. I think that after a week, I can say I actually like it. Abby and her best friend Renee helped me decorate on Saturday night. Katie had come over earlier in the week and surprised me by putting up some of our stuff while I was at work.

On Sunday, my sister Polly took my mom and I out for lunch and to a local theatre production for our birthdays. We ate at a new Italian restaurant in town called Villa Nova. I had a yummy meal of pasta, steak, mushrooms and a blue cheese cream sauce. It was to die for. After lunch, we went to the local production of Man of La Mancha at the 4th Street Theatre. I was blown away by the caliber of talent in that theatre. I will definitely be going back for another show there.

This weekend is already proving to be just as busy as last week. Tonight, Dick and I went out for dinner and I came home and decided I needed to post here. Tomorrow morning, Sarah and I are going to Hobby Lobby. I need to get some things for some homemade gifts I'm making. I need to get those done, get my cards addressed and get started on wrapping my gifts. Sunday is my 57th birthday. Sarah has invited everyone to her house for the festivities. Natalie has already offered to help me blow out my candles and open my gifts.

One exciting thing that happened this week was my interview post with Ali Vincent on the Shrinking Jeans site. Ali was the first female winner on the Biggest Loser in season 5. You can read the interview here if you want. I was really excited last night when she shared my post on her Facebook page. I guess she liked it.

So...that's what has been going on around here. Hope you are all well and things aren't getting too crazy for you. Have a great weekend!

And for this..........

2011-11-23T23:14:00.006-06:00

I am a very lucky girl. I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for my own little family. My husband and daughters, the son-in-laws and boyfriend. Of course I am thankful for the most beautiful grandchildren ever.

I'm thankful for my mom and step dad. My sisters and brother and brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I'm thankful for my nieces and nephew and my great nieces. I'm also thankful for my in laws.

I'm thankful for my home and my job. I'm thankful for my friends. But this year especially, I am thankful for two very special friends who came into my life in an unconventional way.

Meet Sharon and Rhonda.

We met in the winter of 2009 in the land of blogging on the Internet. Blogging was a very uncharted course for me at the time. I had just started getting involved in it when these two very special ladies started commenting on my posts.

One of my very favorite preschool moms got me to try blogging. She said she thought I would love it and if I didn't, I could just delete the blog. So...I tried and I loved it. In the first month, I "met" Sharon and Rhonda.

Rhonda is a wife and mom and grandma, just like me. Her focus is her family. I quickly found out that Rhonda's daughter Steph was good friends with the preschool mom who got me started in blogging. We also realized that we lived 15 minutes away from each other. We met in person for the first time when we walked the March of Dimes Walk for Babies together in the spring of 2009.

Sharon is also a wife, mother and grandma. She is a very family oriented person. She is also the Energizer bunny of this threesome. You would not believe some of the things this lady has done. The problem with Sharon is that she lives in Rhode Island. I shouldn't say that is a problem, but I can't get to her in 15 minutes.

I am amazed sometimes at the bond that has formed between the three of us. We have so much in common. We all have adult children. Between us, we have 18 grandchildren. They are the lights of our lives. We have all been married to our husbands forever. We have all lost our fathers. Sharon and I in our 20's and Rhonda just a few months ago. The list goes on and on.

For the last few years, we would talk about meeting each other. Not over the Internet wires, but in person. How wonderful it would be to have all us there, live and in person in the same room. What a dream come true that would be.

Sometimes dreams come true!

I was reading a comment from Sharon on one of my Facebook posts. The last sentence said "What are you doing Sunday November 20th?" Ahhh not much. What do you want me to do? I couldn't believe that she wanted me to get a hold of Rhonda and meet her and her husband Barry for brunch. She and Barry were flying into Chicago for two days and then on to South Bend for the Notre Dame/Boston College football game. They would be heading back to the airport on Sunday and would be going right past my exit.

To say that I said yes would be an understatement. I was so excited, I couldn't believe it. This was truly going to be a dream come true. I immediately emailed Sharon and said absolutely yes. I then emailed Rhonda and she emailed me back almost immediately with a resounding yes.

I called a local restaurant known for their Sunday brunch and made a reservation for six at noon on the 20th. It would be Sharon and Barry, Rhonda and Mike and Dick and I. The plan was beginning to take shape. I emailed the girls and told them the plan. I couldn't believe that this was really going to happen. Could I really be this lucky?

Sunday morning came and I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. I got in the shower and started the process of trying to look the best I possibly could. I drove two daughters crazy with the "Which jeans?" and "Which sweater?" questions. I was finally ready and Dick and I were out the door.

I will never forget seeing Sharon for the first time. We saw each other through the doors before I ever actually got into the restaurant. I could see her mouth say "There they are" and she was moving toward me as I came through the door. We hugged and then we looked at each other and hugged again. She said hello and I could hear her voice. This may sound silly to you, but it was such a thrill to hear her voice. Barry came and hugged me and introduced himself. Like I wouldn't know who he was! I hugged Rhonda and was sad to hear that Mike was sick and wouldn't be joining us.

We were seated at our table and the fun began. We talked and we talked and we talked. We talked about our kids and grand kids. We talked about our parents and siblings. We talked about blogging and how we met. We, of course took pictures. And then we talked some more.

As I sat with these two wonderful, witty, genuine, beautiful and inspiring women, I couldn't believe that it was all happening. Twenty years ago, this could never have happened. Not even ten years ago. We are so blessed that we live in this time of technology.

All too soon, three hours had passed and Barry said it was time to head to the airport. We hugged and we hugged some more. We said that we would do this again and I truly believe we will. This brunch was one of the best three hours I have spent in a long time. I will remember it for a long time to come. These people have made a mark on my heart that I am so grateful for.

Many people I know don't understand the blogging world. I've been told more than once that I waste my time with such nonsense and most recently that I should "get a life". Believe me when I tell you that I have an awesome life. Blogging is a small, but very wonderful and fulfilling part of it. Without blogging, I never would have met these fantastic people and that would be a tragedy.

On this Thanksgiving morning, I am thankful for my family and friends. My home and my job and all the other wonderful things in my life. But this Thanksgiving morning, I have Sharon and Rhonda in my life

And for this I am truly thankful!

A very special thank you to Barry and Dick for putting up with us with a smile on their faces.

My Cup Runneth Over

2011-11-23T06:09:00.002-06:00

Sunday was a day that I will never forget. I am working on my post about it. I'm having a little trouble because I want it to do the day justice. While I write and rewrite, please read what two wonderful people had to say about the day. These two have a very special place in my heart.
http://momgenerations.com/2011/11/a-blog-meet-up-come-true/comment-page-1/#comment-28193
http://mimistoes.blogspot.com/2011/11/sunday-to-remember.html

You Capture / Something Fun

2011-11-17T06:34:00.008-06:00

We found something fun to do.

We went to visit Art the turkey.
We sat on the butterfly bench and Natalie ended up looking like a butterfly.
Natalie loved the turkey.
Lizzy maybe not so much.

But, the most fun I had was getting my new floor.

It looks awesome.

Check out all the fun at Beth's.

You Capture / Fall

2011-11-10T19:28:00.007-06:00

It's getting to be the end of fall.

The beautiful color on the tree outside school.
The last of the blooms in the yard.

The burning bush in my front yard.

The pumpkin, apple gourd and "ghostie" gourds on the front bench.

A little color at the Shedd Aquarium.

It's fall at Beth's.

Simple Thoughts

2011-11-05T12:48:00.007-05:00

A few simple thoughts to start your weekend.

The Sunday Evening Funnies

2011-10-30T20:16:00.007-05:00

You Capture / Cute

2011-10-27T09:53:00.007-05:00

When it comes to cute, I don't think you can get any cuter than

my grand babies

and a scraggly little bird that was sitting on my mailbox.

Natalie
Jack
Lizzy

Cuteness abounds at Beth's.

You Capture / Fall (and a little family)

2011-10-20T16:59:00.013-05:00

I really think fall could be my favorite season.

You get gorgeous colors and beautiful sunsets.

You get spectacular full moons.

But going on my first school field trip with Natalie and Sarah to the pumpkin patch was by far my favorite fall moment yet.

Check out the captures at Beth's

Making Strides

2011-10-16T21:02:00.016-05:00

TEAM VICKIE'S CHICKIES

Today was the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Porter County. It was threatening rain, but the sun came out and it was a perfect afternoon for a walk. I was excited for this day. I look forward to it every year.

Today I was a member of a very special team. We are Vickie's Chickies. It's kind of a silly name, but our Vickie is no silly girl. I have known Vickie for close to 30 years and she is without a doubt, one of my very best friends. We have been through a lot together in those years. Our girls are best friends. We have spent a lot of time together in very good times and very bad times. Her breast cancer was one of those very bad times. It is because of Vickie that I have become involved with theMaking Strides walk.

