tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17486223489710880102024-03-13T06:25:34.034-05:00Modern Day MamaA family of five — living in Des Moines, Iowa — playing, working, learning, loving, laughing and getting by one crazy day at a time. Two 30-somethings with two awesome sons and one sweet baby girl. ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.comBlogger820125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-92043627982924145242016-07-17T21:14:00.003-05:002016-07-17T21:14:38.913-05:00Summer Days, Summer FunHey everyone! Summer is underway and we are having one of the best summers in memory! I can't tell you how much I love living in a small town! We've experienced so many great things already -- walking to the farmers market on Tuesday night, walking to the library, walking to downtown shops and restaurants, shopping a great local stores, dropping in on Shawn's parents, etc. It's really, really great. We love it.<br />
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Shawn and I have been working steadily on the house. Due to insurance, we had to find a contractor to quickly do some exterior work in order to get the house insured... We found a great guy though and he reshingled the front porch, took down two chimneys and patched up the roof. We'll have him back in a couple weeks to check out the central beam in the basement. He showed me some photos of his landscaping business -- wish I could hire him to do that! Our new yard is a bit of a mess... Lots of weeds, really hard ground, places with rocks and black plastic... Ugh, lots of work ahead. We tried to mow it yesterday, but the darn mower isn't working. So Shawn tried to fix that today but couldn't figure out the problem.<br />
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What else.... My sister and niece are coming to spend a day with me and Violet next weekend -- looking forward to that! My niece will be quite envious of my side of the hobby room. I spent several afternoons unpacking my fabrics and organizing them on shelves. It was so nice to be reunited with them!<br />
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The only downside this summer has been my work schedule -- totally busy and chaotic. I have two business trips coming up in the next three weeks. So far the commute to Des Moines hasn't been too bad. I enjoy the quiet time with my thoughts, but I miss being home to start supper, pick Vi up from daycare and run home for lunch.<br />
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No house photos to show you, but here are some fun pics from the 4th of July on the farm:<br />
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And here are a couple pics from our local library. The kids and I like to walk up there after supper. It's open until 8! </div>
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Have a great week ahead, friends!</div>
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-26736109498444934892016-06-22T21:40:00.003-05:002016-06-22T21:40:46.545-05:00Cherry Pickin' and Jam Makin' Time!Tonight I did something that I have wanted to do for the last five years -- I made jam!! And I had three helpers, and it got a little hectic at times, but no one was hurt in the making of the jam and the kitchen is already cleaned up!<br />
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Let me take you on a photo essay of our afternoon:<br />
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<b>2 p.m.</b> Arrive at my sister's house to pick cherries and blueberries. It was pretty hot and sunny, but I had the boys with me and they were very willing helpers. Here's "the flying squirrel" (as my mother calls Bo) up in the tree picking cherries. </div>
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He was up there for about a half hour and filled his bucket!</div>
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Poor Mazy was in the hottest part of the yard -- no shade at all. We found a little umbrella in my sister's garage but he had trouble holding it and picking at the same time. </div>
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<b>3 p.m.</b> Mazy filled his bucket as well, and then we were sweating like crazy and ready to cool off. </div>
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<b>4 p.m. </b>Arrived back in Nevada, picked up Violet (who was NOT happy, not happy at all, that we had picked her beloved blueberries without her.) We ended up with quite a bit of fruit. We refrigerated the blueberries, but I spent an hour pitting the cherries. We had just over eight cups of them. </div>
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<b>6 p.m</b>. After looking up a few recipes and deciding that I could make jam, we got to work. We put all the cherries into a pot and added sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. And then Bo carefully helped me stir it for about 40 minutes until it hit 220 degrees. </div>
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Violet took this picture.... Actually she took about 45 pictures that look exactly like this -- her finger on the left, Bo's butt on the right. </div>
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7:30 p.m. Success! It was a lot of work for three small jars of jam, but who cares, don't they look great! The kids were so excited. They want to make jam and sell it at the Nevada farmers market. I love that idea! We started brainstorming names for our stand. Let's see, Mazy suggested "Keesia's Kitchen -- Jams, Pies and More." Bo said: "Mom's Best Jam Since the Stone Age." And Violet's was "Mommy's Best Pie Kitchen." She also suggested one with "naked" in it and thought it was the most hilarious name ever. That girl....</div>
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So that was Wednesday afternoon and evening at our house. It was pretty awesome. Shawn was in Des Moines for his board game night and missed all the fun. But, he is the one who bought me a canning kit for a Christmas gift many years ago, along with the awesome pieces of cloth to decorate the lids with! Thanks, Shawn! I love living in a small town -- we are already embracing a slower, less complicated way of life. We didn't have the TV on that entire time. The kids were all out in the kitchen with me. We had fun. We made supper together. We ate at the table together. It was really great. Life is good. </div>
ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-80829367171367063972016-06-19T21:45:00.001-05:002016-06-19T21:45:37.889-05:00Happy Father's Day and New House Photos!Hi everybody! First, Happy Father's Day! We had a great day celebrating all the wonderful fathers in our lives. Love you Kevy! And I'm so glad I got to spend part of the day with my dad and my father-in-law.<br />
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Bright and early this morning, the entire family walked from our amazing new house over to Main Street where we enjoyed breakfast with Shawn's parents, Dwayne and Belinda, and my sister-in-law Denise and her family. Snack Time is a great local restaurant with a friendly staff and good food -- when you're in Nevada visiting me, you should check it out!<br />
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After breakfast and our walk back home, we spent several hours unpacking and organizing (that's the story of our life right now, it's exhausting....) and got the house pretty darn presentable. Then at 2, it was off to the boys flag football games in Ankeny. My parents joined us there and then came back to Nevada for supper at our house. I grilled a pretty amazing supper -- pork loin on the grill, potatoes and onions on the grill, vegetable shish kebabs (on the grill), a cold sweet corn/tomato side salad and deviled eggs. Yum yum yum!<br />
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Have I told you lately how much we love our grill? I have wanted one for so many years, and now I have a grill and an amazing deck for grilling and it just makes me so happy! Anyway, we even grilled peaches soaked in rum to go with our angel food cake and fresh strawberries and blueberries for dessert.<br />
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After supper, the kids and Shawn all took showers and then came down for dessert and a Father's Day 2016 photo:<br />
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OK, now, for the big news. Yesterday we finished moving EVERYTHING out of the old house and up to the new house! You might be thinking, "Hey Keesia, didn't you do that two weeks ago?" Nope, we sure didn't. It seems like we have been moving vanloads, truckloads and even a 20-foot U-Haul Truck full of junk to this house for our entire lives... But yesterday, thanks to Denise (the amazing sister-in-law mentioned above) and her two mighty sons, the old house is officially empty! Please don't look in our garage at the large trailer filled to the brim with boxes... Or at the other side of the garage, filled to the brim with empty boxes and junk we're getting rid of.... We won't be parking in the garage for awhile. But who cares, it's nice weather and we don't need it. :)<br />
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Last week I promised to share some photos of the house. After much unloading, organizing and decorating, I finally have some photos of the kitchen to share. It's obviously a work in progress, but it's quickly become my favorite room in the house.<br />
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This is easily my favorite part of the kitchen -- look at all the awesome red, white, turquoise, enamel and vintage items! My mom bought me a lot of it, including that awesome red clock. My aunt Sherie bought me a lot of the rest, including giving me the white/red chicken pot holder. I think it came from my grandpa's aunt. I LOVE having family heirlooms to enjoy. Oh, and did you see my new garbage can! I just realized I need to take the big sticker off... </div>
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This section isn't finished yet, but I wanted to point out the enamel tray holding six awesome drinking glasses with straws that my mother-in-law bought me for a housewarming gift, and the green vaseline glasses behind the rooster windvane that my Aunt Cindy was so very kind to pass out to all of us. She inherited it from Grandma Betty, and after Grandpa Keith's recent death, Cindy let everyone pick some pieces from her collection to take home. Thank you, Cindy -- I love them and think of you and Grandma every time I see them. And thank you to my mom, who brought me a couple more pieces from the collection. My heirlooms! </div>
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This is the window over my kitchen sink. The curtain is an embroidered apron that my Aunt Sherie gave me, again, I believe it was from my Great Great Aunt Iva. It's beautiful and I think it will work great as a curtain.</div>
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Not much to see here, but above the cupboards you can see some of my vintage tin and enamelware collection. Now that I have space, I can add a few more pieces to finish it!</div>
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That's all you get to see today. Give me time to get more boxes unpacked and I'll show you some more rooms. Have a great week, everyone!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-40005846973938052542016-06-11T21:05:00.001-05:002016-06-11T21:05:15.320-05:00I'm Tired, But HappyWell hey everybody! Greetings from Nevada. We've been in our new house for a full week, and it's so awesome! I'm sorry I don't have any photos to share today -- I've hardly taken any since we've moved in. But I promise I'll get some this week!<br />
