Here I AM!!!!! ::Jumping Up And Down::

Here I Am! I am back! It has been a whirlwind two weeks, so forgiving me for dropping out of site! Let me catch up a little bit!

Firstly, we took the kids to Chicago. Mike had work in Chicago, so I decided to take the kids to ESPN Zone to watch the Ohio State/Michigan game. May I just say that Austin LOVED it there? Apparently he wants to live AND die there. Thats.....refreshing. Notice his "Choke" shirt? It says something about Choke being the official drink of the Michigan Wolvarines. Got lots of good compliments on that! Anyways, OF COURSE the Buckeyes won, so who could ask for more? The streets and stores were absolutely crazy due to a tree lighting celebration. But, it was fun. Isn't Chicago always fun???

The above pictures were taken by Austin in Chicago. I really like his "eye." I thought I would share a few!

We had a quiet Thanksgiving at Mike's parents house. We haven't had a holiday dinner with them in years, so it was a nice change! We are now DEFINATELY onto Christmas around our house! I will post about our decorations later, because I hate to be outdone by Tina!

Back to the alphabet...............

The Letter "O"

Orville Stifel - Love and respect this guy. He is quite possibly one of the nicest people I know.

Ohio State - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the BUCKEYES!

Obituaries - Unlike my sister, I do not read the obituaries. Thats too much for me.

Octopus - I have eaten them and I DO like the taste. Other than that, these creatures freak me out a little bit!

OCD - Hate it.

Open Minded People - I love open-minded people. Life is too short, the world is too small and nothing is accomplished by judging and not accepting people as they are. Period.

Office Supplies - I have a serious addiction to office supplies. That must go back to my secretary days!

The Wizard of Oz - This movie seriously gave me nightmares as a kid. Paige LOVED it as a kid. Hhhmmm.......

Oreo Cookies - I do not like Oreo cookies, but my kids love them. The sugar actually makes my teeth hurt!

Orthodontists - I'm so sick of paying an orthdontist. I almost have two kids done with one left in the wings!

Lastly, my friend Trish's mom is in the hospital. She apparently has had a heart attack. I feel so bad. This is one lady who has been through so much health-wise. So, please say some prayers for Carol. You know, in talking with Trish this weekend, we were talking about how important it is to live a life without regrets. How we should try to be the best mom, daughter, wife, friend while we have a chance. I have seen this in Trish. So.....keep on going, Trish. No regrets.

Hugs!

Flooded With Memories

This morning I opened my friend, Trish's blog and she had written about her youngest son. She wrote of how he doesn't like to wear pants, only his diaper. She talked of his temper. She talked about his knowing how to get into the pantry and knowing EXACTLY where the suckers were located. I loved this post. It brought back so many memories of when my kids were young.

When Austin was young, everything was a sword. He would beg me to make hats out of newspaper and he would want his blankie tied around his neck as a cape. The wand to my vacuum cleaner became his sword. He would duel with many imaginary "bad guys." Soon, grandma caught on and she sewed him a real cape...and he was the real deal. I can still see it, today. He would jump and yell "YAW" when we would walk into the room. So cute.


Paige was so quiet when she was young. Her favorite hobby was watching Austin, and trying to do everything he was doing. She has always loved, admired and looked up to Austin. She had plastic high heels and she would run behind him trying to be every character he was portraying....all the time in plastic high heels. She would slip all over the place on our hardwood floors, giggling the whole time.


Trent, too was very shy when he was small. But, to Trent, everything was a hat. It could be a towel, a pair of his brother's boxer shorts, the ice cube bucket from the refrigerator or a tupperware bowl. This kid always had something on his head as a hat. And with it....a HUGE grin. The other funny thing about Trent is that he always wanted to teethe on a toothbrush. NOW I have to beg him to brush! How funny is that.


My kids have grown so much since those days. It makes me smile, yet makes me somewhat sad that they have grown up so much. But it is so fun to be flooded with all those memories of when they were so young!


