Google Earth

Have you ever tried this program? How cool is it? I received a Christmas card from my friend Brenda who now lives in Tokyo, Japan. I was getting ready to send her Christmas card but couldn't make out all of her address. Brian pulled up Google Earth and we typed in what we knew. It pulled up the picture of her neighborhood. We could see the cars and trees and everything from a Birdseye view. If we would have had time we could have taken a whole tour of her neighborhood. It is so cool and we will have to try it once the children are in bed and don't need our attention.

I've suggested to her that she needs to start a blog. I loved hearing about the cultural differences in her Christmas letter. And because of those differences I bet there are a few funny stories that she could tell us. I would love to see pictures of the apples the size of melons. I'm petitioning Brian for heated toilet seats especially down the basement and in his bar. Think about it, if he had a heated toilet seat in the bathroom the women wouldn't get assicles when they go but they wouldn't linger in the bathroom either. Something to think about.

Back to starting a blog - Welcome Nicole and Monique I can't wait to see what is up in your lives.

Christmas is Over

It's official, Christmas is over. We had our last Christmas Saturday morning. Santa came to our house. Jamison got his "Hit Ball" and wants to play it in the house. Not going to happen. I'm sorry to say he is going to have to wait till spring. He also received an Airport for GEOtrax that is way cool. Campbell got his socks that fit just the way he wants them to and he got his Star Wars AT-TE that he put together and has been playing with ever since. I got my cell phone with a text plan. There has got to be an easier way to reload my contacts? Isn't there? I know that Christmas should be a time for children but don't you just get depressed knowing all the stuff that you want and comparing it to all the stuff you didn't get? And mom dad so sorry about the stocking thing when we were growing up. If I wouldn't stuff my own I would not get anything. Men just don't think that way. Okay maybe it is just my husband. I think I could put coal in my stocking and he wouldn't bat an eye. I have 2 more cards to send out and then I am done with Christmas Cards too. I just received the addresses so that is the only reason they didn't make it out before Christmas. Now the winter depression will set in. Hopefully, we can get out a little more this winter so Cabin fever weight doesn't hit as bad as it did last year. Oh wait I have a Wii Fit I should lose weight this season. HaHaHa. We'll see.

Party Animal

I’m back to being a party animal! Just like in high school and collage. Oh wait, that wasn’t me, who was it? I have gone out Friday and Saturday the last two weekends. Even though I have gone out those nights I have not been out later than 10:30 any of those nights so does the party animal really live? Friday night I went out with the regular work gang minus Terri, she had a migraine. We hung out at Chasers and complained about the people we work with. Saturday night all of us braved the blizzard and walked 5 houses down to the neighbors for dinner and drinks. For something they just threw together they sure had a spread. With as much as I ate my secretary spread is getting bigger too. Did I ask for new jeans from Santa? If I did could you make them one size larger? Okay so I’m not a party animal but at least I am getting out of the house a little bit more.

Neighborhood Get Together Will We or Won't We?

In September we decided to have a Neighborhood progressive party. I'm not sure when we picked the date but we decided December 5th. Close to Thanksgiving I hadn't heard anything about it so I e-mailed one of my neighbors. I would have emailed all three addresses that I have but 2 of them have came back to me in the past. Tammy sent out the email that she couldn't do it the weekend we had picked. Could we do it one of the next 2. One couple couldn't on the 19th & 20th and Brian and I had plans for both the 12th and 13th. But lets see what I can do. I moved my night out on the 12th. We were good to go. Nope we weren't 2 other couples couldn't make it. Lets do a night out and have the progressive dinner in January. Sounds good to all. If we eat downtown we could meet up with one of the couples that couldn't make it and have after dinner drinks. Montage? Nope they don't have any reservations for that night. The Stuffed Olive? Nope they don't take reservations. Toad's doesn't take reservations but they should be able to get us a table at 6:30, and the girl we talked to was the nicest by far. We are going to Toad's and there will be 4 couples with another one meeting us after dinner. Then we get the e-mail that one couple has a sick child they might not make it. Then another one has a sick child and they might not make it. Are we cancelling yet? No we will play it by ear. The Krohns can go but the Roses can't. We get our table around 7. We had a great time. I felt like I really got to know Tammy and Juli more. I saw how tired 10 hour days at John Deere make you feel. Brady and Chris came later and Brady stories kept us in stitches for a while. We got to connect with the neighborhood again which we hadn't done since Halloween. The pictures above are the group that could go. The one with Brian is a little dark in front because I was taking the picture through a fence and the fence blocked the flash. But it came out better than Brian thought it would. Hopefully in January we will get the progressive meal together.

I Do It

Okay I'm posting my newest scrapbook page. You know how independent a two year old can be? At least twice a day I hear "I do it, Mommy." Whether it is climbing into the car when we are late or brushing his teeth or helping unload the dishwasher. Most times I let him help which is very hard for me because I want to get what ever it is done so I can do the next thing on my list. But oh the excitement he shows when he completes the project. This page has been in my "Page in Process" file since September but nothing jumped out at me for accessories. Then one day Natalie and I went to Target during our lunch break. We picked up a pretzel and drink in their snack bar (2 buck lunch how often can you do that?) as I was looking at my glass I thought this would be perfect if I can figure out how to do the circles. I figured them out but don't look to close because every one of them is smudged somewhere. But I love the page and I might do the design again some day.

Daily Conversation with Jamison

Every morning this week I have had the same conversation with Jamison, it goes like this.

H: "Guys get your boots on we need to go."
J: "I go to Wal-Mart?"
H: "Nope, you're going to Steph's."
J: "I go to Steph's?"
H: "Yes"
J: "Bull go to Steph's?"
H: "No Bull is going to school and Mommy is going to work."
J: "I go to Gra and Gragra Peters?"
H: "No you don't get to go to Grandma and Grandpa Peters house today."
J: "I want to go to Gra and Gragra Peters."
H: "I know but they have too much to do right now and I would miss you."
J: "okay."

Then we have this same conversation again on our way to Steph's. Jamison gets spoiled when he goes to grandma and grandpa's. They have lots of race cars and a big floor for him to push them around. He loves to go visit as you can see. I'm glad that he is independent enough that staying with them is an adventure. I loved staying with my grandparents too. Campbell would rather stay right were he is and sleep in his bed every night because then he can have all his stuffed animals with him. One of these days he will not want to stay with me either but until then I'll enjoy the homebody in him.

The New Me

I did it! After 10+ years I went into the make-up aisle at Target and purchase a jar/tube of foundation. I know what you're thinking. You had a jar of foundation for 10 years? No, I didn't. I threw my last jar away a little over 10 years ago on July 13, 1997 when I realized the last time I wore it before that was on my wedding day in 1992. How do I know the exact date? I wore it to my brothers wedding the night before and didn't take it home.

So I'm growing up and going to wear make-up tomorrow. I'm trying Almay's Smart Shade . One of the reasons I quit wearing make-up was it took to long in the bathroom getting ready. You know blend, blend, blend so you don't have a make-up line. Moisturizer, foundation, and powder. This you just put on and it matches your skin tone. It has SPF 15 so that is another step I don't have to worry about. Will see how it goes though because I will also have to make sure I wash my face every night and I am a slacker about that more often than not. It's almay so it shouldn't feel like it is sliding off right?

On another note we have 23 days of Christmas shopping left. As of yet no hints from my nieces and nephews. Coal is looking pretty cheap at $.10 a lump.