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Whew, I don't even know where to begin. Well, first I should acknowledge that amidst all this fun and excitement, we unfortunately had a death in the family. My Grandpa Keith passed away late Tuesday night, after fighting Stage 4 prostate cancer. His visitation will be tomorrow in Panora, Iowa, with the funeral on Monday morning. His eight grandchildren will be the pall bearers. He was 87 years old. Many in our family are saddened by this news. I've told several people that he always seemed invincible to me -- working hard up until the final months of his life, when he was finally slowed down by the cancer. As a child, I spent many days and nights at his and Grandma Betty's farm. I think that's what I am saddest about -- that part of my life is now gone. The farmhouse will likely be torn down. Maybe it will be rebuilt, but it will no longer be my grandparent's farm. Last Sunday, I sat on the deck watching the sunset for the final time. I'd gone to the farm with my sister and our daughters to say goodbye to him. The girls played in the yard, just like we did when we were little. We drank wine and chatted late into the night with my aunt and cousin from Mississippi. I don't think any of us wanted that night to end because we knew it would be the last time we'd be there together. Violet and I drove back to Nevada, arriving just before midnight. And that was the end of an era...<br />
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I've spent the last week working from home a couple of days and working on the house. Violet started her new daycare on Wednesday morning, and seems to be adjusting well to it. The boys were home all week with me. They've been pretty good help -- carrying lots of boxes up and down stairs, sorting through totes of their old toys, helping with meals, and watering my plants every evening. We've made good progress, but there's still a long way to go. Unfortunately, we still have a lot of crap in our old house. Good ol' Shawn borrowed a truck and brought a load back today, including the head board to our bed! Our bedroom is in the worst shape of any room.... Doesn't that figure? I have great ideas for it, but I just haven't had the time to work on it yet. Plus, it has two big walk-in closets in it, but like every closet in the house, they need a lot of work to make them functional. Meanwhile, the kids all have their own rooms and we've even hung pictures in all of them! They're the most decorated, organized rooms in the house. And the kids love them!<br />
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We are also in desperate need of shades and curtains. Not a single window in the house had them and with these long days and late sunsets, it's impossible to get Violet to bed at a decent time. And I need closet organizers. And a new ceiling fan for the living room. And more pots for my tomato and pepper plants. And weed spray for all the thistles growing in the yard. And patio furniture for the deck. And desks and shelves for the Ultimate Hobby Room that Shawn and I will share. And another couch for the living room. And.... :)<br />
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Well, I guess I'll end here. I'm tired just thinking about it. Hope you all have had a good week, and come back soon for a tour of the new house! It is AWESOME!!!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-87977247593374361012016-06-01T23:13:00.001-05:002016-06-01T23:13:19.096-05:00The Night Before Our New HouseI still can't believe this is happening. Tomorrow we are buying a new house and moving to a new town and starting a new life for our family!!! Holy cow. I have dreamed about this day for years, and it's just a few hours away.<div>
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These past couple of months have been crazy -- between getting ready for the move and an insanely busy schedule at work, I am really looking forward to the next five days! Packing is going to seem like a breeze compared to all the late night work I've been doing!</div>
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But speaking of work, this morning I received an email from the president of our company, asking me to drop by his office. In the two and a half years I've worked at this company, he's never asked me to report to his office. So clearly, I assumed the worst and figured I was in trouble. So I told him I'd be right up and quickly climbed the stairs to his office. I was about to sit down when he handed me something and said, "Why don't you put that in your pocket." I looked down and he was giving me two $100 bills! Then he told me it was a bonus for all the hard work I've been doing and that it was on the recommendation of one of my bosses. Whoohooo! Isn't that awesome?! I really appreciate working for a company that acknowledges hard work and going above and beyond. Hooray for my company! And hooray for me! Now I have some spending money to buy new stuff for the house! I'm thinking things for the yard -- new plants, maybe some yard art, that kind of thing. I'll definitely spend the money locally to support our new community.</div>
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Well, tomorrow is not only closing day on the new house, but also the last day for Violet at her daycare. She's been at Lil Scholars since she was 3 months old. They took on Bo when he was 2, after he'd been booted out of two daycares. The director and assistant director are amazing women. So many of the teachers have been amazing. I've always felt so confident and trusting of the entire staff. It's going to be hard to say goodbye after more than 4 years with them. Tonight I ordered a bunch of pizzas and pop for the staff's lunch tomorrow -- just a little thank you for all their hard work, patience and love for all my children. Thanks Lil Scholars! We'll miss you!! </div>
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Whew, I guess that's about it. I think I should get to bed. The next five days are going to be crazy!!! I'll write again once our Internet is hooked up and I unpack my computer and find a place to sit. Until then, have a great week everybody!</div>
ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-67961189386589715382016-05-30T21:13:00.002-05:002016-05-30T21:13:20.297-05:00Packing Boxes, Sunscreen and Last TimesOne week from today, we'll be in our new house. We'll have had five days of moving and unpacking, and by this time, we should be somewhat settled in. Violet will be asleep in her new bed, on her new mattress, in her new princess room. We'll be telling Bo to go to his new dinosaur room with his new bed and mattress. And Mazy will be sitting in our new living room, trying to talk us into "just 10 more minutes" until he goes to his new travel/alien bedroom, also with a new bed and mattress.<br />
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The next seven days are going to be crazy!!<br />
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We spent this weekend packing. Believe it or not, we're nearly finished... I know, it's strange to think we are ahead of schedule on this. Fortunately, we did most of our packing months and months ago, when we first got the house ready to sell last spring.<br />
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These kids are in for such a surprise -- not only are they getting all new bedroom furniture, and for the first time in their lives, their own bedrooms -- they have so many toys and books they haven't seen in over a year! It will be like Christmas morning each time they open a box!<br />
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In preparation for the crazy week ahead, we bought a bunch of lunch meat, cheese, fresh fruit and small bags of chips -- no more cooking in this house! We've packed up a lot of the kitchen, and we'll finish it up tomorrow night.<br />
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I think everyone in the family is a little nervous and stressed out with the move. Tempers are running hot and children are acting up (more than usual). Especially little Miss Violet. I feel bad for her -- she has the most change coming next week. She is the only one who is truly "moving" to Nevada next Friday. The rest of us are continuing with our normal jobs and the boys will continue to go to Des Moines to school for another month, but Violet will have her last day at her daycare on Thursday. It's the only daycare she's ever known -- they've had her since she was 3 months old and they've been amazing with her. She has lots of friends she's grown up with, and she is definitely going to miss them.<br />
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But, all in all, we are very excited to move and I think we are looking forward to spending time together to design and decorate our new home. And once we get everything moved inside, Bo and Violet are going to help me plant a small vegetable garden and some flowers so we can begin to enjoy our new yard.<br />
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<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-86642348491827413602016-05-09T23:10:00.001-05:002016-05-09T23:10:15.172-05:00One Month Countdown Is On!One month from today, we will be in our new house! Well, Shawn and the kids will be in the new house. I will be in a hotel in Fargo, ND.... But more on that later.<br />
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We've been crazy working on projects to get our current house ready for the market. Last weekend, Shawn and his sister painted our garage trim. Violet and Bo helped me plant a few pots of flowers. We put several bags of mulch down where the playhouse used to be, and moved our picnic table there. The yard is beginning to look pretty good!<br />
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Since we packed up so much stuff several months ago, we don't really have a lot to do until closer to the move date. Which is a good thing. We're busy! Birthday parties. Flag football on Sunday afternoons. Shopping. Planning. Scheduling. Ordering. Signing up. And then all the school and daycare prep... Man, it's a lot of paperwork and time to get kids ready for new schools. Tomorrow night we have preschool preview for Violet. Wednesday the boys and Shawn are touring their new schools. We're still trying to find a daycare for Violet -- there aren't a lot of choices in Nevada and the one I called said they didn't think they had openings... And then there's figuring out what to do with the boys all summer -- they don't want to go to the after-school program, and I don't blame them, but they can't stay home alone either. So we've got to figure out a lot of stuff. But it's all great!<br />
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We're all so excited about the move! I tried to take a week off work so I could enjoy the new house and getting it all set up. But unfortunately there's another trip to Fargo that they really want me to go on so I won't get quite as much time off as I'd have liked, but it will be OK. It will be fun to take time off later in the summer, too.<br />
