Pretty As A Picture:

Alaska Scenery

 

My cousin Martha's daughter, Brooke live in Alaska.  She loves it up there.  Last Fall she posted this picture of a view on the street where she lives.  Beautiful!  I kept looking at it and saying, it's as pretty as a picture. Duh, it is a picture! Where do we get that saying?  It is a picture and it is so perfect looking.  It would make a great puzzle or postcard.

We complain about the snow we get and it is the norm for there.  Brooke has posted pictures of moose in the roadway, total darkness for days, and she's even saw an occasional bear on her way to work.  Such an interesting way of life and I love hearing each of her stories.

I am grateful for family and the different experiences we all have.

Wordless Wednesday:

Chad:

I don't know how I forgot to mention Chad spent the day with us Saturday.  We went to Rolla to Lowe's and then an old time favorite of eating at Maid-Rites.  We ate there alot when the kids were growing up.  I remember one time when Chad was about a year and a half old and we were there an older couple stopped by our table and commented on how well behaved Chad was and gave him a dollar.  Unexpected compliments are really appreciated and it made us feel good.
Chad went with Dwayne in the afternoon and to cut a load of wood.  Father and son time is still so special to Dwayne.  We hadn't had a day with just Chad in quite some time.

I am grateful for the love of my older son and the loving, caring young man he is.

Weekend:

Friday:
The roads were super icy and I didn't even attempt to drive.  Dwayne drove me in to work and there was no way I would have made it on Highway A.  I thought work would be slow but I was wrong;  I was super busy all day and the work environment was very stressful!  Not a good day.  Glad to be back home after the stress of work and icy roads.  Supper was leftovers.
Saturday:
Dwayne and I worked on cleaning in the basement.  There were jars of screws, nails, etc. from when we moved in the basement thirty-four years ago.  It's hard to even know where to start.
I worked on cleaning some old picture frames we had stored down there.  I plan on making a picture wall in the basement living room, but I have been planning that for two years.  Hopefully, I get it done this year.
I spent the afternoon "Spring Cleaning" our bathroom.  It always makes me feel so good after I get it done.
We were to watch Kristin's little boys, Kaden and Kaleb, for the evening.  We met Kristin at Sput's.  Sput was having a fish fry.  We went in for a few minutes and I was kind of sad we weren't staying longer as there were many friends there I hadn't seen in quite awhile.
We took the boys by Mom and Dad's to visit for awhile, they always enjoy a visit from the grand kids.
We spent the evening alternating between watching TV and corralling little boys.  lol  They really were good and minded well, we're just not used to it anymore.  The boys went to bed around ten with me and Dwayne came to bed later.  I lasted in bed with the three of them until about 4 a.m. and then I went upstairs to finish the night.
Sunday:
 The boys actually slept until 8 a.m. which I thought was good.  We had chocolate chip pancakes and then Kristin got there to pick them up.
I went to church and then back home to clean some more.  I washed all the bedding and bedspread for our bed.  Makes me feel good to get a head start on my cleaning.
Zach and Ashlyne came over to spend the afternoon.  Ashlyne and I headed to Rolla to J.C. Penneys and Dwayne and Zach went to get a load of wood.
Lizzy joined us late afternoon and we all watched TV together.  Lizzy was in an extra-talkative mood, even for her it was a lot of talking!!  My ears got tired.  lol

I am grateful for family and the opportunity to be around my nieces and nephews.

Trip #3:

I was complaining earlier about making a second trip back to town and then I make yet another one around two o'clock.

Wouldn't you if your boss hands you a fifty dollar bill and asks you to run into town on this very cold day and buy Snickers Ice Cream bars for everyone?  

April used to buy these when she was at home and then I would sometimes buy them for here at work.  Hence, everyone here loved them and we get treated occasionally.

Dwayne called just a few minutes ago to see if I would run into town and buy a gallon of milk.  I got wise, bought that on one of my earlier trips.  lol

I am grateful for my work family and the freedom to run errands as needed.

