Coles Creations

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Mail-Order Catalogs

2011-05-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

I used to love flipping through the pages of catalogs, earmarking this-or-that "must have" item that would turn my home and/or yard into a Home Beautiful spread. Fast forward a hundred years (or so it seems) and most of my catalogs get pitched into the trash before the cover is turned. There are a few that still make the cut, and here they are ...

1. WEBS - I confess to drooling over the yarn.

2. Patternworks - see above.

3. Duluth Trading Company - this is my stand-by catalog for buying hubby presents. Everything is superb quality, and they get things to you quickly!

4. Herrington - another stand-by. The items may be on the expensive side, but if you're looking for a gift for that person who is very hard to buy for, this is your catalog!

5. Lakeside Collection - they always have a great selection of reasonably priced items from all categories. Clothing, toys, home decorations, etc. Lots to choose from!

6. Catalog Favorites - love looking through this one! From t-shirts and sweatshirts to jewelry, this catalog never disappoints with selection.

7. Improvements - so many great items for the lawn & garden!

8. Breck's - I love to look at all the gorgeous flowers that I'm not able to nurture and grow ;)

9. L.L. Bean - ahhh, the old stand-by! I don't order from them often, but I'm always tempted. The girls received dresses from Bean for Christmas last year & they are the best wearing dresses E.V.E.R.

10. Knit-Picks - not sure why this one wasn't up top with WEBS and Patternworks?! Maybe I felt the need to surround my others in yarn? Hehe, yeah, that's it!

Confession of envy ...

2011-05-19T11:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am admitting that I've had a serious case of envy toward a good friend for quite a while. I'm not envious of her job (although she has a kick-*ss job) and I'm not envious of her husband or family (while both are quite awesome). I've had clog envy!

My friend Carole has a couple pairs of Dansko clogs. Every time she wears them I get a little bit greener. Last time I think I may have drooled on one, just a little bit.

I've been saving my money to buy a pair of my own. I got $100 from a bank meeting that I attended at the beginning of this month and told my hubby that once I had enough, I was buying my clogs. Imagine my surprise when, on Mother's Day, I got a coupon for my clogs!! Yippee!

I immediately scoured the internet for the best deal and ordered them. Each time I'd receive an update from the website, I'd jump for joy! 'Your order has been processed' ... OMG, my clogs are ordered!! 'Your order has been shipped' ... OMG, they're on their way!! I checked the tracking information daily (ok, sometimes more than once) and was entirely frustrated that it took so long for them to travel from Oregon to Massachusetts.

Yesterday morning I checked the tracking info and saw "OUT FOR DELIVERY!" I squealed so loudly that the dog thought I was in trouble. I haunted the windows all day, waiting for that distinctive brown truck to roll down the street. Imagine my dismay when it came time to leave for league bowling and my clogs hadn't arrived. I was one sad, shoeless woman. I think the UPS man was waiting to see our car leave before he delivered my package!!

The package did arrive, and I ripped the box open upon arrival at home last night. Ahhhhh, true clog love!! Of course I'm wearing them today, but I refuse to go outside in them since it's yucky out. Here they are, in all their cloggy glory :)

I think I've satisfied my clog envy. At least for now.

Short and Sweet Socks

2011-05-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

Most sock patterns are too long for my liking. I like socks that are just above my ankle. I came up with a pattern for myself, and thought I'd share it for anyone else who likes short socks :)

I use fingering or sock yarn and US2 needles. Directions are for magic loop, but could easily be adjusted for dpn's or 2 circs.

Using long-tail cast on, CO 64 stitches, placing marker after32 stitches to make it easier to separate the stitches on the needles. K2P2 rib for 10 rows. Do next 20 or 25 rows (depending on how short you like your socks) in stockinette stitch.

Turn Heel:
Turn work so you are working on wrong side ... S1, P16, P2tog, P1
Row 1: S1, K3, SSK, K1
Row 2: S1, P4, P2tog, P1
Continue working in this manner by K or P to the stitch before the gap and either SSK, K1 or P2tog, P1 - you will have 18 stitches left when you are finished.
Rearrange stitches so that the beginning of the round starts in the middle of the heel.

Pick up and knit 18 stitches along the side of the heel flap. (My friend Carole taught me to knit into the back loop on each of these stitches to give a pretty twist to the stitch.) Place marker. Knit across the top of the sock, place marker, and then pick up and knit 18 stitches on the other side of the heel flap. Knit the last 9 stitches of the heel flap.

Gusset Decreases:
Row 1: Knit the 9 stitches of the heel flap, knit to the last 3 gusset stitches, K2tog, K1. Knit across instep stitches, K1, SSK, knit the rest of the gusset stitches and the last 9 stitches of the heel.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 64 stitches. Knit next 40 - 50 rows in stockinette (depending on the length of your foot - you should be approx. 2 inches from finished length).

Toe Decreases:
Rearrange stitches so beginning of round starts at the edge of the foot.
Row 1: 1st needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1
2nd needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 36 stitches, then repeat just row 1 (decrease round) until there are 20 stitches left.
Kitchener toes together.

On the needles ...

2011-04-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

I realized that I haven't been blogging as much as I'd hoped ... maybe because we recently adopted a new family member & we've been b.u.s.y. with her! Before I get to my knitting, let me introduce the newest member of the Coles family, Daisy ...

Daisy is a purebred yellow lab and is almost 4 months old. She's growing by leaps and bounds, and everyone loves her beyond belief!

Back to the knitting ...

I finished knitting the body of Shawn's sweater & the sleeves, got the whole thing sewn together & tried to do the collar. Yeah, not so much. I have way too many stitches according to the pattern. It is now sitting in a tote bag until I gather the strength to tackle it again. I have to block the sweater again and then figure out what I can do to finish the collar. I may bring it along to the next spin night for some professional assistance!

I finished my emotion socks ...

I cast on for another pair of socks, using some 100PureWool yarn that I got from my yarn coop. I am using the Show Off Stranded Sock and the yarn colorway is Maceio.

I decided I had to share a shot of my new JessaLu bag as well. Isn't it cute???

I also have a 'potato chip scarf' on the needles that I started during Lent ... sounded like a great pattern since I'd given up chips for Lent! It's in a lovely Noro Taiyo

and I peck away at it here and there. Won't be needing it anytime soon (thinking positive), so I know it's not crucial to finish it quickly.

I only got 2 takers in my Craft It Forward challenge, but I already have a pattern picked out for one & waiting on a color for the 2nd.

My Bad Moon Rising socks are languishing in a tote bag.

I don't love the pattern, but can't bear to frog them just yet. I may end up frogging them and doing plain socks that will really show off the wonderful colors in the yarn.

Have picked out the pattern for man socks. Will most likely do a pair for him & a pair for James in the same pattern. Might even make a pair for Shawn. Good thing I have 'til Christmas for those!!

I'm also itching to cast on for another shawl. It's like Lay's potato chips ... once you start, you just can't stop, LOL!

I think I'll close with a non-knitting photo :)
Jake's girlfriend went down to South Africa to visit him a few weeks ago & shared this wonderful photo of the two of them ...

I miss my son!!!

Craft It Forward 2011

2011-04-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

A new crafty friend posted this on her blog yesterday and I thought it was a grand idea! The premise is that you promise to send something hand-crafted by you to the first five people who comment on your blog and they must also promise to do the same! The hand-crafted item simply needs to be made by you and sent sometime in 2011 (which is pretty good for those who are busy). Just think of the wonderful stuff you might receive if you participate in this!! There is no limit to what you can hand-craft ... you can knit, crochet, draw, take a photograph, do macrame, whatever! How wonderfully exciting this could be ...

I did a google search and came up with the facebook page where I believe it all started ... Craft It Foward

So, hey all you crafty friends ... are you game?? I know that I am ... so here goes ...

I hereby promise to send a hand-crafted item to the first five people who comment on this blog post ... and in turn, they must promise to either post on their own blog (or on the facebook Craft it Forward page) that they will also participate.

How fun!!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite one-hit wonders!

2011-04-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

What a great theme for this week! Music does an awful lot of things ... makes you feel happy, makes you feel sad, brings out the pain so you can move on, whatever ... music really makes the world a better place. Without further ado, here are my favorite 1-hit wonders (in random order) ...

1. Tainted Love (Soft Cell) - gotta love the 80's baby!

2. Puttin' on the Ritz (Taco) - didn't everyone want a top hat & cane after this one?

3. Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) - get to it!

4. Miami Vice Theme (Jan Hammer) - admit it, you watched too!

5. She's Like The Wind (Patrick Swayze) - yeah, maybe he wasn't the best vocalist in the world, but hey, he sure looked good without a shirt on!

6. Hey There Lonely Girl (Eddie Holman) - my brothers were children of the 70's, I heard ALOT of 70's music growing up!

7. The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (Vicki Lawrence) - we used to get dressed up in dancing school costumes & perform to this one and 'Delta Dawn!'

8. Playground In My Mind (Clint Holmes) - everyone can relate to this one, right?

9. Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band) - just the title is cool ;)

10. Just When I Needed You Most (Randy VanWarmer) - perhaps he'd have had more than one hit if someone had mentioned that his name was really weird? Just stayin'!

Can't wait to read everyone else's lists ... nothing brings you back to a certain moment in time like a good song, especially a one-hit wonder!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Pies

2011-03-15T07:59:00.000-05:00

Never really thought about it before, but yesterday was March 14th ... 3/14 ... PI! So, it was Pi Day ... easy segway to PIE, right? LOL ... for my friend Carole it is! Of course, with Carole, everything is an easy segway to PIE! She loves pie ... loves to make it, bake it, serve it, and (of course) eat it! I can't say I blame her. Oh, did I mention she makes the BEST PIE??? She does.

On to the list ... my 10 favorite pies ...

1. Chicken Pot ... ok, so perhaps this isn't the first thing that came to your mind when I said 'pie' ... but it is for me! I am a slave to savory foods, and chicken pot pie is one of my all-time favorites!

2. Shepard's ... a close second to chicken pot!

3. Key Lime ... not that green jello we in New England would like to say is Key Lime, but the real Key Lime Pie of the south, with its pale green creamy filling with just the right hint of tartness. Ok, now I'm hungry!

4. Pumpkin ... why do I only make this at Thanksgiving? It's truly a meal in a crust, no?

5. Cranberry Pecan ... a new favorite, again thanks to my friend Carole! Pecan pie is often much too sweet, and the fresh cranberries add a bit of tartness that is refreshing and delicious.

6. Blueberry ... ooey, gooey, goodness. Especially with a lattice crust :)

7. Banana Cream ... I was lucky enough to have Carole's homemade banana cream this past weekend, and it was smooth and creamy and decadently delicious! With homemade whipped cream to boot. I was a happy pie girl that night, I tell ya!

8. Peach ... sweet without being too sweet, and I love it whether it has 2 real crusts or just a bottom crust and some crumbly topping.

9. Apple ... who doesn't love apple pie? It's as American as ... well, apple pie!

10. Lemon Meringue ... this one makes the list because it's my brother's favorite pie. Growing up, he was my favorite brother ... and I made him one when I was 16. He ate the whole huge piece I gave him. Even though I didn't know the difference between the grated RIND of a lemon and the grated PEEL of a lemon. Yeah, that was one tart pie. And one loving brother :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Smells

2011-03-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

Not many things bring back memories in quite the same way as a favorite scent. Imagine, you are going about your everyday business and walk past a bakery, diner, or someplace where a distinctive aroma tickles your nose ... *bam* you're transported back to a time long ago, with tons of memories. Here are my 10 favorite smells ...

1. Cinnamon ... I love the tangy sweetness, and whenever I smell cinnamon it brings back memories of my Mom making cinnamon roll-ups with leftover pie crust around the holidays.

2. Suntan lotion ... always makes me think of summers at the lake, camping at the ocean when I was a kid, and summertime in general. I love the Yankee candle scent 'sand and sea' for just this reason!

3. Coffee ... doesn't matter if it's plain old coffee, or one of the flavored varieties. I just love the smell of coffee, especially first thing in the morning. Always makes me think of my Mom.

4. Fresh-mown grass ... love that smell, brings me back to the carefree days of my childhood and summer camp in New Hampshire.

5. Basil ... just about any herb is pleasant, but basil is my absolute favorite. Whether it's the sweet smell when it's just picked, or the more piquant smell as it is cooking, I love it!

6. Pine ... smelling pine (and I mean the *real* pine, not the lestoil cleaning pine) brings me back to the woods behind my childhood home, cutting a Christmas tree down with my dad.

7. Roast Beef ... my Mom used to make roast beef dinners on Sundays during the non-camping months. It would always make my mouth water ... and still does!

8. Shaving cream ... I used to love sitting in the bathroom watching my dad shave. Now I love to sit and watch my hubby shave. It's an unusual thing, perhaps, but the scent of shaving cream makes me thing of love.

9. Wood smoke ... I grew up camping, complete with outdoor fires. We also had a wood stove when I was growing up. There is a wood stove up at the lake house. Love that smell of just-lit kindling and the acrid smell of the oak when you open the wood stove door to stoke the fire.

10. Rain ... love that fresh clean smell just after it rains. The world smells new and fresh.

Well, there you have it, a complete list of 10 of my favorite comforts ... ahem, I meant smells :)

Bungee Jumping in Paradise

2011-02-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

Jake started classes this week at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He's taking Environmental History, 21st Century Perspectives on History, Comparative Politics, and Xhosa (native language). Since arriving, he's done quite a lot of sightseeing and van tour of the Garden Route. He also did the world's tallest bungee jump!!!!! He has a video of himself doing the jump, but is having problems transferring it and e-mailing it to us. To give you an idea, here is a link to a YouTube video of the same jump ... Bloukrans River Bungee Jump.

We've been looking at lots of pictures of South Africa, and it's not what we expected! Here are some pictures so you can get a mental picture of Jake's surroundings ...

South African coastline

Camp's Bay

Clifton Beach

Mossel Bay

Garden Route

Tsitsikama National Park suspension bridge

This map will show where those beautiful places are!

Last week Jake was able to go on a safari and saw lions, cheetah, rhinos, elephants, springbok, water buffalo, and ostriches. When they went to Mossel Bay, they stayed in a converted rail car for the night.


