Hootenanny Studios

Tim takes one for the team...

2010-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again...time for Tim to take one for the team...

See...a few years ago we were brainstorming how to increase our popcorn sales with the Cub Scouts.
We thought it would be a great idea to create a contest where each person gets an entry and the winners from each den get to Pie the Cubmaster in the Face.

And it went well....really well....

In fact...this year...we sold the most popcorn EVER!

Of course this translated into the most pies thrown EVER!

And he was OK with that....he really was....

Even when his own son got in on the action...

He even gave advice to them on how to get a better throw...

And then this happened...

Poor Tim...Hahahahaha!!!

Playing on Blackhawk Ice....

2010-12-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

Austin was so excited. Today is the day he gets to play sled hockey on Blackhawk Ice. Of course it meant a full day for us of traveling down to the United Center but it was so worth every minute.

They went down into the locker room like the real players and suited up.
They didn't even let us go with him...I was a nervous wreck!

When they came out onto the ice he was beaming! And then they showed up on the jumbo tron...so cool!!

A bunch of friends and family were there to see him play.

He did really well considering he just started playing this year and is only a junior member of the team.

He even tried to cross check an older player...

It was kind of funny.

After his game, we stayed to see his first Blackhawks game...which he loved of course.

Austin is my hero!!

And we call him the Baby Whisperer...

2010-12-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

Shawn loves babies.

There's no denying it.

And they love him back.

We call him the Baby Whisperer.

I love him so.

A funny thing...

2010-12-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

So my friend comes over and is sitting there looking at my Christmas stockings. Suddenly, she jumps up and rearranges them on the hooks to spell out B E A S T. I think she plays a few too many word games.
Another gluten free creation!!

Austin's First Reconcilliation

2010-12-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Even though I am not very religious, it is really cool to see my children go through the same rituals that I did as a child. This weekend Austin made his First Reconcilliation.
My boys are growing up so fast I can't hardly stand it.

And this girl too...she was just a baby yesterday.

Not the best photo of me but the only one I have...

Austin and his Godparents.

My boy...I love him so much!!

The guys.

In the spring he makes his first communion. How exciting!!

What not to wear Part 2...

2010-12-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Lord help my delicate sensibilities...I can't take it!!

The snowman project...

2010-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Dad and Austin went out to build a snowman. This is what they came up with. Slightly creepy.

Christmas tree decorating with the Cub Scouts...

2010-12-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

This year our cub scouts adopted Christmas trees at Cosley Zoo.
Our whole family went to decorate the tree.

Another great photo op in the snow!

Tim and his Webelos den. It's hard to believe that these guys were all little Tiger scouts not that long ago.

And now they're takin' on the Cubmaster!

This guy is already a wolf scout.

And this girl....I don't know about her...she is something else!

Snow day...

2010-12-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

I love taking pictures in the snow.
Something about that white background is so pretty.
And it's so nice to see the kids outside making snow forts and snowmen.

I love these guys!!

I can't remember if I ever posted a pic of the house completed so here it is...that is one loooong house there at the end of the cul de sac...that's for sure...

Christmas Caroling...

2010-12-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite Cub Scout event. I love to watch the faces of the residents when the kids start singing.
And to see how some of the scouts interact with the residents is such a joy.

I think this is a win-win for sure!!

Christmas at our house...

2010-12-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Finally got all of our decorations up...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I love Christmas!!

It makes my house feel so warm and cosy.

Come on over and check it out...

Ella's first tree...

2010-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

This year Ella decided to help me decorate the tree. It was so much fun spending time together and getting her input on the tree decorations. She has strong opinions about how things should be. I love the outfit she chose for this day. What a character!

Hot Tub fun...

2010-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

Thought we'd take a little night time swim...

and do the Macarena...
and a little YMCA...

Cub Scout Fun...

2010-11-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

We had our pack meeting tonight. The kids were so silly. Here is their turkey...

What not to wear...

2010-11-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Starring....

The Cricket!!

Lazy day...

2010-11-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Thought we'd have a lazy day around the house...

We started with a dip in the hot tub... Followed by some homemade hamburger helper and potato pancakes...

Of course Ella thought she should dress up for the occasion.

The Revolutionary war was staged in my living room...

And a good day was had by all...

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great time trick or treating with our friend this year.

My Cricket was the beautiful bride!
She loves her friend...

and was not afraid of the spider at all.

OK...it wasn't that scary.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Pumpkin making...

2010-10-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to making our pumpkins...Ella went with the traditional smiley pumpkin.

Shawn named his pumpkin "Mike" and then wanted only that carved into it. Weird kid.

And Austin and Daddy collaborated on this one....I think it was modeled after Dad actually. Love the ears!!

While sitting at my computer....

2010-10-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

I heard a noise and when I looked up...this guy was at my door. He was so funny.

Happy Squirrel Day!!

Grandma comes for a visit...

2010-10-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. There's so much love!!

Shawn...

2010-10-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

My poor boy...last year he was hit with that nasty Staph infection that landed him in the hospital for 8 days and on IV antibiotics for a month. This year...he fell out of his bunk bed in the middle of the night. He was asleep when it happened. He hit Austin's chair on the way to the floor. At first I thought he simply had a bump on his head and a sore arm...boy was I wrong. After a visit to the ER, a cat scan, and an xray we realized that he had a broken clavicle, a concussion and a subdural hematoma. All together they earned him a 3 day stay in the PICU followed by home monitoring for a week. When he finally went back to school, it was with strict limitations on what he could do for the remainder of the year. I felt so bad for him. What are the chances that this could happen two years in a row!

Me...

2010-10-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

It's rare that I post a picture of myself on here. Not because I don't like them....Mostly because I am always the one behind the camera taking photos of everyone else.

But lately my children have wanted to man the camera so there have been a few good photos of me around...

The man cave...

2010-10-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

So the garage is almost finished and it's time for the old dude club to move in. (and Ella of course...)

Halloween...Part 1...

2010-10-22T05:15:00.000-07:00

I think my kids are pretty lucky. They get to celebrate Halloween several times a year.

This is the first time...at the Cub Scout Pack meeting. I was impressed with their choices this year. They weren't the run of the mill characters.

Austin decided on an Indian Chief. (Chief Blackhawk to be specific) Ella was a blushing bride. And Shawn...

Shawn is my creative child. He decided that he wanted to be a "Ninja Baby". Of course...noone had any idea what that was but he sure enjoyed being one.

I think the best part of these costumes was the weapons of course.

She looked so beautiful...and so grown up!

But her brothers still went around staging fake bride murders.

She didn't care though....she still loved them so much!

I decided on a gypsy fortune teller. Scary...I know...

And this....this is what happens when you don't plan ahead and decide at the last minute to throw together a costume from the costume bin in the basement. Scary!

And speaking of hippie children...

2010-10-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

My beautiful fashionista!! Note the flip flops.

My hippie child...

2010-10-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is Shawn.

Shawn wanted long hair.
So he grew it out.

And now I can't find him any more...

Hockey...

