Friday, May 31, 2013

Cool Air, a Graduation, a Prayer Request, and a God Thing!

Whoo-Hoo! We have cool air in this hot house =)

Yesterday Aidan asked me if we have any air in this house!! Too funny. It was really, really hot yesterday. As days go, it was a busy one. Gina had a lunch appointment, I needed to meet Christy to get the kids on her way to work, Hubs had a haircut appointment after work, I needed to head to the grocery store some time because we were completely out of milk (used the last bit of it in the mashed potatoes for dinner) and I needed to fill the water jugs, too. While I was at the grocery store, Hubs put in 3 air conditioners. What a difference they make!

I am happy to have an air conditioner in our bedroom because, besides a better night because of a cool bedroom, I must get ready for a big evening. I hate trying to fix myself to look my best when I'm wiping sweat off my face!! What the biggie this evening??

Andrew, our grandson, is graduating from high school!! We are sooooo proud of this young man!

 What a cutie!
 
 
Still a cutie!
 
I love this young man so much. He is polite, he enjoys his young cousins, he's as handsome as they come(!!), and so much more. His parents, our daughter Kim, and her hubby Manny, have done a tremendous job raising him to be a fine young man.
 
Andrew hopes to be a police officer some day. Go, Andrew!
 
Would you pray for my friend today? Today is an anniversary for my friend Tammy. 17 years ago today her teen daughter decided to end her life. She said it has gotten easier but she will never forget. Please pray for her today!
 
Let me tell you of a God appointment this past Saturday. I needed some fake flowers to decorate my family room. I prefer fresh, but I can't keep replacing fresh flowers that I have to buy. (when I had a job, I kept fresh flowers on my dining room table almost all the time. because I love them) Ellen and I went to Michael's. I told Ellen we would go there if I could find a parking space. It's a problem sometimes! I found one and we went in to do our shopping. At the check out, the first one only had one person in line, so we waited in that line. I was looking in my purse for my wallet as I moved up in line. I heard the cashier say my name.....I looked up and here it was my friend Tammy! We had not seen each other for years!! Tammy still calls me her old boss, which I was, but I call her my friend, which she always was =) Oh my goodness, we hugged and hugged! I know we made a scene but we didn't care. We tried to catch up as best we could while she checked me out. I gave her my contact info so we could stay in touch. Just yesterday she found me on Facebook (I should have asked that on Saturday but neither one of us had thought of it). Now we will keep in touch. It was sooooo good to see her and we will get together soon. What a God thing!!
 
My day must get started. It will be another busy one. Tomorrow will be too. More about that later!
 
Blessings to you today!


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Who Loves a Bargain?

Is there anyone out there that doesn't love a bargain? I doubt it! Yesterday Gina and I went looking for bargains at a thrift shop. Jubilee Ministries has several shops, one in our town, but we decided to check out the one in the city of Lebanon. Gina had never been to that one before. Did we ever hit the jackpot! She found two very nice tops and a pair of Lands End pants. They fit her perfectly, even the length, and they looked like they weren't worn. I found several tops, two were Liz Claiborne, AND a pair of Talbot's capri length pants. All the clothing was priced from $4 - $6. Most of them were $4. You can't beat that! Gina then treated me to lunch at Friendly's. It's been a long time since we ate there. My salad was wonderful and so was the company =)

We also went to the Hobby Lobby. It's the only one around here and I have never been there, or any Hobby Lobby. Oh.My.Goodness. I was OVERWHELMED! What a store! I did find just what I had hoped to find somewhere for Aidan's birthday. I was pleased! 

I woke up with a splitting headache this morning. Sinus headache. Could be weather related. We are heading for another heat wave. We still do not have the window air conditioners installed. I think we'll not make it through the heat this time without them. It's to be 90 today and tomorrow...... 3 H's - hazy, hot, and humid.

I went to make my smoothie this morning and realized I was out of spinach, again. Oh no! But I had a bag of kale I hadn't even opened yet, so I used that. It was ok but I think I prefer spinach. My smoothie is one good thing I do for me...I need to get back on track and do a few more things again ;-)

Aidan and Zoe will be with me today. Yeah! I think I'll put something in the crock pot for dinner so I don't have to use the oven.

