tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82926834240270604312011-09-28T17:40:13.594-04:00Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-56771685312367421102010-12-30T15:35:00.003-05:002010-12-30T15:44:57.633-05:00

Is this thing on?With the new year here, I thought I would dust off this little blog and get it plugged back in. So, let's get back to piling up stones.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-66735142965702713522009-05-26T10:55:00.006-04:002009-05-26T16:16:36.295-04:00

I decided to join in the I Heart Faces Challenge this week. This week's theme is silhouettes.Swinging on the tree swing at Nana and Pa's is a favorite for our kids. Many hours have been spent flying high on that swing.Check out all of the other silhouette entries by clicking on the box below!

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-23186818754312485052009-05-19T10:59:00.004-04:002009-05-19T11:44:56.651-04:00

My parents took the kids camping this weekend. To say that they had a great time, would be an understatement. They did not want to come home. But, come home they did, and along with the dirty kids, came all of their dirty laundry. Laundry is always an interesting thing in this house. The list of things that I've found in my washing machine and dryer is a mile long. So, this morning when I

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-1681740327781247952009-05-08T23:50:00.009-04:002009-05-11T21:54:22.961-04:00

New, in-the-box patio table to replace our table that was shattered last week during harsh winds - $20New, in-the-box ceiling light for the kitchen -$2Cinderella dress, angel wings, halo, princess wand, Dora backpack with accessories, big beaded bracelet, three purple necklaces, and a pair of Skechers light up shoes - $4Abby enjoying her garage sale finds - Priceless!(Click on picture to enlarge)

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-49609992728793366492009-05-02T12:00:00.000-04:002009-05-02T12:00:31.690-04:00

Grace had her first piano recital last night. She played wonderfully! There was something about seeing her up there that made me get all teary eyed. And it made her Daddy get pretty choked up, too. Maybe it was the visual reminder of how quickly she is growing up. Are we really sitting here watching our little girl play the piano before this large group of people? Or was it how she bounced up on

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-84358873567414895432009-03-31T16:41:00.004-04:002009-03-31T16:50:17.382-04:00

The kids begin their swimming lessons next week. They're excited about getting back in the pool. Abby is constantly asking when she is going to go to her swimming 'yessons'. I'm hoping to be able to spend a lot of time in the pool this summer, like we did last summer.Here's a little video of the kids swimming, last summer.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-87778827547000882662009-03-27T21:47:00.000-04:002009-03-27T21:47:00.313-04:00

Around here, another sure sign of spring is...dirt! There's dirt... ...on faces....under little fingernails....on knees....on bottoms....covering the kitchen floor....in a ring around the bathtub....on the bar of hand soap....in the kitchen sink....on my 'good' towels.It's spring time, there's dirt everywhere...and I'm lovin' it!

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-25451987127163084522009-03-26T22:02:00.005-04:002009-03-26T22:40:41.710-04:00

We decided to have Grace and Jacob's birthday parties together at the bowling alley, last Saturday. Along with all the grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, they both got to invite a friend to come along. We had pizza, pop, cupcakes, and lots of bowling. I was surprised by how much work it was to keep things going and was worn out by the end of it. To think that I had come up with the idea to have

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-11870140224778786122009-03-18T14:02:00.012-04:002009-03-18T14:42:19.441-04:00

To end our busy St. Patrick's Day, we met Nana and Pa for some geocaching at the park. Pa leads the way. LOVE Everybody jump!Us.A great end to a beautiful day!

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-3710895084273997612009-03-17T22:53:00.006-04:002009-03-17T23:24:42.161-04:00

A little St. Patrick's Day fun for breakfast.I made shamrock pancakes with little 'pots of gold (coins).' Yes, banana slices as gold coins are kind of lame, but I was trying to keep it fairly healthy!

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-24350015317505672302009-03-16T15:45:00.003-04:002009-03-16T16:33:48.427-04:00

Daffodils and crocus in full bloom Little girl spring dresses hanging to dry More time being spent playing at the park

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-19105611406154215742009-03-10T12:34:00.004-04:002009-03-11T13:38:29.472-04:00

With the beautiful weather that we've been having, we've been trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as we can. Waking up to a gorgeous day on Saturday, we decided to spend the day geocaching. If you don't know what geocaching is you can read more about it here. In brief, it's basically a treasure hunt using GPS. People hide little 'caches' in all sorts of places, then they post on the internet

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-70316942896367427462009-02-25T23:33:00.004-05:002009-02-25T23:50:29.550-05:00

