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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas 2013


  Stocking hung and filled!

  We got Justin an electric hand mixer so he can attempt to make omelets like they do at the Waffle House!

Woohoo!!!!!  No more lost books in the mail!  No more having to order books and wait on delivery - period! 

My goofy husband!  Glad he was off and got to spend Christmas with the family!!

Me and mama!

 Justin's cake!

Christmas 2013

 Mila loves playing in the snow - plus, we're checking out Sky's new camera!  It's great!
 Tada. . .
 Justin making Nana's 12 layer cake (it turned out looking like a stack of 7 pancackes with chocolate frosting - but this was his first time so I'd say it wasn't too bad.)
 Who wants to have a snowball fight!?
 Our Christmas treee - the upper string (of our PRE-lit tree) blew. 
 Haha!  Guess what Sky got?
 Ohhhh - I know what's inside that package!!!  I got one, too!  Tyler's Kindle Fire HDX!  Woot!
 Hmm - what could it be??
 His very first bow!
 Recording studio!
 He's been waiting patiently to rip the paper off this box!
 That's right.  Justin got a new laptop.  With any luck it'll get him through his first and second year of college - after that, he's on his own!
 Voila!
 Joshua's Perplexus - is perplexing!
 Loving his Spooner Board!
 Ho Ho Ho!!!  $$$
 Whew!  It's too early in the morning for this much excitement!
 Tyler already setting up his Kindle.
 Practice makes perfect!
Dinner time!  Of course, I'm always - behind - the camera. 
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Love Letter

I found this note in Joshua's coat pocket this am. I'm supposing this came from Katrina. To clarify, it says:

You r cute. I did not want to say this but since 4k I had a huge crush on you!  That is why I act weird around you. If we ever get married you have to buy me an iPhone 5 in blue for Christmas and you have to give it to me at school. And if we have kids follow these rules:
1.  No spanks but time outs
2.  Buy them electronics when they are 8
3. Go on a lot of trips
4. Have fun
5. No mean
6. Buy one thing for them if we go somewhere

How cute is this!??!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving Day At The Zoo, 2013



Tyler in front of a friendly deer. If it only knew!  (He wears an orange hat for a reason!)

Joshua at the northern woods trail. 


I'm thankful the zoo is open 365 days a year!  Here are a few pics I took. It was cold but worth it!  It kind of felt like they opened the doors just for us. There were about ten other families there, I think. We got to spend a long time with Hodari and Zuri (the giraffes) and the volunteer who was so knowledgable!  We made two visits to the reptile house and the maquaque's. We were able to enjoy a snack and drink in the cafe, too. The otter was so friendly and the moose was in a very playful mood!


Justin and Joshua warming up!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

We celebrated thanksgiving a day early to accommodate work schedules. Another great family dinner even though Sky had to go to bed at 5 pm and miss out. He works a minus on days tomorrow and has to wake up at midnight. Hopefully, we weren't too loud and he got some sleep. Robbie made it around 8:15. Here are some pics...

The Menu...


My yummy, yummy turkey!  I shove chunks of butter under the skin. I use browning sauce and a butter mix to baste it. 
 

The Spread...
My dressing turned out amazing!  Cornbread, biscuits, stuffing mix, eggs, chicken broth, a stick of butter, sage, pepper, salt, onions, celery, and garlic - how the heck could it be anything other than yummy!?


Hungry family!  They are ready to fill their plates!


My turn in the pic. Tyler!  You naughty boy!  


All in all, we had a great thanksgiving with MiMaw and Gordie and Robbie, me and the boys!  

I hope all of you enjoy your thanksgiving, too!!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Nick Hornby's Polysyllabic Spree

So on Facebook I like a page called Literature Is My Utopia.  They share so many quotes, many I share.  I love quotes because I learn about people I've never heard of before.  And, yes, when I come across a quote that 'speaks to me' I do look up the author to learn more about the person that spoke so directly to me.  So, I came across this one by Nick Hornby from his work titled The Polysyllabic Spree:

"All the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal. . . But with each passing year, and with each whimsical purchase, our libraries become more and more able to articulate who we are, whether we read the books or not."