Tulips in the Winter:

Winter Tulips:

I ran into town (Vienna) about eleven this morning to get gas and run an errand.  Vienna is only about two and half miles from my work, not really a big deal but it's cold out...  Mom called about noon and said Daddy had just bought her some tulips at G & W when they were in town.  Nothing too unusual about that as Dad does sweet things like that.  Then she asked if I would run down to G & W real quick and buy the other pot of tulips that was there as Dad said there was only one left.  My first thought was, geeze I just got back from town, maybe I'll go after work.  Mom asked if I would pick them up and then drop them off at Charles and Bev Jurgensmeyer's on my way home.  I told her I could and no problem.  I then thought to myself, "Connie, you are so lucky to still have your parents, no errand is too much of a problem to run!!"

On my way back from "town" I was thinking about Mom and Dad's life and they are just like the tulips, they are the bright sunshine in the winter of their life.  I so cringe at the thought of losing my parents but I know that is inevitable and I can be reassured that they will go to heaven, but oh the thought of not having them there day to day scares me to death.  As their life is in "Winter" I know "Spring" follows and I will be okay.  As the wind blows and sometimes snow flairs in the Spring, I will have rough spots but the Summer will arrive and I can look back at Winter and reflect.

Mom and Dad in the Winter of their life:

I am so grateful for each day of life and the wonderful legacy I have with my parents.

(For those of you who don't know Charles and Bev, there are the parents of my good friend, Janet who passed away December 23, 2011.  Remembered on January 10, 2013)

Wordlesss Wednesday:

President's Day:

Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

Sad to say, but I never think about celebrating our Presidents, past or present, on President's Day?  Do the rest of you?
I usually look forward to it being a day off.  I didn't have the day off this year but still thought of it as an additional day off work.

Dwayne barbecued pork steaks yesterday and I had made potato salad to go with it.  I told Dwayne I was celebrating President's Day by not doing laundry.  He laughed at me.
We spent the evening watching TV and went to bed early.  That's the extent of our celebrating.

Although I don't take the time to acknowledge each of our Presidents on President's Day, I am extremely grateful for their leadership in our country.  We are a lucky and  privileged nation.

Spring Cleaning:

Ugh, this nice weather has me started earlier than usual on Spring cleaning.  I don't know why I do this every year-clean walls, etc. of the whole house.  I get so worn out, but I do it again the next year.
Saturday: 
Got up early, not by my choice, I just can't seem to sleep late anymore.  (and I hate it!!  I LOVE to sleep late)
I started the day by putting polyurethane sealer on the bay window I stripped and stained earlier in the month.  Throw a load of laundry in.....I do laundry alot!!  Dwayne says it's my hobby. And I agree with him.  We can come home late at night and the first thing I do is go to the laundry shoot and grab a load of clothes to wash.
The rest of the morning I spent in the basement.  We had had a water leak last fall and one of the closets had never been cleaned since then.  I hated the moldy mess I found.  I threw quite a bit of stuff away and then bleached the baseboards and shelves as I didn't want to paint again.  (It took alot of convincing to make my obsessive self do it this way.  And we wonder where April gets this from............)  Some stuff needed washed, so another load of laundry goes in the washer.
That afternoon, I decided I would relax and read.  That lasted a good half an hour until I got up and started putting my cleaning stuff away.  And another load of laundry. 
Dwayne came home from the field and I was ready to take a drive and get out of the house for awhile.  He was too tired so I fixed supper earlier than we've ate in quite awhile.  Dwayne helped me clean up the kitchen and then I went up to Mom and Dad's for a visit, came home and watched a movie with Dwayne and then went to bed fairly early.
Sunday:
I slept really good Saturday night and even got to sleep late.  I'm sorry to say I didn't get ready to go to church and played lazy most of the morning.
Dwayne decided to clean the flower beds of unwanted leaves, so we spent the day outdoors raking and burning leaves.  We also burned the woods below our house.  I called Todd to tell him him and Chad were on standby in case the fire got out.  He said, "Mom, you and Dad are crazy, it's the windiest day of the year and you're going to catch the countryside on fire!"  lol  I've heard that for years.  I have not done that but I have been known to burn a little too much.  I haven't felt like getting out and working in the yard for a couple years so this was an exciting day for me. 
I have the same theory outside as inside, clean, clean, clean!!  If I can't do it the whole way then I just don't do it at all. Hence, the shabby looking yard the past few years.  Dwayne does clean the flower beds out and does a good job but by mid-summer it needs some tender loving care and Dwayne is busy with hay and farm duties.
While Dwayne was busy making windrows of leaves before lighting the woods on fire, I went up to Mom and Dad's for awhile.  Dad had been sick during the day but was doing much better that evening.
Poor Dwayne, after supper he was busy making sure the fire didn't get out.  It was contained well but with the wind switching back and forth, we didn't want to take any chances. 
I had planned all week to watch a "Nonnie" movie I saw advertised.  I must have got the days mixed up as there wasn't a good movie on.   I read while Dwayne watched TV.  He can watch most anything; he loves watching TV.  It's about the only time he gets any rest.
I went to bed and Dwayne stayed up to keep an eye on the fires.

