Saturday, October 16, 2010

Callie's First Box of Chocolates from Daddy!!!

Today was Sweetest's Day!!  Duane suprised me with a big box of caramels from Deitsch's.  He also gave Callie her own box of chocolates.  This is her very first ever box of chocolates and she was beaming from ear to ear!!!!  Can you tell the girls at this house prefer chocolates to flowers?!! :)
 Our boxes of chocolate from Daddy!!!  Callie asked me if she was allowed to get in her box to eat a piece of candy anytime she wants since it is her very own box of candy.  I told her one piece a day.  Gotta make this yummy stuff last!!!!! :)  Simon also gave me a dark chocolate Reese Cup for 'sweetheart's day' as he calls it!!  He went to the Dollar Store and bought it himself....I thought that was extra-special!
So what did I give my husband for Sweetest's Day this year.......well.......
I absolutely DETEST getting up in the morning.  So, as a special gift for Duane, I set my cell phone alarm to wake me up early to cook him breakfast before he went to work.  I actually made him a tray up and he had breakfast in bed!!!  Later, I also made him one of his favorite desserts, cherry delight. 

Friday, October 8, 2010

~Catching Up.....The First Day of School~

Well, to be honest this was going to be a very short blog post consisting of just one video and a couple pictures of Callie's first day of school.  Well, I got to looking at the pictures of that week and realized I never posted any of the boys.  So here goes.......their first week of school.....way back in August!!! :)

This is where Callie spends several hours a day doing her school.  I have since relocated my rack of thread and scissors!! :)
Very excited to start school for the first time!!!
We took a little break outside to take some pictures of her 'first day of school' outfit!!  I finished sewing this the day before school started for her!!
Enjoying a snack in between lessons.
Another outdoor shot.  She picked out the fabric for her skirt and shirt mommy made for her first day of school.  It was quite colorful!!!
Samuel's 1st. day of K-5 cake.
Samuel, 5 years old is in Kindergarten this year.
Simon, 9 years old, is in 4th. grade this year.  He was all concerned about the garbage truck going by at the same time his picture was being taken.  I actually think it looks kinda neat!!
Seth, 11 years old, is in 6th. grade this year.
All 3 boys heading off to school on August 20, 2010.  The guy in the background grinning is our neighbor that carpools with Duane to work each morning.
Callie with her 1st. day of K-4 cake.  Aunt Sarah decorated this cake for Callie.
Some random pictures of that weekend.  I thought this one was cute.  My son brought all of his blankets and his sisters, and tucked them ever so gently around his aunt who was cold!!!  Too cute! :)
Richard and Duane on the computer. 
Daddy and daughter asleep....awww......isn't it cute!!! :)
Callie was the winner for a Back-to-School promotion at school.  She was given a GIGANTIC purple backpack filled with all sorts of supplies!!!
~Sunday dinner~
A Kindle cover I made for my SIL, Sarah.
The inside....

Monday, October 4, 2010

My 2 Birthday Boys!!!

It's BIRTHDAY time in our home!!!!  Seth turned 12 on Saturday.  Simon turned 10 today.  We celebrated Seth's 12th. birthday with my parents and Duane's dad over bowls of steaming chili and garlic bread.  A cake dubbed 'Ft. Candy' was served along with scoops of vanilla ice cream.  The evening was topped off with a special phone call via Skype from Richard and Sarah over in the Philippines!!!!  Seth had a wonderful birthday and was very happy with his special day.  It's hard to believe that my firstborn is 12 already.  He is almost as tall as me.
 The birthday boy with his candy cake.  This was a BIG hit with the kids and oh soooo very easy to make!!!
God has special plans for Seth.  I'm sure of this.  He spared Seth's life last January when he was in a terrible sledding accident which resulted in him being lifeflighted to another hospital.  It was a very scary time for all of us.  He still has some more procedures to go through, but has healed up so wonderfully.  We are greatful for everyone's prayers that got us through that ordeal.
Seth is a very sensitive, caring and loving boy growing up into a teen.  He loves to draw, play war games, set up his huge army men/tanks/etc.... toys, and talk and talk and talk your ear off!!!
 The camera went off right before the last candle went out!!
 Walkie talkies from grandpa & grandma, a giant dark chocolate(his favorite kind) candy bar from Callie & Samuel, an army gun from Simon, A kettlebell and workout DVD from his parents.  Yep, he ASKED for weights for his birthday.  He told me he wants to start working out!!!!  I bought him a 5 lb. kettlebell to start out with and bought a slightly heavier one for myself.  I figure we can work out together!!!  We are already runnning 3 times a week at the track.  Hopefully I can keep this up and get back in shape!!!
 Simon got a gift from grandpa & grandma at Seth's party.  He got an Ultrimatrix that he had been wanting for a loooooong time.  He was SUPER excited!!!
 I love the gifts my father-in-law chooses for the kids each year.  This year it was......
 a GIANT tub of fudge swirl ice cream and a box of ice cream cones!!!  It was very YUMMY!!!
 This child LOVES to pose for the camera.  She's a natural at it.  Don't know who she takes after!!!  Definitely NOT her mommy!! :)
 After seeing his brother, Seth's cake on Saturday, Simon put in a requst for a candy cake.  He wanted Hershey bars, Reese Cups & Kit-Kats.  Another super-easy birthday cake made.
 Can someone PLEASE tell me what blogger did??  I can't rotate my pictures anymore!!!  Grrr...
 Simon had 3 friends over today for his birthday.  The deal is on their 10th. birthday they get to invite 3 friends over for a party.  Simon has eagerly been awaiting the arrival of this day!!!!! :)