2010-10-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Austin is now playing hockey and he loves it.
I was so worried about him being able to skate around in the sled but he was rocking it.
He looks so cute in his uniform.

His main goal is to cross check people...

stay upright...

and go after that puck...

and so far he is doing a great job. I am so proud of him!!

Thanks Deanna!!

2010-10-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Love....Love....Love it!!

Cub Scout Camping...

2010-09-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

It's Cub Scout camping time again.

Time to hang out with your friends in the woods.

Time to be tough when you fall on a stick in the woods.

and time for the Cricket to sneak cookies while she thinks no one is watching...

Annual Jefferson Hay Ride...

2010-09-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

For years now I have had at least one child at Jefferson Preschool. That means that we have participated in the annual Hay Ride at the Danada Equestrian Center.

I always try for a cute family picture.....of course...getting all 5 people to smile at once is impossible. So here are the two pics that have "almost" everyone smiling.
The kids love the games...

And Daddy loves to stop by the Mustangs to say Hi!

They are quite beautiful.

I wonder what the horse replied?

It is cool to be able to touch these creatures that used to only be found in the wild.

And then there's this wild thing.....no breaking her...that's for sure!

The morning after....

2010-09-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

Funny how the party just never seems to end...
Cute!

Thanks to everyone who stayed over and helped us clean up everything. By the end of the day, you would have never known there was a party at our house. Yeah!!

Happy 20th Anniversary to us!!

2010-09-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be fun to get together with our friends and family to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. A pig roast was in order...

Luckily the garage was completed just in time to host the party since the weather was questionable that day.
Lots of flowers and fun summer colors!
The piggie arrived...looking yummy!! (don't look YaYa!)
I guess it cooked most of the night to be ready for us. These guys were great.

Tim brought out the Patron and the party was on...

The guys...love them!!

Uncle George and Aunt Mary...so cute!!

Cindy and Steve made it up from Indiana. She was my Maid of Honor.

And I have no idea how I would have done it all without my friend Deanna!

The kids had a blast hanging out by the fire pit.

Silly boys.

And the hot tub was a big hit with the kids as well.

Love her!!

Cousins from Wisconsin. Wish I would have had more time to sit and visit.

The girl with the golden locks....and Waldo (LOL).

It was so much fun to see everyone.

I can't believe it's been 20 years since we said "I do." It really doesn't seem that long. I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

Uncle Bill!!

Beautiful Nieces...

My guys.

Now that's a motley looking crew.

Creepy!!!Old friends...

And then we threw the kids out and the adults got a shot in the hot tub...

And it was a party baby!

Such a great night. The cops only came once....nothing got broken....there was no blood...all in all....success!!

Happy Anniversary Honey...here's to the next 20 years together.

Cricket...

2010-09-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Austin's 8th Birthday...

2010-09-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

As always we started the day with a brownie in bed.
Took my standard birthday photos.

What can I say...they are tight!

and cute!

She loves her brother!!

Then it was on to dinner out with friends. (I forgot the camera)

We came home for some cake.

And the kids enjoyed visiting...

Happy Birthday Bubs!!

A little garage update...

2010-09-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we talked about the garage...We have some landscaping going in the front around the new sidewalk.
And we finally got a nice day to put the floor down. It was a lot of work but turned out soooo nice.

And I got the coolest lights for the front...

More to come...it's a work in progress after all...

So many outfits....

2010-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

...so little time...

My snack, My cellphone, and I'm ready to go...

2010-08-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ella's First Day of School...

2010-08-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yes...she chose her own outfit. No I have nothing to say about it.
And yes...she loves her brother dearly...

My Cricket is in her last year of pre-school. I am happy to see the amazing and wonderful person she is becoming but I am also sad to see her growing up so fast. Ella is a force to be reckoned with. She is funny, smart, creative, interesting and fun! I love spending my days hanging out with her. She has her own sense of style and her own opinions about everything. I regularly post the funny things she says on facebook as my Cricketisms of the Day. I love this girl and I will miss her dearly when she is in school all day...kind of...

Papa Rick...

2010-08-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hits the hot tub...

Yes...as a matter of fact that is MY bedroom...

2010-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

...of course you'd never know it by looking all summer...

And then there's this...

I don't even know how to explain this...
Except that I pulled out a camera...

Oh my!!

It's back to school time again...

2010-08-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

The boys start back today...Shawn is in 4th grade and Austin is in 2nd grade.Shawn is such a cool dude. He is growing out his hair and is determined to have it very long. I have no idea where he gets that from. He loves making up stories, characters and has a fabulous imagination. He is the nicest boy who sticks up for everyone and has a great inner compass for doing the right thing. I can't believe my first baby is in 4th grade already.

And then there's this guy...my Austin. He is a riot. He has an amazing sense of humor and keeps up laughing all the time. Austin is seriously smart and seems much older than he really is. I am so proud of how he has conquered all of the challenges he has faced and continues to amaze me with his resilliance and drive. While he is only in 2nd grade because of his birthday...he really should be in 3rd or 4th based on his intellect.

My kids are great friends. They stick up for each other and genuinely like just being together. I hope they are always as kind and loving toward each other as they are today! I love you guys!

Our summer vacation-2010...the trip home...

2010-08-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

On our way home we stopped by the Badlands and took a drive...

I told them to stay in the car but they never listen...

I could not believe how big this was...or how beautiful. I wish I could have seen it at sunset.

I love it when my children decide to take the picture.

And that, my friends, is the end of this vacation...

Our summer vacation-2010 (part 1)

2010-08-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to take the long drive out to Mt Rushmore.

Everyone was loaded up and ready to roll. Our first stop was in Sioux Falls South Dakota. Of course we had to head down to see the Falls.
Of course when we got there...the entire place was roped off with yellow ribbon.
Turns out the recent rains forced the city to dump all of their raw sewage into the falls. Not the best start to our vacation...

The drive to Rapid City was veeeeery long. It was punctuated by these odd sculptures and lots of signs for Wall Drugs.

We made a stop over at the Corn Palace. It was less exciting in person than in the literature.

Of course there was a big store there with this really cool fake hair that everyone had to try on.

Even Dad...

There were lots of "corny" things to pose with also.

This guy was creepy. These fake people were everywhere.

If you are ever in Mitchell South Dakota...well...here it is...

Nuff said...

Moving on to more driving and more signs for Wall Drugs.

Definitely not what I expected. Just a big tourist store. But the kids had fun after sitting in the car for 5 hours.

Love them!!

And him...

Not so much the big fake dinosaur...

Bison are cool...according to my children.

Strange.

Even stranger...a jackalope.

Of course Austin found the "Sue" head to pose with. Love the face.

And then it was time to mine the fake mines...that was after the candy that is all over her face.

Cute!

Sexy!!

They loved it of course.

I had a little stop over in the chapel.

And finally...we got to Rapid City and the hotel. The pool was fantastic.

Complete with a water slide!!

It was love at first sight for the kids.

And the biggest kid of them all...LOL

The coolest tunnel.

The first day it rained so we skipped Mt Rushmore and hit the fun animal places.

