Let It Snow

We woke up this morning to find out first winter wonderland of the season. And of course I had to take a picture. Very happy this is happening on a Saturday and not on my work day. A great day to be looking out my window.

Jonathan's little helper........

This weekend, Jonathan decided put up a few lights on our outside fence. Before he could do that, he needed to test all of his light that were packed away in the attic. As you can see, Pepper the cat was only trying to be helpful.....as usual. He began batting at the lights, then the chewing and at one point he had his head inside the box sitting in front of him. What a goof ball!

As Jonathan was testing his lights, Pepper thought it would be a good time to look out at the neighbors. I caught him just before he jumped off.

So far, I have only seen him climb the tree once this year (but the season is still young). Sometimes he leans on some of the branches like he is ready to jump, be we seem to catch him with the squirt bottle before he does that. Jonathan found 1/2 of a glass icicle from the tree on the floor this morning. I thought I had heard him making some noise in the tree through the night. Suddenly the noise stopped and the cat went running. We woke up this morning and found the evidence. Needless to say, the cat went to hide under the bed as soon as he saw Jonathan with 1/2 an icicle in his hand.

As aggravating as this is, we still find ourselves laughing about it all. He is pretty stink'in cute when he falls asleep under the tree with the warm lights. We just hope the Christmas tree makes it until the end of the season.

Guys and their Guns

This year for Thanksgiving, we headed back down to Southern Indiana to Visit Jonathan's brother Steve and his family. It was a little smaller crowd from last year, but we all still had a good time. When we got there, We were pleased to find out that they were deep frying a turkey. It was the first fried turkey for both of us. It was mm mm good. Aside from the obvious danger of frying a turkey and the health risk, I am not sure why anyone would eat it any other way.
The guys decided they wanted to get some target practice in on Saturday just before we left. The above picture is Jonathan.

This is Steve.

and this is James.

I personally don't care for guns, I just let the guys have their fun.

All I can say is, I would never wanna break into their house.

Adventures in Babysitting

This past Friday, we had the pleasure of attending the wedding renewal service for my cousin Terrance and his wife Catrina. They were celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary and wanted to celebrate by renewing there vows. It was actually quite beautiful. They each wrote there own vows, which was a great chance for them to reflect on the past five years. This brought me and a few others to tears. It was a verbal commitment to God, themselves and the family that they are choosing to stay together through thick and thin.
On Saturday, while Terrance and Catrina where having a night away without there kids, Jonathan and I got to babysit 3 month old Alexzander (Zander). When Terrance initially asked me to do it, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew this would be a good time for us to practice our baby skills. I haven't babysat anything that small in about 8 years and certainly never overnight. Jonathan had a bit of experience from his niece and nephews from a while back. Due to his Reflux condition, which makes him fussy with extra spit up, I knew Zander would put us to the test. Fortunately, whatever Zander threw our way (pardon the pun), we were able to handle.

Above is Jonathan doing the 5pm feeding.

Some of you already know how good and comfortable my husband is around babies. I knew this too, but was still amazed at how good he was. Most men are very nervous and awkward around babies, but not Jonathan. He never hesitated one bit. He was even up with me for the 4 am feeding.

On the second try, we were finally able to get him to bed at 11pm. His swing is the only place that he will sleep and it must be moving at all times. He slept untill 345am and was up untill 6am, then slept until 945am.

This was a great experience fore both Jonathan and I as a couple. We worked as a team, effortlessly. I realize that when our time comes to start our family, it won't always be peaches and cream, but I feel totally confident that we can do this well, together.

Bear Creek Weekend

Finally, I am now getting around to blogging about our Bear Creek weekend that is now sadly 2 weeks past.
The two weeks leading up to this trip, were very over whelming at work to say the least. I found it very hard to get myself motivated for this trip, which I never have a problem getting motivated for our trips. I knew that if I cancelled this trip, I would have broken Jonathan's heart. Cancelling was not a option. I would have to somehow get myself caught up as best as I could and just deal with the fact that some things would have to wait until I came back.

