Harry Takes a Bath

 

I can only wonder what he is thinking as he “reads” this book

Happy Monday!

Say “Cheese”

Last week I went to a Christmas party and loved an appetizer that a friend made.   This week I had another party to go to, SO I called up my friend and got her recipe.

It is amazingly easy . . . .

Here is how easy:

Cheese Spread

2 - 14oz containers of Cheese Spread (I used Port Wine. . next time I will try plain Cheddar)

1 - 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese (or more to taste)

Mix together well.  Line a small bowl with saran wrap and scoop the cheese in.  Dump out on your dish and remove the wrap. 

Add a topping of your choice.  I used almonds.  My friend used parsley.  Both were really good to me.

And of course you need crackers to dig in.

This was a nice alternative to all the SWEET treats being served this time of year :)

~~~~~~~~~

ALSO, Mike came home for a few days.  SO yesterday we had a good friend take some family pictures for us. 

You can have a sneak peek Here. 

We were careful NOT to say the word “cheese” because it makes pictures look like this:

 

 

 

Thanks Mrs. E for enduring the cold with us and blessing our family with your gift of photography! 

Tina

Days like these

 When the temperature is SO cold outside (-4 right now), this is where you will find the kids. . .

I find myself standing in front of the same vent to warm my toes :)

I am so thankful we have shelter from the cold. .  on days like these!

Not my idea of a good time. . .

But the kids LOVE it!!

This is the second year a friend lent us a snowmobile for the winter. The kids really enjoy taking rides as the snowmobile trails are about a hundred feet away.

Well, the trails aren’t groomed yet, so Dad made a “trail” in our back yard. He also rigged up a sled to be pulled behind so everyone can have a turn at once. Like I said. . NOT my idea of a good time.

Here they are. The fluffy falling snow makes it safe, or so Dad says!

They were frozen when they got in!

An extra blessing today was that a carpet cleaning friend stopped by randomly. He said he had just enough time to clean our carpets - something I have wanted to get done all Fall! So while the kids were “having fun”. . I got to put the house back together, which is my idea of a good time. :)

Tina

From the 17th at Lambeau

Or Laaammmbbeauuuuu as Craig would say.

This past Monday night we traveled down to Green Bay for the big game between the Packers and the Ravens.

Craig wanted to take me to a game since I have never been to one in all my years living in WI. So when we got a gift to do something special (alone), he started searching for tickets. He found seats in the 17th row for a GREAT price.

We knew it would be cold. We didn’t know it would be 20 degrees! So I started worrying about what to wear. . . I hate to be cold and thought it would make for a LONG evening sitting outside on bleachers.

Craig helped me dress. . . layers, boots, hat, mittens and those neat little foot warmers. I can honestly say I stayed warm the entire night.

(Players on the field just before the game)

We had such a great time! Our seats were so close to the players. Each Lambeau Leap was just below us.

(Half time honoring Service Men, Women and their families ~ VERY cool)

It is amazing to me the camaraderie that Packer fans have. It felt like one big family. The lady next to me (in black) thought so too as she enjoyed my cushion for part of the night, much to my (short-lived) frustration.

We didn’t mind the roughly 3-hour drive home, even though it began not long after 11PM.

It was a night to remember, and Craig & I still had a trip home to go over all the cool stuff we enjoyed…together…from the 17th row.

HP Touchsmart Giveaway

Do you want to have a chance to win your very own HP TouchSmart 600!!!!!!

Go HERE to see how.

Tina

A new BLOG to share.

I keep telling myself that life will slow down and I will actually sit down to write a post.  HA !  I have a few posts started and then life interrupts again.  I don’t think it will ever really slow down, but maybe sometime I will finish those that I started and actually post them

For now, I will just leave you with a new blog that I am following.  As you read in my last post ehhhemm. . over a month ago, my son went to Ensenada, MX for their Discipleship Training School.  Well, he started a blog. 

