tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81741992626951750782024-03-20T05:57:57.872-04:00The Fab FiveAn extremely active family with 5 children going in 10 directions! We have two daughters in college at The University of Toledo. Jenna ia a Senior studying Graphic Design and Lauren a Sophomore studying Middle School Education. Natalie is a Sophomore at Minster High School, and Jonathan and Andrew are twins in the 8th grade in the Middle School.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-68951803929929442682011-04-26T19:48:00.001-04:002011-04-26T19:51:17.417-04:00Over for now....<span style="font-size: large;">I've been thinking for a long time about this blog stuff...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoy writing my blog, but realized I don't like that people know about me and our life and I don't know who they/you are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Compared to other blogs that I read, I received very little commenting (none!) and I guess I finally realized I don't like that. I guess I was expecting that if you read, you should/would give opinions or comments and I would feel like the blog was 2-way communication, and I would get to know YOU too. That never really happened. Other than my kids and Jannis (thank you Jannis!), no one ever responded. I enjoy it, but not enough to keep everyone up to date with the Fausey's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have decided to keep writing and blogging, but now only for my personal use and diary....</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-20718409997145632662011-03-28T16:19:00.002-04:002011-03-28T16:52:35.752-04:00Changes<span style="font-size: large;">As I've mentioned before, I am surprised how many people are interested in our life and choose to read my blog. I started it roughly 2 years ago, and I currently have hundreds of hits every week. Sometimes over a hundred a day. But, I don't know who all of you are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Compared to other blogs, I receive very few comments. So, that even questions me even more. I have decided to make my blog private to my "followers" only. I think it's only fair. If you like reading this enough and getting the "inside scoop" on our family, then I think it's only fair that I know who you are!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, its really simple, semd me an email to <a href="mailto:juliefausey@hotmail.com">juliefausey@hotmail.com</a> and I will email you back with an invite to follow my blog! You will need a gmail account. The instructions are very simple to set one up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will be making this "live" sometime later this week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks everybody! Can't wait to see who you all are!</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-28971988518212412762011-03-17T08:58:00.004-04:002011-03-17T20:08:52.974-04:00Giving more than is Expected<span style="font-size: large;">I was inspired this morning by </span><a href="http://jamiesperfect10.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Jamie's Perfect Ten</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">. She recently attended a lenten luncheon and her message through Linda Thieman's talk truly touched me. <strong><em>Giving more than is expected</em></strong>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wow! I would liken that to my children and how they strive for the minimum around the house. They carry their laundry basket up to their room as asked, then leave it sit, not putting it away, until they need to dump it on the floor to carry the next huge load down. They empty their backpacks after school and then leave remnants of their lunch boxes all over the kitchen and papers and projects in the family room. Or, even the older girls. They were home from Spring Break last week. I asked them to please have their rooms when they left, as they were when they came home. They did. But, who needs to go in now and clean their bathroom from top to bottom?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I do have good kids, and helpers actually too, but why do we only do what we have to? The minimum. How can we teach to do more, give more, expect less. That doing more will, in the end, get you more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A simple story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em> "DOUBLE-TAKE, DOUBLE-GIVE"</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>"Brad" his mom called out, "I just found out that Mrs. Sommers, our neighbor, is going to the hospital for a few days. She needs someone to feed her two cats. Do you think you could help her out?"</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>"Sure Mom, no problem," shrugged the boy as he headed out the door. "I can stop by on my way home from school, I guess."</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Later that day, Brad made his way to the elderly widow's house, and let himself in with the key that she had left under the welcome mat. The door opened with a loud squeak, alerting the two Calico cats who purred with gratitude as their visitor graciously filled up their bowls with generous portions of food and water.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>"Okay - good deed for the day accomplished," Brad thought with a sense of satisfaction.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Just then he noticed a strange dripping sound coming from the kitchen. Curious, Brad went to investigate and discovered the culprit - a leaking faucet, that by the looks of the water stain on the sink, had been dripping for quite some time.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>For a brief moment, the thought flashed through Brad's mind: "I could fix that..." But he quickly dismissed the idea. After all, he was just there to feed the cats. And besides, he knew that all of his friends would be out playing ball and he was anxious to join them.