Onto the Letter "N" {{TA DA!}}


Napkins. When I was young I used to collect paper table napkins. Weird, I know. My mom would always give me an extra one from her package. I kept them in a binder. I loved the decorations on them and the patterns. Now that I think about it, it is probably where my love for paper began! AND.....speaking of napkins. My husband WILL NOT use the word napkin. He thinks it sounds vulgar (as in a woman's personal product). So, he uses the phrase "facial wipe." Again....weird. See why we have been together so long?


Nursing. My mother was a nurse. My sister, Pam is a nurse. My aunt and my cousin are nurses. OH! And my cousins wife.....yep, she is a nurse. When I was younger I wished I could be a nurse, but I do not have the stomach for that stuff. I don't know how nurses do what they do, but I am GLAD they do! I will tell you, there are not many great nurses left. But, of the ones out there, I think my sister is at the top. She is a fabulous nurse. I think that is cool.


Nerves. Nerves are a constant problem in my house, especially for my two youngest kids and their mom.


Nick. I have a nephew, Nick. He is a ball of energy. He is confidence, good-looks, sarcasm, stinker and sweetness all rolled into one. I love this kid.


Nin. Nin is the nickname we have had for my sister, Cindy FOREVER. Sadly, she even answers to it.


Natalie. Natalie is my daughter's best friend. We have known Natalie for many years, but she has only become best friends with Paige in the past year. It is SO RARE to find a girl in junior high and think....she is a nice kid. But, Natalie is a nice girl. Love her. Love her family. I'm praying that she and Paige remain friends. It's not everyday that your kids make a friend that changes their life for the better.


Nightmares. My son, Trent has many nightmares. Sometimes is concerns me, but it may just be a part of growing.


The "Not Good Enoughs." Well, this may not sound very nice, but this is the nickname I have coined for a group of people at our church. They stick to themselves and their own little group. They consider themselves holier than most people and do not consider many people worthy of their friendship. They are the first to point out everyone else's sins and to deem who will and will not be going to heaven. For some reason, I find this to be EXACTLY how the Lord WOULD NOT want us to behave. I used to work at being friendly with them. Not any more. I have come to realize that they will never consider my family to be "good enough." Eh...their loss.

Negative people get me down and I tend to shy away from them. They are too much for me to handle. Besides, life is WAY harder if you don't count your blessings!

I have been down (as in ...flat on my back) for about three days with the worst sinus infection. Today is the first day I feel a little better and actually feel like getting something accomplished. So, I better get to it!

Hugs!

MMMmmmmmmm......

Well, well, well...if it isn't the letter "M."

Let me start with the most important "M"...Mike Blackburn. I love this guy. Seriously. I can't really remember a time when I haven't loved him because I met him so long ago. He is funny, warm, laid-back, supportive, kind, sometimes annoying, tone-deaf, unselfish, Godly, frustrating and loving. Oh...and he is MINE !!!!!

That brings me to marriage. I have been married to Mike for 20 years (and dated him 8 years prior). I love being married to Mike.

I have had two miscarriages in my life. The first one was 3 months after Austin was born. That one was rough and totally taught me to be thankful for little ones. The second was Paige's twin. I honestly cannot wait to see those two babies in heaven.

My best friend is Marilyn Stifel. I met Marilyn at St. Paul when our oldest kids were in grade school. She is TOTALLY outgoing and I am TOTALLY not outgoing. She has a enormous smile. Every day she would greet me with that smile and a hug. Thats the kind of person she is. She is everything I consider to be good in a person and I am so lucky to know her. AND she is Trent's Godmother!

Martha Stewart. I know I tend to talk about Martha quite a bit. I am intrigued by her although I find her to be a bit snooty. I bet she is a huge pain-in-the-can to work with every day. I also bet she doesn't know as much about cooking, baking and crafting as we think. BUT, I think she is an saavy business woman and that is cool. Besides, I love her products and her show inspires me to do fun things!