Needless to say, I am grateful I had to go in to work today so I can get away from my self-disposed ideas of Spring Cleaning!!

Jack 'n Jill:

Mom and Dad

with

Jack and Jill

I bought these mules from Dad a few years ago for Dwayne.  They have been in the pasture in front of our house since then, UNTIL Dwayne took them to Vichy last Fall.  I miss looking out the front window and watch them run in the field.  They also would greet me at the corner post when I picked up the mail.

I asked Dwayne the other night if we had enough pasture left for this year to bring them back home.

Yay!!  They should be home this weekend.

Appy, Chad's horse has been in our pasture as kind of his retirement home for the past couple years.  We put Zach's painted horse, LeRoy in last Fall.  It took a few days for them to be buddies.  It will be interesting to see how all four of them get along the first few days.

I am grateful my Pops gave me the opportunity to buy Jack 'n Jill.  I renamed them and I've already forgotten what their names used to be..........  Oh, well, guess I'll think of it about midnight as I'm trying to go to sleep.  lol

Red Solo Cup:

Red Solo Cup Tower

"Red solo cup, I'll fill you up, let's have a party, lets' have a party........."

I love that song.   When it came out last Spring, I sang it all the time to my family's dismay.  I cannot carry a tune or remember all the words to any song.

Such a catchy tune.  And just because it says, "I'll fill you up, let's have a party!" doesn't necessarily mean it is alcohol they are referring to.  Most probably, but you can still have a party and fill it with Mountain Dew (my drink of choice), kool-aid, tea or whatever.  Lizzy and I sang it all the time and we decided it should be played at April and Mike's reception.  April didn't seem to think so and she frowned every time we mentioned it.  Liz and I did ask the DJ at the reception to play it but I don't think he was too interested in playing it either, but he did.  I thought it was a neat song to dance to and play along with and I don't even dance.  I do pretend to and Liz and I had a good time with it.

At our bean bake off a couple weeks ago, the kids had their own Red Solo Cup act after most everyone else left.  It started with Zach and Nathan building a tower and then knocking it over.  Zach taught Nathan to raise his hands over his head just before they knocked over the tower.  I don't know how many times they did this, laughing all the while even when picking the cups up off the floor and starting over.

Zach and Nathan

Zach and Nathan

More to get in on the fun, Lizzy and Blake

Zach patiently helping Blake build the tower.

                 (Notice in the back ground, Nathan doesn' look too happy he's not in on it this time)

Blake getting ready to know over his tower.

We had a good time, if not noisy with our "Red Solo Cup" fun.

I am grateful for all of these kids in my life.

