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New Profession

2012-02-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

I have been contemplating a new profession for awhile now. I have crossed one off the list. ~~Sports Photographer~~. Whew, standing sideways in cold temps is not for me! I was happy to get a few good pictures, but could not take fumbling with the buttons (no gloves) and trying to get the right angle! I also had to make sure I was not in the path of skiers and snowboarders who might or might not hit the jump correctly. I was wearing my helmet but that wouldn't help much if someone crashed into me!

Foster hitting the jump with a grab:

I love the clouds in this photo and how he is silhouetted:

This one is a great skier for only 9 years old! All smiles from Marissa:

Hubby, looking cool in his new goggles. So glad he taught our kids to ski.

Fun shot, taken by a friend:

Notice the cloudless, blue sky:

Although it has been a very mild winter (with lots of rain), it is still winter and we are getting through it by having fun on the slopes.

I have been trying to eat healthy, but I really love snacking. This is so healthy! Mmmm, air popped popcorn next to my cute February calendar. A great afternoon snack. Low cal, too. Sometimes I squeeze a little fresh lime and add a bit of cracked pepper for a bit of flavor.

So tell me how you are getting through the winter. Are you longing for sunshine and the beach, like I am? Are you eating healthy and exercising? Tell me. I need some tricks to get me through winter. I am ready for winter to be over and for summer to be here.

hugs,
Cathy

A Sleeping Bear and FAITH

2012-01-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

So this is a picture of me and my daughter Ana. Hubby took it of us while we were ~~impatiently~~ in line while waiting for the lift. Poor thing has mono. She has been sleeping like a hibernated bear. And it is midterm week. You know you ~~cram~~ review everything since August and get tested on it to make sure that you have learned something. It is tough to do when you are in the acute stages of mono. And yes, I am glad that I encouraged the doctor to do the mono test. Otherwise, I would think she is being lazy, which clearly isn't the case.

So what do you think about our kids and testing? I remember we took standardized tests every few years. I rarely remember big tests in elementary, like my little one has frequently. And how about a test to graduate from high school in 10th grade...we didn't have that either. It seems like there are way too many tests for kids, which may not be a good thing. What do you think?

And I have finally figured out my word for 2012. FAITH.
definition:

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

I will elaborate further on my word and what I hope to achieve this year. I'm trucking upstairs to see if my Anabear, the sleeping bear, has stirred.

hugs,
Cathy

My 101st Post: Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 5

2012-01-11T11:24:00.000-05:00

Pre~Note

Today is absolutely beautiful and it started with a gorgeous sunrise on the front of our property while simultaneously there was this surreal moon shining over our pond on the back of our property. It was truly incredible. I didn't take any photos. What was I thinking? Here is a photo of a sunset that was taken in November 2011. Love the pink reflection on the pond!

So as you have figured out, I haven't been able to sync my blog posts with the calendar! I spent a lot of time in November and December working on "organization" and cleaning out areas that needed de~cluttering! I was able to transfer about 10-15 bags of clothing, decorations and lots of unused toys. What an awesome feeling! My focus word for 2011 was "organization" so it felt good to make progress in that area. I am still working on my focus word for 2012 and have narrowed it down to 5. I like the idea of a focus word for the year, rather than all kinds of resolutions that I may or may not work on.

I really enjoy blogging. I haven't made it a priority in the past year, because I feel out of control when I spend too much time in blogland. This is my attempt to get back on track and get synched up with the calendar! I appreciate any advice on how to keep blogging with a busy life. Let me know what works for you!

November 2011
The Levy Passed!
I was asked along with a number of other people to help out on a levy campaign in the middle of October. There was a lot to be done in a 3 week period. What I will take away from the experience is that there are many wonderful and dedicated people who support education. I am so happy to say that our levy passed by about 200 votes. It took a few weeks to verify, but it is good to know that our children will continue to enjoy a very high level of education...at least for a few more years!

A picture of some of the thousands of levy pins that were made to show our pride in our school district!

This is a rally that was held on our town square. My daughters are holding the neon yellow/green sign and they are flanked by a wonderful first grader teacher on the right and sweet friends of mine on the left:

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet some really fantastic people. It is amazing what a team can accomplish.

Tennis
My kids have been playing tennis for a few years now. But, it wasn't until this year that I realized how fortunate we are to have such an awesome facility just 10 minutes from our house. I started playing in October with a group of fun women. One drives from 45 minutes away.

I am working on getting good indoor shots. This one is blurry, but I still love the action of it! This was Foster's first real tournament and he did well. He loves tennis and is addicted to it.

It seems that my tennis photos of Marissa are rather boring, so I will have to work on capturing her high energy level on the court.

Veteran's Day
I love that our schools recognize Veteran's Day and as 3 rd graders, Marissa and her classmates saluted our hardworking military and veterans with a very special music program which was created by my dear friend, their music teacher, Mrs. H. It was very inspiring and I particularly loved it when they asked for all of our veterans and military personnel to stand so we could honor them! This was the moment she spied me slipping into the filled auditorium, a few minutes late. Love that smile!

My friend, Mrs. H, the best music teacher.ever.period:

Black Tie Baby
We have 2 black tie events that we attend each year. Although it can be tiring finding an outfit to each one, I am always thankful for the date night with my well dressed hubby. The photo was taken by one of the kids, therefore shadows behind us. (I will take a slightly shadowy photo over no photo.)

Thanksgiving
We had a very low key Thanksgiving. The kids wanted to stay home and make traditional turkey and fixings. It was nice to be together for the day. We cooked, played outside on a rather warm day and then went to the movies.

A little football to stretch after Thanksgiving dinner. My girls both know how to throw a football. A skill that is necessary, if they ever go to a beach full of guys. Much easier to talk to a guy if you know how to throw a football:

I am not the best at football throwing, but I do like to get into the action and really appreciate a good quarterback & their abilities:

Enjoying being outside with my hubby, a former 8th grade QB!

Annual Buckeye Photo
Every year I take a pic of the kids on the OSU vs. Michigan football game day. This year I am amazed at how mature they look. Even though the Bucks lost this one, we had a great time watching the game!

December 2011
Choir Concert~Foster
I love snapping a photo of my kids during their concerts. When they played instruments it was so difficult to get them in action. It is much easier to get a choir photo! Foster is in the middle above the piano. I think this photo will be fun to share at graduation time!

Choir Concert~Ana
Years ago when Rich and I were newly married and I was pregnant with Ana, I sang in our church choir. It was a small group of good singers and I added some off key reality. I really did not know the notes, but for some reason they let me stay on for about 6 months, until we moved to another city as Rich had finished his doctorate. So when I see Ana on stage, I am happy to know that she is using her God given talents and I am ever so grateful for those choir members for the opportunity to let my baby hear the correct pitch and intonation. It has been years of music lessons and it is gratifying watching her and listening to her pretty voice. And as luck would have it, as a freshman you get to wear the choir robes for concerts.

One of their songs involved a bit of dancing which was fun to watch:

This concert was really such a treat. At the end of the concert the entire high school choir surrounded the audience and sang two songs. It gave me goosebumps, as it was really beautiful and put me in the perfect Christmas mood!

State Champions
In December Ana's tennis team was honored at a basketball game. The team was the Ohio State Tennis Coaches Association Division II State Team Champions. They won the title in October. Although Ana did not play in the actual event, she was there to support her team in winning the Championship. It was Lexington's 4th state championship in the past 6 years. Ana has wonderful coaches and great teammates. She is proud to be a part of this team! They are an amazing group of young women.

The following photos were taken by a professional photographer from the nose-bleed seats. I saw his big lens and asked him if he would take a few pics for me and he was so nice and agreed to. He then edited them and emailed them to me a few days later. I was very thankful that he did such a nice favor for me.

Christmas Eve
All I truly wanted for Christmas was 3 things. 1.Attend church with my family. This is the most important thing to me as it truly celebrates the birth of Jesus. We had an awesome service with incredible music! It was simply beautiful and such a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. 2.The second thing that I wanted was for the kids to sing/play a Christmas song of their choosing. Here is a pic of them in the music room. I think they played and sang Jingle Bells. It was perfect for me!

3.The third thing that I wanted was a picture of all of us in our Christmas outfits. We set the timer on the camera and had some fun, not knowing exactly when the picture would be taken!!

This is me on Christmas Eve, I was tired from all of the preparation. Whew. The holidays can really wear a girl out!

And this is how the kids typically act at picture time (if they aren't fighting) They were really excited about getting their new pj's, and of course the picture taking:

After church we go home and the kids get to open a gift. It is their traditional jammies and slippers. We then had some delicious food and special time just being together!

Christmas Day
Check out the sky! It was a beautiful pink as the sun rose! A fun toy for son & Dad:

The stack of gifts in the back were for Rich and I . We wrap everything and give really exciting gifts like socks and ski gloves. I was adamant that his stack of gifts would be higher than mine! The joy is in giving, right? Happiness is getting a gift you wanted but didn't expect, like these two:

Marissa enjoyed her favorite gifts at one time: baton, gloves where the fingertips light up (I am borrowing those!!), a microphone and glitter hat. I love 9 year olds!!:

Skiing with Friends
After Christmas we got away for a few days on a ski adventure with our good friends.
Piggies getting warmed by the fire after a fun ski afternoon!

Our friend Connor making the girls laugh. My goddaughter, Quinn, is in between the girls:

Rich and I with our bestest buddies, Bill & Carrie, at their gorgeous lake house that is 2 minutes from the slopes. Carrie made us a gourmet dinner that was so delicious. Not only is she beautiful, she can cook better than my momma!!

Connor, Foster, Brennan, Bill & Marissa after a fun afternoon! Brennan is the little guy in red and he made us laugh for the entire 2 days. And he is such a good little skier!

The best skiing is with good friends. We love this family so much and can't wait to make more memories with them!

New Year's Eve, last day of 2011
I don't have any pictures of New Year's Eve. We spent the morning doing some work and then the afternoon shopping and visiting with some very good friends. We were home early in the evening and for the most part spent it together as family. It was really nice to be able to see one another at midnight. The kids are growing so fast, so I know we won't have too many more New Year's Eves together!

2011
As I sit here with a warm mug of hazelnut coffee and reflect on 2011, I am feel that overall it was a good year. It seems trite to say that 2011 was filled with ups and downs. Isn't every year filled with highs and lows? What I can say about 2011 is that there were new challenges for me personally and for us as a family. Our family has quickly shifted from tweens to teens and that presents new challenges. It presents new situations with regard to dating, technology, social invitations, goal setting, sports and school. Some weeks go very smoothly, while others are completely disrupted with a new challenge.

For me, my mom's journey with NonHodgkins Lymphoma was very difficult. It was difficult to be apart from her as we live in different states. It is much better now that she is in remission. She is dealing with some health effects as a result of the chemo. Please keep her in your prayers.

I had a great experience with 2 different bible studies in 2011 and believe that this is what kept me sane this year; Reflecting on God's word and what my role is in this world.

2011 also brought new adventure into my life. I began kickboxing, learned to surf and started playing tennis. New sports that have me enamored! And I am proud of myself for working with a personal trainer to lose weight and learn some healthier alternatives in eating. I will be putting these newly learned skills back into practice in 2012. I hope to set a fitness goal for this year, too. Keep moving in the right direction. One step at a time.

I was able to give back by volunteering through our schools (worked with kids on spelling, levy committee, 8th grade DC trip) and church.

I enjoyed our first family trip to Cali and our favorite vacation spot at Glen Lake, Michigan and an anniversary trip with my hubby to Arizona. I was able to spend lots of time with friends and family on the boat, the slopes, and celebrating big events with family and friends.

I am glad that I also stayed true to my word for 2011 of "organization". I did wait until November, but then really worked hard in the last 2 months of 2011 to get areas of my home organized!

My next post will include my word for 2012. And some goals and of course, some fun pictures.

Thank you for reading my 101st post!!
hugs, Cathy

Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 4

2012-01-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

I am really having fun going back and reliving some of our summer and fall memories. The thing that keeps hitting me is that it has gone so fast. I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect upon some of our fun times and the memories we have shared as a family. Of course, there are many days filled with stress and my hope is that I keep this blog real. While I have been updating this blog, I am in the process of doing laundry, dishes, helping kids with homework, listening to piano lessons and cleaning out drawers.

13th Birthday Celebration for Foster
Foster's birthday fell on a school night so we decided to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. They sing Happy Birthday in Spanish, make you wear the sombrero and deliver a delicious ice cream treat. It is a great way to kick off your teen years!

A birthday hug from Dad.

Some laughs and a hug from Mom.

And some sister love to share your birthday treat!

Only 3 more years and he will be off with the car! I hope he remembers to take us along with him!

Homecoming 2011
There was a bit of stress leading up to homecoming this year. Those of you that have lived through the teen girl years can probably think back and remember all of the factors that go into homecoming including the date, the dress, shoes, hair, makeup and corsage. And then you see your daughter grow up right before your eyes.

Trying to pin on the corsage. We had to enlist her date's mom, as I couldn't get it either!

Double thumbs up.

Ana with Mom, Dad & sis, on the dock.

Ana with her siblings.

My hubby took this and the fall colors were at their peak.

Fall Soccer
Marissa's trademark soccer stance is with her arms outstretched. The girls had a great season, especially since they combined 2 teams into one.

I love this one, too.

It is fun watching the girls improve their skills and watch how they mature and develop into such talented athletes.

Halloween 2011
This is the last year for the Halloween parade as Marissa will move on to a new school next year where the parties are much lower key and they do not have a Halloween parade. Marissa was a tennis player this year and was able to borrow her sister's team sweatshirt to play the part. {Ana and Foster did not dress up this year...I guess they are too old for Halloween}

It is obvious that I am behind on my blogging so I am "backblogging"! I am attempting to catch up the last bits of 2011 before moving on to 2012. I have really made other things my priority and I love to blog (both reading and writing). I know it is annoying to read about events that happened months ago, so I hope to be caught up soon and moving into the present to share thoughts and perspectives on current events!