With the sun shining down on us, the walk started and I was walking by Vickie's side with her husband Paul and my husband and daughter. I was so proud to be by her side.

The line went on forever. There were so many people this year. I'm pretty sure this was the biggest year yet. Pink and brown as far as the eye could see.

We passed some beautiful fall colors and the biggest spider web I have ever seen.

Before I knew it, the walk was over and it was time for the closing ceremony. This is Vickie saying thank you to all of us and proclaiming being breast cancer free for almost 7 years.

It was time for a bunco babes photo.

All too soon, it was time to say good bye.

and we all headed for home.

I am proud to say that I raised $1085. for the American Cancer Society. My total will be more than that because I have a few more pledges coming in. It is one of the things I do each year that I think is really important.

I love you Vickie and I am so proud to be your friend!

I Love Fall

2011-10-06T12:05:00.010-05:00

I love fall.

There are bugs like this trying to get in my house to stay warm at night.

There are cute little boys in hats and vests trying to catch them.
There are beautiful colors on the leaves.

And there are bright blue crisp skies with trees losing their leaves.
There is so much color in fall.
I guess we'll save that for another post.

A Post With No Name

2011-10-02T10:26:00.006-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted. So long that I don't even know what to call this post. It's about all kinds of things. So here goes.

Let's start with the bad. My computer crashed big time. We had to buy a new hard drive. I was happy that it only cost $60. but I was very sad that the only thing my nephew-in-law could recover from the old hard drive was one date of pictures. This means that I have lost 10's of 1000's of pictures. Might even be more than that. I have the hard copy ones in albums and the ones on my blogs and Walgreen's, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of what I had. Now I have to start over and learn how to back up my stuff. You will see below that I have started over. I just need to download a good editing program, so these are straight from the camera. Anybody have a favorite editing program, preferably free?

I also lost my quote file in Word. I love quotes and have been collecting them for years. I even had a project in mind for some of the quotes and flower pictures. Now I have to start all over. If you have a favorite quote to get me started again, please feel free to leave it in the comments. I'd really love that.

Below you will find one of my very best friends and her family. This is Vickie, Paul, Sarah and Renee at the Pink Ribbon Society Breast Cancer Survivor Tea where they unveiled their new survivor calendar. Vickie is Miss April. In 2004, Vickie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought like a champ and beat it. Just six months shy of her five year anniversary of being cancer free, Vickie was diagnosed with lung cancer that spread from the original cancer. She never smoked a day in her life. Today, she is once again fighting and doing well. We are walking together with friends and family in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk as Team Vickie's Chickies. If you would like to help us fight cancer, please go to this link and donate. We would be so appreciative. Thank you so much.

I have been doing the C25K beginners running program. I keep waiting to like running but I just don't. I don't see the point in putting my body through that much pain on my joints. I keep plugging along though because I would like to be able to run the whole Run the Hood 5k on October 22. I may or may not make that goal, but I am trying. I have walked 2 half marathons and more 5k's than I can count, but I have never run an entire 5k. I've run/walked a few, but never run the whole thing. Let's hope this is the first time.

I have renewed my commitment to me. Me and my heath and fitness. My fitness instructor has also become my fitness coach. She is so awesome. We meet once a week before class and she goes over my goals, struggles, eating plans and anything else that I may need to talk or ask about. It's only been a few weeks, but so far so good. I have to go to the health store today and pick up a few things she suggested. I was amazed to find out that some of the things that I thought were so healthy and good for me were not. I guess you really are never too old to learn something new. Wish me luck. We just started the new Shrinkvivor challenge over at the Sisterhood. I know that will help me too.

I've been out a little bit trying to recapture some of my pictures. There are very few flowers left, but this is always one of the last to bloom in the yard so I caught it. Isn't it pretty? I want to get out to the Dunes and take some out there. I had so many awesome ones from out there that are just gone now. Makes me so sad.

When I started blogging almost three years ago, one of the very first people to comment on a post was Sharon from Mom Generations. We clicked immediately and we have become fast friends. We have so much in common. We've both been married to the same man forever. We both have four children. We are both teachers. We are both crazy nuts about our grand kids. We both lost our dads when we were in our 20's. We both love the Cubs and Notre Dame. And....we are both beyond excited that we are probably going to finally meet in person. Sharon and her husband Barry were gifted with tickets to the Notre Dame/Boston College game played at Notre Dame this year. I live an hour from South Bend and Chicago. They are flying into Chicago a few days early. I don't know if we'll meet up there or South Bend or somewhere in between but we will meet up somewhere. This is something that is beyond exciting for me. Meeting Sharon will be like meeting family. People who don't blog may not understand that, but those of you who do will totally understand.

The first six weeks of school have gone pretty well. It's always a little hard to get back in the swing of things, but I did and it's all good now. I do so much better when I am working as far as time management goes. I just do better on a schedule. We have a really good crop of kids this year. Natalie is in three day class this year. I can't believe how fast she is growing up.

Dick left this morning on his annual fall fishing trip. He just texted to say he arrived safely. After his Florida trip accident last winter, that is always a good text to get. He'll be back next weekend. I plan on having a little fun and getting some work done before he gets back.

Tomorrow night I am going to the "Knowledge to Action" Health Fair featuring Marci and Courtney Crozier of Biggest Loser fame as the keynote speakers. I'm excited to be going with some of my fitness class friends and looking to be inspired. Who can't use that? I'm taking my camera and will report about it later.

Below are a couple pictures of the kids in the yard yesterday. I'm beginning the process of new pictures of them too. Have a great week and I'll try to be better about posting. I'll get back in the swing of things.

Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix Review and Prize Giveaway

2011-09-12T19:12:00.007-05:00

Compliments of random.org, our lucky commenter is #2 Nicki Caylor! Congratulations Nicki! Email me and we'll get everything we need to get your prize off to you. Thank you all for entering.

I am not a big baker. Our oldest daughter is our fantastic baker and unfortunately for us, she is now married and doesn't live here anymore. She brings cookies over sometimes, but not all the time like we were used to. How do we remedy this?

Enter Betty Crocker and her new Molasses Cookie mix. I made these cookies last night and they were so yummy. They had a soft and chewy texture and a great spice cookie taste. The new Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix combines real molasses flavor with hints of cinnamon and spice for a homemade taste that you´ll love. We sure did. Look for Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix in the baking aisle of grocery stores this fall.

One LUCKY Bacardi Mama reader will win a "Betty Crocker® Molasses Cookie mix"

prize pack which includes:

Betty Crocker® Molasses Cookie mix
a Betty Crocker apron
non-stick baking pan
mixing spoon

In addition to being able to enter to win this giveaway, you can download this printable coupon for $0.75 off the purchase of one (1) Betty Crocker® Molasses Cookie mix pouch today!

Here are the ways you can enter to win this awesome prize package.

Mandatory entry.....Leave a comment telling how you plan to spend the time you'll save baking with Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie mix this fall.

Other entries

1. Go to the Betty Crocker website and come back and tell me something you learned.

2. Follow Betty Crocker on Facebook and come back and leave a comment telling me you did.

3. Follow Betty Crocker on Twitter and come back and leave a comment telling me you did.

4. Follow my Bacardi Mama blog.

5. Follow me on Twitter @bacrdimama

6. Follow me on Facebook.

I will draw a winner on September 25. You will have 48 hours to respond by email or I will pick a new winner. Best of luck everyone!

The product, information and prize pack has been provided by Betty Crocker through

MyBlogSpark

You Capture / Peace

2011-08-31T22:54:00.008-05:00

Peace is flowing at Beth's

You Capture / Ordinary Moments

2011-08-25T13:03:00.000-05:00

Lucky for us, we lead a pretty ordinary life.

Playing in the pool with dad.

Being silly eating pizza.

Playing "this little piggie".

Getting dinner ready for friends.

Heading out for a girls night.

Putting on make up.

We have lots of ordinary moments around here.

And that is just how we like it.

Things are oretty ordinary over at Beth's too.

The Fun From The Mundane

2011-08-20T11:44:00.003-05:00

Thursday was a long hard day. No need to bore you with the details. All you have to know is that when I got home, I wanted a drink and I didn't want to cook dinner. My wonderful hubby, obliging man that he is said lets go. We headed to our favorite bar/restaurant and I ordered the biggest tallest Bacardi and diet with lime they could make.

The last thing I did before I got home was get a manicure. I love my weekly manicure. It is the one thing I truly treat myself with. So...the waitress brings my drink and I am in heaven. I go to pick it up for that first drink and I send it flying across the table right at Dick! The glass was sweaty from the humidity and my hands were slippery from the manicure lotion and it was not a good combo. I wish I had a video of it because it had to be hysterical. I have never seen Dick move so fast. He didn't get a drop on him even though it was all over his side of the booth. Ice cubes lined up down the whole seam of the seat. The table was soaked. But I couldn't do anything but bust out laughing. I thought Dick was going to be mad, but he starts laughing too. I go tell the hostess that I need a few rags and she asks what happened. I tell her and she starts to laugh as she grabs some rags and heads back to the table with me. I keep saying that I will clean it up and she won't let me. She says this is nothing and tells us the story of when one of her kindergarten students threw up in the hood of her dress.