Wordless Wednesday:

Busy Weekend:

Friday:
For some stupid reason, I cannot sleep late anymore!!  This drives me crazy as I have ALWAYS slept late, even when my babies were small.  I now get up at six a.m. whether I want to or not!!!  This has got to stop.  lol
But it did make it easier for me to prepare for my evening meal as we were having Mike and Susan down for their 36th Wedding Anniversary.  36 Years?  Where did it go?  And we are right behind them, as we will be celebrating 36 years in September.
I made chicken lasagna, corn, Caesar salad and an apple crisp pie.  Everything turned out good except the pie.  It was okay but definitely not a repeater.
We played Liverpool rummy, visited and just had a wonderful evening.  We need to do this more often.
Saturday:
I slept in until 7, whoo-hoo!!  Chad came over to help Dwayne move cattle and I piddled around the house for awhile.  I had a surprise birthday party to go to that afternoon for my cousin's 70th birthday. Liz and Nathan came over to ride with me. I never would have guessed Bill was 70, 50 maybe, 60 at the most but he certainly does not look 70.  They had the hall decorated in  Hee Haw decorations and off of that theme a little, but entertaining non the less, Alaina dressed up as Marilyn Monroe and sang Happy Birthday to Bill.  They went to a lot of work on the decorations and food, an overall great party.
MacKensie came home with us and the three of them played games and watched TV while I took a much needed nap.  I haven't been feeling well again and seem to need all the rest I can get.
Sunday:
I went to church and then we went up to Mom and Dad's to celebrate the February birthdays.  Judy's was the 1st, Jay on the 2nd, MacKensie the 12th and Troy's will be on the 26th.  We had cake and ice cream.  Tony brought these great waffle cones and I ate two and that was two too many.  I was stuffed.
We then left to go to April and Mike's for supper.  The meal and visit was great but once again I didn't feel good so we left early.  This not feeling well is a pattern that I hope goes away, I so hope I do not go into another flare up with the lupus, but this feels the same as the other times my body got weak.  Oh, well, could be worse.

The weekend was just what weekends are for; family, visiting, food....... and all that goes with getting together.  I am grateful for these times.

Ham 'n bean cookoff:

Desserts

Mom:  Bread Pudding

Me:  Chocolate Chip Brownies   *Winner

Nadine:  German Dessert

Chad & Todd Bean Entry:
Old fashioned brown beans with ham
My Entry:
White pinto beans with ham and rice *Winner
April's Entry:
White bean chili

Wayne Corn Bread Entry:
Coarse Mill Ground corn bread
Dad's Entry:
Yellow corn bread in a skillet * Winner
My Entry:
Green chile & corn muffins

The group going around and voting for their favorite dishes after tasting each one.

Dad and Dwayne relaxing

Mom and Nathan sharing a joke

Grand Prize Corn Bread Winner:  Dad!!

Dad with his winning plaque.

Lizzy decided we should have a cook off, the women versus the men.  Men could cook in the basement and women upstairs.  I kind of modified her vision and had a ham and bean cook off.  Entries cooked before hand and voted on at the contest.

We had alot of fun and everyone was excited with the choices and just the whole joy of the event.

The afternoon was spent visiting and just relaxing.  People stayed almost all afternoon so that meant it must have been a success.

We were missing a few as Judy was sick with the flu and Katie had an event to go to.  Hope they are able to attend the next cook off Lizzy has planned.  An Italian themed meal will be held at Tony's house sometime in February.  Looking forward to that afternoon.

I am so thankful for the get togethers we have and the close bond I have with my nieces and nephews.

January Sundays:

This is typically what they guys do on Sundays.  Yes, I would rather them be in church but for some reason they don't go anymore.  I'm hoping they will come back in their time frame.

Wood cutters are hungry guys and can't wait to eat their Sunday meal.

The second Sunday in January I made a huge pot of chili and had grilled cheese with provolone and longhorn cheese on Texas Toast size bread.  That was a big hit and they could only eat one sandwich of that size along with their chili.

