Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Right Now..


I'm loving my white tree in the dining room
trimmed with jewel tones!


 We're happy that Buddy the elf is back!


I'm proud!
Stephen received the  Outstanding Sportsmanship award 
at his rowing banquet.


It's warm.
Too warm.
I want snow!



We're knee deep in Nutcracker performances.
We've got 16 of them this year!


...I'm wearing out the Christmas Radio station on Pandora.
And my George Winston December CD..

...I'm happy!
Happy it's December!
Happy to be
decorating
planning
shopping
wrapping
cooking
baking
crafting
for all things Christmas!!





Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Thankful Weekend of...


Cooking
Baking
Entertaining
Decorating
Dancing
Dog Walking
Raking
Cleaning
Sleeping
Volunteering
Mothering






Friday, November 25, 2011

Cheers!


May you be
happy
healthy
safe
and warm
:)




Monday, November 21, 2011

A Winner..and We've been


Ok
I have no idea how to do the random generator thing
so I picked a name and

Five Little Moberly's won! 
:)
Can you email me with your address
and I'll (finally) get the book off to you!
I hope you like it!
I'm trying so many new recipes from it!


Life has been crazy lately.
Like really busy crazy.
Steve just got home Saturday night 
after being gone for two weeks.
Vietnam, India and Dubai.
We are so happy he's home.
And looking forward to some 
much needed family time.

I've been busy preparing for Thanksgiving.
I love all the preparations.
My dining room is
upside down.
Last year
we were painting the walls.
This year 
I'm painting the chairs. 
I started with the chartreuse..
wasn't crazy about it. 
So,
I brought
(in Burnished Olive)
to my local paint store and had them
match it.
Love it.
It looks so good with the red walls
and all my teal accents!


We're also busy with Nutcracker.
Hannah is a soldier this year
and double casted.
Which means 16 performances.
Wow.

Even though our lives are 
so full and busy right now,
I'm trying to stop and relax
and enjoy these days in my life.
I often think about the years to come,
when I don't have a house full of children
to care for.
I know I'll long for these days.
Even the crazy busy ones.

I have much to be thankful for.








Thursday, November 17, 2011

Making Me Smile Today...


....Our Thankful leaves.
....DOGGY DAY CARE 
.....The smell of Murphy's oil soap


....painting my dining room chairs chartreuse!
.....my starbucks peppermint mocha latte.
.....the holidays are here!


....my rosemary plant
....watching an episode of Mad Men while Griffy naps


.....magazines filled with ideas
....the playground with Griffy 
....doing all my Christmas shopping online
.....Steve is almost home.









Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Plimouth Plantation and I'm Giving


The kids had no school on Monday.
I thought it was a great day to go to 


It's literally 15 minutes from my house.
And it's the first time I've taken the kids.
Will has gone on a field trip with school
but the other kids hadn't been.
We had such a great day!


Learning how to make a boat in the Wampanoag village


The Indians and Pilgrims are all in full character.
She was making a belt.
I said to her.."wow, that's a big belt"
she just kind of stared at me.


Visiting the huts.


When we got to the Pilgrim's village
I said to the kids..."oh I could totally live here!"
Seriously, look at that view.
Can't you just see the Mayflower sailing in?


Bad picture
but I had to show her open shelving.
Love that.


wonder what her view from her kitchen sink is.


Stephen loves history.
And was pretty much quizzing me on the way home.


We ate lunch there
and of course visited the gift shops.


I bought this cookbook.
I love it! 
So many great photos and stories and recipes.
It was on sale
so I got two.
Want one?

Leave a comment telling me
if you make your own pie crust or cheat and buy the frozen kind.
:)

















Monday, November 14, 2011

Weekending


My mom and sister
and her 3 kids came to visit this weekend.
We have so much fun when we're all together.
We celebrated little Richie's 7th birthday
with a candy cake!


I made salmon for dinner with 
this yummy couscous salad.

Sunday morning we all piled in to two cars
and went to Michael's. 
Who takes 6 kids into Michael's?
My 50% off Martha Stewart coupon
was just burning a whole in my pocket.
I bought the star punch to make luminaries.
I am so psyched!
(sad, I know)

Then we all went out to lunch
and my mom bought me an early birthday present.
Woohoo!
Thanks Mom!
My feet are happy!
And 
thanks for coming to visit!
The house is just too quiet.
:)








Friday, November 11, 2011

Veteran's Day


Wow we were young..
only married about 2 months
and had seen him about 1 week.
Oh if I only knew then
how hard it would be to 
be a military wife.
A pilot's wife.
For the next 8 years
our life revolved around
deployments and being "out in the field"
the PX and class 6
dity moves and The Stars and Stripes.

