I am ready

for the weekend. This is the weekend when I get as much shopping done as I can in 30 hours! Michelle and I meet in Lansing..shop till we drop then have dinner and drinkage. :-)
I am so ready to go....and the snow will NOT stop me this weekend.

• Big Steve now has the crud that lil Steve had....it is rough! He is struggling ... choking down Theraflu and sleeping!!
• Koda went back for a re-check and Dr. Medlar said NO WRESTLING for 4 more weeks....he is not healing as quickly as they hoped....maybe because he is still a male and he doesn't always remember his restrictions?? Hoping he will stick with the team and at least go learn!!
• Lil Steve is doing much better- less crooping. Sleeping much better at night! Thinking about going to 5th grade camp- but a little hesitant. Hoping we can encourage him to go!
• Jakob enjoyed a pizza & pop lunch today with the science teacher because he got a high score on a test that was HARD - 2 from each grade level were rewarded. After the special lunch they were allowed to go to the computer lab and play games until the lunch hour was over. He was very excited.
• Me? finally received my long overdue raise that was promised to me 6 mos ago when I took the new job- which was a relief. Looking forward to a weekend shopping and sleeping in a Queen bed alone....ahhhhhhhh! After a little glass of wine or something- I should sleep GREAT!

Hope this finds everyone staying warm -

The boys have been doing the snow dance all evening hoping for all of the storm we were warned about- SNOW DAY! SNOW DAY!

Good night.

our new friend

Spongebob!!

We were discussing the need for some new decorations for the outside of the house...and the boys found him in the Walgreens ad in Sunday's paper! Could not resist!

He is perched on the porch right now but he is heading for the front yard- maybe? I kind of like him on the porch!

Have you started putting up your holiday decorations??

Below is the reindeer Jakob had to decorate with family over the weekend....he will go up in their hallway at school for the Holidays. Yes, we used Mom's scrapbook stash- but he was totally into it. he was searching through my scraps and punches!! The wreath around his neck is actaully my BIG maple leaf punch and small circle. :-) He came home with just a brown reindeer cut out...and we added all of the colors and decorations. He and I had lots of fun

I am home today with Lil Steve - went to walk in last night with him....he has pharyngitis. The dr said if he wasn't so old she would have diagnosed him with CROUP. He got a steroid shot and is doing breathing treatments every 4 hours!! He woke up sounding a little better but still fighting a yucky nose and fever! Mom- I think he has the same crud I used to have as a kid....and I tried Dimetapp for 3 days and it kept getting worse....it used to work for me! What did they call my constant yuck nose and cough, besides allergies? Rhinitis? something like that?
Well hope you all had a nice weekend....did you go shopping with the NUTS?

We're back

We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at my brother and sister in laws in Saugatuck. We started out at 815am - picked up my Gram and Michelle's Gram and brought them up for dinner too. it was a nice ride....
No deer yet for my family......closest we came was on the highway in the morning on our way to Saugatuck. We saw a deer try to cross the Highway 6 like the frog on Frogger and the last car he tried to cruise in front of clipped his hind end....sent him doing summersaults into the ditch..and omnce he stopped tumbling he jumped up and ran! He was counting his blessings on Thanksgiving day! YES, HE it was a BUCK! The men in my van were wishing they could get a shot! LOL
Just a few pics to share of our day!!

Relaxing a bit today...thinking about starting some re-arranging for the holidays....need room in my little place for the tree and such! Heading down to do laundry and to get groceries sometime today or tomorrow.

Have a great weekend.

YUM!

Happy Thanksgiving friends. Again this year I was asked to bring this very yummy treat! I thought I would share the recipe....be careful you cannot eat just one small piece BUT it is very rich!!

Pumpkin Crunch
1 package (box) yellow cake mix
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 can (15oz) solid pack pumpkin
½ tsp salt
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
½ cup chopped pecans
3large eggs
1 cup butter
1 ½ cup sugar
whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool….serve chilled. Top with whipped topping when served.

have you

started your Christmas list and /or shopping? I have started all of my lists and picked up 2 gifts! OH MY- and I looked at my calendar today.......it is almost here already!
What is on your wish list this year? Are you a day after Thanksgiving shopper? Are you planning to fight for any of those 'this year's hottest toys'??

Well the weekend was a busy one...I cleaned the dr office after I finshed at Foote on Friday so I would not have to deal with that all weekend.
Then Sat morning I went shopping with Lil Steve in tote...it was also his Reward Sat, so it was a full afternoon!! I invested in a new pillow $$- love it! One of the Memory Foam pillows..JCPenneys had them 50% off....
I'm a :-) Happy girl.
Today I spent the afternoon baking and cooking! I made yummy Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies.
They are a fluffy cake like cookie...loved by all 5 of us. Sound yummy....I'd be happy to share the recipe!

