We've been invaded!

Do you get these nasty little beetles every fall where you live??? We sure do, and this year has been especially bad. These little suckers are all over our house, inside AND out! I have to get out my shop vac every other day to go around sucking them up, and let me just tell you that they STINK! ICK!On the flip side of that is the fact that the kids have been plenty entertained with them. They spend hours hunting them, having "races" with them, and (of course) killing them, or transporting them to "ladybug heaven", i.e. the garden. That was until I told them that I didn't want those nasty beetles laying eggs in my garden...now they just get smushed. Or smashed. Or stomped on. Noah's favorite way to kill them is with a plastic hammer...he really gets a kick out of that. Must be a boy thing...

Purging

As you all know, this year has been my year to purge this house and get rid of all the clutter. I know it sounds weird to say I'm dedicating a whole year to this process, but it takes a long time peeps...especially with the monkeys around. I have been selling things, trashing things (I really thing you could pull up a dumpster right outside my front door) and donating things. In addition to my Craig's List frenzy (which I've already told you about), I've been making piles all over this house of things to be donated this week...and let me tell you, I will NOT be sad to see all of this stuff go!!!

Of course, the sad part is that it's only the beginning. There is so MUCH STUFF that I just want gone. However, being the conscientious person I am, I can't just throw it away. I have to make sure the batteries get taken out of toys (and recycled if they are dead), I have to make sure that the clothes I donate are in somewhat good condition...no trash. I have to make sure the electronics work, and if not, that they go to the proper location for recycling. I try to include the instruction manuals of things I donate, if I can find them. I wash the shoes that I donate, because...well, just because. This takes so much time, it's unreal. But that's ok! Because it will be gone...and hopefully someone else will be able to use it.

Just wait until I share the pics of the bags and boxes of stuff that's going. It will be inspiring, I promise! :) Are any of you "fall cleaners" instead of "spring cleaners", like me?

Aunt Jessie...domestic at last???

If you know my sister Jessie at all, you know one thing...she is NOT a domestic. She is fabulous in every way, I assure you...but she has no passion for cooking or homemaking at all. She is a great aunt, a social fashionista, has 1,782,589 friends, 400 obligations, and great hair! And you know what? That's ok, because she's young, hot, and single! The world is laid out before her!

But lo and behold, after hearing about my applesauce canning adventures, Jessie decided she wanted to come out and learn to make applesauce! Could this be???? I couldn't believe it, but I was game. When you have my little monkeys in the house, you can never have enough applesauce. I made a trip to the farmers market to pick up a half bushel of apples, Jess picked up the jars, and we were on our way! After peeling, peeling, and peeling some more, we cut the apples up and put them on the stove in a little water to cook them down...After quite a while, the apples were finally soft and cooked down enough to mash. Now, we like our applesauce chunky, so we used a potato masher, which leaves some nice chunkiness! Then Jessie filled the jars all by herself...carefully wiping the rim and placing the lids on so they would seal properly...
And into the hot water canner they went...After 20 minutes under a rolling boil, it was time to take them out. Look at her go!

Nice job, Jess! Aren't you all impressed?!? I think she's got potential!Seriously folks, if you like applesauce AT ALL, get out there and get yourself some yummy apples and make some applesauce. It is totally easy, and fun to do too!

Trick or Treat Fun

Halloween has come and gone, and I can hardly believe it is November 4th and I'm just now getting this pics posted! But let me just say that the week of Halloween was crazy with activities around here. Trick or Treat was on Thursday night, and every year our friends have a pre-Trick-or-Treat pizza party. It's great fun, as even the adults come in costume and it's always entertaining to see what everyone comes up with. This year, we went as characters from The Incredibles, as you can see from the picture above. The kids loved their costumes, and Barry rocked the house as Syndrome. I, of course, was Edna...the superhero supersuit designer. The kids loved getting into their roles as superheros...and truth be told, I think someone (who shall remain nameless) was really enjoying being a villian!Here is the hostess with the mostess...Miss Amy, dressed as Cruella DeVille herself! Doesn't she look simply D.I.V.I.N.E.???After the pizza party, the kids were itching to get started trick-or-treating, of course! So we got the group together and headed down Main Street to see what kind of goodies we could find...
After we did significant damage on Main Street, we loaded up the family and headed out to the lake to make our way around to some friends' houses. The good thing about this strategy is that it is A LOT of walking, and the kids are more than ready for bed when we get home! They were seriously in bed asleep within 15 minutes of getting home.

