Simple tree

Here is one of my favorite Valentine's decorations...I did not make the ornies but you could.

Happy Heart's Day

This week is a crazy busy one for me. Today I went on a field trip with Madi's class the first half of the day and then was a substitute the second half for a 1st grade class. Plus I teach two more days this week...but did just finish these treats for Madi to hand out to her class for Valentines Day. I got the suckers at Michael's, they were only 39 cents each. I have not been struck yet with any ideas for Ben....I will be looking for some fun crafts around blogland!

Madi (Jordan)

Both Ben and Madi had basketball games this weekend. Here are a few shots from Madi's good game. She is the smallest and youngest on the team but that doesn't stop her! She was a beast on Saturday.

Just look at that jumpshot! She got all the way off the ground and made the shot! She cracks Steve up....I think she tickles his insides.

Madison Kate

Here is the stitchery I made for Madi's room this week. I also printed up her birth info and framed it...I found matching fabric and paper...how cool is that! Now I need to make something special for Ben's room.

Snicker Doodles and Ben

I loved when my mom made snicker doodles when I was a little girl. So today I made some for Ben and Madi...nice and warm right out of the oven for an after school treat....they sure enjoyed them.

Snicker Doodles

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. cream of tarter

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix all together. Roll into 1 inch balls. Roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes.

Ben and Madi enjoying their after school snack...fresh pears and snicker doodles.

Last week Ben was awarded for his perfect grades. That is Mrs. Hall our school principle whom we LOVE congratulating him.

Script Ohio...winter style!

My cousin sent me this link in an email. It sure gave us a good laugh...maybe some of you Buckeyes or just college sports fans will enjoy it too. Thanks for sharing Jenny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L-fVwcGBlU

Inauguration Concert

Tonight we watched the Inauguration Concert for the new President. It took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. To my surprise Ben and Madi sat and stayed tuned in for the whole concert. We reminisced over our trip there last year every time we saw some good shots of the sights on the TV.

I really enjoyed the concert...the music and seeing lots of celebrities taking part in something patriotic. My kids knew a few of the songs and actors and actresses. It cracks me up to see their faces when they see Tom Hanks...who is Forest Gump...the train conductor on The Polar Express...and an astronaut on Apollo 13...they get a little confused.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of my families favorites! I got this from my friend Bethany who was my neighbor while living at Wiesbaden, Germany. Two of my neighbors Bethany and Kelly both had husbands who were serving in Iraq for a year. Through it all they were so positive and stayed happy and really relied on each other too. They came up with this dinner plan of alternating which one would cook dinner for both families...Bethany had 2 kids and Kelly had 3 but it's hard to stay motivated and cook full dinners when your hubby is gone so this plan was perfect.

I am so lucky my husband is in the Air Force...when he has gone to Iraq or Afghanistan it's only for a few months not 12-15-18 like these Army families do like Kelly and Bethany had to do. Once when Steve had to go TDY for a week or two I could not believe Kelly and Bethany would have been thinking of me....they invited me for dinner so I would not be alone and could join in on their fun. Thank you guys!!!

Kelly is husbandless AGAIN right now. I think of her all the time with her three small girls. Well here is the yummy recipe Bethany shared with me...

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 cups sugar

1 TBSP chicken bullion or 2 cubes

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup water

3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

2 TBSP soy sauce

Whisk all together in a bowl.

Take 3 cut up chicken breasts and dip them into egg yolks

Dip in cornstarch (put in a large Ziploc and shake)

Brown on both sides in olive oil until crispy

Place in a 9x13 pan and cover with sauce.

Bake for 1 hour

Serve over rice

A pink princess room

Forever and a year I have been wanting beautiful furniture for Madi's room but just couldn't allow myself to spend hundreds to thousands for it. Well last week I hit the jackpot!!! I found all this beautiful white girls furniture...it was banged up a bit with some scratches here and there so the store had it marked 75% off!!!! Shoot and if you read below and saw about all our moving...our stuff gets banged up anyways. But now I want to save up for the matching bed that they didn't have a clearance. I had so much fun trying to make some homemade monogram stuff today. I printed out her name and put it in a diamond frame...very girly. I had some small frames I put some 'M's' in too. Plus I just started making her a new stitchery with her name...Madison Kate. It's been fun fun fun.

While I was printing out 'Madi' and some 'M's' for Madi's room I thought I should do something for Ben. I just printed out his name and stuck it in a dollar frame and I think it looks like a million bucks!

Winter weekend

My kids....on weekday mornings they can't hardly get up but on weekends...no problem. At least they just get up and play with each other so nicely. After getting all those new toys for Christmas they get up early to play with their blankets and pillows?

This seasons games started this weekend. Ben is #13 in the white in the center.

Can you see Madi....the only girl, braid hanging down. Next week I will have to take a close-up picture of her coolio new basketball shoes. It's so fun to watch them play!