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Before I go find paperwork for Violet's school registration, I wanted to talk about Mother's Day and what a great day it was! Shawn and the kids surprised me with breakfast in bed -- the first time I've ever gotten breakfast in bed! It was delicious, and Violet was so cute helping carry it up. All the kids made me awesome cards with the sweetest messages. Then we spent the afternoon in Ankeny watching the boys football games. The sun was shining when we left, but it soon grew cloudy and really cold! We were bundled up in all the blankets we could find in the van. My mom came to the games so I packed a special picnic for us -- fancy cheese, little pickles, olives, bread, fresh fruit and a rice pudding dessert for her. The only thing missing was the wine! Between games, we were so cold that we ran out for a coffee. Bo threw a touchdown and his team won 28-0. And Mazy ran a touchdown and the extra points, but they lost.... Too bad. Mazy gets so into the games and he always seems to play on teams that have a lot of heart but just can't quite pull off a win. And Bo always seems to get placed on the all-star teams who dominate over everyone! Oh well, that's how it goes.<br />
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Well, Shawn just turned on Game of Thrones and I don't want to miss it! Have a great week, everyone!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-39609470564601770392016-04-26T21:29:00.000-05:002016-04-26T21:29:32.424-05:00Inspection Day at the New HomeThis afternoon I picked the kids up after school and took them to see the new house. Violet was very excited to see her room, and the boys were very excited to test out the yard by playing football in it. We hired a home inspector to take a look around and give us some idea of what will need fixed immediately, and what we need to plan for in the future.<br />
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The good news is there were no "oh crap" discoveries. The front porch needs new shingles, the "leaning tower of pisa" chimney needs taken down, there are a few spots on the roof that need shingles, a couple windows may need replaced, and the biggest problem area is in the basement where we need a general contractor to install a steel beam to replace some crappy wooden beams to help level the house out again. Other than that, it's in great shape! Actually, it really is in good shape for a 116-year-old house. The inspector said a lot of good things were done to update the house, and that with each new addition (he thinks there have been four!) they did things the right way.<br />
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We discovered there's a big concrete room under the driveway where he thinks they used to store the heating oil -- perfect storm shelter!<br />
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I took a bunch of new photos but I'm having trouble getting them to download, so I'll share those later.<br />
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Other than that, we're just busy getting things ready for moving day! I reserved a U-Haul truck today. Shawn reserved a big dumpster for Saturday, when we're going to do a ton of major yard work projects to get ready to sell this place. I am going to be really optimistic and assume we will sell this house this summer. We'll get it all ready and fixed up for a new family and someone will fall in love with it. And then once we sell this house, we'll have some extra money to fix the things in the new house.<br />
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I'm so excited!!! Hope you all have a great week. We're looking forward to watching Mazy run in the Drake Relays on Saturday. He runs at 5 p.m. in the elementary school relay. He is one of only four students chosen from the Downtown School to be on the team. We're very proud of him -- fast and a good citizen!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-61259774784031918442016-04-23T20:08:00.003-05:002016-04-23T20:08:45.599-05:00My New Hometown Today was a great day.<br />
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The sun was shining against a blue sky and it was 75 degrees. Every flowering tree was in blossom and so beautiful after a week of rain. And I spent the day with three of my favorite people, showing off my soon-to-be new hometown.<br />
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My mom, aunt Sherie and niece Theron joined me for a fun-filled shopping day that took us to Valley Junction in West Des Moines, the East Village in downtown Des Moines, downtown Ames and then to Nevada to show them our new house and to go shopping in downtown Nevada.<br />
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It was so much fun! We ate sushi and got coffee in the East Village, had Stam's Chocolates in Ames and ended the day with iced tea and ice cream cones at Starbucks in Nevada. (FYI, Starbucks in Nevada is NOT the mega coffee shop chain; it's a local ice cream/burger joint.)<br />
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Everyone was so excited to see our new house and drive-by it and talk about all the things we're going to do to it. I can't wait for them all to help me decorate it and get moved in! I have been buying things for the kids rooms for the past year and storing it until we moved. They all have a new bed coming -- Violet's is a castle.... And then, I have basically spent the last three years designing their future bedrooms and dreaming about the day they would each get their own room.<br />
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The Travel/Collector Room -- Mazy's room is going to show off his love of maps, globes, travel and collecting information. He's getting a new dresser, a new desk and chair, new navy blue striped bedspread, new galvanized tin hanging cubby shelf, a light-up Star Wars light saber, two globes, and several new maps.<br />
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The Archaeologist/Artist Room -- Bo is my dinosaur hunter who loves doing origami and drawing and organizing his stuff. Besides the new bed, he'll get a new bookshelf, really cool orange shelves that hang on the wall, a light-up Star Wars light saber, a striped bedspread, new art supplies, and this amazing collection of dinosaurs both old and new. Bo and I also are going to do some dino-themed artwork for his walls.<br />
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The Princess/Fancy Pants Room -- Violet, well, Violet is getting every little girl's dream bedroom -- a castle bed, a 6-foot cloth teepee we'll turn into a reading area, a Frozen table and two chairs, a tiara mirror, and a five-foot dollhouse.<br />
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And the most exciting thing about all of this is the kids have never seen any of this stuff! I ordered it and put it into storage so we could surprise them with brand-new rooms! I want it to be like Extreme Home Makeover -- they walk in to these amazing rooms that have been decorated for them while they are away at school. I can't wait!!!<br />
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<b>Back to Nevada</b><br />
I have never been shopping in downtown Nevada before, just to the Ben Franklin. It has one of those classic small town main streets. Here are some pictures I found online:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh-Do8ggnC4qLCXjSM1-f2w0YFODFHocctlZhDtwnrS7RHgPpIU8D8lQQsmcstw7yJtVEOrh9KjjUwQXuf8Dxn_yUCN-0_oxVaibNdk_2DT7KvVxnLRWUx8tk8yIktFEsQXeKNlP-OM0B/s1600/nevada+downtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh-Do8ggnC4qLCXjSM1-f2w0YFODFHocctlZhDtwnrS7RHgPpIU8D8lQQsmcstw7yJtVEOrh9KjjUwQXuf8Dxn_yUCN-0_oxVaibNdk_2DT7KvVxnLRWUx8tk8yIktFEsQXeKNlP-OM0B/s320/nevada+downtown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11_34qeD9cgq8aBMSJ3-V5M8Tur4XhnVg9pnIdeXmpAoS0P_Ksnxmzhvep0fxrxSywjxT8OhLSSIeOjwYO_wpcnNDimw7OQKHXSgoKknC-Y75Dm-2Ppm8MgZhC47F22SsqlEkOme79d3O/s1600/Nevada_Iowa_20090816_Downtown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11_34qeD9cgq8aBMSJ3-V5M8Tur4XhnVg9pnIdeXmpAoS0P_Ksnxmzhvep0fxrxSywjxT8OhLSSIeOjwYO_wpcnNDimw7OQKHXSgoKknC-Y75Dm-2Ppm8MgZhC47F22SsqlEkOme79d3O/s320/Nevada_Iowa_20090816_Downtown.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, today happened to be <a href="http://www.nevadaiowa.org/index.cfm/29172/76540/shoppe_nevada" target="_blank">Shoppe Nevada </a>day, which was so cool!! I had no idea there were so many awesome little vintage and junk shops and local stores in town. Today they were showcasing all the stores with this neat event where you bought a ticket, received a goodie bag with coupons and discounts, had a bus to take you around to different stores and each store had a craft or demonstration, and free treats! It was the perfect day to show of my new hometown! As we drove back to Des Moines, I was just so excited about what's ahead for me, Shawn and the kids. Nevada is a community where we could start a business some day. I found a store where I could start selling some craft items I might make! How fun is that!! </div>
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This is the bed and breakfast that is right across the street from us! See the little porch on the right side? If you kept walking right, you'd cross the street and run into my front porch! What a great view for us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pCtaa0mObRKfvvyrL_iLRxl2STAbA9ionStAuXRaurrLWtBBBmYKRcaLZ3ASmdOGOYB1QvMhJhOF1fLFGczHj-zDntt-D2woolhbGcUjHsc6i0e3zvJUgbpTZZOvsGKEcWhgR6cI6TBx/s1600/map_of_nevada_ia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pCtaa0mObRKfvvyrL_iLRxl2STAbA9ionStAuXRaurrLWtBBBmYKRcaLZ3ASmdOGOYB1QvMhJhOF1fLFGczHj-zDntt-D2woolhbGcUjHsc6i0e3zvJUgbpTZZOvsGKEcWhgR6cI6TBx/s320/map_of_nevada_ia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also found this photo online tonight and it made me happy. </div>
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Oh, I also bought a few new things for the kids rooms. There is this AWESOME store in Nevada that sells plants and things for fairy gardens! The owner seemed so nice and has such a great eye for home decor. He also has a landscaping business so I can't wait to get moved and maybe use him to help get the new yard in shape! At this shop, I bought Violet three cute little wooden signs for her future room. At the store that features all Iowa-made products I bought a beautiful green vase for me and Violet's future flower gardens. And at The Pumpkin Patch toy store in Ames, I bought some great art supplies for Bo's future room. I didn't buy anything for Mazy, but I did talk to my aunt about getting some of my uncle's photos from the Southwest for Mazy's room. Mazy is studying the Southwest at school and is very interested in it, so I want to surprise him with some framed photos. I think he'll love it. And it goes very well with my theme. :) </div>
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All right, bath time for the kids. Tomorrow is the start of soccer for Violet and flag football for Mazy and Bo. All three take place at the same place, fortunately, but it's still going to be crazy on Sunday afternoons for the next 10 weeks!</div>
ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-80895676159960513682016-04-17T18:29:00.001-05:002016-04-17T18:29:28.262-05:00Pinch Me, This Is Really Happening!<div>
For six years, you've been following this blog and know that the one thing I have wanted to accomplish above all others is to sell my house and move into a new one.</div>
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Well, I haven't sold my house yet. It's not even on the market at the moment.</div>
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But guess what? We bought a new house!!! I'm going to be very optimistic and say that once we are out of this house, someone will want to buy it! That's the plan at least. And I'm not going to worry about it until I am forced to. :) </div>