My next blog post will cover November and December 2011, as some very exciting things happened in those months. Then I will be in the present and talking about life in Ohio in 2012. Whew!!!

hugs,

Cathy

Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 3

2011-11-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

Wedding Anniversary
Recently my husband and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. The funny thing is that even after 15 years of marriage, I am so happy I married my husband and it doesn't feel like it has been 15 years. We wanted to celebrate and at the last minute elected to go to Phoenix where it was 112 degrees during the day and 104 degrees at night. It didn't bother us, we just made the most of it and enjoyed being together. I am grateful for my in-laws who took our 3 kids (at the very beginning of the school year) and loved them to pieces until we returned. It was time alone that we needed and are fortunate enough to have family who was kind enough to watch our kids and get them to all of their events!

Relaxing outside at our favorite spot, Olive & Ivy.

On our way to celebrate with a romantic dinner on our last night in Scottsdale.

We were surprised with these delicious desserts!

I was having fun on the highway...on our way back to the airport.

When we first met we biked 20 miles together. You may remember that from a previous post. And although we don't have a lot of time to bike these days, we did take a rather adventurous bike ride in the Phoenix heat. And my hubby changed a flat tire for a stranded female motorist. I married a good guy.

The Buckeyes
Getting back to reality meant getting back to Ohio and the start of another football season for the Buckeyes. My years of living in Columbus lead to a fondness for the Buckeyes. My husband earned his doctorate at The Ohio State University, so he is a big fan of the Bucks, too. We are both glad that Tressel is gone and think that just because he wore a sweater vest, did not make him an honest person. Funny how people look at how you dress and not at your actions. Anyhow... we never had the opportunity to take all of the kids to a Buckeye football game, as getting 5 tickets together can be rather difficult to obtain...until this season.

Mini tailgate:

The kids at the Horseshoe.

The game was the day before the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. The American flag was beautiful.

Marissa was so excited to have her picture taken with two of the Ohio State cheerleaders. She is almost as tall as the cheerleader!

Doing their part getting O in O-H-I-O

The Health baby had to come with us during the game, but was turned off for most of it. Good thing, too, because we might not have heard it crying with all of the stadium noise. Part of being a freshman in Health class!

Mom & Dad

Many of you have asked how my Mom is doing following chemo from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I am very happy to say that at this point, she is in remission. She is getting back her energy and her hair is starting to grow. My parents were able to visit and spend time with us. I was bossy and demanded some photos.

Rich and I with my parents. Love them so much.

Apple Picking

We live very close to an apple orchard, which is really nice in the fall. This year we went apple picking with our good friends. Here is Marissa climbing trees and picking apples.

Sister bonding time.

Me & my friend Kim. We have been friends for 15 years! She was my first friend when I moved to this area. We make time to get together for fun with our families.

The boys trying to split apples with their hands. Its a "guy"thing.

Taste testing some apples & having fun.

The gang going to look for more types of apples. Love the sky in this photo.

Country Living

One bonus of living in the country is that there is no waiting line for the trampoline.

We had a pretty nice fall. Rainy cool days and then beautiful, warm, sunny days. The grass is super green from the rain & sun. It almost looks like spring.

I like looking back at the past few weeks. Only a few weeks to go and I will be caught up on my blogging. Part 4 is coming soon!

hugs,

Cathy

Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 2

2011-11-14T15:25:00.000-05:00

Fall Tennis 2011
As my oldest daughter transformed from a junior high to a high school student this past summer, it brought high school sports into our life in early August. In Ohio, girls have to decide between tennis, volleyball, soccer, cross country & golf. This was a tough decision for my daughter, as she played soccer for years and volleyball for 2 years. She chose tennis.

This was a hot day in Columbus and one of her very first competitive matches:

Playing doubles is a lot harder than it looks & requires a lot of concentration and communication. Especially when your mother has her camera lens up your nose!

I have learned that photographing tennis is a bit tricky, especially when they are playing 3 courts away, indoors, fluorescent lighting, and upstairs viewing. Even though this is blurry, I love the fact that both of her feet are off of the court!

Through many matches and lots of travel, my daughter learned that you have to work hard to reap the rewards. This year she played junior varsity, along with some varsity matches, and was able to watch her teammates as they won the 2011 State Team Tennis title. I am so proud to watch her support her teammates and become the best that she can be.

Ana & me at a match on a Saturday morning:

Holding her Dad's hand:

So proud of you, Ana!

Wakeboarding
Every year brings new tricks in wakeboarding for my gang. This year my son was able to master his back roll (back flip off of the wake). I was able to catch this one, which he landed.

Which elicited this smile:

He was able to work with pro Shaun Murray, earlier this summer. An awesome experience for my son!

Hubby upped his wakeboarding game by landing his wake to wakes this summer. Not bad for an "old" wakeboarder. I think he performs better when I am driving the boat!

Did I mention that he wakeboarder way into fall and I finally told him no more boating in mid-October! This was taken in late August, after landing a bunch of wake to wakes! Can't wait to see what next summer brings!

I love this look of happiness on Ana's face as she wakeboards this summer. She did a fantastic job of wakeskating, too!

Marissa enjoyed her time on the fun board. It is a foam board that is awesome for getting kids comfortable behind the boat. It really helps with balance. By the end of the summer she was doing a fantastic job with her water skiing and wakeboarding, but I didn't get a photo. I will be sure to get plenty of her next summer! This was taken when we are at Glen Lake. Love that blue water and her cute smile!

Back to School

Summer came to a screeching halt in August with a knee injury for Foster (partial tear of MCL and subluxation of his knee cap as he landed a back roll while wakeboarding). However, it did make for an interesting back to school week with crutches & dr. appointments. After a few weeks of physical therapy, he is completely healed and ready for more extreme adventures.

Ready for junior high and high school adventures:

Marissa and her dog (Bella is saying don't leave me!) on the first day of 3rd grade:

Sunkissed arms ready to hoist that backpack. Loving the pink peace sign and the pink zinnias and the blue nail polish.

This brings us to the end of August. Ready for Part 3, 4, & 5 of "Going Backward to Catch Up"? I think I am making some progress. I do know it is November, don't remind me!
hugs,
Cathy

Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 1

2011-11-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I have to go backward to catch up to myself. Does that happen with you? Maybe it because I have 2 teenagers and an adolescent (love the word "adolescent", which is now commonly referred to as tween or in my case a 9 year old. I became very familiar with the word when I took "Adolescent Psychology" in college!) Life seems to be moving at warp speed. I am holding on, but when I finally come up for air, I am surprised at where I have landed. So. Going backward. Looking at what my life was like a few months ago and trying to put a few words with a few pics, so that it doesn't pass by so quickly. But then I discover a major problem. I am a photo addict. I find something special about every photo that I take. And I take far too many. Would you like to join my support group? How do I condense thousands of photos into a blog post?

What I am trying to say is that I haven't blogged because I have found other interests that somehow took over my life. I haven't felt the need to blog and to share what is happening in my life. Perhaps through the past 2 years of reading blogs and writing my blog, I am reaching a new level of being content and I don't need blogging, like I once used to need it.

But I don't want to shelf my blog. So I have a choice of going forward or quitting. So for now, I m moving forward, but will be going backward, in order to do so.

Here is a post that I started months ago:
August is a time of year where we get a quick breather and then jump into our fall sports. This year each of my kids is playing one sport for one team, which is much more manageable than previous years!

Self portrait in August. Typical look for me: swimsuit, tank top, headband & sport watch. I do get rather tan from my Italian heritage, thanks Dad!:

A 9th birthday party for Marissa, 2nd from left in bright floral swimsuit. Give them water balloons on a super hot August day and they will be thrilled until they run out and I have to quickly fill 30 more!

This just exemplifies the energy and happiness of my 9 year old!

Love the August sunlight and water!

Girls just need a few good friends and cupcakes=pure happiness!

My nieces came to the lake for some water fun. This is my niece Lindsey and her fist pump!

My niece Allie, showing her water skills:

The lake is always fun when we have visitors and a birthday to celebrate!

Goofiness when it is raining at the lake. Thankfully, Lindsey and Aaron watched the monkeys while the adults slipped out to the wine bar for some adult time:

My brother-in-law and sister at the lake. I am mad that I forgot to get a pic of my sis and me...next year!

This pic was snapped by one of my besties, Kim. So happy she picked up my camera and took the photo. Might have to frame this in black & white. Me & hubby on our SUP's (Stand Up Paddleboard) New favorite past time! So glad my hubby bought these for Christmas last year. Fun, yet relaxing exercise at the lake.

Stay tuned for parts 2, 3, & 4. Now, I am back!

hugs,

Cathy

I Am Back

2011-09-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

I am finally back after being away from my blog most of the summer. How did summer give way so quickly to fall? I feel like I should still be floating on my raft and somebody has changed the calendar on me. A cruel joke, indeed.

Today I reviewed my pics trying to decide if I should start fresh from this point forward or if I should do a re-cap of my summer. I am still deciding as I write this. I think most of us bloggers struggle with our personal reasons for blogging vs. what our readers may want to hear. I am leaning toward the summer re-cap because I really want to make my blog into a book, since I haven't been very good about scrapbooking our family memories! But then I wonder, who will want to look at my pictures of summer when there is a chill in the air? If you keep reading, you are sure to be tortured!

Foster at Dive Championships where he placed sixth.

Foster getting diving advice from 2 of his Atlanta cousins:

Pro wakeboarder Shaun Murray and Foster:

Marissa getting ready to take off at Swim Championships. Their 8 + under relay took 2nd. This shot is super fun because it shows all of the feet of the spectators:

Ana had a one of those swim seasons where she had very little practice due to a summer gym commitment & then had to "bring it" for Swim Championships. Always a joy to watch her swim!

Good times boating with cousins, Grandpa, Aunt Anne and Dad at the lake!

Ahhh, lake fun:

14th Birthday party for Ana (in red) with a dj, bonfire, trampoline, ping pong, air hockey...

and cake..notice Ana changed to a blue & white top! Here with friends and siblings:

Now that brings us to the end of July. My next post will cover another birthday & other activities that will make us pine for summer. Stay tuned for more torture!

Hugs,
Cathy

Vacation Re-Cap

2011-08-04T00:10:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about vacation is re-living it through pictures. Although our trip to Glen Lake was a month ago, I am still smiling at all of the fun pictures.

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am!!

Did you notice my new blog header?

hugs,
Cathy

Meeting Michelle

2011-07-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

It is funny in blogland how you "meet" people through different ways and become "friends" through common interests. Or how you can visit a place just once and it grips your heart and never lets go?Michelle from Emerald Cove and I found that we both have a love for Glen Lake (Michigan) and became fast friends. I love her blog and all of her beach~inspired projects. She has always been a kind blogger friend, making sweet comments and sending me emails when we found something interesting between us!

My husband and I made plans to vacation in the Glen Lake area because we were really missing the dunes and the beauty of the area. One day I was reading Michelle's blog and noticed that she was going to be away for awhile and I immediately knew she would be at Glen Lake. I emailed her and I told her when we would be at Glen and asked if she would she also be there. As it turned out our vacations would overlap and then we exchanged cell numbers.

When Michelle called me, I was helping my husband put our boat in the water at Glen Lake. Michelle and I made a plan that I would pull up waterside to their vacation spot. I was a bit nervous. As it turned out, there was nothing at all to be nervous about! Michelle waded out to our boat and even though we were meeting for the first time, it felt like greeting an old friend! We had an awesome afternoon on the water with both of our families. I was glad that we were able to meet each other's families! We found that we also have another thing in common.

We are both slalom skiers. Holy cow look at that gigantic rooster tail!!! Very impressive!

Michelle and her family that we enjoyed so much:

My daughter and Michelle's son:

Michelle's kiddos having a blast on the tube:

My 3 kiddos:

Officially friends, not "just" bloggy friends:

Michelle and I also enjoy the gorgeous sunsets and pinkish skies over Lake Michigan!

On the way home for our trip, my hubby and I were talking about the events of our trip and he asked my what my highlights were and the first one I rattled off was meeting Michelle. It was such a great time meeting her and I see us getting together in the future. And you can bet it will be at our favorite place that brought us together. Love you Glen Lake, for so many reasons!

Hugs,
Cathy

Summer Rules

2011-07-25T22:34:00.000-04:00

We have a few summer rules at our house. The first few entail words that are banished in our household.

*Forbidden words:
Bored~if this slips out of your mouth you will earn the privilege of cleaning the toilet!!
Homework~there is no reason to use this word in the summer. Period!
School~not allowed until the first week of August. Why talk about it, if it doesn't happen for 5 more weeks?

*Also you must hang your pool towel and pick up your room.

*Offering help to me is preferred and I may ask you to change a load laundry or to empty the dishwasher. If I do, then you better do it quickly and with a happy heart. If not, then you may incur the wrath of mean momma!

Enough about rules, let's get to the good stuff! We have had an awesome summer! So many new experiences (for all of us) and great memories. We have met new people and played with old friends, as well.

I was able to meet a bloggy friend. I met Michelle from Emerald Cove. She is a doll and it felt like we were instant friends. I don't want to give away all of the details, YET, but we met at a lake! Our favorite lake. We will both be posting about the experience on Thursday, July 28th. So be sure to check back for that post!

Here are a few things that have been keeping me busy:

early morning workouts~tough for me, a true night owl, but I keep going!
slalom skiing~ I am having a ball with it!!!
coffee~drinking way too much of it!
healthy eating~doing pretty well on most days!
celebrating my girls' summer birthdays~they are lucky to have summer to celebrate!!
Bible study @ the pool~amazing women and a great study!
cooking~making lots of healthy and delicious food
photography~taking a gazillion photos and so grateful for an awesome camera and lens to replace the one that was stolen in December
T.O.W=time on the water...watching my kids wakeboard, driving the boat so my hubby can board, using my paddleboard and cooling off in the lake!
driving kids to & fro~their events like swim, dive, tennis, golf, summer gym etc! and friends houses!
weeding~all of the flower beds, pond and anywhere I see a weed..July is a crazy month for weeds.