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>He turned to leave. As he stepped out the door Brad nearly tripped on the tall, overgrown grass. "Wow, this really needs trimming. In fact, this whole place is falling apart. It was never like this when Mr. Sommers was alive. But that's none of my business."</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Brad started on his way, half jogging, toward the park. But he had hardly gone a half a dozen steps when he stopped in his tracks. "Maybe I really should go back and take care of some of those problems," he thought to himself. "But, then again", he countered, "I did feed the cats like she asked. What do I need to get so involved for?"</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Brad took a few more steps, and stopped again. He imagined the poor, old widow all alone, and how big these "little" problems must seem to her now that her husband was no longer around to take care of them.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>"I'm gonna do it!" he resolutely decided. Without delay, the boy ran home, grabbed a few tools. After an hour and a half of spraying, wrench-twisting, and weed-trimming, Mrs. Sommer's house was starting to look like new. The door stopped squeaking, the faucet stopped dripping, and the grass looked neat and trim again. Even the cats seemed somehow more content.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>A few days later after Brad had forgotten about the whole thing, his mom called him out from his bedroom. She had a big smile on her face and seemed to be glowing with pride. "I just got off the phone with Mrs. Sommers. She told me that an 'angel' had visited her house while she was away. She was crying with joy as she told me about how overwhelmed she had been by all the creaks and leaks since Mr. Sommers passed away, and that your surprise good deed made her feel like a new person!" Brad blushed. He was glad that he had been able to open his heart and make the extra effort to do even more than he had been asked.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What prompted Brad to do more? What do I need to do to instill in my children that desire or prompting to "do more"? I guess this carries beyond the kids. Do I, "do more"? Am I guilty of doing the minimum too? Is that why my kids don't go above and beyond, because I don't go above and beyond? Wow! Jamie, you struck a chord with me on this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My kids do well at Lent. Jonathan gave up all junk food. He considers almost everything junk food. I have nothing to pack in his lunch box anymore. Chips, pretzels, animal crackers, granola bars and cheese crackers are all junk food. Natalie gave up Facebook. Well, she cut down on her useage of Facebook. I am being facetious, but what if they still ate junk food and still went on Facebook and <strong>instead,</strong> every day did something for me, or their grandparents, or a teacher or a random person that wasn't expected. Like calling Grandma and asking if she needs helps with twigs in her yard. Or, "Mom, can I start to clean the leaves out of the front flower beds for you?" I mean really went out of their way to go "the extra mile"! Wow, 40 days of <strong>"more"</strong> sure might beat 40 days of <strong>"less"</strong> in this case! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ok, great lesson for the kids. I will have them read my blog tonight. </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">Better yet, I need to reread my blog. Every day this lent (and beyond.) Easy to say the kids need to work on this. Harder to admit that I do.</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you Jamie and Linda....</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-32190435571245879452011-03-14T14:19:00.001-04:002011-03-14T14:19:57.841-04:00Retreat<span style="font-size: large;">About 7-8 weeks ago, knowing Jenna and Lauren's spring break schedule, I got to thinking how nice it would be to find a short retreat that the three of us could share when they were home. I checked all the retreat centers in Ohio with nothing being available this specific weekend. I enlarged my search to Indiana and Michigan, and what do you know, I truly stumbled upon a Womens Spa Weekend and Retreat put on by a Catholic High school near Chicago. The retreat was in New Buffalo, Michigan. I emailed the person in charge and asked if it was closed to just the schools members. She responded saying there still was room and we would be welcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spoke with the girls and they also thought it was a great idea...(not exactly Panama City or Cancun, but hey, why not!) We left Friday morning and wouldn't you know, there were some great outlets within 15 minutes of our destination! We had a nice drive there and did a little shopping in the gorgeous sunshine before arriving at the Marina Grand Resort. It is on the coast of Lake Michigan and obviously thee boaters capital of the area. We had a wonderful room that overlooked the marina, (with zero boats at this time of year!) even complete with a patio and a fireplace. The decor was Scandinavian, and although not "plush", I will admit it is the first hotel room that I ever took pictures of! I'm sure my latest craze with design and decorating was to blame for that! The lamps and fabrics and throw pillows on the bed (yes!) were all different from my traditional sense of decorating but, oh, so warm and inviting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will try to make a long story short, but after feeling a little out of place by not knowing anyone, with everyone else having a link to this school, were quickly brought into the group by the participants and priests early Friday evening. We went around the room and gave our name and relationship