Have a great day! Stay cool!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Another Family Sunday

Sunday was another family day. First it was to church, then to lunch for Hubs, Ellen and I at Wendy's, then to a Challenger Baseball game for Ellen. As we were finishing our meal, my sister Mary Ellen and a friend of her's came into Wendy's to get their lunch! That was nice. They were going to walk the wonderful walking paths around the hospital near there.

Several family members showed up at Ellen's game.....so nice of them!

 Is Zoe being shy or just loving on her Daddy ?


 Cutie Pie!


 Love Christy's hat.
Aidan gave it to her for Mother's Day.
Christy is entertaining Brinley .

I don't seem to have any pictures of 
Scott, Paityn or Aidan .
Pop Pop walked (chased!) Brinley all over the park
and 
Scott took Paityn and Aidan to the play ground.
Zoe eventually talked her Daddy into taking her to the play ground too.
It was a breezy, chilly afternoon and Marcy chose to see the game from their car.

 Ellen swings hard.

Running to home plate!

After the ball game, we took Zoe with us to our house. She talked and talked the whole time! She is so funny! The rest of the family made it here for dinner. Dale grilled hot dogs, sausages and a few burgers. Kim brought baked beans and kraut. I sauteed peppers and onions for the sausages and made a pan of rhubarb dump cake. Oh my, the cake was so good. Only one piece was left by the time everyone went home! We also made s'mores and had ice cream too.

 Corey roasting a marshmallow for a s'more...
Christy enjoying a s'more!


 Paityn paused for Nana to take a picture  =)


Andrew and Kim relaxing outdoors.
It was a beautiful evening.
A little chilly but the wind had subsided.

 We have fun =)

I was trying to get a picture of Aidan ...
he kept giving me crazy faces!!





Paityn thinks it's so funny!



Andrew roasting his marshmallow while Christy warms her hands.
This handsome young man is graduating from High school on Friday.
So hard to believe!

We always have such a good time. Brinley gets so tired by evening because she won't sleep while she's here. She cries but won't relax! Everyone feels so sorry for her but there's nothing we can do to make a tired toddler happy.....it's all part of family, isn't it? She will grow out of this stage and we will remember it as Brinley being toddler Brinley, just as we remember Andrew being a fussy baby in the evening his first few months of life. And, I will always remember and admire my children in how they handled themselves with such grace and love in those tiring days....

 I LOVE MY FAMILY!! 

******************************************************************
Happy Memorial Day!!

Dale took Ellen to the Manheim Memorial Day Parade this morning. He has been doing this for many years. We had marchers in the High School band for years in this parade, but not any more. Ellen still loves to go.

 We don't have big plans for today. Ellen would like to go do something but I'm not sure what! I could find many things to keep me busy today, but maybe doing something she considers fun is the way to go. Gina is working today, not the most fun day for her. But, working a holiday has increased paycheck benefits....plus, if she sells grills or patio furniture (something they are selling a lot of right now), commission is a plus too! 

Blessings to you today!

