The tabs across the page here at the top are separate pages.
Finland-Sweden trip is a link to my journal blog I kept during my trip there. Farm sweet Farm is pictures of the house, ect that we spent 2 1/2 years in-our first taste of "country living" during our married years. (And are just leaving) This is a work in progress for my scrapbook.
House to Home page is the picture journal of making our "new" house in the West part of the state into our home (On-going current)





Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Incredible!!

Someone else posted this. I found it totally awesome. It's long, but worth the watch. WOW!

(Video posted at bottom of the page)

Monday, November 16, 2009

Random Chaos

  • Day 44 count down from 50
  • I've lost 3 # (Maybe my scale is broke?)
  • Yesterday I made a 4x batch of chocolate chip cookies to put in the freezer, and only ate no more than 1/4 tsp. cookie dough. WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!! (yes, both)
  • I made a 4x batch of my favorite granola to last me thru Dec also. (Yes, sorry Dalayna it's chock full of nuts. UMMMM!)
  • Girls are coming this afternoon to help me finish up wedding announcements. Thank goodness for friends/sisters!!
  • Glitch in the bridesmaid clothes. Not a good thing.
  • Keeping my suitcase packed & ready for North Dakota
  • Leon & Son went off out of town for another 2 days of work.
  • Relyssa went to school again after being sick most of last week. Hopefully not any more missed days. They have a fit & send home letters after 3 absents, but don't want them there if they've had a fever in the last 24 hrs. Hmmm. She missed 3 1/2 days last week alone.
  • Don't let husband go to the grocery store for me without his cell phone again. Frozen whole chicken is NOT a substitute for a bag of frozen boneless chicken breasts.
  • Yes, 1 bag of whole wheat flour is different from 10 # of white flour.
  • There is a difference between "Shredded, and Sliced."
  • It's time to get to work.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

46 of 52 weeks challenge-Generations

Once again this week I have a bunch of pictures I need to post. We had a very busy weekend! (and how can it be time for another weekend already?!!)
Jeanne and baby Lyrah made a surprise visit home last Thursday night and stayed thru Monday night this week. During that time I got lots of baby snuggles, even a "few" pictures, Morgen's 13th birthday party with a family supper on Sat. eve, Several generation pictures, A quick visit from our 2nd daughter Jana, along with 3 other co-workers (here for lunch on Monday).
I really have too many pictures for one post, so will refrain and try to post them a few at a time in the next several days.



Me, Jeanne with Lyrah, My mom- G'ma Cilla




Jeanne, Her great grandpa Art (My dad's dad), My step-mom Jane & Lyrah
(My dad passed away 9 years ago.)



A bit of a funny picture of baby here, but we're just glad to have some of them together!

Jeanne, Leon, His mom, G'ma J, & Lyrah


Monday, November 9, 2009

"Just" another Monday

Wow, have I said that before? (shhh!)
Mondays are nearly always good. This one ranked right up there with one of the best. Wonderful weather too, and that can make about any day good!
Jeanne & baby stayed over today since Jana was coming to town, and would be here to have lunch with us this noon. Not only did we have Jana & Bernita, but also Darla & Barbara!

Friday night we went out to Applebees for supper and I tried their "Orange chicken bowl" for the first time, and LOVED it! I have a (bad?) habit of trying new recipes when I have company, so I goggled a recipe for it to make for lunch today since I liked it so well!
I thought it turned out awesome & am going to put it with my favorites. All my kids liked it, yay!
(well, I think all the company liked it too!)

Relyssa was gone all weekend, but was sick, still sick today so was home from school, and will have to stay home tomorrow since she still had a slight fever this evening yet. She wanted chicken noodle soup tonight, so I made some from scratch. It turned out really good, but I put a bit too much cayenne in it....should cure any of the rest of the bug, that's for sure!

I was going to take Jeanne to North Platte tonight to meet Lynisha & she would take Jeanne back to Sidney, but we changed our plans since my mom wanted to go visit the girls in Sidney anyway. I was happy to stay home and it made it possible for me to have a couple good hours with oldest son.
Mom and Jeanne stopped to visit my grandpa and my step mom on their way, so they got some more generation pictures. Tomorrow I'm going to post those pictures and ones of this last weekend.
Tonight my sink is shiny, the kids are all in bed, I've enjoyed some play time on the computer, Leon & Morgen left this evening to go out of town for a couple days on a job, and I hear a book & bubble bath calling before bed yet!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

45 Weeks- of photo challange

Well, I really blew it this week. I can't believe I had SO MANY photo opps, and didn't manage to get in them. You'd think after all this time that it would be 2nd nature, and I wouldn't even have to think.
I had the perfect opportunity. We went to visit our kids/grandkids, over the weekend, and it was Kyrie's 5th birthday and Halloween too. What more could you ask for?