to Providence High School. You can not imagine the response I received when I said I had zero relationship through the school but found it through a Google search! The place roared! From then on, we were warmly welcomed, and I bet over 75% of those ladies came up to Jenna, Lauren or myself over those 3 days and made us feel so very welcomed and at home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The order of Priests that serves this area are called Augustinians. Their order is founded on the principles and life of St. Augustine. Wow! So very coincidental. It was fate and I truly felt we were supposed to be there. They felt the same way and were oohing and aahing when I mentioned that even though I had never heard of the Augustinians before, our home parish was St. Augustine. Wow! A very powerful weekend. There was Adoration available, we had a wonderful reconciliation service, mass and the speakers were wonderful! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday evening we had a awesome meal complete with dancing and laughing and overall had a tremendous time. Way beyond all of our expectations. I must also mention a group of three women that we happened to sit with the first night. Karen, Irene and Barb went out of there way to make us feel at home. We joined them in their suite before dinner on Saturday and they hosted "thee" best quaint little gathering complete with food that I need to get ahold of recipes! A crispy flat bread that was salty and marinated cheese and a cheesecake recipe that beats mine, hand down! We all talked as if we had all known each other for a while. Even having the disparity of the age groups did not seem to matter. Oh, so special. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was also a little down time for the girls to get in some homework, but Sunday then around noon we left after brunch and I then brought the girls back to Toledo and I then headed for home. Dan did a great job holding down the fort. The boys had 15 friends (girls and boys) at our house Friday night and Natalie had her group Saturday night. They all had a great weekend too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The mesages I heard this weekend will linger with me for a long time. The topic was Forgiveness. Wow, what a fitting way to start Lent. Powerful, yet simple words and phrases will affect me for forever. The people, the topics, the message, the sharing, giving and the friendships will be remembered....</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-59343189615158292622011-03-09T11:00:00.002-05:002011-03-09T11:18:21.812-05:00Food!<span style="font-size: large;">So, my kids definitely understand the meaning of Fat Tuesday. The twins came home from track practice obviously hungry yesterday. I was almost finished with dinner and explained we would be eating in less than 15 minutes. Jonathan proceeds to open a yogurt. Andrew was rummaging through the fridge. Then they both looked in the snack drawer. After I yelled at Jon, he grumbled and poured a full glass of OJ. All 7 of us sat down to roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, buttery biscuits, and jello with fresh strawberries, and a large bowl of canteloupe! Within 30 minutes of finishing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, we were sitting in the family room and Jonathan pulled out a bag of Dove Chocolate. He finished them. About an hour later, I see him with this <strong>ginormous</strong> bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I finally asked him if he really didn't get enough for dinner (which I knew wasn't the case, as he had a double helping of everything, including 3 biscuits!) and said, "Mom, it's Fat Tuesday!!"</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8D-2zJgCF0cDJsEyIMRMly6MBNGcLfRck2TY-FN77rTtojwpvtrPZCkOTBRWduAcBjGDyWvYPm8Qpo0m0xqYatsMNBgfwyBGZ7QQe7gJ-xUeF48SENsHNJ5K_kZEPPVdUFr-GvfOhig/s1600/fat-tuesday-mardi-gras-demotivational-poster-1266282264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8D-2zJgCF0cDJsEyIMRMly6MBNGcLfRck2TY-FN77rTtojwpvtrPZCkOTBRWduAcBjGDyWvYPm8Qpo0m0xqYatsMNBgfwyBGZ7QQe7gJ-xUeF48SENsHNJ5K_kZEPPVdUFr-GvfOhig/s400/fat-tuesday-mardi-gras-demotivational-poster-1266282264.jpg" width="386" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">No Paczki's for us, but must admit, I also splurged a little last evening (and the night before too!) I crushed some Heath Bars in vanilla ice cream added chocolate syrup and made my own Flurry. Yummmm! One of my favorites. So, I think between myself and Jonathan and anyone else who was on the same mission, cleared out all the chocolate in the house! Other than a few boxes of hidden girl scout cookies, we are good to go for today! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I always knew sooner or later I would really feel the effect of three "men" in the house, as far as eating goes, that is! Wow! it's happening. The girls were all good eaters, but also are not big snackers. I think all the running really keeps them on a good eating regimen. The twins, until the last year, really didn't eat much. Now, they are eating constantly and in major quantities. Andrew has always been skinny. But, he has been growing by leaps and bounds and is now eating like crazy. He eats very healthy though. If I cut up a big head of broccoli for dinner, he will eat over half of it. His plate will be half green! Not kidding. (I guess he eats Jon's half...Jon eats zero veggies!) We go through 12 cups of yogurt a day (sure wish I knew someone who worked at Dannon) and a gallon of milk. I serve a fruit and vegetable (if not two) at every meal. Well, the bottom line is my grocery bill has doubled from a few years ago. What would I do without Aldi's? Now, with track starting, there is even more pressure to make sure they get enough food and the right kind!</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-35407351165014305762011-03-07T08:50:00.001-05:002011-03-07T08:55:22.470-05:00A "family" kind of weekend.