If your kids love animals as much as mine do...this is the place for you.

There were so many neat critters. (including these 3)

Hmmm...interesting...

A 100 year old turtle. Needed a pedicure!

And then it was on to Bear Country U.S.A.

We drove through the place and saw all kinds of wild animals up close.

Push Bubs...

We finally made the drive out to Mt Rushmore. Welcome to Keystone SD.

Almost there...

And suddenly...there it was!!

Then we headed over to the Crazy Horse Memorial...at least what there was of it.

There was a neat history area with very interesting artifacts.

And this guy...

We visited a gold mine where we were able to go deep into the earth and pan for gold.

It was so cool...

Another very cool bridge...all wooden.

One day we took a drive out to Wyoming. Tim thought he might like to live here...

We wanted to see this...

If you are into giant rocks sticking straight out of the ground...it is worth the drive...

It was hot that day!

On our way out of town we found this prairie dog village. It went on for miles. Very cool.

And then it was on to Deadwood...

We visited the cemetary where Wild Bill Hickok was buried with Calamity Jane.

I loved that cemetary...even though I almost had a chest grabber getting up to it.

Everything in this town is straight up hill...I would never go anywhere.

It is a beautiful town...but mostly a gambling venture now.

Most of the town was buried at one point so the buildings are not original to the time of the TV series. I guess that Deadwood is 8 ft under.

But it was neat to see anyway. We ate at the Gem Saloon.

They told us it was the best in town...yikes!!

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Military cemetary.

So much sadness...so much beauty...

Our summer vacation-2010 (part 2)

2010-08-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

Mid week and we took a drive out to Custer State Park.

This park has the largest group of free roaming Bison in the world.
I had never seen one up close...they were BIG.
And cute...and smelly...

And dangerous I guess.

When we got out of the car to take some photos...the game warden told us that some people had been mauled just that week.

So we got back in the car...cause that really would have ruined the vacation.

Plus you had to watch out for this...

The park was so beautiful...as was all of South Dakota really...at least until the Cricket got there...

On our way through the park we ran into some donkeys. (not literally)

But they were standing in the middle of the road.

They were pretty cute...for donkeys. And they were not shy...

But maybe hungry...considering this one tried to eat my rear view mirror.

Got construction debris...

2010-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Make this...

Sculpture by Shawn and Austin.

Uncle Bill finally gets his wish...

2010-08-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

Uncle Bill has wanted to ride on my John Deere for the longest time.Of course I wouldn't let him...cause I don't let anyone ride on my tractor.
Then one day Tim let him get on and move the lawn. He was so happy....and so was I.

The big garage project...

2010-08-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here's the house the day we started the new garage.

Framing the foundation. Pouring the foundation.

Adding the heat for the floor.

The final foundation pour.

Lots of framing.

Add some siding.

And a dormer to blend the old garage into the house. (version #1)

More to come....

Summer fun...kid style...

2010-07-11T19:25:00.001-07:00

Thought I would capture a typical summer day at our house...

(white trash slip n slide...)

Best friends...

And this...

Hope your summer is as wet and wild as ours...

Starved Rock

2010-07-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

We took a nice drive out to Starved Rock.
It was a beautiful day...
Of course we did not realize exactly how NOT accessible this place was. Wow...

Of course Ella had fun going around hugging all the statues...

Shawn too! Austin and I hung out together while the others went hiking. He was not in the mood to have any pictures taken this day.

I think Ella took this one...pretty good.

Dad took Ella and Shawn out hiking on all the trails. Way longer than anticipated. They were exhausted! A fun day...

Happy Fourth of July...

2010-07-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

from our gang!

the Cricket...
the Peanut...

and...the Bubs...

Summer...

2010-06-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I love summer in our yard...

The birds are finished making babies and my houses are empty...
The flowers are in full bloom...

The herbs are yummy...

And the tomatoes are popping up all over the vines...

The kid toys are strewn all over the yard...

And I am enjoying the new planting boxes...

A few fires have been made...

And all is good in our world...

Shawn goes to Camp...

2010-06-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

Shawn and Daddy are headed off to Scout Summer Camp...

I hope Shawn doesn't have to carry Dad's pack very far...

Lasagna...

2010-06-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Had a craving for lasagna tonight...

Had a great time harvesting the herbs from my own garden...This lasagna had spinach, Italian sausage, ricotta, motz, romano, alfredo sauce and red gravy.

It was super yummy!! Of course we didn't eat the lasagna alone...there was garlic bread...

and watermelon....of course...it is summer after all...

Summertime...

2010-06-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is where my children spend a lot of their summer.
Jumping on the trampoline.

This year the kids have added a new dimension to the trampoline experience.

It's called "The Butt".

Any time I pull out the camera now I get..."The Butt".

Unless I say..."Cut it out...no one wants to see your butts."

And then I get this...I have no idea what this is...maybe the butts weren't so bad after all.

There...that's better...a nice face picture.

And right as I was taking the trampoline pics this giant bird flew over our house. This was the best picture I could get on such short notice but it was pretty cool.

Welcome to summertime...

Catching up...

2010-06-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

School is almost out and my time will be limited so I wanted to catch up on some blogging.

Tim and I were so excited to meet one of our Facebook friends and his wife a few weeks ago. It's funny when you get to know someone on the computer and then meet them in person. We were very fortunate to genuinely enjoy the real "Marty" as much as the online version...

Of course no blog post would be complete without a quick Cricket photo.
Austin's class took a Field Trip to the zoo the other day. He begged me to let him take the camera with him to document the day. At first I was reluctant but I am glad I ended up letting him take it as it was really interesting to see things from his perspective.

Someone took a few pictures of him which was really nice.

And he took a bunch of animal photos. I was so impressed with his vision in the pictures. He did a great job framing them and choosing what to photograph. (well...except for the 27 photos of blue..."Look Mom, a seal. Look Mom, a dolphin. Look Mom, a walrus.")

He has now decided that he would like to become a photographer.

Mom thinks that is a great idea!!

Happy Summer everyone...it's going to be a crazy one around here...

Another Cricket post...

2010-05-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

I know...I know

It's good thing my boys don't read my blog because they would be wondering why the last like 27 posts involved only the Cricket. But let me tell ya...this was too good to pass up...

This is how the Cricket came out this morning for school. Yes...those are leg warmers!
In case you missed it... here's a close up. She has on her summer shorts outfit and her leg warmers. And no amount of bribing, cajoling, threatening etc...was going to get her to change.

In fact...she was quite proud of her ensemble. I tried to pretend that she wasn't mine but all that "Mom" calling probably gave it away.

Maybe she will be the next Lady GaGa??

(just kidding)

Cheerleading...Cricket style...

2010-05-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

The Cricket decided that her "sport" was going to be cheerleading...rah rah!!

Today they held a Pep Rally to show all the cool cheers they had learned over the past 6 weeks.

If you want to sit for an hour with a huge smile plastered over your face cheering like a mad person...go see a Pep Rally put on by 4 year olds.