We headed out late Friday morning. We were headed to Bear Creak Resort and Ranch, in East Sparta, Ohio. It was just south of Canton Ohio. Our original intention was to camp in a small 1 room cabin and do all of our cooking outside. But when the weather decided to get kinda cold that week, we opted to upgrade our cabin to one that was fully furnished to make the weekend a little bit more enjoyable. We no longer called it camping, rather, Cabining.We were definitely glad we upgraded when it became too cold to sit up late next to our campfire.
This is a picture of our wonderful cabin. it could have slept 6 people, 2 bunk beds and 1 double. It also had a fully furnished bathroom and kitchen. If I had known that it would be THAT furnished, I would have brought better food to make some great meals.
Off to the left you can see a picnic table. About 40 feet behind that table, we had a snake "incident" (details in a moment)

Saturday morning we headed out to the ATV trails about 1 mile down the road from our campground. It was a VERY muddy ride (see exhibit A above) given all the rain we had prior to that weekend. It was a pretty nice place and we actually found some trails that we felt comfortable riding. The mud always brings out the die hard riders, the ones that really tear it up. We tried our best to steer clear of these guys and I'm pretty sure they could tell we were amateurs. We were just out for a Sunday drive and they were there to mess around.

Is it a boy or a girl?? Sooooo just kidding!!! This is actually the trail map they gave us for the ATV riding!!! This meant that we really never knew what we were driving into. We were forced through some terrain that we probably wouldn't have gone through had we known. One of the scariest things for me is heading down a trail and getting to a point that you want to turn around and go back, but you have no where to turn and you have to just drive right through it .

Once we got a feel for the place, we really did have a good and muddy time

Saturday night we decided to do the trail horse back riding, which was just walking distance from our cabin. It was just Jonathan and I and the guide. It was only the second time riding a horse for the both of us. I rode the horse above which was Nixon. Nixon was the hungry one. He would try to be sneaky buy suddenly grabbing at the brush for snacks.

Jonathan got to ride Bell. Bell was the day dreamer. She was easily distracted and didn't seem to want to keep up with Dolly (the guides horse) and Nixon. I was always hearing Jonathan talking to the horse as if it was a 2-way conversation. After all the kicking, pulling and tugging he did, the only thing he had left was bargaining. He did manage to resist name calling though. LOL!!

Jonathan taking a picture of me on my horse with my goofy hat. It was really cold!!

This is a great shot of the beautiful sunset and Fall trees while on our ride. Me and the guide ahead. Just after this picture was taken is about the time that Bell became really distracted.

On Sunday we had company. My dad and step-mother Carol just happened to be in Millersberg that weekend which was only about an hour out of their way to come see us on their way home. Also, we got to see Dan and April again who also live about an hour away the other direction. We all got together for lunch at our cabin.

Above is Jonathan cooking our burgers and hot dogs over the campfire. He did a great job!! Thanks to April for bringing us some great hamburgers.

In this picture you will also see Carol (now leading into the snake story). When Dad and Carol got there, dad decided he was going to find some small firewood to help us with our fire. Dad headed into the woods behind our cabin. Carol and I started grabbing small sticks too and began following my dad into the woods. Carol was behind when she suddenly grabbed my arm and said "OH BOY" and then pointed. She and I both were standing about 3 feet away from a SNAKE!!!
I took one glance and about a second later I screamed, threw what sticks I had in the air and began running. Carol was ditto to that. Dad didn't believe us at first until he found it himself. And as guys do, he started poking at it with a stick to notice that it was already injured. Of course he decided to pickup it up with the stick to attempt to show us. That doesn't go so well as Carol and I continue to scream and run even farther away. As Carol and I do the Heebie Jeebie Dance, Dad decides to put it down. It was a relatively small snake and probably nothing more then a Garter snake, but it was enough to scare us both.

Thankfully I was able to laugh about this pretty quick and tried not to be too creeped out buy what was behind our cabin.