<span style="font-size: large;">Yep, I'm keeping busy on the other blog. Having so much fun, but it is a little work. I'm having a hard time with some of my pictures. The glare and angles and lighting in our house isn't the greatest, and I'm really impatient with cameras. I want to turn one on and "click", the picture is perfect. <strong>Not happening</strong>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I sure would appreciate anyone that is visiting <em>Fresh Perspectives</em> to<em> </em>leave a comment or two and become a "follower". It's a pretty common thing on the blog scene to become a follower. Kind of like being a "friend" on Facebook. No, you won't get any spam and there is no security risk! On the Fab Five it is in the right hand column and on<em> Fresh Perspectives</em> it is at the bottom. I may be linking these to Facebook soon...you may have to do again if you have FB. (Thanks!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So another busy weekend. Lauren came home Friday night. House projects Saturday. (I won't bore you with details!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Girls BB district finals Saturday night in Van Wert. Way to go girls! The boys also won sectionals! Way to go guys! Let's keep it rolling...</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2XYUUS-EizlIiDG0oaAvFj0puM3E8a0Ce8VtFxhWoivZXwrlg5rQRK-2SLIGcxJIvGLDxhg-CN69J56NLjOFa7Ct8F3FooRn6waqY9D-eY84Nch5ZPSHEznjMvQ7ksBWTyQaw2FpTf4/s1600/2010-11+District+Championship+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2XYUUS-EizlIiDG0oaAvFj0puM3E8a0Ce8VtFxhWoivZXwrlg5rQRK-2SLIGcxJIvGLDxhg-CN69J56NLjOFa7Ct8F3FooRn6waqY9D-eY84Nch5ZPSHEznjMvQ7ksBWTyQaw2FpTf4/s400/2010-11+District+Championship+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">2011 District Champs</span><br />
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</tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">Jenna and Matt had his cousin's wedding in Dayton on Saturday. Hmmm... guess who caught the bouquet?</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">We put steaks on the grill last night and then played BuzzTime Trivia. The boys won. Major house rule broken. Rule is <strong>"Girls Always Win".</strong> Matt is just going to have to learn! So, after a sit-around-the-house-and-enjoy-each-other kind of Sunday, we are back to normal. Well, kind of. I have three college students still in bed and 3 other kids off to school. Track starts today, and the boys were excited, even though they started training a few weeks ago. Hope the weather keeps getting better. This is the time of year that we always manage to get sick!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, the kitchen is calling... Hope everyone has a great week. Spring is coming!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYxvhrRbbmzaU43GKSaKARcAoCNo8o4yvz8W0ry0vZAC6iS7tnuMUQaeRR99Ovlh3L-FTXb927o0P_nlD59wtBmT5V0hmPzlIQzXmfMsvg25C09ZyMl_R4nKj-uIP_w_lGruLmdsl6MQ/s1600/snowdrops-in-snow-iStocka-300x224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYxvhrRbbmzaU43GKSaKARcAoCNo8o4yvz8W0ry0vZAC6iS7tnuMUQaeRR99Ovlh3L-FTXb927o0P_nlD59wtBmT5V0hmPzlIQzXmfMsvg25C09ZyMl_R4nKj-uIP_w_lGruLmdsl6MQ/s400/snowdrops-in-snow-iStocka-300x224.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-20408106793278756012011-03-02T20:23:00.001-05:002011-03-02T20:27:35.065-05:00A Day Away<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial6DBWLDX14QL_h1tbt9USXGdnvvpxRhZ5da-5g4gK5UR1925yndcHdGH6LYFspRStWDEiX9vPl6U5Od_TyON_quV_bA18Rb1KgcSizgPr6-gLvohaTRlR86Cr0yxj06Wx63nxH1WHRo/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial6DBWLDX14QL_h1tbt9USXGdnvvpxRhZ5da-5g4gK5UR1925yndcHdGH6LYFspRStWDEiX9vPl6U5Od_TyON_quV_bA18Rb1KgcSizgPr6-gLvohaTRlR86Cr0yxj06Wx63nxH1WHRo/s320/007.jpg" width="241" /></a><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Cheer Cheer for Old </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Notre Dame.."</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes just a day away refreshes your body and soul. We received tickets </span><span style="font-size: large;">for Christmas to a ND Basketball game from Matt (Jenna's boyfriend) for January 6th. Well, that day South Bend had a record 28 inches of snow in a 24 hour period. Obviously we didn't go, but I just happened to call the ticket office the next day disappointed, and they gave us tickets to a future game. ND vs Villanova! But, a Monday night, so some school would have to be missed. (Since tickets are basically final sale, this was much appreciated.) I added a ticket for Natalie thinking she would be done with BB. <strong>Not!!</strong> After finding out early Sunday morning she would be able to miss practice, we quickly came home from church and frantically rushed around packing a cooler, a change of clothes and Sophie's stuff for Grandma's house. We figured if we were going to drive over three hours there, and three hours back, an overnight would be in order. We arrived in South Bend to hit their mall for about an hour. I had received a gift card to Olive Garden, which made for a wonderful dinner. It is one restaurant that makes everyone in our house happy! We then headed to the hotel and to be honest just had fun sitting around, all five of us, in a small room for the evening, instead of spread out in bedrooms and basements, on computers and PS3's all night like normal. It was nice to have some good family time. Ok, I gotta be honest. Natalie still sat at the computer most of the night following her friends on Facebook. (But, we were all in one room!!) We watched the Oscars and fell asleep around midnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh my, when the phone rings at 5:30 a.m., you know something isn't good. My Mom and Dad were at our house because of the rain and were worried. Both sump pumps were running continually and the back yard was flooded and the dock was underwater. What to do? I, of course, did not fall back asleep after checking three different radars and the weather forecast. It looked like the rain was over. We called back around 8 and indeed it was looking better. We decided to stay and so glad we did. We hit a few fun bookstores and shops and then headed over to campus for a visit. We went to the bookstore and the Visitors Center, then to the Basilica and Grotto where we lit a few candles. