There are a ton of fun things you can do for November/Thanksgiving to show what you are thankful for. I decided to do this: I just wrote on a piece of paper and stuck it to a vase. Then I cut up some colored card stock, placed a pen next to it and voila! I write things I am thankful for each day. I try to do one or two a day. I am hoping that anyone that comes over... Read More Read More ...

Maddie was a monster for Halloween. I figured I only have this year and maybe next to pick what she is without her telling me what she wants to be. So I found this blue monster costume (which matches her eyes perfectly!) and added a pink bow to one of the horns. My mom babysat Maddie on Saturday so she dressed her in her costume and took some pictures. Maddie with Grandpa Dave. Maddie is such a ham with all... Read More Read More ...

I didn’t think Maddie was going to be much into carving pumpkins, but after a visit to my mom’s house and Maddie’s fascination with her pumpkins, I thought I should cut one open and see what Maddie thought of them. Here is Maddie enjoying my mom’s pumpkins that my brother and his friend carved. (WARNING.There are lots of pictures in this post!) So I put down some towels and newspaper and cut the top off a pumpkin to see what... Read More Read More ...

A friend of mine introduced me to a wonderful line of products. Eos makes chapstick, lotion shaving cream I have a number of the lip balms. I love the little sphere shape. It is so unique. I have found these (and other Eos products) at Target, Walmart, Walgreen’s and CVS. The stores seem to sell different things depending on what store you go to. I have given these as gifts and I have them all around the house. Oh, and... Read More Read More ...

I am a little behind in the food times, but I just recently learned the joy of sweet & spicy chicken. I first learned of this from the sweet & spicy wings from Applebee’s. After having these (and making “mmm” noises the whole time I ate them), I decided to find a recipe and try some sweet & spicy chicken at home. It was fabulous! I found this recipe and gave it a try. It was really easy and I... Read More Read More ...

Time hasn’t halted. It is still flying by. Which means that my little peanut is 8 months old already! She is such a sweet little girl. We are so lucky to have such a happy, social, fun baby! She started saying “mamamama”. She was saying only this consonant for a long time. She says it when she is playing and especially when she is eating. It’s really cute. Then I heard a couple little “ba ba” noises. And one day... Read More Read More ...

One of our best friends moved to Seattle at the end of September. I put together a photo album for her and kept crying looking through pictures from the last 10 years. Kelly moved to Minnesota from Georgia and worked with Chuck at the U for many years. Then she started working at Microsoft with Chuck. It just isn’t the same for me that she isn’t here, but I am sure it’s very different for Chuck after working with her... Read More Read More ...

Last weekend, Chuck’s cousin got married. We traveled an hour and a half to celebrate with them and introduce Maddie to some family members she hasn’t met yet. The most excited of which were Chuck’s grandma and grandpaMaddie’s great-grandparents. Side noteAll four of Chuck’s grandparents are still living. I am so envious of this since my grandparents all died many years ago. And I am so happy that Maddie gets to meet her great-grandparents. What a special thing! Any how.grandma... Read More Read More ...

Oh my goodness. I love the Allstate Mayhem commercials. I just saw this one and couldn’t stop laughing, so I thought I would share.   ...

Yes, I am already arranging marriages for Maddie. She has been promised to a number of little boys. This may pose a problem when she gets older. We might have to have an auction for her hand or something.   We went to one of my best friend’s houses for dinner last week and she has a little boy who is a couple months older than Maddie. They had loads of fun together! I think they like each other! ...

We have had a couple play dates with Trisha and Chelsea lately. A few weeks ago, they came over and played. Both girls were really into eating puff cereal. Trisha took out a container of them, and both girls went over to her and looked at her like they were little puppies begging for food.   Then, the other day, we met them at the Mall of America to have lunch. We had the girls in high chairs and couldn’t... Read More Read More ...

My dad was over one day and told me that I had to go to a garage sale he drove past on the way over because he saw the cutest thing for Maddie. He wasn’t kidding. I walked over there and I was sold! I was sold before I even saw the price tag. For only 5 buckeroos, I got this adorable little tree fort for Maddie! Maddie loves it. We have since moved it to the upstairs playroom and... Read More Read More ...

I am really late in doing my 7 month post. Maddie is quickly approaching 8 months old and I haven’t even wrote about her being 7 months old! Yikes! Time is flying! She is changing every day! She is climbing up everything.the couch, chairs, toys, laundry baskets, my legsshe is so busy! She has really learned that when she sees something she can go after it. She really likes to crawl to Chuck’s tools that are out from working on... Read More Read More ...

All other ways of cookingwell, they just don’t rule! I have rediscovered the joy of the crock pot. I am not sure why I didn’t use this every night when I was working. It’s the most wonderful thing. It is so nice to put something in the crock pot while Maddie napsand I have a second when I’m not chasing her around the house.and then have the house smell great all day! First, I made some spaghetti sauce in the... Read More Read More ...

My brother took more pictures of Maddie after she turned 6 months old. He recently gave me all the finished and edited pictures. They turned out great! Here is a small sample of the fabulous pictures he took! HERE is a link to the rest of the pictures he took. And if you need a photographer, he comes highly recommended! You can find more of his work at his website, NorlingImages.com. ...

This is how Maddie likes to sleep. She also usually burrows her head into one of the corners of the crib.   She looks so snuggly! ...

Last weekend we went to my brother’s house to celebrate my mom’s birthday. We snapped this picture of my mom, step-dad, brothers, future sister-in-law and Chuck, Maddie and me. It turned out so nice, I wanted to share it! And, this picture turned out great, but wait until you see the ones my brother gave me that he took of Maddie when she was 6 months old! They turned out great! ...

My dad came over last week so we could make some salsa using some things from my garden. We used a ton of my tomatoes in the salsa as well as garlic, green peppers, other peppers and cilantro. Here are the things I picked the morning we made salsa. And here is a picture of the salsa we made. My dad even taught me how to can the salsa using my grandma’s recipe! Canning seems like such a lost art.... Read More Read More ...

Here are a couple pictures of Maddie I captured in the last couple days on my phone. She is growing up so fast! I’m excited for her to walk, talk and be more self sufficient, but I am definitely enjoying every moment I have with my baby while she is still a baby! ...

The last weekend of the State Fair, we decided to go eat some food and see how Maddie liked the great Minnesota get together. We went on a pretty cool day, hence why she looks like it’s winter time! We ate lots of food and even got to spend the fair with my dad. It was fun to go with him. I hadn’t been to the fair with him in years! It was like being a kid again. Here are... Read More Read More ...