Found this at an antique shop yesterday….

I love it!!!

Have a great weekend. I am heading out the door to take the girls basketball team to Wadena. Go C-I Go!!!

Blessings my friend!!!

Working on money….

I found this and was thinking this would be a great way to work up a savings. The only problem is I get paid every other week and know that in the beginning of the year I could afford to just double each deposit but towards the end of the year I can’t take $200.00 a month and put it away. So I’m still working on it, I am thinking $50.00 a month would be more manageable. Doesn’t add up to $1300.00 but $600.00 would be more than I have now so a start. What do you do to save money? Are you on a tight budget, little pay checks? Any magic ideas to saving?

Blessings!!

Been reading and wondering….

I hear, I read, I listen, I wonder….all about these green smoothies. Since I’m working on coming up with a good, repeatable menu plan I thought about giving this a try. I have to figure out the calories and such but I am betting having one of these when I get back from driving, the other 1/2 before I head back to driving and a good dinner I should survive. I have read about people being hungry a couple of hours later so someone said add a bit of extra protein. I know I like fruit smoothies but green ones …. I’m going to try. Want to try with me and than tell your thoughts?

 

Blessings!!

It’s almost the new year….

So how are you all doing? Things are calming down, getting into a routine, enjoying the not getting up at 4:30 in the morning, 7:30 is just so much better, at least for another week.
To Marc, I’m still walking Marc. My numbers have to go just a tiny bit further so here’s what it’s been like for walking the past week.
Let’s see, I think this is the one where Wilbur was so far in front of me (2’) that I couldn’t see him very well. The picture is black cuz that's what I'm seeing too.
Doesn’t the snow look so pretty in these trees? I couldn't see it very well in the dark either.
And evening 3, well somewhere in there is the puppy attacking the snow bank. She sounded cute but couldn't see her either.

Each walk was only 2 miles but in snow gear and the ice and darkness I thought that was far enough. Today I’m going hiking in the better than knee deep snow because it’s the weekend to check out the local cabins and make sure all is well. I’m not to fond of the knee deep stuff.

I took my mama and daddy and Mike out for Christmas eve breakfast. We had a great visit, great meal and everyone was in good spirits. It’s been a different Christmas season but we are doing our best to make new things happen and remember the old with smiles.

This is my Wilbur. He loves me and sits in my lap every single time he can. Doesn’t he look distinguished in those glasses? He looks better in them than I do.
Soon I’m going to be able to share more of my playroom. This weekend we are getting counter top and shelving materials. It’s coming together so nicely and I am so excited to get in there and mess it all up.
I’ve had daycare most of this week. And we’ve been busy. We went sledding yesterday. I climbed the tailings pile 5 times and went down. My legs were mighty tired last night and poor Wilbur. He hurt so bad I had to carry him to bed.

 
I spent the day at Mike’s this week too. It was just a movie watching, organizing, working on budget day and just a plain relaxing together day.

We went to the casino for Christmas dinner with my in-laws. Afterwards we walked around. We are not gamblers and are not about to put money into a machine that eats it like candy but it is fun watching others do it.
  
The weather was been so weird for us this year. Today it’s 30 right now, tonight it’s suppose to get to minus 20 and highs tomorrow –10. Yesterday was an awesome day at 35 above.


We have to plow snow today. First it required cleaning out in front of the bobcat and for me to shovel, shovel and more shovel in the places it’s packed with ice or to close to the buildings. But we better do it today, don’t want to do it in the subzero again tomorrow.

I took this picture many, many years ago and it won me a prize or two. I call it …. “Take time to smell the …..tulips”. I love it and love that I keep finding it. It’s sorta like a reminder too. I’m going to have it printed and than frame it and put it up in my room.
Anyways my friends. I wanted to check in and share a bit. The new year is fast approaching and other than doing my best to keep the family plugging along and working on making me the healthiest I possible can I think that will be enough to keep me busy.
Take care everyone and please have a safe and wonderful new year.
Blessings!!

My sock swap….and….

My partner in this most awesome Secret Santa Sock Swap was Darlene and I had the most fun putting her package together. Now of course all my ducks aren’t in a row and I forgot to take a pictures so I’m stealing the one she put on her post. If you click the picture you can meet a really awesome woman in the process.

Now my partner sent me some really cool things too. Her name is Julie (I really liked that, sharing a name). If you click on this picture you can meet another most awesome lady. These ladies are runner and so full of inspiration. I loved it all but my most favorite was the Joy picture holder. I will be finding the perfect picture to put in there this Christmas. Thank you so much Julie and Darlene and mostly Courtney for letting me be part of this sock swap.

It’s suppose to be the most wonderful time of year but I am finding it very difficult this year. I’m working on trying to keep up my spirits but it’s hard and it’s not all just the loss of Cindy. My parents are not dealing with anything well and it’s me that gets the dirty end of the stick. I know they don’t mean too it just happens. I am doing my very best to try and hold it all together but it’s really not easy. I can feel it in my heart, mind and mostly my body which is rebelling with a cold. Lawyers are as slow as molasses, friends of my parents are not to much of friends, I feel sorry for my friends putting up with me. Oh my goodness. I am never in a hurry for time to pass but you know, I want 2013 to be over with so that a new year can start and hopefully with it some really good experiences. However I know in my heart that it’s sorta like wishing, we all know about wishing.