These girls are the real deal...(minus the fancy uniforms & attitudes of course)

Of course the Cricket was not quite in sync with the other girls.

She does not like to do what everyone else is doing.

But she did pretty well overall.

OMGoodness...could you just eat them up...they are seriously the cutest things ever!

Here she is...being unique again...with the "pom on the head" move.

I tried to explain that "uniqueness" is not a valued commodity in cheerleading.

She gave me that deer in the headlights look.

It's funny how you can kind of see which girls already look the part. Like the girl in black and yellow...she has a future in cheerleading...definitely...

The Cricket on the other hand...hmmm

Maybe not so much...

Seriously...if you didn't smile at this...well...I would be worried.

I tried to take a photo of us together...of course I had no makeup on and was doing yardwork all day so didn't want to traumatize anyone by including my whole self...

Your welcome!

New stuff from the studio...

2010-05-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

I found this cool skirt at the Baby Gap and planned a whole outfit around it.

The jacket was Re-purposed Baby Gap (from the Salvation Army of course).
The hat was made to match from a soft acrylic yarn and embellished with felt, sweater fabric and buttons.

This was a size 6-12 months and has already found a new home.

More new work coming soon...

Girls...

2010-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is the Cricket.

She is a funny character.

She makes me smile every day...all day.

This is the Cricket's closet.

This is what happens when you finally have a girl after two boys.

And this is what is going on in my studio lately...

Happy Mother's Day...

2010-05-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous Mom's out there that go above and beyond for your families each and every day!! I hope your day is the best...

(mine sure was...)

Happy Friday!

2010-05-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

More things that make me smile...

A Mother's Day present from my Cricket...

Beautiful flowers...
Grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch (gluten free of course)...
Starting a new project...

Finding a match to my favorite lamp...

Almost finished with a new jacket...

Hanging out with this girl...

A happy new buddha on my shelf...

Date night with the best husband ever...

Hope your Friday was as bright and colorful as mine!

Things that make me smile...

2010-05-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

my "Fashionista"
my bench

my newest artwork

my new dvd albums...bye bye cases!

my handsome men...taking ties to school to donate

What makes you smile?

Shawn's First Communion

2010-05-02T18:00:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Shawn made his First Communion. Although you normally make it in second grade, we got a late start so he was catching up in third.

I was so proud of him. He had to attend religious ed 2 nights a week all year to do the prep work.

My scheduled professional photos had to be postponed until Austin was over his pneumonia so we took some pictures around the yard. Of course the Cricket was clinging on in every one.

And speaking of the Cricket...this was her chosen dress for the First Communion. And if the zebra print wasn't wild enough, she decided to add every bracelet in her collection. (I told her that the "Madonna" look ended in the 80's but she just gave me THAT look)

There were limited opportunities to photograph the service but it was quite beautiful. Here are the children singing a special song they prepared for us.

Shawn prepared for this day with his best friend B.

It was hard to see him looking so poised and grown up.

Like two peas in a pod these two.

Such handsome Hethcoat men!

Here we are with the priests from St. Michaels.

We love this boy so much!!

We followed the service with a luncheon at our house. It was great to spend time with the many family and friends who came to celebrate with Shawn.

We even had a gluten filled cake. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief on that one!

We'll see you all next year when it's Austin's turn...

A photo session with 3 monkeys...

2010-04-23T05:54:00.001-07:00

Last night was the annual 1st grade Fishy Show. Austin was so excited to participate. He had tie dyed his t-shirt and designed his sea creature on the front.

I decided that we needed to take some photos before we left...so I asked my 3 monkeys to pose for me...
"OK everyone...SMILE..."
(we have reached the age where no photo session is complete without a set of rabbit ears)

"Hey...Guys...Look at me..."

("Shawn, get your finger out of your ear!")

"Come on!!! Just smile like normal people..."

("Maybe if I get closer...")"Geesh...what the heck is that...let's try again...SMILE!"

"Well...I guess this is the best we can do..."

"Hey Mom, can we do a silly pose?" "Sure...go ahead..."

("OK...seriously...you look like your about to poop on him.")

Oh well...at least I can get a good photo of one kid.

Great job at the Fishy Show Austin!!

Her own sense of style...

2010-04-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter...

She got a new bathing suit today and thought the appropriate coordinating footwear should be winter boots.

Of course she also chose this dress...

Little hippie...

Happy Birthday Shawn!

2010-04-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that my baby just turned 9 years old. He is growing into such a great guy!

We started the birthday day with our traditional "special" breakfast. Shawn doesn't really like cake so this year I made him an icecream sundae. Boy was he excited...

Those flashes are too bright first thing in the morning.
The boys love to look at their first scrapbook while they eat breakfast on their birthdays.

Shawn wanted to compare his current foot to his newborn footprint...yikes...

I like to take a bunch of pics of them on their birthday...it is fun to look back through the years to see how they have changed.

He was excited to take donuts to share in school and then we went out to Domo 77 for his birthday dinner. Of course I forgot the camera!

Today we had Shawn's "kid" party. It was at Monkey Joe's...

He was so excited to sit in the BIG chair...

He was joined by lots of friends from school...

Tim posing with Austin's ticket stash...

Ella had a blast...

And everyone had fun trying out the BIG chair...

Austin invited his best buddy to join him at the party...

He had such a blast wearing out the games...

I think I need some of those big bouncy things at my house...

The kids had a blast getting all sweaty...

Oh my...

Taking a food break...pizza and cake of course...

The actual Monkey came for a visit...

Shawn seemed to like him...but Ella informed me that he was NOT real but just a guy dressed up in suit...in her most serious Cricket voice.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake...

And then it was off to play some more...

Thanks to everyone who came to party with Shawn!

And Happy Birthday to my handsome little man!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

This year Easter fell at the end of our Spring Break.
Our Spring Break was pretty much one big case of the stomach flu around here which made for some pretty sad faces. Unfortunately, Shawn got the "bug" on Saturday which meant that he missed out on the egg coloring.

Of course the Cricket was all about the egg decorating.

Austin was excited to show off his missing tooth.

Ella was pretty serious about her eggs.

While Austin spent more time showing off his new basketball jersey. "#4"

Look Mom...an egg...

And "Smurf" fingers...

All done...look how beautiful they are...

Shawn was feeling better on Easter morning but we stayed home from Church just in case (Oh Darn!!)

The bunny left the baskets filled with goodies.

The kids were so excited...

Cool shirt dude!

Now that they are getting older...the bunny is trying to be more creative with the egg hiding.

But not so creative that the eggs cannot be found...

More like..."funny" creative...

Gotta love the morning hair!

And the afternoon Leg o Lamb. It was so beautiful out so we cooked it on the grill. I will never prepare it any other way! It was fabulous.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We sure did...

Spring Break Day Four...It's all about the water...

2010-04-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

The kids had a fun day getting wet with their friends.
First a bunch of the neighborhood kids joined ours in the hot tub.

There were 9 kids in there...

Ella is the youngest in the group but she still rules the tub!

That baby tells it like it is...

