All-American summer!

Getting ready:

Assembling snack mix:

And Finally....

The Lemonade Stand!

**Let me tell all you mom's of small-ish children (Holle!). You need to have a lemonade stand. It will renew your faith in man-kind! You would be surprised at all of the people who stop just because it's kids with a lemonade stand. It's pretty neat! **


And

an early morning push-up for good measure. (hey! It's summer!)

The haircut...

Well, Moms' hair started falling out alot, so as any self respecting woman would do she cut it off. I'm pretty sure Josh and I are some of just a few people who can say they watched their MOM give herself ....

A MOWHAWK.

(we know! she's cool!)

my runner.

On 4th of July morning Westin ran in the Jaycee's kids fun run. She got third, and even passed a boy! (not that it's all about winning, put passing someone sure feels nice!)

my gardens

actually not just mine. mine & grandma connie's:

the sun garden....

the shade garden...

Josh's idea so people don't kill the grass by stepping on it when they come in the gate...

perhaps my favorite blog yet....

There far too many good ideas on this one blog for me to even comprehend!

I love it!

Look at what the nice boys did.

A BIG thank you to My Dad, My Grandpa Willie, My brother Josh, and Mike for putting up the fence! I really, really appreciate it!

Now, I'm going to paint it, I just need to decide on a color....suggestions anyone?

Spring is here.

the view in front of our house....

that white tree...while beautiful for about 72 hours....everything is now coated in white petals.

YAHOO!!!YIPPEE!!!!WHOOPWHOOP!!!!

you have to go here to see what i'm talking about!!!!!!!!


www.cfhusband.blogspot.com

spring pictures!!!

outfits are compliments of g.ma Connie...thank you g.ma connie!

random newness

We have daffodils! (in the stores...not out of the ground .yet.)

I found an area rug. Some may know the hunt that went into this find. I am so excited! (so excited, that YES! I took pictures of my rug!)

Happy March!

fun, fun, fun!

it hit the 20's here yesterday!

HEATWAVE!!!!

so, what do true blooded Iowan's do when the mercury rises above the teens??? WE GO SLEDDING!

So, we trekked down to Vinton to my granparents house, and had a blast! Grandpa Willie and I did alot of pushing, Grandma Susie did alot of cheering. The girls did alot of slipping and sledding.

We all did alot of laughing!

It was a great day! (finished it off with some Jolly Roger's Pizza, could it get ANY better?)

for becky...(and anyone interested)

s'more cupcakes

this is what they are REALLY supposed to look like. (I didn't have the graham crackers)

I used just a good 'ol box of chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes. the REAL goodness is the frosting which is:

1/2-3/4 lb. (2 or 3 sticks) butter, room temperature,1 lb. (2 cups) confectioner's sugar,1/2 tsp. vanilla,16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream (I recommend Fluff)

Cream the butter (I love my Kitchenaid!) on high until it's light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Then dump in the Fluff and mix it up 'til it's all creamy. Transfer to pastry bag (if desired) and pipe onto cupcakes! (You can also cut the corner off a Ziploc bag and use that instead.)

Then sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. and top with a square (rectangle actually, I guess) of a Hershey's chocolate bar.

when trapped inside....

I love the snow, i love snow storms. I DO NOT love felling trapped inside! Sooo I bake. This is what i did today. (they even got rave reviews from Josh)

Two girls and their rottweiler.... a beautiful thing!

one for grandma connie...

for the fun of it

last year....

This year...

first day of school

seriously, where did the summer go????? I cannot believe school is here already.

Alayna told me this morning she didn't mind the first day of school, it was all the days after it she didn't like.

Westin asked me if it was bad that she was excited for homework? I told her, More power to her!

the backpacks! (it's ALL about the backpacks!)






(westin is a rather small child...any backpack that can hold a folder is HUGE on her.)

Alayna B---4th grader.

Wessy---1st grader.

mini vacation!!!!

Last week as a pre-school, pre-business opening trip we went to Rockford to meet up with a friend of Mike's (well, he's everyones friend really) from there we went to Madison for 1 day and then to Chicago, then back home. it was quick and fun, and provided some pretty good pics.