My favorite Things

Mary's bag of baked cookies and brittle. Yes, I love to bake, but it means so much to me that someone wants to do it for me.

Same for Stacy's "Bronco" orange and blue scarf she made me. This is the first thing (beside the hats and scarfs that Sharen has made me) that someones made me something.

The quite morning hours spent cuddling with Roger. He woke up in a strange bed, in a strange house, early Saturday morning, but quickly fell back asleep on my chest in the recliner. Snuggles for 2 hours! A time that I will never get again and a memory I will never forget.

Having Mary in my kitchen. I gave her the recipe and she just did it. I didn't even mind that she had to go looking in my cupboards for the ingredients.

Brunch at Carrie's.

Matthew's scream for "Uncle Jon - Uncle Jon" and runs around in a circle and then just throws himself in Jon's lap. He landed in Erica's a few times too.

A family that loves to play games. Next time Bryan and Mary are NOT on the same team.

A husband that cleans my kitchen and puts away the dishes, every time I cook.

A grandson, despite battling a sore throat, ate 2 helpings of my mostacolli and thanking me for it.

Hanging in the kitchen with Mary and Stacy drinking wine out of my Mother-in-laws green crystal wine glasses.

That Bryan and I still think alike. We both bought Mary the same thing for Christmas. This morning Sharen and I lugged the freezer back to the store. His was getting delivered.

A step son that likes to monster wrap presents. My cookies sheets took me 15 minutes to open.

Adults playing the kids game.

The phone call from Sharen who was crying because she was listening to the present I gave her.

The phone call I made to Sharen this morning laughing, because I used the present that she gave us.

A grand daughter that actually wore one of the matching outfits I made her and her doll.

And the best part spending holiday time with all the grandkids.

Babysitting

Carrie and Dave took Jon's Bulls tickets on Tuesday night so Sharen was called to baby sit and I tagged along to play with the kids. They all know who Grandma is - I tried to have Matthew call me "Aunt Grandma" but no I was Aunt Karen.

Matthew was very interested in my camera, so I showed him how to work it.
Our first attempt was me showing him what button to push and him pushing them all.

We decided (or I decided) that we needed more light, so I opened the flash. Yes, Kallie caught us with the camera and as you can see. Cheese!!! I swear that girl is going to be a movie star some day.

"Me do it, Aunt Karen!" so here is Matthew's self portrait.

Then came the baths. OMG those girls like their bath time - as soon as their clothes came off. Kicking! Shrieks! and Giggles!
Kendell had a hard time relaxing in the water, but she liked when Grandma put water on her head.

Kallie loved it all, but mostly having her picture taken.

Matthew was just happy that the girls were gone and he had the whole tub to himself.

The girls were nestled all snug in their beds and it was Grandma and Matthew time. Sharen got a book read to her by her favorite little boy.

It's only 7:30 and I'm exhausted - I'm outa here.

That time of Year again

Coooook ..kies!

This years cookie bake looked a lot different. We had more help. Kallie just wanted to eat the wooden spoon and Kendell was giving me the look - "You want me to do what?"

Now Matthew was a different story. He came into the house and ran off yelling  "Play with Uncle Mike!" heading downstairs with his coat on. That was until I started to make the frosting. Then he stood on the step stool and was Aunt Karen's little helper. He turned on the mixer and made it go fast and faster. UNTIL Uncle Mike started a fire and then it was "Help Uncle Mike!". He was such a good little boy.

Mike and Matthew, and then later Kaylyn after she had her fill of cookies, played in the basement while the girls got busy, making and baking cookies.

Kallie thought she was a big help to Mommy making the 7 layer. I am pretty sure Carrie has done this one handed baking before.

There was no sitting down this year. All the girls with knives in hand decorating the cut outs. I made a double batch this year. Please try and not notice that Erica doesn't have her apron on. She forgot it! (Jon had her doing HIS errands that he forgot to do and she was running around before hand, so we are blaming it all on him)

But Stacy and Kaylyn have theirs on. I made them this year for them. Note to Michelle: Sam's should fit in about 3 more years. :)

Me, I am in the kitchen throwing cookies into and out of the oven and Sharen is keeping the twins entertained. Some how I think I got the short end of that one.

We worked a assembly line that Ford would be proud of, because we had those cookies baked, decorated, and sorted into containers in 2 1/2 hours. BAM!!

Then we got to visiting and Roger got to chill with his cousins. Carries made the observation that the only sisters in attendance were twins. Interesting....