Mossel Bay converted rail car accommodations

After that, Jake went kayaking, did a huge rope swing, and a forest walk. He's also been to the largest cave in South Africa and an ostrich farm.

largest cave in South Africa

ostrich farm

As you can probably tell, Jake is having the time of his life in South Africa. More updates to come ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Blogs I Read

2011-02-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure I can come up with ten non-knitting blogs, but I'll do what I can ...

1. Pioneer Woman - she's one funny lady! Plus, she's got great recipes, beautiful photographs, and some cool contests (I want to win the MIXER!!)

2. A Year of Slow Cooking - this blog has some of the.best.crockpot.recipes.EVER.

3. $5 Dinners - 'cause who doesn't want to be able to put dinner on the table for $5??

4. Cake Wrecks - this is some seriously funny stuff. Really? Are there cake decorators *that* stupid? Umhum, there sure are!!! Here's proof :)

5. All Things New - I confess, I haven't been keeping up with this blog ... but I do check out this one entry from time to time. Mainly to remind myself how truly Blessed we are, even when we think we're having a hard time.

6. Natalie's Killer Cuisine - don't go here if you're hungry. You've been warned.

7. Food Wishes - some seriously great recipes, with videos to show you how to do it.

8. Lazy Girl - just love it.

9. Post Secret - I have this weird fascination with things people will send in ... like, c'mon people! Seriously??

10. I have several other blogs that I read frequently, but they're friend-blogs & I didn't ask their permission to link here. My friends Jana, Tricia, Tina, and a few others - they mainly blog about their kids, their lives, and I find it all interesting ... because I love them :)

Wow, I was able to come up with 10 that have nothing to do with knitting. Yowzers! Alot about food, though, hehe!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Oscar Winning Films

2011-02-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm afraid that this week's topic is a huge stretch for me. We aren't big movie-goers, sometimes seeing popular movies only once they've arrived on DirecTV (and not on pay-per-view, LOL). I went back and looked at all the Best Picture winners for the past 83 years and I've only seen twenty of them. Yup, 20. Roughly 1 out of every 4 ... so sad. Might have to finally bite the bullet and subscribe to NetFlix to cure this malady. But, that aside, it wasn't too hard to whittle down a list of 20 to my 10 favorites!

1. Casablanca ... my all time favorite movie. Ever.

2. Gone With The Wind ... tomorrow is another day!

3. The Sting ... I'm a sucker for anything with Paul Newman.

4. Silence of the Lambs ... so eerily creepy, so wonderfully suspenseful.

5. The Departed ... love Leo, and this one was a real, "Wow, didn't see that coming!" movie.

6. Driving Miss Daisy ... Morgan Freeman is one of my all time favorites!

7. Braveheart ... Mel Gibson with little to no clothing? Winner winner, chicken dinner!

8. Titanic ... I'm a sucker for an epic love story.

9. Forrest Gump ... I'm convinced that you could put Tom Hanks on a bare stage and have him read the phone book & he'd win an Oscar. I'll watch *anything* he's in.

10. The Sound of Music ... my Mom hated this movie, but I love it. It's so gloriously feel-good and you can't help but tap your toes & sing along to most of the songs :)

I feel kind of bad leaving out the other 10 movies I've actually seen, like Dances With Wolves, Rain Main, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Mutiny on the Bounty. I'm not so sad about leaving out a few others, like Rocky. I watched that under protest.

On the needles ...

2011-02-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to knit something for myself for a while. Through all the Christmas gift knitting (7 hats and a sweater, which sadly still isn't finished). Through Christmas and New Year's. Through the anticipation of Jake leaving for South Africa.

On Tuesday I took the fuchsia merino blend out of my yarn organizer (thank you again to Babci for that) and did a gauge swatch. Washed it, blocked it, let it dry, then measured it. Spot on! Yay, me! After bowling last night I cast on for this DROPS jacket ...

I'm using a merino blend that I purchased on (gasp) eBay a while back. It will be a bit less "airy" but I'm ok with that. I'm just hoping that I can knit a respectable facsimile of that design :)

I'm also pledging to finish Shawn's Christmas sweater (which only has the sleeves & seaming to go) before his birthday. That's in August. Plenty of time :)

When 9 years is like a moment ...

2011-02-02T16:53:00.000-05:00

On a gorgeous snowy night back in 2002, on Groundhog Day to be exact, I married my soul mate. Here we are 9 years later and it truly seems like just yesterday. The weather was snowy, then sleety, and now getting cold and we are waiting for more snow to arrive. Then it was just a dusting, like icing on the cake so it seemed. Today we got more than that!

Shawn wore his Patriots jacket to the airport as we were leaving on our Honeymoon. When we arrived in San Fransisco, a passerby commented, asking how long he'd been a fan (as you'll all remember, the Patriots won their first Super Bowl the day after our wedding) and I will never forget his reply ...

"I got married on Saturday, the Patriots won the Super Bowl on Sunday, and tomorrow we're flying to Hawaii ... life doesn't get any better than this!" Mixed somewhere in there was Shawn's affirmation that he'd been a fan for a very long time :)

Due to the weather we aren't going out for a special dinner, but we are going to our bowling league, and we did shovel the driveway together earlier today (so romantic LOL). He's still my lighthouse, standing firm and guiding me. Here's to life in increments of 9!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things on my Bedside Table

2011-02-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

So, I don't really have a bedside table per se ... but I do have a pull-out shelf in the tower of the headboard. To be completely truthful, that pull-out shelf is *always* pulled out. Anyway, here is what I have on my pull-out-shelf-nightstand ...

1. Sony e-Reader ... I love to read in bed, and my e-Reader is never far away.
2. Tums ... does this really need an explanation?
3. Lip Balm ... hate when you wake up & your lips are all dry and crackly feeling.
4. Water Bottle (or glass) ... I always seem to wake up thirsty, and when it happens in the middle of the night I'd prefer having water within reach so I don't have to trek to the kitchen.
5. Smart Phone ... I leave it here charging, and when I can't sleep I just might grab it & check FaceBook, or play a game or two (or fifty) of solitaire.
6. Foot Lotion ... I have incredibly dry, cracked heels (always have), and I try to remember to put cream or lotion on them every night. Note the "try" part of that.
7. Alarm Clock ... preset with 3 different alarms, depending on whether the kids have school or not.
8. Medications ... I take certain pills every night before bed. I tried keeping them in the bathroom or the kitchen, but never remembered to take them. So I moved them to the bedroom where I remember.
9. Glasses ... I've gotten to the age where I can't read the print on my phone, or the numbers on my watch, without my glasses. I hate getting old!
10. Knitting ... This isn't truly on my pull-out-shelf-nightstand, but underneath it, on top of a basket of knitting books. Sometimes I like to knit in bed while watching TV with hubby, though, and having it handy is nice :)

Running on South African time ...

2011-01-31T14:45:00.000-05:00

Jake has arrived in the Republic of South Africa and is having a wonderful time. He's busy acclimating himself to 80° weather and getting used to the different languages and dialects of South Africa. He's living with two other students (a Dutch girl and boy from Wisconsin) in this house ...

His is the little house on the left, behind the bush LOL. If you go to either google maps or google earth and punch in 154 Station Road, Capetown, South Africa, you'll get a much better photo! His room is about 18x18 and looks out on the garden. I'm anxiously awaiting pictures! The three of them share a backyard with three others, another American from Wisconsin, another Dutch student, and a German student. Sounds like they all get along pretty well, hopefully that remains the same!

Jake says that the scenery is beautiful, and he was unprepared for how wonderful it is. He's been on a bus tour around Cape Town, seeing Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, some beaches, a community center, and a Penguin Colony. He and his roommates have plans to go camping on the Garden Route next week, a trail that goes through the National Parks. They're also planning to go back to Cape Point and visit the beaches at the end of the week. Jake says that Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are "something straight out of a dream."

Everything in South Africa runs on "South African time" ... which apparently means that everything is literally 15 minutes late, LOL. One of the popular sayings is "I'll be with you now" which means that they'll be with you shortly.

My Momma's heart is peaceful now, knowing that he's safe and having the experience of a lifetime! The girls can't wait to write him a letter, and I know that they're anxious to skype with him as well. Not sure how often I'll have more information, but I'll update again when I do :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Games From Your Childhood

2011-01-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

My brothers were quite a bit older than I was (9, 13, and 17 years) so by the time I was old enough to actually play games, they were pretty much gone! That left me & my Mom, and sometimes my Dad. I remember wanting to play cards with my brothers when I was 5 or 6, and I always fell for "52 Pick-Up!" Needless to say, that is NOT on my list ...

1. Gin Rummy/Rummy 500 ... my Mom and I would play these for hours. ... still love it!
2. Cribbage ... my Dad was super good at Cribbage. I always was amazed at how he just *knew* the point count without having to say, 'fifteen two, fifteen four, a run of three ...!'
3. Monopoly ... this was usually reserved for when I had a friend over, as my Mom hated Monopoly!
4. Scrabble ... still my favorite game. Ever.
5. Hopscotch ... even though I could never remember how to draw out the squares, I would grab a stick and try to scratch them into the dirt of our side yard.
6. Trouble ... loved that 'pop' sound the little bubble made!
7. Parchesi ... still like this game :)
8. Operation ... it takes a steady hand ... and I so didn't have one!
9. Rack-o ... another game I played with my Dad. I used to watch him & my Mom playing with their friends on Sunday evening card/game nights and wish I was old enough to play. I still love this game!!
10. Clue ... I was thrilled when I got a Clue game for Christmas one year, and tried to get my Mom to play with me every chance I got. She hated it, though, so I generally only got to play when a friend came over. And then it was hard to choose between this & Monopoly!

What a great way to reminisce about childhood :) So many awesome memories of playing games w/ my Mom, my Dad, sometimes my brothers, and friends. Also brought back alot of memories of watching my parents play with their friends. Ah, game night, a timeless classic!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Ways To Be More Organized

2011-01-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ah, organization ... it is something I strive for, yet seldom achieve. At least not in my own frame of reference. To be sure, if I take on a job, I get it organized & get it done ... so I have the appearance to others of being organized. Yet my inability to lay my hands on that note that I wrote yesterday, that lies amongst the other notes on my desk, says otherwise.

1. Make a list ... you know what has to be done, sure! But if you make a list, you won't "forget" that one thing that would really be better off completed! Same goes for the trip to the store ... while it's glaringly obvious while standing in your kitchen that you have no milk, on the walk around the grocery store perusing the delights on each shelf, it's easy to forget that mundane staple.

2. Prioritize ... some things are just more important than others. Like ordering the gift certificate for the wedding you need to attend in a week or two! Using the canned air on the keyboard can wait while you finish up that more important task ... just sayin'!

3. Chunk it down ... lots of tasks become intimidating if we let them. Cleaning the garage/basement/playroom ... OMG, how can I possibly accomplish that? Yet if I spend just 10 minutes tidying up at intervals throughout the day, a dent is made. I use the 10-minute (or 15-minute if I'm feeling particularly ambitious) rule ... and I bribe myself ... it's much easier to tackle something I hate for 10 minutes if I know I have 10 (or 20) minutes of a rewarding activity on the other side.

4. Put everything in its place ... yeah, yeah, yeah. My desk is a monument of piles and folders. So much easier said than done, yet if you think about it, isn't it easier to take the extra 10 seconds (or 10 steps) to put that item in the correct file/drawer/shelf space than it is to move it 50 times during the day while you're looking for something else you didn't put away?

5. Menu-plan ... lots of other things seem to get more attention when I take care of this one tiny (monumental) detail. If I know what I'm making for meals throughout the week, I'm able to create shopping lists and pare down the stress level. It also saves money, since at 4pm I'm more apt to actually cook the chicken I took out of the freezer at 8am than I am to order pizza!

6. Throw things away. It's easier to find that piece of paper w/ the important info on it if you have thrown away the other 100 pieces of paper that came across your desk today! It's easier to find those comfy black pants in your closet if they're not crammed in with the velvet dress you bought for a wedding 10 years ago (and probably no longer fit into, nor will ever fit into again)!!

7. Keep a central calendar for important dates and appointments ... whether it's hanging on the wall in the kitchen/office, in a date book in your purse, or an electronic version on your computer or phone, if everything is kept in once central place, you're less likely to miss that doctor's appointment you don't want to go to anyway.

8. Spot cleaning works! Who knew that if you just used a cleaning wipe on the sink & toilet several times per week, it would eliminate the need to hire a hazmat crew once a month! It's so much easier to go through the living room each night before bed and pick up/throw out those scraps of paper from the craft-making-marathon than it is to wait until it looks like a preschool art program threw up in your house!

9. Set limits on the things that drain your time/energy ... this can be either the things that you dread doing (like cleaning the basement or garage, or purging your closet & dresser of all the clothes that you won't wear) or the things that you love doing too much (like playing on FaceBook, or answering e-mails or (gasp) knitting)! Sure, it'd be great to finally get the basement in order and be able to walk through without a map ... but if it means that you won't do anything else for several weeks, then wouldn't it be better to space it out? If you open FaceBook at 9 a.m. to 'just check in and see what everyone is up to' and then wonder how it got to be dark so quickly, then you need some limits! Try only allowing FaceBook while you drink your first cup of coffee ... or answering e-mails only AFTER you accomplish your first to-do list goal ... anything that enables you to get to what really needs to be done!

10. Shine (clean out) your sink! Yes, fly-lady works (if you keep at it) and I really do feel better each morning if I don't have to get up to face an overflowing and dirty sink. So take 2 minutes at the end of each day, put the dishes in the dishwasher (or, gasp, wash them) and suds up that sink ... you'll feel better tomorrow :)

2010 Knitting ReCap

2011-01-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

As you know, I learned to knit in 2010. I've been knitting for 12 months. Can you believe it? I have knit alot of things ... A. LOT. Most have been gifts for people, but a few have been for little old me. I intend to knit alot more things for me in 2011.

Inspired by my friend Carole, I decided I would make a collage photo of (most of) the knits I made during 2010. I say most of because I had an issue with figuring out how to make the collage larger than 5x5 ... so I was limited to 25 of my items. Go figure, I knit more than 25 items in 2010 ... that's more than 2 per month!

So, without further ado, here's the collage ...

