Happy Easter!

What would Easter be without colorful eggs?

While the boys weren't home this year for Easter...at least they each had a wonderful time.  Will got to color eggs and eat jelly beans and Hunter got to spend the weekend with Ashley's family.  All in all, I think they both had a wonderful time.  Jeff and I, you ask?  Well, we spent the day doing a little spring cleaning.  Not as much fun, but it was the productive day we needed!

Happy Easter to All!  Hope you had a blessed day!

Happy Days

Yep, that's my picture.  Beautiful, isn't it.  I admit, I added a little bit of "pop" to it, I couldn't resist.  The question of the day is where did I take it?  

On the first warm, balmy day of the year, Jeff and I decided that we couldn't take another Saturday stuck in the house.  Especially when "stuck in the house" translated to cleaning for the day.  Yuck, who wants to do that when it's 60 degrees?

So off we went.  We made our way to South Dayton and spent the day wandering the outdoor mall, window shopping and sipping coffee.  We found a few Christmas presents but spent most of the afternoon scouring the book store.  I even managed to drag Jeff through Earth Fare.  You can imagine how that went!

It was a GREAT day.  But the icing on the cake was the ending.  A quick trip through the car wash to rinse away winter.  That's where the picture came from.  Pretty cool, huh?  

Happy Spring everyone!  It's amazing what a little sunshine can do!

It's Friday.

Is it terrible that I don't want to blog tonight?

I took pictures today.  I spent a great afternoon with Will.  Jeff and I had a wonderful evening and Michigan even made the Sweet 16!

Final OT

(4) Michigan 87

(29-7, 12-6 Big Ten)

(1) Kansas 85

(31-6, 14-4 Big 12)

Coverage: TBS

7:37 PM ET, March 29, 2013

Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

		1	2	OT	T
#4	MICH	34	42	11	87
#1	KU	40	36	9	85

Top Performers

Michigan: M. McGary 25 Pts, 14 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk

Kansas: T. Releford 16 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl

But I'm tired.  So instead of a witty thought, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Friday and a great weekend.

Night and love to all!

Not much longer!

Ah, nothing better than an unplanned night with Will.  He couldn't stay for long...but we managed to get in dinner and three episodes of Smallville.  Only three more days until he's home and all is right again.  Now we just have to make sure that Jeff doesn't sneak in a few episodes without him!

Ahhh Chooooo!

Snow on the ground and Spring allergies taking over the house.  Seems like an oxymoron doesn't it?  I woke up sneezing, my eyes are watering and I look like Rudolph.  Please tell me I'm not the only one suffering??  I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture.  I did spend considerable time in the yard (in the snow) taking pictures, but those will have to wait until tomorrow.  I'm off to find some Flonase, Sudafed and sleep. 

Bye Bye Frosty!

I almost feel bad for this snowman - almost.  The kids next door (all 5 of them) put in such hard work yesterday building Frosty.  At his tallest, he was built four high.  One day of 40 degree weather and he's been reduced to two.  If you look closely, you'll see his hat and scarf in the pile.  Such love went into building him and in January, I would have been sad.  But the last week of March?  Not so much.

Here's to hoping that the season is officially over and that Frosty has seen his last snowfall until next Christmas!

No cook? I forgot.

Spring Break is normally "no cook" week for us.  The years that the boys aren't with us for the week, the only highlight eating out all week.  But since we're trying to watch our waistlines, we decided that instead of eating out all week, we'd just eat easy.  Jeff made almost a weeks worth of meals on Saturday...tonight was up to me though.  Apparently, I forgot the "easy" part.

For obvious reasons, we don't eat much pizza.  So when I found a pizza lookalike appetizer, with a little healthier calorie count, I decided to try it.  If I could sneak it by Jeff, I'd be all set.  Do you have any idea how long it takes to rice a whole head of cauliflower?  Did you know that with a little garlic, an egg and some cheese, you can turn cauliflower into a pizza crust?

Easy on no cook week?  No.  Awesome?  Yes.

Can you hear me?

Normally, my postings are for everyone.  Tonight, I'm here to plead with just one person.

WILL - PLEASE COME HOME!

As you can see, this is what happens when you leave for a couple of days and Jeff no one to play with.  With no Smallville, he decided he had lots of free time.  I mean really, he's been pacing waiting to see what happens to Clark.  So to ease his frustration, he decided to tear up the kitchen.  It has nothing to do with the fact that the garbage disposal was shooting water onto the kitchen floor or that the kitchen faucet finally met it's death.

So Will, if you're listening, please hope that Spring Break goes quickly and that next Monday arrives before we know it.  Otherwise, he could decide to knock out a wall!

And Happy Spring Break!  I ordered snow just for you :)

Buck Up!

Today, I needed some words of encouragement.  Thankfully, Jeff was here to provide them all day long.  Will texted all day with laughs and Hunter called tonight and made me smile the biggest smile.  But just in case I need some more tomorrow, I thought I would post a few to remind me that things are going to get better.  And one day, the kids might need a "pick me up" so hopefully they'll find what they're looking for here.

Hope.