I've been horrible at keeping our little blog current. I'll try to do better with it because I know there are some family members out there who would like their fix of stories and pictures of the kids. Hehe! The last two months have been rather uneventful...which is a good thing. We've just been busy with day-to-day activities and our homeschooling. We've also been enjoying the little breaks

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-87320271778456412122008-12-28T15:57:00.006-05:002008-12-29T00:34:03.154-05:00

I was awakened by the ringing of the phone the other morning. It was my father-in-law calling to talk to Jeff. I hate to admit that 2 weeks ago, if he had called early in the morning - on a day perfect for sleeping in - I would have been a little annoyed. I like my sleep. Sadly, I'm not a morning person.However, on this cold, rainy morning - the day after Christmas - I found myself choking back

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-48622327613629089882008-12-20T10:30:00.004-05:002008-12-29T00:34:30.469-05:00

Merry Christmas! Here is the Christmas card that I came up with for this year. Although, I'm not sure that I'm going to get them sent out in time. I'm still waiting for the prints to come in the mail. Also, my father-in-law had extensive heart surgery on Tuesday, so we've been spending quite a bit of time at the hospital. It has been a very rough road, so far, however, he is slowly improving.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-5149889091293905802008-12-15T21:34:00.014-05:002008-12-16T13:18:33.213-05:00

The kids and I built a gingerbread house today. It was our first time doing one and at one point I was thinking that it may, also, be our last. This was another parenting moment that required so much patience; with the fragile gingerbread walls, the icing that needed time to dry, the shall-remain-nameless-3 year old who kept licking the candy before putting it on...patience was required. I'd love

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-90884451928577871202008-12-14T11:12:00.001-05:002008-12-16T13:26:49.365-05:00

We had a rather easy Family Night this past Friday. Jeff is working a very hectic schedule right now, so I knew it would have to be something easy and kind of late, since he wouldn't get home until around 9 that night. When he got home, we were waiting in the van for him and we took off on a hunt for Christmas lights. We, actually, do this quite a bit during the season, as we go along our way to

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-7251733945684763232008-12-13T00:40:00.006-05:002008-12-15T23:06:35.883-05:00

My mom, sister, and I slipped away for a few days last week. We left the menfolk home with all of the kids and flew to Florida. It was wonderful! We stayed at a nice little resort on Marco Island. We had a great time full of conversation, laughter, and even some tears...but mostly, laughter. I hadn't laughed so hard in a very long time.A few things from the trip, which will mean nothing to any

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-61089203957587761622008-11-26T01:12:00.001-05:002008-11-26T01:12:00.202-05:00

Abby has informed us that her name is no longer, Abby. She now wants her father to call her, Sweetheart.As for the rest of us? We are to address her as, Daddy's Sweetheart.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-64227660530250533792008-11-25T01:28:00.001-05:002008-11-25T01:28:01.350-05:00

I just wanted to let friends and family know that you can now have an email sent to you, notifying you of new posts on our blog. Just enter your email address in the box to the right of the page to sign up for that option.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-16193807655225401392008-11-23T23:30:00.007-05:002008-11-24T01:36:04.975-05:00

We've been getting some major things checked off of our to-do list over the last couple of weekends. It's been hectic, but it feels good to be getting these things done.Last weekend, Jeff, my dad, his dad, and my brother-in-law got the piano from Jeff's parents' house and brought it to our house. Jeff parents gave us the piano over a year ago, but the timing never seemed to work out right for

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-40586351674805851642008-11-12T23:33:00.010-05:002008-11-13T00:46:01.857-05:00

A couple of months ago, I took some engagement photos for my cousin and her fiance. One Saturday, we drove out to our aunt and uncle's house and quickly took some pictures, as rain clouds threatened overhead. We were able to get some pretty decent shots before the clouds opened up and began to pelt us with rain.Since then, we've been working together on a save-the-date card to mail out to guests.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-10372932142959208202008-11-09T09:03:00.006-05:002008-11-09T13:31:15.894-05:00

I was doing some reading on the internet this morning, when I saw this post about The Toy Hall of Fame.I didn't even know there was such a thing as, The Toy Hall of Fame!Anyway, apparently, one of the newest 'inductees' to The Toy Hall of Fame is, none other than, The Stick. Now, that may sound ridiculous to some, but I think they would have been mistaken not to induct The Stick.Let me show you

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-36831192218503186322008-11-08T13:39:00.001-05:002008-12-16T13:26:22.564-05:00

