Saturday, February 20, 2010

A Day of Goodness (and GOODIES!)

Look what I got for my birthday!
An iTunes gift card (a definite winner in my book!). I never thought I would download as many songs as I do - but, I DO!!! I love being able to just buy the songs I like rather than a whole album that I may only like one or two songs on.
A little gift box. And oh - what does it say on it? PANDORA! (In the background are the flowers that the wonderful girls I work with got for me)
In the little gift box was not one, but two - count 'em - two charms for my bracelet. One is a football and the other is an adorable little turtle that I ogled last weekend.
Here are the charms on my bracelet. I have to say I now have a serious addiction to Pandora charms. They are so sweet.
And here is the most precious gift. Today in the mail I received a package from my Aunt Deb. Inside the package were the Cat's Meow I had gotten for my grandparents over the years. I knew that they were coming because my Dad asked me last week if I had gotten a package from Deb.
Also inside was a letter from her explaining about the Cat's Meow and small bag that was also inside.
Aunt Deb wrote that she and Aunt Lin had taken Gran's grandmother's ring and had necklaces made for the grandchildren. It is a heart necklace with my birthstone from the ring along with Gran's birthstone.
I cried. It is such a thoughtful token. I am so happy to wear it. It is beautiful. Just like Gran.

Friday, February 19, 2010

thirty-eight today

And that doesn't seem so bad when you consider it could stated as....

...1982 weeks
...13,880 days
...333,120 hours
...19,987,200 minutes
...1,199,232,000 seconds

And in this short period of time on God's green earth I have experienced what it is like to...

...be lucky enough to have known my great-great grandmother and great-grandmother
...have the two best parents in the world
...be the oldest of three girls
...have a close relationship with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins
...be married to my best friend for over 17 years and love him more each day
...be a mother to a teenager who gives me joy and grief daily
...be a mother to a new millenium baby who lives life to the fullest at age 9
...have a family who truly loves and supports me no matter what
...almost lose it all and then hold it even closer

So I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped to create who I am today. It has been wonderful so far!
...

Just a couple pics

I took this picture the other night of ACE. He had curled up next to his father on the sofa and fell asleep.

I couldn't help it. He is so angelic - when he's sleeping.

On our way to Harrisburg for the Sportman's Show, between our house and Bowmansville we got behind this front end loader that was probably going to help dig someone out of the snow.

The following are pictures Jerry took when the four of us were at the Sportsman's Show in Harrisburg on February 12.

These are some of the taxidermy exhibits that were in Harrisburg. I find them fascinating. Not that I would want one in my house mind you, but they are beautiful.

And lastly, here is Aidan about to be devoured by a ferocious lion. And look, he's not even afraid. What a surprise.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

ACE Display My Art

Aidan is once again doing the Display My Art fundraiser for school. Today he brought home his magnet to show us what he drew for his project.

It's a bison and/or buffalo and it took my breath away.
He is a really good little artist. I always love the artwork he does for this fundraiser.
I took three pictures of the order form with the prices. Hope you can see them because I really don't feel like typing them all out.
I am so proud of this and will have a tough time picking what treasures I want.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My Valentine & Birthday present

As you may well know, this past weekend was Valentine's Day. I had hinted around about wanting a Pandora bracelet, but I did some Internet research and decided that I didn't want one that bad.
Imagine my surprise when my husband presented me with this bag from Gehman Jewelers.
I was in fact kind of mad. I started to cry, telling him "I don't deserve this" and I may have threatened to give him a tap someplace he didn't want tapped. I had told him that I didn't want him to spend the money on something impractical like this and I didn't "need" it.
Inside the bag was a small box wrapped in this beautiful wrapping paper and awesome bow. (He would like to take credit for the wrap job I'm sure!).
I opened the box...
And inside was this beautiful Pandora bracelet.
With three charms that Jerry picked out himself.
A silver heart with a pink stone. A silver charm with purple stones. And a silver tribal art charm.
I absolutely love it. It is the perfect gift for me. And for Jerry too.
Whenever he is at a loss for something to get me - a Pandora charm will do very nicely!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

It's 87 degrees??