Shawn was happy to be surrounded by all the girls.

She still tries to wear this suit every day.

Oh my goodness...that face.

Remember when giving people "bunny ears" was just the funniest thing?

We had a discussion about Shawn's longer hair and how it is very "Justin Bieberish".

Then the girls restyled it a bit...yikes...can anyone say "comb over"?

I'd say this was the Fonz but then my son would say "who?".

This guy just wanted to show off his lost tooth.

My boy...got a little sunburn out there.

After spending all day hanging out in the tub...we met some friends at a hotel for swimming all night.

This poor girl ended her night by throwing up...but not in the pool!

This guy had such a great time in the pool.

Look at those handsome guys...hot tubbing again.

Shawn liked getting thrown in.

They had so much fun.

Oh my!!

A little pool "volleyball".

I wish we could have stayed longer but my poor Cricket was so sick and continued to be all night.

I can't believe that Spring Break is almost over...

Spring Break Day Three...

2010-03-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing...and everything!

We took no photos this day because we really didn't do anything but hang out around the house. I will probably look back on this day as one of my favorites!

Oh well...

Spring Break Day Two...Recovery

2010-03-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

Having thought I was going to be stuck in the house nursing sick children today...I made no plans...but children can be tricky and by lunch time...Austin was feeling better and out the door.

Ella decided that this would be a great time to learn to roller skate.

So on went the new princess skates and off she went...
I think the helmet made her a little top heavy myself. Good thing for the "big" girls who helped out the little people.

Ella was frustrated that she couldn't just skate off like one of the bigger girls.

But she kept at it and pretty soon she could walk without falling.

Of course she prefered to fly down the driveway with Lexi.

Looks like she might have it...

And then there's this. Non stop throwing up from yesterday morning until this morning and now look at him...he told me today that he just needed some fresh air to feel better and I guess it worked because he was outside the whole rest of the day feeling fine.

Of course Tim took advantage of the warm weather to tune up his boat after work. I like to think he is blowing me a kiss here and not just commenting on how "sweeet" the motor sounds.

I found Shawn in his favorite tree.

I swear that child is part monkey.

It's not the tallest tree in town but it fits a few kids quite nicely.

We had a minor meltdown. The Cricket retreated to her room where she proceeded to open the window so we could all hear her displeasure. Brat!!

Shawn worked on his flips on the trampoline. I couldn't seem to catch one is progress but they were pretty impressive and he was able to land them on his feet.

My handsome guy!

I was afraid to ask. Seriously...don't ask...

And we celebrated the warm weather with a summer meal...BBQ chicken and potato salad...yummo!

It was like a summer day at our house with 20 assorted children running in and out and staying over til 9pm to watch a movie. I had forgotten how many snacks they go through...time to restock the pantry!

Day three...here we come...

Spring Break Day One...Field Museum (sort of)

2010-03-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

The kids and I decided to start out our spring break by visiting their favorite museum...

We invited our friend Kailey along for the ride. I had no qualms about taking 4 kids to the museum alone...they are great kids! Here we are upon arrival.

My Bubs...pre-sickness

Aren't they cute!

I love "walking away" shots. Call me crazy...but I do.

Hanging with Sue while we wait for other friends to arrive.

The Cricket was in her glory with another girl to hang out with.

Happy!

A little Elephant Butt...I mean really, would your day be complete without it??

Aren't they sweet...I think Shawn has a little crush on this "older" woman.

Good thing I took so many photos right when we arrived.

We finally met up with our other friends. I always laugh at how there is so much to do but my kids could spend half the time just playing on the tile "world".

The gangs all here...even the scary skinny dude.

One of my favorite exhibits...it was fun to share this with friends who had never been to the museum before.

Of course it was also here that Austin first lost his "cookies". (literally & figuratively)

Thinking it might be an isolated incident...we persevered.

And headed to the beach...where we had a minor recovery.

(please note the Cricket's famous "hip" pose)

(I have to quit looking at this one cause Shawn looks like a teenager and it scares me...)

Unfortunately, the recovery was short lived and we ended up having to rush home to tend to a sick boy. Poor guy...I promised the disappointed children that we would attempt this trip again soon. On to Day Two...hope it's a bit less exciting...

Austin's in the game!!

2010-03-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Austin has recently taken up wheelchair basketball. The team he plays with is called the Warriors. Although he is just a junior member, still learning, he was able to participate in a real game at a recent fundraising event. Boy was he excited!
He was given his first jersey and his official number..."4". Then he met with Coach Kevin for a little pep talk.

Ella and I were there to cheer him on.

(Please disregard the above outfit...she is still on the Tutu a Day program.)

Austin spent some time practicing his technique like the cool way he picks the ball up by rolling it on his wheel.

He also did a little dribbling.

Sorry...I can't get enough of this move!

Austin's teacher passed the word along to his classmates and he was so excited when his friends started showing up for his event.

Miss Sender was not intimidated by the wheels...she jumped right in and challenged Austin.

Austin's teacher Miss Keith was there to cheer him on along with some classmates.

(I think I heard Miss Sender say that some ice packs were in her future after all this pushing)

Miss Keith looks like she is having a "sweet ride"!

Here is Austin with Miss Keith...she is a wonderfully supportive teacher and we are so grateful that Austin is in her class this year.

Wheelchair conga line anyone??

Miss "J", Austin's amazing school aide along with a classmate.

The Cricket catches a ride.

Miss Sender is Austin's special ed coordinator at school. Again, we are so grateful to this amazing and supportive staff who took their own personal time to come to this event and support our son. He was stoked beyond belief to have his own cheering section in the bleachers. (And boy did they cheer...AAAAUUUSTIIIIN!!!)

All of the visiting friends got to try their hand at wheelchair basketball. It really gave everyone a taste of what it is like to be Austin for an evening.

Austin even took a few friends for a ride.

Austin joined his teammates on the sidelines for the start of the game.

When the coach first asked him if he wanted to go in to play...he said no. But they don't take no for an answer so in he went.

I was so proud of him...he played his heart out.

Especially considering that it wasn't just the kids out there...it was the adult Bulls as well.

Go Austin!!

Of course the game was just for fun, and to raise money to help support the team. Unlike most sports, wheelchair sports involve very expensive equipment as well as many travel expenses. Austin's friends made sure that those Bulls didn't stand a chance by donating $1.00 a point to keep the Warriors ahead throughout the game.

Not only did the team raise some much needed money, but everyone had such a great time cheering them on.

Even Dad was on hand to high five a very triumphant Austin.

Thanks everyone for coming out to support our son and the Warriors!

We are so proud of this guy!!

Love you Austin...

The Jesus Pageant

2010-03-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Shawn's acting debut. His religious ed class put on a Jesus pageant in church.
He originally got selected to play Pontius Pilate but he didn't like that guy or his morals so he asked to switch characters. Here he is as Joseph of Arimathea.

He was a little bit stressed out by the whole process. I don't think an acting career is in his future.
It was a cute production!

Shawn and Ben...relieved to be done I think.

An impromptu photo shoot...