I looked up The Polysyllabic Spree and the just of it is keeping a log of what books one purchases in a month, month to month, whether they get read or not.  But, there's more to it and I can only assume such things as what drew him to purchase the books and even some passages.  I think that is a wonderful concept and I think I'd like to start something similar for my own enjoyment.

At any rate, based on the quote above, I've mentally scanned my library and  have decided that I am an open-minded, adventure-seeking, romantic, with a deep love for humanity!  I'm totally awesome!  :)



Monday, November 18, 2013

On The Way To Dance...

...Joshua said, "Two things - one, when I have kids I want to name them Layla (the most beautiful name in the world), Alex, and Elizabeth."  And, "I want to marry a Russion because they don't spank their kids. They just have time-outs."

LOL!  This kid cracks me up!  Ok, but to clarify, he and Russian friend Katrina have been in class together since 4k.  I think he likes her.

Funny kid! 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Mila and Pebbles

Girls Night Out!

Photo

I love GNO!!  Who doesn't?  Here is me, another Stacy, Tammy, Lisa, Sara, and Carrie - it was Carrie's and Lisa's birthday.  This is Sheboygan at Harry's Prohibition Bistro - LOVE their pizza!!! 



This was at a restaurant in Bellevue, I think (DePere), called Bleu.  There's Sara, Amy, Tammy, Rebecca, me, and Jennifer.  LOVE the atmosphere!  Doors for ceiling tiles, medieval style lighting, with a mix of sleek modern - very cool!  This was fun because of all the fun things we did after dinner - LOL!  (I'm not telling!)

Unfortunately, I don't have a pic from Plae Bistro.  They've got THE BEST penne pasta and huge scallops!  I'm sure we'll be back and I'll make sure to take a pic to post. 

Friends are the best! :)

Sunday, November 03, 2013

Celebrating my 38th Birthday

Mama, Gordie, and Robbie took me out to Olive Garden for my birthday. We had a really nice time (great food, might I recommend the Smoke Mozzarella Chicken?  Mmmmm!). They gave me some nice presents, too!
Me and Robbie
Mama and Gordie

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Halloween 2013

Tyler at the end of the driveway waiting to pass out treats. In the end, no visitors. Our neighborhood is not overrun with kids plus with everyone having really long driveways and lots of trees and land we never get many anyway. But this night was crappy - it absolutely poured!
My evil court jester. The rain wasn't stopping him!  I stayed warm and dry in the vehicle. 
Tyler dressed up to volunteer for the zoo boo. 
Justin's zoo boo costume. 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Diabetes Update