Then, on Friday morning, I had to take Noah down to his preschool for the Trick-or-Treat parade, which is really great because the people who work in the building come down and sit in an auditorium with big bowls of treats and the kids parade through, filling their buckets. It's quick, fun, and a lot of the people do a great job with the treats. We had lots of goldfish crackers, gift certificates for Frostys, fruit snacks, teddy grahams, and the like. Noah doubled what he had gotten the night before, so you can only imagine his disappointment when Mama told him he couldn't have any of his candy until after lunch...
After the parade, we met Barry for lunch and headed home. I had to be at Kendall's school by 2:30 for her Harvest Party. Her room mother had done a spectacular job! She had multiple games, crafts, and we had all brought good snacks for the kids. Too much sugar of course...but whatchagonnado? We had a really great time! Here are the kids after a game where they had to race to make a mummy out of toilet paper...
It was a fun day, but I'm tellin' you what...I had to take a nap late in the afternoon! I was so stinkin' tired! I laid down around 4:30 and didn't wake up until 6:00! I couldn't believe anyone let me sleep that long. I asked Barry why he didn't get me up, and he said he didn't have the heart, I was SOOOO out. Felt awesome at the time, but notsomuch at 2:30 that night when I couldn't sleep! LOL!!!

Hope you all had a great Halloween! What was the most creative costume you saw? I've got to start thinking about next year! :)

Warm & Toasty

After months of hard work put in by my sweet hubby, the woodburning stove is in! And tonight, I am sitting here all warm and toasty, enjoying our very first fire. It. Is. Awesome.
In case you're wondering why I'm so excited about this, I'll fill you in. See, we have a geothermal heating system with a furnace backup. And while geothermal is great, efficient, and inexpensive to run...you never feel that hot blast of heat, because there is none...well, at least unless the temperature dips below where it can keep up...then the furnace kicks on. But that is also when the bill goes up! LOL! The geothermal system keeps our house at a nice even temperature, but I sometimes feel a little bit chilly even when the house is 69 degrees. Once we finished the basement, we knew we'd need some supplemental heat, and the hunt was on for a woodburning stove.

We originally found an older style Buck stove, which is what we had in our house growing up, so I was totally happy with that. Plus, we got a great deal on it. The people who owned it had only burned in it like twice in the past 12 years! But as we got closer to the point where Barry was going to have to install it, he started to be on the search for stovepipe for the chimney. Stovepipe is expensive, let me just tell you that! Well, what he found was that with the tax credits he would get with buying a newer, more efficient stove and pipe, it would actually cost the same amount as buying and installing the older one. So guess what we did? We listed our old Buck stove on Ebay (and sold it!) and bought a newer, more efficient Lopi stove. It's beautiful and compact, and you can even cook on it if you lose power! You had to know that little fact would appeal to me!

So here it is, our new Lopi stove, which has been keeping me warm & toasty on these chillier evenings, and will be running nonstop this winter... I can hardly wait! Oh, how I've missed good old wood heat!!! And doesn't Barry's hearth and mantle look nice? I'm dying to get the ceiling and all of the painting finished. But hey, this will do for now.

I think the littlest boy and I will be taking advantage of snuggling in the basement today, in fact. He is a sick little boy, and we are trying to get him well. No worries, though. Just a fever, cough, and headache. Lots of love, vitamin C, rest, and oscillococcinum are on tap for the day...same as yesterday. Hopefully by tomorrow he'll be back to his normal self!

Have a great day, and stay well, peeps!

Prepping for Halloween

We've been trying to get our Halloween/Fall decorations going around here, and I think we've finally got a start! The kids have been itching to decorate their pumpkins since we picked up these little "Mr Potato Head"-type pieces to use on te pumpkins this year. Jack-o-lanterns are always a bit lost on us out here, because no one sees them but us! We're too far back from the road. So we thought our pumpkins would last a little longer this way. I also ordered these cute mums in jack-o-lantern pots called "Mumkins" from Kendall's school...they are so cute!

Here are Noah's creations, with a big old yellow mumkin and our wooden witch behind him...
And here is one of Kendall's...isn't she goofy?
And just for shits and giggles, here's what the front of our house looks like right about now. I gave up on the hanging mums this year. We just get too much wind. They get totally dried out and lopsided and just plain UGLY.
Now, on to the decorations INSIDE the house. We'd better get moving before we miss it! LOL!

The Chicks are Moving!