Wow...I'm really behind in posting. I meant to post this last week! :) And...now I see that the pictures are all messed up! I'll have to fix them later.This past Friday was, once again, a Family Night for us. It also happened to be Halloween. Well, we don't celebrate Halloween but the kids really wanted to dress up for our Family Night, so we decided to go ahead and let them. We told them they

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-70923663107428785752008-11-04T16:32:00.006-05:002008-11-04T17:21:12.441-05:00

Today, was another one of those days that I was so excited about homeschooling. Every election, since they were born, the kids and I have made our way down to the local retirement village, so that I can vote. This year, with my second grader, kindergartner, and preschooler, was no exception. I loved having them stand in line with me - for about an hour - and talking to them about what I was

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-64421228979908413252008-10-30T14:57:00.005-04:002008-10-30T15:43:52.741-04:00

The other day, Grace could be heard lamenting the possibility of losing a coloring contest that she had entered, when her little brother gave her some sage advice. In a very compassionate and supportive voice, Jacob looked at her and said, "Grace, there's more to winning than racing."Yes, it appears he is getting his life lessons from the movie, Cars. And he sometimes gets the words mixed

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-5621044947162990602008-10-27T14:33:00.007-04:002008-11-04T16:32:18.325-05:00

We've been having a squirrely day, today!A while back, the kids built a squirrel feeder for me, using some wood scraps and extra stain that we had in the barn. Yesterday, they helped their Dad set it up in the backyard. So, we have been on the lookout for squirrels all day. We spent the morning looking out the window, while reading books and searching the internet for more information on

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-12316108516346237392008-10-22T10:34:00.013-04:002008-10-27T15:56:22.929-04:00

Last weekend we went camping with Nana and Pa. It was perfect weather! Warm enough during the days that jeans and a sweatshirt were adequate, then cool enough at night that you really wanted to sit around a campfire to keep warm. We had a great time and were able to do so many different things.On our first night, we carved pumpkins. They added a nice touch of fall to our campsite.We went fishing,

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-82464299781109482442008-10-12T16:00:00.005-04:002008-10-12T17:01:24.262-04:00

Scuffed up knees, a freckled nose with dimples here and there.A daring, caring, sharing hearta mass of tousled hair. Boundless curiositythe spirit to explore.Two twinkling eyes,a smiling face and energy galore! A love of life, a bit of sassa source of untold joy.A wonderment, a dream fulfilledGod's miracle......a BOY!(Author Unknown)I love being the mother of a boy! Since I come from a family

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-4372018107797938172008-10-09T11:56:00.004-04:002008-10-09T12:59:29.837-04:00

I'm participating in Theme Thursday at The Land of K.A. The theme this week is...sunshine! I've been majorly busy this week, so I haven't even picked up my camera. However, I do have some photos from a few weeks ago, that have plenty of sunshine in them.I'm often annoyed by bright sunlight when I'm taking pictures, but sometimes it just adds a special touch to photos. None of these are excellent

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-31556784840962280772008-10-08T18:33:00.012-04:002008-10-09T00:47:53.105-04:00

Last Tuesday, Jeff and I flew out to Philadelphia for a little getaway. Actually, he had business to do in Delaware on Wednesday and Thursday, so while he worked, I played! Well, actually, I didn't do a whole lot of anything on Wednesday. I hung out in our hotel room, listened to music, watched TV, surfed the net, painted my toenails, ordered room service...stuff like that.It was wonderful! On

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-57588761680935550632008-09-27T09:19:00.006-04:002008-12-16T13:26:00.785-05:00

We decided to welcome back fall for our Family Night this week. We eally didn't do much, because the Mommma...she was not having a good day. I think I was just a little overwhelmed by all the things that I need to get done in the next few days because Jeff and I are going to be out of town for the week.As a matter of fact, I was so out of it, I didn't take any pictures. *gasp* Not that there was

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-83732637671530725482008-09-23T01:18:00.002-04:002008-09-27T09:18:42.574-04:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-90534520878509878012008-09-19T23:49:00.012-04:002008-09-20T11:26:10.875-04:00

With fall officially arriving in a few days, we decided to have a little farewell party for summer. It wasn't much but we had a good time.The kids decorated a sign.We had dinner out on the deck and I made some of our favorite summer items: grilled mesquite chicken, corn on the cob, brown rice, and watermelon. For dessert I made a banana wafer pudding; I put it in a sand pail with a shovel to give

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-44220322090323111732008-09-18T09:02:00.000-04:002008-09-18T12:05:50.808-04:00

Then followed that beautiful season called...Summer... Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscapeLay as if new-created in all the freshness of childhood.~Henry David ThoreauI'll miss summer.Our summer has been a joyous and full season; it leaves us with moments that will live on forever in our memories. Yet, I'm also content in seeing it come to an end. I'm looking

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-80665242074842089442008-09-13T09:00:00.004-04:002008-09-16T10:32:00.021-04:00

Have you seen the marker?