 I made up a treasure hunt with 10 clues inside and outside the house.  The boys loved it!!
 The treasure was 'buried' in the sandbox.
 Dividing up the treasure.

 Don't laugh at my hastily drawn car drawn seconds before flying out the door to pick the kids up from school.  Simon came up with this game.  It was "Pin the WHEEL on the car"!!  I thought it was a cute idea, just needed someone with a little more artistic ability to pull it off!! :)
 Opening up a gift from Callie & Samuel--spiderman pajamas.
 More Garfield books to add to his collection.
 He saw this battery-powered Bubble Gun at the Balloon Festival this summer.  They were $10!!!  I said, "NO WAY!!!"  I picked this one up for .87 cents in the Summer Clearance!!!  Gotta love waiting for something to go on sale!!!  This was from Seth.
 Cards and money from his friends.
 An Xbox game he had asked months ago for.  I found it on Amazon.  It came in the mail and Daddy hands the package to Simon to give to me.  I nearly had a heart attack thinking he was going to guess what it is!!!  He was curious about it, but didn't ask too many questions, thankfully!!! :)
 The boys each made their own personal pizza up.  I overheard them talking about how 'this was the best pizza they had ever eaten'!!!  Another one says, "That's because we made it ourselves!!"



 My second-born son turned 10 today!!  He is a very easy-going boy.  Loves Garfield books, playing xbox, playing with friends outside & telling jokes!



 After the last guest had left, and the last party item, dish was washed.  This is what I did to relax.  I sewed Callie a new nightgown!!!  I thought it was fitting to sew up some cupcake flannel fabric I had on Simon's birthday!!  I have been seeing tops with square necklines.  I've never put one on anything and decided tonight was the night I was going to figure it out.  Soooo, without a pattern, I figured out how to put a square neckline on a garment!!  YIPEE!!!!  I was afraid it would turn out terrible so I decided to try on out on a nightgown.  I figured if it turned out awful, no-one would ever see it(except us here at home) and I wouldn't be wasting my good knit fabric. 
 A close-up of the neckline. 
 She insisted on a picture with her eyes closed!! Silly girl....
 Oh I wish my pictures were rotated.  Blogger did this to them and I can't for the life of me figure out how to fix them......
She wanted a loooooooooooong nightgown so she could be a princess.  This one is long all right!!!  I'm sure it will still fit her next winter!! :)  This should keep her nice and warm all winter long. 
 Another one that you'll have to turn your computer around to see.  That's why I LOVE having a laptop.  It's easily turned. 
Simon wanted to read Callie her bedtime story tonight.  I tried to get a picture, but they both dove under the covers. 
I had to beg them to let me take their picture.  Simon said it was okay as long as no-one saw the book he was reading.  Callie's bedtime story selections usually range from Dora the Explorer, to Strawberry Shortcake and other princess stories.  Definitely NOT a 10 year old boys' reading choice.  I thought it was nice of Simon to read her several books tonight and wanted to remember the moment. :)

And if you got this far, I thank you very much for allowing me to share with you my kids' b-day parties and sewing for Callie.  :)