Everything is cleaned up and they are going to bring me a new drink. I keep wiping my hands on my pants, but they keep getting slicker. How in the world am I going to drink this drink. I told Dick I should have brought one of the kids sippy cups from home. He finally thinks of the perfect solution. Go wash my hands. How could I not have thought of that?!?! So I go to the bathroom and wash my hands and everything is good. So good that I felt confident enough to tackle the crab leg special and not lose my grip on them. We both had crab legs as a matter of fact. I'm in heaven with my drink, my crab legs and a cup of baked potato soup. All of a sudden Dick is laughing and says, "I can't take you anywhere!". I look down and I have dripped butter on my shirt. I start laughing as the hostess walks by and she sits down and laughs with us. The best part was when we got up to leave, Dick had two butter drips on his shirt.

The moral of this story....You can have a bad day. You can go out for dinner on a week night. You can get a manicure. These are all pretty normal mundane things. Sometimes though, one silly little thing can happen to start a whole chain of events that makes the day fun again.

Random Thoughts

2011-08-14T23:56:00.002-05:00

My life has been pretty busy this summer. I realized that I have hardly posted anything more than pictures in a long time. As usual my time is short, but I thought I could do some random thoughts in bullet points to catch you up on a few things around here.

1. Yesterday I woke up with bites on my right arm and leg. They itched like crazy, but one much more than the others. After research on the Mayo Clinic website and a call to the doctor, it was decided that I was attacked by a spider in my sleep. I say attacked because it was that painful. It said that the initial bite will be worse than the rest. Boy were they right. I was told to take Benedryl orally and use hydro cortisone cream topically. I was babysitting the grand kids last night, so I couldn't take the Benedryl till I got home. It was a good thing I waited. I took it when I got home at 11:00 and I was in pretty much of a semi coma till about 8:30 tonight. The good news is that those bites have not itched once since I woke up.

2. The last thing I saw before I fell asleep last night was the news about tragedy at the Indiana State Fair. My heart aches for the poor people involved. I found out tonight that a friend and her family were at the fair and left just before everything happened. Two of her best friends co workers were critically injured. My prayers are with them.

3. My summer vacation is dwindling down to a precious few days. My staff meeting is Thursday and school actually starts on the 24th. Once we have the staff meeting, we are pretty much back to work. We will be getting the room ready and all the others stuff that goes along with the start of a new school year.

4. If the truth be known, I am ready to go back to school. I do so much better when I have a set routine. I have spent most of the summer saying "I'll do it tomorrow" and guess what? I am just about out of tomorrows. I am a much better time manager when I know just how much time I have. I don't seem to put things off then.

5. My niece-in-law taught me how to crochet when we were on vacation. I am really excited about that. I have wanted to learn for a long time and now I finally know how. I just need to keep practicing so I can actually make something.

6. I started this summer with the plan to declutter my house. I wanted to purge the closets and drawers. I wanted to clean the basement. I started out pretty well, but that all kind of died out. I need to get back to that.

7. I have had the best summer with the grand kids. They are so much fun. Jack is 16 months and a little superman. Lizzy will be three in October and is every inch a drama queen. Natalie is five and can't wait to get back to preschool with her friends. They are the one thing I will miss when I go back to school. I love that now I can go and see them any old time I want.

8. Going back to school will put a glitch in my social media time. That is probably a good thing. I have been spending way too much time on Twitter, Facebook and my blogs this summer.

9. My garden is finally beginning to produce some vegetables. The cucumbers and tomatoes are ripening daily. We've had a few peppers and I think they are all going to come in at the same time. I guess that is what happens when you don't get a garden in till the first week in June.

10. I am going next weekend with three good friends to see the concert "Under the Streetlamp". It is the guys who played the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys in Chicago a few years ago. They were wonderful in that show. I can't wait to see them again. It will be a nice end to my summer vacation.

Well, it's 12:58 a.m. and I'm wide awake. The good news is that there is a full moon and a clear night outside. I think I'm going to head out there and take some pictures. If I get some good ones, I'll post them later.

Have a great week everyone!

You Capture / Happy

2011-08-10T23:02:00.009-05:00

We had some pretty happy kids on vacation last week.

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words.

I think they are right!

Happy things are happening over at Beth's.

You Capture / White

2011-08-01T21:28:00.010-05:00

We are on vacation and I found some white.

We rented a house on Diamond Lake in Michigan.

This is not the house.

This house is just white.

There were some white sailboats on the lake Sunday morning.
There were a whole bunch of white sea gulls resting as we boated by.

These are the two white rockers on the porch of our house.
I want to bring these home with me.

Last but not least, this very large, very white house.

Check out Beth's for more white.

You Capture / Fruit

2011-07-28T00:49:00.005-05:00

Beth said capture fruit, so I captured fruit.

I love a good apple.

The only way I can eat a bowl of cereal is with fruit.

I love having a basket of fruit all washed and ready to eat on the kitchen counter.

Time to head to Beth's to see the rest of the fruit.

You Capture / Beautiful Flowers

2011-07-21T10:03:00.004-05:00

I was hoping that Noah would have picked airplanes for this post. We went to the air show on Sunday and I got some amazing shots, if I do say so myself. If you want to check those out, they are the post before this one. We are lucky enough to have a son-in-law with a family member who has a house right on the beach about a block from where they stage the air show. In my travels back and forth from the house to the beach, I found some pretty flowers. I even found a butterfly!

Time to head to Beth's.

Air Show Day

2011-07-18T01:14:00.017-05:00

If you like pictures, this post is for you.

We went to the Gary Air Show today and it was awesome.

It is days like today that I remember how much I love my camera.

In no particular order,

here's the air show.

And at the end of the day, the lake was calm and beautiful.

p.s. If you double click on the pictures,

they become big and awesome.

You Capture / Summertime

2011-07-13T22:23:00.015-05:00

SUMMERTIME

The first produce from the garden.
Jack and daddy in the pool.

Lizzy making her way in the pool.

My little daredevil Natalie having a blast with her daddy.

Family reunions with dancers.

Family reunions with pinatas.

Pretty flowers in the yard.

I love summer.

So do lots of people at Beth's.

You Capture – Patriotism

2011-07-07T09:09:00.007-05:00

I actually just went back and added these fireworks pictures.

I remembered them after reading Beth's moms blog post.

These were compliments of my nephew-in-law on Sunday.

He did an awesome job.

By parade standards, I went to a pretty lame one on the 4th.

But, for the second year in a row, my town didn't have one.

At least the little town next to us did.

Of course, there were the big American flags.
Two of my daughters and a son-in-law were showing their patriotism.

There were lots of little flags everywhere you looked.

And believe it or not, you didn't even have to be American to show your patriotism.
Even Kung Fu Kangaroo was waving a flag.

I hope you all had a great 4th of July.
Time to head to Beth's.

Holy Cow!!!!

2011-07-02T19:01:00.021-05:00

On June 29, I had the pleasure of heading into the city for a Cubs game.

I always start getting excited when we get to the skyway.

We were cruising right along until we hit a little traffic on Lakeshore Drive.
My friend Tom was a little excited when we passed Soldier Field.
He called it the mother ship.
He is the biggest Bears fan you will ever meet.
I'm pretty sure he wished we were really going there.

We passed Navy Pier
We finally made it to Wrigleyville.
Not a bad trip at all. Only took us an hour to get there.
We met some friends at the Cubby Bear.
I'd never been there before. We had so much fun.
My wonderful friends bought me a jersey. I love it!

We had a couple cocktails and appetizers.
I was saving my appetite for a hot dog at Wrigley.
Then it was time to head across the street.

We made our way inside and got our free can koosies.
We saw the poster of Jeff and I wished he was still playing at Notre Dame.

Here's my awesome friends Tom, Marge, Katy and I in our seats.
My hubby had a golf outing that day and couldn't go with us.
These were the kind of seats you dream of. Nine rows up behind homeplate.
It was the perfect weather night. Not too hot and definitely not cold.

The band came and played for us.

The guys from Mike and Mike in the Morning threw out the first pitches.

Tom said big Mike used to play for Notre Dame.

It was time to play ball.

It was a full house.

Ryan Dempster was the starting pitcher and he threw an amazing game.

Tom said the pitcher for the Giants was really good too.

Not as good as Dempster this night.

The Cubs were up 1-0 for most of the game.

For some reason, the powers that be decided we needed a pitching change in the 9th inning and in came Marmol. The Giants scored and the game was tied.