After the game Madi and her team sat and waited for the coach to hand out their stars for the week. Each kid gets a star based on their performance during the game. This weekend Madi got the blue star that represents Best Effort. Some of the others got a red star for Best Offense or a white star for Most Christlike..... Everyone is very proud of the stars they are awarded.

My friend Susy loaned me a few of her stamps, so when they came in the mail Friday I got busy right away.

Where are you from?

When people ask me where I am from I can't help but let out a little chuckle. I just say I was born in Ohio but have lived everywhere. I moved so much as a child that when I was in High School I said I would never date anyone in the military so there would be no chance of me marrying anyone in the military...guess what? I ended up in the Air Force myself and then yep, married someone in the military...so I am still living everywhere.

Well here is everywhere:

I was born in Columbus, Ohio.

Then moved to Alabama...Ft. Rucker/Ozark/Enterprise.

Onto Texas...Ft. Hood/Kileen (this is where I started Kindergarten)

• Oklahoma...Ft. Sill/Lawton
• Ohio...Grandma's house while my dad went out west for a bit and then we joined him.
• California...Ft. Ord/Salinas...Monterray area
• Pennsylvania...Ft. Indiantown Gap/Harrisburg
• Oklahoma...Ft. Sill/Lawton...again!
• Alabama...Ft. Rucker/Enterprise...again!
• Kansas...Ft. Riley/Junction City......then this is where I left home and joined the Air Force.
• Texas...Lackland AFB/San Antonio
• Texas....Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls
• Texas...Lackland AFB/San Antonio
• Japan...Yokota AB/Tokyo
• Utah...Hill AFB/Layton....then I got married so here I go again.
• Kansas...McConnel AFB/Wichita
• Washington...Fairchild AFB/Spokane
• Mississippi...Keesler AFB/Biloxi
• Illinois...Scott AFB/St. Louis...both Ben and Madi were born here. We were only here just barely two years...got here right before Ben was born and left when Madi was 8 weeks.
• Germany....Rhien Main AB/Frankfurt
• Germany...Wiesbaden Army Air Field/Wiesbaden
• Georgia...Ft. McPherson/Atlanta......I wonder what comes next??!!

Now I do enjoy moving. It's harder with a family and a house. I tell Steve he must know I love him when I have moved 7 times to be with him. I guess that is just military life but 7 moves for him in the first 10 years of our marriage is a lot...we have been married for 12 but have been here in Georgia for over 2 years.






My parents were so good about showing the whole United States to all four of us kids. We went to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree National Park, Petrified Forrest, Death Valley, San Diego, Los Angles, Disneyland, Big Sur and Pebble Beach, Yosemite, Sequoya, lots of missions...up and down the whole coast of California. To this day California is my favorite state besides Georgia.


Colorado was one of our favorite and most frequent places to go. I have been to the top of Pikes Peak more than a few times. Saw Garden of the Gods, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Rocky Mountain National Park.

Of course I have been to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, loved Jackson Hole. Mt. Rushmoore and the Badlands. I could never forget Arches, Zion, Bryce and Dinosaur National Monument.

While living in the East we saw lots of historic things along the Appalachian Trail and the Amish country. And Gettysburg too. I like Civil War history.

• In the south we went to lots of different Civil War Battle sights including Vicksburg. We always teased my dad about being a National Park freak but I am very grateful. I sure hope Steve and I can educate Ben and Madi with lots of traveling.

See I told you I have lived everywhere.

Giveaway winner and Snowmen/January decorations

Early this morning before school, Ben and Madi thought the whole drawing a winner for my blog giveaway was cool. Here they are folding up all the entries. Ben was the one who wanted to close his eyes and pick the winner........susy over at Everyday Gourmet!!!! Yeah Susy!

Instead of setting these cute snowmen ornaments out at Christmas, I saved them to have something special for January. In the past I didn't always enjoy my house as much in January...I would have just put all the Christmas stuff up and then it would be so cold outside and not very exciting. Now decorating with snowmen and other winter things makes January a little more fun and warm.

I LOVE to stitch! So of course I have some for every season...I like the little snowballs under the tree.

100+3 posts giveaway

I want to have one of those cool blogs that gives stuff away. To be entered in the giveaway just leave a comment by Tuesday night and I will do a drawing on Wednesday for one lucky winner. The winner will get a "be warm" pillow hand stitched by me and a 5 pack of my homemade Valentine cards(not pictured so my loved ones will be surprised when they get one).

Here is Madi on Christmas morning in her new shoes, new High School Musical shirt, High School Musical hat and High School Musical necklace(she doesn't have the movie yet...she didn't want that just the stuff) playing on the drumset Santa gave here.

On New Years Eve we went to Chic-fil-a's Drop The Nugget. We had gone last year and enjoyed it so we did it again...but since it was so cold we didn't stay too long. We had a fun party right here at home. Both kids stayed up until 1245 that night....it was so fun counting down and YELLING Happy New Year with them. We had some festive glasses to go with our sparkling cider. I cracked up watching Ben and Madi...they never drink soda so when that bubbly stuff hit them they were quite funny.