To list them out, I made ... 3 Traveling Woman Shawls (one for me, one for Jana, and one for Alicia); a lace scarf (for Thelma); a Sari Silk Scarf (for Megan); a Moonlight Mohair Scarf (for Kayla); a cotton shrug (for my Mom); four pairs of socks (all for ME); two Mickey skirts (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer tank tops (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer sleeveless sweaters (both for me); a baby blanket (for Taylor); a Baktus scarf (for me); Drifty mittens & hat set (for me); an afghan (for Katie); a hat & scarf set (for the little girl across the street); 7 dishcloths(2 "man" style for Jake, 1 for Nana, 1 for my secret prayer sister at church, and 3 for me); 7 hats (one each for Jake, James, Taylor, Olivia, Collin, Eva, and Jack); and a striped hat (for me)! The official tally comes to ... (drumroll please) ... 39!!!! Holy Smokes!

Now granted, alot of these project were easy ... dishcloths, hats, and scarves ... but hey, I just learned to knit! I'm still working on a sweater (for Shawn) and another pair of socks (for me) that I started last year. I am already planning another shawl (this time with beads knit in) and a pair of socks for each of my guys (Shawn, James, and Jake). I also want to knit a cardigan for myself, but haven't found a pattern I like enough yet.

I didn't have any goals for my knitting in 2010 (other than to simply learn and knit something LOL), but I have formed a few goals for 2011.
1. Knit socks for Shawn, James, and Jake
2. Knit a cardigan for me
3. Knit a shawl with beads
4. Knit myself 2 more pairs of socks
5. Become more adept at binding off and seaming

So, there you have it. My 2010 knitting recap *and* my knitting goals for 2011. Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Wouldn't Want To Live Without

2011-01-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

So, the caveat to this week's list is that people don't count. Not that they don't *count* ... but you can't use them on the list. Well, there goes my #1 and #2 answer, family and friends! So, with that in mind, I will plow ahead ...

1. Running water ... seriously? Walking to a water source and carrying home a bucket? Yeah, so not happening!

2. Electricity ... we lost power for about 12 hours after the blizzard and that just reinforced my love for electricity! Sure, we could live without it for a while, but I don't want to!

3. Computer ... it's how I met one of my closest and dearest friends, and how I keep in touch with a bunch of friends spread far and wide. So, while I can't use friends for a list item, this is kind of the same thing :)

4. Knitting ... my habit is now one year old, and I honestly can't imagine not knitting! The feel of the yarn, the comforting click of the needles ... yeah, I'm hooked!

5. Books ... whether they be paper and ink or on my eReader, I love to read. I can't imagine life without books!

6. Smart Phone ... I love my droid! I love that I'm connected (pretty much) wherever I go, that I can check in on my favorite blogs while on the road, and that there are so many fun apps! Did I mention that it's a great gadget when the kids are fidgety?

7. DVR ... I love my shows ... Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY (are we sensing a theme?), Lie To Me, and American Idol ... there are others, but none more essential than those! I love that I can be out doing things (like bowling or Kiwanis) and not miss my shows. Love that I don't have to have a blank video tape (remember those?) on hand & actually remember to put it in the VCR! Love that I can set a series recording & not have to think about it. Ever. Hmmmm, this might have been better higher on the list.

8. Automobile ... yeah, I could walk or ride a bike. But really?

9. The Lake House ... the most peaceful place on earth. Seriously.

10. Modern Conveniences ... a pretty broad category, with sooo many entries! I don't want to keep my food in a cabinet & have to worry about ice. I don't want to have to wash my clothes in a stream using rocks. I don't want to have to start a fire to cook my food. I don't want to hang my clothes on a line to dry (unless I want to, which is silly). They all make our lives easier, and I love them :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Intentions For The New Year

2010-12-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

Perhaps this year will be the one I'm able to keep these 'intentions!' I certainly intend to try ...

1. Get back on WeightWatchers ... and STAY ON WeightWatchers! It's such an easy plan and it allows me to eat whatever foods I love, so why is it so blasted difficult to stay on plan?

2. Get more exercise ... I intend to walk a few times a week, and we have a Wii so exercising should be fun, right?!

3. Keep a tidier & less cluttered home ... I hate the clutter that takes up the available surfaces and space in our home. It. drives. me. crazy. Yet it remains, day in and day out. No more, I intend to get rid of (most of) the clutter!

4. Read more ... I learned to knit last year & that put a solid brake on my reading. I miss it. I'm dusting off my eReader and intend to read at least 2 books each month!

5. Do more menu-planning ... it's definitely much easier to cook family meals when I have a plan, and it's pretty easy to come up with said plan. So, I intend to do a menu-plan each week for at least 4 of the 7 nights.

6. Update my blog more frequently ... with the ease of FaceBook, my blog has slid considerably lower on my to-do list. I intend to update the blog with the family happenings (and knit happenings hehe) at least once per month ... and Carole's "Ten on Tuesday" prompts WILL NOT count for an update!

7. I intend to spend less time on FaceBook.

8. Keep in touch with my friends better ... this may have to include calling them on the phone (EEEEEEK!). Yes, those of you who know me well won't be surprised by this admission ... I have a phone phobia. I hate, no despise really, calling people on the phone. I don't mind talking if someone calls me, but that initial call is really hard for me, for a number of reasons. I intend to force myself more, surely then it'll get easier, right?

9. In helping myself accomplish #3, I really need to clean our my dresser & closet. There are a ton of clothes I keep that I know I will never (ever) wear ... so I intend to clean them out and give them to goodwill. Win/win!

10. Perhaps my most selfish intention ... more me time. I do alot of things for alot of people, and this year I intend to do more for myself. If that means simply parking my butt in my chair and knitting or reading, then that's what I intend to do. Ahhhh, I feel better just intending to do it :)

So that's it, my 10 Intentions For The New Year. Way better than resolutions, thanks Carole!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Places For Online Shopping

2010-11-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Since I do a good portion of my Christmas shopping online (I hate crowded stores & shudder at the thought of venturing to the mall in mid-December), this one was a cinch! Only hard part was whittling the list down to ten!

1. Amazon.com ... pretty much a rule, if amazon doesn't have it, you probably don't need to buy it ;)

2. Lakesidecollection.com ... lots of inexpensive gift ideas!

3. Walmart.com/Target.com ... why go to the store when they will deliver it for cheap?

4. Duluthtradingcompany.com ... my favorite store to shop for my man.

5. eBay.com ... yup, I've been addicted pretty much since the beginning! Much harder to get an actual bargain now, though, you've got to be vigilant.

6. Bestbuy.com ... who doesn't love electronics delivered to their door?

7. Thingfling.com ... while it's quite hit-or-miss, I've found some cool bargains here!

8. Yarn.com ... I love to browse the yarns, just wish I could actually feel them :)

9. Knitpicks.com ... they have sooooo many good things!

10. Darngoodyarn.com ... this site sells recycled sari yarn, which is yarn spun by hand (mostly in Nepal) by women trying to earn money for their families. It's spun out of recycled sari silk ... when the factories cut out the material for saris, the material that is cut off is then recycled. I like that it's a unique yarn & I love that purchasing it helps empower women in the poorest parts of the world.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things I Love About Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

1. Family - I love being with my family and Thanksgiving is the perfect day to do it.

2. Food - I think we've established that I love food, and Thanksgiving is a veritable smorgasbord of comfort food - mashed potatoes & gravy, butternut squash, green bean casserole, creamed onions, stuffing (I prefer mine with sausage, just so you know), rolls with butter, and of course, the roast turkey. I think I gained 5 pounds just talking about it all.

3. Pie - Isn't this separate from food? Well, it should be.

4. History - Kinda weird, I know, but Thanksgiving always makes me think back ... to the Pilgrims, and Plimoth (that's how they spelled it, ya know), the hardships they endured to ensure their freedoms. I'm always a bit reflective of all of our history, and it's strong here in the northeast.

5. Football - 'cause really, what would it be without football? Whether it's the old high school rivals duking it out in the freezing cold of Thanksgiving morning or the pros on TV, it's a great day for football.

6. Clean, crisp air - I love autumn, especially in New England. There's really nothing like feeling the crispness in the air, seeing your breath come out in plumes, and hearing the crunch of leaves under your feet.

7. Decorations - cornucopias, gourds, pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales, etc. The girls have already brought home some cute ones - currently we have a scarecrow and a black cat on our back door :)

8. Black Friday - I'm not going to get up at 4 a.m. (or earlier, perish the thought) and actually go out with all the other loonies (no offense if you are one). I will, however, check out the online sales and shop from the comfort of my home office, in my PJ's, with a cup of steaming tea or coffee.

9. Laughter - might seem like a strange thing to have on my Thanksgiving list ... but when you mix great food and family, there's usually laughter in the air, and I love it.

10. Thanksgiving - I mean the true Giving of Thanks. I thank the Lord that I have my wonderful family, some great true friends, my health, and lots of great opportunities to add to my awesome memories.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Movies I Want To See

2010-11-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you should probably know that I rarely get to the movie theater. We have small children, that should be all the excuse I need! That said, there are some really great movies either out or coming out that I *really* want to see. Here is my list ...

1. Morning Glory - Um, yeah, Harrison Ford? Even old, he's good.

2. Megamind - This just looks funny!

3. Tangled - Can't wait to take the girls to see the latest Disney epic :)

4. Harry Potter - Can't get enough of Harry! I'm so so glad they split the final book into two movies, prolongs the goodness!

5. Hereafter - Mmmmmm, Matt Damon. Nuff said!

6. Life As We Know It - See #5 but substitute Josh Duhamel for Matt Damon.

7. The Next Three Days - love me a good action flick!

8. How Do You Know? - Anything with Owen Wilson & Reese Witherspoon has to be good, right?

9. Conviction - I hadn't heard of this one 'til I read Carole's list ... then I looked up the movie. This happened when I was a senior in high school right here in Massachusetts ... so why can't I remember it? Sounds pretty intriguing ... and I have brothers, whom I love dearly - I can't wait to see this movie!

10. Stone - I'm game for anything with the master, DeNiro, in the cast.

Now the question becomes ... will I actually get to see *any* of these in the movies, or will I have to wait 'til they're released on DVD or (worse yet) come out on TV??

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Dream Vacations

2010-11-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

Only 10? I have an awful lot of places to go ... and unfortunately for me, not a lot of time or money to get there!! Anyway, here goes ...

1. Hawaii ... Shawn and I went to Hawaii for 2 weeks on our honeymoon, and I can't wait to go back. It's a beautiful locale, and it can be everything you dream about!

2. Australia ... this one is definitely on my bucket list!

3. Italy ... I've gone with my father and with my mother, and I'd love to go again. When we went we stuck to the popular locations, Rome, Florence, Venice ... this time I'd like to see Tuscany and the smaller villages.

4. Aruba ... I'm not sure I remember ever hearing anything bad about Aruba!

5. Bermuda ... always a favorite!

6. England ... I want to see all the favorite tourist spots, the tower, the castle, etc.

7. Scotland ... it looks so green and beautiful in the pictures, I'd love to see it in person!

8. Tahiti ... there's just something about a tropical island paradise, ya know?!

9. Disney ... DisneyWorld, DisneyLand, DisneyTokyo, you name it and I'd love to see it!

10. The rest of the USA ... I've been to 29 states & Washington D.C., whether it be on vacation, or just passing through. But I'd love to be able to say that I've seen a little bit of every state in this wonderful country. My big dream is to travel to all the major league baseball stadiums and watch the Red Sox play in them :)

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways To Simplify Your Life

2010-11-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

For today's 'Ten on Tuesday' the topic is '10 Ways To Simplify Your Life' ... hmmmmm. When I saw this week's topic, I thought, "Gee, that ought to be easy!" On further thought, not so much, LOL. Well, easy to spout out ways to do it ... not so much in the actual doing. Anyway, here goes ...

1. Learn to make a list ... and use it! Whether it's a 'to-do' list or a grocery list, putting it down on paper (or on your phone) means you are less likely to forget something.

2. Learn to say "NO!" If you have less obligations, you'll have more time for the important stuff.

3. Organize your space. I struggle with this one. I want to be organized, but have a hard time implementing the plan. If everything is where it belongs, it's easier (and faster) to get things done.

4. Plan meals ahead. To me not much is more frustrating than that 4:00 "What am I going to cook for dinner?" panic! I may not stick to my weekly menu plan, but I have a plan and it makes it much easier to know that I need to take the roast out of the freezer on Tuesday morning so it will defrost in time to put in the oven!

5. Avoid wasted trips. Group your errands together and save time. Why run to the post office now and then drive right by it in a few hours on your way to the bank?

6. Get rid of some preconceived notions that everything has to be perfect. My Mom used to make dinners that consisted of a meat, a starch, and two veggies (almost always different colors). Yeah, well sometimes I accomplish that ... but sometimes my kids get mac & cheese for dinner. With no veggies. Sue me.

7. Don't sweat the small stuff. Honestly, if you get this one down, everything else falls into place. Put your priorities in order and then give them top billing, always.

8. Build some 'me' time into each and every day. Take 5 minutes to file your nails. Read a couple chapters in the book on your nightstand. Flip through your new magazine and have a cup of tea. Knit a few rows on the sweater/shawl/scarf you're making. Whatever it is, make the time to enjoy it.

9. Institute a 'work-and-reward' system to make chores seem more fun. Whether you do it by time or task, it'll help. Yesterday I made myself wash windows (ugh) ... so I made it fun by giving myself a reward after each couple of windows! Wash two windows ... knit for fifteen minutes. Wash the picture window (inside & out) ... play Bejeweled for five games. I got my windows done & it didn't seem so bad :)

10. I'll borrow the last one from Fly Lady ... clean & shine your sink. A clean sink just makes life simpler, doesn't it?

Today in Jo's Knitting Land ...

2010-10-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

So I've been working on an uber-secret project in a gorgeous green shade of Knitpicks CotLin yarn. I wasn't happy with the way my joins were coming out. Being a fairly new knitter, I've been just joining the new yarn and then weaving the ends in. In doing this, however, my ends always seem to pop out. I don't like that. My uber-secret project doesn't like it either.

To make my knitting happier, I scoured the internet in search of better ways to join (take this to mean that I want to my 2 stand-by sites ... KnittingHelp.com and Planet Purl and looked through their how-to video library). I came up with the 'Russian Join!' Voila ... my kntting is happier, and therefore, I am happier!

Unfortunately I read ahead in the pattern and I see more how-to videos in my near future! Next lesson up ... short rows w/ a wrap & turn.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things In My Freezer Right Now

2010-10-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

Ack, this could get scary, LOL!! Here we go ...