This weekend we decided to move the 4 month old "baby" chicks from the brooding pen over to the big coop. It was time...they were getting big, and boy was it ever crowded in there! So it was time to take an afternoon to do some major work in the pens.

First, we had to collect the eggs and fill up their food and water.Then we had to clean out the big coop. I'm using "we" a little loosely here, of course...I didn't do any of it. Barry scoops the poop in the coop! I'm just here to document, photograph, and give orders. No, seriously. :)After the coop was clean and had new bedding, and the coop poop had been dumped on our garden, we began transporting the chicks one by one, over to the coop and placing them inside, showing them where the feeder is. Kendall was in charge here, and here is her method for transporting chicks: Open the door to the brooding house and wait patiently for the chick to get curious enough to come out. Then grab her...gently, of course...chickens don't like change.If the chick is too spooked and won't come out, go ahead and climb into the brooding pen, scoop her up, and give her a quick snuggle so she knows everything's gonna be A-OK.Then slowly and gently, climb back out of the brooding house carrying the spooked chick and murmuring to her the whole way that she's going to be just fine...
Turn around and smile at your camera-wielding mama and say, "See, Mama? No biggie!"Then head off to the big coop on the other side of the yard, with your little brother and your big dog following closely behind...Noah and Kendall took turns, but of course, Kendall is much more comfortable with "her" chicks, so she moved a lot faster, therefore transporting more of her babies. Noah did really well though, considering it was his first time and he really isn't very gentle by nature.
Scout sat and watched, for the most part. I wonder what was going through his head, though...maybe how good chicken might taste for a snack??
After we got all of the chicks situated in the new coop, Barry had to get our light timer all set up to start turning the light in the coop on every morning at 5:00. As the days get shorter, the chickens will stop laying if we don't supply additional hours of light. They need a certain number of "daylight" hours to produce eggs. We learned that the hard way the first year we had layers. I actually had to buy eggs at the grocery! The nerve!! :) Anyway, now that we've figured out the timer trick, we are good to go for the short days of winter.

The chicks seem to be adjusting well to their new home, and the roosters are being quite nice to them so far. Let's hope it stays that way!

Fabulous Fall!

Fall is such a busy time for us...is it for you too?

Between getting all of those "summer" projects finished up before the cold weather hits to cleaning out closets, trying to take advantage of the apple farms and pumpkin farms, carving jack-o-lanterns, bonfires, school parties, and getting your garden put to bed for winter... there just isn't time for anything else, is there?

Here I was, feeling like I was finally back in the groove with my blogging. I had been so good about writing every other day and taking pictures to go along with our adventures...and then fall hit. But hey, that's ok. Ya'll are probably too busy to read every other day anyway, aren't you?

So let's see...what's been going on around here? Well, my brother is still living with us, and that is going well. He started a new job a week and a half ago, and while it is not his "dream job", it will do for now until he gets settled here in central Ohio. The kids are really enjoying having him around, even though he can be a bigger pest than them most of the time!! And of course, Barry is enjoying having someone to sit and drink beer and watch football with, as well as talk hunting and practicing shooting their bows...deer season is upon us, you know! The hunters have to be ready...especially if they want to each bring 3 home! What will we do will all that meat?!?! LOL!

Remember this project??Well, Barry has been hard at work on the finishing touches of our new woodburning stove and getting the basement finished. I'm not going to show you any recent pictures, because I'm waiting for at least the stove to be finished. All in good time! This week he has been trying to get all of the stovepipe installed, and tonight he should be finishing the chimney. Then we are ready for our first fire, which we have to burn with the windows open to let the fumes out. After that, we are all set for the cold weather...YIPPPEEEE!! There's nothing better than wood heat in the middle of winter. I will probably live in the basement for the next 6 months...and I can hardly wait!! And these are the big boxes the various sections of chimney pipe came in...My kids have been coveting these for weeks, and are driving Barry crazy asking him if he's done with them yet. I think he's almost done, kids!!! I can't wait to see what they make with these!