Batting for the first time in the game in the 9th was Aramis Ramirez and he connects.

The Cubs win and we get to sing Go Cubs Go!!

There was as much excitement on the field as there was in the stands.

I'm pretty sure Mr. Baseball himself was smiling when we left.

Now, let me tell you the story that made the above story possible.

Four years ago, I met a pretty awesome family at preschool. Their daughter was starting class with us. She was a cute as a button and she had a little brother who was pretty cute too.

Fast forward to year two. I find out that this little guy is a White Sox fan. As you all know, I am a Cubs fan. We start a banter between us that lasts to this day. I would ride him about the Sox and pretend that he was a Cubs fan. Even at three years old, he would always have a comeback. At his sisters preschool graduation that year, he comes up to me with an envelope in his hands and throws it at me saying "Here's your stupid Cubs tickets" and walks away. I laughed and then almost passed out when I opened the envelope. There inside was four tickets with a parking pass to a Cubs game. The seats were right behind homeplate nine rows up. Holy cow, how did I get so lucky? How could the pleasure of having these kids in my life make me worthy of such an extravagant gift? This would be my first Cubs game. I had wanted to go all my life and never gotten there and now I would. All I could think of was that there would never be a way to thank them that would ever live up to the honor they have given me.

I went to that game with my husband and my sister and brother-in-law and it was amazing. It rained for half the game and the Cubs lost, but I will never ever forget that game. It was definitely one of the ten best days of my life. The next year, I got the same gift. Different seats and the Cubs again lost, but the weather was beautiful.

Fast forward to this past school year. Our banter continued and I loved it. My little guy has matured into quite the young man. I know that might sound silly being he was a preschooler, but he is just a neat kid. He has a great sense of humor and knows lots of things about lots of sports. Lucky for us, our only rivalry was in baseball. We both liked the Bears and the Blackhawks. But we had the most fun with our baseball banter. During one of our last days of school, he brought me two little Cubs helmets. He said is dad told him to give them to me. He said I could eat ice cream out of them.

June 6 was preschool graduation. This day always pulls at my heartstrings a little anyway, but this year had a most special moment for me. The ceremony was over and there was lots of laughter and picture taking happening. Up walks my little baseball buddy with a gift bag in his hand. His mom and dad are with him. They asked if I would open the gift then. Inside are the 9th row awesome seats with the parking pass but there was something else. There was an official major league baseball inside a case signed by my little friend. Talk about a moment that melted my heart. That ball now sits in my computer room on a shelf with the little helmets and a picture of Ryan Theriot in a Cubs frame from my first game. I will treasure it forever.

Let me tell you why I love working in a preschool. I get to meet some of the most amazing children and families. I get to be a part of their lives for a few years. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to have many siblings and they remain a part of my life for years. This year, I was invited to four former students high school graduation open houses. I think that is amazing.

But the truly amazing thing is that sometimes, you meet some truly awesome families who leave an imprint on your heart that you will carry with you forever. This story stems from one of those families. I can't imagine changing that shelf. It makes me smile every time I look at it. And every time I look at it, I will remember that sweet little man who loved the White Sox and I think maybe loved me too. I can promise you that I love him!

You Capture / Water

2011-06-30T10:30:00.007-05:00

Last week, I thought that this was going to be a boring capture for me. The pool wasn't warm enough for the kids to go in yet and I couldn't really think of much else.

I was wrong. I think a got a few good ones.

We started out the weekend with my cousins open house.

They have the most awesome new fish tank.

Natalie and Lizzy were so excited because Nemo was in there.

I took a walk at a park near us and forgot about the water there.

I totally forgot that I would would be driving down Lakeshore Drive yesterday for the Cubs game. I only got a few shots because traffic was moving quickly and some of the shots weren't that good. But I did get Buckingham Fountain.

I got some of the boats on the lake too.

The water looked so blue yesterday.

It turned to be the little capture that could.

Even though I thought I didn't have a shot.

Head over to Beth's and see all the rest of the water over there.

I'm So Excited and I Just Can't Hide It!

2011-06-28T16:05:00.009-05:00

It's going to be one of those dream come true days.

Derek Lee won't be there.

Ryan Theriot won't be there either.
But I am going to be at Wrigley Field for a night game.
I've never been to a night game before and the weather is supposed to be perfect.

I will be sitting in this seat watching the Chicago Cubs.

I'll be there with three awesome friends.

Some people wouldn't think this is a big deal, but it really is a huge deal for me. I grew up loving the Cubs and I've never waivered even when they have a bad game (or year).

With any luck, I'll even get to go here.

Never been and I'd love to see it.

I'll be back with lots of pictures for you on Thursday

and the story behind how I got these awesome tickets.

You Capture / Bathrooms & Purple

2011-06-22T20:01:00.010-05:00

You Capture this week is bathrooms and purple.

My daughter's pretty shower curtain covered both topics.

I have some of my favorite vacation pictures framed in my bathroom.
Sometimes when I'm relaxing in the tub, I pretend that I am still there on vacation.

My mom has these violets at her house.

She also has these cool flowers.

Lizzy calls them big purple ball flowers.

I don't know what they are really called.

Now it's time for you to head over to Beth's and see the other captures.

Oh The Sweetness

2011-06-20T22:58:00.008-05:00

We took the grandkids and went to my mom and stepdad's house.

It was grandpa Eddie's 89th birthday.

They love when the kids come to visit.

Lizzy and grandpa on the swing.

Jack stopped moving for 10 seconds to give grandpa a hug.

Natalie is our hugger and was happy to share one with grandpa.

Jack spent a lot of time trying to figure out the hose caddy.

Lizzy was in love with these flowers.
She kept calling them big purple ball flowers.

Natalie was loving jumping off the porch.

Grandma Lou wasn't to sure about it.

I took a whole bunch of these group shots.

This was the best one I got.

It's hard to focus on moving targets.

We all had a fun time visiting.

Happy Birthday Eddie!

Can't wait to celebrate 90 with you next year.

Goodnight Moon

2011-06-18T01:28:00.004-05:00

It's 1:31 a.m. and I just finished a post over at the Sisterhood.

I also just came in from taking pictures of the moon.

I've been out there the last few nights.

It has been so beautiful.

I love taking pictures of the moon. Many of you know that already.

I just wanted to share a few with you.

If you wake up at 3:27 a.m. to use the bathroom, you can catch a shot like this when the moon isn't in the trees. This might be my favorite.
This one was taken in the front yard.

This one was taken in the driveway.

Last but not least, this one was taken in the back yard.

Okay, I want to be up early to go to the farmers market, so I need to get to sleep.

Hope you all have a great weekend and enjoyed the pictures.

Enough Drama

2011-06-13T15:15:00.001-05:00

An old man once said, "There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."

A friend had this posted on her Facebook profile. It spoke to me. This is what I need to do in my life. I am 56 years old and I'm tired of the drama that goes on every day around me. I'm tired of the people who think they are better than me. I'm tired of the people who think they are always right about everything. I'm tired of the people who can only feel good about themselves by tearing down someone else. I'm tired of the people who always put me last on their list. I am just tired.

I have never been one to whine, complain and point fingers on my blog. Too many people already do that. I'm sorry to be doing that now. I've broken my own rule. But sometimes, it's important to stand up for yourself.

A line that Ado Annie had in Oklahoma keeps popping into my head. She said " I'm not saying I'm better than anybody else, but I'll be damned if I ain't just as good." Ditto for me!!

You Capture / Flowers

2011-06-09T05:50:00.010-05:00

I found flowers this week in the yards of my daughter and myself.

I also found them in some of the beautiful bouquets from the last days of school.

I bet you can find some beauties over at Beth's.

This Was Kind of Weird....

2011-06-06T21:12:00.002-05:00

So, I'm leaving for the store and my hubby comes out of the pole barn with a piece of paper in his hand. He says "You can use this on your blog". This was weird because most days he doesn't even acknowledge that I have a blog let alone give me something for it. Here is what he wrote on the paper....

Life gets more precious when there's less of it to waste.

Bonnie Raitt on getting old

I am a nut for quotes. I love them. I have them written all over the place. I have a file of them on the computer. I have them on the walls. I have them on my desk at work. This might just be my new favorite, but what made him give it to me? It's just so not him.

Any ideas? Or do you have any good quotes for me?

You Capture/Games

2011-06-02T15:51:00.005-05:00

We were kind of limited on games this week, so you'll have to bear with me as I stretch the assignment a little.

First, we have Lizzy and poppa chasing Natalie and Jack.

That got some pretty good laughs going.

It was preschool olympics. I have lots more pictures, but I can't put all the other kids up here without their parents permission. This is Natalie working her way through the obstacle course.

I don't know if this qualifies as a game, but the girls got to go in their new pool for the first time.
They had a blast.