(PLEASE excuse this long post....if I don't post these pictures now, they won't get done!)


I got pictures of Kyrie being thrilled with her new calender from Auntie Gay


I got pictures of Kyrie opening her tea set I got her, & Trey being just as thrilled over it! (But with me? NO!)


I got pictures of Dad & Papa bringing in THE gift

I got pictures of Mommy taking pictures of Kyrie (& Trey) when they first saw it!


I got pictures of Kyrie in her new dress from me, that Gramma Cilla made, but did I get one of us together? NO! I got pictures of mommy & Kyrie with the birthday cake.

I got some pictures of the kids making jack-o-lanterns


Pictures of sweet baby Lyrah


Pictures of the whole crew before they went trick-or-treating. (But with Mom? NO!)

Pictures of Kyrie & Trey and the cool costumes that mommy made them, a picture of baby Lyrah in her pumpkin outfit (with HER mommy....)

Pictures of Papa & the kids playing a game--(along with the other Grammie)

More pictures of baby Lyrah with mommy & pictures of Trey "writing the numbers" as Papa counted.
Woops!! A whole weekend and no pictures of THIS MOM!


Nathan came over Tuesday...He likes hanging out with his cousins & they asked to bake cookies.
Nathan likes to take pictures also. Meshayla does not like to be IN pictures!!


She avoids the camera if at all possible (unless she's on the taking end of it)

Ah HA! Caught you!!



YUMM! Cookie dough! It's the best part of making cookies!
Can you believe I missed all those photo opps, and all I got this week was a silly picture of me eating cookie dough?? Thanks Nathan! (I guess!)

Monday, November 2, 2009

Thoughts, goals & frustrations

Another Monday!
They always make me stop and look at my week ahead. I usually have way too many things I want to accomplish in the week, and the week is never long enough. Unfortunately for me, there's no way to stretch time, there is only a certain amount allotted to each week and I am required to fit into it. I'm sure that one of the reasons I like Mondays is because it always looks like I have a L-O N-G week ahead to try and fit everything into. As the week goes by I start to panic more because I don't accomplish as much as I want to fit in, and there's also the realization that logically it really ISN'T going to all get done either.
Therefore I come to the conclusion that I set my exceptions too high. On the other hand if I didn't set them that high, would I really get as much done as I do?

Hmm, please excuse me for saying this all again. I'm sure I must repeat myself frequently, after all, it's my life!

November:
*Not in particular order*
  • Finish re-doing blog
  • Weekly blogging my "52 weeks challenge"
  • laundry & unpacking from our weekend trip
  • Finish baby bedding that didn't get done last week
  • Wedding invitations made & mailed
  • A birthday party for Morgen
  • Cheesecakes made for wedding
  • Wedding/Reception decorations bought
  • Thanksgiving at our house to prepare for
  • Trip to ND right after Thanksgiving to prepare for & take.

Obviously this does not include the daily repeat chores of
meals, cleaning, laundry, schooling, and trying to keep my head firmly in place.
Can I state that I'm going to have some seriously new goals for this coming year?

Have a happy Monday everyone!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

44 of 52 Mom/Grammie was missing.


You've probably heard the saying..."The best laid plans of mice & men...."
Last weekend our plans were to go to ND to see our kids up there and to pick up Relyssa's wedding dress she bought when she was up there this summer. The kids had fall break on Friday from school, and our plans were to leave Thursday after they got home.
Unfortunately Thursday morning I got a call from the school, "Kara's sick, you need to come pick her up". Wouldn't you know. The kids haven't been sick for 2 years and this is the day it happens. I brought Kaela home too, as I didn't want to make a trip back a while later and about 1/2 the school was out sick anyway. Phone calls made, plans changed, and Leon, Relyssa, Meshayla and Morgen headed off to ND Thursday evening, leaving me at home with the two little girls. I sent my camera along with instructions, "Take LOTS of pictures"
This meant I couldn't take pictures of the girls & I and our activity (or lack of it) here at home, and unfortunately my idea of "take lots of pictures" and the people responsible for my camera were not on the same page. I'll post some more of their pictures from the weekend later, but here's a few good ones I really enjoyed.

Jessi bear with Grammie's camera....













I love this one! Good job Morgen!

Oh yes, while they were off having fun I was at home and since I was at home I figured I'd might as well take full advantage of having the house and weekend pretty much to myself I thoroughly enjoyed my free time, and got started on my sewing project for my youngest grandaughter. So while I missed out on being "in the picture in ND" here's me after all.