I am leaving you with a pic from July 4th. I love the fireworks on the 4th and the tasty food and feeling of summer and patriotism. It is my favorite holiday.

On the left is my son Foster, my daughter Ana is in the middle and our friend Pete is on the right. They have been the finale of our lake's ski show for two years in a row. It is a bit tricky to get up 3 boarders who ride different rope lengths and styles, but we did it again this year. I think the photo shows you how much fun they are having.

I hope you are having a fun summer and that you stay within the rules so you don't have to clean too many toilets or do too much weeding!
hugs,
Cathy M.

2011-07-01T08:39:00.000-04:00

I found this picture this morning when I was loading pics to my computer. It just spoke volumes to me. There is always so much more to a picture than what you see. And sometimes we need to see the picture to illuminate something that we cannot see, perhaps because we are too close. This picture just moves me. I love the pointed toes and the outstretched arms. The suntanned back and the shoulder muscles. The poise balanced with the power. It just evokes a certain strength to me.

So this is my 8 year old. She is brave and fearless, yet very tender hearted. This picture was taken a few nights ago. She ended up failing the dive. It was supposed to be with a half twist. I was the announcer and read what was written on her dive sheet, but there was a mixup between her and the coach and what dives they had discussed her doing. She ended up failing 2 dives that night. In my eyes, she was simply awesome. She also did a front flip and landed on her back. It too was a failed dive but I was so proud of her for trying it. She has had a hard week trying to figure out how to work with her coach. Championships are one week away and she has lost her desire to dive. We have had little talks and she made a list to review with her coach. So when I saw this picture, I almost cried to see such perfection.

I have a feeling this girl is going to do important things in her life. She may not be a diver, but she sure does have so many things figured out for being an 8 year old. Although it isn't easy, I am enjoying watching her stretch her boundaries.

And I guess that is what my kids have taught me, that it is ok to stretch and go outside of my boundaries, particularly if it isn't easy.
hugs,
Cathy M.

The Best Medicine is...Family

2011-06-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

If you read my blog, then you know that my mom has been undergoing chemo for Non~Hodgkins Lymphoma. She has been such a trooper through this difficult journey. Most of her treatments were in Florida (where she was diagnosed) where my parents "winter". The final treatments have been in Michigan which is where my sister and younger brother live and is closer to where my older brother and I live in Ohio. We recently celebrated my niece's graduation from high school and had the opportunity for our whole family to spend time together. It was the best medicine to see everyone together and to talk, visit, celebrate my niece's achievements and eat delicious food. So here is a picture of my parents, siblings and spouses and the kids:

And here is the "unposed" picture:

And here is a pic of me with my parents & siblings:

And how we really behave. My poor parents! :

My sister and her husband are great hosts and are excellent at making everyone feel welcome at their home in a beautiful setting with their lovely pool. The natural light was awesome for taking photos. This is my niece "the graduate" and my sister, "the party hostess":

I love how happy my girls look in this photo while talking with their cousin:

And Uncle Tony makes for great entertainment while Aunt Jodi observes the energy:

My niece, Miss L, showing her hoop skills, in a dress no less:

My niece and Foster=cousin love:

Wooooo, blogger did not want to upload my pictures this morning! What is up with that? I was patient and won that battle! But as you can see, family is the best medicine!

hugs,
Cathy M.

Progress June 2011

2011-06-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

We have had a rather unusual start to summer. The weather has been overcast and cool. We are still marching forward and hoping that summer soon shows its face around here!

A lily and phlox from my garden:

One pic is never enough of my flowers:

A little progress has been made at our home, going from this:

To this:

And from this :

To this:

Think I spent hundreds of dollars for custom coverings? Try ""cut to size" cellular shades from Home Depot for less than $130 for 4 rather large, hard to find window sizes. These would cost more than $1,000 had they been custom ordered. My sweet hubby hung them for me and the entire family is overjoyed that we have relief from the sun at dinnertime!

I am documenting one little project at a time, to show the progress that we make around here. In the meantime my oldest daughter has been doing a lot of babysitting, while my son has been working on a new hair color...oh my! Stay tuned for more pictures!

hugs,
Cathy M.

Inconsistent

2011-06-03T11:37:00.000-04:00

I have been inconsistent with everything lately: parenting, moods, housekeeping, grocery shopping and even my list making. I will make a list and leave it where I made it. Not a whole lot is being checked off right now.

I am a bit down and feeling overwhelmed with the end of school, beginning of summer sports & activities, outdoor projects, endless laundry, and many other things that are too boring to mention here.

So I decided to write a bit and blog some photos, which always makes me feel better!

This is where Rich and I have chats about the children, one of our favorite date locations~the back porch:

The patio before being painted by my sweet hubby (power washed by me!):

After, please notice that he also put up the trampoline and washed all the patio furniture:

When you buy a home there are certain things that come with it that you either detest or love. Sometimes these feelings can change over years. One thing that I completely adore about our home is the massive rhododendrons that signal summer. It is one of the first things you see at our home when you pull up the driveway. They bloomed about 2 weeks late this year due to all of our rain. The window on the left is our garage and the one on the right is my laundry room. It is wonderful to look out at these flowers, as it changes my perspective after be inundated with laundry.

A couple of years ago we invested in a new lamp post (made of Azek from Walpole Woodworkers). The original lamp post was boring black and didn't look very nice. This makes more of a statement, as do the irises. Rich threatened that if the irises didn't bloom this year, that they were getting replaced. They must have heard him because they have bloomed beautifully.

So lovely, rhododendron up close:

I usually plant zinnias from seed, but decided to get a jump start and buy the plants this year:

I have never planted cosmos here, but thought I would try them in this bed!

I feel better now after looking at the pictures of my flowers. I am in progress on some other projects, so I will be sure to post when I have something completed.

We are embarking on girls weekend here. The girls and I will spend some time together tonite & tomorrow while the boys are off golfing and boating. Guess what is on the girls list? Shopping! You betcha!

UPDATES

update on healthy eating and working out: I weighed in yesterday at lowest weight in years!! I have still been working with the trainer, getting in extra workouts (kickboxing~love it), tracking all of my calories, drinking crazy amounts of water and trying to eat as healthy as possible.

update on coffee: not good! back up to 4 cups, ugh!

update on Mom: spent time with her in Michigan last week as she was in the hospital. They released her, she is doing well and only has 1 more round of chemo. So awesome to spend time with her, my Dad, my sis, my youngest brother and sister-in-law. Mom & I cleaned out some cupboards and cabinets and donated a bunch of things to Goodwill. She is a strong cookie. Who leaves the hospital after 3 days and then organizes cabinets?

GRATEFUL

3 things I am grateful for:

sunshine and gorgeous weather!

awesome husband that kept it together while I was gone for 3 days!

beautiful views

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Hugs, Cathy

Spring Update 2011

2011-05-21T08:27:00.000-04:00

It seems that spring is finally here in Ohio on May 21st! We have had incredible amounts of rain (and lack of sunshine) for weeks! My husband and I are making our home improvement lists...prioritizing wants vs. needs while being budget minded, as well. I tend to get anxious wanting it all done now! Fortunately, I am reading a book that a friend loaned me, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. Anxious? Then you should look for the book!

We have had a few busy weeks that involved a holy First Communion, soccer tournaments, a tennis tournament, choir and band concerts, school ice cream socials, and quite a few meetings for me. Soon we sign up for swimming and diving. Summer is right around the corner, but it doesn't feel like it yet because of the unusual weather that we have had of late. We are so ready for summer.

Marissa on her First Holy Communion

My sister Lisa (Marissa's Godmother), Marissa and my niece Allie

Marissa in pink, she has strong kicking legs!

Foster in white, handling the ball with his feet. He is usually in the goalie box!

I have been cooking a lot of really healthy meals including these salmon cakes:

Ana had a duet with one of her sweet friends, Miss K, on left and my friend & their voice teacher, Mrs. H in the middle:

Ana is second from left with a serious look:

Sister and brother, ready for high school and junior high, next year:

Here is evidence of teamwork in a hard fought game in 40 degree pelting rain

(and notice the green lawn from weeks of rain!)

So that is a snapshot of life around here lately. I am hoping to show some pics of completed projects in the next few weeks.

I hope you have a wonderful and sunny weekend. I am off to kickboxing!

hugs,

Cathy M.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

A tulip, planted by my husband last fall.

Last year on Mother's Day I wrote a post about my Mom which you can read here. Although I won't be with my mom or grandma tomorrow, I will be thinking of them all day.

As I was thinking about Mother's Day today, while scrubbing dirt out of soccer socks, I felt blessed and that my heart is full. I am thankful for each of my children and the opportunity to be their mother. Many days I don't feel I am worthy of the responsibility. Frequently I wonder if I am guiding them in the right direction. I am not sure that they will get a full ride scholarship to a Division I school or even make a varsity team or place well academically. But then I have to remind myself, that it starts with being a good sport and with earning and improving grades as time goes on. It involves turning over the reins to them and watching what they do with their skills and talent. This mothering career is not easy or for the faint of heart!

I must admit that when I yearned for children, I had no idea that having kids would be such a full on effort. I think most of us know it will be work, but we are naive about the amount of constant, on~going work.

My family on vacation in SoCal last month.

So as I celebrate Mother's Day tomorrow, I am going to relax and just enjoy being with my kids and sweet husband. I am going to take it all in and be present for whatever comes our way. And I am naively wishing that the kids won't fight and that vases won't get broken. And if they do, that I will remember that it is a vase that can be fixed with a bit of super glue.

Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day!

hugs,
Cathy M.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-05-02T22:31:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned in other posts, my kids were recently in their first real stage production (non~school). It was Sleeping Beauty and it was a very funny version of the Disney classic. It was an incredible amount of work, but they really loved it and are eager to try their hand at future performances.

They learned so much including stage terms, costumes, make~up, timing, how to waltz, everything that goes into a production from casting to set design. They also endured the long spans of time between being on & off stage. They sang beautifully and put all of those music lessons into wonderful performances (5, not including dress rehearsals). They made lots of new friends and so did I!

I learned how to use my new camera without the flash by changing the iso!! Wahoo!

Foster on left and Ana on right

Another view of Foster

Quick shot of the entire cast

My sweet Ana

Marissa in the middle, she loves being stage

All 3 kids together after a performance

The kids would like to be in another musical. It was a great experience for all three of them, as well as my husband and I!

A quick update on my mom's battle with cancer: she is more than half way done with chemo and her PET scan is showing no signs of cancer! She is kicking cancer! Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers...they are working.

Coffee update: most days I am staying under 2 cups, but I occasionally will have a 3rd cup to battle our dreary spring weather.

You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging a lot lately. I am still working out and still working hard on eating healthy foods. Also, we had a wonderful family vacation a few weeks ago. I haven't had much time to blog, but I hope to be back in the blogging groove soon!

It is hard to believe that April is gone and we are winding down the school year. I hope to get some closet organizing done this week with our cool, rainy weather.

I will be back soon.

Hugs,

Cathy

Healthy Eating, Part 2 and The DC Trip

2011-04-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I decided to start tracking my calories. I thought it would be easy. It hasn't been easy, but it has been rewarding. In less than a month I have lost 5 pounds! I simply signed up on www.livestrong.com. I found that I was eating too many calories for breakfast and that my daily sodium intake was far too high. A key factor in this has been changing my eating habits. The first one I had to change was breakfast. I found that eggbeaters are low in calories, have no cholestrol, have no sodium and actually taste good! Here is proof of a tasty low cal healthy breakfast:

I continued to eat healthy on my trip to Washington DC to chaperone my daughter's 8th grade trip. It wasn't easy, but the commitment to eat healthy while on "vacation" paid off for me. I didn't gain weight...it probably helped that we walked upwards of 10 miles per day!

All trips have highlights and lowlights. Let's stick with the highlights:

I enjoyed seeing new, fascinating sights
I am still torn on which monument is my favorite
It was a pleasure to get to know these kids better; some have unbelievable stress in their lives!
At times I was speechless & emotional while learning more about the history of our nation
I loved taking photos of the kids. It took awhile to manage 10-15 cameras, but they will have the photos forever!
Although we toured for 3 straight days and we were near exhaustion, we only saw a tidbit of our great capitol city. I will definitely go back with the rest of my family!
I also learned that when your friend has your back, you have nothing to worry about!

Time for photos:

DAY 1

This is part of the group at the beginning of the trip in the Metro station, looking rested & ready to go. My daughter Ana is the one with her thumb up:

Me with Ana in front of the US Capitol Building:

What Ohioans do when they travel: O H I O in front of the Capitol Building

The incredible architecture inside the US Capitol Building:

A picture of the whole group minus chaperones (around 50 kids). What a job to keep that many kids and adults on track and moving in the right direction!

Always time for a quick hug before the 4d movie at the Newseum:

This is such a powerful message. I admit that it was quite humbling to read this and realize how fortunate I am to live in the U.S. where free speech and free press are allowed:

The Mostly Ghostly night tour in Alexandria:

DAY 2
Ana and me with George & Martha Washington at Mount Vernon and yes, my daughter is now taller than I am:

A cute photo of the kids at Mount Vernon:

Arlington Cemetery, beautiful, yet somber and thought provoking:

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the playing of Taps a little later was heart~wrenching:

At the Lincoln Memorial (this is a tough place to get a photo because it is crowded with people!

The Vietnam War Memorial:

DAY 3

A quick stop between the Holocaust Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, with the Washington Monument in the background, brrrrrr:

I loved the live butterfly exhibit in the Museum of Natural History:

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom at the tidal basin. I decided it was too cold for a pedal boat ride!

