Snow Storm!

Well, here we are. The first storm of winter. It's suppose to really dump down on us tonight. It has been a really easy winter so far, and the storm isn't actually here yet, so I can't complain too much. They let school out a couple of hours early and the first snow flake has yet to fall. It's a small town. We get all excited about nothing. (Just kidding! Don't send me hate mail!) Funny thing, when the possibility of being snowed in occurs, my first thought isn't flashlights or water or anything near that. It's...."How's my junk food stash lookin' ?" I swear, I can open the pantry door and with every shelf filled, I will still find nothing to eat. When that happens, that means we are out of chips and cookies . If I have to "make" it, then there is nothing to eat. Same thing with the freezers and fridge. We have enough food here to feed a small army for months, but if we were to be snowed in for a week and there wasn't any junk food in this house....I'd lose 10 pounds in one week! Hmmm...I might be on to something here....Just kidding! I sent Tim to the store twice today. I'm prepared. Bring it on Mother Nature! Bring it on.

Balloons For Laurel

Today balloons were send up in honor of Tim's dad Laurel, who passed away a year ago. We weren't able to see the balloons go up, as Landon had a basketball game in Morris. But, there in the gym, way up high in the corner....was a blue balloon. Looks like Grandpa made it to the game!

Happy Birthday, Landon!!

Lovin' his new remote control car!

(Hair is still a little blue from wild hair day at school.)

I thought this picture was kinda funny

cuz it looks like the plant is growing

out of Landon's head.

(Sorry Landon. You know how I am...)

Gotta have your name on your back!

The goldfish that never die.

It's a scrollling fishtank/night light.

I am so happy we don't have to feed those fish!

(Or change the water or flush them down the toilet!)

Happy Birthday to the kid who rocks my world!

Love you! Love you! Love you!!!!

(Sorry Landon. You know how I am....)

Five More Minutes....

My sweet, miracle baby boy is ten today! How in the world did that happen? Seems like I just blinked my eyes and bam! He's ten. He is also entering his tween years. For years when I would wake Landon up in the morning, all I had to do was whisper, "Good morning, Landon" in his ear and he would jump out of bed and could hardly wait to get to school. I was the luckiest mom in the whole world! This year though.....this year, he has decided he needs to sleep for 2,402 hours. Getting him out of bed is now a morning nightmare. We go through a half hour routine of, "Time to get up..." and "Five more minutes..." then, "Please get up..."and "Five more minutes...." then we go to, "Get. Up. Now!!" and "You're sooooo meeeeeaaaaaaannnnn...." We have tried many different routines, but it always ends up with, 'You're soooooo meeeeeeaaaaannnn...." Kinda sucks, it does., This morning I surprised Landon with a birthday present.....

This is the remote control car he has been begging for.

"Time to wake up, Landon...."

"Five more minutes...."

"Wow! What is this in your bed??"

"Five more minutes...."

"Look, Landon! It's so cool!! Check it out!"

"Five more minutes..."

"You. Need. To. Get. Up. Now!!"

"You're sooooooo meeeeeaaaaannnn....."

Nope. Not even a fancy, schmancy, remote control car is gonna get that boy out of bed. I will try and get some better pictures tonight for his birthday post. If he's awake by then....

Wild Hair Day!

It's Wild Hair Day At School Today!

Landon's hair is blue, but this picture makes

him look like a little old grey haired man.

Still working on that new camera...

Happy Valentines

Here it is again. The most romantic day of the year. Men all around the world are spending insane amounts of money, to prove their love and keep in their spouses good graces, for yet another year. Tim is not romantic. At all. So, when he came home today and said that, "Maybe we'd go out this weekend for supper." (I had play practice tonight.) I wasn't surprised. At all. I gave Tim and Landon their boxes of Valentines candy, then I headed off to play practice and didn't think twice. While I was at play practice, Tim and Landon were busy. They were both in bed sleeping when I got home, but here is what I found. Surprise!

A little treasure hunt,

telling me to follow the clues...

My favorite candy in the whole wide world!

This one said...

"Mom"

Surrounded in X's and O's!

I love Lofthouse Cookies!

Thank you Tim and Landon.

That was better and certainly more fun,

 than a dozen roses!

In my good graces, you shall be.

My Girl

Here's Rosie!

Yep, she's still here.

Can hardly see or hear, but still

happy to sit on my trunk,

 and soak up all the sunshine she can.

She is a constant reminder to me,

to enjoy each moment as it comes.

That's my girl.

My Rosie.

Take A Wild Guess

Guess what these guys are doing.

If you guessed, Icefishing...

WRONG!

If you guessed, Golfing...

RIGHT!

Only in Minnesota.

Play Ball!

I tried to take some pictures at Landon's basketball game today.

But, no matter what settings I tried, the results were the same.

 Blurry, too light or too dark. I very much dislike my camera.

 I am treating myself to a nice camera this weekend!