If you head over to Beth's, you may just find some real games.

It Was 40 Years Ago Today

2011-05-28T10:17:00.003-05:00

It was May 28, 1971. I was upstairs in my bedroom with two of my best friends getting ready for a first date with an older man. I was 16 and just finishing my sophomore year of high school. He was 19 and had been out of school a year and working in the construction field operating heavy equipment. My mom and dad weren't sure if this was a good idea, but they were willing to give it a try.

We had met the week before at the Port. It's a local root beer stand where all the kids cruised and hung out. Believe it or not, it's still there today. They still have drive up dining in your car and the car hops wear roller skates. The food trays attach to your car window. I kid you not. He actually asked the girl I was with out first. To this day he claims he was just getting information about me.

Whatever the reason, tonight was my turn. I began to hear the distant rumble of his car engine. My God that car was loud. I would learn later that there was no sneaking in late in that car. You could hear it coming two blocks away. My heart began to beat faster and I was nervous. The only older guys I had dated in my limited dating experiences were just a year older than me and still in school. I take a last look in the mirror. My friends say I look awesome in my lime green hip hugger bell bottoms and white sleeveless shirt with lime and yellow trim. My hair is long and flowing and my make up is perfect. I head down the stairs that lead to the foyer which is right next to the living room where he will be waiting.

I got half way down the stairs and I see him....smoking a cigarette!!!! Are you out of your freakin mind!?!? My mother hates smoking and had tried to get my dad to stop for years. This is not the way to make a good first impression. I can feel the blood rising to my face. I just need to not make eye contact with my mom and get him the heck out of there. We say good bye and we are finally out the door.

I begin to regain my normal body temp and breathe a say of relief. I don't know him well enough to tell him he's an idiot. Of course, that will come later. We are double dating and the other couple is in the backseat. I say hello and we are on our way to the 49er Drive In (it's still there too) to see the romantic classic PATTON. Nobody told us that it was a 12 hour movie and I'm late getting home on the first date. My dad is cool about it because we were seeing a war movie. My mom wasn't thrilled, but she wasn't going ballistic or anything.

I saw him the next and the next day and the next day and every day there after. With the exception of a huge fight in 1972 that lasted for two days, we have never been apart. We got engaged on November 19, 1972 and were married on September 8, 1973. When I think about the time frame, I can't believe that my parents let that all happen. I got engaged when I was a senior in high school and married three months after I graduated at the age of 18. We had our first baby when I was 20 and he was 23.

I think the main reason we have stayed together with no major problems over the years is this. We were so young. We had no expectations of what marriage should be. It was what it was and we were happy. We grew up together and made our own adventures along the way. We built a really good life. We had excellent examples in both of our parents. They had been together forever and were both happy in their marriages. We are still happy together and I am blessed to have that all these years later. I can't imagine my life with anyone else.

My plan for the rest of the day is to convince Dick that going to the drive in is a good idea. It is supposed to rain and I don't know what is playing, but I don't care. It is Saturday, May 28, 2011. 40 years later and I think we need to mark the occasion.

I know that I have posted this picture before, but I love it. It just looks like us. Happy and relaxed. That is pretty much how we are now. We don't fight. What's the point? If we get mad now, it's over quickly. We have a good life. We have four beautiful daughters who have chosen wonderful men in their lives. We have three perfect grand kids that are the lights of our lives.

Life is good and we can't ask for more than that.

You Capture/Pretty

2011-05-25T22:15:00.009-05:00

We went to a 25th anniversary party.

There was pretty cake.
Pretty decorations.

And pretty china.

Lots more pretty over at Beth's.

Self Workout in the Park

2011-05-22T21:18:00.012-05:00

On Saturday, my daughter Abby, my good friend Mari and I took the train into the big city.

Off we went to Chicago.

We saw the Bean

We saw it as we walked to the Self magazine
Workout in the Park in Grant Park .

We waited in line for a long time!

We did some awesome workouts.

This girl tried to kill me more than once.

The one time though, she reminded me that I liked Pilates.

We got to listen to Alison Sweeney.

She is the host of The Biggest Loser and is also on Days of our Lives.

We even got to work out with her.

Abby did a super intense workout that Mari and I passed on.

While Abby was at that workout, I got to do my very first real press interview for Shrinking Jeans. I got to interview a Self magazine rep and talk to Alison Sweeney.

I even got to have my picture taken with her.

I'll do a full story on the Shrinking Jeans site in a few weeks.

I just couldn't keep this to myself for that long.

I had the best day ever.

If you would have asked me last year, I never would have dreamed that I would be doing this now. Life is unpredictable and so exciting.

I am one lucky girl!

It Makes It Official!

2011-05-19T22:03:00.004-05:00

It really does kind of make it official, doesn't it?

I've been a contributing writer for Shrinking Jeans since January, but I just got the business cards and I have my first real press event this weekend.

I'm covering the Self magazine Workout in the Park in Chicago.

I even get to interview someone from Self.

I am so excited!!

Just say a little prayer for me that the rain holds off.

It's a rain or shine outdoor event.

I'll take lots of pictures and tell you all about it.

Wish me luck!!

You Capture/Busy

2011-05-18T22:44:00.001-05:00

Two days out of 31 with nothing.

Yes, I'm busy!

More at Beth's.

He's Still The Same...Sort Of

2011-05-15T12:14:00.009-05:00

This is the man I fell in love with 43 years ago.

I have never waivered in my love for him.

Yes, I married another man, but...

I always loved Bob Seger.

Our latest date was last night at the All State Arena in Chicago.

It was a sold out performance.

Our section had a lot of gray hair, 80's hair and pot bellies.

Every now and then, you would get a waft of marijuana.

But, our section was rockin!

They came for the same reason Dick and I did.

They wanted to have a good time and they knew that Bob wouldn't disappoint..

and he didn't.

He did a lot of my personal favorites.

Horizontal Bop, Roll Me Away, Travelin Man/Beautiful Loser.

That's just a small few.

All too soon the show was over.

At least he did two encores.

It was an awesome night. If you don't count the rain and the traffic, I'd say it was the perfect night. And when I closed my eyes, I still could see that perfect guy in the first picture singing Fire Down Below (my name is in that song) just for me.

Thanks Bob for a great night.

You can still rock it like nobody else.

Let's try not to make it so long between dates next time though.

My only regret was that I couldn't take my good camera in and get some really good pictures. Oh well, at least I got some.

Roll Me Away

2011-05-14T14:15:00.002-05:00

Tonight is my long awaited Bob Seger concert. He hasn't toured in years and every time he does, I'm afraid it will be his last. I love Bob Seger. I really do. There is a running joke in my family that he is my real husband and my kids real dad. Dick takes it all in good fun. When we were planning our daughters wedding and the bills started to roll in, Dick told Sarah it was time to call her real dad. Like I said, he takes it in good fun. I'm really getting excited though. We are leaving in about an hour an a half. It's going to be fun!

You Capture/Motherhood

2011-05-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

Mothering a boy is a novelty in our family.

Jack is the first boy in the family in 25 years.

There are only two more besides him.

When Jack and Sarah stopped over by themselves yesterday, it was the perfect opportunity to capture motherhood.

Lots of mothering going on at Beth's

You Capture / Outdoors

2011-05-03T22:04:00.014-05:00

I was able to take some pictures on Saturday when I did the March for Babies with our very own Beth. It was an awesome day and I got some pretty good captures.

Beth, Eli and her mom and dad walking the course.

Last but certainly not least is my robin on her nest.
It took me an hour or so to get the shot, but it was worth the wait.

She has her nest right outside the preschool room window.

Check out the rest of the outdoors at Beth's.

One Last Push

2011-04-29T19:57:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is the March of Dimes March for Babies.

This is Team James and Jake from last year.

We are a smaller team this year, but we still have big goals.

Personally, if I raise another $41, I will have raised $1600.

As a team, if we raise another $150, a rocker will donated to a NICU of Beth's choice in James and Jake's names. Wouldn't that be awesome?

If you are feeling generous tonight, please consider donating to our wonderful team.

Just click on the widget in the sidebar.

Anything you can donate would be so appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Come back tomorrow night and I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures from our day.

You Capture / Pink

2011-04-27T16:41:00.006-05:00

For the second week in a row, school came through for me for You Capture.

I found these pretty pink tulips outside the staff lounge.

I love the raindrops on this one.

I even found a coworker doing dismissal with a pink umbrella.

If you'd like to be in the pink,

head on over to Beth's.

So Lucky!

2011-04-24T20:57:00.003-05:00

More than once today, I realized how truly lucky I am.

I spent part of Easter morning in church with my family and I was so proud. But even more, I felt blessed. I was with two of my daughters, a son-in-law and my three beautiful healthy grandchildren. How could you top that?

