A volleyball update.....

Well volleyball season has come to an end. The girls ended on a really good note. They won 4Th place at a tournament that they were in this past weekend. I was so proud of the girls. They played as a team, and had great attitudes! We had such a great time at this tournament. They kept in competition with some big name schools in our area! They did amazing!!

Reconnecting with childhood friends

I was so excited last week to receive a phone call from a girl that I went to school with in elementary and JH. Her and her husband were coming through on their way to Galena, and she wanted to get together! It was so nice to visit with her over coffee.


She lives 4 and 1/2 hours away. But hopefully we can stay connected through the years.

Our scarecrow pumpkins

I have been looking lately for something do with my kids that would be fun, cute and not a huge mess. So when I saw these really cute pumpkin decorating kits the other day, I thought it was the perfect solution! They turned out really cute. The kids had a blast doing it also. Dada asked if we could do it again next year. I think it was a hit!

A trip to the apple orchard

We have been blessed with a couple days off of school. The teacher's have this gay institute that they have to go to....so we get off of school. Which really works out well because it's always on Columbus weekend, so we end up with almost a week off of school. Sucks for the teachers......great for the kids!! Anyway.......Joanna, my mom, Joy and I took the kids to the apple orchard. I was particularly looking forward to going to the apple orchard b/c last winter the area was hit by a tornado. The barn and house were pretty much destroyed. Thankfully most of the trees were spared. So I was looking forward to seeing how it looked now. It was pretty cool. It is much bigger on the inside so you can actually look around at the crafts and food that they have. But we really enjoyed the day. The weather was perfect!!
It's always so fun to have the cousins together!! Especially when they have something to do. ;) It is getting so much easier now that they are getting older also.


While Joy took the girls to see the animals and the farm museum...... The boys went through the maze and played on the tractors.






After the orchard we went to this little pumpkin patch down the road. The pumpkins were so cheap there! I think I went a little nuts!! The kids had fun helping me pick out some pumpkins.
They also had some antiques inside there little barn. Joanna and I were paranoid that the kids would brake something so we made them sit on the stairs where they couldn't do to much harm.

This is my bargain for the day! This window is huge and it was only THREE dollars! I couldn't believe it! I can't wait to paint it and hang it in my living room!
I also bought this little light. When I saw it at the orchard I fell in love with it. It is so pretty lit up at night.

The kids had fun picking out some little pumpkins and gourds. I knew they would look nice sitting on the table.
I fell in love with this pumpkin also. The color is so pretty!

A trip to Wisconsin

My sister Janelle has moved to Wisconsin. She is teaching at a college there. This is her 1st year teaching and so far, she has found it very challenging. She invited her 3 nieces up to spend the night last night. My mom and I drove the girls up there and then spent the day with Janelle. Dada was so looking forward to it. She had never been in an apartment before and she kept asking me what it would be like, I told her to just wait and she would find out!
We ate lunch at Janelle's and then headed to a little greenhouse outside of town.
This greenhouse was a really cool place. You could stuff scarecrows, go on a hayride, pick pumpkins. You could go through this little story time where someone read a story and they kinda brought the story to life. It was pretty cool. You could paint pumpkins, or ride some little rides. There was just so much for the kids to do. We decided to go on a hayride, and the wagon stopped and the girls picked the perfect pumpkin for Janelle's apartment.



After our hayride we stopped and got some carmel apples. The girls wanted 1 with sprinkles and Janelle and my mom got 1 with nuts!! They were delicious. The apples were so crisp! I wish we would have gotten some to take home!

We had such a great day! The weather was beautiful. It was the perfect fall day!
I grew up never really knowing my cousins. I still don't know them. I only really know 1 of them, and with that 1 we only talk every couple of years when we are at my Grandma's. I always missed having cousins that I could play with and talk to. I am so glad that my kids have cousins that they see and play with and talk to. I am also glad the my kids see their aunts. Although I missed my 2 other sisters, my mom, Janelle and I had a great time.

My mom and her boyfriend.....sorry Dad. :)

Dada is growing up. I have been noticing it for a while now. She is still a little girl, but she carries herself differently and she is acting older. I am enjoying watching her grow. I love her so much!!


After we left the greenhouse, Janelle showed us where she works. The kids thought it was pretty cool.

She even let the kids play with her stethoscope. They took turns listening to each others heart beat. Who knows, maybe 1 of them will be a doctor or a nurse!

An afternoon of fun and an evening of revival!

We have been having revival meetings at our church. They have been FANTASTIC!!!
Tonight Brother gets to take a visitor and he is sooooo excited. His little friend came home with him after school today and is going to have dinner with us and then go to church. His friend is just as excited. They truly enjoy spending time together! I was really excited also to have his friend come with us. I hope that his parents let him come with us on a regular basis. Brother also has his cousin over.


They have spent the afternoon climbing our tree in the front yard and just generally wreaking havoc on my plants and flowers. I figure they are having fun and the plants and flowers will be dying soon anyway. So let them just have fun. And have fun they've done!!!

My new obsession!

As I sit here and write....well type....I can hardly contain my enthusiasm!!! Last week my friend Tina brought in some Gevalia cinnamon coffee to school and shared a cup with me. It was DELICIOUS!!! She told me that the only place you can get it is online. So I quickly went there to put in an order. Well I found out that Gevalia is a coffee club and you join the club and you get some free gifts when you order the coffee. So after talking it over with Hunny, I ordered some. Thank you so much Hunny for letting me order it!!!! I have hardly been able to contain myself while waiting for the coffee to be delivered. It took a week, but it FINALLY came today. As I was pulling around the block I could see the beautiful box waiting for me on my doorstep!!

I ordered 1/2 pound of cinnamon coffee and 1/2 pound of regular ground coffee.




When I placed my order I got 3 free gifts. I got a coffee pot, a stainless steel travel mug and a stainless steel carafe.


I made my first pot of coffee. It was a little strong, okay it was a lot strong :) Tina told me that I used way to much. So now I am anxious to make more with less coffee.

This is the best day EVER!!!!