2010

2010 has been an unbelieveable type year. I look at this mosaic of some of the crafts I was able to have fun making this year and can't believe how I found the time to do them all. For one moving to Korea was a HUGE move...we spent 3 months in limbo without any of our belongings, let alone all the preparation to get here. We have been on the road alot this year too. Our family did so many fun things and traveled to so many fun places(I want to do a mosaic of our travels in 2010) . We have been to every major city in the United States on the East coast from Miami up to Boston and loved them all.
2011 should be much of the same. We have lots of neat things to see and do here in Korea before we move to California in August. When we get back to the USA we have lots of travel plans that we are excited about. It's going to be hard going without all our stuff again when the packers come...but they just delivered all this to us in September and should be back in June to pack it up again, so living with nothing but a suitcase is actually fresh in our minds.
As far as my word for the year for 2011, it is BETTER. Since I will be doing another move back overseas and I want to do lots more crafts and things for myself and my family just like last year...for 2011 I want to do everything BETTER this time around. I think I am really good at a lot of things but want to get BETTER at them all. Steve and I made 2010 great but 2011 is going to be BETTER!

Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas and a Snow Day

We spent Christmas Day with the 607th Weather Squadron family.

Our weather men grilled our Christmas Dinner in 10 degrees?!?

The kids played lots of games. Here Madi just won at Hungry Hungry Hippos. Our favorite game was Pictionary...the whole squadron played..it is now Madi's favorite game in the world.

It's been snowing off and on all week. The kids went on level 2, aka our back yard, to play.

Tuesday even Steve got a snow day. Work called and said not to come in. We went SLEDDING!

Madi just about had a crash.

After sledding we went to the beautiful Drangon Hill Lodge to warm up and eat dinner.

The snow is so pretty to watch from out house up in the sky. See Steve's new book on his nightstand. We have been laughing at some of the stories George has to tell...like the time he killed his sister's fish because he filled the fish bowl with vodka.

MY FAVORITE!!!

I made these beautiful handmade Christmas placemats. This just may be my favorite project I have ever made. These will be treasured and joyfully used every Christmas. For me, things like this that I make, fill my heart and home with such a warm feeling. The other day the moda bake shop had this project on their blog. Now I am ready for Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Spritz cookies

The other day I made my Grandpa Kiehl's Spritz cookies. My Grandpa Kiehl was a Chemist who graduated from Columbia University. He was one of the chemist that worked on the very first atomic bombs...he made yummy cookies.

1 cup softened butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Chill until stiff enough to work well in cookie press. Bake on greased cookie sheet; 325 for 8-10 minutes.

My kids LOVED using the cookie press/gun.

Madi has been sick for 2 days. She had a fever of 103.1. She has had keytones off and on for the last 2 days along with high blood sugars. I sure hope she gets better quickly in time to enjoy Christmas. She told me she would have to be better by Christmas because remember she was super sick on her birthday last summer and it wouldn't be right if she were to be sick on two of the best holidays. We got a box in the mail today from one of my friends. So Madi looks so cute wearing her new Nice/Naughty tee with the cutest Christmas knee high socks...she is a sight. But her new stuff makes her feel better :-)

Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan

Turn it UP! I never am one to curse, but when it comes to Michigan well one can't help it. I have even taught my own kids to also! No I never went to Ohio State but I was born in Columbus, Ohio and remember I have roots in this marching band. you can read here about my Drum Major Grandpa. I am so thankful to still have grandparents still alive and that Ben and Madi know who their Great Grandparents are. We are a very lucky family because on Steve's side of the family we have Great Grandparents alive too. My Buckeye Grandpa just turned 84 the other day. I love the choices he made in his life that brought the love of music, college spirit and sports to all the generations in our family. One of these days I am taking Ben and Madi to an OSU vs. Michigan game. I have wonderful memories staying up late at my Grandma Moseley's house watching Ohio State basketball...she use to yell at the tv. Anyways I have been thinking of all of my grandparents a lot and the bowl games are about to begin....the Bucks made it to the Sugar Bowl this year. I hope they get to the Rose Bowl while we live in California and if they do I am going. Good luck to the Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl!!!

PLAID

These are the world's best homemade gooy frosted brownies, topped with a Christmas plaid. We are ready to go to the Christmas party.

All sorts of Christmas goodies

I am almost done with all my gift giving so we can begin baking. Crocheted washclothes are my favorite thing to have in my kitchen. They are so pretty and work well. So for a few gifts I made Christmas themed washcloth sets complete with yummy dishsoap.

Mistletole is of course a great thing. I used the Yankee candle mistletoe votive for some fun little gifts. I wrapped the votive in a clear bag with a tag that wished them luck getting caught under it.

Madi wanted to hand out reindeer poop again this year to all her classmates at her Christmas party.

We have a kids Christmas party we are going to. There are going to be some fun games. The winners get gift cards tucked inside these felt wallets I made. I also made personalized wallets for the kids teachers and both school nurses. Inside theirs are starbucks gift cards....

...that are tucked inside these fun Christmas mugs.

My Madison Kate has been the best little helper I could ever ask for. She loves making stuff.