No description needed here:

The Jefferson Memorial:

I did miss a few photo ops like at the White House, National Archives and Arlington House. And it didn't seem appropriate at the Holocaust Museum.

I think if a trip changes your thinking in some way, then it is valuable. This trip was valuable in so many ways. I also learned that I have an amazingly sweet daughter. Priceless, wouldn't you agree?

hugs,

One Reason I Haven't Been Blogging

2011-03-23T20:41:00.000-04:00

This is one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately. I have a new sport that I am enamored with! I am so focused on the kickbox workout that I rarely look at the clock. It is a great cardio workout and seems to fly by. The only negative is I have less time to blog. But how can you argue with burning more than 600 calories in an hour?

And I almost forgot to mention, the kids are in full rehearsal mode for Sleeping Beauty. I need to master the "no flash mode" on my new camera. Only one week left and they will be performing! They will be singing and curtseying and bowing and waltzing. Wow. It is coming together and will be fantastic! I am so impressed with the depth of local talent!

Tomorrow I am heading to our nation's capital for an 8th grade trip as a chaperone. I hope to get some interesting pictures and look forward to being with my daughter and her friends. I bet there will be a few bloggable moments. And I hope to teach myself a bit of crocheting or knitting on the bus ride. Wishing you all a fun~filled memorable weekend.

And to my ski (water and snow) buddy, Di, Happy 40th Birthday! I will be back to celebrate with you!

hugs,
Cathy

Healthy Eating, Part 1

2011-03-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned in a few of my posts since January, I have been working with a personal trainer to increase my strength and be ready for summer water skiing. Here are a few reasons I chose this route:

perform exercises that are necessary for building strength
perform exercises without overuse or injury
seek a higher level that I cannot achieve on my own (ie, I need the push)

I also hoped to look more fit and fight the aging bulge battle. The beginning was really difficult. I was very sore and could barely do the exercises as they were given to me. It didn't matter if it was push-ups, leg lefts, squats, lunges, you name it and I was weak! I can see that after 16 sessions, I am definitely stronger.

During one of my workouts my trainer suggested that I use the Livestrong web site to track my calories. Of course, I ignored it and decided I didn't want to be "that committed". After a few days I started eating a bit healthier and then started looking at the web site: www.livestrong.com I then signed up for a free account and having been tracking the calories eaten and the calories burned. Today is Day 10 of tracking every morsel that I eat. I have a very modest goal of losing 1 pound/week. The site tells me how many calories I can consume each day to achieve my goal. It is around 1500 calories. I have really had to change a lot of my eating patterns. It hasn't been easy, but I am starting to see results in only a short time. I am cooking some very interesting foods and although they are really healthy, they have been delicious, too!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips, Onions, Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts. ~Recipe here~

If you are struggling with your weight and want to see why, then I would encourage you to start tracking what you eat (every morsel!) and you will begin to see whether or not you are truly eating healthy foods.

Quinoa with sauteed carrots, celery and onion. Prepare quinoa according to box and then sautee in a bit of olive oil. I sprinkle on a bit of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (salt-free):

I am going on a class trip to Washington D.C. with my 8th grade daughter in a few days and I am a little nervous about being away from my healthy foods. Of course I will pack some snacks and we will be walking about 30 miles in 3 days! If any of you have suggestions of healthy things to eat while dining out, I sure would appreciate the tips!

After a recent trip to the grocery:

A pic that my oldest took with my new camera of me with hubby. Don't know why but I really love this photo!

Thanks for all of your comments and prayers for my Mom. She has gotten through the first chemo treatment and will be having another this week. Of course the chemo journey is a very difficult one, filled with a lot of pain and ups and downs. I am proud of how well my Mom is doing and it just shows that a good attitude is important. She is sporting a new wig and my Dad is doing well, too. The kind thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.

I am hoping to get back to my anti-procrastination list very soon. I am excited about spring! I am nervous about spending a long weekend with 8th graders. Wish me luck!

Hugs,

Cathy

Ski Carnival 2011

2011-03-16T01:09:00.001-04:00

A few more ski photos and then I will move on! Can you believe we had another snow day last Friday? (that's 11!) These photos are from our ski carnival a few weeks ago, which is such a fun time in our community! Our ski resort is now closed for the season. This is my last winter post until next November/December.

Marissa, my 8 year old on the rails. Notice the concentration on her face! She was dressed as a cheerleader for the costume contest!

Ana and me watching events slopeside:

Hubby & me in costume, posing for a pic.

This is my lower half on the right. Skiing in a long dress is difficult!

Look carefully and you will see Foster in white ski pants, black jacket, orange boots, caught in mid-air on skier cross!

Ana waiting for her sibs on the Slush Cup. Her jacket and goggles are wet from being in the splash zone! She is such a supportive sister :)

The Slush Cup is a big vat of water at the end of a long ski run. Marissa informed me that she was old enough and she was doing it. She did well and made it half way across the pool of water before sinking into that cold water. She is a brave girl!

The volunteer popped her out of her skis and then retrieved them while she made her way out of the icy water. Hubby was waiting with her dry set of clothes. Brrrr!

This is Foster's 3rd time competing in the Slush Cup and he made it all the way across and won in the 15 & under age group! Good job Fos!

I will be back soon to share with you a few recipes and new things that I have discovered.

I have been glued to CNN (in my free time) watching the devastation of the tsunami in Japan. My degree is in Environmental Issues, so I am highly concerned with the nuclear reactor situation, as well. If you want to help, please consider Save the Children. More than 100,000 children have been displaced.

A sign of spring in my flower bed:

hugs,

Cathy

Saying Goodbye

2011-03-07T12:45:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of a season change here and we are saying goodbye to ski season!

Was it a good one? Thumbs up!

We have skied every weekend since December, except this past weekend. We may get in one or 2 more times but the season is wrapping up. This will leave more time for actually getting things organized and ready for spring. I may have some time to put together a new blog header and post more frequently.

Today I was finishing up all of the tax paperwork for my small business (my BIG NEGATIVE on having a small biz) and I found a little note on my desk that I scribbled at the end of 2010. It said: focus word 2011: Breathe. (If you look at my blog header, I actually went with ORGANIZE) And then... 1.Cut down on coffee 2. Increase exercise, water intake and breathing. Yahoo, I have successfully done those things for the past 2 months. Progress, I love it! Sometimes we are making progress and we don't even realize it. I am still working with my personal trainer and I am feeling a lot stronger. I have been trying drink a lot more water, too. I am below 2 cups of coffee every day!

As most of you know, my mom was very recently diagnosed with Non~Hodgkins Lymphoma which is a blood cancer that resides in the lymph nodes. {This is unrelated to the breast cancer that she battled successfully last year.} Thank you for all of your kind words and prayers. They are working! She has had one chemo treatment and is feeling pretty good. She is in good spirits and we have been able to Skype which makes it so much better with our long distance. You can read here about my parents and what they endured last year.

The kids are ramping up on their practices for the Sleeping Beauty musical that they are in a few weeks. So far, they are enjoying it! It is a totally new experience for all of us. I have to figure out how to take theatre photos with my new camera. I am loving it, but bummed that I couldn't get my photos to download today. I tried to find 1 of our 2 card readers, but wasn't successful.

I hope you are making progress, too. Be sure to let me know what you have accomplished so far in 2011. Leave me a comment. I promise to pat you on the back!

hugs,

Chocolate Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-02-21T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just have to give in to the temptation of chocolate cake. The boys are out skiing and the girls and I are having a quiet night. I decided that chocolate cake was in order. I made a box cake by *Pillsbury*. I knew I didn't have any "store bought" frosting, so I turned to my number 1 source for recipes: the internet. Here is the recipe I followed:

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounce cream cheese (softened, I used whipped)
1/4 c. butter (softened)
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. confectioners sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in confectioners sugar (I added 1/2 c. at a time). Be sure to refrigerate the cake after frosting, as this has cream cheese in it.

My youngest says I need my own show, like Cake Boss, she declares. I love that girl! She sure knows how to make a Mom feel good.

So now it doesn't really matter if we have a snow day or delay tomorrow, we are armed with chocolate cake. Let it snow!

Earlier today. With my new camera~finally!

Old Man Winter is showing us that he is still in charge. Beautiful.

hugs,
Cathy

ps thanks for all your kind words on my last post. I really appreciate it and I am starting to feel better and more centered. xoxoxo

Off Kilter

2011-02-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

There is a pot of boiling water on the stove. There are piles of clean laundry. The house is pretty clean. I have worked out today. I have accomplished NOTHING on last week's Anti-procrastination list~nothing! I think of a blessing. Then I think of something to bring me down. Like: the sun is out~blindingly so, but there are small piles of dirty snow. It is warm, but it is not hot. This is how my week is going. Up. Down. Off kilter. This is how I am when I receive bad news. Let me repeat: bad news. I get really weird until my brain can accept the bad news. In limbo...trying to accept the news that my Mom was just diagnosed with cancer. Again. But a completely different type. Trying to look at the bright spots: she is symptom free, she feels strong and she is ready to fight this. Trying to wrap my head around how I can help, when I live so far away. Very hard. I have only cried a little. Maybe I need a good cry. Actually, I don't know if that would help or not? I cannot decide. So I am going to carry on and hope that once my head accepts this message, that I may cry or not, and hopefully come to a different place, because limbo is not working for me.

Birds outside my bathroom window. A sign that spring may eventually come !

Homemade hearts for my 3 sweeties with a message and a coupon for something they like: movie, dinner out, & dessert. I was able to find the perfect store bought one for my sweet hubby. It had a bike and kites.

hugs,

Why Valentine's Day is Special To Me

2011-02-14T07:29:00.002-05:00

As a kid, Valentine's Day was always very special in our house. It was also my Dad's birthday. So we celebrated Valentine's Day and my Dad's birthday. It made it extra special. My Dad always remembered to get us a valentine on that day, too. I remember feeling very special because he remembered me on his birthday. Happy Birthday Dad. We love you. A few pics, just for fun!

Dad on his first birthday. I cannot believe the clarity of this photo and how my grandmother baked him such a beautiful cake for his first birthday and then remembered to get a photo~there were not point & shoot cameras in those days! February 14, 1940

Learning to "shoot" a gun with his father.

On his First Holy Communion. Dad has passed down his faith to his children and took us to church weekly (with Mom's help, of course!)

A trumpeteer, he also played the accordion and has a 45 of it somewhere!

Served his country in the Air Force.

Is a fantastic dancer, which wooed my Mom off her feet!

Always fixing cars. My brother is not even a year old. Cannot imagine how my Mom felt about her brand new concrete being stained with car grease. BTW, is that car done yet???

Dad on the left, with his brothers, rocking the side burns and mustache with a Sgt. Pepper jacket.

circa 1971

Always putting a baby to sleep and catching a quick z himself! This is my youngest brother Tony.

Supporting us through all of our endeavors. Congratulating my brother on a good swim, while being a timer. Back then the timers had to wear their "timing whites".

Loving on his granddaughter, Allie, with my Mom.

A Ford man and a big time racing fan, before racing was so commercial. If there is a race on tv, Dad is tuned in. Drove us a bit nuts, but he is consistent!

Teaching Foster how to shoot a bb gun safely.

Taking in his favorite team, the Detroit Tigers. They were always playing on the radio in the garage, when I was a kid. Pictured here with my sister Lisa, niece Lindsey, Dad and brother in law Mark.

Spending time poolside. But not in the deep end. Shallow end only!

Always taking photographs. Always. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

(my Mom's favorite saying!)

And one of my favorite pictures of my Dad. Hanging out on a boat.

Thanks for always being there for us Dad. Through the toddler years, the homework, the swim meets, the snowmobiling nights, the practicing of instruments, the baseball games, the kite flying, the mini bikes & go karts, the car issues, the road trips to Florida in the Econoline, the relationships of our teen years, the driving lessons, the graduations, the walk down the aisle, the letting go of us so we could become adults, and watching us become parents and going through the same. Happy Birthday Dad. You are a rare one: warm, honest, kind, faithful, gentle, funny, and loving.

Much love to you on your special day!

~Cathy~

linking up with Debbie at her Newbie Party

Baja Baby!

2011-02-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

Looking for something yummy and easy to make? This is a quick and delicious meal! I usually make it when it is cold outside. Like today.

This is a picture of the dinner before the pasta was added:

I used my daughter's Kodak Playsport videocam to film it and then uploaded it to Youtube. I may get this blogging thing down some day!! I filmed this a few weeks ago. It is only 47 seconds long so you have to watch it!

I also serve it with blue chips and roasted salsa verde from *Target*.

I adapted this recipe from another blogger. If you are the blogger that originally posted this recipe, please let me know and I will give you credit and a link!

Baja Chipotle Beef & Pasta Dinner
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, washed & diced
1 can corn (drained)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can black beans (drained)
1 box wagon wheel pasta, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef. Pour off drippings. Add green pepper and onion and cook just until a bit tender. Add corn, diced tomatoes, black beans and cooked pasta. Stir over heat until heated all the way through.~this is the point that I put some aside for my little one that doesn't like it spicy~ Add desired amount of Baja Chipotle sauce and stir. Serve warm. You can top it with shredded cheese or sour cream, if desired. Also delicious with blue corn chips & roasted salsa verde, as pictured above!

Thinking warm thoughts!
hugs,

AP Tuesday, Virtual Coffee & a Hidden Talent

2011-02-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a lot to accomplish in a just a few hours and I realized that I haven't been making my daily list. I quickly whipped out a notepad and jotted down my list. As I sipped my coffee this morning, I was surprised to see that got everything done on yesterday's list. Thus the name for my blog, Check It Off. I function so much better with my daily checklist. I am definitely going to be using my lists this week! The past few weeks I have been focusing on completing little tasks, which will help our life to run a bit more smoothly. Also, I really would like to have photos of my family in the picture frames, rather than the ones that come in them from the store!