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0bE8KgaFWNVwxxRb3x3Q3F79gCaPziSVAiKxBKBuODMEMbC9stMYOR5tHilbRnCV-V4Z2HKiVfL5-Jx1oL2jjIJfs80rPABBkFppjv4qEW6Z5VGgybeVrUKTJ8o_TAiC_3IUOa_qfFs/s1600/017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="333" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0bE8KgaFWNVwxxRb3x3Q3F79gCaPziSVAiKxBKBuODMEMbC9stMYOR5tHilbRnCV-V4Z2HKiVfL5-Jx1oL2jjIJfs80rPABBkFppjv4qEW6Z5VGgybeVrUKTJ8o_TAiC_3IUOa_qfFs/s400/017.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNHZ_qV_PnnbBYStVyHGFQuqX_uG4g5Ig3AC3F7MeQPvOhGDgqvaxkhE5qWFyCnG3B5REcb5uLdoRvMZ12Qu8RobQv2sTkbmU1tAUtIHiwNBJGMDFZmijxU0JgRDyo-vWK673w7QBNnA/s1600/005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNHZ_qV_PnnbBYStVyHGFQuqX_uG4g5Ig3AC3F7MeQPvOhGDgqvaxkhE5qWFyCnG3B5REcb5uLdoRvMZ12Qu8RobQv2sTkbmU1tAUtIHiwNBJGMDFZmijxU0JgRDyo-vWK673w7QBNnA/s400/005.jpg" width="337" /></span></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMbYLxFsfLi1TVQJr8tCg8PW7WLU7Rc_tNaKfbeoAtecSbyFJS-NsMJj_Ox0ezYAMjHD4o2Gwd_nd_TEE_ak-nu08eCFdfehcMBLtMHfzyqtnNttXa188eDiafOB1lbAM5gDY5Kkpepk/s1600/041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMbYLxFsfLi1TVQJr8tCg8PW7WLU7Rc_tNaKfbeoAtecSbyFJS-NsMJj_Ox0ezYAMjHD4o2Gwd_nd_TEE_ak-nu08eCFdfehcMBLtMHfzyqtnNttXa188eDiafOB1lbAM5gDY5Kkpepk/s400/041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sold Out Senior Night</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> We had a quick dinner at the Huddle (Student Union) and then proceeded to the game. It was our first ND BB game. So much fun! The student section and the band and the fight song and then a record number of three's in the first half! It was a blow-out, but oh, so much fun to watch.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>ND Student Section</strong><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-kZ5DWuYeAU0_gQOZVZojjPG8IzpLK1YEnu48G_bMTcO0s268K7-5c0uxIFkhkmhIM1iVH7OfRbSEzkXXzM15Jk5T30KMKO3d7yHE-tq6um_DiVA8825aatzpuvo5b1YSWyAKvsN804/s1600/024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRr1nBT6v2QGv6Iomg7rOhhEo0gR4wnd_6KFc7tvpwgDemK2wlYRW8wnRBlzuI57Lf5qAH4pqvkS_699FjJaFBiErLIhgyDIbVzlBMmqZDkNJbXH4z2G25SdQVHIZkJ4u4MijQKFnyXk/s1600/029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRr1nBT6v2QGv6Iomg7rOhhEo0gR4wnd_6KFc7tvpwgDemK2wlYRW8wnRBlzuI57Lf5qAH4pqvkS_699FjJaFBiErLIhgyDIbVzlBMmqZDkNJbXH4z2G25SdQVHIZkJ4u4MijQKFnyXk/s400/029.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> The dreaded three hour ride home wasn't as bad as expected, but unloading a car at midnight is not my idea of fun! The kids were able to get up well, although I will admit I was a little slower than normal in my routine yesterday! T</span><span style="font-size: large;">he sunshine helped, but I think overall the change of scenery and just being away from home, (although a little stressful for a few hours!) was just what we all needed after months of snow, slush, clouds and dreariness! There was definitely a "pep in our step" being out and about, especially on the beautiful campus of Notre Dame. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Thee Golden Dome on a beautiful clear day! The sky was so blue!</strong></td></tr>
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</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-61839017668215485102011-02-25T20:08:00.001-05:002011-02-25T20:09:08.072-05:00Snow Days...<span style="font-size: large;">Ok, it can be over. I've seen enough snow, swept up enough salt in the garage to melt 6 inches of snow every day for the next year and had the kids home too many days this week! The only bonus of a Friday snow day is that I have additional helpers for cleaning day. Andrew swept both sets of steps...Jonathan cleaned the bar area in the basement and Natalie cleaned the whole family room for me. I made chicken noodle soup and finished the rest of the first floor cleaning. Uggh. At least the snow melted off the driveway thanks to the twins doing some good shoveling of the biggest part of it The forecast is showing 52 degrees by Monday. Can we just go upward from there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Basketball is over for the boys but Natalie will be sitting on the varsity bench for the rest of the girls' season. They play in the sectional finals tomorrow night. I'm hoping for another successful tournament run. Good Luck Girls! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Natalie was supposed to go today to take her drivers license test. Not! Now she has to wait another 6 days....next appointment was next Thursday. She is not too happy about that right now! She was ready to go this morning...while it was still snowing and blowing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next week I get both girls home at the same time! Jenna and Lauren will be on Spring Break in the warm, sunny, happening town of Minster! I am looking forward to the whole family being together again for a few days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have had a headache all day. Finally took something a little stronger than Advil....maybe a hot bath with some Epsom Salts will help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great weekend everyone!</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-11145302250593975162011-02-22T09:19:00.001-05:002011-02-22T09:20:45.126-05:00Sweet Sixteen<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy Birthday Natalie!