O Christmas Purse

If you know me, you know I am so NOT a fashionista...not even close! But living in Korea is giving me the chance to have handbags like one. Don't ask me what I am going to wear with this but I could not help buying it. Madi liked it on the spot, but I got some crazy looks from my boys...until I said: "Gosh it's my new Georgia purse. Won't this go great with my Georgia Bulldog sweatshirt." It's a quilted shiny red and black Chanel. I love it!

Run run as fast as you can...

...you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man. It's one of Madi's favorite books!. Here is our gingerbread tree in the kitchen...with all our new handmade ornaments.

Look at Ben's Korean. He rocks. He LOVES it!

Today I worked up at the kids school helping out with the medical screenings...eye exam, dental and my part with the scoliosis. I helped with the 5th grade girls...OMG!!! They completely freaked when they found out they had to lift their shirts all the way up. I had to explain we don't need to look at the front...we aren't looking at anyone's boobs...just their backs. It didn't matter if they had a bra on or not. These girls were a hoot. It was so fun helping out. I am so glad the school called and asked for my help.

Christmas tags

These are some gift tags I made. They are cross-stitched trees layered on to some felt and craft tags. These simple tree were lots of fun. I hope everybody likes them.

14 years!

Today is our 14th Wedding Anniversary. I do love Steve. I can't believe how many years it has been. We have been friends for nearly 19 years and married for the last 14 of them. We have had so much fun. We are already world travelers and this year we have been to so many fun places that for our anniversary we are happy to spend tonight home with our kids...cooking( no mother-in-law around this year to watch the kids either). You remember that show Johnny Lingo with the what, 10 cow wife or something like that. Well this year I am a case of korean oranges, shrimp, pork and a huge 10 kilo bag of the best korean rice...and he lugged it all home for me. :-)

December 1st

Let the games begin! We are all decked out for Christmas and I love how fun our Korean apartment is this time of year. Here is a picture of our living room...filled mostly with Army furniture but doesn't it look pretty anyway?

I think this picture is so neat with our Christmas decorations and a view of the city out the window. Hanging on the window is a Christmas countdown I made from a kit I got over at sweetwater. The bags are filled with treats for the kids for each December day. I love traditions so making these was very enjoyable knowing we will be using them year after year.

Ben is such a serious kid that anytime he wants a funny picture taken I have to take it. He is such a good boy.

Also for December fun I made my own December Daily. ali edwards does this every year. I had done it two years ago and was excited to try it again. There is a page to paste a picture and short story for each day in December.

Here are a few peeks of my pages just waiting to get filled in...very simple this year. I am ready!

Happy December!

Thanksgiving weekend

Our Thanksgiving weekend has come to it's end. We have had such a nice time being all together. We stayed home most of the past 4 days. Thanksgiving dinner with the Squadron was fun. Madi just got the new movie Santa Paws and tonight we all enjoyed watching it together. Over the last 4 days most of my time was spent making this small hexagon quilt. I love these fabrics...I believe it's Figgy Pudding by Basic Grey. I got it last year and never used it until now. I think I am one of those hexagon finatics. I LOVE making them. I love hand quilting.

Our Thanksgiving tablerunner. I saw this on a blog last year and started this tradition too. We each write what we are thankful for that year. This will be one of those things that gets better with time!

The Air Force allowed us to only ship 3,000 pounds of our household goods here to Korea. Since we brought beds, toys, kitchen items and a few pieces of furniture my holiday decorations didn't make it on the ship here. I did bring a Christmas tree and ornaments but as far as anything else...that's it. So instead of moping too much about not being able to decorate the kids and I decided we can make some of our own. Friday night we made cinnamon applesauce ornaments.

Ben and Madi had so much fun...they are begging to make more. I might just let them...look how good Madi's came out.

And Ben's. Of course...a football ornament.

Madi was serious about getting her letter in the mail early. We are always talking about the mail here...things take a bit longer than usual.

What a beautiful surprise Saturday morning...snowflakes. They look beautiful from way up here on the 17th floor!

It's Thanksgiving already here in Korea.

Ben got the award for being on the Principle's Honor Roll. He got all A's.

Knowing we are going to be moving to Northern California and the Giants are the World Champs he now sports a Buster Posey jersey...something other than a Georgia team, wow.

It's 0800 Thanksgiving morning here in Korea. This morning Steve is going to go play football with the Weather Squadron. And for Thanksgiving dinner all the weather people and their families are gathering at the squadron to celebrate and eat together. Last night when Steve walked in the door from work Madi and I were breaking the bread for our homemade stuffing. Steve joined in.

Korea: After N. Korea attacked S. Korea on Tuesday things got tense. Thankfully nothing has escalated since. Of course the S. Korean army and our military are on edge. We live 45 miles from the N. Korean border, so of course I was worried. When we moved here our family was issued gas masks we keep here at home as a precaution. But yesterday life went on as usual. All the military folks fall under Genral Order #1 this long holiday weekend...NO ALCOHOL. Everyone needs to be very alert. We don't drink anyway but for some this has changed their holiday plans.

We are going to miss having Thanksgiving with Steve's family this year. Every year we were stationed in Georgia we would eat and enjoy the day with his family. We got use to that. I am thankful to at least be together with Steve and the kids.

Happy Thanksgiving!