Above is Dan and April. They also brought both the boys for a visit with us.

Dad and Carol ended up leaving in the afternoon, while Dan, April and the boys decided to stay with us until later in the evening. We all headed to the over sized playground just walking distance from our cabin. We ALL ended up goofing off and having a blast on this playground. But some things I don't think were meant for adults. I have some really goofy pictures of us all. Above is a picture of April spinning Morgan on the Merry-Go-Round.

I can honestly say that Jonathan and I had a blast that weekend. I have never laughed so hard as I did Sunday when the family was with us. I would really love to get the family together more often for more fun times like this. We definitely made some really great memories.

Hog Roast weekend, 2009

This weekend has been yet another busy fall weekend. Saturday was the 23rd annual Swigart Hog Roast at Swigart Park. It was another great year for the books. The usual Hog with all the many side dishes brought by all the guests. Hayrides, bonfire, hot cider, Marshmallows, volleyball, Hillbilly Golf, hiking, fishing. So many things to do. The best part is getting to visit with the families. This is about the only time of year that many of us see each other, which means lots to catch up on.
This year was my nephew Max's very first Hog Roast. Once he warmed up to the crowd, he let loose. They let him down to run and maaaaan did he!! Of all things, he seemed most drawn to the mud holes. Thankfully they managed to catch him before he could do a splash dive..
This is Max with his Daddy on his first Hog Roast Hay Ride. Pretty sure he liked it.

My two best girls again. Karma, 7 (left) and Karizma,9. Getting so big, sooo fast.

Today I made my first Pumpkin Pie, freshly cut from a pumpkin. I think it turned out ok, but we can't try it until tomorrow when it's cooled. I also tackled my first homemade pie crust. I'm a bit nervous about that one to. It's not exactly the prettiest, that's for sure

The hardest part was getting the pumpkin cut. But cooking it and milling it wasn't too bad at all.

I plan on rushing home tomorrow just so we can enjoy our pie!

Operation Applesauce 2009

For those who have followed my blog for the past 3 years, you know that the Fall season is always my favorite time of year. This year is no different. We have been to a few festivals already, next weekend we have our family hog roast and we even have a fall camping trip scheduled.
But today it was Operation Applesauce. We made our way to Brumaugh Fruit Farm tonight to pick up our annual bags of apples. I was a bit late this year and missed out on my beloved Paula Red Apples (except this year I knew what to expect). We opted for the Jona Gold apples. It was the only apple they had bagged up that said "good as sauce". I must say the the Jona Golds were delicious! Very juicy and sweet.
This year, Operation Applesauce was a team effort. Thanks to Jonathan adding his hands to the process, the job went twice as fast. We now look forward to fresh sauce all year around.

"Alive Again"

I have been eagerly hoping that this song currently playing, "Alive Again" by Matt Maher would make it to the music Website that I use for this blog.
This Album isn't even out yet and I have heard this track on the radio a few times already. I even posted the acoustic version on Facebook because I love it so much. I always love to hear such powerful songs on KLOVE in the morning on my way to work. They seem to give me a great pick me up before I start my day. I might be in trouble though if they decide to play Matthew West's song "The Motions" back to back with Matt Mahers song " Alive Again". If I were driving, I'm sure I would have to pull over.

Congratulations Dan and April !!!

This past weekend Jonathan and I, along with many others from our family, headed out to Columbiana, Ohio (eastern Ohio) for the wedding of my step-brother Dan and his new wife April. They finally tied the knot on Saturday after being together for several years. We are all very happy for them. I am particularly happy to have yet another great sister added to our family to help keep these rambunctious guys in line.
I feel our family has truly been blessed. God has provided each of us with a perfect spouse that only HE could find. We are all blessed to have spouses that have brought out the best in us.
Below are some pictures of our great weekend.
Above, Dan manning the grill for the rehearsal dinner.

some of the other great food for dinner. yes, that is about 20-30 pounds of potato salad!

The beautiful bride April, just before she walked down the aisle.

