Sign of the Times

This is what I saw when I walked into my bedroom the other night.  Do I really seem like the type of girl who would sleep with a light saber beside her bed?!  Evidently, Will thought I needed it during the night, wanted to play with it while he was sleeping and couldn't or just left it there inadvertently.  Any of these options are feasible, knowing Will.  

Not only did this sight crack me up, but it also reminded me of how precious our children are.  I know that the day will come (all too soon) when I will be wishing there were toys in our bedroom again.  But for now, I will giggle at the sight and then fuss at all three of them for leaving their toys in our bedroom where they don't belong. 

Happy Birthday MJ!

Happy birthday to my friend, Mary Jo!  Can't wait until we can have a birthday drink together.  Enjoy your day!

Remember when.....

Allan in the 2nd grade

Allan in 1981. 12 years old.

Allan on the Left and brother, Randy on the Right

Allan is on the Right, holding his hatchet

Stud wrester, 1987

Allan at 9 months

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Since Allan had to leave for Terre Haute on Monday and will be staying in OH throughout his birthday weekend, we celebrated his birthday last weekend. We gave him a couple little gifts, made an awesome shrimp stir-fry and ate lots of pineapple upside-down cake. To avoid burning down the house with 40 candles, we opted for one candle, for each 10 years.  :) 

Blowing out the candles

The 40 year-old hottie and his older woman. 

Getting lots of love from the 3 little birds.

A photo calendar for his office

Happy 4-0!

To the love of my life. To my best friend. To Allan. 

Allan is 40 today and I hope that this birthday makes up for all of the crappy ones that he has had in the past.  Not that they have all been bad, but he sure doesn't have a great track record.  Just to throw out an example, last year, I had high hopes for finally making it a "nice" birthday.  I made lasagna (one of his favorites) and set the oven up for delay cook since the kids and I were going to be at Faith Formation until 6:15. The plan was to have it cooked and ready to eat the minute he arrived home. Then, follow up with cake and gifts. HA! On my way to church, I realized that I had set up the oven, but didn't put the lasagna in.  I confidently called my neighbor, Danny, and asked him to take the lasagna out of the fridge and put it in the oven. No other action required.  Simple, right?! Wrong!  He put it in the microwave instead.  Since lasagna cannot be cooked in 15 minutes, we had to order pizza from the Country Store at the last minute.  What a letdown! 

So, that being said, I have high hopes that all of my surprise plans will flow smoothly and this will be the best birthday EVER!!!  I so wish I could be there with him to enjoy every minute of it, but this is honestly the best gift that I could give him.  Stay tuned to find out what it was........ 

Enjoy some of the pictures from Allan's youth. I'll try to scan more later. 

Holland, April 2000

T&A dating in 1997. 

Back in the day. Junior prom, 1986.

Today. Crazy as ever. 

Cookie Pops!

Last Sunday, our Mom's group at church had a bake sale.  Given that I LOVE to bake, it was a given that I would make something for it. What to bake? I have lots of tried and true recipes, but I wanted something that was different, something that would sell well and something that was FUN.  After doing a quick online search, I found a recipe for cookie pops.  Believe it or not, I had EVERYTHING that I needed to make them. Actually, I have about 564 popsicle sticks that have been in my drawer and have been driving me crazy.  So, this was the perfect recipe. 

It really was the perfect recipe and they turned out oh so cute! The kids had a ball helping me decorate them too. 

I thought I would share the recipe because it is super easy, they taste good and would make a great treat for birthday parties, play dates, bake sales, school parties, etc. 

Here is the recipe, compliments of Land O'Lakes. 

Cookie Pops

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 (18.25-ounce) pkg. yellow or chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

Decorator sugars and candies

wooden craft sticks

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients except decorations and wooden sticks in large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in decorator sugars. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Immediately insert wooden sticks half-way into side of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. 

Good Luck PD

We were very fortunate to have Dennis and Paul stop by for a quick overnight on their way to move Paul into his new home in Charleston.  I am terrible with details, but the long and short of it is that Paul will be living in Charleston during at least six months of his training in the Navy. Nuclear submarines, smart guy, Navy, training.  Those are the facts that I can post with confidence. 

Another fact that I can post with confidence is that Paul has a way with women.  Young, old, middle-aged, they all love him!  Emma is no exception.  The little girl who is afraid to speak to all men other than her daddy was literally climbing on poor Paul!  I even have a photo to prove it! OK, maybe I am being a little dramatic.  The boys loved him too.  But to see little Emma hanging on a man, other than Daddy, was beyond shocking (in a good way, since it was Paul).  

Seriously though, we wish Paul all of the best in his new life adventure. And we are happy that it is taking place so close to our home.