Hunters been in New York City for over twenty four hours and all I've gotten is this lousy picture.  Ok, so the picture is awesome, but still, it's all I've seen from him.  I'm hoping he's taken a million more to show me when he returns.  But mostly, I'm hoping that he is having the time of his life!

Oh, and I hope he brings me a cool souvenir!

I Agree!

So this is the sight that I awoke to this morning!  Who can believe it's the first full day of Spring?  If anything, it's making the case to pack up, head to Georgia and leave this nonsense behind.  Even Little Miami didn't know how to handle it.  Some schools were in session (sorry Will!), some had a delay and some were cancelled due to inclement weather.  Ugh!  

So when I ran across this article earlier, I had to stand up and shout!  I've been complaining about the groundhog for weeks!  Hopefully, we you read it, you'l laugh hard enough to keep yourself warm.

BUTLER COUNTY, OH (FOX19) -

Officials in Butler County, Ohio have indicted a famous groundhog for the rash of cold winter type weather we've been having.

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Cold night and a very cold morning

The indictment, filed by Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Gmoser, alleges that on or about February 02, 2013, at Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney Phil did purposely, and with
prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that Spring would come early.

The suit goes on to say that, "contrary to the Groundhog Day report, a snowstorm and record low temperatures have been and are predicted to continue in the near future, which constitutes the offense of MISREPRESENTATION OF EARLY SPRING, a Unclassified Felony, and against the peace
and dignity of the State Of Ohio." {See the full indictment here}

Butler County suggests that the penance for such a misrepresentation should be the death penalty.

The high on Thursday in Cincinnati was 37 degrees

It's Spring!

The first day of Spring has arrived.  With it, came a high of 38 degrees and a wind chill of 28.  Although the days are longer, no amount of sunlight can make up for highs in the 30's.  Since the groundhog was obviously wrong, we have to hope that now that the season is here it will improve!  Tomorrows going to be 80....right?

More room.

Because a girl can never have too many handbags.  Oh, I'm thinking Jeff is really regretting that sewing machine right about now.  So many patterns, so little time!  We're going to need to add another closet to house them all.

March Madness!

It's almost Spring.  We're getting ready to plant flowers, watch the opening day parade and empty the rain gauge.  It's not time to think of football, falling leaves or marching band.  Oh wait, its March which means its time to sign up for next season.  Nothing like rushing the year along, huh? 

So Will and I got to spend the evening filling out forms and listening to the band rules....again.  At least we got the dates to Disney, the band camp dates and the date of the 1st Annual LM Band Festival.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little excited for band season but I really want to enjoy the summer first!

The end of Spring?

With the looming threat of snow and ice, it was time to say good bye to Spring Break!  Hunter was thrilled to get back to get his last 6 weeks of school out of the way.  I'm guessing his trip to New York City on Thursday was a perk too.  And for this mom, the first time leaving him at school without shedding a tear was definitely worth making note of!

  

Perfect.

It's Saturday.  No alarm clock, no schedule, just fun.  A quick trip to Joannes, some sewing and an afternoon with the boys made for a great day.  And a surprise visit from Ashley made dinner wonderful too.  If perfect days existed, this would be close.

Yipppeee!

I won, I won, I won!

I don't often enter contests and when I do it's the old story of always a bridesmaid, never a bride.  But tonight, I won :)  And it's with a picture I took with my cell phone!  But a win is a win so I thought I would share it again, just to make everyone smile.

After the Storm....

Boo!

A much anticipated afternoon with the Wizard.  Jeff, Hunter and I got the rare opportunity to take in an afternoon matinee.  Unfortunately, they let me pick the movie.  No surprise, I chose OZ.  Who could go wrong?  Well, apparently I can.  Maybe I've seen Wicked one too many times, maybe I just LOVE the original.  All I can say is Boo to Disney.  You didn't have to change the story to make a great movie.  Will is thrilled.  Now he doesn't have to see it.

PS.  Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

A trip to Ikea, a surprise newborn session, watching the announcement of the newest Pope (which was awesome!) and an evening of trivia.  Hunter had a pretty full day.  And to top it off, he managed to eat a chicken finger basket for dinner.  I don't want to jinx it, but it appears he is on the mend!

The good news?  We have three more days of Spring Break to hang out, laugh and catch up.  The bad new is that it's only three days.  Just when I get used to him being home it's time to take him back.  

So instead of blogging, I'm off to spend a wonderful night with him!

Yummy!

Milkshakes.  The perfect "day after I got my wisdom teeth pulled" snack.  Man, I wish I was 18 again and could rebound that quickly!

Raring to go!

With all of my problems with anesthesia, I admit I was a little worried about this morning.  Hunter and I headed off to the surgeons office and he was raring to go.  I thought he'd be out like a light by this time of the night, but it appears that he's still raring to go.  Free of wisdom teeth, he's spent the evening with us, catching up on Smallville (while scarfing down a Frosty!).  Here's to hoping that he sleeps as well!

Creations by Memories in a Flash

What an awesome day!  The windows were open.  The birds were chirping.  The radio was blaring.  The chainsaw was humming and I was working.  Before you feel sorry for me, I wanted to show you what I was working on.  The boys will tell you it was a lot more fun than their work!