LAST WEEK's LIST Anti Procrastination List 1/31/11 (get done by Feb. 8th)

My Focus word for February is PHOTOS

Get Photos in Frames NOT DONE, going on back on list. Hoping to have new prints by Friday!

Delete Photos on main computer that are not worthy of keeping (going back 1 year)NOT DONE,going back on list for this week

Sign, Copy & Send tax documents to accountant for personal & business PARTIALLY DONE (I signed, waiting on hubby to finish, read TEAM effort!

Set up Microsoft Word on Ana's computer (finding the disk will be the hard part!) DONE

THIS WEEK'S List Anti Procrastination List (get done by Feb. 15th)

My Focus word for February is PHOTOS

Get Photos in Frames

Delete unwanted photos going back 2 years

Reconcile January bank statement & produce business info for accountant

Spray paint new photo frames & hang on photo wall

Tonite I am taking the kids to a tryout for a local musical production of Sleeping Beauty. I am not sure if we will actually be able to participate in the production, but I think it will be great experience for them! ~I am a bit nervous for them, they are a bit nervous, too! So we will just see how it goes!

Tomorrow night are soccer tryouts for my son's travel team. You know spring is not too far away when soccer tryouts are happening! I find this to be a better predictor of spring than the groundhog!

The kids' Valentine's parties are this Friday, so I have a bit of baking to do. Their Valentines are done! I am also in charge of the guessing game. I am going to come up with a few containers where they need to guess the number of items in the jar. This is such a great game for second graders. Maybe I will have the party helper Moms guess, too. Wouldn't that be fun to see who is closer, the kids or the Moms?

Remember the camera my friend was selling? Well she decided to keep it. My friend and I were playing with it at the ski lodge and a man came over and told her what a great camera it is and showed her a few tricks. She vowed to use it more and learn more about it. And she said I can keep it for awhile longer. Sweet, huh? I am getting very close to buying my new camera. I am just deciding on the lens I want. I cannot wait!

My training is really coming along. I am going to sign up for another month, since I have already seen good results in 3 weeks! My favorite is the H.I.T. (High Intensity Training) class. It is kickboxing and I LOVE it! Such a wonderful feeling of power and strength when you have on the gloves. Not easy, but very fun!

Upcoming blog posts this week:

My interview with Lucy the Slipcover Queen and photos of her Studio/Work Room

A post with a recipe for a yummy winter recipe with a video starring me and Marissa

I am linking up with Amy at New Nostalgia for Anti Procrastination Tuesdays and Amy at Lucky Number 13 for Virtual Coffee.

If you have a chance, please pop over to my friend Marla's new blog, Random Thoughts. She is an awesome photographer, writer, ski instructor and the list goes on! Also, she is thinking about sharing her Manual for Mothers of Freestyle Skiers. What a friend!

We are getting a bit of light snow. I had to help my husband pull the snow plow out this morning. It was stuck and he couldn't get it out by himself. Cathy to the rescue! Yep, I am a woman of many talents. Now go find your hidden talents!

hugs,

View from My Kitchen Sink

2011-02-03T18:09:00.001-05:00

My blog friend Pam, is celebrating her First Blog Anniversary and she is challenging us to post a view from our kitchen sink. I would rather do this in the summer but thought it was a pretty day, so here is my view today:

And a pic of my sweet Marissa's Valentine cake that she made during one of our 3 our snow days off from school. She made this almost entirely by herself. I poured it in the pan and put it in and pulled it from oven. I also made some extra icing but she did all of the rest! Pretty good for 8 years old!

It says be Mine.

And Marissa has been hobbling around. Must have been some snow day scuffle with the siblings. The sibs are in the other room chilling out after having teeth removed today. A good day to have them removed so they don't miss any school! (Crutches are rather inexpensive and make a good toy, as well as come in handy, when your ankle is a tiny bit sore)

This was a shot of my kitchen counter last night. Don't know why my kids can't put their mug in the sink, throw away the garbage and roll down the Goldfish bag! By the way those strawberry heart marshmallows are to die for!! Yummmy!

This is a pic of part of my living room bookshelves. The books are covered in paper from HobLob. The hour glass was a bday gift to my hubby a few weeks ago. It is really cool and a reminder that time is fleeting. I wanted Pam to see how I covered my books in paper. I did this years ago & they still look great! Don't you think bookshelves are hard to decorate? This looks much nicer in person. Really it does. The very top pic(in the star frame) is of my son and husband swimming in a lake about 10 years ago. The 2nd shelf pic on left is of Ana when she had really short hair, she was about 5 years old. There is a pic of Foster and me when he was a baby. A picture of Ana holding Foster when he was a baby. A picture of Marissa's baptism. A picture of Marissa at 6 months old in her little Frenchy blue outfit that I took. And a pic of the kiddos from 2 1/2 years ago. I really need to get the new photos in frames!

I am hoping for a return to "normal" tomorrow and that the road conditions improve. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my trainer and a lunch date with a dear friend. Tonight, I am off to try a new place in town with the Bunco/Bunko girls. Have a lovely Thursday evening!

hugs,

Happy February 1st!

2011-02-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

I am so happy it is February! I don't know where January went, but I am glad it is in the history books.

Let's talk about this morning. We have a snow day and the kiddos will be home from school. Last night we knew they would most likely have it off. I knew in the middle of the night when I could hear the freezing rain tapping (annnoyingly) on the house! I got up a little later this morning, but still early for a snow day, in hopes to post before the kids awakened~but no such luck! They are all awake and snuggling with warm blankets by the tv. Soon there will be special requests for breakfast. Glad I bought donuts at the grocery last night. I will slice up a pineapple, strawberries, grapes and blueberries to go with the donuts. Or maybe they will have a clementine to boost their Vitamin C levels. I am brewing some hazelnut creme coffee (*Folgers*) which I love! I have tried other coffees, but none compare to this tasty little gem. I am still staying below 2 cups a day (usually 1 1/2 cups x 8 ounces). Then if I feel the need, I will have hot lemon water or a cup of herbal tea. I am avoiding all other caffeine, too.

Here is our faithful lab, Bella. She gets to come in when it is very cold outside. She is definitely an outdoor dog and enjoys running our 5 acres and scaring off the deer (as they DESTROY our shrubs!). My neighbor texted me recently and said we have a coyote in the neighborhood. Her husband found tracks right up by their windows! No wonder Bella has been barking more lately!

If we were having coffee together today I would tell you that I am secretly glad the the kids have a snow day! All 3 of mine seem a little tired lately and I think they can use the snow day to catch up on sleep and relax a bit. That is the best part of snow days, getting to enjoy the day and get a bit of extra rest.

I have been working with my friend's camera. It feels so good to have a real camera in my hands! (She is selling it, so look for details at the bottom of the post) I love iPods and find that running with my very first iPod is the best. I can change songs easily and never worry about dropping it. We now have 7 iPods (not including the 2 that have been lost). We are a family of 5. iPod addiction~yeah! Do you see my Tivoli? That is probably the best Christmas gift I have ever received. I can plug my iPod in and listen to the radio. I can move it around if I like. It is little and has great sound. I love it. You like my lemon mug? I do too, but I only fill it half way. Some day I will show you my lemon dishes that are a different pattern from the mug below. They were also a Christmas present years ago.

I am supposed to go to my personal trainer today. I will see if they are open and how the roads are at that time. I am not risking my life for a workout. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my husband will get out early and that we will get some fresh snow for some evening skiing!

I am linking up with Amy and her Virtual Coffee. Stop on over to her blog and drool at her lovely photography! Her button is on my sidebar.

I will tell you that I love my AP Tuesdays because I at least have a deadline to try to make. It really helps me. Are you a procrastinator? If so, you need to join Amy's linky party. She explains everything on her blog and you will see her Anti~Procrastination link on my sidebar. Join us. I am very thankful for this, as it has motivated me in the last year to accomplish a lot of mini projects in a short (but realistic) timeframe.

LAST WEEK's Anti Procrastination List 1/24/11 (get done by Feb 1st)

Get new photos in frames~NOT DONE problems with the color photos, (The printer had to re-do them, waiting for them to come in!)

Download photos from email, phone & then back up: going to finish today

Back up kids' photos & videos: going to finish today

Set up printer for Ana DONE, also set up Foster's computer to print to Ana's printer (the printer is already out of ink~guess that was successful!)

NEW LIST Anti Procrastination List 1/31/11 (get done by Feb. 8th)

My Focus word for February is PHOTOS

Get Photos in Frames

Delete Photos on main computer that are not worthy of keeping (going back 1 year)

Sign, Copy & Send tax documents to accountant for personal & business

Set up Microsoft Word on Ana's computer (finding the disk will be the hard part!)

I almost forgot to tell you that I am giving a talk to a group of women in a few weeks. I am still working on the title but it will be along the lines of "Inexpensive Decorating Ideas". I am pulling together photos and ideas of projects that I have done in my home. Want me to share with you?

I still have the steeple project and the women business owner posts to bring you. I haven't forgotten and I am sure that they will be coming together soon!

Camera info:
Originally purchased in February 2007
Condition: Excellent, used very little
Includes the following and all original boxes:
Nikon D200 w/Nikkor 18-70 lens $1999 original price
Nikkor 80-200mm lens $999 original price
Includes Nikon battery charger, manuals, 1 x 1GB memory card and 1 x GB memory card, Nikon Lantern DVD guide and 2 batteries.

This camera is fully automatic, as well as having the option to change iso settings, f stops, white balance etc. It would be a great camera for someone who is interested in exploring the art of photography, but may still want to rely on automatic features, too. You know dipping your toe in, but only going as far as you are comfortable!

Just leave me a comment or email me (email on sidebar) what you would like to offer for the camera and lens. Be sure I can get in touch with you via email!

And just for fun, here is a picture of Marissa sifting flour for the popovers we made on Saturday. Fun stuff. She loves to bake and has always been at my side in the kitchen since she was little! They were delicious. The kids thought they would be more muffin~like, so if you make these be sure to realize that they actually have more of an egg taste. They are very similar to my Mom's recipe for Yorkshire pudding. These made me think of my Mom in sunny Florida. Miss you Mom & Dad!

Would love to know if you have a snow day? What are your plans for February?
hugs,

A Few Things About Me

2011-01-30T13:11:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago, the sweet & beautiful Shanna from Revamped French Maison honored me with this award:

A "Versatile Blogger" brings everything to the table - a little of this and a little of that."

I am a bit of a procrastinator and wasn't sure that I wanted to share 7 things about myself, but I didn't want to be rude and ignore Shanna's kindness! So here goes:

1. I have chameleon eyes! They are blueish~greenish and will look blue if I wear blue and will be green if I wear green. If I am mad, they will definitely look green!! Sometimes my eyes are more blue/gray. My kids will comment on the the color of my eyes. They will say"Mom, your eyes are really green today." Or they will say "Mom your eyes are really blue!"

2. I am a terrible typist! I spend too much time correcting my bad typing. I learned to type in high school and I still mis-spell the same words. Like from is form, blogpost is always blogspot, and many, many more!

3. I am a great speller. If you see something mis-spelled on my blog, it is due to #2!

4.I am super tan in the summer and super white in the winter. I use a lot of sunblock, but once I have a base tan, I tan right through it. Usually in the winter I am very pale and look sick~for about 6 months or so! My Mom has always said that I should have been born in California.

5. I am a good cook. (I am not a chef, though!) My favorite meal to prepare in the winter is soup and in the summer is pasta dishes with fresh veggies and grilled meats!

6. I am a Midwest girl. I was born & raised in Michigan. I have lived in Ohio for more than 20 years now. My heart lies in Michigan with the beautiful beaches of the west coast and the breathtakingly beautiful inland lakes. Ohio is beautiful too, and I enjoy our incredible sunrises and sunsets and rolling terrain. I enjoy driving through the Midwest states: the farms, barns, lakes, and smallish cities. I enjoy the friendly people of the Midwest states. It is a great area to raise a family.

7. I am afraid of mice. I will scream at the top of my lungs if I see one! I can hold a 10 foot boa constrictor snake, but I cannot handle the sighting of a field mouse!

These are "THE RULES" for the Versatile Blogger Award:

Thank & link back to the person who gave you the award (Thank you, Shanna!)
Share 7 things about yourself
Pass the award on to (up to) 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fabulous
Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award

These are sweet women whom I have had the pleasure of communicating with in Blogland. I hope I get to meet (in real life) at least one of these women this year!! Visit their blogs, you will be impressed! I am passing on the award to these wonderful women who never fail to inspire:

Sloan~ Lucky as a Ladybug

Marlowe~Come Home To Roost

Kim~What I Am Going to Be When I Grow Up?

Heather~A Lovely Mess

Lorri~Lizards & Lollipops

Sara~My Colorful Life

Val~ValSoCal

Mandi~Tidbits from the Tremaynes
Michelle~Emerald Cove

The last thing you should know about me is that I love to read. My favorite reading spot is on a dock. Here is an old pic that my husband snapped of me years ago:

~HUGS~

PS~One of my closest & dearest friends is going to let me borrow her big camera with the uber big lens this week! I cannot wait to play with it!! Stay tuned for some photos & a quick report on what I think of the Really Big Camera!!

As January Comes to a Close

2011-01-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that January is almost over. I have to admit it is my least favorite month of the year! In fact, I am not a winter girl. I have learned to embrace winter and I think that has worked better for me this year.

I am working out (a bit more than I would like to!) and perhaps this is having a good effect on my psyche. Lots of crunches, core stuff, squats, plank & the treadmill. I am still drinking lemon water and will be trying cucumber water, too!

This weekend we are going to fit in some skiing. It is the 50th anniversary of our favorite ski spot, Snow Trails. This is where Foster competed in Big Air 2011. We might also finish this:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid puzzle.
I placed it on the backside of a quilters cutting mat, so that it can be moved from room to room
or stored under the couch!