Will He remember?

Bryan has a new family now. A wife,  a baby, a new home, and finally a place to put up a Christmas tree.
It's time for him to come and get his Christmas ornaments.

I love ornaments!! I love to just sit and look at the tree all decorated. I had some sadness and some laughter while decorating MY tree this year, because I took all of Bryan's ornaments and put them into a shoe box for Mary to take home with her this weekend.

I hope that he looks at these ornaments and shares with Mary and Roger all the stories behind them.
Will he remember?
His Aunt Marcia also had a love for Christmas and bought Bryan his first ornament.

The book his Grandma Flory bought him - we had to read that little thing every Christmas Eve right after "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

The MANY ornaments I made.
The rocking horses I made for his entire 4th grade class.

The Mickey, Minne and Donald I made after our trip to Disney world.

The cross stitch "Cheesecake" the year he got his first dog. The ones from "Operation Jingle Bells" (drive to help the needy at Christmas) from the year he worked at the CN with me. The bears super bowl, the bulls championship and the White sox world series.

The "Scooby Do" to go with the rug his Aunt Linda made him.

The list and stories go on and on. I tried to put the year on each ornament so he had a reference when things happened.

Will He Remember?

Beat Aunt Karen

Back when my bowling average was 175 and my nephews, Andy and Jon, were both in bowling leagues, Andy at Diversey Bowl in Chicago and Jon was away at college in Myrtle Beach, I would challenge them to "Beat Aunt Karen" and send them an email with my bowling scores each week.

It was a good battle and sometimes they would actually beat me. :)
I never had the opportunity to bowl with them head to head until last night.

Our bowling team was bowling against Jon, Erica, Carrie and Dave in our once a month Saturday night mixed league.

Mike was out with his back so I was bowling anchor. Jon was likewise for the other team. Game 2 it came down to the tenth frame me vs Jon. They had us by 1 pin going in.
We both had spares in the ninth - after some discussion Jon went first. Strike!!!
Jon was on a roll the whole game - me I had one strike the whole game. Things were not looking good.
I wiped my ball of all grease, took a deep breath, stared at my mark, got my fingers just perfect in the ball and walked up to that line, and threw the perfect 9 count. Damn...

Jon's next ball an 8 count. I still had a shot when I picked up my spare, all he had to do is miss it. Nope the little bugger picked it up. I struck! we lose by 1.
Jon's game 191 - me 139. Hey, it's a team sport.

The third game came down to the tenth also, but this time we had them by a few. Jon throws a split in the tenth and the pressure was off. I marked - we win!

Interesting side note -  When I was in Wichita bowling in the Women's National tourney at the same time Jon was away at school, we got partnered on our pair of lanes with a team from Myrtle Beach. Yup, the same alley where Jon and his buddies would bowl. The lady we bowled with was actually the owner and she knew Jon and the boys from Coastal very well. Small World!

Finally

It's wet - It's cloudy - It's colder....

I fire is just what this Sunday afternoon calls for.

While I sit here and sort my tangled lights, just about ready to snip them up and buy some new ones.

Designer Diapers

When Mary was pregnant with Roger she talked about using cloth diapers.
Really aaaa OK...
My mind went to old school diapers with pins and rubber pants. I had no idea the length that "cloth" diapers have come. To be PC they are called "reusable" diapers now.

I didn't think anything of it until I was in Joanne a few weeks back looking for some lace to finish another apron and I saw a new section for homemade diapers. My eyes lite up and I texted Mary right away and asked her if she was still leaning toward cloth diapers. I really wanted to try and make some.

She got right back to me and told me she was still very interested in trying them. There is so many different kinds to choose from so I bought the book to strategies with Mary about what would work for her and Roger.
We both agreed on the ones with pockets to stuff with a thick liner. Easy for me to make and easy clean up for her and Bryan.

 I bought enough material and the tools to make 3 diapers.
He got a light blue one with flannel left over from his Mommy's flannel pants - He got a green one with jungle flannel left over from Matthews baby quilt and the third was a dark blue with snowmen flannel left over from my winter quilt.
Turns out they worked pretty good, so I offered to make some more.

Mary and Roger were coming out Saturday morning to go with me to get some more material. There is 4 or 5 different types of material to use for liners that we wanted to try to see what works best for Roger.

I wanted to do my homework before they came so I grab my list, my diaper book, note pad, calculator, measuring tape and of course, Sharen, (she had the day off) and spent a few hours wandering around Joannes on Friday morn. scoping out the cost and amounts we needed.