Mental Illness. Don't get me started. I won't talk about family issues, but I will say that we strongly need to start fighting for the health care of the homeless. If you don't think these homeless people are good people, fighting mental illness (with NO health care) than I think YOU may be one crayon short of a full box.

I love to roast Marshmellows. I like mine burned.

Milk makes me sick to my stomach.

Now...the best for last...MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY! Yum, yum, yummy deliciousness.

Later!

Veteran's Day

Well, it's Veteran's Day and I would like to start with a hearty THANK YOU to any and every Veteran and their respective families. The dedication and pride of those who have served and continue to serve our country never ceases to amaze me. My father served in the United States Navy. He was stationed on the Ticonderoga. His brothers served in the military, as well. See my dad's picture above? Wasn't he a studly man? (That was many years ago, dad.)

This past weekend I watched a documentary about WWII. Many of the men that served in that war went immediately from high school graduation into the war. Some even younger had tricked the government and enlisted before legal age. If they were caught serving before they were of age, they enlisted again as soon as they become of legal age. They felt such a calling to serve. They had such a passion for their country.

To me, serving your country in the military is one of those things that just surpasses any political party affiliation. We are all Americans and should all stand behind those who put their lives on the line for our freedoms.

Onto the letter "L."

Laundry. Why am I constantly doing laundry? Why do all of my children have an minimum of two outfits a day? Where did I go wrong?

Lutheran West is where my husband and I went to high school and met. Our son Austin is a senior at Lutheran West and Paige will be a freshman at Lutheran West next year.

Blake Lewis. He is my daughter's current obsession. Do you remember him from American Idol? He is a pretty talented guy and I must admit, rather cute.

Laughter is truly medicine. I believe everyone should laugh a little each day. If I didn't....I would probably be crying. So, I'll stick with laughter. Wait! Did I mention how good it is to laugh at yourself?

Logan is the original name I picked for Austin. I changed the name because my dad didn't like it and I always did what he said. Eh...I like the name, Austin better anyways.

Licensing. I can file for a trademark license in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. I worked in Patent and Licensing at BP for the first six years after college. LOTS of life experiences there.

I have thin lips and don't really like them. Especially the top lip. Ick.

Lorain County Community College is where I got my degree in Secretarial Science. Let me tell you, I always felt like I wasn't that smart because I didn't go away to a four year college. That was until I graduated from LCCC and got my job at BP. When I was making more cash than my friends who went four years, I felt a little better. Moral of the story: Don't sell LCCC short.

I'm not big on wearing lipstick. My mom always told me that it drains the color from your lips. So, I prefer Vasoline.

My sister Cindy named the first fish she ever caught....Lollipop. (See photo! Wasn't she cute?)


I have a loving family. I am one lucky mommy.

I am off to make pumpkin rolls. We go through that stuff like the locust around here!

Hugs,

A Gift

Today I received the nicest gift. Around 7:00 a.m. this morning I received a call from my friend, Ruth. She left a simple message....."I am praying for you, your family and your kids and I just wanted you to know." Simple...yet remarkably touching to me. AND it made my day and possibly my week. What a gift, to have a friend that remembers you in this way, for no reason in particular. What a friend to give my family the gift of prayer. I am feeling particularly blessed this morning!

So, if you don't know what to give the person that has everything, how about a call like the one I received from Ruth.

Onto the Letter "K"

I have a sister-in-law named Karen, who may quite possibly be super mom. I sometimes stand in awe at how she manages to get everything done and do it so well. Besides that, she loves the Lord. Very Cool.

I have two wonderful nephews, Kyle and Kevin. Yep, they are brothers. Kyle is Trent's answer to "who would be your hero?" In Trent's eyes, Kyle is the know-all, be-all. In my eyes, he is pretty darn close to that too. Kyle is a kind, good-hearted boy. We are so lucky to have him around! Kevin is just as awesome. He was always an indepent person growing up. I know thats not always easy to raise, but on the other hand I loved that about him. You always knew he would be "okay." And, Kevin is hard-working, to boot. I love that in a kid. Did I mention he is a genius with computers? Yes...(he heads the Geek Squad...seriously, he does! heheheheh)

My niece, Kimberly. I know I have mentioned her before, but I could gush about her for days. This is one cool lady. She has a heart of gold. I never hear a bad word from her. She is just goodness rolled into one person. Love her...proud of her. By the way, did I mention all three kids come from the same parents? I consider that a job well done!