2010-03-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

We were all dressed up to head off to Shawn's Church play and I thought...what a great opportunity for some new photos. So...here they are...enjoy!

That devious Cricket face that means LOOK OUT!!

And then there's the Bubs...minus the tooth that Mom pulled out yesterday...

My boys are brothers and best friends... And my Shawn...all grown up looking...when did that happen...

(note: yes...he won the battle to have long hair!)

Here they are acting like themselves...

And when Mom says: "Come on guys, just smile."

My beautiful babies! I am so proud of them!!

She finally got it!!

2010-02-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

The suit that shows her "belly button".
She saw one last year and wanted it but I already bought the one piece so she was out of luck.

But this year she made sure to remind me when she saw them in Target today.

She has been hula-ing all over my house today...thrilled to be showing off her belly...YIKES!!

Snow Days...

2010-02-23T15:49:00.001-08:00

Woke up yesterday morning to this...
Couldn't help but snap a few photos of the yard...

I love this one...like an abstract painting...

...and this one...everything so monotoned except for the blue bench.

The neverending Cricket Birthday...

2010-02-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Cricket was so excited for her family party.
She was super excited about the presents.
And the beautiful flower brought by her "Godfather"...

The guitar cake (number 2) was made by Mom...

...and she couldn't wait to blow out those candles and dig in!

I only got a few candids at the party because I was so busy...

(OK...busy drinking Sangria and eating...shhhhh)

Here is the Tom Study:

Tom #1

Tom #2

Tom #3

In this family you have to be careful when you wear this shirt...since we all have them...you could show up somewhere and match everyone else...just sayin'

I love this photo of Uncle Bill...

She was so excited to see Matt and Sara

Check out the complete birthday outfit...she is on the tutu a day program!

And this guy...OMG...I wasn't sure I would survive his cuteness. I had a brief, fleeting moment of weakness where I thought for sure I would have to make more babies...but it passed...whew!

These guys...

And her new best buddy...

Someone shot this photo of me...(yeah...thanks)

Oh My!! Kristy...gross!

Hey Eugene...how are ya?

Me and Kelly...in the moment...up close and personal...

It was so much fun seeing everyone and hanging out...let's do it again soon...

How to Party like a Cricket!!

2010-02-06T17:34:00.001-08:00

It was that time again...time for the big Cricket bash. The tickets and back stage passes were sent out...

The commemorative concert t-shirts and cd's were produced...
Complete with a customized photo by Uncle O. You know E's favorite band is the "Kisses".

The sign was hung for all to see...

And we marked the door to the stage so everyone would know where to go...

The goodie bags were packed...

with a little Thank You from the Cricket to her friends!

And I even made my first official birthday cake...a guitar of course...and gluten free so even Mom could have a bite. (It was pretty yummy!!)

The table was set...

And most of all...the Cricket was ready too!!

(OK...truth be told she was ready at 7 am but who's counting)

She was having way too much fun with the birthday goods...

But she looked so darn cute in her "Rockstar" shirt.

Once all the girls arrived, they were directed to the costume area where they were treated to the full Rockstar Treatment.

The nail salon was in full force...and the most popular stop for the girls.

The Tattoo station was also a popular stop...I think everyone got at least one.

Of course the wig department was hopping...Pink was a popular look followed by purple.

Everyone was able to make our necklace craft and a rock star sign for their door.

No one wanted to have their face painted...but we definitely had interest in the dance studio...

A few rounds of Freeze Dance got everyone in the rockin' mood.

They loved singing in the microphones and watching themselves in the big tv screen.

Sometimes they would become so involved in just watching themselves that they would forget that they were dancing...

The drums were a big hit and quite a few girls took a turn at banging out a tune.

(yes...I took some advil before this started)

I love the hair!!

Eventually everyone just decided to play with the regular toys...which was fun too!

I think this girl has star written all over her...look at her doing karaoke...look out Mom.Of course the dress up clothes were a big hit...Nice hat!

Finally it was some for some nourishment...the pizza had arrived!

These girls had worked up quite the appetite with all that dancing.

Strawberries were a big hit.

Rabbit ears anyone??

Now there's an interesting strawberry eating technique...

Ella seemed to really like her cake.

The official song was sung...

The candles were blown out...

And every face was covered in chocolate goodness.

Everyone was excited to help with the gift opening...

We received so many wonderful things...

They were all so excited to see "their" gift opened.

Hugs were given...

So cute!!

I love the look on her face here...Oh My!!

Here is a group shot...minus 1...

It was hard to get them all sitting together...let alone smiling at the same time.

I love this...Miss C. looks like she is holding her head together...so cute!

Here are a few post party shots...in case you were wondering if she truly loved her gifts...

And finally...a big THANKS to all of my party helpers...I couldn't have done it without you!!

Much love...MWAH!!

2010...Goals and wishes...

2010-01-16T19:53:00.001-08:00

As we rang in the New Year this year, I asked everyone in my family to think about a list of places they want to visit in 2010. Sometimes I feel like time just flutters away and we get to the end of a year without doing so many of the things we had planned on just because we either forgot about them or just couldn't squeeze them in. But this year I am determined for it to be different around here. We will set goals and meet them! So here are our top 10 places...

1. Starved Rock

My son Shawn wants to visit Starved Rock because they told him at school that a bunch of Indians starved up there and he really wants to see it in person. I am not sure if he has some idea that there will be a bunch of dead Indians there or not but it is close, and doable so it is on the list.

2. Brookfield Zoo

This was Ella's contribution to the list. It was one of the items that got talked about last year but never seemed to materialize. This year...it's on!

3. Camping

Tim's contribution (of course). You all know that my kind of camping is at the Holiday Inn. Hmmm...I will have to think hard on this one.

4. Pheasant Run...Again!

Since our summer trip to this resort ended in Shawn's hospitalization, the kids want to try it again...to make better memories. I agree...we will be headed there for a weekend soon.

5. Iron River

We missed going to visit my cousins in northern Michigan last year...I miss you guys!!

6. The beach...any beach...

A few summers ago we rented a house on Lake Michigan in Michigan and it was fabulous. The kids really want to go back again.

7. Disney World

Working on this one...I want to get there before the Princess Magic is gone for my daughter.

8. Museums

All of them...my children would like to live at the Field Museum. They really want to visit the Planetarium which we have never been to before and to go back to the Aquarium again.

9. Big Blue Lake

We don't go up for a week any more but a weekend would be nice. Terry...Debbie...want to join us for a weekend away?? Big Blue is calling...

10. Galena

This is a Mom wish again. I would like to do a spring weekend there alone with my husband. Of course I need some babysitters for this...anyone...hello...

Now I know that this list may not seem too exciting to many of you out there. There are no exotic locations on here but with 3 small children this is pretty ambitious for us. Now they are published...out there in blog land so of course I have to get it done!

In addition to the trip list...I have also been making a more personal list of things to achieve this year. And since I know you really want to know what I have planned...here goes...

