Windy...

This past Saturday, we had quite an experience! Call it a tornado, call it straight line winds...who knows. All we knew as the girls were screaming in the living room and the 3 adults were looking out the windows and trying to calm them, it was WINDY!!!

I was looking out the window as the rain was causing a white out and the hail was starting to hit the windows, as soon as I saw a small maple tree in the front yard hit the proverbial "dust", I made my way back to the living room to stand with the others and watch as the 30 seconds of terror hit our humble abode.

Then this is what we walked out to.....

This is just a few of the 12 large trees that were taken down in the cemetery across the road from us!

Thankfully, we are all okay! I'm sure that the way my girls see storms will be changed forever...they may not sleep through a storm any more!

Compared to the devestation throughout the world and the United States this year, this is but a small porch roof in the front yard, as opposed to those who have lost their whole home!

We are so very blessed and grateful for the safety that was afforded us!

A time for...

SCHOOL!!! Yea!! School started today! 8:30 on the dot...the Girlies were fed, uniformed, brushed (teeth & hair), backpacks & lunches at the ready!

I had two excited girls, one with the face of "been there done this" & one with the face of "I'm sooo excited I can't stand it"!




This momma is looking forward to controlling the remote, eating lunch w/o the "but I don't like that" complaint & having some peace & quiet! Until school is dismissed for the day, then I will be glad to hear their voices telling me about their first day!
Then I will be looking forward to putting them in bed....having peace & quiet again!




Get a load of this 4th grader!! Yikes!




The big K girly! She's posin' cause she can!

How bout you Mom's out there? Are you glad the kids are back in school? Or are you bemoaning the fact summer is over & you don't get to play with the kids...
I'm a very happy momma, it helps that the girls get so excited to go to school!!
--Jeanette using BlogPress on iPhone

I'm having an Affair....

with Pinterest (.com)! It's a wonderful place where you can pin all things splendid on your "boards". To prove that I'm in the throes of all the loveliness, I have made 27 Boards and have pinned 472 items (pic, websites, stories, blogs that I find in my web browsing) to these boards.

Things I have learned about myself, by having this affair: I like the color aqua/turquoise or whatever you want to call it. I like it paired with many other colors; orange, red, yellow, pinks...yeah, it's like black or white to me, it goes with anything!!

One of my favorite boards has been my recipe board. Which I like to call "Tastes and Treats".
I have had the audacity to bring this affair into my home, nee right into my kitchen and dining rooms!! I thought I'd share some links and pics with you from my "Tastes and Treats" board. Some recipes I've made, some I'm gonna be doing soon!

Source: grapevinetwine.tumblr.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: candcmarriagefactory.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: cheeseandchoco.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: cookingjoan.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: kayotic.nl via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: kalynskitchen.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: myrecipes.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: homesteadinghousewife.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Here are a few that I plan on trying soon!

Source: twotinykitchens.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: thegraciouspantry.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: ivillage.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: edesiasnotebook.blogspot.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

I'm looking forward to cooler weather, where oatmeal and warm baked goodies will taste so good!
How about you? Are you a Pinterest addict?  I will share more of my pinterest pins throughout the winter months! What else is there to do in Michigan when the temp is below freezing.....?  

UMMMM Grab the Tissues Y'all!!

Last Week of Summer Vacay...

shared in pictures (Thanks in part to Instagram app on my iPhone!).

We'll start with last Saturday....Picnic @ our church with food, kids games & a short ball game for the old "fogies"....hahaha! I shouldn't laugh Greg was out there!

Then came Saturday night...popped some potatoes in foil and put them in the crock pot to cook overnight (Thanks Pinterest)....crock on low heat from about 9 pm Saturday until noon on Sunday. (I did check them Sunday before church and moved the top layer to the bottom and the bottom ones on top). They were perfectly done, and moist!

Got to start a book I found at the Library...who could pass up a book about a vintage clothing store! BTW I haven't gotten very far, when I do have time to read, I usually end up falling asleep (late nights).

Sunday, the usual, church and family day! We had Chicken, Potatoes and leftovers from the Church picnic! Nap for me....

Monday: Greg's @ work and the girl's and I get out of the house for the last girl's day out before school. They both wanted to get their ears pierced. Turns out only the eldest has the guts to actually see it through!

Lunch, park, thrift store (only 1 cause they can't handle it!! hehe) and then an ice cream break before home!

Caught this naughty little guy, who's been eating out cat food all summer long! Cute, but not very nice!

We went to a town an hour away to go to the Aunt Millie's bread thrift store. Spend a gift card at a store we don't have close to us, and get some dinner.  We happened to run across a new place famous for their coney dogs (yes, they were delicious, both of them!)
We ate in good company!

Original Neon sign for the Pixie Drive in from 1948

I had a little mixer envy. The color!

Original car speakers, now plays tunes from the jukebox @ the tables!

Snapped a picture of my morning glories. They are about the only flowers you can see in my flower garden this summer. Can you spell N-E-G-L-E-C-T? Yeah, Jeanette!!

Then the best part of my whole week....found my perfect couch on Craigslist! It was only a 40 minute drive away (which is totally awesome when you live out in the boonies!) and in such good condition that I didn't even have to clean, spray or otherwise de-smell it! I love when things come from smoke free, pet free homes, don't you?

Oh! These Chairs?! They were in the room with the couch. When my mom found out they were $25 each, she whipped out her check book and bought them for us!  Thanks mom, they are comfy, and the girls think they are their personal thrones!!!

AHHHH! A good week, and now we are ready for the FIL to come for the long holiday weekend (pssst we had only one chair in the living room until we got this furniture, NOT conducive to having company huh!?). Bring it on!!

R U enjoying family this weekend? or going it alone to stay away from the crazy family traffic?

The Reason We sing....

"I don't know why you say 'goodbye', I say 'hello'"!

Because it makes us feel so much better about the girls being all contrary & obstinate every day! The funniest thing is this is Lauryn's new "favorite" song! It's soooo her, it really isn't funny!

You readers think I kid....au contraire mon fraire!!! When the oldest girly was just a wee one, oh, around 2 yrs maybe, we lived in Nashville, TN.  One of our favorite things to do was to go to the park early in the morning before the heat was unbearable (at least I thought it was).
One morning we were walking to the swings & I in my ever cheerful, optimistic, cup half full, sunny side up mood (you do know sarcasm when you read it don't you!?) said this, "Oh, Lauryn, isn't this a beautiful day! The sky is blue, the grass is green, the flowers are so pretty!" To which my 2YO said, (quite petulantly I must say),"NO. The sky isn't blue, the grass isn't green and the flowers are NOT pretty mommy!!"(TRUE STORY).


AHEM! Yes, folks it true....I did not raise her to be this way....she just came out talking this way!

So, I really do get a kick out of that Beatles song....it's a dead ringer for my oldest!!!

(y'all know I love her anyway....and can argue with her all day about who's right!!  HAHAHA!)

So this is the real deal....

Liyah, shakin' what her momma gave her!

Let it never be said, "The girl has no rhythm"  hahaha!

She loves the keyboard & plays it regularly, but I do think the pre-programmed music is her favorite thing to do! (Yes, that is a mattress on the floor....we'd had a "sleep over" the night before, since her big sister was @ camp!)