Family and Friends

For the last 8 weekends we have either had family or friends to come visit us. This has been so nice for us...when Steve is deployed, weekends can drag on and on. Thank you to all of you. This weekend we went to Macon for Haley's birthday party at the skating rink.

Steve's mom got out and showed her stuff on some skates. There she is wearing her souvenir from the Foreigner concert she went to.

Ben and his big cousin Hunter.

Teresa came to stay with us too. She helped get our backyard cleaned up and the kids really enjoyed burning the leaves. Teresa also helped me learn how to crochet. I did crochet as a kid but had forgotten...Thank you Teresa!!!

Airman Kiehl to Mom

Before I was a mom I spent 7 years in the Air Force. Those were my glory days! That's how I met Steve. Now whenever people hear I use to be in the Air Force they seem stunned...I like to think it's because of my artsy tendencies or my talent of baking yummy homemade cookies and not my ever-expanding backside.

On Monday goldencorral.com/military/ lets all Vets eat for free. This the only reason I have ever needed my DD Form 214 (separation papers)...they don't really check but I take mine just in case. This will be our third year going. It's so fun. The place is PACKED, the line weaves through the parking lot. All the Vets come dressed with their hats and medals and suits and flag scarfs...it's a sight. So tell everyone you know.

Okay so I am happy! I just had my hair cut.It gets shorter and shorter every time...last time Steve saw me it was halfway down my back. I am trying to get ready for Steve to come home. The other day I went shopping and found some pretty new pj's (wink wink) and a few new winter clothes. We have done so good...it's been 6 months with only 7 phone calls. I am almost nervous to see him. Plus, all of a sudden the time is slowing down. Ahhhh

Plymouth or Jamestown?

As sad as I was to put my Halloween decorations away, I sure am enjoying my Pilgrims and Indians.

Crosstitching use to be my love and daily habit. But ever since having kids I have not done any until now. It took me forever to do this harvest pattern last month...but think it's so pretty I have already started a new Christmas one.

There is Ben...author of the title of this post.

Legend of the Indian Corn

Just finished making 'Legend of the Indian Corn' treats to hand out for Thanksgiving. I have spent the last month substitute teaching in Kindergarten. Last week we made placemats for their Thanksgiving Feast coming up. This is the poem we used on them...I thought I could use it in a scrapbooking way and it worked.

Some Favorites!

This past weekend we had some of our favorite friends from Germany come to see us. The Friesen Family...Susy from the everyday gourmet, who is now stationed at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. We had such a fun time together. We always do. This is the third time we have gotten together since February. There are the girls playing rock-n-roll with Steve's old guitars. The boys were on the side jamin' on the piano and beating on the drums.

Susy was so sweet to treat me to two cases of my favorite soda pop...Vernors. They do not sell it here in Georgia. The stash I brought home with me from Ohio last summer is just about gone. Also in the photo is my FAVORITE book. I am not a big reader but this book captured me from the beginning. It only took me a few days to read it it was SO good.

Gobble Gobble

Madi wore her new turkey shirt to school yesterday. She of course helped me make it. She picked out the fall fabrics and traced her hand.













This picture of Ben and Madi was quickly snapped this morning before heading out for school. Madi was dressed up in her new Georgia skirt with lots of polka-dots all the way down to her toes and Ben in the same colors but showing spirit for our Atlanta Falcons. Steve sure is missing out on these two, they are so fun. But not too much longer....only a few more weeks!!! My kids have been so wonderful this whole time Steve has been gone. I am lucky to have such good Air Force kids.

Our Thankful For Tree

Ben and Madi were out of school today. So this morning we took these cool tags and the kids wrote some things down they were thankful for. I stapled them into circles and hung them on my silver tree strung with brown ribbon. I LOVE it and love their sweet handwriting....I will love it even more as the years go by.

Halloween with a visitor

We just had a really fun weekend. My dad came to spend the spooky weekend with us. My dad flew in from the Washington DC area. We were laughing because the time it took him to try to fly here he could have driven. He woke up at 0330 to catch an early flight to Atlanta, but he went to the wrong airport...there are 3 in DC. So, he didn't get here until 2:30 pm but just in time for some fun. We had a fabulous Fall Festival Friday night. Madi and her bestest friend Haley had their faces painted.

On Saturday afternoon my dad treated us to a very entertaining and delicious lunch. When this thing lite up the kids flew back in their seats...that's some flame! But boy can that guy cook.

After lunch the kids and papa burned off ALL that food at the skating rink...I think my dad might like that place more than my kids.