Well, it has been about a month and a half since I was diagnosed with Diabetes.  I think it is funny, and sad, that I put off having my A1c drawn, because I already knew the result, fearing that my life would be devastating as a result.  The sad part is that it has been quite easy, nowhere near as dramatic as I thought it would be, to make a change in my lifestyle.  If only I faced up to it sooner, I'd already be where I am just now headed.  Well, I can't say 'lifestyle' as the only two things I've changed are my eating habits and exercise habits.  I feel like I can eat what ever I want but I have made better choices in the preparation of foods and I have discovered some diabetic friendly foods that anyone would like.  Most notably I've discovered ground turkey and ground chicken.  For meals such as chili and taco soup, or nachos, even - those meats are just fillers.  They get seasoned to the point that it's hard to tell that the meat is different.  So, substituting those meats in place of burger in some recipes is a much healthier choice.  I downloaded a cookbook app called iCookbook Diabetic.  I have tried about 5 recipes and so far, I've enjoyed them all.  Last night I made kale with lemon and garlic.  I've never had kale and while at the grocery store I was talking to some man about it who had just put some in a veggie bag.  I asked him if it tastes good and he said, "No.  But it's supposed to be good for you so I eat it anyway."  I admit, I was a little worried.  So, I cut the recipe back knowing we'd all taste it, hate it, but could at least say we tried it.  However, Justin and I enjoyed it and Tyler liked it - whoa!  What?  Yes.  Tyler, my pickiest eater, liked it!  Granted, he didn't eat much but he didn't complain about it and stated he liked it.  So, I'm sure I'll make it again.  It's an incredibly low-cal veggie side.  Low-cal?  Aren't diabetics supposed to watch their carbs, not calories?  Well, that's the only frustrating part of this change in lifestyle, but I think I am handling it okay.  The way I see it if you watch your calorie intake and kind of just glance at your carbs enough to be able to spot if something is ridiculously high in carbs or not, will aid in loosing weight.  Let's face it, the majority of young folks diagnosed with Diabetes are tremendously overweight.  Loose the weight, put your Diabetes in remission.  And, frankly, I can't handle watching calories AND carbs.  That's just too much to handle for me.  I need to take it one step at a time and right now, I'm on a loosing streak - and I want to keep it that way!  I've lost 18.2 pounds in 48 days.  Not too fast but not so slow I feel like this mountain is too big to tackle, either.  I have definitely cut back on my portion sizes.  I feel hungry a lot but because of my loosing streak I'm in that frame of mind that - being hungry is okay.  I know my stomach is shrinking and it's all part of the process of becoming smaller.  I don't allow myself to be so hungry I wind up with a headache and am screaming at everyone because I'm so miserable.  So, what about exercise?  I have done the YMCA in the past, I've tried a walking schedule, tried my own workout schedule at home including the treadmill and Wii fit.  I have been unable to keep up with it all.  I could go on and on about the reasons why I fail at those well-thought out yet rarely practiced exercise plans and routines but, that's a negative train of thought.  Currently, I am taking Jazzercise classes - again.  I Jazzercised back when Justin was an only child.  I loved it!  I can't remember why I quit - it could've been money, finding out I was pregnant again, or just, being tired as a mom of a young child.  So, here I am again, and loving it again!  I have been going Monday's and Fridays but I've recently added a third day.  It's socialization, it's FUN, and I feel good when I leave.  I don't dread going, even though, for me, it's quite a hike to the locations.  I do have some issues I have to contend with such as my toes going numb, or being unable to move my body in certain positions on the floor exercises.  But, I'm hoping with time and increased weight loss I'll be able to hop, skip, or jump instead of march, and still be able to feel my toes and move properly.  I am definitely in a judge-free zone!  There are skinny-minnies in the classes I attend, as well as slightly overweight women, and older women.  I am the heaviest person in the classes I've attended but, like I said, it's judge-free and I feel very accepted.  We don't discuss my weight or my progress, or even the fact I was recently diagnosed with Diabetes.  Everyone is there for their own reasons and what we do discuss is how great of a workout we just had and, prior to class, anything new going on in our lives, or Katy Perry - LOL!.  I couldn't be happier - unless, of course, it was closer. 

Finally, I do have to check my blood sugar and prick my finger a lot.  Since the week of my diagnosis all of my blood sugars have been within the normal range.  The doctor told me to check my blood sugar twice a day, morning and night.  My nutritionist suggested I start off by checking it before and after breakfast one day, then lunch the next day, and dinner on the third day.  Well, I suck at having to look at the clock when I eat so I don't have too many post-prandial blood sugars in my log book.  But, I do have some, enough to know that I have been managing to stay normal.  As a result of normal blood sugars and 'the Metformin moment' I have taken myself off that particular medication.  I can't wait to have my A1c drawn again in December and see the new percentage.  A1c is a measure of blood sugar levels in your body over a period of 2 1/2 to 3 months, that's as long as a single blood cell can live.  If you take your blood sugar numerous times in a 24 hour period - averaged out, over a period of 2 1/2 to 3 months-  averaged out, you'd have your A1c.  Mine was 8.1% when it was drawn and according to two different sources the high-end of acceptable is either 6.0% or 7.0% - I, of course, will abide by the lower percentage feeling it is more healthy.  Thankfully, I don't balk over finger-pricking.  I don't find it to be so traumatic.  Fortunately, too, machines nowadays don't require a lot of blood. 