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So, the moment we have all been waiting so very very very very very long for -- let me introduce you to our new house!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9TA0lxmHSmr7GDLyxN1gtPsb5GRXN7PY5asCZsJJHnsHC7QpKCdWw8vQHynJHqnhvYJ8ABpNdnosEvzdiytkHkcITHjWhyphenhyphenVA6jLan2IL5FIdb28REtK92H3U94j1KBeecQ3F8Qs8jfVn/s1600/New+House+Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9TA0lxmHSmr7GDLyxN1gtPsb5GRXN7PY5asCZsJJHnsHC7QpKCdWw8vQHynJHqnhvYJ8ABpNdnosEvzdiytkHkcITHjWhyphenhyphenVA6jLan2IL5FIdb28REtK92H3U94j1KBeecQ3F8Qs8jfVn/s320/New+House+Entrance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The year was 1900. The world was talking about the opening of the Paris World Exhibition and the Second Modern Olympic Games in Paris. L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. And the first zeppelin flight took place in Germany.</div>
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And in Nevada, Iowa, a house was built. And 116 years later, that house with the crooked chimney would become our new home. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXKBvsa8qSQI9pE_2XOlGcY_RsyGxab7g9TNNI41D8-NT_gZU5QRzZ30LN92abotYVhMCDhYc2vcxrUdTonOgqCoc74pIZuVV2YzgMTKS-YdVdMfp_zOEWr5uVtByu8IjeIcemqXupqnU/s1600/Backyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXKBvsa8qSQI9pE_2XOlGcY_RsyGxab7g9TNNI41D8-NT_gZU5QRzZ30LN92abotYVhMCDhYc2vcxrUdTonOgqCoc74pIZuVV2YzgMTKS-YdVdMfp_zOEWr5uVtByu8IjeIcemqXupqnU/s320/Backyard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The back deck off the kitchen was one of my favorite parts of the house. We'll eat supper out there, host parties there and Violet and I will plant all kinds of flowers in the yard!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLadRybHagUgJwXj-9ouTbic8wzwy1XbVMitxUiLLmDjfb2ttsDtufMbGB1YQPxJxchib1-sPM0PYCN9zoYFkyubwXq9KQUEQUs2dHMJD7ZW148TNYMdiIbv6-85W-UZza8r4jvK-e-Bz/s1600/New+Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLadRybHagUgJwXj-9ouTbic8wzwy1XbVMitxUiLLmDjfb2ttsDtufMbGB1YQPxJxchib1-sPM0PYCN9zoYFkyubwXq9KQUEQUs2dHMJD7ZW148TNYMdiIbv6-85W-UZza8r4jvK-e-Bz/s320/New+Kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LbPmd3Aq2pRxkRch0wcsavraIy6qHNvBKre-E6Rtyrlx-UD3zCjs6q8XpXVIBMHrlFsN1RqgtB0KVmXg4iyV6YFmJOI38OFgNxWomi5BToWnmZb9RX2pNQAxXI8hBn6wMN04SwMWHI5U/s1600/2016-04-13+09.06.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LbPmd3Aq2pRxkRch0wcsavraIy6qHNvBKre-E6Rtyrlx-UD3zCjs6q8XpXVIBMHrlFsN1RqgtB0KVmXg4iyV6YFmJOI38OFgNxWomi5BToWnmZb9RX2pNQAxXI8hBn6wMN04SwMWHI5U/s320/2016-04-13+09.06.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have big plans for the kitchen and dining room, which are one big room. Eventually I want to do a little remodeling to extend the counter space and increase storage, but for now, this will work great! The only thing I really really want to do now is change from an electric oven to a gas one. I can't go back to electric after all these years!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCh9nO3EyUntGUZY_q42YgJ4zIfZ5BZnI8nzF7yyARyAXASG6T_4uwcg-Iss4phBUnGywNvt9pt5dTAzLbf2DSgGniKANSPsEXawiGCQxGFTBVT6qxXpZjbiHThTW0a7qSVEK1_uRNbMg/s1600/New+Table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCh9nO3EyUntGUZY_q42YgJ4zIfZ5BZnI8nzF7yyARyAXASG6T_4uwcg-Iss4phBUnGywNvt9pt5dTAzLbf2DSgGniKANSPsEXawiGCQxGFTBVT6qxXpZjbiHThTW0a7qSVEK1_uRNbMg/s320/New+Table.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You may have seen on Facebook that we have already bought our new dining room table and chairs! Aren't they awesome!!!! The table comes with an extra leaf to make it a bit bigger, and the people who sold it to me threw in three coordinating gray chairs for free! The kitchen is totally going to be 1950s era in red, turquoise and green. Bright, vibrant and so much fun!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYx4iok66plCbjF7PNa_l5L2UB_BqAPkljpmoRZFboXae2uCpcZ7sO_m9gROFCcE4KuGQeXDGQzVLtMrYOd5sLE9xVVyJ5pv_fgxOwtzPEx6nVJThgIZbXuZBfLeEeSGTz0Sqzzbr6NAOP/s1600/Staircase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYx4iok66plCbjF7PNa_l5L2UB_BqAPkljpmoRZFboXae2uCpcZ7sO_m9gROFCcE4KuGQeXDGQzVLtMrYOd5sLE9xVVyJ5pv_fgxOwtzPEx6nVJThgIZbXuZBfLeEeSGTz0Sqzzbr6NAOP/s320/Staircase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Isn't this staircase the best! I fell in love with it. It's one of the few places in the house with original woodwork. Or who knows, maybe they added it later. In any event, I like it! There's a great little closet under the stairs. I'll probably need the space for coats/bags/shoes, but wouldn't it be awesome to take the door off and turn it into a reading nook for the kids!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiu2oLpvsQNQWxsZh721F3TbS6_2Tat9j2t0T7rWWK5vy1IijTjvdkl80ZykraaQiAtYgwkgn9HwXt8ofMSzCuP8CrtMpjR_K89s4lOwIBfgcyE9uW7NI0rvBoYYremeq9ROoEi51xZ0se/s1600/2016-04-13+09.04.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiu2oLpvsQNQWxsZh721F3TbS6_2Tat9j2t0T7rWWK5vy1IijTjvdkl80ZykraaQiAtYgwkgn9HwXt8ofMSzCuP8CrtMpjR_K89s4lOwIBfgcyE9uW7NI0rvBoYYremeq9ROoEi51xZ0se/s320/2016-04-13+09.04.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here's the living room and the area at the foot of the stairs. I'm not sure what to do with that space yet... Maybe turn it into a little study with our bookcase and a couple of chairs? We also have to figure out where to put Shawn's computer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-AaWvBfQLK0yaH3PNPJqtrTH0j49WdnSOrh3xLqgpBwg_sLbEPkH2j_9VbqDnTnttL7dxmmaSx4TbGP2Q7PhnSNyUcCDc_gYLECW21ohksTvrnxthEBZI4aKn_Vw0zF2Em28EY9u8oa9/s1600/2016-04-13+09.05.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-AaWvBfQLK0yaH3PNPJqtrTH0j49WdnSOrh3xLqgpBwg_sLbEPkH2j_9VbqDnTnttL7dxmmaSx4TbGP2Q7PhnSNyUcCDc_gYLECW21ohksTvrnxthEBZI4aKn_Vw0zF2Em28EY9u8oa9/s320/2016-04-13+09.05.20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also downstairs, are two decent-sized bedrooms, which will become the boys' rooms. I'm so excited for them to have their own bedrooms!!</div>
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On the main level, there's this little half bath. But my sister-in-law has already offered to help us renovate it into a three-quarters bath by adding a corner shower to it. The boys bedrooms will be downstairs so they'll be able to use it. And there's a scary shower in the basement.... I suppose Shawn can use that if he's feeling adventurous. :) </div>
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Now come on upstairs (notice the awesome little window) and see what's up there.</div>
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There are three bedrooms and the bathroom. There's also a whole-house fan up there, which I've been told is a good thing to have in an old house.</div>
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Here's the only full bath in the house -- it's in good shape.</div>
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This is the smallest room upstairs. We'd really like to make it Violet's bedroom, but I'm not sure if it's big enough for the princess bed Shawn bought her several months ago... If not her bedroom, then it will be an amazing hobby room for me and Shawn to share. The fifth bedroom is the reason we were so excited about this house -- a HOBBY ROOM!!! Shawn and I both have tons of hobbies that have tons of supplies so having a place to keep all of them, where we can shut the door and keep the kids out of it, is pretty amazing. Sorry future guests, we have different plans for your room. :)</div>
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This is the master bedroom. Two walk-in closets! Holy cow, what the heck am I going to do with all that space!!! It's already painted a really pretty light blue, which will go awesome with my new color scheme for the master bedroom -- blues, oranges and white. And did you see the window in the closet!! I'm tempted to turn that into a little sewing room... So many possibilities!!</div>
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And this is the third bedroom upstairs -- it's big. It's an awesome room for morning sunlight. I'm a little jealous of that, but I think I'll trade that for the walk-in closet. :)</div>
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Well, do you love it as much as us? Isn't it awesome! You are all invited over to see it whenever you want. We'll move in in early June, and have an amazing summer ahead to join our new community!! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Thanks for hanging in there with me all these years!<br />
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ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-92197317603678989592015-12-14T23:34:00.003-06:002015-12-14T23:34:24.217-06:00Countdown to Christmas!December is flying by! I'm happy to report that we've done a lot of fun things and are keeping the house picked up each night so we can enjoy it with all our lights and decorations.<br />
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This past weekend we had Mazy's bowling party with his cousins -- super fun. Violet and I joined Heidi and Theron for holiday baking on Sunday. We made two kinds of biscotti, two kinds of sugar cookies (they weren't so good....) and chocolate-covered pretzel rods. The biscotti are amazing! The pretzels are delicious! As I said, the cookies were duds... I think we're going to stick to biscotti from now on.<br />
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Today I worked from home in the morning and then went to Mazy's first school band concert. It was 30 minutes long and I took Violet and Bo with me. It was fun. Mazy was so cute with his flute, sitting in the front row so I could see him! He was very proud of himself. Afterward, I had the afternoon off so Violet and I went out for a late lunch, some shopping at Stam's Chocolaterie and Architectural Salvage, and then picked the boys up at dismissal time. We had one more errand to run after that -- to Rieman Music so I could finally buy a flute Christmas ornament for Mazy. Don't worry, he didn't see me buy it.<br />
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Work is so busy this last week before all the clients go on holiday. Lucky for me, I have a ton of PTO to use up so I work on Tuesday and then have Wednesday afternoon off. Work on Thursday and Friday, and then have all next week off! Whoohooo!<br />
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Well, it's late and I better get to bed. I've got a cold that's kicking my butt. Hoping to get over it soon so I won't have it for the holidays. Take care, everyone, and enjoy this wonderful time of year!<br />
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Lunch with Violet today</div>
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Selfie with Violet and Bo at the band concert (my hair looks great for not showering today!)</div>
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Mazy's band concert, he's the fourth flue from the right</div>
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Baking with sister Heidi on Sunday</div>
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Nephew Hudson hamming it up in the kitchen</div>
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Marla and Rowan at the bowling party</div>
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Bowling </div>
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Marla choosing a ball</div>
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Sweet Bo</div>
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Party time at the bowling alley</div>
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All the kids were great at bowling!</div>
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Rowan and Grandma Katy</div>
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This was me giving blood last week. If you haven't donated lately, you should. It's a very easy and relaxing way to save a life!</div>
