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Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

"Power Surge"

Bethany is making a video series titled "Power Surge".  It's an internet/youtube series based on the modern day Greek gods and goddesses, and she's filming the entire thing herself.  She has props, voices, and she's using her Littlest Pet Shop cats as the characters.  (You can see quite a few other series using LPS characters on youtube - they're kinda impressive!).  So I don't have a preview yet (she's hoping to release a trailer within a week, and has Episode 1 ready to go), but Bethany said I could blog about a little bit...  I wrote the original soundtrack theme song, Power Surge, so you can take a listen if you like!  It's not completely finished (the MIDI keyboard I ordered was a bust so I have to order again), but she likes it and says it's good enough for the trailer, so...

Power Surge theme song

Long time, no see...

WOW!  There is so much to catch up on, I think it might be easier to work backwards from today!

For starters, Hans now has braces.  It's been a tough week for him, since they put rubber band spacers between his teeth for a week, and then yesterday the braces went on.  And of course they had to redo one bracket that didn't attach, and he has these "turbo's" behind his 2 front teeth to help him adjust his overbite.  But he still looks cute!  (With new glasses, too).    

Then this past weekend, we went river tubing on the Reading River.  It was a beautiful day, but not overly hot - which meant the water was a little 'cool'!  And I (of course) forgot to grab my waterproof camera from Boo (she's using it to make her movies), so we only have the pictures as we got in the water, but it was really relaxing.  There were just enough spots where the river had baby rapids, to make the experience just a bit exciting...

 

The week prior to that (18-22), Cody flew out to Mesa, AZ, on Sunday, and then spent the next four days flying an aircraft back across the country.  Imagine driving across country, but you only get to stop  twice a day (lunch for gas, and then overnight to sleep), with no pit stops and your thousands of feet above the ground.  It was very exhausting!

Finally, Saturday night before Cody left, we went to Longwood Gardens for the Fountains & Fireworks show with music from Elton John.  It was the event we were supposed to have done for Cody's birthday, but there had been a fireworks malfunction at the time, so this was rescheduled.  It was nice, but Hans wasn't feeling that great, and we waited WAY too long after dark for the show to start.  It was lovely, but one of those events that if you've seen it once, you're good.  Here's some of that afternoon...
 



Monday, May 27, 2013

Happy Memorial Day!

What a beautiful morning!  Hans took Cody and I down to the Norwood Memorial, and we had an al fresco Dunkin Donuts breakfast on the lawn while waiting for the parade to come by.  Now we're just hanging out around the house (I'm going to head out to finish lawn work and some gardening), and I'll grill some marinated chicken and pork chops this afternoon.  Josh is heading out to a BBQ with his friend Shannon, and I'm just grateful to have my family safely here and able to enjoy this day.  Please pray for all our veterans, the active and deployed military, and especially their families (particularly those who live in Oklahoma).  And remember them more often than holidays.  I'm probably 'preaching to the choir' on this one, but I just wanted to say it out loud.  As a nation, we don't give enough due to our soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors.  But tomorrow is another day, and we can start each morning hoping for our best in everything.

Happy Memorial Day - we love you all...


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Mother's Day

Hi all...

I know I'm slacking lately; just when I should be writing daily because there's so much going on, there's so much going on I can't seem to keep up!  So I'll backtrack a little, and get everyone up to date.

Last Sunday was really lovely; actually, my Mom's day started Friday night, since Cody and I went dancing and then out for drinks with some friends from dance class.  We haven't been 'out' with another couple in a while - or at all - so it was spontaneous and fun!  Saturday Bethany's LAX game was cancelled, so we got to relax a little, but I had a wedding to sing for, so I went to work.  Then some shopping on the way home, dinner together, and then Hans took me to a Ladies & Lads dance at school.  And he actually danced with me!

Sunday, after church, we headed out to Longwood Gardens.  We stopped at a huge nursery on the way there (one I'd always wanted to visit), and found the Lantana that we've been looking for ever since leaving NC.  It was one of the plants we'd had out front and Hans has been asking for them.  So after a few plant purchases, we stopped at Mile High where Cody had made lunch reservations; it was wonderful!  Finally, onto Longwood Gardens; it was CHILLY.  Especially for May!  But we had a lovely time; everyone took lots of pictures, and we just enjoyed being outside, together.  It seemed like a while since we'd just hung out together...  That evening we heated up leftovers, watched Once, and ended a really great Mother's Day.  Oh - and I got some Coconut Coffee, the Les Miserables dvd (which is great, but still not as good as seeing it live), and a really awesome 'garden' hat.  You'll see in the picture.