Sloan has been tempting me with her popover recipe. I am breaking down & trying it!

And I have to finish everything on my Anti-Procrastination List! I am still way under 2 cups of coffee each day. YEAH for me! And I finally figured out the last little bit of my blog button code with Heather's help! Her blog is here. If you read Check It Off, I would be honored if you copied the code and added my button to your site.

I made a new soup recipe this week! It was from Kim and it is a broccoli soup. It was a big hit with my family! You can find it here.

Have a lovely weekend!
Hugs,

Big Air 2011

2011-01-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

In my last post I mentioned the Big Air competition that my 12 year old son did prior to my husband's birthday party. Here are a few photos:

The VENUE:

FANS, Marissa, Mr. A, Mr. Jman and Miss J:

Rich & I on the right and our bestest, supergreat, ski & boating buddies on the left:

Miss J (our friend) with Marissa and Ana:

FLYING taken during the competition, this is Foster (12 years old):

My son over the years has told me that he wishes he could fly. Maybe I exposed him too much to Jimmy Neutron or the Snowman movie where the snowman flies while holding the boy's hand, all over town (The Snowman by Raymond Briggs). There aren't any words in that movie and I loved the soft music as it would lull my kids to sleep. Guess it didn't work on my son, though.

PREPARATION
All of our children started skiing by the time they were 3. We knew it was something that we could enjoy in the winter and so we made a commitment to teach them very early. It has been a lot of long winters with blood, sweat and many tears, as it is no easy feat teaching children to ski. Our children have always worn helmets. If you are considering teaching your kids to ski or snowboard, always require them to wear a helmet. They are very comfortable & warm. It is a critical component of ski gear.

As our kids have progressed through the years, they continue to challenge themselves with more difficult terrain and jumps. This is not easy on a mother. There are a couple of things that make it easier. I do know that my children have years of ski experience, as my husband or I have always been by their side, until just recently. We have taught them the etiquette of taking turns in line. We have stressed the safety measure in getting on, riding & getting off the lift.

I am afraid to say, there are many parents that won't invest the time and energy into teaching their kids or providing them with lessons. Unfortunately, there are times on our slopes where beginners with no training and no one by their side, make our slopes dangerous. Too often, kids are let loose on the slopes with no training. It breaks my heart that the parents do not realize the danger they are putting their kids in, as well as others. Skiing is a dangerous sport with inherent risks and we stress the risks to our kids.

TRUTH and TRAINING
To be completely truthful, I really did not want my son to compete in the Big Air contest. He had a fall about a week before the contest and injured his shoulder. I was secretly hoping that God was answering my prayer by allowing him a minor injury, so he could not compete. The shoulder healed quickly. In the days leading up to the contest, I couldn't talk about "BIG AIR" as my stomach would clench and I had a hard time breathing.

As luck would have it, my husband and I ran into a coach that my son trained with this past summer. He was very confident that Foster was ready for the competition and explained in detail how he was ready. I tuned it out and kept saying over and over to my self, "but his mother is not ready". (The coach just had one of his skiers place 3rd in the Mountain Dew Tour in Vermont!!)

The day of the competition was busy with me finalizing all of the party details. As my husband & son were departing for the ski practice runs, I had a run-in with my oldest daughter, Ana. As thirteen year olds tend to do, she was disrespectful and non-compliant in things I had asked her to do hours earlier. We had a doozy of an afternoon that was filled with tears and frustration and an exchange of hurtful words (both of us). I stuck to my guns and punished her the best way I knew how. Instead of going skiing for the afternoon, she had to study and stick by my side with the party errands. I did let her go to the competition, but she had to be with me (instead of her friends) as my shadow. As you know, 13 year olds do not prefer to hang out with their mother in public places. Perfect punishment.

My emotions were running high as I hit the slopes to watch Foster compete. I rode the lift with a 16 year old boy from a city an hour away. He told me how tough the jump was and that he had crashed in practice a few times. He was pulling out of the competition. I asked where his mom was and he said at home (an hour away). My stomach was clenching very tight by now. I told him who my son was and he said, "That little kid with the orange boots. Yeah, he is shredding it!"

The competition was very exciting. Watching and waiting and praying that I have not made a huge mistake in letting my son compete. It did ease my nerves a lot when my husband explained that Foster had completed 3 practice runs and had done them well.

We cheered Foster on and his first run he did lose a ski, but was able to ski down the steep slope on one ski. I could barely watch the second run, so I just stood slopeside praying for no injuries. My prayers were answered and then everything was over. Of course I was thrilled that he was fine, but my emotions were still jangled. It took me awhile to recover.

In my mind I knew that Foster had trained for the event. He was ready. It was me who wasn't ready. Here is proof that of his training from last summer. If you are a friend of Facebook, you may have already watched this:

Week One Highlighted Skier from Ohio Dreams on Vimeo.

I know there will be more competitions. I need the Training Manual for Mothers of Freestyle Skiers. Anyone have a copy that they can loan me?
Hugs,

Chicken Orzo Soup & Other Updates

2011-01-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting recently! I have been very pre-occupied and haven't had a minute to blog!

Personal Training: I started working out with a personal trainer last week. Ouch! It has been very good, but after the first day I came down with a stomach bug. I was couch ridden for 24 hours with a headache and fever. On top of it I could barely walk, as I was so sore from my first workout! As soon as I was over the bug, I felt fantastic and had plenty of energy, which I needed to finish planning my husband's birthday bash! (More on the bday bash later!)

Coffee Update: consistently less than 2 cups a day for several days in a row!! Isn't that fantastic? I am super excited that I have cut down so much! I really didn't think it was possible!

Sleepwalking: A new development: my youngest (age 8) has been sleepwalking the last 2 nights. One night she left her warm comfy bed & woke up on the couch. Last night she turned on all the bathroom faucets, flushed the toilet, walked downstairs into the kitchen (she seemed like she was wide awake!) gave me a hug, and used the bathroom. My husband asked her who we had dinner with that night & gave her the names of 2 friends. She picked the wrong one so clearly she was asleep! When I told her about it this morning she laughed and of course, didn't remember a thing! I know this is pretty common, but I am a bit anxious about it! My older two when they were very young, shared a room and would talk in their sleep to each other. Weird!!

Blog Button: figuring out the last little bit of code & then it will be visible on my site. Don't have a blog button & want one? Then you need to go see my friend Heather at A Lovely Mess. She does a great job & is very reasonable!! Tell her I sent you!

The Bday Bash

We had a fantastic weekend celebrating my husband's birthday. I planned the party in less than a week. I used Evite for the party invitations. It was super easy! I love sending real invites, but was under a time crunch so I decided just to email the invites. He especially enjoyed reading everyone's comments as the party drew closer! Evite.com does a great job on keeping you notified of rsvps. The only tricky part is making sure that you have the correct email for everyone. After that, it is super easy!!

We held the party at our local ski lodge where there was already a great band booked. The snow fell lightly all night long & it was super pretty to look outside and be inside with great friends. I ordered 24 latex balloons & 6 huge mylar balloons. NOTE to self: hard to fit that many in a SUV! I had friends that secured tables for the party and they decorated the whole area for me! I walked into a beautiful party. Thanks girls!!

I had a photo banner made (12 feet long) of 200 fun photos of my husband. I was sure to include all of our family (including pics with his Grandpa, "Pop Pop") and our closest friends. It is now stretched out on the living room floor and we keep looking at it and laughing about all of the good times we have shared! I stitched this photo together on my point & shoot camera:

And in place at the party:

I had our local grocery make a cake with a skier on it. It was super inexpensive. Let me tell you that it was DELICIOUS!! It was awesome when everyone sang Happy Birthday to my husband.

The food was prepared & served by the restaurant. We had gourmet pizzas, dips & nachos. People snacked on the yummy comfort food all night long.

I forgot to mention that just prior to the party, my son was competing in an event called BIG AIR. I was slopeside to watch him compete. The competitors ski down the hill to a steep ramp, which is about 50 feet from the ramp till they land on the downhill slope. My husband had been there all afternoon & witnessed a lot of falls and skiers/boarders pulling out of the event. My son did 3 practice runs safely. In the competition he had 2 awesome jumps and he did not fall or get hurt. He did lose a ski on the first comp run, but was able to ski down on ONE ski. I was a nervous wreck. I found out later that he is the YOUNGEST skier to EVER compete in BIG AIR. I am still nervous. After the comp I had to change out of ski clothes into party clothes & get the kids fed & arrange to meet up with their babysitter, who took them home, after giving their Daddy big birthday hugs & greeting some of our guests. My husband made his entrance right on time. He had to run home & get my jeans. Yep, I left them in the dryer!

The best part of the party was interacting with our awesome friends in one spot. It was an amazing feeling to look over at my husband and watch him with his great friends, laughing & talking and enjoying life! We are truly spoiled by having so many wonderful people in our life. I feel very blessed.

I didn't forget AP Here was my Anti-Procrastination list for the week of 1/10/11. I link up with Amy at New Nostalgia and you can see her button for Anti Procrastination on my side bar. These things were done before January 10th!

Order family photos of kids from our summer photo session DONE
Clean 2 kitchen junk drawers DONE (so glad I did this! I can find what I need now!)
Treadmill workout~ease back into running with a workout NOT DONE. but started personal training instead

Anti Procrastination List 1/24/11 (get done by Feb 1st)

Get new photos in frames

download photos from email, phone & then back up

back up kids' photos & videos

set up printer for Ana

And Last but not LEAST. A few have asked for the Chicken Orzo Soup recipe. I just made it up as I was going along. Here it is:

Chicken Orzo Soup

2 T. Wesson oil

2-3 fresh chicken breast, washed & cut into 1 inch pieces

3 carrots washed, peeled & sliced

3 celery stalks, washed & sliced

1 small onion washed, peeled & chopped

1 cup orzo pasta

1 Large can Chicken Broth 49.5 ounces ( I used Swanson 100% Natural, 99% fat free, no MSG)

lemon slices

Sautee chicken in oil until cooked through. Add carrots, celery & onions & cook until carrots are not hard (about 5 minutes). Add can of chicken broth & bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes & then add orzo. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve soup into bowls (with fresh warm bread!) I squeeze the lemon after I have served the soup into a bowl. Some of my clan likes the lemon, some do not. 1 slice of lemon squeezed, per bowl. Enjoy!

I am off to enjoy a cup of hot tea and watch it snow. We have had a beautiful winter and January is zipping by us!

hugs,

Lemons & Other Really Good Stuff

2011-01-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

I have been drinking a lot of water with lemon lately. It has really helped me cut down on coffee. I am already down to 2 cups a day, without trying very hard!! A fellow blogger mentioned that she was drinking hot lemon water, which is easy to make. Heat water & squeeze in fresh lemon. I have been drinking it when eating out & at the ski lodge. Lemons are good for preventing kidney stones, so it is imporatant for me to keep this in my diet. I have also been squeezing it on different dishes. Even this homemade chicken soup with orzo instead of noodles:

The kids wrote their thank you notes today. Better late than never. I am a dealer for this line of stationery from Donovan Designs. They have the cutest notepads. Wouldn't you agree?

I may have mislead you in my last post. When I posted about my vintage snowmobile (last post), I should have told you that this actually belongs to our kids. It is not a full size snowmobile (slang:sled). That is why my hubby bought it for the kids. The kids let us borrow it, on occasion! This is a picture of my youngest today, out playing on the snowmobile after Mass & religion class. Check out that sky!

Action shot of Marissa:

We even were able to coax my teenager, Ana, outside for a spin!

Ahhh, blue sky:

This little point & shoot camera is able to hang with me! A snowmobile coming around the frozen pond:

Yep, here is Foster. He is so much like his Bumpa (my Dad). Sweet and full of fun!

Now that I have indulged you with some photos, I wanted to let you know that I am planning a party!

A real party. For my husband as he gets ready to celebrate a BIG birthday. I have less than a week, but I am sure I can pull it off. Right?

I am 2/3 done with my Anti Procrastination List for this week & I still have one day till Tuesday.

If you haven't seen the new GORGEOUS beach bags from my friend Suzanne at beachhouse etc. then you better bop over to her blog & check them out! I Tell her I sent you!

Later this week I will be posting my new blog button. It is done & I cannot wait to share the details with you. You are going to be impressed!

I am really happy that January is more than half over. You followers know that I am a summer girl. Just making the most of life, while I await those warm breezes!

Hugs,

A Fresh Perspective

2011-01-11T01:09:00.002-05:00

Do you ever pick up a book & think that you will just read it quickly & move on to the next one? Well this book was an "easy read", at first. I was quickly going along on the Italian adventure & the next thing I knew I had been been gripped by the book! This book has given me a fresh perspective on what I want to do with the next phase of my life. I haven't made any big decisions, but I know that I will approach my decision making about the future differently, as a result of reading this book. I really like books that shift you from your foundation. It is a bit of a chick book, so I am not sure that the male audience will appreciate it, as much as the females!

Speaking of fresh perspective, we have had a bit of new snow which coincided with our recently fixed "vintage" snowmobile! Seems a squirrel or other furry animal had stored nuts in the intake valve! Hubby snapped this photo of me. I am sure my mom has one somewhere of me when I was a little girl growing up in Michigan. I loved going on long rides with my Dad and earned my permit at the age of 13. It is a lot like riding a bike, once you learn how to do it, you can pick it right back up. After a few quick spins around the yard & neighborhood, I felt re-charged! This Yamaha is fast!

I didn't forget my Anti-Procrastination list from last week. Here is my update:

ski (that's what we do here in Ohio in January!) Done: skied Friday night & Sunday in excellent conditions!

clean sock drawer (stop laughing Rich!) Done: I can even close the drawer now and find my socks! No pics, you just have to imagine socks organized by style & color, neatly lined up in my drawer!

reconcile October, November & December checking statements (wish I could do it every month!) Done-a big job but now that it is done, it will be easier to gather tax info. Plus I have all my receipts organized, as well, as all warranty info for 2010.