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-42480864993995010652015-12-09T20:21:00.001-06:002015-12-09T20:21:13.197-06:00Wonderful in Every Way at 11Yesterday was our Mazy Man's 11th birthday. 11! It's exciting and a little sad to watch him grow up each year. Wasn't it just a few years ago when he was asking for dinosaurs and Hotwheels. Of course, he's still asking for Legos and light sabers, so I guess he's not THAT grown up yet. :)<br />
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I took yesterday afternoon off so I could take Mazy out for lunch. He asked that Bo join us, which I thought was super nice. He picked Jethro's BBQ and Bacon Bacon. We've been wanting to go there for a long time. And to top it off, cousin Cody and uncle Dave were in town from Mississippi. I haven't seen Cody for a couple years so it was so fun to spend a long lunch with him and Dave.<br />
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After lunch, Mazy asked to go to Barnes and Noble, where he and Bo were allowed to pick out one book each. We also had a coupon for a free birthday cupcake for Mazy. Then, we went to Nobbies to buy some treat bags and prizes for the cousin bowling party on Saturday.<br />
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It was a great afternoon. It makes my heart happy when the boys request to spend time with each other and share special occasions with each other. Violet wasn't invited... :) She's kind of a pain right now, so rather than ruin everyone's time, I'll take an afternoon off and do things with just her.<br />
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We finished off the birthday celebration with a taco dinner at home (birthday boy's choice), an Oreo ice cream cake for dessert and then the opening of the presents. He loved his gifts -- Terminator Mega Blok sets, books and a Storm Trooper guy from Bo and a Star Wars storage box from Violet.<br />
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Here are a few pics from the 24 hours of birthday fun, beginning with his birthday eve when he was able to open his presents from Violet and Bo.<br />
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Then he woke up on his birthday to decorations all over the downstairs. </div>
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Then he was able to skip the afternoon at school to go out for lunch with family at Jethro's, where cousin Cody ordered the biggest tenderloin I have ever seen!:</div>
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After the long wait, he was able to open his presents. I had him pose with Violet and Bo before he started:</div>
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And then it was time for ice cream cake and candles -- happy birthday Mazy, you're amazing!</div>
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ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-52558975459456766532015-12-06T21:33:00.001-06:002015-12-06T21:34:06.217-06:00Violet's First Movie Theater Experience: Charlie 'Hashbrown'It's been a busy three-day weekend for me! On Friday, I used my Volunteer Time Off hours from my employer to volunteer at EMBARC -- an organization that helps Burmese refugees. It's a long story, but I originally reached out to them to adopt a family for Christmas. When they learned I worked at a marketing agency, they asked if I would help them with some campaign strategies instead. Since that's what I do for a living, I felt pretty confident in agreeing to do that. It sounds like a pretty great organization, so I'm happy to be helping them out.<br />
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Friday afternoon, I went shopping in Valley Junction with my mom, aunt Sherie and cousins Jenny and Jeniya. It was a beautiful day and fun to walk around outside. I didn't buy much -- just some ornaments for the kids.<br />
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I picked Violet and Bo up early, around 4, and took them home to wait for Shawn so we could all take Violet to her first-ever movie theater experience, the new Peanuts movie! Mazy was spending the night at a friend's house, so he didn't join us. Before the movie, the rest of us had Mexican for dinner at a restaurant near the theater and then bought our tickets, popcorn, Skittles and pop. There were only about 10 other people in the theater. Violet loved it! It's a great movie. Our family loves all the Charlie Brown seasonal shows so I knew she would likely sit through the entire movie. Violet always calls him, "Charlie Hashbrown", which I think is the cutest thing ever.<br />
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Bo, Shawn and Violet watching the 7 previews.... </div>
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Violet enjoying her own tub of popcorn!</div>
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On Saturday, I was home all day while Shawn shopped and ran errands. I wrapped some more presents, cleaned up the house and taught myself how to crotchet! I've been wanting to learn to crotchet for a long time. There are so many how-to videos on YouTube, it's great! I'm starting with washcloths. Very easy to start and finish in one sitting, and you can learn many different stitches to make different styles. What I wasn't expecting was the children's interest in my crotcheting! Bo immediately requested that I give him the first washcloth, which is rubbed his cheeks with and took to bed with him. And of course, Violet could not be outdone and asked if the second washcloth I made could be for her -- so her Barbie dolls could have a blanket. And then Mazy told me he thought it looked like fun and he wanted to learn to do it, which I really love! I might try to teach him. I bet he'd be good at it. </div>
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And today, we woke up and had a big breakfast, followed by family house cleaning. Then while Violet napped, Mazy and I went out shopping for outdoor decorations and so Mazy could pick out a Christmas present for Shawn. We also stopped at Panera for lunch. </div>
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Mazy turns 11 on Tuesday... I still can't believe he's getting that old!!</div>
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When Mazy and I returned, we put put up three new strands of lights in the house and back porch, cut fresh greenery for the house and porch, and wired two big candy cane decorations to our front stoop. Then I started a tortelleni and vegetable soup for supper, and baked some rolls that I'd had rising. With all that done, it was time to wake up Violet and take her and Bo shopping for birthday presents for Mazy and Christmas presents for Shawn.</div>
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The stores at 6 p.m. were VERY crowded. We went to Gordman's and Michael's. At each place, the line for the cashiers was about 25 people long... But Bo and Violet did great! They picked out their presents and didn't even whine or ask for anything for themselves. We also bought a wreath for our front door and some floral decorations to add to the greenery. I can now say that our house is decorated inside and out! It hasn't looked this good in years! </div>
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And now, Bo is waiting for me to help him wrap Mazy's birthday present so I better get going. Another busy week ahead. Hope you all are having a great December so far!</div>
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-66096859944702923842015-12-02T12:24:00.003-06:002015-12-02T12:24:53.214-06:00Welcome Elizabeth Twinkle ToesDespite four trips to the storage unit where we had stored all of our Christmas decorations in the wildly optimistic belief that we would have sold our house before the holidays... we were unable to locate North Pole resident Buddy the Elf. Buddy is our Elf on the Shelf friend who is used to threaten and scare our younger children into behaving during the holidays.<br />
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They have been asking about Buddy, so we knew we couldn't just ignore it and pretend he never existed. So, Shawn, who is always a sucker for that little three-year-old girl in our house..., went to Target and came home with this:<br />
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Meet Elizabeth Twinkle Toes, Buddy the Elf's sister</div>
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Buddy has been replaced, at least for the time being, by a girl elf who is wearing a white skirt and has large eye lashes, but is otherwise identical to Buddy. We asked Bo and Violet to collaborate on a name for our new elf friend. Bo immediately suggested "Elizabeth" while Violet went through a long list of names, including Naughty Nora (a friend from daycare), Eloisey (another friend from daycare), Booty (her favorite word...) and Twinkle Toes. </div>
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We told them they had to agree on a name and in a very rare moment of amiability, Violet suggested a fusion of the favorite names: Elizabeth Twinkle Toes. So there you go. </div>
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Mazy was mad that his suggestion of "Buddelina" was not taken more seriously. </div>
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So now, every night when Bo and Violet go to sleep, Mazy hides Elizabeth Twinkle Toes in a new spot in the house. On the first morning of her arrival, she came with a very official-looking letter from Santa explaining her presence and purpose. I downloaded it from Pinterest before you start accusing me of being a crafty mom:</div>
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Today Bo found her under the Christmas tree with two big Nerf guns. Maybe we should have named her "Furiosa" after the bad-ass female character in Mad Max because I guarantee she's going to show up with a lot of weapons and dangerous situations before the month is over. </div>
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And here are just a few random decoration pics from the house. We are enjoying them all tremendously:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp-uik7xvQu7ZCUxebnCNUrDCNAbd2Z7OuLXvJPy6dV9ew2Du-cZR4_ZPHzvRXGoRHpPRSPerlPhv5-uPP5y2OQdBcwn1arLOd5eKjEsyG1UC84h3Giqf6ZEV8zsQ4EPmVyZcv3P-2Xdc/s1600/20151201_192622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp-uik7xvQu7ZCUxebnCNUrDCNAbd2Z7OuLXvJPy6dV9ew2Du-cZR4_ZPHzvRXGoRHpPRSPerlPhv5-uPP5y2OQdBcwn1arLOd5eKjEsyG1UC84h3Giqf6ZEV8zsQ4EPmVyZcv3P-2Xdc/s320/20151201_192622.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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This is not a Christmas decoration. It's a purple pen that Violet insisted I take a photo of. </div>
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Last weekend we got out the hot glue gun and put together a ton of fun gift tag sets that the kids got from someone last year. </div>
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I'm including this photo because what you can't see is my husband running around in his tighty whiteys playing with toys while the rest of us are dressed and ready to go to school and work.... :) </div>
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Tonight I am planning to wrap gifts because the kids said it is time to get some under the tree. I agree. The best part of Christmas is the anticipation of Christmas morning!! Hope you're all having a good week. </div>
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<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-5758049855908370512015-11-28T17:34:00.001-06:002015-11-28T17:34:13.987-06:00Princesses on Ice and Small Business SaturdayWhat a great long holiday weekend this has been! Our last-minute Thanksgiving at home turned out awesome! Even though we didn't get to see any of our family, we did have a great meal together just the five of us.<br />
