Snifty

Do you know what Snifty is? Probably not...I didn't either when Braly said it today. It actually means both spiffy & nifty and that's how you get snifty. So I guess it means that something is neat, cool, awesome.

Braly is pretty snifty!

Edited to say: He's saying snifty in the picture. He's right on the 'fff' part.

Back to shopping....arg

Normally I like shopping but this time I'm fairly annoyed. I did a lot of pricing, comparing, measuring, etc before I purchased the Roman blinds that we have in our house. They all match which looks nice, clean, & uniform. Well after only having them up for about 1 1/2 months they faded & looked stupid. I called the company & had them replaced. I then proceeded to treat them with a UV protectant but probably should have done a few coats because now they are discoloring AGAIN. Now I have to do more shopping around to find something else that will work for us. It wasn't easy the first time to find something that would fit all our different windows & I even had to have one custom made which was pricey. Guess I'll be spending the better part of my day searching for something that won't fade, won't cost us a fortune & will be nice looking. I never thought shades would drive me so crazy. Oh well, could be much worse so I choose to have a good attitude about it.

Crockpots are awesome.

If you haven't ever used a crockpot you may wonder WHY they are so awesome. Well....because you can make a deliciously homemade meal with short prep time and the aroma wafts through the air as it is cooking to make a delightfully yummy smelling house. Maybe this isn't so good for the waistline because it can tend to make one feel hungry. Guess I'll just have to drink water as I wait for the dinner to make itself. I think crockpots are the best dinner makers in the winter when all ya want is a nice warm meal with little prep work. I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Caccitore at the Kraft Foods website http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Pages/home.aspx and now their Food and Family magazine is available online too. They have some yummy & simple recipes to check out. Such a variety to choose from that you are sure to find something you like. We'll see how the family likes this crockpot one & see if it becomes a classic in the Pierce Family Cookbook that I'm working on. I might even take my 365 picture of the crockpot today.

A day to lollygag

Today is the last day of the marking period at Gabby's school and is therefore a teacher in service day. So Gabby doesn't have school. Braly doesn't have school on Fridays and Morgan well, she's 2 so she doesn't have school either. haha Instead of getting up early to exercise like I've been doing for the last few weeks, I decided to sleep in. This choice came easier than I had hoped since I'm really trying to make healthy choices for a lifetime. But earlier this week Morgan started acting funny, she was waking up at 4:30 then 4:00 then 3:00. I would get her all tucked in & settled down & then she'd be up what seemed like 5 minutes later. Arg...just as I would start to drift off I'd be woken up again. Doesn't make for a good night's sleep. Then when I finally got her sleeping for longer than a few minutes I listened to her & realized that she was all stuffed up & was probably having a hard time breathing so she couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. So I fumbled around in the dark to find her meds & get the machine that is loud to begin with but at 3:50am seems like an airplane in your room. I gave her a breathing treatment while she slept so there was no fighting, well not from her anyway, I had to fight to stay awake long enough to make sure all the meds were gone. BTW, her meds are in liquid form and are put into a little cup that is hooked up to the nebulizer and the nebulizer turns the liquid meds into a vapor for her to breathe & get down into her lungs. I must say the breathing treatment was well worth my time beacause then she slept until a little after 7am. Last night I gave her some Benedryl for the runny nose (its the only stuff that seems to work for her & the plus is that it makes her a little drowsy). With her comfortable & able to breathe nicely, she slept the entire night without so much as a fuss. So I slept great, feel refreshed today & was able to enjoy breakfast with Morgan, get the dished done & the kitchen cleaned up & then catch up on some computer time. Now I'm off to burn some calories. Just because I slept in doesn't mean I have to skip it today. That's the beauty in the lollygag kind of day. And the sun is shining & we seem to be having a heatwave for Jan...temps are between 20 and 30 degrees so it might just be a good day to sled down our mini hill before lunch. Time for some fun!

Looks like a fun new movie

Finally a new background

Ok, my friend Traci steered me to this website with blog backgrounds & I LOVE it. Only problem was their server was down for awhile so no new backgrounds until now. Don't they have the cutest ideas? Don't be surprised if I keep changing them to different Valentine backgrounds....it's easier than moving the living room furniture around to get that 'new look'. LOL

Nothing much happened today. Kids had school. Morgan took a nap. Oh yeah...I recorded Morgan singing the Hello song from our Kindermusik class today. I should probably upload my pics from the camera. Haven't done it in awhile which is why there aren't any 365 photos on here. I think I'm still going to try & do the project. I better get caught up fast then eh?