Was wondering if you reconcile or balance your checkbook or do you delegate it or skip it altogether? Just curious!

I am linking up to Amy at New Nostalgia for Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays! Want to join in the party? Here is a link to Amy's blog.

Here is my Anti-Procrastination list for this week 1/10/11:

Order family photos of kids from our summer photo session
Clean 2 kitchen junk drawers
Treadmill workout~ease back into running with a workout

We are expecting a big snow storm! I made it to the store tonight with the rest of our town, but was able to get out of there quickly with my helper, Marissa (Miss Boo). We will have more snow within the next day or 2. You can bet I will be making fresh tracks with my snowmobile!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I am meeting with a personal trainer this week. I am going to see if he has a plan for me that will help me shed the extra 10 pounds. Do you think he might add snowmobiling to my regime?
hugs,

My 2011 Word of the Year: ORGANIZE

2011-01-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

This was taken by Ana from her bedroom window through a screen at sunset the other night. She took it with her videocam that has a 5 megapixel camera.
Glorious, wouldn't you say?

My word of the year this year is ORGANIZE! I really thought long and hard about this one and it kept coming back to me that the more organized I am, the more free time I will have to spend with my family & friends. I first wrote down (with a pen & paper!) all of the things I felt I did well in 2010. I was surprised that the list was so long!! Then my husband suggested a few things that I had not remembered, so I had to add a few more. I really liked the process of looking back on 2010. I think part of the reason I had many things on my list was because of blogging. I love the interactive part of blogging & the immediate feedback. Here are posts of a few accomplishments:

outdoor painted table~before

outdoor painted table~after

kitchen re-do, part 1

update to my son's bedroom (think ski!)

my organized office

summer laundry room ( i will have to do this again, after ski season!)

under the kitchen sink

If you tend to be a procrastinator ( I am, too much thinking going on here!) then you need to join up with Amy at New Nostalgia who hosts a linky party on Tuesdays call Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays. Amy is an incredible blogger & is fighting breast cancer and has recently undergone a double mastectomy. She will be hosting Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays again on January 11, 2011. So go get your post ready & send some love to Amy!

One project that I never fully blogged is my shutter project. Remember I agonized over whether to paint the existing or buy new? It was #3 on my list here. I promise to give you photos & a full post in the near future.

I did post my first video, held my first giveaway, my first interview with blogger Suzanne of beachouseetc, held my first linky party and made my first blog header in Picasa in 2010.

Last night I spent a few hours on a new blog header & it didn't work. It appeared to be perfect & then when I clicked on "collage" it wrapped my words, so that you could only see half of them! Does that ever happen to you? So, to all of you that have new blog headers for 2011, I am not lazy just technologically challenged, at the moment! And yes, I am envious of you!

Here are a few things I have already done in the first week of this year:

cut down on coffee ( I am down to 3 x 8 ounce cups and heading down to 2x8 ounce cups)
figured out how to get Ana's videos on the computer from her new Kodak Playsport videocam~it is waterproof & so much fun! Had to return her Flip because I could not get it to charge. Love Kodak & think they should sponsor me since I have always loved their products. It is the only brand of point & shoot that I will own!
put kids on a new schedule for tennis, which is working out really well!
moved all of my 2010 papers to storage
did my ballet workout, it is a good stretch & great for the lower body without being too hard on the knees
a clean house~woot, woot!

Some of the things I want to accomplish in 2011:

make a blog book~if you have done this, I would love to know how you did it
streamline my time in making new blog headers
clean my junk drawers
clean my sock drawer
come up with a plan for all of my photos, both digital & printed
print photo books for each of the kids
transfer more video to dvd
organize a prayer group~any ideas for non denominational?
get in shape for slalom skiing~see my post on slalom skiing
post about women business owners & The Steeple Project
learn how to use my new camera (after I buy one, maybe in a few months!)
make decision on computer which is having memory problems & is soon to be outdated
continue to learn how to relax
and many decorating projects, so you will have to follow along on my adventures!

Are YOU trying to get more organized in 2011? Maybe one of these posts will help you:

Organized Papers

Quick Scrapbook

2 of my favorite skiers. Love those smiles & the dimple! Photo credit: Ana.

Here is my Anti Procrastination list for this week:

ski (that's what we do here in Ohio in January!)
clean sock drawer (stop laughing Rich!)
reconcile October, November & December checking statements (wish I could do it every month!)

It is a short list, but realistic!

I am hoping that you are off to a great start in 2011. Looking forward to sharing with you my long lists & hopefully some pretty photos!

I am finding it difficult to post, as I am without my SLR camera. But don't worry, I am finding ways to get around it. You may even see a video on here. I know, crazy things are happening here at checkitoff. I mean holy cow, only 3 cups of coffee. It's going to be a great year!
hugs,

The Steeple Project

2011-01-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

Remember how a few weeks ago I told you I had 2 new assignments? One of them was to photograph an architectural element in our area. The architectural element that I was in the process of photographing was church steeples. There are many that are quite beautiful. Today I saw two gorgeous steeples. They were at the church where all 3 of my children have been baptized. If I were to describe the steeples to you, they look something like these beautiful green oxidized crosses stretching up toward heaven as if to say, we are here God, protect us and guide us.

I went to that church today for a funeral. It was the funeral of my friend's little 4 year old boy. It was heartwrenchingly sad and yet, beautiful at the same time. It was deep & profound. I don't know how to finish this post except to say to the T family, that you have loved so deeply and little S will never be forgotten. Our prayers are with you.

hugs,

What's Going On?

2010-12-29T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe there are only 2 more days left in 2010!! Soon we will be ringing in 2011. Thanks to all of you that have linked up your holiday card. It was so much fun to look at all of them! The linky party will be active here until the 31st of December.

I also appreciate all of your nice comments about the break in of my SUV. The insurance company was good to us and even though we won't be able to recuperate everything that was stolen, I am very thankful for our insurance.

We had a fantastic Christmas. Lots of love & great memories.

A tidbit of things that we have been up to over break:

spending time with friends

skyping with family (love, love Skype)

skiing & more skiing

hanging out at the ski lodge

getting over a cold (me & Ana)

snowmobiling around our yard on our vintage snowmobile

putting together a puzzle of Portofino, Italy

movie time as a family at home

using my point & shoot camera to get a few photos

cooking & cleaning

helping kids with electronic gifts

I am going to start back at yoga in the New Year to get in shape for this new sport of mine! This was a huge surprise from my sweet husband, a standup paddleboard (all the way from Cali!):

Yes, I am counting down the days until I can use this gorgeous board all around the lake!! I fell in love with the sport while in the Florida Keys on spring break. It is such an easy sport, just balance & paddle.

Here is what I could use from you! I need to know if you have a camera (digital SLR: single lens reflex) that you love! If you have a camera or a lens that you love, please leave me a comment with the make & model. I am in research & save mode. I want to pick a camera that is right for me!

Also, if you would say a pray for 2 of my friends. One is dealing with a very recent loss of a child, while the other friend is having difficulties with housing. These are wonderful, wonderful women who have helped so many people. Please pray for them. It will make a difference!

I am looking forward to blogging with you in the New Year. We are trying stuffed cabbage rolls on New Year's Day this year! I am so excited. Would love to know what you are doing on New Year's Day?!!

hugs,

Cathy M.

2010-12-13T23:14:00.000-05:00

I have been in a rather mad state of mind the last few days. A few nights ago my husband joined me for dinner. We met up with our friends of over 20 years. It was nice to chat & laugh. Really that is what the holidays are all about, right? Spending time with people you adore & making memories. All was fine until my husband & I walked to our SUV & found it had been broken into. We were totally stunned as we had parked in a well lit area in a decent part of town. Not only did the thieves get away with recent purchases (grrrrrrrr!) & some cash that my 12 year old had stashed in the car (unbeknownst to me), but they also took my digital slr camera with both of my lenses. I love my camera & use it almost daily & I have been rather lost without it. (the above pic was taken with that camera & then I blurred the edges of the photo)

There was glass from the window throughout the entire car. We had to drive an hour home with cold air & road noise blasting through it. We did file a police report on the spot, but I think it is hopeless to think that any of the items will be returned.

The good news is that we are both fine & they did not get any credit cards nor identification. Our friends came back to help us, as soon as they heard what was going on. Thank goodness for friends you can count on!

We will be dealing with the insurance company. We have an appointment to get the car fixed & have been able to borrow a SUV from my in-laws until ours is fixed. We have lots of snow & very chilly temps, which don't go well with a broken window.

I wish this was a happy post about our holiday traditions or baking or something fun. We are working on getting past this, but it is amazing how it can affect you. I have been surprised at the strength of my emotions over this event. Mostly I have been mad, until today when I was rather sad.

Tonight we took the kids to the fairgrounds to see the Christmas lights. It was rather fun. We took pics with our cell phone. We wondered how many lights there were, how long they took to arrange & wondered how much the electric bill would be (that pondering was from my teenager). Afterward, the guys ran to Home Depot while the girls and I shopped for a few quick items at Drug Mart. We had some really good laughs about buying goofy gifts for people. It was silly, but we did manage to laugh.

Watch what you are keeping in your vehicle & watch your valuables, and most of all this season, be safe.
hugs,

2010 Christmas Card Reveal

2010-12-08T09:50:00.002-05:00

This year's card was from Tiny Prints:
Front

Inside Left

Holiday Message

Back

A couple of things that I love about this card are:

the story that it tells about our family, its early beginnings & what we enjoy doing together~read more below
it sounds crazy but I love the gate fold (the fold is along the left, opens like a book)
the ability to use so many pictures
being able to choose from so many fonts & creating my own custom greeting
all of our legs outstretched, especially Ana's! Yes, she has super long legs like her Daddy!

**This is a very low light day here in the Midwest! The pics do not accurately portray the level of photo quality, which is very good. I tried with flash, without flash & in different settings & this was the best I could come up with.**

The Story of This Card
The story of this card is 17 years in the making! The first day I met my husband, we biked 20 miles together. It is funny how a bike ride lead us to this incredible life with three children. Although, we don't put in much mileage these days, we do love to ride these bikes at the lake with our family. We bike to the pool. We bike to friend's houses. We go on little excursions. Everyone else uses a golf cart, but we love the simplicity of our "beach cruisers". I love the baskets for towels & goggles. Hubby likes his drink holder, which is usually occupied by my afternoon Diet Coke. I got the idea to purchase the beach cruisers when I saw a picture of Kim on her bike.

I love getting holiday cards. It is my very favorite thing of the season. It is a chance to connect with others that we care about, but perhaps don't see too often. I love getting photos of family and friends. The kids scream with excitement as they open the cards each day. It is true joy!

Wouldn't you like to see what others are doing for their holiday card? Me too! So here is my first Linky Party!! If you are a blogger and would like to share anything related to your Holiday card, please link to your post below. It could be choosing the photo or card, past cards, or your current card. It could even be a post about procrastination of sending out cards!

Hugs,

19 days till Christmas & counting...

2010-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

list making

recipe previewing

be-ribboning

decorating

hiding

snowing

planning

thinking

praying

sending

crafting

ordering

shopping

*If you don't have a LightKeeper-Pro, then you need to get one while out & about. It is a miraculous little tool thingy = "miniature light set repair tool"! It sells for less than $20 and can be found at hardware stores!! It really works & takes the frustration out of tree trimming with burned out bulbs!

Hugs,

One Year Blogiversary!

2010-12-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

I started this blog one year ago! My first post is HERE. I have learned so much about blogging, my interests and how to connect with others. I am grateful for each & every follower and really appreciate all of the nice comments that people have left in the past year.

I am all about ribbon this time of year. It is probably my favorite element to decorate with! I am crazy about this ribbon & will be using it everywhere!! Here is my latest find:

In a previous post I mentioned that I have 2 new assignments. One of the assignments is a photo assignment that I am working on & will share with you at a later date. I am photographing an architectural element in our city & have found that the dwindling light from fall into winter is making it challenging to complete it. The great thing about this assignment is that it has no due date. My goal is to share it with you when I feel that I have it completed, which will be sometime before spring. (I hope!)

My second assignment is profiling women in business in our local area. I have been impressed with a number of women who have taken their passion & turned it into a business. You will get a behind the scenes look at how & where they work. Later this week I will be giving you a behind the scenes tour of Lucy's (the Slipcover Queen) studio. You will love seeing how she turned her garage into a stunning, cozy studio!

These assignments are "self-assigned". I figured that my kids have several assignments which are designed to further their understanding of a subject and that I could do this for myself. I hope you have a self-assignment or two! I would like to hear about yours and if you are still thinking about it, this is a good time of year to stretch your boundaries & work on something new for you!

As I was composing holiday card tips post here, I realized that I didn't have my previous year's Christmas cards all in one box. I am hoping that when I find the kids' memory boxes (safely tucked away in storage, but not visible), that I will have a copy of previous years cards. I did find a good portion of the photos & cards. Following is a tour of our cards (some are just the photo, as I am not digging into the storage room until after the holidays!).

1997~I remember this like it was yesterday. My husband & I were heading to his first company Christmas party & I was a bit nervous to leave my 4 month old with a new babysitter. It turned out that she was a great babysitter & a pretty good photographer , too!

1998~hard to believe that the one with the dimple is now a teenager! She had a choir concert last night & sang like an angel! That chubby baby is now defying gravity with his skiing and wakeboarding. Thus the progression of my wrinkles!

1999~this was taken by my father-in-law. I think my mother-in-law was doing something crazy to get the kids to laugh. It worked. We hung a sheet from our garage door for the back drop. My husband & I developed this photo in our basement that year. I miss our make shift photo lab. I ended up having this printed by a real lab, but it didn't turn out quite as surreal as the photo below.