Friday, May 24, 2013

My Week



It's been several days since I posted anything. I'm going to call this post My Week, rather than Random, because.....when I called a recent post Random, I got loads of spam!
  • It was hot and humid this week. On Tuesday afternoon when I was at Weis, the big sign whch displays the temp said it was 93!
  • We don't have central air...otherwise, our house would have been much cooler during this heat wave. It was so hot at night. We are not putting in the window units yet. We just used heat early last week!! Crazy spring!
  • It was so hot in the house that the dishes and cups I got out of the cabinets even felt warm! (and it wasn't because I just put them there from the dishwasher...that's an appliance we don't have)
  • Gina had a pen explode in her pocket at work on Monday. We have been trying and trying to get the ink splotches out of the pants ever since. I think we are at the point of forgetting it. We tried the stain remover spray I usually use on stains, rubbing alcohol, hairspray....nothing is working. There are a lot of splotches!
  • Gina and I went shopping at the Outlets on Tuesday. She found another pair of pants for work and two really nice tops at Vanity Fair. Love that store!
  • Wednesday (have to think what I did!) Oh, when I was checking out some homes on the Internet, a window came up that I couldn't get out of...unless I sent $300 by some kind of money thing I could get at Kmart, CVS, Walmart.... I'm not that stupid! Of course, I called my smart son to see what I was to do. Everything he suggested, I already had done. So they came over for dinner and he ran some stuff to fix it. We ate dinner on the deck because the breeze made it feel better outside than inside the house. Was a nice evening!
  • Ellen participated in a work crew on Wednesday at Hershey Park. She and another student from her school went with a job coach. We knew she would go sometime in May but didn't know when. The uniform regs are very specific for Hershey Park. I had gotten her a pair of pants, a pair of walking length shorts and a sweatshirt with Hershey on it. I got the sweatshirt because it's been so cold and she couldn't wear anything with another logo and she does not own anything plain. Wouldn't you know, Wednesday was a very hot day, no need for a sweatshirt! But the shorts I got for her had pockets on the leg....I didn't know they couldn't have them. So, she wore pants. She really loved working at the park. She was sweeping and cleaning up trash. Ellen can complain about being tired (or that she doesn't feel well) when a job she isn't liking goes too long. The job coach said she did a really good job and had to literally take the broom from her to get her to stop when it was time to leave =) She may get to go again next Wednesday. I hope so. She gets paid to work there...Ellen loves that!
  • Yesterday I had a haircut appointment, not until 3:00 in the afternoon. I usually schedule them in the morning. I guess it didn't suit Jess this time. How I needed this haircut! I had chopped the bangs several weeks ago because I was going crazy. And with the heat and humidity these last several days, the length was sending me over the edge. I now have shorter hair again....feels sooooo good!
  • I went to Ollie's yesterday, one of my favorite stores. I never know what I'll find. They had mens golf shirts for $6.99. I thought they looked nice and felt nice and bought Hubs 2 of them. Had a 10% coupon too, so they were even less. Nice. I always check for coffee deals, none this time.
  • Aidan and Zoe will be with me later today. Love those kids!
  • All this talk of hot weather we were having. No more! It's cloudy, rainy, windy and chilly today. I'm wearing a sweater!! And I closed some windows. 50 degrees at noon.So crazy.
  • Are you wondering about our move? We are too! No decisions made yet. Corey and Christy are still trying to decide what to do with their house. They may look to rent it for a year or so. That would mean they would move in here. Would make this house full to the brim but we would be under one roof. That makes me happy. I'd rather move to another larger home now rather than wait. But things are just not moving in that direction, so it seems. It will be fine.
  • I went to the greenhouse yesterday and bought some flowers to plant. Aidan was wondering when I was going to buy some flowers!! All the tulips have been dead for weeks. Looks pretty awful. Annuals are so expensive....I tried to keep the cost down and hope I bought enough to make this house look alive =) The two hanging baskets I bought for the front porch are so pretty!

  • I love iced coffee, especially on hot days. Christy got several boxes of ice coffee pods for the Keurig at BB's grocery outlet. I love making a good cup of ice coffee at home. But, I was also waiting for the Dunkin Donuts coupon for the free refillable iced coffee cup they usually bring out each spring. Last year I was disappointed that refilling the cup was more than a dollar so I didn't fill mine often . The coupon showed up in the newspaper yesterday. Yeah!! I took it and got my free cup yesterday (had to buy a med. size ice coffee to get it. No Problem!!) on the way to get my hair cut. And, it's refillable for 99 cents this year!! My favorite is Toasted Almond. Love it!
Time for a cup of hot coffee before my little ones get here.
Enjoy your day. Blessings!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Our Afternoon

This was our afternoon -

Aidan and Zoe were playing outside on the deck and back yard while I washed the dishes. I heard an unusual sound by the road. Looked outside and couldn't see it really good but I thought it was an old car going by. After awhile I heard it again...another old car and another.....

I told the kids that we should go to the front yard so they could see the cars. We did and this is what happened. (sorry it's lots of pictures!)

 Last week Aidan asked where the little chairs were.
I told him to ask Pop Pop 'cause I didn't know.
He did.
Pop Pop got them out on Saturday.
Ahh, this is the life!
Aidan said he really likes these chairs,
especially the green one =)

Notice the banged up knees on Aidan.
A sure sign it's warm enough for playing outdoors!
He got at least one bump here last week.

While we waited for another old car to go by,
Aidan wanted to wait by the fence...
 with the camera. 
Now I ask you,
what little boy would just hold a camera while waiting??