I LOVE Kip from the move "Napoleon Dynamite."

My kids love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and will accept no subsitutes. No cheap knock-offs where Mac N Cheese is concerned.

I love frozen Kit Kat bars.

I love Kohl's Department Store. It is one of those places where I seem to find everything I am looking for.

One of my favorite treasures is a knife set my sister bought for me.

I watched Kelly Pickler cry on the CMA Awards.

Karen Foster's products are too cutsy for me, yet I have used some in layouts.

WHEW! That was a tough list.

I have a ton of baking to do, but I love it. Lots of cleaning. I have to get the house ready for kids watching the Cleveland/Pittsburgh Game. Guess who I am cheering on?

What is Santa Bringing?

Well, I wonder what Santa is going to bring! If I were a parent of young children I would be concerned right about now. All of the lead showing up in these toys is ridiculous! It will be interesting to see if and how much it will effect the "buying" season.

Here are my concerns. Firstly, how about a little regulation? Is anyone checking what is imported into our country? Or are we just trusting that everyone has big love for us Americans. Secondly, I'm a little tired of hearing the apologies of the toy companies. Quit apologizing and take some action. Thirdly, anyone interested in talking to China about this problem? I bet some of the homeless veterans would be willing to take jobs in American companies, making toys. Thirdly, so......how long do you think our kids have been ingesting lead and what do you think are the health ramifications? Very, very frightening to say the least.

Whew, on to bigger and less important things.

The Letter "J"

I have two wonderful friends named Jen. Jen Bueck went to High School with me. She was sweet back then and she is even sweeter now! My friend Jen Forbus I met through scrapbooking. We have MANY things in common and I think she is the berries. But, I'm a little afraid to have her read my post on the letter "R" when she discovers I am Republican. (SSHHhhh....don't tell her!)

I wear jeans almost every day. Look, I spend most of my day cleaning and running errands. I am my own best friend, so I have no one to impress. I think jeans are okay.

I have an amazing sister-in-law named Jane. She is really sweet AND a good cook. As a matter of fact, I made a recipie I got from her..last night for dinner. And it was a hit! And you will see the recipie below! And I hope you like it!

You may have got the idea that I love Jesus. He did an amazing thing for me and for that I feel thankful.

JO Volleyball will take up most of my time this winter. It is a very full schedule. Did I mention that it is going to take up most of my money as well?

My husbands brother is named John. He has huge bucks. Enough said.

I have a neighbor named Jack. Well, not really. I have a neighbor named Craig but we call him Jack. You see, when he and his ex-wife first moved in I only heard her name....Jill. Therefore, until we got to know him he was named Jack. And it kind of stuck.

I am not good at telling jokes. And, most jokes anymore....well, I don't think they are funny. Crude has become the new "funny" and I'm just not interested.

And now for the amazing recipie!

Pepperoni Bread

Ingredients:

Frozen Bread Dough

Egg

Pepperoni Slices

Mozarella Cheese

Parmesean Cheese

Italian Spices

Set the oven to 375. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. (I just sprayed Pam.)

Roll frozen bread dough out into a rectangle. Brush dough with beaten egg. Arrange pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over the dough. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning. Roll up dough like a jelly roll and pinch seam to seal; place, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden.

When serving we dip slices into heated spaghetti sauce. YUM! And serve with nice, fresh salad!

And finally, a word of warning:

THIS is what happens when you don't fold your laundry quickly enough!

I don't like my color....

I don't like the color I turned out to be!!!! I think it is true, but I didn't like it. Besides, it kind of makes me sound lazy. Hhhhmmmm.....I don't like that. I don't THINK I'm lazy. You can go ahead and read this little diddy. I will be in the kitchen with my feet proped up, eating bon-bons. Me? Lazy????? BWHAHAHAHAHA!

you are aquamarine#7FFFD4

Your dominant hues are cyan and
green.