Last week, I finally did something I've been wanting to do for years. CANNING. With my big garden, it seems silly that I don't know how to can, but I was intimidated...what can I say? So last week, Dad and Taffy came down and spend their day showing me how to make and can applesauce. We peeled and cut a bushel of Gala and Yellow Delicious apples, cooked them down, and when they tasted just perfect, canned them in my favorite quart sized Mason jars. I ended up with 11 pints (one jar broke during processing) and 8 quarts. Not too shabby!! I am so excited, I can't wait for my next canning excursion! Who knows WHAT it will be!! And let me tell you folks...it was so easy, it was almost laughable. I can't believe I was so intimidated! And homemade applesauce tastes so much better than the stuff at the grocery.I just found out that the kiddos are going to Grandma Cindy's this weekend, and I am SO PSYCHED about it! Not that I want to be away from them, but as you may or may not know, for the past year, I have been on a purging and organizing mission. I've been selling things on Craig's List left and right. I participated in my first garage sale ever this summer and made over $500. (And I still have TONS of kids clothes and other things to sell...can't wait for May!) I would say we've sold close to $3,000-$4,000 worth of stuff in the past 18 months. That's what I'm talkin' about!!! So anyway, this weekend while the kiddos are gone, I will be having my carpets cleaned and also cleaning out closets/dressers and toys. I have a big box of donations ready to go and I can't wait to get all of this stuff out of my house! I am also planning on purging my files and getting my office cleaned up and organized. Oh yeah, I almost forgot...I am also trading services with a personal organizer!!! She gets massage, I get help organizing my house!!!! WAHOOOO!!! Does it get any better than that?

And one more little tidbit...the extra Kitchenaid mixer sold on Ebay on Friday!!! We shipped it off to Arizona, and we are so happy it's done! It's been a good week, peeps. Hope yours has been good too! Now get out there and enjoy this beautiful fall weather before it's gone!!

A Little Bit of Sunshine...and Distraction!

So after I carried my kicking, screaming little boy to the car and got him safely buckled in, we left the apple farm. He continued to sob and chant "I want candy. I want candy!" as we drove away. Suddenly, as Sheri was cruising down the road, all conversation stopped immediately. We had both seen it at the same time. A field of sunflowers. It was gorgeous, even in the slight drizzle that was going on. Hoping for a good distraction for the kiddos, we knew we HAD to stop. Cameras powered up and ready to go, we exited the car and set the monkeys loose. The only thing that could have possibly made this photo op better would have been the absence of rain, but even the slight mist wasn't enough to dampen our spirits!! The kids headed out into the sunflowers, exploring and oooing and ahhhing. Cameras at the ready? CHECK!!

There's my pretty girl....
And here's the boy...talking into the sunflower like a telephone. (That was Sheri's idea, of course!) Looks like he's been adequately distracted and is actually having fun, doesn't it?Is there anyone out there who doesn't feel instantly happy looking at this...?

Of course, kids aren't the only ones who look great in a field of sunflowers. How 'bout my best friend there? Could she look more natural and real? I love this picture...
Of course, I love this one too...but I'm biased. I love every picture of my kiddos hugging. Sure beats fighting!!!
Sheri snapped me as well...though I think I have an odd expression. It's rare to see me without my big ol' teeth exposed in a smile. Or a snarl, I guess. Either way, my mouth is usually open! (Yes, yes, I know. Keep your comments to yourselves please...)
After we packed up the car to head out, we noticed one more great shot that was just begging us to take notice...an artist, set up in the middle of the field, painting the sunflowers. What a treat to see! The sunflowers look a little odd from this angle...I think its from the rain and the way the slight breeze was blowing. Anyway, you get the drift. Sheri was all confident that Noah's chant of "I want candy" had been broken. I knew better, but I kept to myself. Sure enough, as soon as we had him buckled into his car seat, the first words out of his mouth were, "I want candy!"

So much for distraction!!

A Trip to the Apple Farm

Fall is here!!! WAHOOO!!!! The mums, the pumpkins, the leaves turning color, the apples, the chill in the air...it is by far my favorite time of year!

If you follow Party in the Pantry, you know that Sheri and I are part of a group of ladies that get together once a month to taste various foods. We've done chocolate ice creams, nut butters, breads, cheeses, wines, tomatoes, etc...and this month we tasted apples. LOTS of different apples...12 varieties, in fact. This month's apple tasting was held at my house, so Sheri and I took a field trip (with my kiddos) to an apple farm for a bit of research and to pick up some apples. We were hoping to get some great pictures and have some fun picking apples, but it wasn't meant to be. The weather turned just yucky enough to be annoying...a constant drizzle and a little chill in the air. But still we persevered in search of some yummy apples! There were so many to choose from! Even though they had a basket of free "kid-sized" apples sitting out, Noah had already spied the candy. This was a recipe for disaster, as he was a little edgy anyway that day. By the time we left, he was throwing a huge fit in the middle of the barn because he wanted candy and had decided he wasn't leaving without it. After trying to remain calm and explaining to him over and over that we were not getting candy, I ended up having to carry him, screaming, to the car. It was such a lovely moment...wish you all could have been there. LOL!!! Sheri assured me that all of the people were laughing at him and recalling the days that their children used to act that way, but I was still disappointed in his behavior. Of course I was...I'm his mother, right?