Later in the day, I was at my mom's house for dinner with my extended family. Once again, we had more beautiful healthy children. It is something that I don't take for granted. I know how quickly that can all change.

I lost a baby to miscarriage many years ago. There isn't a holiday that goes by that I don't wonder how our lives would be different if that baby had lived. Was it a boy or a girl? Would it have dark hair and eyes like our girls? What would he/she be doing with their life now? Would we have more grandchildren? That baby would be 30 now.

I know families who lost their babies later in their pregnancy. They knew what sex they were. They were able to cuddle them and say goodbye. No matter when or how you lose a child, it is devastating.

I am in the final week of fundraising for my March for Babies walk. The March of Dimes helps so many families in so many ways to cope with loss. They also help even more families fight to save their children from illnesses. The money raised for the walk is invaluable.

I think this is one of the most important things that I do in the course of a year. It is a cause that is very close to my heart.

If you would like to help Team James and Jake reach their team goal of $5000, please click on the widget in the sidebar and donate. No amount is too small.

Please help us. It will make you feel good. I promise.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2011-04-24T10:01:00.001-05:00

You Capture / Spring

2011-04-20T16:20:00.006-05:00

I was beginning to think I wasn't going to be able to do You Capture this week.

Spring just hasn't found its way to my neck of the woods yet.

It has been in the 30's and it even snowed the other night.

Then... I found a few signs of spring at work.

These are some buds on the viburnum bush outside my classroom window.

In a week or so, it will smell like heaven when we open the window.

Daffodils along the pathway in the garden also right outside my classroom.

A tulip bud that I think might just be pink in time for next weeks You Capture.

Last but surely not least, I remembered about the 20 chicks that just hatched in the 1st grade room this week. They are so cute!

So, now it's your turn to go over to Beth's and see all the signs of spring.

You Capture / Smiles

2011-04-13T21:55:00.005-05:00

Our little man had his 1st birthday today.

I still can't believe that a year has gone by so quickly.

I was definitely able to capture some smiles today and at his party on Saturday.

Check out the shirt.

He loved the ride on truck we brought him today.

The boy loved his cake.

And he left a chocolate ring around the tub.

Head over to Beth's and see all the smiles over there.

Random Thoughts and Pet Peeves

2011-04-10T19:59:00.008-05:00

Bullet points, I think.......

1. We had our Zumbathon for March of Dimes on Friday night. We had a great time and raised $1058.22 for Team James and Jake. I'm very proud of that.

2. Jack had his 1st birthday party on Saturday. I can't believe that he is going to be a year old on Wednesday.

3. People that don't answer emails drive me crazy.

4. I like My Fitness Pal so much better than Weight Watchers. It is much easier and I am getting better results.

5. Why is it that the people who think it is their right to say anything that comes into their heads are the same people who think nobody should ever say anything to them?

6. It was a perfect day outside today. It was 82 and sunny. A little windy, but I can handle that.

7. In the course of an hour boot camp class, I did over 100 push ups (girlie style). 60 of them were in a 10 minute circuit. That is huge for me. When I started boot camp, I was doing my push ups against the wall. My next step will be to get to military push ups. Those scare me. I am the oldest person in my class.

8. I love Army Wives.

9. I got my hair cut and I don't love it. I don't hate it either. I think I just have to play with it and get used to it.

10. We are going on a big family vacation in August. We are renting a lake house in Michigan with my sister and brother-in-law. Both of our kids will come and go through the course of the week. We haven't rented a vacation house together since my oldest was Natalie's age. I'm really looking forward to it.

Okay, that's it for now. I have to finish the laundry and get to bed. 5:30 rolls around pretty early. Have a great week everyone.

You Capture / Fun

2011-04-06T15:30:00.006-05:00

We had some fun this past weekend when two of the grandkids spent the night.

They had a ball riding their jeep for the first time of the season.

They had fun chasing poppa with the jeep

. Lizzy thought it was funny to get wrapped up like a taco in the yoga mat.

Lastly, Natalie and Lizzy both thought that having a parade was a fun idea.

That's our fun, how about yours?

Checkout the fun at Beth's.

You Capture / Vibrance

2011-03-29T21:46:00.004-05:00

Some feathered friends showed up today to help me find some vibrance.

A cardinal in the red buds of the tree.

The fattest robin ever with his red breast.

A gold finch at the bird feeder.

Time to head over to Beth's

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

2011-03-29T09:49:00.002-05:00

This is one of my new favorites. I had forgotten about it. It's at least ten years old. Our zumba instructor uses it as one of her cool downs.

Hope you enjoy it.

It has some great advice.

The A B C's of Me

2011-03-25T20:13:00.005-05:00

Bari had this on her blog and it looked like fun. I totally stole it from her, but she said it was okay. Here you have...
The A B C's of Me

Age: 56
Bed size: Queen.
Chore you hate: cleaning toilets
Dogs: We've had three. A beagle named Buckwheat, a mixed terrier named Freddy and a golden retriever named Jack. No dogs right now though.
Essential start of your day: a shower
Favorite color: Green
Gold or silver: Gold
Height: 5’7″ on my driver's license, but I think I may be shrinking.
Instruments I play (or have played): I am the most non musical person you will ever meet. Does a kazoo count?
Job title: Preschool Assistant Teacher
Kids: I have four daughters. They are ages 36, twins 27 and 23.
Live: Northwest Indiana
Mom’s name: Louise
Nickname: Don't have one unless you like "nanny goat" which my cousin used to call me when we were kids a long time ago.
Overnight hospital stays: Three births and a D&C.
Pet peeve: I have too MANY pet peeves. One of my biggest is people who say one thing, but totally mean another.
Quote from a movie: "As hard as you think it is going to be, you wind up wishing it were that easy." about parenting from Terms of Endearment or "Sometimes, you just have to say what the fuck" from Risky Business.
Right or left handed: Right
Siblings: I have two older sisters an one younger brother.
Time you wake up: The alarm goes off around 5:45, but I'm usually up on my own between 5:15 or 5:30.
Underwear: What about it? I wear it!
Vegetable you dislike: I hate okra!!! It looks like someone blew their nose in your food.
What makes you run late: The internet. I spend too much time checking Twitter, Facebook, emails and blogs,
X-rays you have had done: The only ones I remember are of my teeth and when I was going to give birth to twins, they took one to see if they were both head down.
Yummy food you make: I get the most requests for my stuffed jalapenos and baked beans.
Zoo animal: I love the penguins!

I won't care if you want to steal this from me. Just leave me a link to yours in the comments.

You Capture/Youth

2011-03-22T22:50:00.005-05:00

No doubt where I would go with youth.

Natalie goofing off as usual.

Aunt Katie taught her how to cross her eyes.

Nice going Aunt Kate!!

Lizzy as sweet as ever.

She's getting as goofy as her big sister.

And last but certainly not least, the little man himself.

I'm having a real hard time accepting that Jack is going to be one year old already.

April 13th is the big day. He's already walking!

Where did that year go?

There was lots of youth captured over at Beth's.

The New "Lucy"

2011-03-17T21:50:00.003-05:00

This is her!

Lucy II

We picked up the new car. She's a Dark Mocha Metallic Buick Lucerne. She's not my beautiful red Lucy, but she's still very pretty and a really good car. She has some things that the old car didn't have, but she doesn't have a sun roof. I missed that yesterday when I came out of work and it was the first warmer day of the year. I got in the car all ready to open the sun roof and I remembered. I'm sure I'll get used to not having it though.

Dick is better every day. He's barely sore anymore and the bruises are pretty well gone too. The novelty of listening to him snore has worn off and I swear he snores more since we got the new bed. I think he is so stinkin comfortable, he is sleeping more deeply. Lucky me!

Tomorrow night is a 2 hour zumba party. It's going to be fun. I really love zumba. Next month is the March of Dimes Zumbathon. I'm really excited about that. We are working really hard to make it a great fundraiser for a cause very close to my heart. If you'd like to help us, just click on the widget in the sidebar and make a donation.

I guess that's about it for now. Hope you are all doing well. I'll try to be better about posting here. Life has just been so crazy and hectic lately. Hopefully, things will begin to calm down.

Over There

2011-03-13T15:35:00.001-05:00

I wrote over here today.

Stop by and visit.

Thankful

2011-03-05T23:00:00.002-06:00

For the last four nights, I sat in bed and watched and listened as my husband snored. I was thankful to be able to do that. Before this past week, I had a different reaction to that very same snoring.

If you read my last post, you know that Dick had an accident on his way home from Florida last Sunday. The car was totalled, but luckily Dick was not. Amazingly enough, he walked away from the scene pretty much unhurt. He is sore and bruised, but that is all. And I am thankful.