I hope all my friends who are mother's, plan to be mother's, and/or have mother's (which is everybody), had a great day.  Remember, hug a mom - every day you can!

Love to all...

 
  

  


  

  

  

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Sushi!

So our policy with grades has always been this:

Good grades are your job - we don't pay for grades.  We DO, however, reward for good grades!  We have dates.  A/B honor roll with one (high) C lets you pick one:  lunch, a toy, or a movie.  A/B Honor roll gets you two choices, and all A's?  All three things!

Now that Josh is in college, he only gets grades at the end of each semester, so I tried to make the reward a good one for his first semester in college.  So (with the help of Groupon), he and I went to Madame Saito's Sushi making course!  It was really nice; he and I improved our skills, learned new terms and techniques, and shared some Plum wine.  Well, I shared some with him, not the other way around!  It was a great date, and something he can use when he visits Obachan again.

My first roll - Hosomaki (cucumber and wasabi).
  
  

  



   
Madame Saito teaches Josh how to fillet the salmon.

  

Love to all...  XOXOXO

Breakfast for mom...

This weekend Hans and Bethany had a "be good to Mommy" morning and made breakfast for me!  Everyone enjoyed it, but they made it especially for me;  Hans was in charge of the table and decorations (and supposedly had the idea), and Bethany had a recipe she wanted to try, so she made the food.  It was a Blueberry Shortcake recipe, which she made Vegan, and it was AWESOME!  Plus Hans made origami swans, with blue water for them to float on, and a couple of lotus flowers.  It was really lovely, and incredibly thoughtful!  The swans didn't make it - not enough crayon on them - but we fixed up a lotus flower really good, and it will float for a while.  Thank you, kiddos!

This was SO delicious - a restaurant quality breakfast treat.  We all loved it!


Man that boy is good at origami...

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Skiing Shawnee

We had a great day today - a nice family day we've needed to 'reconnect'. We took our time with the trip itself... Slept in a little, packed up the car, then had nice breakfast at Cafe 11 before we hit the road. Bethany and Hans napped on the drive up here, and then we checked in, had some lunch and got settled. Finally, we hit the slopes, and the powder was awesome! Came back to the resort for some dinner and a movie, and then Cody and I got to do some night skiing; it was like a date! And now everyone is exhausted. Goodnight...

 
  I wanted it to look like I was running into the tree, but - as Josh pointed out - it looks like I'm singing.  A skiing musical?  Could be!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Happy Birthday to ... ME!


So, I turned 41 today...  Not really a milestone.  More like wet sand in my underwear.  Annoying, but it will go away soon.  (The annoyance - not the age.  Darn.)

It was a laid-back day, taking the kids to school, running errands; Cody joined Josh and I for lunch, and I spent the afternoon helping Hans with the last of his school project.  Plus today was Bethany's day to have peanuts reintroduced into her diet, so I made Buckeye Bars for everyone to enjoy.  (They're the lazy version of Buckeye's - I spread the peanut butter in a lined pan, then pour the chocolate on top and cut into bars once the chocolate is set.  Delicious AND easy!)

Cody and the kids got me WONDERFUL presents, and most of them were inexpensive (which I love!).  Cody got me a really nice pair of silicone oven mitts (red) that I needed; my other ones were so old, there were thin parts that would get me burned.  And fun!!! new toys for my camera!  An awesome 5-in-1 foldable reflector, and some lovely lens filters.  I am so excited!  Bethany got me a beautiful autumn leaf candle, some Papaya scented tea lights (for the christmas gift she got me), and a bag of coconut M&M's.  Yum.  (And a dollar from Hans - I won't spend it all in one place!)

And thanks to mom and dad for the beautiful shirt (purple) and lovely scarf from Italy, with the crocheted edging (also purple)!  I got a lot of calls from everyone wishing me a happy birthday; so I need to return calls, but know that I appreciate all the well wishes!

Have a great weekend - love to all!