1. Waffles/pancakes ... the girls love these on a cold morning, drenched in maple syrup!

2. Turkey ... it's been sitting there for, well, goodness knows how long. One of those things I don't like to make, but I feel I should have on hand. Yeah, probably time to get over that, huh?

3. Chicken parm ... mmmmm, nothing better than a dinner you can just thaw out and heat up!

4. Pizza ... a great Friday night dinner, especially when you make it 'Family Movie Night!'

5. Margarine/butter ... always a good idea to keep some in reserve.

6. Ice Cream ... I think at this particular moment we have 'Party Cake' and 'Moose Tracks!' Oh, and I think there's a berry frozen yogurt in there, too.

7. Shrimp ... I love the Schwan's Shrimp Scampi & we just bought their Butter Shrimp to try as well. I also have a bag of plain old shrimp.

8. Pork chops ... whenever there's a sale, I grab some extra to freeze. Sometimes I marinate them, sometimes not.

9. Veggies ... for quick weeknight dinners, frozen veggies are easy. Usually tastier than the canned variety!

10. Popsicles ... hey, I have kids!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things To Love About Fall

2010-10-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is '10 Things To Love About Fall!' FUN!!

1. The cooler weather & no humidity ... yeah, I'm done with the hot, steamy stuff!

2. Spectacular colors ... there's no place like New England to experience the glorious colors of autumn. The bright reds, golden yellows and oranges, even the browns!

3. Apples ... apple pie, apple cider, apple muffins, apple crisp, apple butter ... so many glorious ways to celebrate the apple!

4. Football! When fall rolls around, they strap on the pads & hit the turf for some rough & tough football, and we love it! 'Specially when the Patriots rout the Dolphins and make sushi out of 'em (just sayin')!

5. Baseball's Fall Classic ... love the excitement of the hunt for the pennant ... even when the Red Sox don't make the mix (hey, all the starters were on the DL for goodness sake!), we can always root against the Evil Empire!

6. Crisp, clean air scented with wood smoke.

7. The crunch of dried leaves under your feet as you take a walk in that crisp, clean air.

8. Crockpot dinners ... nothing like coming home to something warm and delicious after a day being out in the crisp, clean air.

9. Anticipating the coming winter ... I'm already planning to knit the 'Drifty' hat & mitten set, almost can't wait for it to snow!

10. Watching the pure joy on my children's faces as they dive into the huge leaf pile hubby makes for them. Yeah, lovin' fall in New England!

Knit Progress

2010-09-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

So, I learned to knit back in January. In the past nine months I've knit (and completed) 31 projects!! 31!!

I've done 2 sleeveless sweaters, 2 skirts & 2 babydoll tops, a shrug, 3 pairs of socks, 5 hats, 2 scarves, a rectangular lace shawl, 2 triangular lace shawls, an afghan, a baktus scarf, a baby blanket, and a handful of dishcloths!

I can hardly believe I've been so productive :) Lots of the items were gifts, and it felt so good to give something that I made. I made a cotton shrug to keep my Mom's shoulders warm, and I'm so very glad that I was able to make her something pretty before she passed. I made Shawn's Mom a pretty green rectangular lace shawl for her birthday. I made Katelyn a purple afghan for her bed. I made both girls a baby doll top and a cheerleader style skirt. I made Jake a couple of "man" dishcloths, plus 2 for Shawn's Mom & a few for myself. I made myself a couple of sleeveless summer tops, a baktus scarf, 3 pairs of socks, and a triangular lace shawl. My grand-niece Taylor got a baby blanket w/ cute flowers. I also have a few gifts stashed away for later in the mix as well.

I'm currently working on another pair of socks ... 'Bad Moon Rising' is the name of the pattern & the yarn is a gorgeous blend of Halloween colors. This project is my first attempt at cables. I have some yarn on order for another lace shawl for a dear friend, and some for a cool mitten & hat set for myself.

It feels good to have a craft I'm loving ... and it's very relaxing to sit and knit. If the pattern is easy, then I can knit and watch TV ... if it's more challenging, then I focus on the pattern & stitches, which takes my mind off everything else.

I sat and knit at my Mom's bedside during the last few months of her life, so every time I pick up my needles, I know I'll be thinking of my Mom with some very fond memories.

A huge thank you to my friend Carole, who taught me to knit and got me to be a yarn snob (what can I say, I *love* nice yarn)! Shawn's still not sure he's thankful, though ...

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things in My Refrigerator

2010-09-28T06:57:00.000-05:00

I haven't been grocery shopping in over 2 weeks, so it's going to be a bit on the sparse side, but here goes ...

1. Milk ... we *always* have milk! At least we're down to 2 or 3 gallons a week. When the boys were living at home, at one point we were buying 12 gallons each week. Yikes!

2. Apples ... the girls love apples. Hmmmm, since the cooler weather is upon us, it's time to make apple crisp!

3. Nectarines ... they looked really good and taste even better!

4. Beer. Um, yeah, another staple!

5. Reisling ... saving this for a special dinner with my hubby :)

6. Leftover chicken parmesan ... it's what we had for dinner on Sunday, and it's what we're having again tonight.

7. Cranberry juice ... Shawn loves it, and so does Katelyn.

8. Spicy Hot V8 ... this one's mine! I love it, either plain or with additives!

9. Green peppers ... actually, I think these might not be technically green anymore?! Once they grow fuzz, do they still qualify as green? Yeah, I keep looking at them and thinking, "Wow, I really should get rid of those."

10. Potatoes ... another staple in our home. I grew up on potatoes. My boys grew up on potatoes. My girls are growing up on potatoes. Yum!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways To Have A Happy Birthday

2010-09-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Only 10?? LOL Here we go ...

1. Be woken up with a kiss and a heartfelt 'Happy Birthday' from your spouse/partner.

2. Be served breakfast in bed ... while this hasn't happened to me in a very long time, I fondly remember the event :)

3. Go out to lunch with a friend.

4. Eat dinner at your favorite restaurant ... even better if it's one of those "Eat Free On Your Birthday" joints!

5. Enjoy a glass of your favorite wine or spirit.

6. Take some time to partake of your favorite activity. Read a book, knit/crochet, take pictures ... whatever you love to do, do it!

7. Have some friends over for an informal cocktail party ... have them bring some light snacks & serve some adult beverages, and enjoy the company of those you love.

8. Have your favorite dessert after dinner. Throw the diet out the window & truly indulge and enjoy.

9. Watch something special on TV (or at the movies).

10. Revel in the fact that you've made it through another year :)

Hmmmmm, I'm noticing a strong theme in almost all my list items, LOL!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Reasons to Watch FOOTBALL!

2010-09-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

This should be pretty easy, since I love watching football on Sunday afternoons!

1. To root for your home-town (or favorite) team!

2. To watch the great commercials! C'mon, admit it, we all watch at least a little bit for the commercials, LOL.

3. To spend some quality time with your hubby (or boyfriend/friend/whatever) ... guys love football, and they love their women to watch it with them (especially if we're getting #4 ready ...)!

4. For the snacks! Buffalo wings, chips & dips, cheese & crackers, pretzels, popcorn, whatever you're making for the big game, it usually ends up being a deliciously overdone event!

5. For the tailgating ... ok, so I could have combined #4 and #5, but really, it's two completely separate things! Tailgating is so totally different than watching in the confines of your living room. With tailgating there's definitely alot of snacks, but they lean more toward 'at the game' foods ... burgers, dogs, brats, etc. Tailgating has a purely social aspect to it ... you become great friends with those around you, simply by virtue of the fact that you're rooting for the same team, and dedicated enough to come out and enjoy the day around that game!

6. For the beer ... hmmm, 'nuff said I think.

7. Well-defined muscles in overly tight pants. Hang on while I wipe the teeny bit of drool off my keyboard ...

8. To gather stats for your fantasy football league ... c'mon, you know you do it!

9. To have a few hours where you can sit and knit (or drag out your crafty obsession of choice) and not feel guilty about doing that instead of spending time with your hubby or family, LOL!

10. To keep those time-honored traditions alive. Because gone are the days of watching football only on Sunday afternoon after church. Now there's regular Sunday afternoon football ... there's Sunday night football, Monday night football, Thursday night football, and (at times during the season) there's Saturday football. Of course you have to add in the pregame and post game shows, the preview shows during the week leading up to football, etc. If you don't watch football, there's a good chance you'll have nothing in common with hubby (if he's a football fan-atic) because from September through January, that's all he will be doing!!!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things To Do Before The End of Summer

2010-09-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, let's get right to it ...

1. Enjoy the cooler weather & eat dinner outdoors! We're past the "ewww, it's so hot & humid" stage, but haven't yet entered the "wow, where did I put my sweatshirt?" stage, so get outside w/ your meals and enjoy.

2. Swim in the ocean ... quick! The water temp is dropping as we speak ...

3. Enjoy the beach ... any beach, salt or fresh ... for me, this means spending days at the lakehouse beach. I don't even have to put on my bathing suit and pretend I'm going in the frigid water, hehe. The girls will still be swimming (until they're joined by penguins & icebergs if I let them), but I'm all about enjoying the warm sun and cool breezes.

4. Eat a lobster ... or shrimp, scallops, clams, whatever. Nothing like a lobster (or your other favorite seafood) in the late summer.

5. Read a book ... sit out on your deck, front steps, wherever, just get out there and read while soaking up the last of those rays.

6. Pick out a new project ... I just bought some scrumptious new yarn & can't wait to get started on a few new projects.

7. Make your Christmas list ... it's never to early to put on paper what you'd love Santa to bring you! I love the irony of sitting on the beach and making out a list :)

8. Visit a corn maze. We've done this the past few years with the girls, and it's so much fun! Go while the weather is still warm :)

9. Grab the last of the summer bounty at a local farm stand ... there's still plenty of tomatoes, cukes, and corn to go 'round!

10. Take a walk after you put the kids on the school bus ... take advantage of the free time & the great weather :)

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways to Lighten Your Mood

2010-08-31T08:38:00.000-05:00

This should be pretty easy ... I hate stress, so I'm always trying to lighten things up a bit :) Here goes ...

1. Listen to music ... whatever your favorite type of music, classical, pop, country, doesn't matter! Listen to a few of your favorite songs and you'll instantly feel calmer and happier.

2. Talk to a good friend ... 'nuff said.

3. Watch a romantic comedy or a sitcom ... nothing heavy, nothing dramatic, just pure zone-out pleasure.

4. Read ... books always take me away from whatever is going on in my life and transport me into the author's world. It's a great escape!

5. Go for a walk ... look around and really look at your surroundings. Something about seeing the birds flying, the squirrels and chipmunks scurrying, and the rest of the glorious signs of life around you will lift your mood.

6. Eat a piece of chocolate ... for me it's dark chocolate, but hey, go for whatever you love. Eating chocolate releases endorphins ... instant mood-lift!

7. Color ... yeah, sounds silly, doesn't it? Trust me ... grabbing those good old crayolas and a coloring book (or some blank paper) is great for stress release!

8. Knit ... ok, you could crochet, cross-stitch, embroider, scrapbook, whatever! Crafting is a great mood enhancer ... how can you be down when you're creating something beautiful?

9. Play on facebook ... a true time-waster, but playing Frontierville, Fish Wrangler, or a couple games of Bejeweled Blitz will lift you right out of the doldrums :)

10. Write a blog post ... so, even just writing about ways to lighten your mood has lightened mine!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I'd Tell A College Freshman

2010-08-24T09:06:00.000-05:00

I never went to college (one of my regrets in life), so this is purely from the experience of listening to my friends who went to college & from sending my son (going into his 3rd year) to college!

1. Make new friends ... you're going to be surrounded by a lot of new people. You're used to being surrounded by people who have known you since you were in kindergarten, so this is your chance to make real "new" friends! These people will most likely have alot of the same interests that you do, and perhaps the same career path as well. Talk to them!

2. Hang on to a few 'old' (true blue) friends ... you're going to need them on occasion, and they're going to need you. You don't want to ditch all your old friends when you leave for college, so keep up with the e-mails and texts with the friends you treasure the most, you'll never regret keeping in touch!

3. Apply yourself ... yeah, how many times have you heard, 'But you could do so much better if you'd just *apply* yourself!'?? But it's sooo true! You are going to get out of your college experience exactly what you put into it ... make it the most you possibly can!

4. Take advantage of all the college has to offer ... they have tons of people in support roles to help you find the best classes, study effectively, join study groups, and lots of other things. Seek these people out and take advantage of their talents.

5. Stretch yourself ... try something you'd never have tried at home ... do something a little outside your comfort zone ... how will you find the passion that may drive you if you don't try new things??

6. Explore your new 'home' ... walk around the campus, walk around off campus, take a bus ride to nearby attractions ... undoubtedly the area your college is located in has many cool things bubbling under the surface, get out there and find them!

7. Join a group ... Circle K happens to be near & dear to my heart, but take some time to find the groups on campus, find out what they do & what they stand for, and join one that meshes with your interests and passions ... you'll find instant new friends, and they'll all be interested in the same things as you!

8. Be careful ... be aware of your surroundings, keep your head up, and just be safe.

9. Write home ... sounds trite, I know, but your parents are missing you something fierce! Drop them an e-mail, send them a text, or (gasp) haul out a pen & paper and do it the old-fashioned way. Whatever the method, let the parental units know what's going on, especially in the first few months.

10. This is kind of a "DUH" ... ~HAVE FUN~

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Reasons to Love Bacon

2010-08-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

This week's 'Ten on Tuesday' topic is "10 Reasons to Love Bacon!" Um, do we really need 10 spots on that list? It's BACON! Then I started thinking ... I guess I could give you 10 ~ways~ to eat it that would make you love it. Yeah, that's it!

1. Plain old crispy bacon ... that crispy-yet-chewy texture, the salty tang, the smoky goodness. Mmmmmm, makes me wish I had some in the refrig!!

2. On a BLT ... the summer classic. With crisp lettuce, creamy mayo (my preference is Miracle Whip), a fat juicy tomato (preferably right from the garden), and a couple of nice thick slices of crispy bacon. Summertime in a sandwich right there!

3. Crumbled on a salad ... can't beat that salty bacon flavor in every mouthful of a gorgeous garden salad!

4. Wrapped around a scallop (or a shrimp) ... the sweetness of the scallop, the saltiness of the bacon. Pure pleasure in your mouth. My secret ingredient is brown sugar, lightly sprinkled over the top before you broil them. Yumm!