Anyway, I digress. Although Noah refused the small "free" apples, Sheri loved them, because she loves all things small...small ketchup bottles, small ice cream tasting spoons, small salt shakers, small cakes, small apples...I often wonder if her husband will be small...hmmmmmm. Just kidding! :)

My favorite apple is and always will be the Honeycrisp...look at it in all it's glory!!! Isn't it beautiful?!?!

And this picture was taken before the famous fit, while the kids were sitting and trying to be good while Sheri and I sampled the various apples and took some pictures for PIP. They really are sweeties...every kid has their moments, don't they?Our day was somewhat productive, but the best part of that trip is yet to come...tune in on Friday to see what perked us up after the "Apple Farm Fit of 2009"!!

My Husband ROCKS!!!

Reason #5,792 why my husband rocks:

I was in the kitchen cooking dinner...I don't remember what, but I'm sure it was something yummy. Barry called to say he was on his way home and that I would be VERY excited to see him. Hmmmm...really...more than any other day? But he assured me that yes, that was possible, especially since he was bringing me a surprise. A surprise?!?! Oh, how I LOVE surprises!!!

When he arrived, I was in the office, printing something off the computer. He was giddy...grabbing my hand and pulling me out of my chair. And then he handed my a piece of paper. I looked down to see what it was, and was surprised to see that it was Kohl's cash...and the amount on it was $80!!! "WHAT did you buy?!?" I asked, my eyes wide. If you are not familiar with Kohl's cash, it works like this: When Kohl's is offering the Kohl's cash, you earn $10 of Kohl's cash for every $50 that you spend. So do the math, peeps...he spent $400. Naturally, I was a little concerned what on earth he would go out and spend that kind of money on, just out of the blue!

Still grinning, he pulled me out to his truck, told me to close my eyes, and I stood there, waiting, while he dug around in his truck and found what he was looking for. "Open your eyes!", he said...and I did. There sat not one, but TWO Kitchenaid 5 qt Artisan Stand Mixers. One in Empire Red, and one in Metallic Chrome. Dumbfounded, I stood there, my mouth gaping. Finally, when I found my voice, I started giggling and doing a happy dance...and then I thought to ask the question..."Why two?"

Well, first off, he wasn't sure which color I would want. And secondly, he got such a good deal, that he figured he'd just buy two and I could sell one on Craig's List. So guess which one I kept and which one I'm selling. If you know me at all, this should be easy...but I'll give you a hint...
Isn't she pretty? I love her so so sooooo much!!!! I've been coveting the almighty Kitchenaid mixers for years, but wouldn't spend the money as long as my trusty old Sunbeam was still kickin'. And guess who else was totally excited????
That's right, my favorite little cooking buddy. He could not WAIT to get his hands on her! Since we got her, we've made a few things, and he will not let me turn her on and off. He figures that is HIS job.

But anyway, let me give you the breakdown of Barry's good deal. Ok, the mixer usually retails for $359.99. It was on sale for $299.00. They were running one of those deals where you scratch off a card and it has a certain percentage off, and he got 15% off. Then he also applied for a Kohl's card and got another 15% off. Now, Kitchenaid was also offering a $40 rebate per unit, so we'll be getting another $80 back, and we got $80 in Kohl's cash as well!!! Plus, my plan is to sell it for $250, so the overall total for my beautiful red mixer should be around $120. WAHOOO!!!!
Now I've just got to sell the chrome one... :)

Last (but cerainly not LEAST), the reception!!

And now...last, but certainly not least...the pictures from our last night of vacation - the reception!! It was a very nice intimate party, with good food, plenty of drinks, and great music. There was dancing (LOTS of dancing), talking, laughing, and lots of people just having a great time. Enjoy the photos!

First dance...

Amy's dance with her dad...

Kendall could not get enough of the bride...she danced with her all night long. Bless you, Amy - you made her night!

Bob & Lisa taking a break...