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We spent Friday cleaning up the house and getting out all the Christmas decorations. It was so fun to come home today to a beautiful Christmas tree, a decorated house and a clean house! Bo and I had to rearrange the living room to accommodate the tree -- and we all really like the new layout. It seems bigger and more spacious, even with a 7.5 foot tree in it! Most of our holiday decorations were in the storage unit, so Shawn -- husband extraordinaire -- has made three trips there to find stuff for me. Unfortunately, he missed the tote with the tree skirt, extra lights and the most important decor of all, Buddy the Elf. He must make an appearance on Dec. 1 so we can threaten the children with him. :)<br />
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Today, my mom joined me and Violet for a fancy lunch at Centro downtown and then Disney Princesses on Ice at Wells Fargo. We had awesome seats, thanks to some discounted tickets from my niece Tori, and it was really fun to watch Violet's amazement at the start of the show. As a Disney production, you can imagine everything was very well done -- the costumes, lights, skaters, and props were pretty awesome. Although I will say that princesses have pretty slow music.... She was getting rather bored toward the end. And she was mad at me because I bought her the wrong ridiculously overpriced light-up wand. She wanted the one with rainbow lights, and instead I bought her the one with golden lights. For a whopping $26, I told her she was going to love the golden one and sleep with it for the next two years....<br />
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Violet and Grandma Katy</div>
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Disney Princesses on Ice -- before the show started</div>
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Me and Violet after the show -- she was being a pill....</div>
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The parking down there was crazy. Everything was filled up -- the lots, the parking on the street, everything. So we drove across the river and parked by the awesome pedestrian bridge that Violet always wants to walk across. It was definitely a breezy walk and up a big hill, but we got to our seats with five minutes to spare.<br />
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Here's Violet with her $26 light-up toy. But I always wanted to point out her super cute outfit -- primo hand-me-downs from Cousin Marla!! The fur coat is the cutest thing ever! Thanks Jean and Marla!!</div>
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After the performance, Mom and I dropped Violet off at home for an overdue nap and then we went back to the East Village for coffee, desserts and Small Business Saturday shopping. The Village was hopping, which is always great to see. I bought Violet's Christmas ornament and a stocking stuffer for Shawn, but that was it. I did get a lot of good ideas for Mom and my sister.<br />
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And now I am back home, sitting by my Christmas tree and listening to Shawn and the boys play a board game. It was a great day!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-8123527148181635652015-11-26T11:42:00.000-06:002015-11-26T11:42:03.597-06:00Quarantined on ThanksgivingRemember that stomach bug I was telling you about last week? The one that started with Violet on a Tuesday night, got Bo on Thursday night, and me on Friday night? Well, it decided to wait until last night to rear it's ugly head and come after Mazy. He'd been complaining of a stomach ache all day, but wouldn't commit to saying he felt nauseous. I wish he had. I would have put the puke bucket by him... Instead, he started for the bathroom but instead covered the hallway floor, walls and cat food dishes in, well, you know...<br />
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So, I texted my sister and said half of us weren't coming to Thanksgiving today, and then this morning we decided not to risk infecting all the family so we are all at home. I just sent Shawn to Hy-Vee for a last-minute list to pull off a Thanksgiving at home. Instead of turkey, we'll roast a chicken and make chicken gravy for the mashed potatoes. I was in charge of three side dishes for my sister's house, so we have that covered! We'll have kale, cranberry and goat cheese salad; scalloped corn and oysters; and candied carrots. Shawn is also getting the ingredients for homemade dairy-free pumpkin pie and checking if there might be a gluten-free dressing mix. I'm not hopeful on that but you never know.<br />
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I'm cleaning the house now. After Thanksgiving dinner, we'll start decorating for Christmas! I like to decorate the house and get the tree up one night, and then decorate the tree the next day. Then we can get everything hauled back down to the basement storage area and have a beautifully decorated house for the holidays!<br />
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Yesterday during my lunch break, I was able to reserve a bowling party for Mazy on Dec. 12. December birthdays are tough -- calendars are already so busy, but I wanted to do something fun for him. I think he'll enjoy bowling with his cousins. If we decide to do a party with his friends, we'll probably wait until January.<br />
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Another fun thing I've been doing with the kids is individual "date" nights. I started with Mazy -- we went out to eat at Applebee's because we had a gift card and then to Barnes and Noble for book shopping. He picked books for himself and one for each of his siblings. Then a couple weeks ago, it was Bo's turn. We went out for Mexican and then to Glazed Expressions to paint! I knew Bo would love that, and he did. He was so sweet painting his ice cream sundae dish. I picked a turkey. It is our only Thanksgiving decoration!<br />
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Well, I should start cooking. I have a lot to do. Hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving. I am very thankful for this wonderful family of mine, and for all of you -- friends and family around the country who keep in touch and mean so much to us. Love you all!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-4719070883207458122015-11-23T19:49:00.005-06:002015-11-23T19:49:50.658-06:00Vacation Day at Bass Pro Shop!Finally, a day that felt like a vacation day! I slept in, took a leisurely shower and then the boys and I headed to Altoona for a fun lunch and afternoon. We were exploring new restaurants and found Max's Diner -- slingin' hash since 1948. It was your typical truck stop, which the boys thought was awesome. They were big fans of the sparkly red seats, hubcaps hanging on the walls and gas station sign collection. FOX News was playing on at least 10 TVs surrounding us so I spent most of our lunch assuring Mazy that President Obama <i>is</i> firm on terrorism, that no one knows for sure whether ISIS will target the US next, and that even though Donald Trump is leading the polls that does not mean he will be the next President.<br />
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After lunch, we headed to Bass Pro Shop for bowling and Christmas shopping. The bowling alley there is great -- giant shark heads for where the ball returns and fish hanging all over the place. We were the only ones there for most of the time. I kicked the boys' butts! Whoohooo! I love it when I beat them at a sport! It doesn't happen often, so I get to brag about it. :)<br />
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I scored over 100 points for two games in a row! That never happens! </div>
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Poor Mazy couldn't beat his little brother... :)</div>
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This was early into our bowling -- when he was still smiling. </div>
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Bo did MUCH better than Mazy today. And believe me, Mazy didn't take it well.</div>
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But Bo was sure happy about it. </div>
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So after bowling, we went into Bass Pro Shop for the next couple hours. I got a lot of shopping done for the men on our list, and the boys had a great time playing all the free games in Santa's Workshops. It's so nice to be there without the holiday crowds. The boys played all the games at least 20 times, which suited me fine because I could leisurely shop and ask the sales clerks questions about fishing lures for Grandpa Pud.<br />
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Trying out the Red Ryder BB gun. </div>
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Archery practice on the ducks. </div>
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These stores are amazing. Between the aquariums and taxidermy, it's like taking the kids to a zoo!</div>
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Then we came home with enough time for me to watch an episode of True Detective while the boys played football outside. Good day. Great day, in fact! Now we are relaxing and watching the Turtles before Violet goes to bed. She and I have two days of work/daycare ahead, and then four days off again! I could sure get used to this.ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-494236190209980572015-11-22T21:58:00.003-06:002015-11-22T21:58:42.696-06:00First Flu of the SeasonWell, midway through my business trip to Fargo last week, Shawn called at 11:30 p.m. to inform me that Violet was sick. That began a 96-hour flu fiasco in our house. Violet, then Mazy, then Bo and then me on Friday night and Saturday. Let's hope we got this out of the way for the holiday season. And Jane, if you're reading, sorry I didn't get you called back on Friday. I'll call you Tuesday when I'm back in the office.<br />
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So, my four-day weekend didn't start off so great but hopefully we'll make up for it tomorrow when me and the boys have a day off together. We're looking forward to it! Not sure yet what we're going to do. Mazy wants to go ice skating. Bo wants to go to a movie. Maybe the weather will help us decide.<br />
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Today's weather was perfect for sledding! On Friday, Des Moines got its first snow of the season, about 7 inches. So today, after the entire family went grocery shopping at Sam's Club, where we bought a new flying saucer sled, I took the boys to Union Park to go sledding down an awesome hill. It was so sunny that it didn't feel cold out at all.<br />
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We returned home just in time to watch the Packers game, and hallelujah, they won! I don't think the men in this family could have handled a loss a fourth week in a row. Needless to say, they were all in great moods tonight. Violet got a nice long nap in while we were sledding. I felt kind of bad about not taking her, but there's no way she would have made it up that hill without her dad carrying her. And my rule is, if you can't climb up the hill by yourself, you shouldn't be sliding down it. :)<br />
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Guess that's about it. Hard to believe it's Thanksgiving week already! I think we have most of our Christmas shopping finished for the kids now, and we almost have Mazy's birthday ready to go. I have a lot of days off in December so I'm looking forward to some fun times with the family! <br />
