A Project for all of the Kids

Taylor loves "projects". When he was in preschool and Kindergarten he was VERY disappointed when he was sick and couldn't go to school because that meant he would miss out on the projects that Mrs. Wease would have them do. So I saw this idea in "Taste of Home" (I think) and I got the ingredients and we all made pilgrim hats.
These are Keebler cookies, I can't remember the name, with fudge on the back of them. Turn them over on their fronts. Then put white frosting around the inside circle (we later figured out it was easier to put the frosting on the top of the Reese cup). The one thing I couldn't find was Mini Chiclets for the buckle of the hat. So we just did without. It would have looked alot cuter if I could have found some.
Taylor kept eating parts of his project. :)

Tyler decided to wear his pilgrim hat.

Grant turned his upside down and stacked them.
Katie used a piece of foil as her buckle.
Even Heidi made some.

Apple Pie

Katie and I made apple pie the other night. We had a great time. I made the crust, she made the filling. I should have had her put in a little more cornstarch, cuz it was too runny, but it was delicious. Now I need my sweet husband home to help us eat it, because it's too sweet for me and Katie is the only other person who likes it. :)

Yum!! Yum!!

You should see the other guy, Mom!

Grant fell at school yesterday and busted his face all to pieces. So this is what greeted me when I came home... with him saying, "You should see the other guy, Mom!" Of course, he had the cutest look on his face when he said it. Poor guy though, it looks pretty bad.
He might just get a black eye out of it. :)
My sweet, sweet girls!!

Isn't this just the cutest?

I have a friend, who I've never met except online, whose little girl chose to send me a "Howl"ween card. I thought it was the sweetest thing so I wanted to show you all! Her mommy showed her my snow video and then a little while later she let her kids choose who they were going to make cards for and send them to. Little, sweet, Miss C, decided to send it to Ms. Vonnie and I am just pleased as punch!!
The boys fell asleep on my bed the other night so I thought I would get a picture of them... cute things!!

Flowers, chocolate, a teddy bear, and luxury gift set.

Here is what Andrew sent me for our anniversary...

The teddy bear was not to be found at the time of this picture. However, I did find it soon thereafter. It seems one young boy thought it would be fun to take the bear's sweater off and put it on again, so it was moved from the place it had been. Anyway, thank you babe, for thinking of me and sending me such beautiful flowers and chocolates, etc. That was so thoughtful of you. I hope you had a good day!! Sorry we can't be together!!

I have to tell you a funny story... We were in Burger King the other day after school, me and the 6 kids, and before we ate we were waiting to see who was going to pray, that seemed to be taking too long so I decided I would pray real quick and said the prayer that I taught the kids to pray when they were little. "Thank you Jesus for the food, help us to be kind and good. Amen" When I got done, Taylor looked up with a quizzed look on his face and said "kind of good?" I about died laughing... he was looking really hopeful, like, you mean we only have to be "kind of" good? Hey, I think I can do that!!! heehee He is so funny!!

Ummmm, mmmm, mmmmmm!

Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky... Andrew and I met the first time at TRY Conference. He was liking someone else and left for Cincinnati that weekend, but a few years later we met again... and then it was me he was coming to Cincinnati to see. We wrote letters and made phone calls for two years while I was in nursing school, interspersed with a visit here or there. It was hard being apart from the one you are falling in love with, but maybe it was preparing us for this past year. :)

We got married 8 days after I graduated from nursing school... and tomorrow we celebrate 21 years of wedded bliss. :D No, I can't say we've never fought, I can't say I've never been disappointed and he's always been thrilled with me. But what I can say is that I love and respect him, he is an awesome husband, father and provider for our family, and he loves me, like Christ loves the church, unselfishly. I'm so happy he asked me to marry him, at Hickey's Gap Falls(what a name), in Georgia... I would have been pretty stupid to say no!! :) I love you, babe!! Happy Anniversary!

A Little Escape

Turn on the Christmas music.... no really, go do it, right now....... OK, do you have "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" on? Now get yourself some hot chocolate, come on, quit making me have to beg..... go get yourself some hot chocolate.... hurry up. Now, make sure there is no noise in your house, except the Christmas music, and watch this little clip.

Cara, you'll have to get your kids to see this, since they rarely get to see it snowing! :)

Now, go take a Valium, we've got to get to church in this slippery stuff!!

Melanie,
I put the larger pictures of the bear and the bear skull at the bottom of the post so you can see them better. Vonnie

A few random pictures

Drew outside playing soccer in the snow with a "muscle" shirt on. We don't have too much snow, really, just an inch or so, and the temps aren't very bad, somewhere around 30... but I still got tickled at Drew outside playing without a coat on. He has always been very hot-natured. :)
While Andrew was home this past weekend, he went and picked up the bear skull he had a taxidermist friend "do" for him. It is the skull of the bear I had pictured at the bottom of this blog for a long time. I don't have it down there now, but it is a HUGE bear!! The twins were really intrigued.
He also picked up Drew's buffalo skin which you can see here. This is just the back half of the skin because they are doing a head mount, so you can see how big this animal is.
Tyler wanted to help me shape the rolls for Sunday dinner... my hair is wet, that's why it looks like that.
Aurora had another litter of puppies a few days ago. We have three puppies left who seem to be doing well.

Andrew left this morning to go back to St. Mary's. Hopefully he will be able to return in about 10 days. He will have to fly his airplane back and that is really dependant on good weather, so pray that the weather is good so he can get back here in good time and not get stuck somewhere between here and there.

The house is finished.

Andrew got in from St. Mary's last night. Drew was finishing up his house that I talked about in an earlier blog. So we pitched in and helped fill in the mud in between each log in the house. It was due today, so we should find out this evening how he did as far as his grade is concerned. I am really proud of Drew. The whole project was his brainchild and he carried it out with the help of Grant and then right at the end, Andrew, me, Heidi and Katie. I thought he did an awesome job!

P.S. He came in second! I'm so proud of him!