I am also thankful that I am able to walk in the March of Dimes March for Babies in April. This is a cause that is very close to my heart. We lost a baby to miscarriage many years ago. I walk for Team James and Jake. Their mommy lost them at 20 weeks gestation. I also walk for another family who lost their son at 18 weeks gestation. I walk so that maybe someday, nobody will have feel the pain that we all felt and feel to this day.

If you would like to help me reach my fundraising goal of $1000. just click on the widget in the left sidebar. It will guide you through a donation page. No amount is too small or too large. Thank you so much for your support because what could be more important than healthy babies.

The Call You Never Want To Get

2011-03-02T00:19:00.005-06:00

The phone rang at 10:03 Sunday morning. I looked at the caller id and I knew that this wasn't going to be a good call. Dick was on his way home from his vacation to visit his dad in Florida and the call was from him. He never calls when he is driving. He always calls at the end of the day when he stops for the night. I knew it had to be that something happened at his dad's and he hadn't left yet or he had an accident or car trouble.

He had an accident.

Looking at these pictures, it's hard to believe he walked away from this, but he did.

He had some personal guardian angels on his shoulders, I think.

I don't want to dwell on this. Dick is a little sore, but that's all. That was the best news ever. My brother-in-law and I drove down to the south side of Atlanta to a little town called Jackson, Georgia to pick him up. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to hug him and hold him and see for myself that he was really okay.

I want to tell you all that we have the absolute best brother-in-law in the whole wide world. He was a lifesaver and I never would have made it through the last three days without him.

You are the best Bernie!!

We got call on the way home from the insurance claims adjuster. The state police said that sole responsibility for the accident was placed on the other driver. That was good news. But for any of you who know Dick, the best news is that the golf clubs were unharmed!

You Capture / The letter "L"

2011-02-23T16:07:00.006-06:00

My very favorite "L" ever is Lizzy!

Time to checkout the rest of the "L's" at Beth's.

Zumbathon 2011

2011-02-12T16:01:00.010-06:00

Zumbathon 2011

It was awesome, exhilarating and fun.

I found that I have more stamina than I thought I did and that's a good thing.

I found out that two hours of zumba can be fun.

I found out that two hours of zumba won't kill me.

I also found out that seeing so many people come together for a common cause is very inspirational and I was proud to be a part of it.

The numbers aren't in yet, but I know we raised a good amount for the American Heart Association. Awesome!

I only stopped once during the actual event to take some pictures. They weren't very good because I just wanted to get back out there. This was the best one.

These wonderful women were the heart and soul of Zumbathon 2011.
Meet Kelley, Irma and Nicki.

If you want to read Nicki's amazing story about her heart experiences, here's the link to my story about her at the Sisterhood.
http://shrinkingjeans.net/2011/02/she-wanted-to-be-like-her-dad/

And this is Jimmy, a former preschooler of mine and Kelley's son.
He Zumba'd till he dropped.

Last but not least, I found out this morning that two hours of zumba will really make your ankles hurt and make you sleep like a baby.

You Capture / Red

2011-02-03T11:15:00.006-06:00

I've been so busy this week, I forgot about You Capture.

I had to go with what I could find here quickly.

Just a couple of staples around our house.

Check out the red at Beth's.

Happy 59th Birthday

2011-01-23T00:05:00.000-06:00

Today is a special day.

It's my husbands birthday.

We've been together almost 40 years.

We started dating in May of 1971.

We were quite the couple, don't you think?

I could never imagined back then how my life would be 40 years later.

We've changed a lot!

But, we are still so much the same.
We still love each other.
We still have a good time together.
Family is still important.
Actually, it's more important.
We never could have known that we would be a family of 13 already.
The one thing we said way back then was that we wanted four children.
That's how many we had. Four beautiful daughters.

On this special day, I just want you to know how much I love you.
I hope that you love all your gifts.
But, I know the one gift that would totally make your birthday perfect is the one thing that I can't give you. All I can do is say a special prayer and cheer at your side and hope the Bears win the big game and go to the Super Bowl.
Happy Birthday Dick

Go Bears!!

You Capture / Circles

2011-01-19T16:56:00.010-06:00

Circles, circles and more circles.

I walked out the door tonight and look what was waiting there for me.

Lots of circles in circles.

Circles in an old lock.

Circle on circle.

But, the best circle of all for this mama is this one!

In case you don't know,

this circle is the Bacardi emblem.
Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

I'm sure there are circles everywhere at Beth's.

Go check it out.

My Big News

2011-01-16T17:40:00.001-06:00

I can hardly believe that you can find me here now too.

http://nancy.shrinkingjeans.net/

I am excited beyond belief.

It was a Good Day

2011-01-15T18:26:00.003-06:00

Today was a good day!
I got to meet Bari in person.
We met through blogging.

Bari and her adorable daughter were coming through very close to where I live on their way to a gymnastics meet. My daughter and I took off and met them at the outlet mall. We did some shopping, had some lunch and did a little more shopping.

Bari has been a huge inspiration to me this past year. She is one of the powers behind my renewed zest for getting fit. Bari was everything I thought she would be and more. We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again.

Random Thoughts

2011-01-11T22:28:00.006-06:00

Bullet points I think are in order......

1. We have a winter storm warning here in nortwest Indiana. I'm hoping for a late start for school tomorrow. They are predicting 6 to 12 inches of the white stuff.

2. I'm really hoping we get lots of snow. I love snow and it makes for some really pretty pictures for the camera.

3. I went to my first functional fitness class last night. It was hard and challenging and I loved it.

4. Why is it that people won't talk to you for months at a time, but you are the first person they call when they need something.

5. My daughter and son-in-law are buying their first home. I'm so excited for them.

6. I love the color green. Hey, I said random didn't I?

7. I am this close to signing up to run/walk a half marathon. You finish on the 50 yard line at Notre Dame stadium. How cool would that be!!

8. Dick is going to the Blackhawks game tomorrow night. That is of course, if we aren't snowed in.

9. My grandkids are the cutest things ever.

10. Dick and I bought a sleep number bed. It is heaven.

11. Dick's birthday is in a couple weeks and I have no idea what I'm going to get him.

12. My granddaughter started taking karate class and loves it.

13. I love black licorice.

14. Natalie has had her bangs cut since the picture was taken.

15. I'm falling asleep at the computer. Time to go to bed. Night!

You Capture / Top 10 of 2010

2011-01-05T18:33:00.013-06:00

I had a really hard time with You Capture this week.

I have taken 1000's of pictures this year.

I've been through my albums so many times in the past week.

I finally just picked 10.

They aren't my 10 best, but they are 10 of my best.

Or maybe they are just 10 of my favorites.

This is my Jack. The cutest baby New year ever.

I think this is trail 9 at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

This Natalie and Lizzy at a party this summer. I love how Lizzy is covered in cupcake and Natalie looks like she is trying to decide between the cupcake and broccoli.

Here is Natalie on Christmas morning.

Santa! Need I say more?

Jack looking like a little man.

The beach and waves on Lake Michigan.

If you know me, you know I love the moon.

Believe it or not, Lizzy is watching a parade go by.

A butterfly in the garden at school.

If you head over to Beth's, I'm sure you'll see lots of favorites.

A Better Me in 2011

2011-01-02T10:20:00.003-06:00

More than anything, I want to be a better me. I want to be better in all aspects of my life. I want to be a better wife, a better mom, a better grammy. I want to be a better teacher. I want to be a better daughter and sister. I want to be a better friend.

I want to listen more and preach less. I want to give more and want less. I want to play more and stress less. I want to cuddle more and worry less. I want to remember that the best things in life aren't things.

One of my favorite quotes (I'm a nut for quotes) is "A goal without a plan is just a wish.".
I've been wishing that my body would be different for too long. I have made that wish a true goal for 2011. I have goals. Nobody but me can make this change. It is only a job that I can do. I've been talking about it and half heartedly doing it for too long now.

The better me that I want in those first two paragraphs will only happen if I accomplish the last paragraph. I want to be a "better me" and I am going to do it. 2011 is my year and I won't let myself down again.

I have so many friends through this social media that I have never met that have no idea what an inspiration they have been to me. Many of them are my age, but many of them are younger. I've met a lot of them through the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I'm going to do my best to keep up with them in this latest challenge. It's called the Power of One and guess who the "one" is? Me, of course. If you are looking for a little inspiration to start your new year, this might just be the place to start.

This old dog still has a little bark left in her. I've got some serious barking to do. I can do this and I will do this. The "better me" is right there waiting to be let out and fly and 2011 is when I give her wings. Stand back friends. I'm taking flight.

A New Blog

2011-01-01T01:19:00.002-06:00

I started a new picture blog for the new year.

A picture a day for 365 days.

Please come visit.

http://a365view.blogspot.com/

Go ND!

2010-12-31T08:07:00.002-06:00

Let's go Notre Dame!

Make this game count!!

You Capture / Christmas Favorites

2010-12-30T10:19:00.009-06:00

There is a lot going on in this first picture, but I still love it.