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS6P3PbY4CoMW1aJktHAPq3d1Frijaz8AGnL4we6CfdDJMxZw0jzoAKRP5D-TmP8jNx6VVUJSzfO_icgCxUQXxQtFagNerL2wzbtKq57gTUxVI36tXnVo0hnipeXgOS8dFEjEXKLLrlY/s1600/Natalie+Baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS6P3PbY4CoMW1aJktHAPq3d1Frijaz8AGnL4we6CfdDJMxZw0jzoAKRP5D-TmP8jNx6VVUJSzfO_icgCxUQXxQtFagNerL2wzbtKq57gTUxVI36tXnVo0hnipeXgOS8dFEjEXKLLrlY/s320/Natalie+Baby.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">It almost looks like you are holding a phone there texting!! That's about the only way I see you any more....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not exactly sure where the last 16 years went, but the memories are all great ones! Looking forward to watching you grow and becoming even more beautiful and successful in everything you do!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMMArpzcEmRueMOD-QwRn8Fr5WTLYzj7lfuA8RxN_UD92I7ZifX4XWNk5hH3YQTxnNVtMyQOQgNSNmADM4aFbOvv5f6dCZYQATUMkq2-A2PXtGtKvjtLukulZw5k3sC66RL8ACHakgws/s1600/DSC_0480+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMMArpzcEmRueMOD-QwRn8Fr5WTLYzj7lfuA8RxN_UD92I7ZifX4XWNk5hH3YQTxnNVtMyQOQgNSNmADM4aFbOvv5f6dCZYQATUMkq2-A2PXtGtKvjtLukulZw5k3sC66RL8ACHakgws/s320/DSC_0480+%25282%2529.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Love you! Have a Wonderful Day!</span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-75208505802064299532011-02-17T16:07:00.001-05:002011-02-17T16:07:44.289-05:00Introduction<span style="font-size: large;">My second blog...</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">FRESH PERSPECTIVES</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">can be found at:</span><br />
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<a href="http://juliesfreshperspectives.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">http://juliesfreshperspectives.blogspot.com/</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking forward to your comments and suggestions. </span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-25605333768226686202011-02-14T09:48:00.002-05:002011-02-14T09:48:33.363-05:00<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4d6a49354e6a55774e44413d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play this Smilebox greeting" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4d6a49354e6a55774e44413d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own greeting - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/greetings.html" target="_blank">Greeting card</a> made with Smilebox</td></tr></table>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-16074558273548439692011-02-13T18:02:00.001-05:002011-02-13T18:11:34.164-05:00Fireplace Fix-up<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think we all get into ruts...we cook the same meals, we buy the same foods, we decorate our house and then think it's good for the next 5 or 10 (or even 15 years...gasp!) And then we look around at the same surroundings day in and day out and wonder why we are bored with everything. Of course, most of us don't have the money, time or energy to remodel our kitchen or master bedroom every other year, but you can constantly be re"fresh"ing things! You would be surprised how many little things can be done either very inexpensively or free just by changing up those accessories and small pieces of furniture from room to room.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqMHNEdzZIPgMwcj1DrqJ04igsQ5AnB7vbWpitrUWP4JRNw-QCQeD04iSceaTumgM7oVoloSuRAl0uQPUuCuQvCvw721qBsHcs9QRmw2trNrriki7Obc5S7vbnLRw0XSByyv1csW8nsw/s1600/DSCN3394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqMHNEdzZIPgMwcj1DrqJ04igsQ5AnB7vbWpitrUWP4JRNw-QCQeD04iSceaTumgM7oVoloSuRAl0uQPUuCuQvCvw721qBsHcs9QRmw2trNrriki7Obc5S7vbnLRw0XSByyv1csW8nsw/s400/DSCN3394.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have had these two dark brown iron lanterns in my formal living room since we moved here. I love their shapes and sizing. So, the other day, when I decided that our fireplace hearth needed a redo, they got moved approx. 30 feet. I took down the fireplace tools (that are also in their third home) down to the basement and decided that the arrangement was going too! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We needed a whole new look!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXqc67Fztgt2Oc45K6XpO_g_Ettwik7pHeco35-e33rRWsc2JhNNlOZ-lSSnmUeHa_G7IP38V4Rj-8ffrJf5LyeiaIdLRoY2QdVk5KFgbyjA-YQ_kMfrrZM_St3T2QKsPUHK_jCUnEDk/s1600/DSCN3396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXqc67Fztgt2Oc45K6XpO_g_Ettwik7pHeco35-e33rRWsc2JhNNlOZ-lSSnmUeHa_G7IP38V4Rj-8ffrJf5LyeiaIdLRoY2QdVk5KFgbyjA-YQ_kMfrrZM_St3T2QKsPUHK_jCUnEDk/s400/DSCN3396.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">So this is the hearth before....</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrIJgbE7RqxBBRUCgrS3z2wOpQR-vV9f2SVKhoRTYo9z7IePPdFxsIKjd_GYar21EYN0Mfy_5Tvvv-GjM1MeUO5x7wNFAbiopsLBadLDIPDlk3qbiG3XVkmBC6kGnRCwKXJSj55HEscI/s1600/057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrIJgbE7RqxBBRUCgrS3z2wOpQR-vV9f2SVKhoRTYo9z7IePPdFxsIKjd_GYar21EYN0Mfy_5Tvvv-GjM1MeUO5x7wNFAbiopsLBadLDIPDlk3qbiG3XVkmBC6kGnRCwKXJSj55HEscI/s400/057.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">After: This is the new look with all old things from different places. The big lantern now has a candle in it and at night casts wonderful shadows throughout the room because of the cutouts. I love it more than ever! I've even been lighting it during the week, when we aren't even expecting company!! It is like getting something totally new. And, it'</span><span style="font-size: large;">s a great way to use up old half-burnt candles. The amber jar never really had a home...it had a lid that I kept on it and when I took the lid off, I had a new opportunity! These peachy and green grasses look they were made for that vase. What is hard to see in the picture is the great amber, "see through kind of color" in the vase. So pretty!