June 12

The last week has been very busy. I am on the Miss Waterville committee and last Friday was the pageant. There was rehearsal Tuesday and Wednesday, and a barbecue on Wadnesday night for contestants, sponsors and the girls parents. Alair, Claire and Natalie also had Bible school every evening. Thursday was the closing program for VBS. Friday was the pageant and I made chicken salad and cherry berries on a cloud for 80 for a catering job on Saturday. After catering, I put about 16 pounds of chicken and a couple dozen cut up potatoes and seasonings in the electric roaster for a pot luck at North Morristown for Kay Cram's retirement. Kim, Alair, and I went into Waterville for fried bullheads for supper. Sunday morning we went to church at North Morristown.and the potluck was right after. I had invited Andy to come and eat with us as Christine was working. After eating we went to the Bullhead Days parade in Waterville and then grilled out at Emily and Andy's. It poured while poor Andy was at the grill. Ashley and Erik were there also. Andy and the boys went hoe after the parade as they were wore out.

Monday I cleaned house for the BS Ladies. and today I am shampooing rugs. I also am filling out the paper work for AFS and taking pictures of the inside of the house. We are getting a girl from Thailand this year.

Friday, Carly and Corrine are coming to stay until Monday sometime. Andy and Emily are going up to Canada with their church's youth group for a week. Melissa Witte is watching the girls until Friday. Should be fun. Hope it doesn't rain the whole time.

Summer schedule for church starts tonight.   I like Wednesday service.

June 2, 2013

I am down 30 lbs. so far.  It's a start. I feel pretty good.

Since I don't garden, I planned on planting a few things in containers. I haven't done it yet because of the rain almost every day. Tomorrow Alair and I will get potting soil and plant. It's supposed to be sunny.

Bible School starts tonight at our church. It goes from 6-8 through Thursday. Miss Waterville practice is Tuesday and Wednesday and the pageant is Friday. I cater on Saturday for the Ladies group at Louise's church. Chicken salad and dessert for 80.About...have to get the final number yet. Sunday we are going to North Morristown Church for a pot luck for Mrs. Cram. Then go to the Bullhead Days parade.

I had a few projects..Carsen's garter for prom and a quilt for Mrs. Cram. I had the students each make a square and I put them together.

May 7, 2013

Well I see I haven't posted in quite a while.  Things are going pretty well. I have lost 25 pounds....it's a start. My blood pressure is down also.  I swim every day and have started strength training.  We are also going to buy a recumbent bike. I need to mix it up a little. I have started cooking again. I got some new cookbooks and the things are very good.

Aubrey and the girls are all settled in for now. She and Troy will be buying Ruth and Art's house. They have found a house in Morristown to rent. The tentative closing date is July first. Aubrey is going to start moving her things into the house as soon as she can. She and the girls will still be sleeping here and eating breakfast here, but will have supper there.  That way Aubrey gets to cook more.

It is so nice to finally have spring. Winter was way too long and really took a toll on my attitude. This Sunday,we are going to eat at Olive's in Mankato. I figure the buffet will have a little healthier fare as it is mediteranean. I hope so any way.

Tonight we have open house at Alair's school. They hired a teacher and we are all so happy. we don't have to worry about the kid's education for a while. Tomorrow we have Honorary Member night at Ladies aid. We serve supper. Thursday is dance pictures and Ascension service at church. Pretty chaotic but we will make it. Saturday is Natalie's 4th birthday party. She wants a crown cake and I found a pan so I guess she gets it.

March 9th

Things are going better. I am counting carbs and finding recipes with nutritional information. I swim 60 minutes a day, every day.  I feel much better and I now know what I feel like when my sugar is high. I go back in 3 weeks to have the diabetes educator look over my sugar levels and decide what to do next.  So far my morning level is too high....every day.

Aubrey is almost moved in. Just the big stuff left and we need boys and trucks for that. The weather isn't cooperating well there though.

Got Easter decorations almost up. Not nearly as much as Christmas. Looks springy. I need that.

2/24/2013

Some good things have happened since my last post. First here is a picture of Dannie in his baptism outfit I made. Then here is a picture of the purple chasuble I made for our church. Got it done just in time for Ash Wednesday. Also, my cholesterol is way down.  Then I had to have my A1c level done and found out I have type 2 diabetes. I meet with to people this week to explain things and what I do now.  I am on Metformin. I know I will be testing my blood.  Not sure how often. We got lp and I start swimming again tomorrow. The pool had to go from 45 to 82.  Not there yet today.

