Snow!

This past summer we were in a drought due to the lack of precipitation.  We are now just fine due to all the snow we have had.  In fact this winter, we had what was named "The Blizzard of 2012."  It was named that before it even hit.  It was a very snowy and blowy day. We got close to 8 inches in one day!  My mom and GiGi were here to experience it with us.  My mom actually got out and helped shovel.

Daddy and C built this cute little guy during one of our snow storms.

And here he is after C repaired him once.

And here he is today.  It is 45 out today.  By the weekend it is supposed to get to 57!  Crazy Indiana weather!!

$$$$$$$

Since C's birthday is so close to Christmas (exactly 2 weeks before), he usually ends up with a good bit of money to spend.  And of course, it burns a hole in his pocket until he can spend it.  This year he also ended up with some iTunes gift cards/certificates.  He has been obsessed with trying to find something to spend it on.  He has bought a few games and one movie.  The movie took a good chunk of his money.  Now on to  his cash and Target gift card.

Friday night we decided to go out to eat (thanks to a gift card) at Olive Garden and then do some shopping. C had $65 cash and a $15 gift card, Daddy had $10 cash and a $25 gift card,  and I had $10 cash.  Something just doesn't seem right.  Oh well.

After dinner (which ended up only being $17 due to server error), we headed over to Target.  C took his time looking at video games and Legos and Nerf guns and back to Legos.  He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted.  He we carried a few things around for him to think about and then he saw it: a large Lego Avenger set that was $70.  It would take most of his money.  So he asked our opinions:  Daddy said "if it was him, he would rather get a few different things instead of one big thing."  I said "if it was me, this is your one opportunity to get a big set like this because you have all this money."  We came home with the big Lego set.

Daddy was also able to get a nice sweater for $9 (the tag said $14) and another shirt for $5.  I came home with some Christmas items for 70% to be used next year.  Again, something just doesn't seem right. Oh well.  I didn't have to cook.  And I brought left overs home for lunch next week.

PS: This is what is happening on my kitchen table today.

And this is the end result.

Happy Birthday!

To my favorite brother.  Never mind that he's my only brother. He'd still be my favorite. He's getting old!

2013

Welcome to 2013. Hard to believe.  As a friend said, the world was supposed to end twice last year.  But yet, here we are.  2012 was a better year than 2011 but still hard.  I've already cried tears over 2013--it's one more year away from the last time I saw my girl.  But it's also one more year closer to the time I will see her again. I'm hoping it's soon.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to be a little more consistent on this here blog thingy. Prolly not every day--our lives aren't that interesting.  As our Preacher said "don't make New Year's resolutions; make New Year's decisions.  I have a few, mostly personal.  And I even started on them yesterday.  Woo Hoo me!

One thing our family is going to be doing together this year is a "blessings" jar or basket or container or whatever I come up with.  Each night as we get ready to put C to bed, we are going to ask if there is something that was a significant blessing that day.  It will get written on a piece of paper and put in the container (note to self: GO BUY ONE).  December 31, 2013, we will read through all the papers in the jar and remember how the Lord has blessed us this year.  It can be something as 'small' as a good grade on a math test or as 'big' as someone handing us a $100 bill.  I had seen this idea all over Pinterest and thought it was a neat idea, but my thought was "what if we have another crappy year like 2011?"  Then my thought was "but the possibility of something bad shouldn't keep me from not counting all the blessings that will happen."

So without further rambling, here is what we did New Year's Eve.

Me: aka Martha Stwart

I have become the next Martha Stewart.  Well....... for me it's very Martha Stewart-like.

Salsa.  I am so tired of making salsa.  I think I made 10 jars.  That's a lot of tomatoes and peppers to cut up.

Making salsa.  

Still making salsa.

Oh look!  Making salsa!

I also dried peppers for hot pepper flakes.  The dried flakes aren't as hot as I expected.

I did all this in one day: salsa, granola, pumpkin cookies with icing, and red velvet cookies.
Plus a loaf of bread (not pictured).

Doesn't this look like a torture device?  For apples, I guess it would be.

I borrowed this from a friend.  It saved me so much time doing these apples!

And it turns the apples into these cute little things.

Look at Daddy go!

And leaves the peels behind in nice long strings.

Look at all that juice!

In the crockpot ready to get turned to mush to make apple butter.









Plus I have tried many new recipes and made the yummiest cinnamon rolls 3 different times.  My next en devour is home made pizza dough.  I know!  What is wrong with me?