On Saturday Roger got to see Grandma's favorite store. It was probably my quickest trip for the amount that we bought, but  my grandson will be styling in his new designer diapers.

A Kid's Life

"A Kid's Life" was a play/program that Logan's school put on last night.
The skit was about being a kid that loses his access to technology. His Grandma and Grandpa come to babysit and teach him how to deal with a world without video games and ipods. Way funny and oh so true!

Logan had a speaking part. That is Logan standing, of course, way on the other side of the stage in the black t-shirt.
"I can't listen to my music"

Each class stepped forward to put on a little skit. Things went pretty smooth for having SIX fourth grade classes. There was a large group of kids there. Kudos to that music teacher. Logan is standing first row front and center.

I think I impressed (or maybe it was surprised) Dylan when I started to sing along with the jump rope song. "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around - Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground...."

"You know that Grandma"

"Yes kiddo, I lived it."

God Bless Roger

Today was Roger's baptism.
He had no clue the excitement that was about to happen and napped while Great-Grandma kept watch. You can't see but he is wearing the outfit that Bryan wore for his baptism.

He got a little cranky just before the water was poured on his head. He liked the water part though. Roger with his parents and God Fathers - Andy and Pat.

There was a set of twins (Kyra & Kylie) that were born 1 hour before Roger at the same hospital. Those poor little things spent their first month in the hospital, but were good little girls during the ceremony.

Roger was begging to get over with all these pictures. He was wet and hungry. Here is four generations. I know he is going to appreciate this picture when he grows up.

Taken at the pizza place after Roger has been changed and fed.

Great Grandma loved holding Roger.

Kindle

I am not very savy with technology.

My phone just takes and makes phone calls and texts. That's all.
I had to have someone come over and help when our new computer wouldn't work and repeated phone calls to support didn't get it done. Bryan is my go to guy when my computer makes me crazy and I call him often.
We just had to replace our modem on our computer and I took a picture of where the wires go so I could get the new ones in the right place. All that being said a kindle is not something I would ever think to have.
Even though....

I love to read. I love newspapers, magazines, and books. I like to hold them in my hands and turn the pages. I don't read online.
 Bryan has been after me for a few years to try a kindle. He wanted to get me one for Christmas, but I politely decline.

My buddy Steve knows my love for reading too, and when he came for his visit he came bearing gifts for both me and Mike. Kindles!

Damn - now I have to give this thing a chance.
Mike took to it and bought a book online- a new snazzy cover with a lite, and now stretches out on the sofa with his kindle.

Me - I did download a cookbook and a health book to read, but I still  can't see buying a new book when you can get them from the library free.

Our library now has books for people to download to their kindles. Great - now how do I do that?

Saturday when I was at Erica's shower Mike attended a class at the library on how to get the latest books on your kindle. Really simple! He now gets all the new bestsellers right to his kindle. Someday when I open my closed mind he is going to show me how to get it done.
Someday when I finished this paperback.

Erica's Shower

Sharen and the bridesmaids hosted a shower for the new bride on Saturday.
It was at the Schaumburg airport. The weather was perfect and you couldn't help but notice all the planes around.

The center pieces that Sharen made for the beach themed shower were good, but the cake stole the show.

Center pieces

A flip flops cake - one was vanilla and the other chocolate - aren't they adorable.

Erica entered.

Lunch was served and then presents were opened.

Jon decided that things weren't moving fast enough so he joins the party and opens a few gifts. In Erica's defense there were a load of presents and she was flying through those gifts. Jon acatully slowed her down a bit with his questions. He had to ask her what a ladle was.

If this shower is any indication of what the wedding in Mexico is going to be like I for one cannot wait.

Thanks for a great time ladies.
Erica and the Moms.

Champions

Logan's football team played in a tourney in Cedar Rapids last weekend and Mike and I tagged along.
We are no dummies and have been on these type of weekends before, when Stacy was playing softball, so we opt to stay at the Mainstay Suites NEXT DOOR to the kids hotel. Plus I had points for 2 nights free.
Smart move on our part. The kids took over the place starting on Friday.
Logan chilling by the hot tub.

We had the 9:30 game on Saturday morning and the weather was chilly and sunny - perfect for some football. There were 12 teams in our age bracket and only 4 move on to Sunday. Boys win 68 - 0 and I feel horrible for the other team. They really didn't have a chance.