You can go HERE to see all that he is learning. 

It has been exciting for me to hear of his growth from afar.  I hope you will enjoy reading as well.

Tina

Saying goodbye. . .

Our oldest is off on his first real adventure away from home. . . 

 

 

On a recent missions trip to Ensenada, Mexico, Mike’s eyes were opened to the next step in the path God has for him.  Discipleship Training School (DTS). 

The YWAM DTS is designed to encourage students to develop in personal character, to cultivate a living relationship with God, and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings.

The program aims to prepare strong messengers of the gospel, helping students to know God in depth. The goal is to form Christian character and establish Biblical relationships while developing a daily walk with God.

This intensive training course begins with a 12 week classroom phase followed by an 8 week outreach.

Yes, I pulled the info off the website, but I can’t say it any better than they do :)

  

It was a day of mixed emotions as we said goodbye to Mike. . .

. . . we will miss you!

You can go here to learn more about DTS.

Tina

While we were off visiting to Grandma and Grandpa’s. .

We helped them build a deck

 

We finished even though it rained HALF the time

Maccoy turned 4

 

  Of course we did some fishing and playing too

 

 

 

 

Thanks to some good friends who lent us a pop-up, we got to camp out. . you can see the path we made to keep dry through what became 3 inches of rain runoff.

A worthwhile trip, it was!

 

Trampoline

I never thought we would be trampoline owners, so it was a shock to me when Craig said YES to the offer of one from a friend at an UNBEATABLE price.

What a blessing it has been to us since our beach days were fewer this summer.

Thankful to report ~ NO injuries to date :)

Dad’s Big Catch

Dad caught a 5lb Smallmouth Bass while fishing next to the Ms and Grandpa. He claims to have given them the “1st” chance.

The kids were excited to see what was in its belly.

8 Crayfish and still hungry enough to bite Craig’s line!!

Yummy in our tummies, too!

Quilt Giveaway

I love quilting, but haven't taken the time to do it much lately. So when I came across this giveaway, I thought I would do all the "to do's" to make myself eligible to win it. . .Even post. . . which is another thing I haven't kept up with lately :)

Check it out here - Quilt Giveaway

Graduation AND 18th Birthday

Our oldest has officially graduated from high school AND turned 18. 

So we had a double party at our house.

 

 

 

Thanks to my dad who did the grilling even in the rain!

 

And a good friend who decorated the cake.

 

This is for Craig. . . Total food eaten . . 45 burgers, 40 brats, 40 hot dogs ( and buns), 2 big salads, 8 lbs of potato salad, 4 pineapples, 4 cantaloupe, 6 bunches of grapes, 12 Containers of Strawberries, 5 batches of REALLY great fruit dip, 6 quarts of calico beans, a friends coleslaw salad ( a little left) , 6 bags of chips. . .

AND only 4 pieces of cake left (which I am pretty sure I ate!)

Tina

Birthdays

Here are some highlights of our 3 spring birthdays

 

 

 Marshall’s first taste of cake

 

 Good Friends

 

Chocolate/chocolate cake. . . yum!

Stories around the campfire

Chicken dinner

Invisible candles

Football game

AND lastly. . .

Miles caught a bunny with his bare hands!!

He was so thrilled. . . me not so much.

Happy Birthday!!

 

Garden hopes. . .

I have always wanted a garden.  Last fall my hopes became a bit closer to reality when a friend graciously cleared trees from our yard to create a bigger space.  The space is nice and big and lots of fresh topsoil was put in place. 

This week we worked to get it ready for planting..

Fresh tilled dirt . . .

 

Teenage helpers …

   

And their muscles. . .

 Brains and more muscle. . . 

 

 Cute face. . .

Brush fire. . .

 

Baths every night this week!

 

And Voila!!  This part is finished!

Now I get to start planting!!

Picnic on the river

 

Life is boring if you’re a kid. Better go find a good friend to play with…

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do crawfish, suckers and frogs count as a “good catch”?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We sure had fun! At the end of the day, we had a memory you can’t take away, even if  we couldn’t take Mr. Crawfish home. Next time…