It was taking a long time for a car to come by.
So, he decided on some self portraits again =)






Then, it was to the porch where he found Zoe. 



 He tried and tried to get both of them in a pic.
I heard him say several times,
"Cut you out again"!

Cute!

 Adian snapped this photo!


 Oops, The branch is in the way!


 Zoe was thrilled the see this robin's nest!
The robin flew away every time I tried to snap a picture.


 While he waited, he climbed...


Aidan, that is high enough!!

Aidan figured out how to take black and white....



 So cool!

Another car!



 This one and the next was a bit smoky!

 Almost missed it...
but the kids were thrilled when someone would wave!



It was hot and the kids soon had enough.
Zoe rolls down the hill!
We head inside to get something to drink.

We decide on fruit smoothies =)

And, that was our afternoon on this lovely Monday.
Happy Monday to you!


Friday, May 17, 2013

Good Morning!

Whew, this day got a fast start! I was drinking my coffee and was thinking about what I could needed to accomplish before taking Gina to the oral surgeon at noon to get a tooth pulled. (it needs to be done but she's not looking forward to it!) The phone rang, it was Ellen. She had forgotten she was scheduled to go on a work site this morning and needed black pants and a white shirt...she was dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt. OK, I can do this. But first.....I had to do something about my hair and face. Really, I had to. I did not wish to scare anyone! Quickly used the hot iron and a little bit of curling iron and lots of hair spray, a bit of foundation, a bit of  eye shadow and a bit of eye liner, contacts in.....and off I go =) Since I didn't look all that awful, I decided to stop at the grocery store too. I wasn't sure when I was going to get that done today and I only needed a few things like spinach for my smoothie this morning. It all worked out! Not the way I like to start a day but, oh well!

Oh, Ellen is so lucky I hadn't started a load of laundry before she called. Her white cami which she needs under the white T was in the pile of dirty laundry to be washed. Not sure what I would have done...she has a brown one, a white one with swirly bright colors and a tie-dyed one. Looks like my slower start saved the day =)

It's another beautiful day.....


Aidan and Zoe played outside for most of the afternoon yesterday and I'm sure they will do the same today. I go outside with them so not much is getting accomplished indoors. All too soon, it will be too hot for afternoon outdoor play. We are enjoying the pleasant days!

Happy Friday to you!


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

My Day

Sunday was a good day. In fact, it was a great day. Sometimes I almost hesitate to post about my great times. I would hate for anyone to think we only have great days around here! Believe me when I say, I have had some not so special Mother's Days. Young children, crazy days, no money for extras (well, that's how it still is!!), being a working Mom.... it all was part of my life for years and years. When you have 19 years between your oldest child and the youngest, it's years and years of crazy busy days. Many times the day to honor the Mother (me) was just another day of crazy ;-) All was, and is, good.....those times grow character!

Blessed to have the family with me on Mother's Day this year. By evening they all made it home. Marcy made a wonderful lasagna soup. It was so good! Brinley ate it like it was going to be her last meal, sweet little peanut. I made sausage-hash brown breakfast casserole and a banana cake and we had some homemade applesauce from the freezer. Corey wondered what to bring. I told him that I love chips (they are such a craving for me at times) so they brought 2 bags for our meal! One had sea salt and cracked black pepper on them...YUM!! Loved them! Aidan and Paityn wanted to make s'mores again so Pop Pop made a fire. We roasted marshmallows, assembled the s'more and headed inside to eat them....it was cold out there! Kim brought some ice cream, a staple for our Sunday gatherings. Yes it is...we can't imagine a Sunday with out it!

Dale and Ellen surprised me with this beautiful flower -

Not sure it will stay there
 but it surely is a bright spot on the porch for now!
We had to bring it inside the last two nights,
it was that cold.
29 degrees this morning!!


Kim and Andrew brought me these -



More flowers are opening all the time...I love them!
I really love fresh flowers =)

Gina knows how much I love the watch we gave her for Christmas. So she gave be a gift card to buy myself a new watch!