Winter Blues

I really don't like this time of year.  It has been very cold, cloudy, icy and snowy. I don't want to get up in the morning and I don't have any motivation to get anything done. I had been swimming an hour a day,5 days a week until a couple weeks ago. Can't get the lp tank filled to heat the pool. Kim's sales haven't been very good and income is totally based on commission.....swimming is a luxury.  Even though it helped my joints and mood and gave me much energy.
   In January, Dannie got baptized and we stayed in Hibbing for that. It was nice. The baptism was very interesting. Kim recorded it on his ipod.
   Last weekend was Claire's birthday. People came on Saturday for supper. Honestly, I didn't want to do anything for it. I have been very emotional and want to sleep.  Hope spring comes soon.

A couple more things

In December, I also made Aubrey a dress and Ellie Mumme.  Then I made 51 Christmas ornaments and 2 stockings. This is Aubrey.  I don't have a picture of Ellie. Also don't have a picture of the stockings.

Christmas Eve and Day

Allison and Chris left early Christmas Eve morning..They had been here since Thursday and went home to celebrate with Chris's family. Emily and family, Aubrey and family and Louise and Al came over in the afternoon. We ate an early supper and then all went their ways to different churches. Except Aubrey and girls , who go with us.  It was the children's program and this was the first year Alair had actual lines. She did great....they all did. Afterward Aubrey and girls went to Troy's. After Emily and family were done with their church, they headed to Indiana to see Andy's mom. We just went home. The next day it was just us again, and kind of nice. I love having everyone here, but I get tired! Alair got sick the next day and continued to have a fever until the 31st. She has a slight cough yet and is stuffy. Some of the kids were here New Year's Eve and Day. I made it to midnight....Most of the kids not so much.  School starts tomorrow and we can get back to normal....whatever that is.

Christmas Weekend

In September, we decided to take as many family members to see a play and out for dinner. We had done this quite a bit when the first five were younger. So where to go and take a lot of pre-schoolers. We really liked taking Alair to The Children's Theatre Company. It's very kid friendly and not as expensive as other places. How The Grinch Stole Christmas would be playing in December. I called all the kids to see if they wanted to go and when it would work for most.  December 23rd was the date.  Andy and Christine decided not to go as Brandon wouldn't sit....at all.  I ordered 17 tickets, for Troy, Carson and Adam also.  We got lap passes for Mila, Dannie,and Corinne. So 20 people in all. It was great! The show was 75 minutes without an intermission, and was just right. We then went for dinner, and that was great also. By the way, this was their Christmas present from us. I think sometimes it's more important to make memories than buy things. This is some of the kids.

Catering

The Tuesday after the bake sale, I catered the Christmas party for the Red Hat Ladies of Elysian.  It was a hoot. Kim helped and Aubrey got Alair after school.  We served Stuffed Chicken Breast, Carrots, Cheesy Potatoes, Dinner Rolls, Tossed Salad and two desserts: Pumpkin Pie Shooters and Scandinavian Red Velvet Cake with Caramel Ganache and old fashioned cooked frosting. It went very well and was a lot of fun. I have some pictures, but for some reason I can't get them. Oh, well.

Year's End 2012

December was a crazy month.  I was on the committee for ladies aide and we put on the Christmas party, I had to bake 20 dozen Christmas cookies the same week for a bake sale at Alair's school. I would make something for the meeting and call others to make the other food.  The other co-chair was to call the rest and get helpers and decorations. I wasn't going as there are only four families at Alair's school to bake for the sale.  The night before the party she called and her daughter had blown out her knee at the basketball game the night before. She had to take her to a specialist the next day and didn't know when she would be back. Her husband would bring in her food, but she couldn't get a hold of most of the others....they didn't call her back when she left a message. Also no decorations.  Soooooo I loaded up some of my decorations sitting around and my dish and went and stayed, served and cleaned up. Not upset with the co-chair because things happen, but frustrated with the other ladies.  Oh well.  Got my cookies baked and we raisd a surprising amount of money, considering the number of bake sales in the area that day.