So, this is where I'm at with my Diabetes.  I don't suspect I'll make another update until after my next A1c.  As you will note, I haven't spoken of my 'diet' as I don't do that.  I've made a change in my life that will be permanent.  I will add that the use of the My Fitness Pal app has been a gigantic stepping stone in the maintenance, and ease, of making a change in my eating habits.  I will endorse this app any opportunity I have.  You don't need a smartphone, either, to use it - you can log in on your computer, the phone just makes it super convenient. 

Joshua asked me a few weeks ago, "When are we going to eat normal food again?"  Ha!  I told him, "This is the new normal."  Just remember - if we all followed a diabetic diet, we'd all be healthy!  So, diabetic or not, I encourage you to consider that.  :)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

I Can Procrastinate No Longer

Well, I haven't posted in a while so I suppose it's time.  First big news - I have diabetes.  Although, it's no surprise.  I kind of knew this a long, long time ago but like many, I put it off because once it's on paper it becomes all too real.  And, real means immediate changes - ones I never wanted to make.  But, truth be told - it hasn't been all that bad.  I'm going on two weeks of medication and a diet change.  First, I'm taking Metformin twice a day.  I don't take it on exercise class days because I do suffer from that inevitable and annoying 'Metformin Moment.'  In other words, I get diarrhea.  I first discovered this phenomenon while shopping at Sam's.  Let's just say, I put an extra step in my pace to hurry up and get the heck out of there before I could no longer show my face there again.  It's a dastardly thing - that I sincerely hope will subside with time.  Second, I have pretty drastically changed my diet. But, it hasn't been as harrowing of an experience I  thought it would be.  I'm rarely starving though, I do get hungry - and that's kind of the point.  I need my stomach to shrink and if I keep if full well, then that won't happen.  But, I have been satisfied at each meal and that is huge.  I have discovered My Fitness Pal and this app is really keeping me going.  I love the fact that the database is large and just about anything I eat can be found.  Those I can't find well, I can 'quick add' calories alone.  I've also discovered the app iCookbook - Diabetic.  So far, I'm pretty satisfied with the meals I've come across and the couple that I've made so far.  Once I get used to this change in how I eat I won't always have to rely on reading recipes.  But, hopefully, you'll notice that I haven't referred to being on a diet.  Mainly because once I've gotten my body under control I don't intend to go back to my old eating habits.  This is a change in my diet that will be permanent.  But, like I said, I'm not disappointed.  Also, I've started Jazzercising.  I did this many years ago when Justin was a wee thing.  I do pretty well.  I hate that my toes go numb - but, I do believe that is related to the diabetes.  Fortunately, they recover feeling before I walk out of the building.  Maybe that will go away eventually.  So far, I've lost 7 lbs.  I'm really excited about it and seeing the pounds fall right off is keeping me going.  I do also have the support of my friends and family, which definitely  helps!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Myrtle Beach Photos, 2013



Hover cursor on picture.  click on mountain icon to view entire album - you can view all at one time or you can click a photo and move forward one photo at a time.  Enjoy!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Surprise Visit!

      Had such a wonderful time when my dad and step-mom came up for a surprise visit!  We had lunch at The Bar, drove by Lambeau for a photo op, checked out the Railroad Museum, ate lunch on the City Deck, explored The Neville Public Museum, enjoyed a grown-ups only dinner at Plae Bistro, and tried our luck on slot machines at the casino. Then, we enjoyed some time at home playing Monopoly and cooking up a wonderful meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, biscuits, fresh creamed and boiled corn, and fresh tomatoes, with some sweet southern tea, followed by some really yummy chocolate chip banana muffins!

     Sad to see them go but so glad for the opportunity!  It was a really fun week and we were fortunate for cooperating Wisconsin weather!