Update- Koda is feeling good...still not great but better!! Thank you to all of you that left your encouraging posts and sent emails. He is much more optimistic now and planning to tough it out! Therefore, once he gets back to the mat, Miss Beth and Cory- I will let you know what the schedule looks like and hopefully you can come watch one day!!
All else is well here- no deer yet! Koda is out and unable to hunt this year- so it is up to Steve Sr and so far he has only seen one doe. No doe permit for state land. The bummer for him....he has lost all of the contacts he used to have for private land hunting....except for deer camp in the Manistee Forest with my dad and brother. So he hunts state land in the Waterloo area! Maybe soon! I would love a freezer full of venison.
Off to finish my new Danielle Steele book that I started this morning when the house was quiet!

GOOD night!

try this again

UPDATE!
Blogger is not cooperating.....I typed a long post earlier and it kicked me off....UGH!

My injured wrestler....will be ok! He is on 'no contact and no upper body strenthening' for 2 weeks. He dislocated his shoulder (popped back in on it's own!) and is now suffering from a jammed A/C joint! (The joint where the shoulder and collar bone meet!) A 233 lb teammate and he were practicing and Koda was slammed into the floor = shoulder first! OOOPS! OUCH! We saw the Ortho Doc today, Dr. Medlar- he was a HOOT! Koda had fun even though he was in quite a bit of pain after we left! We go back in 2 weeks for a re-check and he will determine then if he can be relased for contact again...it may be longer ? His first meet is the 30th and that is when he goes back to see Dr. Medlar. This whole thing has him quite discouraged so we are trying to keep him upbeat and interested....he feels he will miss this much he may as well QUIT! DID he say that forbidden 4 letter word?

Jake and Steve both had conferences this week....GREAT REPORTS from the teachers and the report cards were great too! Both teachers said the boys were quiet.....I was afraid I was in the WRONG room? MY kids? hmm, I am happy to hear they are that well behaved there!!

I better hurry and post so I can finish my cards!

Good night

is it over again already?

What a weekend...and so quickly it is over...
Quick note to a few of you...tougher for me to find time to post right now...I am working at Foote still and cleaning after work for a pediatrician's office 3 nights a week. Nice for Christmas cash! I am going to try to type up some posts at work if I have free time then it will be just a matter of copying and pasting at home....thanks Beth for the idea! !
Hooray- I heard from my mom....she has landed in CA. This is her cold weather parking spot (for now) and the weather is in the 80s! (can you box it up for me? just a little?) She sounded pleased with the park and is already making plans to join in a water exercise class...get out there and make friends! ( I think we have changed roles....I recall the same chant from her!! when I moved!! LOL)
Sat- Spent the afternoon at Grandma's visiting with her and my dad. The boys had a riot...Gram lives in an assisted living community....and right outside of her apartment is the 'game room'. They have a 3 in 1 table....the boys love to shoot pool as the adults visit....well this time Gram got out there and shot pool with Jake against Steve and Koda. No, I did not bring my camera BUT I did run in and grab hers so I could have the picture!! It was priceless!
Sun- cleaned this morning at the dr office, then came home and baked cookies and made chicken n dumplins! Homemade....and they were yummy! Koda got a replacement hunting licence (his wallet was stolen from his locker during wrestling practice and his license was in it, along with every other thing important to him! and $25.00) and he and Steve went out to scout out a spot on state land for opening day....Steve loves to hunt opening day on state land in Waterloo? and it usually proves to be a good choice...let's hope! I would love to see Dakoda have an opportunity to get a deer his first year!! Good luck boys! After opening day they will hunt an Amish farm outside of Vandercook Lake and possible go up to the McKessy Deer Camp on a weekend which is in the Rothbury area....Manistee Forest.
JHS Wrestling starts tomorrow full force!! Practice every night, and we will soon be doing the all day meets and conferences! I am still amazed that my homophobic, germ-a-phobic son is wrestling but I am anxious and excited that he has found a passion for something...a sport!

Take care, stay warm.....and my big question of the day.....what is on your Christmas list and do you have a hard to find item from someone you will be searching for?
Thanks to Santa Grandpa I think I have mine under control! :-)

Happy Birthhday Mom

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Happy Birthday Mom!!

We hope you are enjoying your western adventures while we are suffering through Michigan's crazy weather! Yes, you escaped just in time - we have had 60s and 30s within hours of one another.

(for those of you who do not know....my Mom furthest on the left the cutest one! is now retired and she and her hubby are now snowbirds come November...and they return to MI in April.

Hope you are enjoying warmer temps and having a great time! Happy Birthday Mom, Grandma- We Love YOU!

XXOOXXOO