This is the Jr. groomsman Noah and the Jr. bridesmaid, Erin

Sorry, I couldn't take any pictures during the ceremony since Jonathan and I were actually in the wedding.

Above is my favorite picture. This is the bride and groom singing to each other during there first dance together.

The Maid of Honor, Amanda giving her speech.

Best man, Chris "toph" giving his speech.

Jonathan and I in our wedding duds. I had to get at least one shot. We haven't been this dressed up since our wedding day.

I caught Terrance and Catrina goofing off. That is new baby Zander in her arms.

This is Flower Girl Abby cutting a rug along with Dabne.

Love this one too! this is Jonathan and I with my Dad, Nick, Betsy and Max.

That's us again

This is Morgan. He is all business when it comes to his cake!

This is only one half of the cookie bar!!

Some of the girls were ready to dance!!

Camping, Richmond style

This past weekend, Jonathan and I went camping at the KOA in Richmond, Indiana. We were looking for a weekend away without the long drive.
The first place we looked was a bit out of our budget this time which lead us to Richmond. About $40 cheaper and about 1/3 the size. It was small but comfy and ended up being exactly what we needed. The only downfall was the weather which kept us from being able to swim.

The view from our camp sight. All the tent sights were around the pond which is very different from most campgrounds.

Our first time out using our tent. Jonathan did a great job. I was the lovely assistant.

We had a tent site with electric hook up. We took advantage of this with our electric griddle. We had 2 mornings of really yummy breakfasts.

The final product. MMMMM I think it was one of my best. Not sure why I don't use our griddle more often.

Jonathan's brother Steve was headed into town for a visit on Saturday. We invited him and the kids to stop by the campground for a lunch of Smokies over the fire. Pretty sure they liked that.

Daniel with his mega deformed marshmallow. This is what happens after you let it burn too long. He went to grab it off the stick and it pretty much dropped to the ground in ashes.

Jonathan and I stopping on our hike for a quick picture.

A New Door

Since Jonathan is now laid off again, he has been doing a few things around the yard and house. One if his "to do" jobs was to put in a new storm door for our front door. Since the side garage door was warping, we took the old front storm door and put it in as the side door. We then bought a new front door. When we were making our selection at Menard's this past weekend, we had to think of the cat. We opted for one that goes to the floor so Mr. Pepper the cat could see out side for the first time without having to hop on the coffee table.

As you can see, he has adjusted well. I think he has claimed this spot as his own. We now have to step over him at the door.

Max's 1st Birthday

Today we celebrated My nephew Max's 1st birthday. It was a great but HOT day to celebrate with our family along with my sister-in-laws family at her parents house.
There were hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill along with a buffet of other beautiful foods.
Max was adorable as usual but maybe a bit overwhelmed with so many people. He had a great day and made out like a bandit with his Birthday presents.
Below are some of the great pics I got today.
This is Max greeting every one as they came through the door for the party. That's Mommy behind him getting one heck of a workout today chasing him up and down the steps.

Max just kick'in it in his swing.

He loooooves his swing.

Grandma getting her hugs in.

It's time for presents!!

Hey look what I got!! My best friend Sully has one of these too!! cool!!

Hey! look what my Aunt Sommer and Uncle Jonathan got me!! It's an Elmo airplane riding toy. Complete with a spinning propeller that lights up and lots of sound effects that mom will just LOOOOVE!!

Cool! my very own cake to dive into.

Wait a minute, what's all over me?? get it off!! GET IT OFF OF MEEE!!!

Max's really cute cake

And to finish the day, my favorite, Homemade Vanilla Ice cream. Ahhh. the best.

This is just a cool picture that I had to share. While we were on I-70 heading home from the party, we passed a caravan of Indy Car racing rigs. We saw a rig for each: Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan, Hideki Matoh and Marco Andretti. And of course since they were really hauling, I asked Jonathan to go 80 MPH so I could get this shot above. (The things they do for us. Thanks Babe) I couldn't miss this shot of my Girl, Danica.