Greta told me she was bringing me something yesterday. She knows how much I loved the pedi I got before her wedding last year. It's something I would love to have on a regular basis but is certainly not in the budget for this time. Bless her, she gave me a gift certificate to get one!! I'll wait till June in hopes that my piggy toes will look their best for most of the summer. Can't wait. Gina suggested that she and Greta and I all get one at the same time. Now that sounds delightful!
 She  also made me a card -

Love it!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here it is, Tuesday all ready! Aidan and Zoe will be with me this afternoon, yeah! 

Yesterday I was looking on the Internet at houses for sale. (we continue too be up in the air as to what the next step is in our move, so I keep looking) I came across a house in a nearby school district. In trying to find pictures, because there was only one listed, I found out the house had belonged to some locals who became quite famous in TV land. Too funny!! We may go to the open house on Sunday. I asked Greta is she thought the house would still bring people driving by since they no longer are on TV...she said if there are a lot of people at the Open House, that may indicate a level of continued curiosity. So true. The house has 5 bedrooms...that's why I clicked on the posting. So, if we do go see it, we really will be looking to see if it could be a fit for us. But, I confess, I would be going out of curiosity as well! Who wouldn't??

It's sunny and is now 59 degrees. Totally blows my mind, this cold spring we are having. Temps in the 70's tomorrow and going higher as the week progresses. My sweaters are not put away, neither is our heater in the family room...I got my blanket out again last evening that I use in the winter to keep me warm when I sit! 

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Ellen Dances up a Storm

Ellen had a great time! 
(and there really was a thunderstorm!)
As soon as she got home from school the primping began. After her shower, her sister Greta came to fix Ellen's hair and paint her fingernails. I painted Ellen's toes while Greta worked on the hair. We did all this in the family room so Ellen could watch TV (Family Feud!) to keep her from getting too antsy. I was so grateful for Greta's help this year!!

The Preparation - 

 The fun has begun!


 Greta painting Ellen's nails
YELLOW!

 The back of Ellen's hair...
so pretty!
Thank you, Greta!!

 The Pre-Prom Pictures - 

 All ready for her fun night!
We found this dress at Penny's.
As soon as I saw it I was sure Ellen would love it.
She tried it on (the first one she tried)
and this was her dress.
She was sure as can be about that =)


 Yellow is her favorite color
and this dress suits her perfectly!
And, as one of my FB friends stated,
a perfect skirt for dancing =)


I found the hairband at Clair's.
I looked at many stores before deciding on this one.

The Prom at Bent Creek Country Club - 

 Ellen poses outside the entrance.
Just can't get over my pretty girl =)


 Picture at the photo booth...
each person attending was given a photo to take home with them.

Tablescape-
Born to be Wild theme =)

Father, daughter =)


 Ellen was so excited to see her friend Ashley!
Ashley is now living in an apartment with two other girls.
Ashley goes directly from her apartment to CTC 
where she is taking Culinary classes,
so Ellen never sees her.
She is 21 and it's her last year of school. 
She is a delightful girl - and loves to dance as much as Ellen does!


 Ellen with her friend Ben.
Ben was is her classroom for many years
before both of them returned to their own school districts.
Ben is involved in many of the same activities as Ellen.

 Ellen with her friend Amber.
It was Amber's 16th birthday!


 This pretty lady is Ellen's teacher!
Ms Rossell came with her boy friend...
much to the kids delight =)
(that's two of her classmates on the left!)

We left our girl to enjoy herself. After picking up Gina at the mall where she had finished working, we headed to Outback for dinner. Greta and Lynn joined us for a delicious meal. We all had steak except Greta. She had her favorite Outback chicken meal. No dessert - we were way too full! Mary Ellen had invited us to stop in at her house while we waited to pick up Ellen. Dale looked at some repairs she has for him to do sometime. Then it was time to go get our girl!

The last couple of dances - 
We always enjoy going to see the last few dances.

Ellen dances with one of Ashley's room mates.


 Don't know who this is but he got a dance with Ellen as soon as she was free =)
Ellen's teacher told me she was quite popular with the boys!


This young man got to dance the last dance with Ellen.
I don't know his name but we see him at some of Ellen's activities.

On the way out, Ellen said her feet were killing her. I'm sure they were! She will not sit out any dance, hurting feet or not. I am so grateful for the time the IU puts into this special night for our special kids. Ellen loves it and so do we, her parents and family!