Give a girl a needle and she can sew on a button.  Give a girl a sewing machine.....and she can open an Etsy Store!  I've been working over the last 2 months on improving my sewing skills so that I could make myself accessories for the studio.  And when I fell in love with them, I thought that sharing them with other photographers might just be a way to fund my backdrop obsession.  So late last week, I managed to find enough time to stop sewing and launch the shop.  Today, I finally added enough inventory that I'm ready to share it :)

Here's just a sampling of the things I've made....lets hope everyone likes them and that I can make a little extra $ to fund my habit - or to pay off a bill or two!

Christmas in March!

A drive by Christmas.  That's what Jenni called it and I have to agree.  With crazy kids schedules, winter weather and a host of other "issues", getting together became a somewhat impossible feat.  So while we all opened presents apart, my heart and thoughts were with The Rupert family today.  It's not about the wrapping or the bows, it's about the love and care that went into the packages.  

Thank you guys so much for the thoughtfulness.  The boys were thrilled, Jeff was elated (we can slow cook again!) and I was touched.  I wish we could have spent the day together, laughing and joking but I know that day is right around the corner.  Right after marching band, Girl Scouts, wisdom teeth and Old Man Winter.  

Love you all!  Merry Christmas!

Mom's Away

Jeff again....


Ok, so Colleen is in Columbus but Will is here. This creates a very distinct problem. When Will is home, we watch Smallville, no exceptions. However, no Colleen = no Smallville. Time to improvise. What is as good as Smallville?

You guessed it.....

Buffy!!!!!

Crazy!

If it's not one thing, it's another.  In our case, it's the crazy zoo animals!  Is it a full moon?

Winter Storm Saturn

Well, it wasn't the blizzard I was hoping for but sometimes you just have to make due.  Will got another snow day, Jeff got to sleep in a little although the roads were cleared by 9am.  Hunter was one of the few students in the state that actually had classes.

So before the day got started, I grabbed my camera, my boots and about three extra layers of clothing and took off in the yard with Toccoa.  She LOVED the snow...and showed it by eating as much of it as she could!  In fact, she's been at the door most of the day, waiting to eat some more.

Hopefully this is our last snow of the year....and hopefully next year we get that 10 inch snowfall that covers her head!

Just one day.

We've been waiting all season for a significant snow.  One that closes school and work for a day.  Just one day, though.  Most importantly, one that makes it fun for Toccoa.  We haven't seen her in more than an inch or two (and that's a blast!) so we're waiting to see what she thinks of snow up to her chest.  I have my camera ready!

So we'll put ice in the toilet, turn our pajamas inside out and sleep with a spoon under our pillow....and of course, do the Snow Day Dance!

Congrats!

It's time to share our newest news!

I wasn't the least bit surprised when Hunter came home for Christmas Break and said "We need to talk".  Jeff and I are used to it, it happens every time he's home.  Normally, we cover class schedules, money, bills, tech issues, etc.  But this time he as a little more serious.  The conversation started with something like "I want to stay in Columbus for the summer", had a little "job at Ohio State" in the middle and ended with "You ok, Mom?".  Honestly, I missed pretty much the rest of the conversation.  It's not that I was surprised he'd outgrown Maineville after one semester.  I just was trying to figure out when he grew up right under my nose.  Either way, there was no changing his mind....not that we tried.

One stellar interview later.....

Congratulations, Hunter!  As always, I'm so very proud of you!  I know you'll have a great summer and can't wait to hear all about it!

Part 2 :)

We never go to the movies.  I would love to say that it's because we are doing lots of other fun things, but that's not it.  A new release means drive 30 minutes to the theater, spend a million dollars for tickets, popcorn and a really small diet coke.  And inevitably, I get stuck sitting behind the tallest guy in the place (other than Jeff), someone with an active cell phone or worse, the chatter.  You all know what I'm talking about.

But like every rule, there are a few exceptions.  We've seen every Harry Potter movie on opening day.  Will, Hunter and I waited forever to get seats for Cars.  Hunter and I wore silly glasses as we watched the re-release of The Lion King in 3D.  And when Andy left for college, the boys and I were sitting in the front row to make sure we saw it first.  It's no surprise that Twilight is our other obsession.  Each movie is an event.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the event in the theater this year.  No worries.....watching it in your own theater with no chatty, tall people is the way to go!  It was AMAZING!   Thank you Jeff for heading out to get the DVD the day it came out!  The perfect way to spend the day.

Live Long and Prosper.

Something pretty to lay my head on, something to make my dreams sweeter.  You've seen my pillowcase, it's full of sunshine.  Jeff's side of the bed was starting to look a little plain in comparison.  Game on.  So here's my attempt to make his dreams a little sweeter (or a little more out of this world!).

There is still nothing better than waking up in the woods.  I missed the visitors this morning, but Jeff was kind enough to watch and capture them for me.  Not even Zoe running around barking at them could scare them off....and all the neighbors will tell you how hard she tried!