So instead of dwelling on a bad week I’m going to embrace this weekend (starting now since this morning really bit the nasty stuff). I have daycare tonight and he’s such a sweetie. We are going to make some bath goodies for his parents for Christmas. Than we’ll see if we can find a Christmas movie or something to just cuddle up with. Tomorrow Jim and I are going shopping and we are going to get the materials to make my counter top for my craft room. It’s coming together so nicely.

For now, I’ll just smile and forget and forgive and move forward. At least try. Take care my friends and have an awesome weekend. Christmas is fast approaching and it’s time to just gather friends and family and remember the real reason for the whole thing.

Blessings~

Sock Swap partner….

And my partner is Courtney from My First 5k and more. You want to talk about an amazing runner. WOW!!! To have just part of her ability would be awesome. I am so excited to start gathering my goodies for her sock. I did email her to see if there is something she hates, likes a lot or wishes for. I can’t wait to see what I come up with.

Just wanted to check in. We’ve had 16” of snow and now it’s way below zero. –25* when I got up today, got to –11 and now lowering again.

Blessings my friends!!

Cindy….

In my Heart

 

I thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new.
I thought about you yesterday.
And days before that too.
I think of you in silence.
I often speak your name.
Now all I have is memories.
And your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake.
With which we’ll never part.
God has you in his keeping.
I have you in my heart.

Today….and this week….

First, tonight is a sad night…why you ask? I am missing Cindy. I found some pictures on my tablet and Cindy was in quite a few of them I didn’t remember having/taking them. It’s been almost 4 months and I miss her calls, I miss her yelling at me cuz I forgot this or didn’t do that but than calling and asking for help and the hugs and touches. It’s not a good night but it was a fantastic day so I’m going to share my day/week with you to ease the pain tonight.

These two pictures I got from the internet under World Famous Fish House Parade. The others I took.

 

  

Our little town has an annual huge event called ''World Famous Fish House Parade''. It’s been featured in many up north magazines and papers and even on the news. There’s even been years we’ve had famous people narrate the parade. For the many years we’ve had it I have never attended it. I have had daycare for the past 13 years and have always had little ones that couldn’t be out in the cold for that long, but this year I had just Rachel and Abby, and Abby was a dancer in the parade. It was for her Just for Kix’s kids. Abby is the little girl (she’s not little, she’s 11 but still my little girl) in the front of the dancers in a pick jacket and she’s the girl in the picture with the pink hat. The other float I really took pictures of is my boy scout troop. Fish Dynasty. It was an awesome parade. I am glad I went and we didn’t freeze, it was about 20* and mostly sunny but a bit windy but still not terrible. All in all is was great.

And Rachel called me last week and wanted to do melted crayon art. So we brought out all the goodies and they melted crayons. It was a great project for them. I didn’t take real pictures of them working but I used my phone to share with a friend in New York, so here I’m sharing with you too.

And Wednesday I took my parents to the Northern Lights Casino. I’m not one for putting any money in but it was fun watching my mama and daddy do it. We came with $150.00 and left with $117.00 and we ate at the buffet so really all in all it went just great.

And for the past month Jim and I have been remolding Mike’s old bedroom. Since he’s now living just 10 minutes from home we didn’t need to keep his bedroom as a bedroom. We have a sleeper sofa for any time Mike wants to or needs to stay but he doesn’t need a room any more. So we are building me a play room. Crafts, sewing, one day an elliptical, a TV and a relaxing chair. Just a place for me to go when I want to just be. Since it’s just Jim and I ate home now with very little daycare and a grown up son I don’t need to escape but I do need my own place to do my fun stuff. Want to see some progress?

 

We have taken the closet out, resided with tongue and groove like the rest of the house. Stained/varnished it all a honey pine and am retiling the ceiling. This weekend we are getting the light fixtures and the flooring. In the last picture you can see my hallway with the same wall covering. Than will come counters, shelves and …. well I’m not sure, stuff to make my room functional and wonderful.

So there you have it. A bit of this and that and reasons to move ahead.

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I spent part of the day with my in-law and part of it with my family and part of it napping in my recliner.

Onward and upwards to the most wonderful time of year, Christmas.

Blessings my friends!

Something fun and to kick off the holiday season….

And I am so in the need of a kick start. The holiday is fast approaching and I’m not even beginning to be ready. Deb found this and shared and now I’m sharing. Want to have some fun, go check this out. Click on the banner and it’ll take you right there.

Are you in the spirit of the holidays? I usually am, this year it’s hard.

Take care my friends. It’s Thanksgiving shortly and no matter what life has handed you/me we really are blessed.

Wordless Wednesday….

Almost wordless ….. The reason for so much joy…..