The third Sunday, I made a huge pot of vegetable soup.  So much that Dwayne and I were looking forward to leftovers one night during the week.  No such luck!!  They ate every bit of it!!  Even with monster grilled cheese to go along with it.

I've enjoyed these laid back Sunday afternoons.  I'm never sure when and how many will show up.  I for sure have Dwayne, Chad and Todd.  And usually a few more show up such as Tim, Dustin and my nephew Michael.

The final Sunday meal calls for a post all in itself.  Hopefully, I will find time this afternoon to post on that fun afternoon.

I am grateful for my family and also wood to give us warmth on these cold winter nights.

January Weekends:

So hard to believe it's the first week of February and I haven't blogged about January yet.
1st Weekend:   Dwayne and I went to church and then to Jefferson City to eat at Chili's as I had a gift card for there.  We stopped by Menard's, at least I've found a store Dwayne will shop with me at.  lol
We drove the back way to St Elizabeth and visited with April and Mike for awhile.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day weren't too exciting.  Dwayne cut wood and I just watched TV.
I did go down to Tony's on New Year's Day for a drop-in.  Lizzy had planned the day, they had snacks and just a time of visiting.
2nd Weekend:  April was getting her car serviced at Weidinger's so I met her there and we went to St. Roberts to shop.  We had a few things to take back to Maurice's and things to pick up at Lowe's.  We were going to eat at a Korean Cafe' I saw advertised but it was only open Monday thru Friday.  (I did get to try the cafe out last week with Sheila and Liz).  We were getting a little worried on trying to find it, the road was getting narrower, businesses a little shadier and then a dead end.  April is like, "Where are you taking us?"  As we were turning around, I saw the little cafe in a row of shops.  Much smaller than what we thought it would be.  We wound up eating at Culvert's.  We had never ate at one before and it was very good.  I had the pot roast sandwich and it's the best and most moist roast beef sandwich I've had anywhere.  Their fries were also very good.
That Sunday, April came over and we went to Mom's for the January birthday's.  We celebrated with cake and ice cream.
3rd Weekend:  I begged (really, I did, I wanted to get out of the house) to tag along with April on her weekly shopping trip to buy groceries in Jefferson City.  I got a really good deal out of my Christmas present from April.  The two sweaters she gave me for Christmas were too big and they didn't have any other sizes.  I took that money and we went to J.C. Penney's.  I usually always find tops/sweaters in my size there.  They had a great clearance and for the money April had, I got one sweater and four tops.  Totally lucked out there!  We tried a few more shops and then April had her rings cleaned and inspected.  Off to Kohl's we went.  I found a purse I liked and that was about it.  Ate lunch at Chili's with the rest of my gift card.
4th Weekend:  Dwayne and I went to St. Elizabeth and met up with April and Mike to head to Jeff City.  We ate at Longhorn Steakhouse and it was very good.   The only store we went to was Menard's as we were on a mission to get counter tops and tile for their kitchen.  (and we DO NOT want to shop anywhere else with them ever again...............  Remember Christmas Shopping Trip Disaster???????  lol)  We had quite the time with getting the counter tops loaded, uh maybe some customer service would have helped out in that area.  April picked out the tile, grout and all the goodies we needed to re tile the back splash in her kitchen.  Dwayne and Chad worked on that last week.  I still haven't got over to see it yet.  Pretty excited to do that this coming Sunday afternoon.
Intermingled with the exciting weekends, I've been sick off and on all month.  I've missed at least two Sundays of church.  I am so planning on getting back to church Sunday.  I've even had a couple people calling to check on me.

I am so grateful for my family and the times we have together.

Wordless Wednesday:

Chansyn Rae

David's beautiful granddaughter

Freaky Friday:

Haven't had time to blog, so I'll have to let pictures do the talking today.
So much fun the kids had with "Red Solo Cups".