1. Finish this house darn it! All those little unfinished projects...wrap it up already.

2. Build a garage...a big one...really big!

3. Complete phase 2 of our rennovation project which involves opening up the existing garage to our living/dining room and getting my long awaited fireplace...(hear that Jason??).

4. Get organized...once and for all.

5. Start working again...business is calling and I have to start answering the phone already.

6. Be nicer to Brad...LOL.

7. Pick a school and get registered...yes people...I am going back!

8. Rub my husband's feet, back and any other part he requests...frequently and without complaint.

9. Get my health under control...which I have a pretty good start on now with a diagnosis finally. And get in shape as well.

10. Most importantly of all...spend even more time with friends and family...more dinners, nights out, camp fires, hot tubbing, and parties...so come on over...the water's warm!

For a while now I have been collecting "H"s. You know...like my husband's nickname..."H". I have had them packed away because I couldn't figure out what to do with them. But now, thanks to our recent kitchen reno, I have finally found a home for all those letters. The two pics above show just a few of the seriously large collection. When I finish putting them all up I will post a picture of the wall. So far...so good. The painting is also hanging in that stairway and is larger than it looks...like 5' tall. I love the wall color and how all the other colors pop from that.

And since someone asked me recently, yes...I am back to producing children's clothing under my Cricket label...guess who that's named after??? Here is an outfit I created for Shawn's teacher as she is about to have a baby soon. All of my denim jackets are repurposed which is good for everyone. The accessories are crocheted...like the hat here. And I have some funky new ideas for 2010 that I hope will be as well received as the products from 2009. I even have a new label...

So there you have it...all my lists for 2010. Just keepin it real around here at the studio. Now I am accountable...we will see how I do when I am writing this same post again next year. Sadly...it will be here before you know it so I better go get busy.

Happy New Year everyone...

2009...A Recap...

2010-01-01T16:14:00.001-08:00

As we rang in the New Year...I looked sadly on my blog from 2009 and realized that, due to unforseen circumstances, my blog did not get updated for 8 months. With a firm resolution to get back to blogging...I knew that my first task would be to catch up on 2009. With that in mind...here is a brief (LOL) recap of the rest of our year...

April brought Shawn's 8th birthday. He opted to have a bunch of friends over for a hot tub party. Seeing him, hanging out with his friends was such a flash to the teen years for me...

He also chose his annual dinner at Domo for the family dinner.

Of course he also likes the girls...well...this one in particular...

And then there was the Cricket's dance recital in May...for a girl who refused to practice...she sure did well at the dance.

May also brought Tim's annual Canadian fishing trip...What started with a snow storm...ended pretty well as you can see here.

In June I finally decided to tackle the repainting of Ella's room. She loved her new space but was upset with me that I did not paint the floor and ceiling pink as well. Yikes!!

Also in June, we attended the D-Day anniversary at Cantigny. What a fabulous event. We met some of the remaining D-day survivors as well as a lot of current soldiers. My boys loved seeing the aircraft.

Oh My!!

Also this summer...we decided to finally tackle the remodel of our bathroom to make it wheelchair accessible. Of course, this meant removing walls and, since, we were doing that anyway...a new kitchen for me! Yeah!!!

Of course we spent a lot of time looking at this...but it was worth it in the end.

Our summer was filled with playdates, hot tubbing, swimming in the little pool, car shows and girl's nights out.

And then there is this...I have no idea what this was about but it is still pretty funny!!

We spent the 4th of July with friends and fireworks...both were wonderful!

I somehow missed our photos from Pheasant Run but...in the middle of the remodel...when the dust just got to be too much...we decided to take the gang for a long weekend at the resort. It was such a fun relief to swim and enjoy a clean room.

Just as we returned from our trip, Shawn got what we thought was a cold. After days of a high fever, he finally had to be admitted and we found out that Shawn had a severe Staph infection which damaged his kidney, spleen and heart before it was resolved. Poor guy spent a week in the hospital and then came home to a month with a picc line and IV antibiotics 3 times a day.
This is what we found when we brought him home on the last day...

He is such a well loved guy around the neighborhood!! (Please disregard the dumpster in my driveway...thank you)

This summer we were able to take a fun trip up for my cousin Julie's wedding. Here are our kids, all sweaty from the dancing, posing with their cousins on my Dad's side. We love them all so much and we hardly ever get to see them so this was very special to us.

Also this summer we had a fantastic opportunity to visit with some old friends of Tim's from his grade school years. We have both been so lucky to reconnect with many old friends via Facebook. It was interesting meeting up with all of these people who knew my husband long before I did and to hear all the funny stories about Tim...the Bully...Who knew???

Uncle O'Mango came up for a visit several weekends and my kids loved him so much. They had the best time visiting and my daughter came up with his new name.

Our gang spent some time downtown this summer...visiting with Sue...Austin's favorite gal. We went to see the Pirate exhibit which was fabulous! I think all 3 of my kids would move into the Field Museum if we let them.

And then it was time for school to start up again. This was the boy's first day.

A few days later Ella started her first day at Preschool. She was so excited!!

In September we celebrated Austin's 7th birthday...and our 19th wedding anniversary...both on the same day.

The Bubs decided on a Mad Scientist party for his friends so we hired one...and it was a great time for all. This girl kept 13 small children entertained for over 1 hour.

And for his present...he simply wanted a rat...so...introducing...Rosie the Rat...

and shortly afterwards...Shawn had to get a friend for Rosie named Chalka. (don't ask)

The beautiful flowers from my husband in honor of our big day.

This year Austin decided to join Cub Scouts with Shawn...and the rest of us. He is a Tiger and really enjoys the program. He attended his first official campout and has been on many hikes as well. We spend a lot of our time volunteering with this program which we feel is so important to boys of all ages.

And then it was fall...and Pumpkin Farm time. We hit a few this year...

I love this shot of all of us...

We had a great time hosting the Halloween Pack meeting...

Oh my...the Cricket was a Princess...of course...

Shawn decided on a hobo...

Austin chose a Nomad...

I went at a sexy Granny...

and...best of all...Tim decided to use my old Witch costume and go as...well...a chick!!

Fall brought with it some fun leaf piles...

Yikes...buncha dirty kids...

Except this one...he always looks so perfect...

Here is the gang hanging out after some trick or treat fun!

We had a great time at Amy's birthday party...visiting with family and friends.

Ella loves her Uncle Jeff...

Austin got to pet a chicken and has decided that he now wants a pot belly pig...which his mother has regretfully declined...

We got a few last hurrahs in the hot tub...

My beautiful girl...

And these bozos...

Tim took a few pies in the face for a good cause...

He works so hard with the kids in the scouts...and loves every minute of it!

It was a slow year for my business (here is one project that I completed)...I was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, a gluten intolerance, which explains months of sickness. I had a hard time keeping up with the basics this year...and my business suffered. But now that I am on the mend...things are looking up for the new year...

We celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving at home and moved right into the holiday season with Christmas Caroling at the assisted living home. The boys love singing to the residents.

And are loved right back...This guy brought tears to my eyes when he handed out hand made whistles to each boy even though he is blind. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room!