Edited to add a HINT: if you are having trouble reading the words because of a particular background, just highlight what you want to read. It usually does the trick. Now if you can read this you'll be doing good right? ROFL

Ramblings from another day off

Well it's 10 below out there & -25 with windchill. Another cold day in the UP. And today we can really stay home...at least I hope so. I have a house that is begging to be cleaned after a bit of neglect on my part. I have kids looking to play all day long & some newsletters/cards to get addressed so they can actually be sent before next Christmas rolls around & the news isn't so newsy any more. LOL Much to be done today.

And if I can swing it, I plan to post some pictures from my 365 project as well. That is last on the list though so it might have to wait until tomorrow. Gabby has even asked me if she could borrow the camera to take a picture. She wanted to document her lunch yesterday. I had packed her a lunch for school & since she didn't have school, she insisted that she still eat it. Who am I to argue with her because then I didn't have to make her another one & she was very pleased with it. Which makes me happy. I'm sure I'll post later when I take a break from all the cleaning.

So much for staying home

Instead of being able to stay home all day we ended up with Kindermusik class despite the schools being closed. And I must say that it actually wasn't as bad outside as I thought it was going to be. I of course warmed the car up prior to leaving & made the kids bundle up in EVERYTHING. And really, it wasn't that bad. I think it would have seemed much worse if we would have had to walk outside for any longer than we did. The day is half over & the temp has finally gotten into the positive side. Glad we went to class. THe kids had a lot of fun & then we stopped at Staples so I could get a much needed cooling fan for my laptop before it burns up on me.

Off to haul the Christmas boxes back downstair to store. Then I think some loud upbeat music is called for the get some much needed cleaning done. The kids are playing nicely together (knock on wood) & I am ready to do some cleaning.

No School Today

Well today I woke up & checked the temperature & it is at -10 F without including the wind chill. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Yeah, that's cold. They keep saying -25 with the windchill. So most all schools are closed, even the colleges. Of course Braly got up earlier than he has been & woke Gabby up 30 mins earlier than she normally gets up & I have a hard time getting her to get out of bed when I wake her. She went back to sleep though or at least is laying quietly in bed. Forget that, I hear her & Morgan talking to each other right now.

I'm actually kinda glad that school is canelled for selfish reasons. Now I can concentrate on getting the rest of the Christmas decorations organized & boxed up & brought to the basement. Then I can try to rearrange the furniture & get this house back in order since I've let it go over the past several days. With no school, I don't have to spend time getting kids ready & waiting for buses. Instead, the kids can get dressed at their leisure, and then play while I clean things up. And since Braly owes me a few chores, I can get him to pay up. I could have the house back in shape by the end of the day & still have a nice dinner ready as well.

So I'm off to get ready for the day now that my exercising is done & breakfast is eaten. Hope everyone else is able to stay warm too. Our house is nice and cozy...thank you Lord for blessing us with a wonderful house.

Special Weather Statement for Delta County, MI

Can you believe the temperatures they are forcasting for our area? Can I get a Brrrrrrrrrrrr Brrrrrrrrrrrrr??? I'm planning to do the grocery shopping after church tomorrow & then stay home ALL week. I don't want to trigger any asthma episodes for Morgan from the cold weather if I can help it. I wonder if we'll still have music class or if the kids will still have school? I just got them used to being back at school with their schedules after the 2 week Christmas break. And temperatures like this mean no outdoor play but possibly cabin fever.



Issued by The National Weather Service Marquette, MI
4:51 am EST, Sat., Jan. 10, 2009

... VERY COLD WEATHER EXPECTED THIS COMING WEEK...

EXPECT THE COLDEST AIRMASS OF THE SEASON TO ARRIVE OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES MONDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST INTO FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW ZERO BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND BOTTOM OUT AS LOW AS 20 TO 25 BELOW ZERO LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY AWAY FROM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE GREAT LAKES OVER THE WEST HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN. THE MERCURY WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH ZERO DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS ON TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... ESPECIALLY OVER THE INTERIOR SECTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. PLAN ON WINDS TO BE 10 TO 20 MPH DURING MUCH OF THIS PERIOD... RESULTING IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 35 BELOW ZERO OVER THE INTERIOR WEST HALF ON THURSDAY MORNING.

You Are Being LOVED

Ignore the spelling mistakes that you may see in the lyrics that pop up. I didn't do them but I did notice them.

