Valentine's Day Dinner

I'm not a creative cook by any meals, but I was pretty impressed with my Valentine's Day Dinner I made for Gail.

I boiled Penni pasta.

Cut a package of Hillshire Farms sausage and sauteed it with green peppers and onions.

Added a can of diced tomatoes right at the end. Then you mix that with the pasta and spaghetti sauce in an over safe pan or bowl. Sprinkle with a little cheese.

Put in the oven until the cheese melts and YUMMO!!

New Year, New Toys, New Troubles

We started off the new year by purchasing a stock trailer. Our old one was in bed shape when we bought it, but replaced a lot of the metal and repainted it. We were kinda attached to the thing. However, it started getting flat tires EVERYTIME Gail used it. Even if he hauled a few sheep for his brother the tire would go flat. He couldn't figure out what the problem was, but decided it was time for a new one. Gail was really proud of this trailer.

My Grandpa Franklin died on January 2, 2010 on his 93rd birthday. The grandsons were to carry the casket the day of the funeral. My aunt decided that they should wear sweaters. Of the 6 grandsons only 3 had sweaters. Gail hasn't worn a sweater since she was a little kid so we had to borrow one from Joe. Gail was not happy that I took his picture, but it is the only time it will happen so I had to capture it.

When I clean I usually pile the toys on the table so I can vacuum. I turned around and Lydia was up there playing away. I grabbed the camera and then got her down and told her it is unsafe to be on the table.

Our kitchen water pipes froze in January. Gail got down in the crawl space to see if he could do anything and Lydia (Little Helper) had to check things out as well.

Our first snowman of the winter was built in January and melted the very next day. A short life he lived, but he was pretty cute. I had bought a snowman kit with came with the stuff you see and couldn't wait to use it.

We exchanged one of Lydia's Christmas gifts because she got doubles and got this tee ball set instead. She loves it and it quiet the little slugger. Yes, we let her use it in the house, but there isn't much that she can break.

Batter Up!

Christmas Pictures

New Christmas Jammies. She gets a new pair every Christmas Eve so they look nice in pictures.

Her stuffed dog that Santa brought.

The tree and presents on Christmas morning.

Lydia had fun helping Annie and Charlie open their stocking. They got new collars.

They also got treats and bones under the tress. Lydia had to help with that also. The dogs just stood by licking their lips. It was cute.

The BIG gift was her play kitchen. After I bought I read reviews about it on the Toys R Us website. People said that it didn't hold together and was hard to put together. I was really bummed out because I'd gotten it back in July and was excited to give it to her. It was not that hard to put together, but did take 2 of us. And it has held up really well. In fact, it looks the same now (April) as it did when she got it.

Before she even had the paper torn off she washed her hands in the sink.

Over Christmas break we went as a family to Lydia's first movie. We went to Chipmunks 2. It was a fun and Lydia LOVED it. She was dancing in the aisle.

Darla's birthday is on December 29th so the borrowed the kids and we decorated cupcakes. Claudia and Lydia wanted pink and Hayden wanted green. They had fun.

They were thrilled to show her the finished project.

Easter 2010

We had a wonderful Easter this year. I spent Friday night and Saturday cleaning up my house and cooking up a storm because my family (minus my brother's family who already had plans) came to my house. Sunday morning Lydia woke up to see what the Easter Bunny had left in her basket. She got some candy, the new Chipmunks movie, gum, some Dora plates and bowls, a Dora container for snacks, and several games. My parents showed up about 8:30 and Mom helped me hide candy all over the living room, dining, and den. Lydia came out of her room and had fun picking up all of the goodies. Afterwards, we got around for church. Lydia was thrilled for Grandma and Papa to go to church with us because she was able to sit with them and Aunt Dee Dee. After church we all headed to my house for out yummy dinner. We had ham, deviled eggs, scalloped onions, mashed potatoes, gravy, cheesy cabbage casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, corn, pies, and strawberries. I get full again just thinking about it. After dinner Hayden, Claudia, and Lydia had to go play in Lydia's room while Darla and I hid eggs and candy all over the house again. They had a blast finding their eggs. They each had their own color or design to make for a not fighting egg hunt. Quickly after that Darla, Joe, and the kids had to leave and the rest of us settled down to watch "The Sqeakuel (sp)" and take a nap. It was a fun day. Pictures will be coming soon. I keep forgetting my camera cord.

Update on Us...

Not much has been going on with us. Lydia is learning more and more each day. She now knows her left from her right. Pretty big step for a 2 year old. Next week we are taking her for a preschool screening at the school. I hope she gets into the program, but if not she'll still go to Tina's (which she loves) and hopefully will get in the next year. I just think she could learn a lot more in that setting. Gail has been working on a tractor and vehicles for other people. He works from 6-2 everyday and then works in the shed most evenings from 6:00 or 7:00 until usually 9:00. Last night he was out there until 3:00 a.m. He didn't have to work today so I guess it was alright. We are getting baby calves now as well. I love to watch them scamper in the pasture. We got a set of twin last week. I'm just making my way through. I currently have a student teacher. She is awesome!! I haven't had to bring a single thing home to grade since she started. I'm worried that we won't have summer school this summer (which I really need to teach). I'm about 99% sure we won't be having it, but I still hold out for that 1%. Oh, we did get a new couch, love seat, and recliner. Well, not new new, but new to us. My brother and sis-in-law got new new and we got their old for a really low price. They are is great shape compared to our old stuff. Our old couch and chair belonged to my grandparents. I remember sleeping on the couch when I was a little kid so I'm guessing at least 25 years old. The love seat belonged to my parents. We bought it off them when we moved into our house. I think it's at least 10 years old. One of these days we'll get something new that we actually go to the store and pick out rather than used, but I'm in no rush. Anyway, that is us in a nutshell for the past several weeks.

Until next time...

SPRING BREAK!!!

In exactly 23 minutes, I'll be on spring break for a week!! I'm WWWWAAAAYYYY thrilled. I have a really long cleaning list, 7 really good books, and a reward day to plan for the entire fourth grade. The cleaning and books I'm looking forward to. The reward day I figure I'll screw up really badly, but not one else wanted to do it. So I guess now one should complain how bad it is - right??

It's Been Awhile...

I just realized that it's been almost a month since my last post - LOSER!! There just hasn't been that much going on. Just snow, snow, and more snow. I know it sounds silly, but when the week is interrupted by something like an extra day off, my whole week is blown. The rest of the week is a whirlwind of playing catch up. I now have a 5.5 inch tall stack of papers on my desk that need to be graded and recorded. You can ask almost anyone, that hardly happens to me. My house is halfway clean so I guess it hasn't all gone to pot. However, Lydia and I have had some wonderful playing time this week. We can built one heck of a "doggy house" out of Lego's. Well, off to my stack of papers. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Until next time...