5. Rolled up inside chicken & smothered in cheese, maybe with some chopped up spinach or asparagus.

6. Wrapped around a bunch of asparagus and grilled.

8. Sauteed with vegetables & used in a soup base ... those little crunchy bits of smoky salty goodness sure do impart a ton of flavor into soups (and sauces)!

9. In an egg sandwich ... can't have a fried egg sandwich without bacon! There's just something about bacon and eggs, really. Doesn't matter how you cook them, they just go together.

10. In a chocolate bar ... ok, so I haven't actually tried this, but all my favorite food-network stars have raved about bacon flavored chocolate. I am dying to try it, but haven't seen it locally yet. Maybe I need to expand my search ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things to Bring on Vacation

2010-08-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

1. A good book (or several) ... there's bound to be some down time in any vacation. This proves to be a great time to pick up your current book and do some reading.

2. Knitting ... you can knit on the beach, on the couch, in bed, or in the car. I'm sure you can find someplace to knit just about anywhere you choose to go on vacation!

3. A deck of cards ... hubby and I always enjoy playing a few games of 'garbage' or cribbage during vacation.

4. Map (or GPS unit) ... it's nice to know the surrounding area.

5. List of places to go ... whether you do research before you leave & print it out, ask the front desk clerk, or grab some of the fliers at highway rest areas or in the lobby of hotels, you'll need to know what interesting places there are to visit!

6. Money ... unfortunately most vacations cost money. Whether it be dinner out, a quick snack, something to drink, or admission to those above mentioned interesting places, you're gonna need some cash (or plastic, depending on your style).

7. Comfortable shoes ... if you're like us, you invariably end up doing alot of walking while on vacation. Those cute strappy sandals might look great with your new outfit, but they're not going to feel too good if you're walking for miles.

8. A stash of snacks & drinks ... this mostly applies if you're traveling with small kids! Nothing can ruin a nice vacation more than whining children who are hungry/thirsty/tired. A bag of goldfish and a juice box can go an awful long way to making your day more enjoyable ... more so if they're in your bag & you don't have to search out a place to buy them at an inflated price!

9. Camera ... um, duh! The advent of digital photography has made it sooo easy to snap a few (hundred/thousand) photos of your vacation!

10. Journal ... even if you aren't a regular journaler, this can prove to be a great way to preserve some awesome vacation memories! Write down the highlights of the day each night & you'll be able to look back on the vacation fondly in the coming years. Especially if you leave spaces in the journal to paste in some of the photographs from #9 :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things to do Instead of Watching TV

2010-07-27T07:13:00.000-05:00

There are many times that I watch too much television ... and then there are times when I go great stretches w/o watching any at all (well, except for the Red Sox ... they don't really count as watching TV, do they?). This week's topic is "10 things to do instead of watching TV" ... and here I go

1. Read a book. Um, duh! Nothing quite captures your imagination like a book. If you like that whole new-fangled audio book thing, feel free. I can't get past wanting to feel the pages of the book when I turn them.

2. Listen to the radio. Music, talk, sports, whatever. You can multitask to your heart's content while you're listening to the radio.

3. Knit! Since this is my newest hobby (erm, ok, obsession) I had to include it high on the list. I get great satisfaction out of seeing something take shape in my hands.

4. Go to the local library. Ok, some may say that this goes with #1 ... but the library has so much more than just books! They've got magazines, reference materials, computers, great kids' programs, etc. Reacquaint yourself with the library ... bet you'll be glad you did.

5. Take a walk.

6. Cook something fabulous. Grab your favorite cookbook and find something you've never made/tried and get to it.

7. Write a blog. I'm finding this "10 on Tuesday" exercise to be great fun. It forces me to think about something, form some ideas in my head, and then put them into concrete form each week.

8. Talk to a friend. In person, on the phone, on skype, whatever. Nothing soothes the soul like taking to a good friend :)

9. Clean out that closet you've been meaning to get into since before Bush (the first one) was elected ;)

10. Sit outside and just enjoy the sounds of nature. It's amazing to watch the world go by, and it's relaxing, too. Um, you could also multitask and knit while you sit. Just saying!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things to bring on a camping trip!

2010-07-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

This week's topic is "10 things to bring on a camping trip!" Let me tell ya, I did alot of camping when I was a kid. Ok, it wasn't the 'roughing it' kind of camping ... we had a 35' travel trailer complete with gas stove, refrigerator, microwave oven, and an air conditioner! But it was still camping ... at least in my book. Anyway, I digress ... on to this week's topic ...

1. Shelter ... tent/pop-up camper/trailer, what have you. You'll want to be out of the elements at least some of the time!

2. Water ... life's main essential, don't ya think?

3. Insect Repellent ... I love camping, but I hate the little bugs & critters that go along with it. No fun scratching all weekend!

4. Firewood ... 'cause it's all about the campfire!

5. Hot Dogs & Beans ... nothing brings me back to my childhood like hot dogs & beans on Saturday night. Well, unless it's my dad's charcoal blackened steak and greasy french fries cooked over the open fire. But, again, I digress!

6. Chocolate bars/marshmallows/graham crackers ... what's the point of having a campfire if you're not going to make s'mores?!

7. Chairs ... who wants to sit on a buggy old log? A nice comfy chair, preferably with a drink holder in the armrest!

8. Towels & bathing suit ... doesn't every camping site have a pond or a lake?

9. Books ... reading while camping is a must.

10. Knitting ... 'cause you can knit anywhere, right? :)

Ten on Tuesday - Ten Things You Like About Where You Live

2010-07-13T08:04:00.000-05:00

This week's subject was the easiest yet ... 10 things you like about where you live! Since I live in New England, it was not difficult to come up with 10 things. It was difficult to limit it to just 10, actually! Here we go ...

1. Our accent ... sure, we catch alot of grief for dropping our R's and adding them into places they don't belong, but seriously? Who doesn't love 'Pahkin' the Cah in Hahvahd Yahd?'

2. Changing seasons ... I don't have a favorite season. Well, I do ... whatever one we're in at the time you ask me! I love that we have 4 very distinct and different seasons.

3. History ... doesn't get much more historical than living close to Boston. From Paul Revere's House to the Freedom Trail, from Plimoth Plantation to Salem, we've got History covered!

4. Lobstah. 'Nuff said!

5. The Boston Red Sox. Yeah, we may have waited 86 years between World Series wins, but it was totally worth it. I love my boys!!

6. Mountains ... there are probably more impressive peaks in the world, but none I love so much as the green ones in VT and the white ones in NH.

7. Farmstands in the summer ... I know these are dotting the countryside in all parts of the United States, but I find it hard to believe that produce would taste any sweeter or fresher than right here in New England in the summertime.

8. Atlantic Ocean ... it's comforting to know that I can be dipping my toes into the ocean within a half hour. Love staring out at the Atlantic Ocean during any season, it's beautiful all the time.

9. Lakes Region, NH ... my in-laws have a house up there, and I count myself as one of the extremely lucky few to be able to spend alot of my weekends there. Nothing like a boat ride on crystal clear water!

10. Changing weather ... you've heard the saying, "If you don't like the weather in New England, give it 5 minutes ..." Well, it's TRUE! I love that you can be sitting outside in the hot, sticky sun and 5 minutes later the sky is black and you're running for cover. 5 minutes after that, it's hot and sticky and the sun is shining again.

LOVE New England!!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways to Enjoy Summer

2010-07-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

This should be easy since we're officially in the midst of a New England heat wave!

1. Go to the beach ... there's nothing like a little salt water to cool you off when it's hot. Fresh water will do, too, but the ocean is really the best.

2. Go for a boat ride! Love going out on the boat on a hot day and just tootin' around.

3. Have a cookout ... or go to one. Nothing says summer like burgers & dogs on the grille.

4. Lobster. Lots and lots of lobster. Steamed, in a bisque, or a lobster roll. Mmmmmm!

5. See some fireworks :)

6. Go to a fair or carnival, go on some rides, enjoy some fair food (corn dogs, funnel cakes, fried veggies, fried dough).

7. Sit by the pool (or in the pool) and read a trashy novel.

8. Sit in the outdoor seating area of your favorite restarant and enjoy the summer breezes. Well, hopefully there will be breezes.

9. Sleep late. Yay for school being out for the summer, no schedules to keep!

10. Knit a cool summer top. I've done this already ... can't wait to show it off :)

Ten on Tuesday

2010-06-29T06:50:00.000-05:00

Today's "Ten on Tuesday" subject is ... 10 Books on Your Summer Reading List!

Hmmmmm ... books? Like paper and ink books? Goodness! Since I started knitting I don't think I've picked up a book. I have downloaded a few audio books, but can't quite warm up to that whole approach as yet. Since I've been engrossed in knitting patterns and knitting books, I haven't been paying much attention to what I might like to read this summer. Honestly, I plan to knit on the beach instead of reading. I bet I can come up with at least 10 that I would like to read, should I break my arm and not be able to knit, hehe!

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson ... this is currently on my Zune. I've listened to a few chapters and would like to finish, whether it be audibly or actually picking up the book.

2. Ghost - Confessions of a Counter Terrorism Agent, by Fred Burton ... another that I started as an audiobook. It expired before I finished, but I really would like to finish this one, it intrigues me.

3. Swimsuit, by James Patterson ... ahhhh, I love James Patterson.

4. Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert ... recommended by a number of my friends, I truly want to see what this is all about.

5. Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson ... I'm almost ashamed to admit I haven't read this yet. Especially in light of my soldier-son!

6. Alex Cross's Trial, by James Patterson ... loved every single one of the Alex Cross books, need to finish it off.

7. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett ... another recommendation from a friend. Sounds interesting.

8. Storm Prey, by John Sandford ... another author/series that I love, mmmmm, Lucas Davenport!

9. Medium Raw, by Anthony Bourdain ... my son turned me on to Anthony Bourdain's TV series, and I love him. Would love to read this one.

10. American Assassin, by Vince Flynn ... *love* Mitch Rapp, 'nuff said!

With my list done, I have to admit that it will be a minor (ok, perhaps a major) miracle if I get even half of these books read by the end of the summer. Darn knitting! LOL

Ten on Tuesday.

2010-06-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

I joined a challenge to post a "Ten on Tuesday" topic each week ... this week's (my very first) is "Ten Ways to Entertain a Child." So, here goes ...

1. Read to them. No matter how old a child is, they love to have books read to them. There's something very special about the time you spend reading with your children.

2. Give them a bottle of bubbles! Another ageless pastime.

3. Grab a ball and head to the back yard. Whether it's tossing a baseball/softball/football back and forth, shooting some hoops, or kicking a soccer ball around, you'll both have some fun.

4. Cook something together. Even the little ones can join in with measuring & stirring!

5. Take a walk. You never know what topic(s) will come up during a walk with a child.

6. Play a board game ... Monopoly ... Trouble ... Parchesi ... Life ... Candy Land ... the list of great board games is endless.

7. Teach them a craft. Kids love crafts :)

8. Watch something on TV together. Discovery channel, Animal Planet, there are a ton of great shows that will help your child learn something ... and who knows, you might learn something, too!

9. Water. Give 'em a little or give 'em a lot ... water is an endless source of amusement and learning!

10. Crayons, paper, scissors, and glue. They'll be entertained for hours!!

My latest obsession

2010-03-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

My friend Carole recently taught me to knit, and I'm truly hooked! (Groan, I know, bad bad pun!) I love that it takes all my concentration and I can just knit and think about knitting and nothing else. I've gotten "good enough" so that I can watch TV at the same time, though!

Projects I've completed so far ...

A baby blanket for Jason & Jaime's daughter, Taylor Ann. It felt really good to be able to gift something handmade :)

A pretty pink hat (with a matching scarf that I forgot to photograph).

A baktus scarf. This was my first attempt at truly following a pattern, and it came out perfectly :) You use one skein of yarn, knit to the halfway point and then finish w/ the second half of the yarn. Unfortunately the skein wasn't large enough so I can wear the scarf ... but I think it'll look cute on one of the girls. And it was great experience!

A raspberry and black striped hat ... for ME! I love the colors together, and I made up the stripe pattern myself. Most knit hats are too tight on my head & get itchy, but this one is nice and loose, and I love it.

My very first pair of socks! Knit with sport weight yarn, they're big and heavy (and soooo warm) ... and I'm so proud of myself for knitting them :)

On the needles now is a purple skirt for Katelyn (haven't taken a picture of that yet) ... and another pair of socks! This time I'm using sock yarn and really really tiny needles, so they'll be a pair I can wear year-round. I'm so excited! I love the pattern, the combination of stitches makes a really cool effect, and I can't wait to finish them. Carole gave me a beautiful skein of sock yarn for my birthday ... she's going to teach me to wind it into a ball that I can knit from & then I'll make another pair of socks out of that. Yep, I'm hooked!!

Mackenzie is FIVE!

2010-01-04T17:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, so seriously? How did *that* happen? Seems like just yesterday she was a newborn!! Well, today she turned 5 years old, so the time has passed, I just don't know where it went. She brought cupcakes to school & her classmates sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. We'll have a cake after dinner, and she'll get to open her gifts from us :)

We're going to have a combined birthday party for Mackenzie and Katelyn sometime in February, when James is home on his 2-week R&R from A'stan. His leave is scheduled for early-to-mid February, we'll get invites out as that firms up.

Thought I'd post a few pictures of Mackenzie as she's grown from an infant to age 5 ...

Here she is on Thanksgiving 2005.

September of 2006, at Rocky Nook.

With Katelyn in October of 2007 at Santa's Village.

In my Easter Bonnet, 2008.

Preschool picture, December 2009.

Another Thankful Thursday!

2009-11-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

As we get closer to the most Thankful day of the year, I find myself reflecting more and more on the fact that I need to focus more on the many things I have to be thankful for each and every day.

1.) Great Doctors & Nurses. I know so many of them, and I'm grateful for each and every one. It all starts with Doc, Sharon, & Maria ... the place where I can call, get right in, get home, & start feeling better! I've been fortunate in my life to have received care from a slew of great doctors & nurses, and I'm thankful for all of them.

