THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOR..

No, he is not finished with his doctorate yet...but he has earned at least 1/2 of it. Cory was able to earn the Educational Specialist Degree...which means he just had some additional training...most of the classes in this degree are part of the doctoral classes he had to take anyhow..so he decided to take the extra 2 classes and have something to show for it! Smart move!

Now...back to work! I am so thankful for this guy!

STINKY FRENCHMEN....

Definitely stinky.

INCOGNITO....

I don't know...I still think they look related.

JANUARY...ALMOST GONE?...

I cannot believe January is almost over! I haven't had enough time to organize all of my holiday decor to put away...and still have a tree in the kitchen...it IS undecorated though! My goal is to have it all put away by the end of January!

It was so nice to have a break with Cory! It was sad to think to ourselves that we had sort of forgot what is was like to just be all together as a family and really just spend time playing together. Cory is really diligent to be a good husband and father despite all of the work he is doing...it was just so heavenly to be together like that...and it makes me really miss him! Say a prayer for us...it is not that it is hard...it is just the constant busy-ness that can burn you out! He will be going strong from now until the end of July. I am excited about that! I will hopefully get the chance to fly down (that part I am not excited about...that part is scary!) and spend the last day with him, and drive back with him! It will be a celebration of the end of his classes and the start of his dissertation! I am so proud of this man!

I am a grandma...to an egg! Isaac Jr. was brought home yesterday in a very cozy boyscout popcorn bucket...Isaac was very excited about this project and went to work right away hand sewing a little blanket and pillow...complete with the stuffing! He is doing this project for school.

The girls are coming right along with their piano...I feel so envious (in a good way) of Esther when I hear her play. She is also doing really well on the trombone.

I made some really nice picture books for three of the kiddos for Christmas from Shutterfly. They were really nice quality. I got them because when I ordered the kids school pics they came with a $20 credit to be used at Shutterfly. Well, just the other day...I recieved an email from Shutterfly saying that they were happy to do business with me over the holidays and sent me ANOTHER $20 credit! So I am publicly thanking Shutterfly for being such a wonderful and reputable company! I made Eli a picture book, and cannot wait to see it in print !

Hoping everyone is staying warm! I think it may be time for another cup of tea!

HAPPY NEW YEAR...A FEW HOURS EARLY!

Happy New Year friends and family! I hope that this New Year brings you much love, warmth, and closer to Him! I look back on this past year and am thankful for all of the many blessings that our family has been granted! I pray that God will bless our family and use us in a mighty way this 2012!

Most of all...I am thankful for my husband and all of his hard work! He sacrifices so much for us, and it is my personal prayer that God blesses whatever he puts his hand to. The Lord has been gracious to us! Looking forward to His plan for 2012!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011....

Merry Christmas 2011 to you! It is my hope to put together a little movie of our family christmas...So for now...my Christmas pictures will have to wait until the New Year!

CHRISTMAS CRAFTING....

This was a fun thing for the kids to do...They were so excited to go to Grandma and Poppys house for a Christmas Party just for them...and this is what they came back with. They girls did the cottage above...and the boys the one below.

Mom had the very cool idea of the kids making luminaries out of pop bottles! She put salt in the bottom of them because salt wont burn...and that held them down quite well...and the sides didnt burn like other luminaries tend to...they were really quite pretty! They decorated them with a wintery looking glaze...

HOMEMADE GIFTS...

This was a gift I made for my Mother in law...It is supposed to be a table runner of some sort :-) I am really not a seamstress, but I am happy with how this turned out too..I love the vintage looking flowers. It has a lot of the colors of her dining room, so I think it will go nicely. I had one other gift that I did not manage to get done in time...perhaps I can still get it done if I work hard!

HOMEMADE GIFTS...

These were really fun to do...Freezer paper stencil silouettes. These ones are of my niece Ella. The one on the left is when she was a good deal younger...but the one with pig tails looks so much like her...I keep thinking of that little blonde haired girl on the golden books...she looks just like that profile to me :-) I was pleased with how they came out.

THANKSGIVING 2011...

Okay...as usual I am behind in posting my shots...but I am more concerned about just making sure that the kids can see that I have documented them...even if it is after Christmas...and New Years Eve!

This was kind of different...it is not often I get my photo taken with the kiddos..and I seemed to have quite a bit taken on this day. I hope that someday when they look back and see the small amount of me and them, that they will be able to understand that it is me behind every picture...usually :-)

THANKSGIVING 2011 CONT'D

We were invited to have Thanksgiving with Cliff, Chris, and Ella this year. I always put my shots in out of order...but the kids and some of the adults who are still kids .... had a football game after all of the festivities!

Huddle...Huddle...

GOOD EATS!....

Cliff planned the menu for Thanksgiving...he scoured magazines and he came up with some really delicious treats! Above were orange-gingered sugar snap peas...these were my personal favorite! I never seem to use ginger all that much...but it really has a clean fresh flavor..I have been using it more since :-)

This was a tasty pepper corn casserole...Two thumbs up!

I made the asparagus and tomatoes...I overcooked it...and it looked like strings...:-(

DELICIOUS TREATS ...

One of my personal favorite holiday treats is the pumpkin roll. Normally I am not big on sweet breads other than banana or zuccini bread....but this is amazing with its cream cheese filling...paired with a cup of coffee with extra cream and I am in la la land!

Moms rolls... and a dip that cliff made...I think it goes with the kielbassa...there was so much food, I really didn't get to try that dip.