On Halloween night we got to spend it with the fair Tinkerbell and the coolest transformer... Bumblebee.

Caramels 2009 style

I love trying new things...crafts, decorating ideas, recipes, but sometimes it's all about traditions. My grandma always made these caramels. For the last 12 Halloween's I have. The only thing about them that changes is in the way we give them out. This year I made drawstring treat bags to stuff them in.

I

I put my-most-prized-recipe here on my blog last fall. It makes a 9x13 pan full of caramels.

This cute little enamelware pot is filled with caramels for the ladies who work in the office at my kids school...I can't forget them.

Baby Deedee

This past weekend my sister-in-law and 2 of her kids came for a visit again. This time our goal was to make Deedee 13, a Halloween costume...she wanted to be a baby. She is going to wear a t-shirt underneath this but 5 yards of white fabric later it turned out PERFECT!!! She looks so cute.

Kids, kids, kids

My weeks are flying by!! Most of last week was spent subbing in Kindergarten and every day of this was too. There is just something about Kindergarten...I LOVE being in there. And after two weeks of the same kids you really fall in love with them. But now I am pooped...a classroom of active kids ALL day and then coming home with my own two and Steve still deployed...phew!

The other 3 teachers I worked side by side with were so kind and helpful. Last night I baked the yummiest Iced-Pumpkin-Cookies to share as a thank you with these ladies. Ben and Madi also LOVED these. After school I told them I was making pumpkin cookies, but they were so confused because they don't have pumpkin faces, but they woofed them down anyways.

Southern Belle Farm

This past weekend we had a house full of visitors. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and kids, Steve's cousin Matt and my mother-in-laws sister...Steve's Aunt Ramona all came to visit us. It was a party at our house! On Saturday we went to the great Southern Belle Farm for some fall fun. It was cloudy and 50 degrees....we froze! But this week it is back to sunny skies and 70's thank goodness.

We saw pig races.

The kids playing games at the water pumps.

Ben's favorite...the corn maze. There were 3 different ones. Hard ones...I got lost.

Tunnels to crawl through.

Ben shot corn cobs.

Madi played and made corn angels in the corn pit.

And out of the whole pumpkin patch my kids found and liked a green one?

What are you wearing?

I have been substitute teaching a lot lately! It's fun and when I grow up I think I want to be a teacher. The other day I wore my new homemade broach on a brown shirt. When I walked out of my room dressed and ready to go my kids looked at me and said mom what's that? I asked them what. They said that thing on your shirt. So I told them my new broach and they cracked up asking again it's a what? Anyways you just cut circles, sew an X in the middle and attach a button...I liked it.

Crow and pumpkin pillow

This holiday season issue of Create & Decorate is stuffed with some fun creative ideas. Last Friday night we had some friends

over for a pizza and craft party. As I was cutting out the pieces for my pillow Ben sat at the table with us and drew his own version of the crow and pumpkin pillow.

Here is my finished project. I like this felt/wool stuff.

Pumpkins everywhere

I am not sure why or what my mother did to make love Halloween and this time of year so much but I sure do love it! This is my favorite Holiday and season to decorate for.

See the pretty table runner under my silver tree in the living room...yep I made it out of leftover scraps from a project last fall. I just love that turquoise mixed in with those colors.

My 4ft. black tree is one of my favorites. Even though Steve is deployed to Iraq the kids and I are still trying our best to enjoy this fun time of year and for me decorating makes it LOTS of fun.

Today was my first...

MAMMOGRAM! Today's appointment has been on my calendar for 3 agonizing months. When I walked in the lady said forget everything you have heard about mammograms...she knew it was my first. She was right! It was a little uncomfortable but nothing to whine about at all! My Dr. said by the age of 35 you need to get a baseline mammogram done. If all is well with this first one then you can go on with you business until age 40.

Mr. Bones

Target had the girls t-shirts on sale for $2.98 so I bought a bunch to play with! Madi has a pair of vintage looking jeans that I think this little homemade t-shirt may look cute with. Another jackpot sale I found was at Michael's...all the pirate birthday stuff was 80% off or more. A bag of 36 skull suckers was only 59 cents and we turned them into a pile of Mr. Bones for Halloween treats for Ben's class and Fall Festival.

Happy October!

I am so excited that October is here. We can finally say Steve should be home next month...of course it will be the very end of November but it's still next month. Today the kids started the month off with Halloween spirit. Madi picked out the fabric for this white pumpkin t-shirt and she even ironed it on with heat and bond with my help. Ben wore a glow in the dark spider shirt from Target so no picture...but tonight is our school skate night, so he will look cool when the lights go out and they skate.