Although you
definately strive to be logical you care about
people and know there's a time
and place for thinking emotionally.

Your head rules most things but your heart
rules others, and
getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy
some days.

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive
go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you.

You probably
don't think the world can change for you and
don't want to spend too much effort
trying to force it.

Your outlook on life is very bright.

You are sunny and
optimistic about life and others find it
very encouraging,

but remember to tone
it down if you sense irritation.
the spacefem.com html color
quiz

Getting Worried...

Okay, so it is no secret that anxiety disorders are running rampid through my family. Usually Paige is my biggest concern, but she is doing quite well. Today, my concern would be Trent. Have you gotten tired of hearing me whine about all this junk yet? Sometimes I feel bad putting it out here, but we all know that blogging is therapy! HA! It does help to write it down and get it out of your head, ya know?

Anyway, Trent has had a small tic for a while and lately it has become a big tic. As a matter of fact, the kids in school are commenting etc. and I have had to talk to the teacher. He is going to have an evaluation by the psychiatrist, but that won't be finished until the beginning of next year. YES, it is closely related to OCD and probably an indicator. (Round Two.. **ding, ding, ding, ding**)

He was so upset after school yesterday telling me about "not being able to control it" and the kids telling him to "shut up." (You may have figured out that it is a vocal tic.) Really, this guy is so little and has so many up-hill battles that it is killing me. So, if you are the praying kind...just lift this little one up to heavens for me. He is just so little, ya know? (No pity....just prayers!) I am a lucky mom. I have got some great kids.

I put some crazy pictures of "the Trentster" at the top because he is a good, silly little man. Can you see what I get when I want to take his picture? Lots of nose picking and bucket scratching...... The little stinker!

On to brighter things (I think...this one was difficult!).........

I

I love ice cream, but rarely eat it because it makes me sick to my stomach.

I used to ice skate as a kid and made the boys pay me 25 cents to skate one lap around the rink. (not nice, I know.....it was in the past people...and I was a KID! HA!)

I really want to go to IKEA. I have never been there and would like to shop, shop, shop!

I love Impressionist Art.

I never change my weight on my ID. My husband thinks I am breaking the law because I am falsifying information. Hhhhmmmm...they will have to get over that one. Besides, they may think I still weight 127....hehehehhehehe.

I think there should be no illegal aliens in the United States. You either enter legally or it's back home with you. That simple....

I have no skill for driving on ice and getting out of a spin. But I am facinated by large icicles. As a kid I used to suck on icicles. Mmmmmm.....nothing like the cool taste of gutter dirt.

Soooo......onto another day!

Hugs,

Oh Boy....

This may not be good. I have seen this interesting little game on Jen and Tina's blogs so I figured I will partake. But, I must admit....I'm scared.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)-Beau Envoy
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)-Butter Pecan Molassas
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) -vbla
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)-Red Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)-Jean Elyria
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) -Blava
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)-The Green Diet Pepsi
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)-William Emil (EEEWW - Who would want that name?)
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)-Burberry Chocolate Strawberry
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )-Lou Emil
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)-Glover Gainesville
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)-Christmas Sunflower
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)-Watermelon Sweatsy
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)-Eggs Cherry
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)-The Scrapbooking Sunshine Tour

Okay, then.......This is Goodnight from BURBERRY CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY!

Peeved!

Well, it didn't take long to set me off this morning. Today is an election day and normally I think those are pretty exciting days. BUT, today I was a little peeved. I drove Trent to school today and we were greeted by approximately fifteen people lined by the school holding signs for their candidate. I really didn't feel comfortable dropping him off in all of that, so I walked him inside.