Our own little disgruntled Santa.
Natalie and Lizzy killing time waiting to open presents.
Lizzy loved her new kitchen set.

Jack getting some lovin from Aunt Katie and Aunt Abby.

Natalie loved the fact that grammy had the mouse from the books and he had the candy cane boxers, just like in the story.

I'm heading over to Beth's to see everyone elses Christmas favorites.

You should too.

Finally!

2010-12-28T19:58:00.003-06:00

Finally, we have a holiday card.

I sent them out today.

I wish I could afford to send them to all of you,

but I can't.

This will have to do for this year.

It is hard to get 13 people to look the same direction and smile and not goof off .

I got to use the new remote for my camera and that was fun.

It was great to not have to get a friend over to take it.

I don't know if you can tell that everyone is in their jammie's.

It was Christmas morning and the rule was you had to come in your jammie's.

It was their punishment for not cooperating with getting the picture taken on Thanksgiving like we always do.

If the truth be known, I kind of liked sending out New Years cards.

It just makes the holiday seem a little longer.

The one thing I didn't get done this year was my annual letter to go in the cards.

I'm considering doing an email attachment for some of the people that we don't get to see often enough. I'll think about that later.

Now, I have to finish my thank yous for all the presents from school.

p.s. Don't I have just the cutest grandkids ever?

Some Holiday Pictures

2010-12-27T20:10:00.015-06:00

Here are a few of the pictures from the weekend.

I have to save some for You Capture on Thursday.

Here we have the grandkids arriving at our house on Christmas morning for breakfast.

Everyone had to come in their jammies this year.

It was their punishment for not being cooperative with taking the annual Christmas picture on Thanksgiving. I told them we were taking a picture Christmas morning so I could send out New Years cards. I ordered them this morning.

Here they are getting ready to start breakfast.

They insist that I make fresh polish sausage, egg casserole and homemade sour cream coffee cake every year. This year Abby decided to add mimosas.

Not a bad addition.

Katie thought it was pretty funny when Abby and Myles got her a Wonder Woman snuggie.
She was Wonder Woman for Halloween a few years ago.

Dick enjoyed the shirt from Myles. He actually wore it to my mom's house later that day.

Natalie and Lizzy were pretty excited with the new Kitchen.

Their old one was very short and small.

Here poppa, have something to eat.

One of the cutest santas ever!

And the other cutest santa!

Lizzy would have nothing to do with the hat, but she was pretty cute without it.

And yes, I got the picture! It's not great, but it's all of us.

The 26th was Cindy's 36th birthday.

Lizzy was asleep, so Natalie got to help open presents all by herself.

She also had the honor of helping blow out the candles without her sister.

So, that is a glimpse of our holiday.

I'll have more pictures on Thursday for You Capture.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday too.

Have a Blessed Christmas

2010-12-25T00:27:00.005-06:00

As I think about the real reason for the season,

I want to wish you all a most

Blessed Christmas.

I hope that all your dreams come true.

I also wish that you get everything you asked for.

I hope that you get to experience all the wonder and magic of Christmas.

But mostly, I hope that you make some wonderful memories that you can hold in your heart forever. Isn't that what we all want?

Merry Christmas my friends!
You make me very happy.
XOXO

Green Giant and Santa- Ho! Ho! Ho!

2010-12-23T20:55:00.001-06:00

My friends at My Blog Spark sent me this link.

I thought it was pretty cute.

Hope you all enjoy it too.

Merry Christmas!

You Capture / Holiday Magic

2010-12-23T08:49:00.008-06:00

You Capture this week is holiday magic.

I don't think you can get anymore magical than Santa.

I fudged a little here because I took this picture the last week of school and I also posted it in a previous post. I just love it though and had to put it in. All the rest I took this week.

How about the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window?

I love that movie. I try to watch it as many times as I can during the 24 hours of a Christmas Story on TBS starting Christmas eve evening.
I love the magic of a glowing Christmas tree. I think it should be a rule that once you put up your tree, it should stay dark until you take it down.
I think my favorite tradition is trying to make my dad a part of our Christmas every year. My dad died in 1977. This is his ornament that we made for him when we were kids at home. That was a long time ago. Every year, dad's ornamnet is the first one that goes on my tree. That one simple act is a little bit of magic that makes dad still a part of our Christmas. I miss him all the time, but never more than when I hang that ornament. I love you dad and I miss you so much.

We don't have a fireplace, so our stockings are hung by the beam with care.
Our chimney is actually in the closet next to the beam, so I'm guessing it takes Santa a little magic to get out of the chimney.

So, that's my holiday magic.

I bet there is lots more over at Beth's.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Finding Christmas

2010-12-21T21:41:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted much lately. I'm having trouble finding Christmas this year. There are things going on that are beyond my control and it's making me sad. I finally got the house decorated and finished the tree tonight. I sat down at the computer and remembered that I never told you about Santa coming to preschool. Lucky for me, he got to come during Natalie's class.

I swear this was the real Santa. Even though I know who it was, I think he could be Santa. He was so awesome and the kids were thrilled.
Natalie got to ring his bells. She was a little leary of the whole thing, but she was a trooper. She wouldn't get too close, but she rang his bells and shook his hand. She loved listening to him read a story. She especially loved telling everyone in the family who came to visit at preschool

It's been a long time since I had my picture taken with Santa.

I loved it and him!

I'm just watching the end of the Polar Express and it always makes me cry.

My oldest daughter who I know is still a believer bought me the Polar Express bell and Santa ornament a few years back. I rang the bell before I put it on the tree. Of course I could still hear it. I hope I always am able to hear it. I'd hate to think that there could ever be a day when I wouldn't believe. I believe in the magic and the wonder and the baby that started it all.

I believe that there is good in everyone. I believe that it is better to give than to receive.

I believe that I can find Christmas in the eyes of my beautiful daughters and in the hearts of my sweet grandchildren and in the soul of my wonderful husband. I believe that love is the best gift of all. I just have to let go of the sad and let God show me the wonder.

It's right here and I know that!

You Capture / Outside

2010-12-16T06:07:00.009-06:00

I blame Beth for our snow storm this week.

It came just in time for the You Capture assignment

It seemed like everytime I went outside (which was seldom)

I saw these poor babies trying to keep warm.
The blur in the background is the snow whipping around at 40 mph or so.

I felt so sorry for these guys.
If I could, I would have brought them inside to warm up.

I saw lots of snow drifts.

This poor baby could hardly stand up against the wind.

He sure wasn't thinking about using this birdbath.

The one picture that I missed was so cool. We were driving home from my mom's in the beginnings of the storm. All I was thinking about was getting home safely at the time. After we got home, I realized what I missed. In the open fields when the winds were blowing like crazy, there were snow funnels whipping around. My daughter called them "snownadoes".

They were really cool, but I missed them. That's what I get for being a big chicken.

If you go check at Beth's, maybe somebody there got them.

The Best Weekend That Just Keeps Getting Better!

2010-12-14T19:29:00.014-06:00

Friday

We celebrated my Abby's graduation from Purdue.

My baby now has a degree in elementary education.

We had an all girl party at our favorite restaurant/bar.

We had so much fun!

Saturday

My 56th birthday

It was a great day. My family made it that way.

Sunday

My mom's 85th birthday party.

Look at this lovely lady.

Would you ever guess she was 85?

We all worked together to make her an awesome scrapbook of her whole family.

She loved it.

At one point, she loved it so much it made her cry.

But lucky for us, it also made her laugh.

Here she is with some of the great grandkids.

And here she is with my Jack. He is her only great grandson.

Monday

Abby got a job!

It's a medical leave, but it's a paying job and it's a start.

We are so proud of her and love her so much!!

Not a bad weekend at all!

The Season of Giving

2010-12-13T12:19:00.005-06:00

I know that I have told you before about my buddy Bridger. He is the seven year old from North Dakota who wants to give clean water to underprivileged people. He is an amazing young man. He has given up his allowance and even his tooth fairy money to give to his charity. Bridger doesn't want Christmas presents. He wants people to give the money they would have spent on him for donations.

Bridger's mommy Melissa is my friend and I am so proud of her. She has done an amazingly awesome job of raising such a sweet and caring young man. Bridger has such a big heart. I don't know any other child who would give up their Christmas for people that they don't even know. It takes a very special child and I am proud to know this one.

During this season of love, could you find it in your heart to donate for my friend? No amount is too small. Here is the link..http://shrinkingjeans.net/2010/12/the-december-monthly-project-week-2-of-the-season-of-giving/ to a post his mom did that has a video of Bridger explaining his project. I promise he'll melt your heart. If you don't like to donate online, please email me and I'd be happy to email you Bridger's address.

Thank you so much if you are heading over to donate. You are going to make Bridger a very happy boy for Christmas.