2.) Awesome Adoptive Parents! I was adopted when I was eight weeks old, brought to live in the wonderful little town of E.B. My birth mother knew she wouldn't be able to provide me with the things I'd need, so she selflessly gave me up for adoption ... and I was lucky enough to get my Mom & Dad out of the deal. I had a wonderful home, ample food & 'stuff' growing up, and more opportunities to grow and learn than you can shake a stick at. As I grow older, I find myself more and more thankful that I was able to have 41 years to enjoy my dad (although I wish I'd had much, much longer) ... and that I still have my mom with me. When I think of how many little things might have impacted my adoption, I know that I was truly blessed.

3.) Kiwanis. I have met so many wonderful friends (some of whom have become my extended family) through Kiwanis! I've fulfilled my deep-seated need to give back to my community in lots of ways, and I've received so much more than I've given. Kiwanis was there for me during a particularly rough patch of my life, it was there for me after my father passed away, and it's there for me each and every day of my life. I'm grateful to be part of the E.B. Kiwanis Club, to share in the camaraderie and fellowship each week, and, in some small way, to help improve the quality of life for those we touch.

Thankful Thursday - Nov. 12, 2009

2009-11-12T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well, today is the day that Shawn has his hernia surgery. So, while I am totally stressed out about that (in addition to the other stuff I am currently stressed about), I am still thankful. Here are my three 'Thankful Thursday' items for today ...

1.) I am thankful that we live in the United States, where we are able to get excellent medical care & don't have to wait forever to have something fixed. I pray daily that this continues.

2.) I am thankful for all the men and women who selflessly serve(d) this great nation in military service. The long list includes my son, currently deployed in the Middle East, my father who served in Italy in WWII, my uncle, 2 of my brothers, my nephew, and countless others who gave of themselves to ensure that we are free. God Bless those who serve today, and all those who served in the past.

3.) I am thankful for the gorgeous stretch of autumn weather we've been enjoying. It's delightful to walk Katie to the bus stop in the morning with the leaves crunching under our feet, and breathe in that fresh fall air. Life is truly good.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-05T10:06:00.001-05:00

My friend, Carole, posted a 'Thankful Thursday' on her blog Carole Knits this morning, and it inspired me to do the same. The theory is to post 3 things I'm thankful for each Thursday. I think too often we all dwell on the negative aspects of our lives, rather than focusing on the positive. We all have so very much to be thankful for, to feel blessed about ... why not celebrate it? In that spirit, here is my very first 'Thankful Thursday' post!

1.)My family. Immediate family, extended family, Kiwanis family, or friends who feel like family, whatever. I love them all, and feel very blessed to have them all in my life. At the top of the list is the fact that I found a wonderful man who I love, and who loves me back ... and I have four awesome and healthy kids (James, a PFC in the US Army currently deployed to Afghanistan; Jake, a sophomore at UMass Amherst & a member of Alpha Delta Phi; Katelyn, my wonderful first grader; and Mackenzie, my delightful preschooler).

2.) My home. So many people, especially in these times, have no home to call their own. I have a roof over my head, and a place to keep my (too-much) stuff. Seriously, what more can a person ask for?

3.) Friends. I am lucky enough to have some of the best friends in the world. Tops of the list is Shawn, my best friend and my husband. He's always there to support and encourage me, unwavering in his love. Jana, Tracee, Carole, Vivian, Diane, Dianne, Alicia, Glen, Jim, Dee, Dave, the list goes on and on and on. I have friends that I know I could call in the middle of the night with any request & they'd be right there for me, life is good!

Thanks for the inspiration, Carole! I encourage anyone reading who has their own blog to do the same ... c'mon, let's blanket our lives in positive thoughts and count our blessings :)

Mackenzie started soccer!

2009-09-12T19:02:00.003-05:00

Today marked Mackenzie's first foray into soccer :) She is playing on the fall league at the E.B. YMCA, just like Katie did when she went to preschool there. Even though it rained today (thus canceling Katie's opening day ceremonies & game in the town league), Kenzie still had practice ... they moved it inside to the gym at the Y!

First we do our stretches ...

Then a lap around the gym ...

Next we listen and get instructions from the coaches ...

Learning to stop the ball ...

Finally, I can touch the ball! LOL

First day of chool pictures

2009-09-10T08:28:00.004-05:00

Here are Katie and Kenzie on Katie's first day of 1st grade (Sept. 2nd) ... Katie has Mrs. Cowan and just loves her :)

Running to the bus stop ...

Getting on the bus ... and in case anyone was curious, never a backward glance to Mom & Dad!!

Mackenzie started preschool on Sept. 9th ... she had to get all dolled up in the pretty dress that Auntie Nancy bought for her, complete w/ fancy white 'tappy' shoes & her matching purse!

Running up the walkway to the Y preschool ... see a pattern with my kids? LOL

A first day of school hug for Miss Toni, the 'bestest' preschool teacher EVER!

School Has Begun!

2009-09-03T09:40:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Katie's first day of first grade! Yes, my little Katie is now a big first-grader :) She has Mrs. Cowan and is ~LOVING~ school ... yes, I know it's only the second day, but c'mon, she LOVES it!!

Mackenzie will start school next week, back to the YMCA Small-Fry preschool & Miss Toni on Wednesday! She is so excited & frequently asks, "Momma, is it time for ME to go to school YET?"

Jake goes back to UMass this weekend. It's been awesome having him home for the summer (even though my food bill increased quite a bit), and it will take us a while to get used to him not being home. We're driving him out to school tomorrow w/ a van load of stuff & helping him get situated a bit.

Did I say how much I *love* back-to-school??? LOL

Long overdue update!

2009-06-25T10:00:00.004-05:00

My gosh, how the time flies! I really need to make a mid-year resolution to update the blog more frequently. Lots has happened since January, so here goes ...

Jake ... Jake has finished his first year at UMass Amherst w/ a GPA of somewhere in the vicinity of 3.65 :) We are very, very proud!! Next year he'll be living in a different dorm, with several of his friends. He's excited about his classes & really enjoying himself. He's keeping himself busy this summer, working on his dad's house & doing odd jobs for people. He was asked to speak for the Kiwanis Club during their annual scholarship recipient honor night, and he did a great job!

Katie ... Katie did a great job in kindergarten and will be a first grader in the fall! She got glowing reports from her teacher, and has improved oodles and oodles since the beginning of the year. She's now reading books (mostly) on her own, doing word puzzles, and enjoys playing on the computer & on the Wii. She scored extremely high on her standardized tests :)

Kenzie ... Kenzie 'graduated' from preschool, but will be attending again this fall. This year she only attended for a few months as sort of a 'trial' run. She did very well, and can now write her own name & is starting to spell a few short words. Her biggest recent accomplishment is wearing panties to bed, she's understandably very proud of that!

Shawn and I ... Shawn's dad passed away at the end of March, and we're still dealing with the grief of that loss. Shawn is keeping busy helping his Mom with the paperwork and misc. items that need to be tied up in regards to that. He's also been doing some side jobs, and is s-l-o-w-l-y moving up the Union list.

We've been up to the lake several times, got the house all opened up (Shawn's Mom is now up there for an extended period), and got the boat in the water ... YAY! The girls are totally loving the boat, especially if we're really going fast!

The business is doing ok, still slow but lots of people are having appliances repaired instead of buying new ones. I guess that's one upside of this economy.

We took the girls to the circus this week & they had a wonderful time. This is the same circus that my dad used to take the boys to (and sneak them in at intermission, LOL)! Katie is still talking about the acrobats & the motorcycles in the cage, and both girls were fascinated with the man being shot out of the cannon.

Here is a picture of all four girls (we went with our friends) ...
(from L to R ... Anna, Katie, Kenzie, Jessica)

Our good friends, the Griffins, are coming up from Texas to visit in just 16 days!! We're so excited to be able to show them the Boston area. We have plans to visit Plymouth Plantation, the Mayflower, Boston Common, the Public Gardens, the Freedom Trail, and we'll be taking them up to Lake Winnepesauke as well. Hopefully the weather will cooperate (we're due some sun, right??) and we can do all we've planned. One night the grown-ups are going in to Boston for dinner at the Melting Pot & then to see Blue Man Group! We're lucky that Jake is available to babysit the four girls :)

My latest project was to reupholster our small couch in the living room. Shawn bought it at a yard sale before we got married and it was in decent shape then, but has deteriorated over the years to the point where he thought we'd have to throw it out. It's got a great rattan & bamboo frame, so I figured I'd try to reupholster it. Shawn found a bolt of nice fabric by the side of the road a few years ago & it goes well in our living room so I used that.

Here is the 'before' photo ...

And the 'after' photo ...

And a photo including the small antique children's chair that I recovered in the same fabric ...

I think that's about it for now, and I promise to update more frequently!!!

I am one VERY PROUD MOMMA !!!

2009-01-06T20:30:00.003-05:00

Jake just called to let me know he'd gotten his grades for his first semester at UMass Amherst ... and I am sooooo proud I could just about bust! First, he took a really difficult course load ... second, he was totally on his own, no 'reminders' to 'do your homework' or 'work on that project'! Here is what he accomplished ...

Greek Civilization ... B
Anthropology ... B+
Art History ... A-
French Films ... A
Relativity ... A
Dean's Book ... A

His GPA is a 3.55!!! He has a Grade Point Total of 56.8, which means that technically he could be considered a sophomore! After just ONE semester :)

I am sooooooooooooo proud of Jake!!

Christmas was GREAT!

2009-01-06T14:50:00.004-05:00

The Coles family had a GREAT Christmas this year ... both boys were home, the girls loved every second of the holidays, and all the presents were hits! Santa was very good to everyone :)

Katie was in our church's live nativity. We were astonished when she had MAJOR stage-fright ... to the point of taking off her angel costume & declaring, "I QUIT THE SHOW!" I managed to get her back in the costume and up to the altar with everyone else, where Katie proceeded to have an absolute blast, complete w/ waving and winking at all of us!

Christmas Eve service at church was wonderful. The teens from Sunday School carried the nativity figures up to the altar one by one and then held candles while the congregation sang. It was so peaceful and beautiful ... I always love a church lit soley by candelight, faith, and hope.

The poor boys ... their birthday kind of gets lost every year w/ all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. We did have an ice cream cake & sang to both of them (separately, as we wanted the girls to be able to sing to at least one of them & James wasn't home until after the girls were in bed), and they opened their birthday gifts. It makes me so glad that I always gave them a 'half-birthday' party in the summer, just so they'd get some attention of their own!! I can't believe they're 19 ... both such responsible young men.

The boys both slept here on Christmas Eve (after poor Jake had his Rodeo towed home from Dedham ... the axle broke & he didn't make it to Christmas Eve service) and woke up to open presents w/ their sisters.

The boys then spent the rest of Christmas Day with their father, while we trucked to Weymouth to spend the day with Shawn's sister & family, and Nana & Pop. The best gift of the day was Sean's present for Pop ... a BIBLE!! Yup, that boys got some sense of humor ;) Managed to get a good picture of Nana, Pop, Nancy, and Shawn ...

Mackenzie's birthday follows on the heels of Christmas, January 4th. She turned 4 this year, and we held the party on the 3rd so James could be there (he had to go back to base on the 4th). It was just a family party, but Mackenzie was thrilled and got lots of nice presents. Best present of the day (I think) is her brand spankin' new 2-wheeler (w/ training wheels of course) & helmet!

Bowling!

2008-12-11T15:11:00.005-05:00

Shawn has been affectionately called the 'bowling electrician' by some friends, and this year I finally joined him in bowling! We bowl at Westgate Lanes on Wednesday evenings on a mixed league. It's so much fun!! Our team is ~awesome~ and we all get along great. One member is out because he had to have knee surgery (speedy recovery, Jim!!) so there are just four of us on the team right now ... it's us & Dave and Lisa Gomes.

I was not sure how effective I'd be on the team, or if I'd be the token bad bowler, LOL. I started out as that bad bowler ... the first week I only averaged 83! We started bowling the Wednesday after Labor Day, and now have 15 weeks (45 games) bowled ... and I've brought my average up to a 103! I've even qualified for a couple of awards ... my high game was a 182!

One great thing about bowling is that we get a date night every single week now. Yeah, it's not a candlelight dinner or some other romantic outing, but it's fun, it's good exercise, and we're having a blast :)

Katie lost her first tooth!

2008-11-21T12:01:00.002-05:00

It's been loose for a few weeks, and she's been working at it & wiggling it. Well, yesterday it came out :) What an excited little girl we had yesterday!! When Daddy was talking to her about the tooth fairy, Katie excitedly asked, "I wonder if she'll leave me a yo-yo and two dollars??" Apparently the tooth fairy didn't have any yo-yo's because she left Katie a brand new five dollar bill ... it must have been because it was her very first tooth to come out!

Trick-or-Treat!

2008-11-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

The girls had a wonderful time trick-or-treating on Halloween. Daddy "won" the draw for getting to take them out, and Mommy stayed home to dole out the treats to our visitors! (Best costume of the night was a teen who came dressed as a basket of laundry ... complete w/ underwear on his head!!)

Katie dressed as Princess Ariel and Mackenzie was Tinkerbell. Here are some pictures...

Some of you may remember that since Katie's first Halloween, we have put a "big" inflatable pumpkin in our front yard and taken pictures next to it, sort of a size gauge for each passing year. It's become a Coles Family Tradition, and I thought you'd like to see the progression from year to year ...

Katie's first Halloween, October 2003 ...

Katie's second Halloween, October 2004 ...

Mackenzie's first Halloween, October 2005 ...

October 2006 ...

Last Halloween, October 2007 ...

And finally, this year, October 2008 ...

Suddenly our "big" pumpkin is seeming kind of SMALL !!!

Autumn Leaves

2008-10-17T21:11:00.002-05:00

What do you get when you take one HUGE leaf pile and add two giggling little girls? Lots of great pictures and a whole lot of fun ...

Here are a copule of short video clips of the fun ...

Here is Daddy blowing the leaves on top of the girls ...

Katie played DOME soccer!

2008-10-15T13:15:00.002-05:00

As part of the fall town league, each team was given the opportunity to play a game in the DOME in Bridgewater. Katie's team played on Tuesday ... they had a blast! Katie did super ... actually listened to her coach, followed directions, paid attention, and did really well. She played goalie for a while, and actually ~DOVE~ for the ball!!! She knocked it away, the other team rebounded and shot it in as she hadn't gotten up yet ... but we were proud as punch at her effort! Daddy treated her to an ice cream at Skinner's after the game for trying her best :)

Excuse the picture quality ... again Momma forgot the 'real' camera & only had her phone camera to capture the moments!