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Hope you all have a great week ahead!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-57550869238966246492015-11-15T14:53:00.001-06:002015-11-15T14:53:17.791-06:00Northwestbound for FargoHave you been watching the TV series, Fargo? OHMYGODITISSOGOOD!! It's probably too late to just tune in and hope to understand what's happening. But, if they rerun it, you should definitely DVR it for future watching. Seriously, very good.<br />
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Tomorrow at 7 a.m. I will hop in a minivan and begin a booooorrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg 8 or 9 hour drive to Fargo for a work trip. Good ol' Shawn will be home alone with the kids for three full days and nights. I'm going to owe him big. I'm hoping to help him out today by preparing most of what he'll need for three suppers. He did all the grocery shopping today (as he does every weekend) so it's really the least I could do. :)<br />
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So, let's catch you all up on the Wirt/Hanson household. Well, for starters, we're still in our house in Des Moines.... The For Sale sign has been removed from the yard. That Catholic saint thing we buried is still buried, and for all I care, he can stay there for life -- a lot of good he did me.... (Sorry if that is sacrilegious to you -- I probably shouldn't have anything to do with Catholic saint statues). After nearly five months on the market without a single offer, we decided to pull the sign, take it off the market and start fresh early next spring. What a pain in the butt.<br />
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We had a very enjoyable October -- lots of fun Halloween and autumn activities. The boys are about to have another week off for Thanksgiving. I'm taking a couple days off to do some fun things with them. I haven't decided yet if Violet the Terrible will join us. That girl is on a tantrum rampage lately and frankly, she's about screamed herself out of any fun outings for awhile.<br />
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We have a really good start on our Christmas shopping. At least with the house off the market, we will be free to decorate for the holidays. Shawn says we cannot decorate until after Thanksgiving. What a scrooge! So the boys and I plan to do it the weekend after -- I love how excited they get about putting up the tree and decorating the house. It's so fun to have them in the holiday spirit. It goes without saying that Violet gets excited about decorating, the holidays, shopping, doing anything her brothers are doing, doing anything I am doing, breathing, walking, etc. She is a very sweet and happy girl MOST of the time.<br />
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Today was a big day in our house -- we dismantled the baby crib for the last time. Sniff, sniff. It makes me a little sad that those baby days are officially behind us. We're not going to keep the crib. We polished it up and will put it on Craig's List for someone else to use. It's a nice crib -- we got it for free from a friend of my mom's whose daughter is a doctor. The bottom of it it says it was made in Italy. Oh la la!<br />
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With the crib gone, the kids' room suddenly has a lot more space in it. So much that I think we're going to move the little play kitchen in for a month or so for Violet and Bo to play with. It's been out in the garage for a year and Violet is right at that age where she would play kitchen for hours...<br />
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Well friends, that's about it. I'll be on more frequently from now on. I forget how much I enjoy reflecting on this crazy life of ours and appreciating the little things we do. Have a great week ahead!ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-72545605598596632472015-08-14T21:59:00.004-05:002015-08-14T21:59:54.243-05:00So Long SummerWell.<br />
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It's been awhile -- like a month and a half. :) Summer break has come and gone. We've been to Adventureland many times. We've spent many Friday afternoons at the farm swimming -- today was one of them! We've cleaned our house over and over and over. But still haven't sold it. We've bought school supplies. Shopped for school clothes. And taken first day of school photos. The State Fair is here. The sun is setting a little earlier each night. Pretty soon we'll be watching Green Bay Packer games and searching for our sweatshirts.<br />
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We're looking for homes in Nevada, but haven't found The One. We'll check out another on Sunday. This home selling and buying business is for the birds... Our enthusiasm to keep the house clean and show-ready is quickly going away. We haven't even had one offer! And it's been on the market for three months....<br />
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We're heading to a family reunion tomorrow on Shawn's side. I need to wake up early to make Grandma Betty's chocolate cake.<br />
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And that's about it, friends. It was a great summer. We enjoyed it and look forward to what the fall brings. See ya!<br />
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First Day of School </div>
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Water fun at Central Library in downtown Des Moines</div>
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Shopping at the mall</div>
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Posing for cousin Kael's birthday text</div>
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4th of July concussion, admittance to the hospital, double CAT scans and then a clean bill of health the next day, thankfully!</div>
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Inflatable hammer from Adventureland</div>
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Licking the spoon of the 4th of July chocolate cake</div>
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-31791904578251583992015-06-28T14:57:00.001-05:002015-06-28T14:57:26.252-05:00Day After Vacation ... And I Am Exhausted! Hello everybody! It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Des Moines -- the sun is shining, the weeds are growing and Violet is napping. Life is good.<br />
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We had an awesome vacation.<br />
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While the skies opened and poured seven inches of rain upon central Iowa, we were up on the sunny lake enjoying the views of Big Spirit and Little Spirit lakes. The three-bedroom house we rented was great. The kitchen was big and well-equipped so I enjoyed making almost all our meals (we only ate out for lunch on the drive to Spirit Lake and on Friday night). The living room was a little small, but it was big enough for the kids to watch movies when they were taking a break from the lake. Each morning they had a blast swimming in the lake and jumping off the dock. The lake was very shallow -- which was perfect! Violet could walk all the way to the end of the 20-foot dock and the water was only up to her chest! It was the perfect place for us. And there was a red canoe!<br />
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Big thanks to my mom who joined me for the entire week, and Shawn who only got two days in the lake house (but truth be told, that was probably the right amount of time for him). And to my kids, who may have begged for technology every chance they got, but who thoroughly embraced lake life and summer vacation. Hooray! We had a real summer vacation just like I wanted!<br />
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On vacation, we<br />
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Ate ice cream!</div>
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Put down all the seats in the van </div>
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Discovered a drive-in theater</div>
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In the middle of nowhere!</div>
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Stayed up late to watch Jurassic World</div>
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And ate popcorn and pop!</div>
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We visited a laundromat and walked around downtown Spirit Lake</div>
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We celebrated Bo's birthday with root beer cupcakes made by my mom </div>
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We went to the local bookstore</div>
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We colored</div>
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We blew bubbles</div>
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We went to the amusement park</div>
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We played skee ball</div>
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We threw footballs</div>
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Bo won!</div>
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Mazy didn't.... But he did win at skee ball!</div>
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We saluted summer and enjoyed hanging out together. </div>
ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-15747442474770667542015-06-21T22:43:00.000-05:002015-06-21T22:43:04.446-05:00Night Before Vacation ... And I Am Exhausted!Before I whine about being bone-dead tired, let me first say Happy Father's Day to my dad, Kevin, to my grandpas, Pud and Keith, to my father-in-law Dwayne, and to my dear hubbie Shawn, who is the best damn dad around!<br />
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It was a warm but beautiful day to celebrate the good men in our lives. Poor Shawn spent his entire day helping to clean and pack, and coach Mazy's football team. And he is now sweeping the porch and changing the kitty litter at 10:30 p.m. at night.... But I am taking the children for three days and he will have the house to himself, so that will be a nice post-Father's Day present.<br />
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AND<br />
<br />
AND!<br />
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AND !!!!!!<br />
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I bought him the BEST Father's Day present ever!!!!! Last Thursday morning, as I realized I had once again let time slip by and had no present for him, I had a crazy idea that I should get him a really, really, really good gift. Like, best ever gift. Like a once-in-a-decade crazy expensive gift that he really deserves after all this house stuff.<br />
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So with 45 minutes before my next meeting, I got online and looked up Green Bay Packers tickets. And not just tickets, but a bus trip as well so he doesn't have to worry about driving up there, finding parking and getting out of town.<br />
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And I found some. And it sounded really fun! And he can stay in Beloit and a bus will take him all the way to Green Bay. And I decided what the hell, let's do it. So I took half the money I've been saving for our 15th anniversary trip and I used it to buy three tickets to the Packers! Shawn, Mazy and Bo will enjoy a Lambeau Field experience on Oct. 11 when the Packers play the St. Louis Rams.<br />
