happy 32nd birthday, babe

if he could have it his way, jesse's birthday would come and go with no attention drawn to the occasion. and with his birthday being on new year's eve, it's kind of hard to avoid at least a party. this year was a low-key new year's eve for our family, but i had to do a little something special for jesse. waffles for breakfast and a cake for when he got home from work. (yellow with chocolate frosting per the birthday boy's request)

and moments before he walked through the door, i realized i did not have any birthday candles but these 6. (unfortunately, not 32 of them)

i am so thankful for my hardworking, self-less, loving, dedicated, handsome, funny, helpful, talented, kind husband. i love you jesse!

2011 in review

• we started off the year with a bang- Brian Regan show and Elk Creek Vineyard get-away.
• Kate learned how to use the potty
• we went to the circus
• i stopped using non-dairy creamer (and it's flammable components)
• we bought chickens
• i started running (and still can't believe i enjoy it)
• we travelled to Pittsburgh for Easter and surprised Gammie for her 60th birthday
• we rescued a duck
• we kept the duck and named her Lucky
• Jacob turned 4
• Lucky was taken by a raccoon :(
• we celebrated 8 years of wedded bliss
• i went blueberry pickin
• we visited Colorado
• Jacob learned to draw tractors, and lots of them
• our chickens began to lay eggs
• we lost 3 chickens and had to end the life of our rooster
• Kate learned to use training wheels
• i was privileged to have my first experience being a maid-of-honor
• Kate turned 3
• Jacob had his first visit to the ER and first ambulance ride
• we said goodbye to our last 2 chickens as they went to go live with these ladies
• we travelled to Pittsburgh for Christmas

pittsburgh christmas

it's never a dull moment when we head to pittsburgh. there is always something to do or someone to see. this christmas did not fail us. we kept busy with lots of family and lots of visiting! i wasn't great with the camera, but here are a few photos from our christmas week:

playing with cousin easton

a short visit with grandpa dennis

making cookies with gammie

christmas with the mclanes, schneiders, and steckos

christmas eve

christmas with the piés

jesse's early birthday celebration

ray liotta

it was a thursday afternoon and we were sitting down to lunch. the kids were having grilled cheese and tomato soup and raspberries. of course, they eat the raspberries first. :)

within 2 minutes, kate's face had broken out into a rash around her eyes and mouth. we thought maybe she had developed a sudden allergy to raspberries (she had just eaten them the week before-no problem). after 2 doses of benedryl, and 8 hours later, it wasn't looking better. we sent her to bed thinking it might clear up over night. it hadn't. she woke up the next morning "mommy, there's something wrong with my eyes!"

she did not even look like my daughter (unlce josh thought she looked like ray liotta, and i have to agree) - jesse and i tried not to show our true emotions when we saw her face in the light. poor baby! after a dr's visit and blood test, we concluded it was not the raspberries and are more clueless than before as to what it could have been. thankfully, she cleared up within 2 days with a steroid. the only hunch we have is that she could have possible touched some cleaning products right before lunch? but with a 3 year old, who knows! we are thankful she recovered quickly, and she is thankful that she can still eat raspberries! :)

gingerbread morning

it was cookie-making morning at our house. it always seems like such a good idea... until we are done decorating and my kitchen floor is confettied with jimmies and sprinkles and the kids are all sugared up! but it was fun while it lasted :)

happy birthday to me

i am thankful every year for my friends who are always so kind to make my birthday so special. this year was no different. some friends from church and i had a splendid night out- some of us got dressed up (ahem), we ate a delicious dinner at bonefish grill, laughed harder than i had in a long time, and ended the evening with coffee and yummy tiramisu. (thanks jen!) :)

a few weeks later, i got to celebrate again with some friends from work. we had a delicious taco dinner, i was treated to the most delicious homemade white chocolate raspberry cheesecake (thanks mandy -my new favorite dessert!) and watched one of the dumbest chick flicks ever (i won't mention any names) :)

thank you to my friends for making me feel special and loved, and for making 31 seem not-so-bad.

day 30

thankful for my friends who remind me to update my blog.

day 29

thankful for the home we are blessed to live in, and the beautiful land we get to look at and enjoy.

day 28

thankful for my dad, who turns 61 today!

day 27

thankful for the winter, as it makes me appreciate summer all the more!

day 26

thankful for our jobs, and the opportunity to be a part of the ministry of AiG.

day 25

thankful or God's protection over Jacob- what could have been a serious injury, is healing rather quickly!
while playing on thanksgiving evening, jacob managed to fall with a small dowel rod in his mouth, puncturing a hole in between the crotch of his upper and lower jaw. it was deep enough that we took him to the ER. an ambulance ride to children's hospital, and 5 dr's later, they ended up sending him home with just a prescription for some pain killers. no stitches and no permanent damage- thank the Lord!

day 24

thankful for the friends and family we got to celebrate thanksgiving with this year!