Saturday's afternoon game was a little closer 14-36, but we win. Logan played his best game of the year (so far). He was all over the place on defense, running down plays, getting sacks, and he then caught a pass for the go ahead touchdown.
Proud Parents - Grandparents - and Uncle.

I usually don't like to take pictures at an angle,  but  I had to take this picture a little crooked, because the sign above their heads had a dog pooping with a slash through it.

I borrowed Stacy's car paint and painted our car.

We get the word that the boys were seeded #3 for Sundays game - all 4 teams were undefeated, but both teams above them gave up less runs.

Sunday morning we wake up to drizzle and cold. The Broncos only had one game in this weather all year. They don't seem to notice. They had their game faces on.
Taking the sidelines chanting B.A.T - B.A.T - B.A.T.
I had to ask one of the coach's wife - B.A.T = Big, Ass, Trophy!

It drizzled for the first half and then the sun came out and so did our team. Logan's buddy, JP, does most of the offense (that little guy can flat out run), but coach runs the same pass play to Logan and the team goes ahead to stay.

The sun comes out for the championship game and the boys are facing their toughest game all season. The Trojans (local team with lots of fans) have only given up 3 touchdowns all season and none in this tourney.
Broncos don't care - Coach Jerry has this team ready.

JP scores a touchdown in the second quarter. We score first. That poor kid has been kicked around all weekend and has to leave the game with a headache. He came back in the second half. The defense steps up and causes 5 turnovers - oh yeah, (I may sound like a proud grandma here), LOGAN causes 3 of them. The other teams is stunned and we win 16-0 and take home that BAT.
Logan with his medal.

Landscapers

Why do older people think that throwing down weed control paper and rocks is landscaping?

When Mike and I moved into Shady the house was surrounded by rocks - under evergreens (which has since been pulled out), and completely surrounding the house 3 feet out. Granted they were landscape rocks and very pretty but Come-on.
I finally got the house surrounded with pretty perennials with a few annuals thrown in.

Bryan and Mary bought their house from an older lady and guess what? Landscaped with paper and rocks. So Mike and I headed into they city to remedy the situation .

Removing the rocks. Bryan and Mary now have about 38 buckets full of rocks along side their garage.

Rocks and rotten weed paper removed. We left the lights, because we were told to. I planted low flowering plants so they can get some light into their basement. I also left a spot for a climbing plant around the corner.

Me planting the bulbs. 102 tulips and daffodils scattered in a row. I don't usually plant them this way - I like to bunch them, but I wanted to leave some space for Mary to plant flowering annuals next spring. And you know what if she doesn't like it this way we dig them and change it for next year. I also told her if there is any plant she doesn't want we can removed them and change them up too - But I refuse to put down rocks!

2 Pictures

We had a busy week last week. I took NO pictures, but I did manage to sneak a few in.

During the week.
Steve was visiting from New York. I got to make some dinners, we ate out, and the house was filled with show tunes. Steve is a singer and is singing all the time - I love to hear him sing. How he stays in tune is a mystery though, because Steve is deaf in one ear - which means TV turned REALLY loud. I must admit though I like the TV turned way low.
Watching TV with Steve can be very entertaining. See he works at a rehearsal studio and meets celebrities. He refers to people by their real names. For Instances, on Grey's Anatomy we know her as Callie Torrez - Steve calls her Sara Ramirez. He's friends with her on facebook.Huh? He has lunch with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who is rehearsing his one man show at Steve's studio. So many tales to tell and I love to hear them all.

Weekend
Saturday was Logan's championship football game. I purposely did not take my camera. I seriously have plenty of pictures of him playing football. I just wanted to sit in the stands and watch.
I only wished I had it one time - after the game and the boys all had their medals, they lined up along the field in front of us, took off their helmet and raised them in the air and shouted "Thank You". I had a HUGE lump in my throat. It was so touching.

After the game Mike and I headed down to St. Louis for a shower for Roger. Mary's college roommates threw her a "Meet Roger" shower on Sunday. I really wanted to take pictures, but this time I left the camera in the car with Mike and he was off watching the Bears at some bar around the corner.
I did have one that Bryan took.
Meet Mr Bear. I just couldn't resists buying him. He matched the bear quilt I made. We got some funny looks with him traveling in our back seat.

I really wanted to get a picture of Steve and Mike. They don't get to see each that often. I didn't, but I do have one of them from Oct. 91'

Sorry Steve! At least it's not on facebook.