This kids spent some time playing in the snow...

Shawn made a late First Reconcilliation at St. Michael's...where the kids are all taking religious education now. It has been fun seeing them go through many of the same rituals that I grew up with. Poor guy was worried about whether he should tell the priest "all" of his sins...

We finally got our Christmas picture down...even though it wasn't the best...but after 100 pictures you just have to pick one and move on...

I love this picture because it really reflects the relationship between my children so well. They are best friends...they fight and argue...but when it comes down to it...they are always the happiest just being together and hanging out.

Of course...this one is the leader of the bunch...crazy Cricket girl...

We hosted the Christmas pack meeting where Santa (Uncle George in disguise) made his appearance and handed out gifts to the kids.

I worked at Austin's class Christmas party which was fun. He has so many good friends at school and his teacher is such a joy!

And then it was Christmas...we spent our eve at John's as usual catching up with family and seeing Santa again. And then it was on to Christmas morning and the present fest. I was proud of our kids this year as they were as excited and grateful for the smallest gift as they were for the biggest.

And right after Christmas we reconnected with more old friends and got together for a roaring good time that left me sore the next day from laughing so hard.

All in all...I have to say that 2009 was a blessed year. There were challenges to be sure..but they only served to remind me of how fortunate we are as individuals and as a family. We have each other, our health is improving, we are out of debt (Yeah) and as we move into 2010...I am dedicated to finding more ways to worry less, spend less, enjoy more and spend time with the people who matter the most...

Happy New Year everyone...

Raingutter Regatta

2009-04-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Shawn got his Cub Scout uniform on this evening and he just looked so grown up with his recent hair cut that I had to take some photos. Don't you hate how they look so different every time they get their hair cut...what is up with that??I even got him to wear some button shorts so he could wear his official belt! He normally only likes elastic pants. I think he channels "old dude" sometimes.And...of course...no Shawn photo session would be complete without one of these. The child is a poser...I have no idea what he is channeling here and I am not sure I care to find out.The Regatta was fun. The kids each built a boat from styrofoam and then they raced them in gutters. They blow on the "sails" through a straw to make the boats go.
Here is Shawn racing...What a fun night!

Pretty Pants...

2009-04-22T14:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was getting the Cricket dressed and she mentioned that she would like to have some pants out of the cool new fabric I had been making into jackets and skirts. A quick snip later and she was so thrilled with her new cutie pants. These were a loose fit with the cool batik fabric on the front and back and side insets of another tie dyed fabric. She wore them to ballet today with her jacket and they looked so cool and comfy. Unfortunately, she was not in the posing mood today so these were the best pics I could get. More to come...

(Please ignore the weeds growing from between my bricks...thank you!)

Cupcakes Part 2...

2009-04-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that I was prepared to go the distance in my quest to find the perfect chocolate cupcake. I printed dozens of recipes, scoured the internet and picked the brains of numerous friends in order to assemble a group of recipes that might, just might lead to perfection. And then...on only recipe #2...I found it!! OH MY GOODNESS did I find it.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the perfect Chocolate cupcake recipe. Moist, chocolatey, and oh so yummy!! I even waited a day to see if it retained it's moisture and...IT DID! Of course the true test of this recipe was that only 12 hours later...the cupcakes are gone. I had to wrestle this one from my son's grip just to photograph it and now...they are no more.

Now, the frosting is a different story...I have decided that the traditional Wilton recipe was icky and this one, which was another confectioner sugar recipe was equally yucky. I have a few more recipes to try and hopefully I will find a frosting that is equal in delectibleness (seriously...is that a word??) to the cake itself. In the meantime...back to the kitchen...

(If you would like this recipe, which is actually a compilation of tips and several recipes, drop me a line and I will get it out to you)

Check it out...

2009-04-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

After a week of nursing a sick Cricket...I am finally finding the time to post one of my newest creations. I love this...and it looks so great hanging in her room. It is a rather large heart...about 12" across and is paper mache. The letters are all different for that eclectic look. I will be listing these on Etsy later this week but if you are interested in one, drop me a note. I can do any color and any name.

It's cold and rainy here today but I am holding out hope for the weekend when it is supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees. We will see...I have some new clothing to photograph so I can't wait for the sunny days. Hope everyone is having a great one!!

Cupcake Quest...

2009-04-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

CUPCAKE #1

...or "Why can't I find the perfect chocolate cupcake?"

As most of you know, within the last year we, as a family, decided to begin on the road to healthier eating. We began buying mostly organic and/or all natural foods. While the transition to this new lifestyle was fairly easy in most respects, there was one area of hold out...cake mix. For some reason, I have never been able to find the perfect recipe to duplicate the light, fluffy cake that you get from a mix. Recently, when I needed to make up some cupcakes for school, I read the label on the box and got sick over the amount of chemicals we were consuming just in that one little cupcake. So began my quest...

Of course, chocolate being my favorite flavor...I decided to begin there. This weekend I assembled a list of what appear to be the top 5 chocolate cupcake recipes from various places on the internet and from friends. Today I made #1 on the list.

While today's cupcakes smelled yummy baking the recipe was kind of a pain to make and the finished product is just not as good as I had hoped. I also tried out a new frosting recipe and was equally unthrilled with that. Not bad...just not GREAT!

So...my quest continues...I hope to entice my friends to try some of these this week and give me some feedback. In the meantime...cupcakes anyone?

Easter

2009-04-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter to Everyone!!

We started out our Easter festivities with the traditional egg decorating. Daddy was at the Bulls game so it was just me and the gang. Of course, we texted him pictures of our beautiful eggs!!
Austin uses the shake, shake, shake method...

Ella prefers glitter to the max...

Shawn thinks that scary faces make for better looking eggs.

Everyone did such a great job sharing and cooperating that I went outside to check the address...

nope...it was my house after all. What fun!!

Here is a shot mid decorating...

and here they were all completed.

I took this shot after the "bunny" left his goods for the kids. I totally blew off taking any actual Easter Day photos...cooking for 18 people will do that to you. Suffice it to say we had a fantastic time shared with good friends eating yummy food!

Shawn's big day...

2009-04-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post by saying...when you go to the Jewel and you show your son the cupcakes that you could purchase for him to hand out at school and he says..."No, Mom...I like the ones you make better and I have a great idea." RUN...RUN very fast...

These are the cupcakes that my son wanted to hand out. They were a blast to make for about the first 5 minutes and then pretty tedious for about the next 2 hours. All I can say is...that's love right there folks. Of course I woke my boy up with his own Oreo cake on the morning of his birthday in our family tradition. Even Dad wanted to be there so we got the whole gang up early. He was just waking up...

We came out and the kids got cake for breakfast. (where was this tradition when I was a kid I ask ya??)
The boys like to look at their first scrapbook with their baby pictures in it every year.

Shawn thought oreo cake was the bomb!

I wanted to take a bunch of photos of him to remember the day he turned 8. Sniff!

My boy is so grown up!

Coming up...Shawn' birthday dinner at Domo and the big birthday unslumber party with friends...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT!!