Steve flew apache helicopters in the Army.
He went to Bosnia for 6 months when Stephen was just a baby.
He loved every minute of it.
I think he misses it.
I don't.

I'm still in contact with some friends we made
all those years ago in the military.
Some of them are still in.
Some of them have lost a spouse.
It's them that I think about today.

When we were nearing the end of our tour in Germany
Steve put in for an extension.
We loved living overseas.
It was denied.
A few months later
while getting stationed in Ft. Knox KY
Steve heard that the guy who took his slot in Germany
was killed in his helicopter.
Steve's helicopter.
I think of his wife and children today.

Thank you.
To all who have served our country.



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Today...


...It was 66 degrees and sunny
Perfect day for a walk and catch falling leaves.
(photo taken using the instagram app on my iphone)

...I'm roasting chicken for dinner
with mashed potatoes
and stuffing 
and gravy
I guess I couldn't wait until Thanksgiving.


...My patience is running thin with the dog.
Yesterday between running him to the vet and Hannah to the pediatrician
he puked all over the car.
And that's not even the worst of it.
Because you know what he did next?
He ate it.
And then I almost threw up.

...A friend sent me this message..
"if Michelle Duggar can have baby #20 at 45
there's hope for us"








Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Our Annual Christmas Card Photo Shoot Smack Down


Ok I'm kinda obsessed with cranberries lately.
Seriously..the pumpkin had October.
Let's give the cranberry some love.
I found this goat cheese wrapped in cranberries at Trader Joe's
It has basically been my dinner for the past few nights.
My sister in law emailed me a recipe for lemon cranberry muffins that I need to try.
And who doesn't love a Cape Codder every now and then?
Loving all things cranberry right now.

So, we had our annual "Christmas card photo shoot smack down"
at the beach this past weekend.
I say smack down because with out a doubt
every year
there is a smack down.
Someone with out a doubt
ends up
fighting
 crying
ticked off
embarrassed.

But...



Every year I BEG and PLEAD
(me tickling Will so he'll smile)


And BEG and PLEAD
(Stephen wanting to leave because he see's someone he knows)


And BEG and PLEAD
(Griffy sneezing
Hannah wiping it off her leg
Steve telling her to relax it's just your brothers baby snot.)

Believe me..
I could go on and on with the photos
but I'll spare my family the embarrassment.


I sit them down and say...
once a year..
seriously..
once a year
you need to stand next to us and smile
Is it too much to ask?

Ah....
the holidays are here.
And my Christmas card is done.
:)












Sunday, November 6, 2011

Weekending


Friday night Pizza
Cars 2
Glass of wine with Kate
Walks on the cranberry bog
yardwork
Lots of ballet
Lots of piano playing
thankful leaves
baking
Steve cooking dinner all weekend
Christmas card photo shoot


I have to add this.
Every weekend I start freaking out about 
all that needs to get done.
Steve is usually packing for a trip
and I'm screaming..
"but the yard work..
the dump..
who is driving to Cambridge..
the Christmas picture needs to be taken..
and on and on and on.
And every weekend Steve looks at me
and says..."it'll get done"
And it always does.
He's my rock.
And I'm thankful for him.





Tuesday, November 1, 2011

trying to get it together


I cannot get my act together.
And I'm blaming it all on the dog.
Basic things like
keeping my house clean
making out my weekly menus
cooking dinner
taking a shower...
they've all taken a back seat to the dog.
When people see that we have a puppy
they all compare it to having a newborn.
To me it's nothing like a newborn.
I LOOOOOVE newborns.
I'm not loving this dog right now.
Maybe someday I will.
Right now I'm still trying to 
adjust to having an animal in my home.


Damn Dog.



Halloween was fun.
Different now though.
Stephen doesn't go out.
Hannah goes out with her friends.
Griffy had no interest in wearing a costume.
Will (9) is the perfect age if you ask me.


This is Will going to school.
Normally I don't buy junk cereal..
we usually save it for New Years Eve..
but I thought, "what the heck"
they're going to be booted up on sugar anyway.
What's a little more for breakfast.


So on Sunday I decided I was tired of winging it every night
for dinner and needed to get back to my menus.
Can I tell you how psyched I am that I know
what we're having for dinner for the next week?
Weird I know, but it makes me happy.
Griffin and I even made my Nana's 
cranberry nut bread yesterday.
I love making that bread.
Hazel was smiling down at me yesterday..
I just know it.
It's so good with a bit of cream cheese on it
and a cup of tea of course.


Dinner tonight
2 Soups and a salad.
I made a Minestrone in my crockpot this morning
and tried a new Butternut squash soup.
This one is from the Morning Glory Farm Cookbook
(it's on my sidebar)
It's one of my favorites now.
Loving the drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Oil for garnish.

:)