Happy Birthday Renee'

Happy Birthday my dear sister. I know we called you & sang but I just wanted to let you know, and anyone else that reads our little blog, that you are very loved. Don't ever let anyone tell you other wise. God created you special. He delivered you from a rough starting life to a life worth fully living. I know it hasn't been without bumps & bruises along the way but you are a very special woman. When I hear this song I think of you often & pray for you. You have always been special & WILL always be special. Read the words & write them on your heart. Recite them when you are feeling down & remember that God loves you & so do I. I love you so very much. BTW you're like 28 aren't you? I can't believe that 28 years ago I got a little sister that I wanted to see so badly even though you were at the hospital far away. I think that maybe that's one of the reasons I changed my mind about bringing Gabby & Braly to the hospital when Morgan was there. I didn't want them to keep wishing they could see their sister. I remember when you came home from the hospital the 1st time. You were very small & I remember wanting to help Mom take care of you. She finally let me cup my hand & pat your back. I felt like a HUGE help. Seems so long ago & yet I still remember how excited I was for you to come home to us. I hope your day is nice & that you know how much you are loved. May God fill this year with a bounty of blessings & that He will guide you through the trials you encounter along the way. Happy Birthday little sis!!!

09. You Are Being Loved (Steven Curtis Chapman) (who else??? LOL)

So you think love is only for the good enough

And one thing you're never gonna be worthy of

But there's a song being sung over you

By the One who breathes life into you

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now at this very moment

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now, you are being loved, loved, loved

You are being loved, loved

You are

You ought to see the smile you're bringing to your father's face

You ought to hear Him sing His version of Amazing Grace

Cause that's the song being sung over you

By the God who breathes life into you

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now at this very moment

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now, you are being loved, loved, loved

You are being loved, loved

You are

With every breath that you're taking

And every beat of your heart

Even while even this song is playing

Whatever you do, wherever you are

There's a song being sung over you

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now at this very moment

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now, you are being loved, loved, loved

You are being loved, loved

You are

You are loved, loved, loved

You are being loved, loved

You are

You are being, you are being

You are being loved

You are being, you are being

You are being loved right now

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

You are being loved

Right now

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

There's a song being sung over you

Right now

Project 365

Project 365 is another scrapbooking kit but not just any scrapbooking kit. This one is meant for you to take a picture a day (or you could save a wrapper of some sort) and then journal about the day. That's 365 somethings into your everyday life. Talk about a commitment but talk about a lot of fun to be had. I am hoping to either win one of these (hence the post about it here) or perhaps order one if CK is able to make more kits. I think I will get the kiddos to help me on this project & maybe Adam will pick something for a day here or there. I think that we will either start next Sunday collecting our photos or maybe I'll come up with something for yesterday & today (since it's not over yet). Sounds fun doesn't it? Okay, maybe not to some of you but that's okay too. I enjoy this kind of stuff & I really love saving memories to share with my family. Happy January 5th to all of you! :D Head on over to http://happydaisyaz.blogspot.com/ to check out this gracious person who is giving away one of these sought after kits.

Oh no, she's growing up too fast

Last night in my attempt to get Morgan to sleep around the same time as the other 2 I put her into her crib and gave her a book after doing the usual bedtime routine. She was tired but I guess she didn't want anything to do with sleep. I had Gabby in another room so Morgan wouldn't bother her when she was trying to fall asleep. She didn't really cry for long, it was more of fussing & annoyance and then she was quiet. I thought for one split second that maybe she had finally decided to just lay there & fall asleep. Then I heard it. Cheering. "I did it!" "Yeah" "I did it!" So I started wondering what she did because then she was just chattering for a little while & then I knew. She was standing at the top of the stairs & said, "Momma, I did it. I come stairs?" So I told her to come down & asked her how she got out of her crib and she said, "I jumped." No lie. That's what she told me. Later I asked her & she said, "I climbed, I jumped." Needless to say she slept on the bottom bunk bed last night & I'm thinking that she may have just graduated from the crib. I knew it was coming since she wouldn't let me put the side of the bed up for awhile & would just lay there & sleep but now that she can climb out....that's the end of that. I'll leave it up for maybe a few more days just to make sure but it looks like our baby is growing up & I'm not sure I'm ready for it. Gotta get the gate installed on her door so she can't wander through the house. At least we don't have to worry about her opening the door to outside like we had to with Braly at the apartment. I love our house.

Finished

We originally thought that today was going to be a "fun" day to play as a family since Adam had the day off but our plans changed a little. Installing the carpeting in the Rec room in the basement has been looming over our heads for 2 months now & today we were finally able to finish it. I am soooooooooooo thrilled for it to be completed. Who knew that after the sewage backup left the carpet wrecked it would take us nearly 2 months to get everything back into order. Sheesh. Now we have our room back & its better than ever. A nice brown shade of carpeting rather than weird blueish stuff. We have the tv hooked back up as well as my new exercise bike in position along with our new organ from Great Grammy Jackie & the keyboard we are borrowing from Grammy Cheryl & Papa Blaine. I also put my stability ball & all my weights & exercise DVDs in the basement so now it really is a Recreational Room. I'm so excited to be able to exercise on a non-squeaking floor. LOL I haven't taken any pictures of the room yet so that will have to come later. Maybe I'll even pull out a before picture to share.

Happy New Year to one & all.