Inside, it was chaos. Between massive amounts of kids and voters, the halls were packed. And it made me really unhappy. To me, having voting in a school that is "in-session" is just a huge risk. Normally our school is locked like a fortress. Don't EVEN try to get in the back door unless it is the weekend. The front doors are monitored by cameras and a "buzz-in" system. I am all good with this. In this day and age, I think we need to take precautions. But really......all these strangers in our school, with our kids, with God-knows-what in their possession....I'm not liking it. Poor choice guys. Really...we tell our kids to stay away from strangers and report a stranger in their building and then......we invite them inside!

I wish they would have had the kids stay home today or would have found another location for voting. Only a few years ago, I pulled into our school parking lot to find police cars filling the parking lot. They stopped me before entering to tell me that I had to pick up my children at Westlake High School because we had a bomb threat and had to evacuate.

So, I'm putting my faith in Trent's teacher (who is a wonderful teacher) to look after my little bug today amongst these strangers.

On another note, my dad thinks this whole "alphabet thing" is making my blog pretty boring. I, on the other hand, am challenged to come up with these answers! PLUS, I love hearing my friends answers. So, dad......work with me.

H

We have had many hermit crabs as pets. Warning: Stay clear of the "purple pincher."

I am extremely concerned about our country's Health Care System. Especially since my kids will need it...BADLY...in the future. Did you see the 70 yr. old gentleman who just robbed a bank because he couldn't afford his health care bills? Do you know that a large amount of the homeless are those needing mental health care and they cannot obtain the care? GGRRRRR......

Heaven...In my gut, I know it exists. I want to be there some day. I know that a lot of people I care for are there right now...partying!

I have loved doing my daughter's hair since she was a little girl.

When I was little, I wanted to be a hippie. Of course, I was born in the 60s so that kind of makes sense. I really didn't understand hippies, except that I thought they wore cool clothes and they liked peace signs!

I loved going to High School, but I pretty much hated every day of Junior High. Doesn't everyone?

I love Holcomb's because I secretly have always wished I was a teacher. To me, it is like a candy store.

My husband wanted to propose to me in a helicopter over Niagra Falls. Remember the letter "F" and fear of flying? Yeah....it didn't work. NO getting in the plane. I knew his secret plan to kick me out of the helicopter and cash in on the rock.

I once received a rubber hand (more like a bloody stump) from my husband as a gift. Ask me about it sometime.

Finally, I had a warm moment last night. My two boys played together a great deal of the evening and it ended with hugs, cuddles and kisses. Sometimes you get a brief window that makes you think you MAY have done one thing correctly. :) (See photos above! I know one was blurry...but I just had to add it!)

Hugs.....

Drum Roll Please!

Well, she did it. After a few very long weekends, Paige made the Advance JO Volleyball team. We are pretty darn excited. This is how it works......if you "overly enjoy" this sport you usually begin JO around 5th grade (I would guess). If you have a good experience, you would stick with the same team (basically) until you no longer WANT to play JO. Unfortunately, Paige played one year of JO (the year she was diagnosed) and it wasn't that great of an experience on her team (poor coaching, etc....). Due to "other circumstances" we didn't try again until this year and we were getting the idea that she may be shut out. We thought all the teams may be filled. You go to these tryouts (and pay to tryout for each team ...ugh) and you can have anywhere from 45 to 250 girls trying for 5 positions. ANYHOO...they asked 15 girls to stay out of the multitude and she was one of them. Now we have to come up with the $650.00.

Wait... did I hear someone beckoning to hear the letter "G" list? ::drumroll::

G

My oldest son, Austin will be graduating from Lutheran West in the spring.

I'm not a fan of gossiping. I'm not saying I don't do it...I'm just never proud when I do. Trying to stop that AND trying to raise a daughter who doesn't value gossip as well.

I have a sensitive gag reflex. Honestly! I'm gaging all over when I brush my teeth. (TMI?)

I hate grocery shopping unless you give me an unlimited amount of money. And oddly enough, for some reason I am more interested in grocery shopping during the months of September-April. I'm not sure why!

When our kids do something foolish...I admit we call them names. I ususally call them "goobers" and my husband calls them "gloobkas." No, I do not know what a "gloobka" is.

