Snow!!

For my birthday this year we took the kids up to the wooden nickel cabins. It snowed on us all the way up. We got there and built the biggest snow man that we have ever built. It took dusty and me both to put the middle on.
The kids made snow angels. ( after I free fell back they felt more confident ) there was at least a foot and a half of snow.
Dusty got out the snow shovel and helped construct a sled jump and a smooth track for running down.
We grilled some burgers. Roasted marshmallows to make s'mores and warmed up by the fire playing some UNO.
Sunday morning I whipped up some French toast and sausage, then the kids were off again sledding. I missed the Sunday session because I don't want to drive home in wet shoes.
On the way home we stopped at a few antique stores looking for a glass vase for dustys 56 beetle project. No luck.
It was a great trip. No frost bite. All good clean fun!

This week....

I committed to making delicious home cooked meals.....
Sunday I made some cinnamon roll waffles with cream cheese icing for breakfast. And bacon.
Monday, we went out to dinner with friends.
Tuesday, I bit off a bit much, roasted Brussels sprouts with cheese tortellini and red pepper chicken sausage with pesto sauce. Emilee and shaine brought and made fried ice cream. Then, I made chorizo breakfast burritos. And still made it to ballet with dawn!
Wednesday, tortilla soup with cheddar jalapeño bread.
Thursday, homemade lasagna with garlic Parmesan pull apart bread. Paulie came over for dinner!
Friday, chili rubbed pork chops with mashed potatoes and some kind of vegetable that I haven't decided yet. In taking the weed off from cooking. I've had enough already.

Gracie is 12!

Small birthday "challenge" party.
First off, the baby food challenge. Who can recognize and eat the most baby food. Who won? I can't really say.
Next, the bubble gum challenge. Paper plates filled with whip cream with a piece of gum buried in the middle. Find the gum using no hands, and see who can blow the first bubble. Someone (dusty) had the bright idea to "forget" to put the gum in. The girls were digging around with their faces and nothing! Haha! Casey Mae won this challenge. Who knew how hard it would be to blow a bubble with gum cloaked in whip cream?
Next up, chubby bunny. The object is to place a giant marshmallow in your mouth and say chubby bunny, who ever fits the most in, and can successfully say chubby bunny wins. Casey won again. With 5 marshmallows. All though after the fact, Shawn put 13 in his.
After cake and presents the girls spent some time playing just dance 4. Plenty of sugar filled girls.

Katt

Having lunch with her favorite person.

Booth

It's been a busy year. Specially the last few months. Home improvements are still slowly being completed, and with every new project, there seems to be at least three more on the horizon. All I want for Christmas is a diner booth. I paid someone else to frame and upholster my booth. Saturday comes around after much begging and pleading to get it before Christmas. (It's been over a 6 month wait....) I get a picture, "this is the best I can do" the corners are puckered and I quickly reply, "just stop, and I will do it myself" dusty and I pick it up, have to dismantle part of it to get it through the front door. As I am sitting on the unfinished massive piece of furniture contemplating how to fix it the fastest and quickest way my long weeks of work overwhelm me and I start laughing with hysterics. Dusty doesn't know what to do. He offers to help take it apart and put it back together, but my poor brain is to burnt out to even start. Instead, he takes me to dinner and to get a massage. We start fresh on Sunday. It only takes us a few hours to complete. We had to re sew some seams, and heat the vinyl with a space heater to make it stretch. But, it's done. We can now all sit together for dinner. No one is left to eat alone on the couch. New project? We need to build a new table. This one is to small for the booth!

And so it begins...

My birthday went off without a hitch. Yep. Another year older. Dusty got me a brand new oven for my birthday. We were already planning on getting the floors redone. But, Sunday the 11th called for kitchen cabinet and counter removal. And, TADA! Flat burners!

Let the floor tear out commence!

New tile! Finely! It's starting to come together! How long ago was it that I tore out the closet and flooring in Shawns room?

Our outdated bathroom is looking for and update. New toilet is already in hand. Vanity is picked out. A few hundred dollars in hardware and it will be ready to roll. And new paint of course.

If any of you know of a place to get cheap fixtures and even the vanity, I am open to all options!

Project

Well, you saw dads beast come alive... I think that Dusty may have him beat with his new garage project... 56 oval window beetle, with a rag top.

Looks like a lot of work. I am going to have to get a comfortable chair to hang out in the garage with the boys!!!

What do you think?