2000~We used a piece of black velvet & draped it over a door for this photo. My husband added the red bow. My favorite thing here is how they are holding hands. That doesn't happen anymore! This is a gorgeous card from Exposures. That gold ribbon took forever to weave through the tiny holes!!

2001~Another Exposures card. It had a vellum overlay & ribbon, too. I love this photo~so sweet!

Without the vellum:

2002~we added our third child this year & moved to a new home in December (avoid moving in December, it is only for insane people!!) The baby in this photo, Miss Boo, really did fall asleep! Mr. F. was being a 4 year-old boy & wasn't cooperating, so I thought it was fine that he was in his normal mode of being goofy with his eyes squinched shut! I made this card on my computer & added a phrase inside that said..while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads... The back of the card featured our new address & a photo that I had snapped our new house.

Back of card (2002)

2003~this is my Mom's favorite photo of the kids. I took this one:) I just used a store-bought card & slipped in the photo.

2004~This is the snow picture! We had snow the day after Thanksgiving & I was able to get it before the snow melted! The kids were ice cold when they came in!! This is also the card where I added that apostrophe & had to have all of the photos re-printed~oops!

2005~I think this is one of my favorites (I cannot pick a favorite since they all hold special meaning to me!) I really wanted a pocket card in 2005, but I couldn't justify the cost. I came up with a way to get the pocket card. I found this beautiful stationery & then printed a photo of the kids that I had taken along with the saying onto the cardstock. I fed the tassel through the hole & looped it & then inserted it into the pocket. The pocket is a pretty bronze color.

The card out of the pocket: The card said BELIEVE and then below the pic, it said ...in thespiritof the season. The font was regular & then spirit was in red & script.

2006~This was one of the easiest cards ever! We had our photo taken at a local chain photo studio & ordered the cards on the spot. I had my cards ready in September that year!!

2007~I love the color of this card & how whimsical it is! The inside greeting said: Wishing you a bright & cheerful holiday season in pink & green fonts!!

2008~This was my first true digital card, where I sent the photo online. I love how the greenery in the background complements the design of the card.

2009~if you haven't read my recent post about this card, you can go here.

2010~

Sarah over at Clover Lane, just posted a tutorial on how she has recently displayed her cards for Christmas. I love this idea, but will be heading more toward the scrapbooking route, as I have a limited supply of cards.

It is snowing outside and my family is beyond giddy! I am happy that they are giddy. Here we go, winter! This is a recent splurge! I love these *Bogs*. Waterproof. Warm. Comfy. Colorful.

This one is for all of my family & friends that live where it isn't snowing:

Snow is flying, but we are ready!

I am loving my blogiversary. I am celebrating one year of having fun in blogland!! What are you loving today?
Hugs,

Happy Thanksgiving ~2010~

2010-11-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

sleeping in

baking cinnamon rolls

dancing in front of the tv

waiting for Macy's Day parade

anticipation of family football game

thoughts of yummy turkey, stuffing, squash & pie

time spent with family

sorting through newspaper ads

making Christmas wish list

Happy Thanksgiving!

The leaves were an easy craft. I gathered a few from the yard & the kids traced them on paper, cut them out & the wrote what they are thankful for this year. Don't you think this would be something fun to find in your memory box when you are older?

Hugs,

Holiday Card Tips

2010-11-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

If you are a reader or friend of mine, then you probably know that I am a paper girl. I have my own line of botanical note cards and I also sell several lines of personalized stationery like notepads, wedding invites, baby announcements and holiday cards. Following is a list to help keep you focused & organized with your holiday cards, so that you can spend time on shopping decorating & cooking.

#1 Choose the photo. I personally think that your holiday card should include a photo. In this day & age you should send a photo along with your well wishes. If including a family photo, make sure you choose a shot where all members look decent. No poles sticking out of heads. Good lighting, please! No closed eyes, unless it is a sleeping baby! One of my cards had a sleeping baby & it turned out adorable! Also, there are so many options of cards, that you can choose individual photos (see below).

#2 Choose your greeting & double check all spelling. If saying the family name, The Marquardts, do NOT add an apostrophe. I did this one year, without thinking, and had to re-do all of my cards, ugh! Always have another pair of eyes check your wording before printing!

#3 Choose your card. Be careful not to let the design of the card overwhelm the photo. The design should complement the photo or help to tell a story.

#4 View the card before purchasing. Online viewing of proofs is very commonplace & yes, you should shell out the extra dough for this. Period. This may lengthen the process of ordering the card, but it is well worth the extra time!

#5 Order a few extra, at least 5-10. If you have leftovers they can go into a Holiday Card Scrapbook or the kids' memory box.

#6 Use a return address, always! You will be surprised how many cards come back to you!

#7 While waiting for your card to be printed, get your mailing list in order & purchase your stamps. I always print my list on paper first. I make edits before printing on labels.

#8 Allow time for assembly & addressing of the holiday cards when they do arrive. Allow time for affixing bows or photos. I use evening tv time for assembly!

#9 Assemble with clean hands in a clean space. Do not assemble while wearing colored nail polish as this can easily rub off!

#10 Do write personal notes to family members. It can be as simple as, "Thinking of you during this holiday season!"

#11 If you include a holiday letter, please do not be too boastful. This turns people off.

#12 Always take the card to the post office (fully assembled) and have it weighed PRIOR to mailing. Last year I had my card weighed before I put on the address label & the weight was fine. Just to be sure I had it weighed againand sure enough I needed more postage!! Who would think that an address label would push it over the limit? I bought more postage & added the stamps while in the post office. I certainly did not need 150 cards coming back to me!!

#13 NEVER mail the card so that it is received before Thanksgiving (that's for my U.S. readers). The only exception is if it's a Thanksgiving card. That's the only exception!!

#14 Electronic cards do not count. They are better than nothing, but they do NOT qualify as a holiday card. Got me?

Other ideas

You can send New Year's cards if you cannot get your picture until the holidays. OR you are waiting for the snow pic
I have a friend that sends a Valentine's card, which is a welcome piece of mail in February!
You can let people know of a new address with a holiday greeting. I love baby announcements with holiday greetings. Or how about a wedding picture with a holiday greeting? They make everyone's heart melt!

Sources for cards

Your local stationer~allow time to peruse their books & for production & shipping. This is the best way to observe the quality of the card & photo. Also, your stationer can guide you in the myriad of options & details. (read: customer service)
Homemade~I have made homemade cards in the past & they take considerably more time than ordering from a source. Just be sure to test your paper & make sure you have loads of extra ink cartridges! Use a bone folder to help fold paper. Purchase your envelopes first, as this can also be a tricky time trap!
Online sources~be prepared to spend time looking for the right card! I ordered this year's card from *Tiny Prints*. (NO, I am not receiving anything from them). I was very pleased with their customer service (in October) and they exceeded my expectations. I was very happy with their quality & selection, as well. I have used *Minted* in the past & was somewhat disappointed with their service. However their quality is excellent. And perhaps by now, they have added more qualified customer service reps. I have received cards that were from *Vistaprint* & *Mac* & thought that their quality & design were very good. *The biggest negatives in ordering online is that you cannot feel the weight & quality of the card. If you have time, order a sample.*
Local~Drug stores & one stop shopping places. I am not a huge fan of their products, however, they do tend to be very budget minded. Try to coordinate your pic with a cute saying that ties the photo to the card.
Traditional photo cards~if you are ordering a photo to place on a card (rather than a digital card where the photo is printed directly on the paper), be sure you preview the photo before ordering a large amount. In our smaller city, we are currently without a high quality photo lab that will deal directly with customers. This may not be a consideration if you live in a larger city.

In a future post I will show you this year's card. Here is our 2009 holiday card that I ordered from *Minted*:

The actual card is grommeted & is a short storybook.

*Each of the photos of the kids was cropped to take advantage of the Peace, Love, Joy story here. I sacrificed a bit of the photo quality to get the story~a tradeoff~

*The family photo is a bit unique, but if you are a boater you can appreciate this. It is almost impossible to get a shot of your family on your boat, unless it is planned. Many times you are too busy having fun & getting equipment in & out of the boat to care about a family photo. It takes a bit of planning & luck! This was taken by my friend Tom, who was on their boat, while we were on a trip. Do you see that large rock behind us? Um hmmm, we didn't hit it. Thanks to my husband's quick reactions. Also, there is this other matter called waves & the resulting rocking of the boat. Tricky stuff!

After looking at this card, I am amazed at the changes in my kids in just one year! I think my favorite thing about the holidays is receiving cards from friends & families. I know my whole family is excited to check the mailbox! And yes, we do argue over who gets to open the cards!!

I would love to hear your feelings about holiday cards! Do you love seeing how your friend's & family's lives have changed? Does it make you feel more connected? I am looking forward to the holidays & re-connecting with others via their greetings. I wish I could check the mailbox, but it is too early! One week to go!

(After writing this post I found many of my holiday cards dating back to 2000 and the photos going back to 1998! Would you like to see pictures of my past cards? Including the "eyes closed" photo? )

Hugs,

Slipcovers & a Painted White Kitchen Table

2010-11-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you read my last post, you know that I was experiencing some disk storage issues on my computer. I deleted a lot of stuff (emails, mostly) and I am functioning, for now. I will be ordering some more memory & might even give you a tutorial on how I install it. While traipsing through my photos I found the "before pics" of my kitchen table & chairs. Are you ready? Let's start with the after:

I love the comfort and style of my new table and chairs. I made sure to have a glass top made for the table. We do homework here & now I don't worry about the table top at all!

Here you can see how well it coordinates with the adjoining living room. I have 3 pieces of distressed white furniture and several yellow pieces in my living room.

I love the white trim & yellow walls against the piping & covered buttons.

I have fallen head over heels with slipcovers because of their washability! I also had these little coverlets made to protect the seat cover. A little added protection that can get thrown in the wash with ease!

A close-up of the cording & pleated skirt. All 100% washable!

I am still working on lighting & window treatments.

The dreaded before pics:

Do you see the old painted white table in the background? About 8 years ago, I found it in a junk pile with 6 inches of snow on top of it. I didn't use the correct paint & after years of use & abuse, it had to be retired! I actually used these chairs for years, which don't match or even coordinate with each other!

In this photo I was testing out chair height & width. Here you can see the walls & window trim. I am so glad that my husband agreed to have this room painted.

This table was a steal. It was very inexpensive & I bought it because I loved the pedestal base. It just needed a new paint job. I hired it done this time!

The slipcovers were created by a talented slipcover artist in our area. Which leads me to reveal one of my assignments. I will be showcasing local, talented businesswomen on my blog. You will get a glimpse of how they turned their passion into a business. The first person I will introduce you to is Lucy. She is the reigning slipcover queen in our area. She recently invited me & a group of women for lunch to her home. I was able to get a few photos of her work area. You will have to wait a little longer for the post. Here is the hostess gift (note cards with her company name) which I made & took to her:

I would love to know, have you finished any projects lately? Do you use slipcovers? Are you in love with white distressed wood, like I am?

I am going to fix a cup of tea & enjoy my new chairs & kitchen table!

Hugs,

When Things Go Awry

2010-11-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

Definition of AWRY

: in a turned or twisted position or direction : askew

: off the correct or expected course : amiss

Today I downloaded some photos of our splendid Indian Summer & found that I had reached my max on my memory. Only 20 of the 150 photos would download. Ugh! I have 19,096 photos on my Mac. I have them backed up, but hesitate to delete any out of iPhoto should I need one for a blog post of one of the scrapbooks that I will eventually make for the kids. Here is an example:

A blurry pic of Mr. F defending the goal. This kid takes his job very seriously. Man is it ever hard being the mom of the goalkeeper! Can anyone else relate to this? It's funny how I never really noticed this pic until today. I love this blurry photo!

The glorious weather beckoned me for a walk on the bike trail. I invited a few people to join me, but they were busy. So I took my companion, Miss Canon Rebel.

A lot of people bemoan living in our small town. I appreciate the hidden gems, like our bike trail. It wasn't crowded and it was budget friendly (free). You can tell that winter will soon be upon us!

A glimpse of the moon during a bright sunny afternoon!

Some type of weed. A pretty weed. I love how it captures the November light.

So my plans to show you how I forced the kids outside to play will have to wait for another day!

New Assignments

I have two new assignments. I am not being paid for these assignments. They have to do with business and photography & women. A mixed bag, but I think you will have fun checking in on me. Wish me luck on setting my computer straight.

Hugs,

Cathy M.

Indian Summer with a Chair & Table Teaser

2010-11-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

Was wondering if you have selected your picture for your holiday card, yet? If not, that is your challenge this week! Leave me a comment & let me know how it is coming along.

We are enjoying our Indian summer. I have been mandating that the kids have to go play outside after school this week. They don't mind. This is our "in-between time" when they start pining for snow. Really! We visited some good friends this weekend in Cleveland & my kids were overjoyed to have a snowball fight! Please pray for my friend Mrs L. as she is recovering from an incident in which she was burned by a coffee spill while at the drive-thru at *Starbucks*. She is a mom of 3 and had to spend 3 days in ICU & is still bandaged from knees to the waist. Please just pray for my sweet friend Mrs. L. And be very careful with all hot things.

Here is what today looks like around here, with a few leaves left on the Japanese maple and the gorgeous blue sky:

My trusty companion, who does NOT smell like skunk today, as she did 2 weeks ago! Poor thing had to endure numerous baths of Dawn, hydrogen peroxide, & baking soda. If your dog gets skunked, email me & I will give you the protocol. That was a crazy day! Very funny now!

A few leftover roses, oh how much I adore these:

Chair & table teaser. Stay tuned for my kitchen table & chair project! I have to sort through the before pics. Post coming very soon!

Blessings
distressed white furniture
slipcovers
good smelling kids
a de-skunkified dog
sunshine
a lunch date with friend
a soccer tournament win
smell of chlorine
glasses adjustment
cookbooks & recipes

Hugs,