day 23

thankful for my mom- who slaved away in the kitchen so we could enjoy a delicious thanksgiving feast! (ok, i helped a little) and for all the helpful things she does when she comes to visit (like cleaning my junk "collection" in the kitchen and introducing me to trader joe's sipping chocolate!)

day 22

thankful for some time to organize the basement and sort through lots and lots of stuff while revisiting great memories :)

day 21

thankful for our vehicle- no car payments, no major car trouble or expenses, and that we continue to survive as a 1-car family.

day 20

thankful, once again, for my husband! i could find a different reason every day to be thankful for him, but today i am most thankful for what God has done in his heart and in his life. and thankful that he was able to share that with our church body this morning and take the step of obedience to be baptized.

day 19

today i am thankful for new jeans. ahhhhh!

day 18

thankful for melissa and her domestic prowess, and the delicious recipes i have obtained from her. (which include, but is not limited to, chocolate cake, naan, and tomato/italian sausage/spinach/tortellini soup)

day 17

thankful for these guys (or gals) and their mothers

day 16

thankful for my adorable nieces and nephews. :)

day 15

thankful for this face (and the little face next to her)

a dear friend who has a servant's heart and has taught me how to serve others.

day 14

thankful for the privilege to work from home. sometimes i complain, but it is a huge blessing that i don't take for granted. i love being home with my 2 angels, even when they are not so angelic. :)

day 13

thankful that my biggest problem has been taken care of!!!

day 12

thankful for God's provision. there is never a day that we are without food, clothing or shelter.

matthew 6: 26 "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

day 11

thankful today for the opportunity i had to be a part of a dear friend's wedding, just a few weeks ago. it was an honor and a blessing to be a part of the celebration!

day 10

(i forgot to mention that these are in random order)

today i am thankful for coffee, and all that comes with it. cream, sugar, pumpkin spice creamer, starbucks, trader joe's dark roast, and pumpkin spice lattes...i could really go on and on....

day 9

she's mischievous and she pushes my buttons, but she's such a charmer and entertainer! i love Kate and i am so thankful for this talkative bundle of energy!

day 8

thankful for my creative, inquisitive, handsome, healthy, smart, silly Jacob. i love that boy!

thankful, day 1-7

i saw some friends on facebook have been doing a "month of thanks", writing about 1 thing they are thankful for each day for the month of November. i'd rather log it here, so i can easily go back and read it a year or 2, or 10, down the road.

so i am jumping into this a week late, i'll try to get caught up.

1. my husband, who loves me despite being totally baffled by the mind of a woman (you know, the hormonal part :) ) and despite the times when i am not so lovable. God has blessed me with a wonderful man!

2. how surprisingly well my kids adjusted to the daylight savings "fall back". 2nd day in, it's 7:30am (8:30) and they are still asleep!!

3. our rooster that was our dinner last night.

4. flannel sheets.

5. cooked sushi.

6. friends who are like family.

7. the beauty of God's creation that we are privileged to enjoy with the radiant colors of the changing leaves during these past few weeks.

kate is 3!

we had fun celebrating the birthday girl. she chose to go to the pumpkin patch for her birthday. it was extra special to have pappy and gammie in town for the celebration, and her best friends were there too!

we jumped on hay bales

we went on a hayride

we fed the cows

the birthday girl rode a pony

we collected "mini" pumpkins (going to the pumpkin patch on october 30 doesn't leave you with much of a selection)

we ended the day with dewey's pizza and purple cupcakes!

happy 3rd birthday kate!

a special day

i was shocked and honored to be asked to be the matron of honor for my friend katie's wedding. it was such a privilege to be a part of this special celebration.

if i could do it all over again (not planning on it) i would get married in the fall. not sure why we picked june, but we did. :) being a part of katie's day was extra fun for me because i got to experience a fall wedding firsthand. i especially loved helping her pick out the flowers :)

jesse said i was "bookin" down the aisle, so he didn't get a great picture.

one of my favorite parts of the day- the kids getting dressed up!

thank you jason and katie for letting me be a part of your special day!

and a special thanks to my husband who spent a lot of time with the kids while i was busy helping the bride.

i'm too tired to think of a good title for this post

just a little update on the happenings on the farm.

kate got a new bike. an early birthday gift. i can't believe my baby is old enough to ride a bike. she looks like such a big girl sitting on that seat. time is flying by!!


if you can't tell by the look on her face, she loves her new wheels.

sadly, we lost one of our hens last week. we suspect it was a hawk. the worst part of this is, she was one of the 2 that were laying. so now we are left with one busy little hen -who averages one or two eggs a day, one mr. cranky pants rooster, and two dud hens who still haven't paid rent.


we have welcomed the cooler weather, and have already had several splendid campfires. (for some reason, i can't help but take a picture of the flames, pretty much every time we have a fire. jesse thinks i'm weird.)


speaking of fire...our local fire station hosted their annual fire safety open house event. the whole family was entertained by the horses, firetrucks, boats, and a blackhawk helicopter!