 Enough is enough. I used to have a really nice camera,

 but one of my little dc sweeties tossed it across the room several years ago,

sending it to camera heaven...So it is time. I am long overdue.

That's Landon making the shot here. He's the big blurry blob by the net.

I did take a few close ups. They are a little bleached out,

 but at least you can read the words.

 I know I could photoshop them, but I'm too impatient for all that.

Landon made several shots, stole the ball from out of no where,

ran it down the court and scored! Sadly, I have no pictures to show you.

Patiently waiting to be put in the game...

That's right.

My Big Warrior!

So proud.

Wheaton Warriors

The boys took 3rd today!

Landon is the second from the left, front row.

Good Job, Boys!

A Highway For Laurel

Tim's dad Laurel, always wanted his family to do this.

Done.

I'm sure he's looking down from above, and saying....

"About time. About time..."

Happy Birthday To Me

Another one down...

Fifty five more to go...

That's right.

I have every intention of living to be 100!

The Tooth Fairy Is Retiring

If you look close, sitting in the bottom of the glass of water, is a tooth. A big tooth. One of the back molars. When Landon was little, our tradition was, whenever he lost a tooth, he would place it in a glass of water when he went to bed. Then sometime during the night, the Tooth Fairy would take the tooth and leave a dollar or two under the glass. I told him that when he started to lose his bigger teeth, the Tooth Fairy would leave bigger amounts of money. The past few years though, he has stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause.....makes me quite sad, it does. The last couple of teeth he lost, he brought home from school in a little bag. Never even mentioned the Tooth Fairy. Then the other day, he came home really excited. He had lost one of his bigger teeth! He informed me that this one would bring in the big bucks! I was a little excited too, because I thought maybe some of that childhood magic had reappeared. That night, he put his tooth in a glass of water. When he went to bed, I slipped a five dollar bill under the glass and went to bed too. The next morning, Landon said to me, "Hey mom. You forgot to take the tooth." I told him that the Tooth Fairy must have forgotten and he just said, "Yeah, right." And...poof! There goes the magic. The Tooth Fairy is now retiring. She's gonna keep her big bucks and buy some sweets for her own teeth. She's long overdue.

Aloha!

Went to Hawaii with Nancy!

O.k.....it was just Graceville,

but it was still fun!!

Kenny had fun too!

Tim wanted the one with the flowers....

Jack's Back!

Life Is Short

E'nuff said.

Happy Birthday Tim

Future Business

O.k. this is a picture of a bag of coffee. The next post, which I already posted will tell you all about it. I did these backwards. It's one of those days...Anyway, this post is about the window that is hanging on the wall up and behind the bag of coffee. It's a little big for the space, but it will do until I find the perfect window. It's an inspiration from Pinterest. A couple of years ago, I crackle painted some old windows and hung wreaths on them. I sold them at the fair with my purses. I had one left over and decided to hang my grandma's recipes on it.(They are over 50 years old!)The site had photos hanging on their window with hooks, but I decided to put my own spin on it. I had picked up a few little hangers with mini clothes pins on them at Patina White's, and they worked perfectly here. The reason I am getting so excited about Pinterest is, it has given me 4,332 ideas and inspirations for another little side business. I have been thinking about this little business for a few years, but didn't have anything to guide me, to get me started. I would go to little shops and admire and wish for something like it, but nothing really ever came of it. Until I discovered Pinterest. The windows experiment was a small dip in the water, but it wasn't enough to get me excited to jump in completely. But Pinterst not only shows you a picture, it comes with assembly instructions! Just the boost I needed! I can hardly wait to go pickin' and huntin' down junky stuff, to turn into absolutely must have treasures! Here are a few pictures that I am using for inspiration, to give you an idea of what-in- the-world I am talking about.

I am hoping to have enough projects completed to sell with my bags at the Farmer's Market this summer. See you there! I'll be the lady surrounded by purses and classy trash!!  

Fresh Ground

One of my dc mom's gave me an early birthday present yesterday. A little piece of heaven it was. I knew what it was even before I took it out of the bag. I could smell it. The wonderful, wonderful aroma of fresh ground coffee!! (She also gave me a huge bag of pink M&M's which I prompty hid super good, and a super cute coffee mug. She is so nice!!)  I have tried fresh ground coffee in the past, and always found it to be a bit strong, so I've  been going steady with Ol' Folgers. But, let me tell ya something about this coffee. This coffee... is smooooooth! Oh man, is it smooth. It is absolutely, wonderfully, smooth! I just had to share it with you, so you too can have the best coffee ever. Sorry, Folgers. Guess were on a break.

Here it is. Dunn Bros Coffee, Costa Rica 317.

What I love even more, is what is printed on the side of the bag.

"Globally grown with local roots."

These beans have traveled far, but much of what

you paid for them stays close to home.

That's because the vast majority of Dunn Brothers

Coffee Shops are locally owned and operated by

people who've invested not just in a business,

but in the communities they serve.

Gotta love that.