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I was debating spending about double the money to send them to the Chicago Bears game but geez, that's so much money on a football game. And what if they lost!!! What if their first Lambeau experience was a loss to the Bears?!?!?! Good grief, I would never hear the end of it. So I looked for a date when I thought it would still be warm, but not too warm for Shawn, and that coincides with Mazy's October break. And I did it. I ordered the tickets before I could talk myself out of it.<br />
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And I'm so glad I did! Shawn was pretty surprised and excited, and already worrying about that game... Mazy and Bo were ecstatic! They can't wait to go. I think the three of them will have a fabulous time experiencing Lambeau for the first time together. It's going to be great!<br />
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And then in another year or so, Violet and I will spend the same amount of money to go to Chicago to the American Girl store and have a fabulous Chicago girl's weekend. :)<br />
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In other news, Mazy had his final flag football game of the season. They lost. Boo. He was bummed, but I purposefully waited to give Shawn his gift until after Mazy's game, knowing it would be a nice distraction if they lost. (This mama is always thinking ahead.)<br />
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I have been cooking, baking, packing, folding clothes, organizing, cleaning and now doing some work for my employer before I go to bed. We'll wake up in the morning, pack the food in the cooler and hit the road for Spirit Lake! Whoohooo!<br />
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Have a great week, everybody. Check Facebook for some pics from our trip.<br />
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Violet at Sam's Club today after we shopped for vacation food</div>
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Mazy's football team</div>
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Mazy (#11)</div>
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One of the kids took a picture of the cat with my phone...</div>
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One of the kids took a picture of my niece Theron with my phone....</div>
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Violet playing dinosaurs and train tracks while we waited for my oil change on Saturday </div>
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-25354047261389445852015-06-19T23:15:00.001-05:002015-06-19T23:15:17.450-05:00Last Day of School for the Boys!!Sorry for the hiatus -- it's been a crazy month. I can catch you up quickly:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Our house has not sold yet. We're averaging one showing a week... </li>
<li>We haven't found a new house in Nevada yet. </li>
<li>Today was the boys last day of school! Hooray! But also, boo, they are growing so quickly. Too quickly. Where are my little boys?</li>
<li>We went to Adventureland this afternoon to celebrate the last day of school. We had a blast. We met my mom, nephew Kael and niece Theron there. What a beautiful day, and it wasn't crowded at all. </li>
<li>I have been crazy busy at work. But today at 3:15, I bid my co-workers adieu and started my week of vacation! VACATION!!!! WHOOHOOHOOO!</li>
<li>I bought the ULTIMATE, most awesome Father's Day gift for Shawn. Unfortunately, he already knows about it. But he was super excited and the boys will be over-the-moon excited. I can't wait for them to hear about it on Sunday. </li>
<li>Speaking of football (there's a clue for you about the gift), Mazy has his final flag football game on Sunday (Father's Day). It's a tournament. I hope he wins the first game. </li>
<li>My aunt Cindy is in town for the week. I'll see her tomorrow when I head out to Panora.</li>
<li>I have so much to do this weekend to get ready for vacation on Monday -- packing, cooking, grocery shopping, birthday planning, laundry, etc. It's going to be crazy. </li>
<li>Bo turns 7 next Wednesday! Since we'll be on vacation, I'm trying to find lots of fun and exciting things to plan for his special day. </li>
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Well, I'm tired. It's been a long day. Hope you all have a great weekend!</div>
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ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-6550154060714877052015-06-01T21:05:00.002-05:002015-06-01T21:05:43.603-05:00You're Going to Love It at Adventureland!What a summer we have in store for us! Season passes to Adventureland!!! Big thanks to my in-laws who made that possible. The kids were SO excited!! We got the passes on Thursday and headed to Adventureland on Saturday morning to get our photos taken and our official season passes printed. Even though it was cloudy and only 62 degrees, we had a super fun time! That little Violet is a "ride junkie" to quote Mazy. She is fearless! She often was scared the first time she rode the big rides, like the Galleon and the big water ride, but then she was quickly saying, "Again! Again!" <div>
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And Bo rode the Tornado roller coaster for the first time! He loved it so much that they went again. And Mazy rode the Storm Chaser -- which is swing ride that takes you 250-feet into the air -- all by himself! It was so funny, he didn't have anyone to ride with and a pretty teenager in front of him was also alone. When she heard him say, "But I don't have anyone to ride with!" She turned around and said, "You can ride with me! I'm alone, too!" In about four years, Mazy is going to be so disappointed in himself for not taking advantage of that opportunity. She was a long-legged blonde, real cute. :) </div>
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We played games. We ate the junk food. We rode and rode and rode. It was a great day! </div>
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Bo far left, Mazy middle, Violet to Mazy's right</div>
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Mazy ate his first turkey leg</div>
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Bo was lassoed by a cowboy on stilts</div>
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Shawn had a very good time on the Tornado </div>
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Mazy on the Storm Chaser</div>
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Bo and Violet on the ladybugs</div>
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Shawn and the kids on the tea cups</div>
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Little Vi ready for her first ride on the Galleon</div>
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On Sunday we joined most of my family at Gigi's Playhouse for niece Theron and nephew Hudson's birthday party. It was a lot of fun. Mazy had flag football so he and Shawn missed most of it, but at least they could attend for awhile. My sister sent home some barbecue pork for them for their supper, so they were happy. Thanks, Heidi!</div>
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And today it was back to work, school and daycare. I'm so busy at work.... I at least got caught up enough that I didn't have to work over the weekend, which was awesome. I am going to work for a couple hours tonight though. </div>
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It's worth it to work hard now because today I booked a week-long vacation!!!!! Yes, a week-long vacation! The last time we took a week-long vacation Bo was 1-year-old.... It's been awhile. I booked a week at a lake house in Spirit Lake. Mom is going to join me and the kids, and then Shawn will come up for a couple days. Poor Shawn never takes a week off, but he's not really the lake house type, so it works out OK for everyone. :)</div>
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I really wanted to take the family to Cape Cod for a week to see my dear uncles. But I just could not afford that air fare. Flying as a family is so expensive! We'll be sticking to Iowa vacations for awhile. </div>
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What else has been happening? Oh, tonight I called Grandpa Keith to finally start interviewing him about some of his family memories. He wrote down some of them and asked me to type them up for him. Since today would have been his mom's 126th birthday, I thought it was a good night to ask him about her. </div>
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Finally, if you're wondering about the house -- no takers yet. We're having an open house on Sunday, maybe someone will come to that. </div>
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That's all. Have a great week, everyone!</div>
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ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1748622348971088010.post-57809171083525099462015-05-24T21:42:00.001-05:002015-05-24T21:42:15.339-05:00A Weekend for RememberingHappy Memorial Day weekend, everyone. After a couple hours of sunshine on Saturday, we had a gray and rainy Sunday. But it was the perfect opportunity for me and Shawn to go watch an early showing of Mad Max -- which is an AWESOME movie with many feminist undertones that will make you want to applaud Hollywood for once! Thanks to my in-laws who watched the kids so Shawn and I could go together.<br />
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After the movie, we drove around Nevada to look at a couple houses on the market -- Shawn has toured most of them, but I wanted to see them in person. He was right. None of them are for us. The only one we've liked is the Dream House, which is about $50K over our budget.... But new ones come on the market every week, so we'll keep looking.<br />
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Meanwhile, on Arthur Ave., only one person has asked to look at our house. (and they didn't want it) It's been on the market for over a week now... It could be a long, long summer. Oh well, it's been very nice to live in such a clean and organized house! I just hope it sells. We are all ready to move.<br />
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We spent Saturday at the farm -- we had a barbecue with most of the family and then I drove a van-load of us to Morrisburg Cemetery to take flowers to Grandma Betty, Great Aunt Ermadale and Great Uncle Gerald, and my great-grandparents, Alva and Angie Wirt. I really enjoy visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day weekend and decorating their headstones. It's important to me that my kids always take part in this tradition and listen to stories about those who have died, so they understand and appreciate their family history.<br />
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Also, a thanks to my parents who watched Mazy and Bo Wednesday night through Saturday. The boys were on break from school this week. Most schools in central Iowa are winding up their school years this week or next. The boys will go until the end of June.<br />
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Guess that about wraps the week up. We're home tomorrow -- planning to do some baking and cooking for the week, and then might head to the office for a couple hours to get caught back up on work. It's getting busy and I don't like to have big projects hanging over my head. I'd rather get it done and start Tuesday ahead of the game. Enjoy your extra day off, everyone! And don't forget to thank the service men and women who lost their lives, and are the reason for the holiday.<br />
<br />ModernDayMamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00488565015999724563noreply@blogger.com0