Noah and I "clinking". He thought this was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. We did it like 50 times. And no, he did not have actual champagne in his glass!
Gary & Luanne taking a spin around the dance floor...
Maria, showing off what happens when you have dark blue icing on your wedding cake...
Noah, bustin' a move...
Ok, now forgive me for these next three...but you know what? There are rarely any pictures of me on my camera since I'm always taking the pictures! So guess what? I kind of like being in some for a change...and these are fun. We were having a ball!
Of course, Kendall wanted her chance to dance with Daddy...
Noah's done. Peace out, dudes!!!
That's it folks! Our vacation in pictures is now complete! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, putting it together. What on earth will I come up with to write about next?

I guess you'll just have to tune in to find out! :)

Our reason for being there...

The highpoint of our vacation, our entire reason for being in Nags Head, was wrapped up in this one evening...Saturday night at the beach, which by any account was not just another "night at the beach". It was an evening set aside to watch two lives intertwine into one. Joe and Amy's wedding was finally here!! The weather was perfect...slightly breezy, not hot, perfect blue skies dotted with fluffy white clouds...it really couldn't have been better! We started with photos...here's one of our whole family:The photographer had us facing directly into the sun...it was brutal. We were all (naturally) concerned that none of the pictures would turn out. And if the picture above is any indication, we'll be lucky if any of them do! :)

Ooooo, here she comes...the bride, on the arm of her dad. Look at that big smile...
That's Amy's cousin's husband there officiating. He and Amy's cousin Erin live in Switzerland, and he got his license over the internet so he could come over and officiate. Wasn't that nice of him?

Notice there is no nervousness here in this light grasp of their hands...no tenseness at all...

Sharing a joke while exchanging rings... The kiss...We did it!!Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Joe & Amy Mejstrik!!The kids were at the ready to hand out bottles of water and small washcloths for the guests to wash off their feet...Me and the munchkins...A pic of me & my sweetie, taken by none other than Ms. Kendall...

The PYTs

Another vacation photo shoot! Here they are, the PYTs...my niece Anna and her friend Maria. These girls are a hoot!! Trust me, we certainly didn't need to have a photo shoot for them, they were taking plenty of photos themselves! But hey, can a girl ever have too many pictures of her and her best friends?? I think not...

Living out their lifelong dreams of being Baywatch babes...

OMG!! Is that David Hasselhoff?? We've been discovered!!!We can't leave Kayla out...little sisters always want to be included!I wanna go back to the beach!

What we've been doing...

This past week, we've had absolutely perfect weather.

It's been sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and the temperatures have been mild.

Perfect Ohio weather.

While we've kept plenty busy with all of the normal stuff that goes on around here (homework, taking care of the chickens, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.), we've also been trying to have a little bit of fun as well as get some work done!

The other night, Barry and Luke got their bows out and decided to have a little target practice to get ready for the quickly upcoming hunting season. It wasn't long before Kendall and Noah had run into the house to get their bows that Grandpa Tom had brought them for Christmas. It looks like my kids may be into archery. They both caught on somewhat quickly and listened well to the instruction handed to them by their daddy and uncle. Grandpa Tom would have been proud! We'll continue to work on it...Also on the agenda has been cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. This will be the first year we've had a wood burning stove, and we are SUPER excited. But, of course, that means we have to be ready...and that means work. So Luke and Barry headed out last weekend to cut up some fallen trees our friend Paul had in his woods. They brought the wood home and then this weekend, Barry rented a log splitter and they split and stacked it all. It was a LOT of wood, peeps. It was so good to see my kids grab some gloves and start helping...and having a blast doing it! But it's done now, and that's a good thing. I'm going to be so toasty and warm this winter...

Pile #1

Pile #2

Pile #3Also, we joined the gym this week...Lord have mercy!! Barry got a very good deal at Urban Active that involved Luke being able to be on our membership, as well as including childcare. This is a VERY good thing. It's time to get that core tightened back up! So this week, Luke and I will be going in for our consultation with a personal trainer...you know, so they can give me the number I'm just dying to see... the body fat percentage. UGH. I am excited however, for the Zumba classes and the yoga classes, and the spinning classes...and I LOVE the cardio room. It's dark and has a movie screen in the front where they play all kinds of good movies while you get your cardio in. When I was there the other day, they were playing a Matthew McConnaughey movie. Mmmmmm...yeah, that would keep me on the elliptical for a good 90 minutes! LOL!

That's about it for now, folks. Of course, I've got more...but it will have to wait until tomorrow...I'm pooped!