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-51683319264108666242008-09-12T22:07:00.014-04:002008-09-20T01:12:35.761-04:00

It's been a long week!Jeff spent the beginning of this week doing things for school, then the last part of the week he was in Chicago for business. So, he was exhausted when he got home this evening. I, too, was rather worn out because, well...Jeff's been gone all week!So, we made Family Night short and sweet.Earlier in the week, when I asked the kids what they wanted to eat for dinner on Friday

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-60840707451773097902008-09-11T01:13:00.025-04:002008-09-12T22:05:30.922-04:00

On Wednesday, we had our bookwork finished by noon, so we met my sister and her kids at the zoo.Spur of the moment activities are just one more thing that I love about homeschooling! With the last few days of nice weather here, we don't have to spend them cooped up inside; we can go out and enjoy the day, whenever we want. Also, there was hardly anyone at the zoo! With most kids in school, we

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-72566468996102460362008-09-09T09:00:00.006-04:002008-09-09T10:12:08.968-04:00

One hot day this summer, Jeff and the kids were scouring the storage barn for a needed summertime item. I don't know what item exactly, but it was probably something like a swim mask, water sprinkler, baseball, or something of that sort. Anyhow, as they searched the shelves of the barn, Grace peered upon a large black trunk that we have stored away in there. She begged her dad for a look at the '

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-29823620720097767972008-09-08T10:36:00.006-04:002008-09-08T10:52:41.145-04:00

A scene during playtime.Grace, speaking to no one in particular:"That's what I don't like about this cold!"(Big sigh.)"I can't yodel anymore!"

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-69019208747016336452008-09-06T01:04:00.004-04:002008-09-20T01:13:26.568-04:00

"A...B...C...D...E...F...G...the alphaaabet was our Family Night theme!"I didn't put too much thought into our Family Night this week. With the start of school, Grace being sick, and a multitude of other things going on, I didn't have much time to do any planning for it. So in trying to keep to my commitment of making Friday nights special for the family, I threw this together, kind of last

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-37293191297508102402008-09-05T13:54:00.001-04:002008-09-12T11:19:48.866-04:00

We started school on Tuesday. The week went rather well, even though Grace woke up on our first day with a pretty nasty cold. However, she was a trooper and plowed through her schoolwork with diligence, all week long. I did condense her studies for the week; we focused on the basics of reading, writing, math, spelling, and grammar. We will add in the rest of her curriculum as she gets to feeling

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-2784297059959670602008-08-29T21:24:00.002-04:002008-09-20T01:14:44.587-04:00

Tonight, we had our first "official" Family Night. Family Nights are going to be nights that we set aside the entire evening, most likely Friday evenings, to enjoy playing--or relaxing--together as a family. We, of course, have had nights of family fun many times before; however, all too often those times can be the first to be pushed aside when there is work that could be done or places to go.

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-87373427685754618382008-08-29T09:12:00.000-04:002008-08-31T09:24:21.967-04:00

Last night the kids and I made homemade pizzas. It was actually the first time that I'd ever made a pizza dough from scratch. The kids were excited all day about making the pizzas, so I was praying that it didn't end up being a total flop. I had my coupons for Papa John's sitting by the phone...just in case!So, I was extremely thankful when the end result was found by the judges to be, "

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-84272960293156245222008-08-28T10:05:00.000-04:002008-08-31T09:27:58.990-04:00

A scene from the dinner table.Everyone eating and chattering at the table.Abby: Guess whaaat?We all turn towards Abby.Abby: Mommy, guess what?Me: Hmmm?Abby: Mommy, de udder night, guess what?Me: What?Abby: De udder night at Nanny and Pa's, guess what?Me: Yeah?Abby (with a huge smile): De udder night at Nanny and Pa's, I was yaying down in the yiving room...and guess what?Me (chuckling): Whaaat?

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292683424027060431.post-16022300914949432922008-08-20T13:56:00.000-04:002008-08-31T09:20:39.548-04:00

I've been thinking about creating this blog, for some time now. I've wanted a place to record little snippets of our family life; a place where family and friends can keep up to date with what is going on with our little family.As I contemplated starting this blog, I tried to pinpoint my desired purpose for it, and I kept being reminded of the Israelites with their pile of stones.After crossing

Nickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03792905886147977305noreply@blogger.com0