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMwvVoA2Y1KDbCzAbHKSYy5YkSa_BSz2AmLcjaOZMMhqK1R_uLWxZMUu4xY7zPX_nPNzuKr85_EH-iQrZ6vKq0hM1deRkFd92oKixDErAw2KH-OtuqeQbTVBp4lZag298-BFEdw9UEpk/s1600/063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMwvVoA2Y1KDbCzAbHKSYy5YkSa_BSz2AmLcjaOZMMhqK1R_uLWxZMUu4xY7zPX_nPNzuKr85_EH-iQrZ6vKq0hM1deRkFd92oKixDErAw2KH-OtuqeQbTVBp4lZag298-BFEdw9UEpk/s320/063.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRgAefaNtr2TKVD1IM-qPOa120A95pbMRj_2-RDoGO9_pH-RUZd_EiDfJmpdxttCjgZf_1p0dnu7n0yMZXz4mqBGs__rK7shzMA5T435AcQLcE907oWOUOQsXcu5pEWPzH8WRtBh_FX4/s1600/DSCN3400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRgAefaNtr2TKVD1IM-qPOa120A95pbMRj_2-RDoGO9_pH-RUZd_EiDfJmpdxttCjgZf_1p0dnu7n0yMZXz4mqBGs__rK7shzMA5T435AcQLcE907oWOUOQsXcu5pEWPzH8WRtBh_FX4/s400/DSCN3400.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> If you buy pieces you truly love, whether they are a $1 or $200, you will find a home for them! My style is definitely traditional and it is important to keep in the custom of the architecture of your home when purchasing big-ticket items. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, walk around, look through drawers and closets... pull out that old lamp that has seen better days...get some spray paint and make a change!!</span></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-56395226983128005542011-02-11T11:19:00.003-05:002011-02-13T11:45:32.610-05:00Fresh Perspectives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mrZUkEPCaY-h_vUCls9oATfGVmZCvhovME9feTS-aOfYoBN6Yes6aOgZFkwn2L3aQU5QBafayoQ4HMyNTkiy4sOgqMRrmhvrf9tqROwMBX6zlQAblbHP5oWK5SUQjBKZyGzjTyot5kw/s320/DSCN3275.JPG" width="320" /></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ok, I have had this flower arrangement for a long time. <em>A very long time. </em>When you look at the "before" picture, you are going to probably say, "I like that vase of flowers." But, I felt it long overdue for something new and fresh. It has been on my Dining Room table here in this home for 6 years, and in our prior home for 4 years, and I won't even go back further than that... (you get the picture!) I have lovingly cleaned it and spruced it up every year so it is still in very nice shape. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVo44WRFZi9Q02j401FerlJQU985wmxfXA3qskczUt7bu8esqwkDvCD29coR3flsVzSr_K85HBZqAQ_tNzG3VAZZJhZ8D-84Uhgblp_JbJJmQp77vnAsoFyzSDcNB51GcCihyphenhyphenflm6Pbg/s1600/DSCN3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVo44WRFZi9Q02j401FerlJQU985wmxfXA3qskczUt7bu8esqwkDvCD29coR3flsVzSr_K85HBZqAQ_tNzG3VAZZJhZ8D-84Uhgblp_JbJJmQp77vnAsoFyzSDcNB51GcCihyphenhyphenflm6Pbg/s320/DSCN3276.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkMzdtaXw0ST7R8VWE3Fb3qCD45M7mKsqj3SR3Wq49NQ98ddS43VXuG-AEVYC3Mq2xJpFqoc2w1S9Xm3cBzUBT7Pe_A6YzD6Pe8J4eoEfXHmWRx574FMFZDZzikmQqib_SJIhSosH5EU/s1600/DSCN3277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkMzdtaXw0ST7R8VWE3Fb3qCD45M7mKsqj3SR3Wq49NQ98ddS43VXuG-AEVYC3Mq2xJpFqoc2w1S9Xm3cBzUBT7Pe_A6YzD6Pe8J4eoEfXHmWRx574FMFZDZzikmQqib_SJIhSosH5EU/s320/DSCN3277.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So, I saw this idea for three little glass vases with hydrangeas haphazardly placed on a formal dining table in a magazine. I promptly checked Hobby Lobby and Michaels but their stems were still more than I wanted to pay. On my last trip to Sidney I found all that I needed at one store! I bought 3 small vases, 3 bags of clear vase filler, 3 round mirrors and 4 bunches of pale green hydrangeas.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uxDAQJGuBBMYw85FjwT6XwV64daXG_bXRpjwa2EEj3M-hlJdPRXbpQcuuHbROh4hE4x6ZZC3aunRK_EccQzIa-Xab_optimZIG2TPMc47pK6ILdVex2oiKg_DG733BK3I6bgtFkAjbU/s1600/DSCN3328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uxDAQJGuBBMYw85FjwT6XwV64daXG_bXRpjwa2EEj3M-hlJdPRXbpQcuuHbROh4hE4x6ZZC3aunRK_EccQzIa-Xab_optimZIG2TPMc47pK6ILdVex2oiKg_DG733BK3I6bgtFkAjbU/s320/DSCN3328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Viola, a little snipping with a wire cutter and a little glass polishing and we are all set! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrAidlQPqusQbsKqUPpWsdqR6_sPr5Y-BLX6jg-rlHkt6Hlv86ho1jsKefm4e7HIgmnN2i3bXPXRFuO6zV8b7owgxMiqsS8cBBh1dMiabMz9StbSakjCfrZJSHpAGCi-XHxZONYixrls/s1600/DSCN3271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrAidlQPqusQbsKqUPpWsdqR6_sPr5Y-BLX6jg-rlHkt6Hlv86ho1jsKefm4e7HIgmnN2i3bXPXRFuO6zV8b7owgxMiqsS8cBBh1dMiabMz9StbSakjCfrZJSHpAGCi-XHxZONYixrls/s320/DSCN3271.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So, I have $13 dollars in this small project. I'm sure if you do the math you can figure what store enabled me to have a fresh perspective on my dining room! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">No, I'm not getting rid of my old arrangement. That is one secret about me. I don't throw anything away!! I have an area in the back room of the basement where my "castaways" and "rejects" have a home. You never know when you might just need that 25 year old dusty blue speckled 2 piece canister set!! (...that was transformed this summer for Lauren to match her new kitchen...) I'm not kidding! That is a true story! I pulled out my first canister set, (even before we were married) and spray painted it just a few months ago! Don't get rid of anything...and if you feel the need to, call Me and I'll transform it for you! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-88367606314425070992011-02-10T21:41:00.003-05:002011-02-13T18:17:46.411-05:00Good Day for Jenna!<span style="font-size: large;">Enough about me today...want to share some good news that Jenna had this afternoon. She is working as an Undergraduate Research Asst. for the Canaday Center at The University of Toledo. She started 2 weeks ago and the job will end when she graduates this May. Great for her resume and awesome experience. She is building the web site for a new rare book collection for the University's library. After a very short time being there, they asked her today if she would like a $2 an hour raise!! I don't care what you are making...that is a great compliment! Way to go Jenna!! ....you sure must be doing something right!