Let it Snow...Let it Snow....Let it Snow!

Well, it's official. We had and survived our first Michigan snow! It was beautiful coming down!! The trees are just stunning! I can not even begin to describe how beautiful it is. Let's see if I am still singing this song come March. HA! Here are some pictures of our day. If I had all my goodies that I needed to make Christmas yummies...I would of baked. I will be more prepared next time. Still learning about this wonderful place......


Somewhere under this bundle is my little 11 year old. She had so much fun in all the white stuff!

Making snow angels.....

He looks happy and jolly in this picture....but he was cold and tired of shoveling snow! I bet he was thinking..."this is going to be a looooooong winter."

Back inside, Taylor wanted to draw pictures for a friend of hers and mama had hot cocoa ready for warming up her insides from playing in all that snow!

This is for you!

And lastly, Sophie and me. We are going home to see our family today in Illinois! The car is packed and ready to go. As soon as the kids get picked up from school we are out of here! Can't wait to see everyone that I love back home and go to church with all our church family. It is amazing that we have only been gone two weeks but it feels like two months! Mama....I am coming home!!! See you soon! XOXOXOX

Happy Birthday Hubby!

The 8th was my husbands birthday. He was out of state for work. Supposed to be home that evening of his birthday. Well....snow came and they cancelled his flight so he did not make it home for his special day. He did make it home the next morning though. Here are some highlights of our little party with just the four of us.



Some birthday cheer we put up for him.

More cheer......

Ilini clock for his desk.....

Little Sophie girl right beside him in "their" chair. :)

New boots for the snow. By the looks of things...he is soooo going to be needing these things! :)

Daddy and darling daughter #1....

Daddy and darling daughter #2

His Hershey's chocolate birthday cake. He ate a piece when he got home before I could take a picture of it! I guess it was his cake. :)

Making a wish and blowing! Happy 43rd Birthday Mark! Hope your next year will be good for you!

It's a Cookie Kind of Day

It is snowing outside today. And, there is a Winter Weather Watch for my town tonight. Eeks!! Daughter #2 has been home from school the past two days with a terrible nasty cold. Poor Hubby is stuck out of state due to the bad weather we have coming. His flight got canceled and today is his birthday! With all that happening....I decided today would be a good day to bake cookies. Today is the first time I have actually baked in my new house. While Christmas shopping with Lori last month, I bought a cookie press. I just love the way those little cookies look. Today was the day I broke her out of the box.


Found one of my aprons in a box in the basement still unpacked..hee hee.... and tied her on.

Made the classic vanilla spritz dough.

Got out the little discs I thought I would be cute to use. I liked the little Christmas tree.

Fired up my new gas stove. Let's see how she does....shall we?

Cookie sheet and mat ready for business.

Looking good so far....green, red and white sprinkles to make them look festive.

I HAD to put pink sprinkles on some of them. Pink is not just for Easter. Right?? :)

They are beginning to smell good...almost ready.

Ta da!! What's that? One is missing? I had to try them...you know...to make sure they were delish for everyone who will be eating them. Hee hee!

And here they are, ready to be given out to some of those I love this weekend when we go home.

A dear friend

My dear friend Lori gave me a wonderful "see you soon" gift when we moved to Michigan. She told me the story about how my little gift came all the way from Australia to get to me. She found out about Etsy from my sissy and found an artist there that drew the most adorable print I have ever seen. She had it framed in the most perfect frame for me. While putting things away in our house this week, I knew that sweet picture had to hang in a place where I could see it often. It reminds me of our friendship each time I see it. I decided to place it in my kitchen, where I am 90% of the time. Here it is.



This is a closer view of it. Two little dark headed girls in a tree. Lori and I each have dark hair.

Faintly written under the tree is a little saying...."Why don't you come up to my place?"

Isn't that the sweetest thing? I simply love it.

Snowy Day

I came downstairs this morning and found Simon sitting at the back door watching the snow fall. I am quite sure he is saying to himself....this is a bit early for this white stuff, isn't it?

Noodle Making 101

While at my moms house this past week, I got a lesson on noodle making. She is recovering from hip replacement surgery so my sister, daddy and I were the cooks for Thanksgiving dinner this year. But, she did take time to sit with me at the kitchen table and make some noodles. She did not have all her tools she normally uses. My dad was "helping" in the kitchen and moved some of her things out. Like her wooden cutting board that she uses to roll the noodles out. Oh well..we managed. My cousin, Dwight, gave her this noodle cutter for Christmas about 40 years ago she said. She still uses it today.

What a mess I made!!

The finished tray of noodles. Yum!

The floor under our feet. Whoops!

My cell phone after Lori called to see what I was doing. :)

Mom said that it was easy to make noodles. Doesn't really look like it was that easy for me. Although we did get them done. Mom helped with most of it. I liked to work the dough to much. That is why I still buy Pillsbury pie crust to this day! Dough and I don't really get along. Flour either by the way it appears. But you know what? I will ALWAYS remember that day with my mama. Rolling out noodles and laughing at them not cutting the way she wanted them to. And flour everywhere.

We Made It

We made it to Michigan. Our moving truck and all our things made it to Michigan as well. Yippee!! So far, everything is intact. Our house is bigger than I remembered...except for the kitchen. Where on earth am I going to store all this stuff?????? How many kitchen boxes should one gal have???? Don't answer that. I am afraid I have enough for several kitchen. Hee hee.

We took the kids to their new school today to register. The school is MUCH larger than they are used to. We have been praying for several months for good friends for our girls. Tomorrow, I hope they find them. Both girls are very excited about their day tomorrow. While on a tour of the school, several girls smiled at ours. That is a good start. Thank you Lord.

Lots still left to do. I am going to drag most of the boxes in the basement and bring up a few at a time. I am beyond sick of looking at cardboard. I figure the basement is out of site out of mind. Right? :) We also want to put up our Christmas tree. Lets just add more into our mix. But, it is time and we can see all the neighbors have theirs up. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us and my sissy and nephew will come up this weekend for a visit. She will help get this place whipped into shape. I also need Lori. She would REALLY knock out some boxes. :)

Last night I walked out onto the deck to see what I could see. I saw this very bright full moon. I spoke to God and gave Him thanks for what He has done for us so far. I also was reminded that all my loved ones...family and dear friends back home, were also able to see the same beautiful moon that I was. There is a lot of comfort in that.

I found a scripture that has been very dear to me these past few weeks. Malachi 3:6 says...."I the Lord do not change." The same God that I served in Illinois is the same God in Michigan. My circumstances might change...but He does NOT. Isn't that amazing? So, off we go into our new life here. I will never forget my old life nor let it go. Waaaaaay to many people I love back home. And, I am counting the days until I can see and hug them again.