Happy New Year! 2010

Hello and Happy New Year 2010!

First, an apology: It has been 5 months since my last post. Shame on me.

So here is a quick recap of the last months of 2009:

I am working 2 jobs within the same company. I am now a lunch aid at Head Start and I am a GE (Great Explorations) Instructor after school. I find both jobs rewarding as I'm working with kids all day--ages 3-11.

Mike has finished up his first semester of the nursing program at Finlandia on the Dean's List. Woot! Woot! Mike. Way to go!

Our Grand Caravan has seen 200,000 miles and she's still going. Hallelujah!

God blesses us greatly this holiday season. Thanks to all the secret givers. Your generosity is appreciated so, so much!

The boys are growing like weeds. I miss them as little boys but I'm so excited to see what they will become as young men.

(Michael - almost 13)

(Samuel - almost 9)

(Eli - almost 11)

(Riley - 5 1/2)

I haven't been cooking very many home cooked meals the past four months. By the time I get home at 6:30pm it is hard to get anything on the table before 7:00 and I'm always forgetting to thaw something before hand. I'm sure my husband and boys have enjoyed all the pizza and fast food but I feel SO guilty. So while on vacation I've tried to make some good meals to remind them what I'm capable of making.

Last night we went to a New Year's Eve party at my pastor's home and we all brought ethnic dishes from our heritage. I made sauerkraut and sausage since I'm German and it is easy to do. But I really wanted to make something else. So in researching my heritage I found something that spanned the Irish, German, Russian, Swede and Jew in me:

Potato Pancakes!

I didn't get them made for last night but the boys and I enjoyed them for dinner tonight. I served them with sugar, syrup or apple jelly. My favorite was the apple jelly. Samuel and Riley doubled up and used sugar and syrup (ewww!) and Eli ate them plain. I remember eating these as kids and they are just as good today as back then. Yum-O!

So the last thing I want to catch up on is my book list. I've updated, though not in time to qualify for my challenge.....I didn't make it anyway. But I was a reading fiend this past year and I've decided that no one with four kids needs to read 100 books to have a fulfilled life. I did find some new authors that I'm interested in exploring further and I've weeded out a few that I'm not really interested in. I've read children's books, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2 thumbs up!); the rave of the moment, The Twilight Series (great story, writing could be better); mysteries, Easy to Kill (Agatha is still a favorite!), and classics, The Chronicles of Narnia (I could read these over and over!). Check out my list on the left--see one you'd like to know more about, just ask.

Happy 2010

Life is what you make it!

March On!

Today Michael marched in his first parade with the CHS band.

(Michael, second from right, 3rd row, playing clarinet)

He looked so very handsome in his uniform and the whole band was way classier than the other bands that marched in t-shirts and shorts.

The entire Strawberry Festival Parade was very good. Lots of candy for the little ones and the floats were both nicely done and well thought out. The only drawback was that we only saw Michael for a moment and then he was on to perform for others and he didn't get to see much of the parade himself.