Jerry comes in telling me he needed me to take his picture. He was going to put shorts on.
Remember we have over 20 inches of snow on the ground.
He thought he was so funny sitting on the front porch without a coat and the thermometer reads 87.3 degrees.
Austin was shoveling the sidewalk while this was going on. Poor kid.

Why it's SNOW!!

It snowed here in Brecknock. And I mean SNOWED!
It is kind of scary when they stop referring to the amount of snowfall in inches and they start referring to it as "crippling".
My poor little car & Jerry's van buried.

We probably got about 20 inches of snow from Friday night to Saturday afternoon with more predicted for the middle of the week.

I did my "thing" when it snows - cooked, baked, cleaned. The boys were out shoveling/playing and then inside playing Playstation or PSP.
Austin shoveling the front sidewalk. He did a great job!
Austin and Aidan playing in the side yard.

The dogs didn't know what to think. There are no pictures of Ruger because he doesn't waste any time doing his business. Cabela, however, trots to the beat of her own drummer, leisurely going around sniffing everything and not caring that it is freezing out.

See our little brown tank barreling through the snow?


I must admit that I think the snow is beautiful. Like many other things in my life, I love the thought of "it" (the "it" being snow at the moment) but I don't like the reality of "it". I think I don't like it here because everything stops when it snows. You don't go anywhere, you can't do anything. I mean it. Everything closes or never opens and no one goes anywhere.
They have the fire company run all EMS calls because of the extended ETA of the ambulance. So, Jerry was out a few times with that.
Thank goodness for our wonderful neighbor who faithfully comes down and plows us out. I can't imagine all the backbreaking labor Jerry and the boys would have to do if John didn't come and plow us out! I do not shovel. I have a tough enough time keeping warm INSIDE!
Today the sun is out and a new day is here. Maybe I will get some pictures of the boys out in the snow if they choose to brave it. Other than that, I will be inside doing my thing - cooking, baking and cleaning - OH MY!

Friday, February 5, 2010

A Few Thoughts on Today 02/04/2010

A Few Thoughts on Today
FOR TODAY... from Tracy's Daybook


Outside my window... A somewhat grey day. Snow is definitely on its way.


I am thinking... What a great weekend it's going to be - snowed in with my boys!


I am thankful for... Everything. God is good to me.


I am wearing... My pajamas & bathrobe


I am remembering... that I need to send a couple birthday cards.


I am going... to get showered and ready for work.


I am currently reading... Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult


I am hoping... that we can still gt to Angelo's tomorrow to get ACE's LAX equipment.


On my mind... maybe we'll get an earl dismissal today???


Noticing that... the house is pretty well cleaned up - wow!


Pondering these words... once you say it, you can't take it back.


From the kitchen... for once - not a thing.


Around the house... everything is pretty swell in Bullfrog Hollow.


One of my favorite things... this morning cup of coffee.


From my picture journal....

My eldest son reading at the kitchen table last night & not wanting Mom to take his picture!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Jerry's Valentine/Birthday present

For those of you who know what the past year has been like for our family, you know Jerry has been through a lot.

Between taking care of me through three surgeries & being the only parent who could actually do stuff for our sons to dealing with the illness and death of his mother he has been a rock.

Jerry rarely buys anything for himself. He often goes without to make sure that the boys are not.

So we have been trying to save money for a new television. We haven't bought a new t.v. in a long time and he has had his eye on a flat screen for a couple years.

Well his dream finally came true yesterday. Not that we were planning on buying a new tv, we were "just looking". But he would have been crazy to pass up this deal at Wal-Mart. So even though it makes me sick to spend money like this, he got a new Sony television for in the living room.


He deserves it. Now I just need to find a cabinet to go underneath it to hold all of the game system/receivers and such.