Katie waiting for the action to begin ...

Trying to get into the scrum for the ball ...

Coach putting on her goalie jersey ...

Katie waiting for the opportunity to save ...

Peering over the boards at the game (she had to stand on something to see over the boards, LOL!) ...

And a quick side note ... Katie and Mackenzie are actually at an age where they can play a game together, by themselves! Here they are in their room, playing Hi-Ho Cherri-o!

Visited Jake at UMass Amherst :)

2008-10-06T13:08:00.003-05:00

Finally we were able to get out to visit Jake at UMass-Amherst! The campus is beautiful, and H~U~G~E!!! Jake took us on an abbreviated walking tour, pointing out the buildings where he has classes, his dining hall, etc. Of course I forgot my camera, so the pictures I took were all on my phone. I think my favorite building is the Old Chapel ...

Here is Jake's dorm building, Webster Hall ...

Jake's dorm room is good sized, and remarkably clean for two guys! LOL Here are pictures of Jake & his sisters in his dorm room ...

Here is one of the three of them outside ...

After our tour of the campus, we had to walk back up 'the hill' to get to Jake's dorm ... what a killer! No wonder the kids are all so skinny, LOL! Jake gave Katie a piggy-back ride & Daddy gave Kenzie one ... no one was left to haul my sorry butt up the hill, so I had to huff & puff on my own ... UGH!

Here is a shot of Jake & Shawn goofing around

We took Jake to Target and bought him some Halloween decorations for his room, some snacks, gatorade & iced tea, and a new jacket ... then we took him to dinner at the Amherst Brewing Company. Food was great! We didn't get home until after 11 p.m., but it was so great to get out there and visit! Now to get Jake to come ~home~ for a visit, LOL!

Soccer!

2008-09-28T19:35:00.002-05:00

Katie is playing in the East Bridgewater town soccer league this fall. She is in the instructional age group, which is kindergarten and grade one. The main focus is learning the basics of soccer and having FUN! Katie is starting to get the hang of the game, and even gets a kick in now and again. Here are some pictures of the season so far ...

Katie playing goalkeep ...

Katie's BREAK-A-WAY!!!! ...

Waiting for the game to begin ...

Little sister Kenzie cheering Katie on ...

and not happy that *she* can't play yet ...

Jake loves it at UMass!

2008-09-24T08:37:00.002-05:00

Jake is settling in at UMass Amherst, and really enjoying himself! He is thinking about joining a fraternity (Alpha Delta Phi) with one of his friends. He's joined a fencing team, a flag football team, and (no surprise) an intramural soccer team!

These are Jake's first semester classes:
Greek Civilization
Art History
Anthropology
Theory of Relativity
French Film
Dean's Book
Quite the course load! Says the food is good in the dining commons :) Also said (during one of his fairly infrequent phone calls LOL) not to expect him home anytime soon, LOL. Yeah, I guess he likes it out there!

Welcome to the world, Olivia Ann!

2008-09-23T20:29:00.001-05:00

My niece Holly & her husband Dave welcomed their first child into the world this morning. Olivia Ann was born at 11:30 a.m., weighing in at 7lb 15oz and measuring 21" ... Mommy, Daddy, and Olivia are all doing well.

KINDERGARTEN!!!

2008-09-03T13:21:00.003-05:00

Katie is now a kindergarten student :)

Yesterday we got to go to the school and meet her teacher, Mrs. Lasdow (who, coincidentally was James' kindergarten teacher!!!!) and see her classroom. She was so excited, and very disappointed that she didn't get to stay the rest of the day, LOL. Here she is getting in to the car to go meet her teacher ...

Today was her first day of school, and she had a wonderful day. She gets to take a snack to school every day, and today she chose a capri sun juice bag & peanut butter crackers. She says that is what she wants to bring every day, LOL. We'll see if that lasts! She brought home a picture of a raccoon and a cute little 'first day' poem that are hanging on the refrigerator!

Here she is posing for the first day of school, first with her newly learned military salute & then in her cutest goofball pose ...

Here is the "look at my cool butterfly t-shirt" pose ...

Had to have a pic with sissy ...

Walking down the driveway, first picture her feet aren't touching the ground, LOL!!

Here she is standing with the other girls at the bus stop ...

And finally, getting on to the school bus for the very first time ...

We have to walk to the corner (one whole house away LOL) for her morning pick up, but in the afternoon the bus drops her off at our driveway! YAY!

Had a SUPER vacation with the Griffins!

2008-09-03T12:34:00.003-05:00

We always have a great time traveling with the Griffins, and we had a wonderful time staying with them at their house in Fort Worth :) All four girls got along fabulously ... and the adults had just as much fun together!

We arrived late Saturday night, and on Sunday we all went to NRH20 - a cool water park! Everyone had a blast, got too much sun, and we arrived back at the Griffin house very tired.

Monday we went to a mall in Grapevine, Texas (cool name, huh?) and bought Katie her 'first day of kindergarten' outfit! We also went to another store & bought Shawn some new shorts & t-shirts for his birthday. The girls treated us to a 'fashion show' that night, here are some pictures of the grand event ...

Even Scott got into the action ...

Tuesday was Ella's first day of school, and that was pretty exciting! She has a long day, but she was a trooper. Katie was *very* jealous that Ella started school before she did. Tuesday night we had a babysitter watch the kids & the grown-ups went to Buca deBeppo to celebrate Shawn's 40th birthday ... it was a blast!!

Wednesday we hung out in the morning, and left for Lawton, OK, after lunch. We attended James' family day activities on Thursday & then hung out with him at our hotel suite. On Friday the Griffins drove up to Lawton and we all attended James' graduation from basic training at Fort Sill. It was a very emotional day, and after saying goodbye to James in the late afternoon, we headed back to the Griffin's.

Friday also marked the day that Jake moved in at UMass-Amherst! Unfortunately we were not there to help him move in, but we were there in our hearts. He's all moved in & loves it :)

Saturday we hung out at the Griffin house after going out to breakfast at the "Snooty Pig Cafe" ... how's that for a great restaurant name??? We ordered in Mexican that night, mmmmmmm!

The girls were practicing their salute, so we got a picture of all four girls doing a military salute ...

Sunday we packed up and came home. We left the Griffin's house at about 11 a.m., stopped at Sonic for lunch, then dropped off the rental car & got to DFW with plenty of time for our 2:55 flight to Charlotte, NC. Had a 3-hour lay-over in Charlotte, so we relaxed and colored w/ the girls, then had a leisurely dinner & got the girls dressed in their pj's. We boarded the plane for our 10 p.m. flight, only to sit on the runway for more than an hour waiting for severe thunderstorms to pass through the Charlotte area. We finally got in to Providence around 12:45 a.m., picked up our car, and made it home around 2 a.m. It was a long day!

A huge Thanks, Y'all! to the Griffins for extending their hospitality. We plan to return the favor next summer when the Griffins come up North for a visit :)

A few more random shots ...
Kenzie and Brenna playing together

Ella and Katie eating lunch

Graduation Day ... times two!

2008-06-25T19:23:00.007-05:00

So, on Sunday, June 1st, James and Jacob graduated from E.B. High School. We are extremely proud of both boys. As many of you know, James has already enlisted in the U.S. Army (and actually shipped out on June 17th). Jacob will be attending the University of Massachusetts - Amherst this fall. He'll be majoring in History and minoring in Film Production, in the Commonwealth College program (and living on Orchard Hill).

Then, on Friday, June 13th, Katelyn graduated from the E.B. YMCA Small-Fry preschool. She was sad to leave Miss Toni, Miss Karen, and Mr. Jason behind, but is very excited for kindergarten in the fall!

Katie's big girl bed ...

2008-06-25T19:21:00.001-05:00

So a couple weeks ago we noticed that Katie is really getting too big for her toddler bed. We needed to get the twin bed we were storing at the warehouse out of there, so we decided there's no time like the present! Here are some pictures of the big girl w/ her new bed, and the stuffed animal 'beds' that Daddy hung up for both girls ...

CDH Awareness Day

2008-03-31T07:01:00.001-05:00

March 31st has been declared Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day in 30 states. I would imagine that most of you have never heard of this birth defect. I hadn't heard about it either, until a good friend of mine received this diagnosis for the baby she was expecting. However, CDH is statistically more common than many other defects and diseases that receive regular attention from the medical community and society in general. It is also one of the least researched!

Here is a link to my friend's blog, where Cadenne Hope's journey with CDH is explained in detail.
http://kariabi.blogspot.com/search/label/Cadenne

This little baby girl is a true miracle, showing how truly wonderous God's blessings can be. It's truly inspiring and awesome to read of Cadenne's short time on this earth ... and the pictures will blow you away, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful smile :)

Feel free to visit this page: http://breathofhopeinc.com/ to find out more. The bee displayed on that page has become sort of a symbol of the awareness campaign. If everyone tells ONE person, think about how many more people will have at least HEARD of CDH by next year at this time!

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Easter 2008

2008-03-29T13:58:00.001-05:00

We attended church at First Baptist in Wollaston, Rev. Mike gave a wonderful sermon as always! The girls were dressed in their sweater sets that Auntie Vivian gave them for Christmas, along with spiffy new cowboy boots as a tribute to Clyde.

They had a wonderful time at church ... from the "time with the children" sermon to playing in the nursery, and of course the egg hunt on the lawn outdoors afterward!

We then went to visit Uncle Mark at the cemetary, and then to Auntie Nancy's house for Easter dinner. Another wonderful Easter celebration :)

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Maybe this is my lucky year??

2008-03-24T10:06:00.001-05:00

Ok, so you know the e-mail ... "enter to win the grand prize!" ... well, I got one from Southwest Airlines ... the "Permission to Play sweepstakes" ... grand prize is a trip for your immediate family to the grand opening of the new water park 'Aquatica' built by SeaWorld. Write a 150-word essay on why your family deserves to have fun!

Now, I know we're busy, but I guess we're actually one of the four busiest families in America ... because WE WON!!!!!! Oh, my GOSH! We are going to Orlando, courtesy of Southwest Airlines and Busch Entertainment!!! I think we're all still in shock! Here's what we're getting ...

6 round trip airline tickets on Southwest Airlines
2 hotel rooms for 5 nights
6 2-day passes to SeaWorld
6 2-day passes to Aquatica
6 meal vouchers
6 "Dine With Shamu" tickets
and a family prize pack!!!

Holy Smokes!! I priced out the airfare alone, for the six of us it would cost about $2000 to fly to Orlando on those days ... and that's with special internet-only fares! EEEEEK! Everyone is stoked ... Katie has a 'ring calendar' and rips off one ring each night ... then she tells me how many "sleeps" until we leave!

One really awesome thing is that the boys are able to go with us :) We had been so wanting to take the whole family on a trip before the boys graduate, but with recent events we weren't going to be able to afford it. Now we are doing it!!! Oh, my GOSH!! I'll update as I get more details :)

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Princess Walls

2008-03-08T21:55:00.001-05:00

For her birthday, we gave Katelyn some princess stickers for the bedroom wall. Today we did a good spring cleaning in the girls' room & then put up the stickers. The girls are thrilled over the result ... hopefully it will inspire them to keep their room a bit cleaner (ya right)!

For anyone who hasn't seen the window seat/shelving wall that Shawn built in their room, here is a picture of that as well ...

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I can crochet!

2008-03-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

I learned to crochet many years ago, but never really loved it. For some reason I recently decided to re-learn the skill ... and now I *love* it! I started simple, made the girls each a scarf, and then a hat (they have to share it as I used the remainder of the yarn from both their scarves LOL).

The scarves are the same pattern (it's called "snugly scarf"), but I used different color variegated yarn. Here they are ...

I haven't taken a picture of the hat yet.

My next project is a 'prayer shawl' using a really pretty bluish gray yarn I bought today.

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Katie's Very First MOVIE!

2008-02-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

Daddy decided it was time to introduce Katie to the wonderful world of the MOVIES! He took Katie to see 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' at the Cameo Theater in Weymouth. They had a great time, Katie was very well behaved (which led Daddy to promise to take her to another movie very soon), and she was entranced! She alternated between getting comfortable (read as draping herself across the seats & Daddy to view the movie), sitting w/ her eyes glued to the screen, and dancing in the space in front of her seat ... especially during the "Wow, Chicka Wow Wow!" portion!!

While Daddy and Katie were at the movies, Mackenzie and I took Gramma to the doctor for a check-up and then out to lunch at Good Days Restaurant. Kenzie had a great time, and was so well-behaved that she managed to talk Mommy into buying her a flying pig stuffed animal. It's adorable, and she was soooooo in love with it. Yeah, I'm a sap!

After getting home, both girls played outside for an hour or two ... it was cold, but they so love playing in the yard!

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File under "you might be a redneck if ..."

2008-01-25T19:59:00.001-05:00

you give your daughter a sled ride using your LAWN TRACTOR!!!

Yes, that is Shawn towing Katelyn on her purple sled ... behind his lawn tractor. <sigh> Some kids just never grow up!

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I'm working from home now!

2008-01-25T19:52:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, we've closed the retail portion of the appliance business & now are just focusing on appliance repair. Bruce has moved the shop & parts to his house and I moved the office to my house. We renovated the back room to incorporate my office ... basically I got a new work surface, file cabinets, and shelving. It's a bit tight, but it's coming along!

I now do the bookkeeping and answer the phones from the comfort of my own home. No more rushing about in the morning to get to work ... I'm already here! I can get Katie dressed & ready for school while answering calls & setting up the day's schedule with Bruce ... all in my PJ's & slippers, LOL! Both girls are loving that I'm home all the time, even if I do shush them alot so I can hear customers when they call.

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Columbus Day weekend

2007-10-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

We traveled to northern New Hampshire and took the girls to both StoryLand and Santa's Village! The weather was absolutely great, we couldn't have asked for better ... it was hot & sunny almost all day Saturday, then rained a bit late Saturday afternoon, but by then we were done at the park anyway! Sunday was cooler, but still sunny and gorgeous. The girls had a great time and were very well-behaved. We went with our friends Jim & Dee and their two daughters, Anna & Jessica. Can't wait to go back again next year!!! Pictures are in my photobucket account ... here are a couple of slideshows!