My husband and I are obsessed with our grass. We want a golf course out there, people! Recently we were attacked by grubs, which caused great distress.

Speaking of golf, if you are a Blackburn you must know the game of golf. Period. Otherwise you risk shunning.

I'm not a person who gushes. Although I will gush around babies and children. I cannot help myself.

My garage ALWAYS needs cleaning.

Today I have one home sick from school and one with the day off from school. Who knows what will be happening!

Hugs!

Give THEM the camera!

You know, sometimes I give my kids the camera and they come back with some really cool photos. Usually they are a shot a mom would NEVER capture. Here are three of my new favorites. It's kind of funny that they were taken by different kids, but similar poses. Hhhmmm.....

Goofy, I know.

Oh, for the love of Tina...I mean...Pete!

Well, Tina is at it AGAIN! Another little trivia game.......so here goes.

Use the 1st letter of your name
What is your name? Valerie
4 letter word: Vice
Vehicle: Viper
T.V.Show: The Virginian
Movie: Valley of the Dolls
City: Valparaiso
Boy Name: Vincent
Girl Name: Victoria
Drink: Vanilla Coke
Occupation: Vet
Something you wear: Vest
Celebrity: Valerie Harper
Food: Vegetable Lasagna
Something found in a bathroom: Viagra (Disclaimer: Not found in my bathrooms)
Reason for Being Late: Violent Stomach Pains !??
Something You Shout: V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
Something You Call Someone Liked: Valuable

Introducting: The letter "F"

F

I try to be faithful.
I love my family.
Watermelon is my favorite fruit.
I have short, chubby fingers.
I don't have gobs of friends, but the ones I do have are amazing people and make me feel blessed.
I have a huge, and I mean HUGE, fear of flying.
My family is full of football lovers.
I hate doing our finances and leave that job to my husband!
I love my fireplace and consider it a complete luxury.
We have several fish in our pond.
My son, Austin has always been a frog lover. He even owned fire belly frogs.
My first car was an Oldsmobile Firenza. I bought it new off of the lot when I got my job at BP.

Paige has two more JO tryouts today and I am a little worried. I think she may be getting strep throat. I was up with her during the night. I had her gargle with warm salt water. Of course, Trent joined in. He kept having nightmares. He kept waking me up asking for "things to think about" so he could go back to sleep.

I had one of those days yesterday where you clean all day and your house looks exactly the same when you are finished. Exactly how does that happen? So, today I am going to help Trent work on a school project and I will once again attack the house. I need to take down the Halloween decorations (sorry Trish, they are still up) and make the house a little more harvesty. (Is that even a word?)

Sorry my posts have been so full of fluff lately. I have been really busy. I will improve soon...I promise!

Peace Out!

The Unveiling...

The Unveiling of the Letter "E." I am totally dreading this letter. I can't think of anything that begins with the letter E but for some reason lots of letter As and Bs are running through my head five days too late. Isn't that how it usually works? So, here I go.

E

I sell things on ebay.

I am becoming addicted to Etsy.com

I need to start exercising again. Believe it or not, at one point in my life I was addicted. Then I had children. I need to start again.

Eating....{{sigh}}. This is something I need to stop in conjunction with starting the exercising.

I was raised as a member of Emmanual Lutheran Church (Synod ELCA).

My first house was on Electric Drive in Bay Village.

Easter is one of my favorite holidays.

My dad's middle name is Emil and Vera loves it. Yuck. Love you, Vera...just not the name Emil (for reasons we have discussed!)

Sorry, thats all I have people.

It's been a crazy busy week and by the looks of my house you can tell! Last night we spent the evening at Lutheran West for the soccer banquet. I wasn't thrilled about going, but totally wanted to go for Austin. We ended out having a nice time! We sat with our friends, Ali and June Ilhan. Their son, Mark has been friends with Austin since St. Paul. Really, really good people. I have "studied" them over the years. NEVER a bad word comes from their mouths about anyone. They are uplifting people and above all...HAPPY. I don't think Ali stops smiling..ever. They totally live their faith. Again...good people. I'm gonna work on this!