Soccer has begun!

2007-09-28T07:41:00.000-05:00

Katie now plays on her very first soccer team at the town Y!! She's so excited that she is playing soccer, just like her big brothers :) Her games are on Saturday mornings and practices are on Thursday afternoons.

Her team name (chosen by the majority of the team) is the "T-Rex's" ... Katie isn't thrilled with the name, she'd rather have the name be "Green Light" (yes, they wear green t-shirts LOL) ... but she's adjusting.

It's so cute to watch them try to understand the fundamentals of the game. Her coach is really nice, and is dedicated to instilling a love of playing in all the kids ... did I mention he's a brave man to be coaching 4 year olds??

Preschool

2007-09-28T07:31:00.000-05:00

Katie started preschool on Sept. 17th!! She is loving it :)

Her teachers are Miss Toni and Miss Karen; she goes Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 9 to 1, packs a lunch and eats it at school. They play outside some days, do lots of learning activities inside, and will have "Fitness Fridays" in the main gym and will get to swim in the Y pool once a month!!

First picture is on the way to school on the first day;

second picture is Katie standing in front of her new cubby at school;

third picture is her playing legos with a new friend :)

I've lost 20 pounds!

2007-05-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, so color me boastful ... but I'm proud of myself for *finally* losing weight :) I've been doing Weight Watchers with my best friend, and we're both doing great! I've lost a total of 20 pounds in just over 3 months ... and {ahem} just a few more to go ;) Seriously, I'm hoping that by this time next year, I'll be a whole new me ... well, still me, but alot LESS of me!!

Katelyn Hope is FOUR!!!

2007-03-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

We had Katie's party on March 11th, and she had a great time. Lots of wonderful presents and we enjoyed having both families at our house :)

Can't believe she's FOUR ... my baby is growing up!

Mackenzie's evaluation

2007-02-24T14:20:00.000-05:00

Three people from the early intervention came to the house on Thursday. They sat at the table with Mackenzie and had her do certain activities (puzzles, pegs, sorting, drawing, etc.) and she did really well. Too well, I'm afraid. Because she's so far ahead in everything except her speech, she doesn't qualify for services right now. The occupational therapist gave me some exercises to do with her to help strengthen her mouth, lips, and tongue, and hopefully those will help.

I have seen great advances in Kenzie's speech in the past couple of weeks, so hopefully she's just catching up at her own speed in the speech department. She can now say "Katie," which she hadn't been able to master previously.

Mackenzie's 2-year pediatrician appointment

2007-01-23T17:47:00.000-05:00

Today we took Mackenzie for her 2-year check-up at Dr. Rappo's office. She's doing great, weighing 24 pounds 4 ounces and measuring 34 1/2 inches tall (4 ounces heavier & 1 1/2 inches taller than Katie at the same age) ! Dr. Rappo is pleased with her progress. She had blood drawn to check her iron and lead levels, and got a flu shot (big sister got one, too, and did really well, such a big girl!).

We discussed Kenzie's delayed speech, and Dr. Rappo agreed that she should get a "speech, language, and hearing assessment" for speech delays. I've already called the school and left a message, hopefully will hear back and get the ball rolling on that tomorrow. We'll keep everyone updated :)

A side note ... today was the 1-year anniversary of my Dad's passing. We stopped at the cemetary on the way home from the doctor's office. Katie & Kenzie were eating lollipops and watching a video, but Katie looked out the window and said, "Hey, this is where Grampa lives! I love you, Grampa!" then proceeded to blow him a kiss and said, "I blew him a kiss up to the sky so he'd get it! I miss Grampa." Awwww, how sweet is that?

Mackenzie is TWO!!

2007-01-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe, but Mackenzie Louise has turned TWO! Seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital :) We had a party for her on the 6th and she had so much fun ... she's finally figured out opening presents, and loves ripping the paper!

Mackenzie is loving little Eva Marie, here she is keeping Eva occupied during her "tummy time!"

This last shot is Mackenzie playing on the back deck, it's her favorite spot to be! Her play food and pots & pans are her favorite toys and she would stay outside and play tea party forever if we let her :)

What a wonderful Christmas!

2006-12-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

I hope we've gotten some 'new readers' on our blog, since I put the URL into our Christmas letter this year! If you're new, welcome ... and please leave us some comments to let us know you're reading :)

Christmas was absolutely wonderful. We had my family over on Saturday the 23rd, and we did a "Yankee Swap" exchange. That was lots of fun. Of course the kids still got presents from everyone, but that is as it should be. I think the big hit of the day was the TMX Elmo doll that Auntie Vivian and Uncle Bruce gave to the girls ... Kenzie acts out all his moves, and it's hysterical! I took a short video clip and will be posting it as soon as I can get it uploaded. The girls also love the TJ Bearytales that Paul, Kristy, Eva, Holly, & Dave gave them ... they've listened to his stories several times.

We had a relaxing Christmas Eve ... gave the boys their birthday gifts and just enjoyed being together as a family. We went to Christmas Eve service at First Baptist in Wollaston, where Katie decided that she needed to have a full-blown case of bronchitis :( Seems every year one child has to be sick for Christmas. On Christmas morning we all opened our gifts ... Shawn surprised me with a gorgeous diamond bracelet, I had no clue! He also got me a Sony e-book reader, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. I've already downloaded a bunch of books and have been reading it at every spare moment. The boys seemed to like all their gifts, and the girls were overwhelmed as usual. Later on Christmas Day we had Shawn's family with us. Our poor little living room has had more company over the past week than I think it's seen in the 3 1/2 years we've been there, LOL! It was great to have everyone together, though :)

Next up will be Mackenzie's birthday party on January 6th ... she'll be turning TWO on the 4th, can you imagine?? I have no idea what to get her for a gift ... she got more presents than any 2-year old could use for Christmas! Ah, well, I'm sure we'll manage to find something for her.

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-05T12:54:00.000-05:00

A Tribute to My Family

2006-12-05T12:45:00.000-05:00

It was a bit strange to be "in" the parade instead of watching it this year! The Kiwanis Club of East Bridgewater made my entire family Grand Marshals of the parade and dedicated it to my dad. They hired a closed trolley for us to ride in, and in the trolley were: my Mom; my brother Bruce, his wife Vivian, their son Paul, his wife Kristy & 6-week old baby girl Eva Marie, their daughter Holly & her new hubby Dave Corbett (fresh and fully tanned from their honeymoon in Aruba); my brother Wayne, his wife Diane, Diane's dad Buzz, their daughter Heather, her hubby Garrett & 7 month old baby Jackson, & their son Jason; myself, my hubby Shawn, and our children James, Jacob, Katie, and Mackenzie. Yup, it was a full trolley :)

Holly and Dave's Wedding (11/18/06)

2006-11-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Holly was a radiant and beautiful bride (as we all knew she would be), Dave was very dashing in his tux (and even sent his bride flowers that morning, awwwww), and Katie made a very cute flower girl. There are tons of pictures in my photobucket account (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0803/JoColes/Holly%20Wedding/)!

Katie's latest artwork

2006-10-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Katie's Halloween obsession ...

2006-10-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

Katie has been asking me to print off Halloween pages for her to color for the past two weeks. She simply can't get enough. Briefly this week she was into Tiger pages instead, but we've returned to Halloween. She loves to color them in and loves even more to hang them up around my office :)

Canada 2006

2006-09-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

We took another family vacation, this time to Canada! We met up with our friends Jana & Scott in Niagara Falls and toured the area. Then we all traveled to Thamesford, Ontario to stay with our friends Jenn & Jeff at their house. We had a great time and even got to visit the Toronto Zoo. Another friend came to visit for lunch one day, so at one point there were 8 kids under the age of 4 in the house ... EEEK!

Here's a film loop of some of our pictures ...

Trip to North Carolina was awesome!

2006-09-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

We had a great time in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina over the July 4th week! We rented a beach house & shared it with friends (Jenn & Jeff and Nicole & Mike) ... and it was right next door to our friends Jana & Scott :) The girls enjoyed the beach and the fireworks were awesome.

Rather than post a bunch of pictures, here is a film loop of our vacation ...

The Living Room (Pictures)

2006-06-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I never posted before & after pictures of the living room! The first pic is from Katie's birthday party, showing the paisley/floral wallpaper the previous owners had on the walls. The second picture is DH decorating the Christmas tree this year with the new paint job :)

Mackenzie's First Catch

2006-05-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

We were at a cookout over the Memorial Day weekend & a friend of ours was throwing a toy football to Mackenzie. It would hit her chest, bounce onto the ground, and she'd laugh like it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen! I attempted to capture this on video using my digital camera (sorry, no sound) and ended up getting her first catch on video!

Just click on the picture & it will take you to my photobucket site where you can click and view the video :)

Here are some more pictures from that cookout ...

Welcome to the world, Jackson Wayne!

2006-05-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

My grand-nephew made his entrance into the world on Sunday afternoon, weighing in at 8lb 1oz and measuring 19" long. Congratulations to new mama and dad, Heather & Garrett.

Isn't he the cutest little thing???

Here is my niece Heather with her new Red Sox fan (see the hat? LOL) ...

And here is my brother, the proud new Grampa Wayne holding his namesake ...

Jackson is my third grand-nephew/niece (Cameron & Delaney are #1 and #2) ... and #4 is due in August, and #5 is due in October!! We just love babies in this family :)

Red Sox fans ...

2006-05-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

Need I say more???

Off to the prom ...

2006-05-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

Jake went to the Junior Prom with his girlfriend, and they had a great time! I can't believe my baby is old enough to go to a prom, but I have to get over it, right??? ACK! Here are some pictures, aren't they a great looking couple??

Easter Photos

2006-04-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed celebrating Christ's resurrection at church service, then our church's Easter Egg hunt, then to Nana's house to visit for a little bit, then on to dinner with my family at my brother's house. That night DH and I went up to the cemetery to visit my Dad and plant some flowers at his grave site. All in all, a wonderful day!

Here are some Easter pictures ... first is of Mackenzie at the Easter Egg hunt after church service ...
Next is Katie hunting for eggs again at my brother's house ...
Here are both girls checking out their booty ...

Here is a picture of Katelyn pretending to be the Easter Bunny ...

Here are Mackenzie and my niece Holly (Kenzie has on a cute tiara that Holly bought for her) ...

Next is a pic of my Mom ...

Finally, my Mom's dog, Biscuit, dressed up like the Easter Bunny ...

Baby Explosion!!!

2006-03-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

Two of my best friends just had babies ... *literally* ... Trish welcomed Zachary into the world on Monday ... Jana welcomed Brenna into the world on Tuesday!

McDaris Family Blog
Griffin Family Blog: Introducing Brenna Anne Griffin!!!

Then, to add to the excitment ... my niece Heather is due with her first baby in June, my nephew Michael is having his third child in August, and my nephew Paul is having his first baby in October!!!

Makes me feel much better about not having any more babies ... I can borrow so many now!!!!!

The living room is finally finished!

2005-12-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

Since the day we moved into our house, I've been saying I'm going to rip down the wallpaper in the living room and paint ... well, it's finally finished!! Our living room had a striped wallpaper on the bottom half of the wall, a chair rail, then a floral/paisley wallpaper on the top half, and a coordinating floral/paisley border along the top of the chair rail. Needless to say, it was a bit on the busy side! One day about a month ago, I decided to just start ripping the paper down, figuring that way it *had* to get done! DH helped alot, and last night we put the final coat of "red gumball" paint on the walls! Tonight when I go home, I'll take some pictures and post them ... I'll also dig through my old photos and find some "before" pictures to post along with them. Can't wait for everyone to come over on Christmas Eve to see the transformation :)

Cinderella and the Great Pumpkin ...

2005-12-14T18:21:00.000-05:00

Katelyn had a wonderful time on Halloween ... she actually got really good at the whole "trick or treat" thing this year! At one point when Daddy said, "Okay Cinderella, time to go to the next house ..." she replied, "Okay Daddy, but it's only make-believe, I'm really Katie!"

And here's a picture of the girls in front of our blow-up pumpkin in the front yard, and a few of the house all "dolled up" for Halloween ...

Coles Creations

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Mail-Order Catalogs

Confession of envy ...

Short and Sweet Socks

On the needles ...

Craft It Forward 2011

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite one-hit wonders!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Pies

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Smells

Bungee Jumping in Paradise

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Blogs I Read

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Oscar Winning Films

On the needles ...

When 9 years is like a moment ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things on my Bedside Table

Running on South African time ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Games From Your Childhood

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Ways To Be More Organized

2010 Knitting ReCap

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Wouldn't Want To Live Without

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Intentions For The New Year

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Places For Online Shopping

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things I Love About Thanksgiving

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Movies I Want To See

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Dream Vacations

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways To Simplify Your Life

Today in Jo's Knitting Land ...

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things In My Freezer Right Now

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things To Love About Fall

Knit Progress

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things in My Refrigerator

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways To Have A Happy Birthday

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Reasons to Watch FOOTBALL!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things To Do Before The End of Summer

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways to Lighten Your Mood

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I'd Tell A College Freshman

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Reasons to Love Bacon

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things to Bring on Vacation

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things to do Instead of Watching TV

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things to bring on a camping trip!

Ten on Tuesday - Ten Things You Like About Where You Live

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Ways to Enjoy Summer

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday.

My latest obsession

Mackenzie is FIVE!

Another Thankful Thursday!

Thankful Thursday - Nov. 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Mackenzie started soccer!

First day of chool pictures

School Has Begun!

Long overdue update!

I am one *VERY* *PROUD* *MOMMA* !!!

Christmas was GREAT!

Bowling!

Katie lost her first tooth!

Trick-or-Treat!

Autumn Leaves

Katie played DOME soccer!

Visited Jake at UMass Amherst :)

Soccer!

Jake loves it at UMass!

Welcome to the world, Olivia Ann!

KINDERGARTEN!!!

Had a SUPER vacation with the Griffins!

Graduation Day ... times two!

Katie's big girl bed ...

CDH Awareness Day

Easter 2008

Maybe this is my lucky year??

Princess Walls

I can crochet!

Katie's Very First MOVIE!

File under "you might be a redneck if ..."

I'm working from home now!

Columbus Day weekend

Soccer has begun!

Preschool

I've lost 20 pounds!

I am one VERY PROUD MOMMA !!!

The living room is finally finished!