I'm loving the fact that I wake up to frost every morning. I am a winter person which makes it much more bearable to live in northeast Ohio. I love every season as it comes. So this frost is making me feel all cozy and warm inside. I'm a little odd, so sometimes I get up early just to see the frost!

As for our weekend, two more JO tryouts, two doctors appointments and a very important soccer game to watch on TV. If you didn't know...there is a professional team called Blackburn (from England) and for some reason we are EXTREMELY partial to them. They have a big game today!!!

Lastly, I had to make some of my mint brownies for the banquet last night. Therefore, I decided to show these lovelies to you and to give you the recipie!

Layer 1:

1 c sugar 1/2 c butter (or margarine) 4 eggs

1 c flour 1/2 t salt 1 16 oz can Hershey's Syrup

1 t vanilla

Mix together all ingredients and spread in greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and then cool completely.

Layer 2:

2 c confectioners sugar 1/2 c soft butter 3/4/ t mint (peppermint) extract

2 T water 2 drops of green food coloring

Mix together and spread on top of cooled brownie layer.

Layer 3:

6 T Butter
6 oz chocolate chips (1 c)

Melt together. Spread lightly or drizzle over mint layer. Cool then cut into small squares. Freezes well!

ENJOY!

I Can't Believe It's Over!

I cannot believe Halloween is over already! I love Halloween and it went too quickly!


So, I'm sure you are all angry. I didn't post the letter "D" yesterday and you were glued to your computers waiting for more information on ME! HA! (Iknow...I'm dreaming....) Now for the letter "D."

D

I love Dogs. It is that plain and simple.
We grew up across the street from the Dombrosky family. Shirley was like another mom and our mom's best friend.
I was the co-captain of Lutheran West Drill Team. (Yep, that was many pounds ago, when I could lift my legs.:)
I dated my husband for 8 years before I married him. We started dating when we were 16.
Depression runs in my family. **ugh**
When I was little, my grandma used to make homemade chocoate syrup for ice cream. She called it "dope." My sisters and cousins and I used to giggle because we considred "dope" to be something totally different. So...my grandma basically handed out dope to children! HA!
I don't drink alcohol. Sometimes I act like I do. Sometimes I think it should become a new hobbie. But I don't drink. I never have. It makes me feel cruddy and I don't enjoy it.
I love my Dad. He is one of my favorite people...always.

Well, today our house is completely over run with halloween candy. I am going to try to freeze some and, if possible, give some to our neighbor. She takes them to North Olmsted High School. I guess they collect it, and make bags for homeless and elderly people. Hhhmmmm....When I just typed that I thought "I wonder how many of them have dental plans." Oh well, I'm sure they will appreciate the candy!





I guess it is pretty obvious who Trent dressed up to look like. His friends were a zombie (Garrett) and a SWAT Team Member (Griffin). Paige's friends dressed like a dancing box (Brittany), two unicorns (Natalie and Jackie) and Paige is some guy off of myspace. BUT, she said she told most people she was a bum because they wouldn't get the costume.

Following is a picture of the "Evil Candy Giving Jamaican." Austin helped to hand out candy. I have deemed him unworthy of having children. There were two little boys trick-or-treating. One was dressed in a Cleveland Browns football uniform and the other was dressed as a Pittsburgh Steeler's Player. Austin told them only one would get candy and you should have seen their faces! What a meanie! Of course, we gave both boys candy but I felt bad!


AND, last but not least, this is what happens when your neighbors give your husband shots to keep him "warm" while walking the trick-or-treaters.....



My kids are home from school today due to Teacher's Conferences. As I am typing this..I hear Trent singing "The Star Spangled Banner" while watching the Ohio State/Michigan Game from last year...once again...maybe for the 1000th time. Don't tell him I told you, but he like to march to Script Ohio.

And people wonder why I just don't want him to grow up..............................