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK1zgUVR02yGBzeQnSx27ofJQyIY7ho-gOWEdjNEFA_gZF5IiVpMwRt22mRAy4kKQ9G_W0e9huXWvv1UJA6blwnjofzG6L927hlpxvE5j2ti8sv3YPoSy0rNvu_5AMh7qYe9l_18RFgI/s1600/clappingHands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK1zgUVR02yGBzeQnSx27ofJQyIY7ho-gOWEdjNEFA_gZF5IiVpMwRt22mRAy4kKQ9G_W0e9huXWvv1UJA6blwnjofzG6L927hlpxvE5j2ti8sv3YPoSy0rNvu_5AMh7qYe9l_18RFgI/s320/clappingHands.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-25500678818344386612011-02-10T15:16:00.002-05:002011-02-10T16:43:38.817-05:00Changes<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I had a few extra minutes today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm still a little sore and after getting groceries with a much needed trip out of the house yesterday, I'm trying not to overdo it today. I needed a little couch time. I know, I feel really guilty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, what do you think? I really liked my old page, but saw some new options today and started making little changes here and there. I wasn't exactly sure and kind of wanted to go back to my old page, and couldn't!! It is no longer an option! So, I was forced to make a change, and you know, maybe this will get me switching it up a little more often. I wasn't ready for too much of a "springy" look (well, I actually am, but forcing myself to wait until March 1st for anything official in my home or blog!) and definitely didn't want any more snow out there, so settled on this in-between kind of "sunshiney" look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I also have another idea. I have been following a couple of home decorating/DIY/interior design type blogs. You know the ones that really give you inspiration. I saw a couple of ideas that are so inexpensive if not free to make little (or big) changes to your home and have really became enamored with the idea. But, I'd really like your feedback.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am going to show you in the next few days a couple of small projects I have been working on around the house. You know, before and after pictures. But, you need to tell me what you think. I started this blog primarily for myself and to have a diary of sorts of our life in a small town with a bunch of kids. So, this <em>The Fab Five</em> would stay the same and I would start a second blog. I would have its concentration be on DIY with design and also a little cooking/recipe ideas thrown in. There might be a little overlapping, but hey, It's my blog and I can do whatever I want!! (Such a neat concept!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I only have a few followers right now and to be honest, I'm still shocked every week to see how many people come and visit and are actually intereseted in our life, but I would think it would be fun to have the other blog "grow"! There are hundreds of blogs out there that are making thousands of dollars a week. I know, I know, "Julie...slow it down." I'm not sure I even have what people want to see, but hey, you never know until you try and this is something that has always been a passion of mine, so we'll see!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, be patient and share as you see fit and please, please, please.....give me feedback! I don't even know who is out there watching and reading.... ????</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-64883535126622186072011-02-08T09:44:00.001-05:002011-02-10T10:50:07.762-05:00RequestI had a few requests for this recipe so thought I would share with everyone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqoPGgLQuLKrrjdGLXB1Hbg9Xvq2Nj8po5zB0HWbN5rhU1-jbcLbjWrZEii_pmZwYpPaDEFOs_nEneEfSKeHvV2gxCkKRLc-r-54oUWb2ZaTfEa2THaeF9zte_3WBaTOuivK4ywXNv0g/s1600/195843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqoPGgLQuLKrrjdGLXB1Hbg9Xvq2Nj8po5zB0HWbN5rhU1-jbcLbjWrZEii_pmZwYpPaDEFOs_nEneEfSKeHvV2gxCkKRLc-r-54oUWb2ZaTfEa2THaeF9zte_3WBaTOuivK4ywXNv0g/s1600/195843.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pizza Crust from scratch</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast or 6 1/2 tsps.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/3 cups warm water </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups bread flour (you can use all purpose, but not as good!)</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup olive oil</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons salt</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon white sugar</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Basil, Garlic powder, etc. to taste</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.</span></em><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Put all ingredients in breadmaker and lastly add yeast mixture. Push dough cycle. </span></em><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Form dough and roll out into desired shapes and sizes. Place on lightly greased pans or I use pizza stones. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven at 375-400 until golden brown, about 20 minutes. </span></em></span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{}Sometimes, I will let the crust rise again a little before putting on toppings. I use this crust for thin crust or thick and even for a deep dish in a large 9" deep pie pan or casserole dish. Also, great for breadsticks....brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt!!</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{}When the crust is thick, I bake for 5-7 minutes <strong>alone</strong> (to keep from crust getting soggy) before loading up the toppings!</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">{}Last week when I made this, the recipe made one 14 inch thick crust, one 10 deep dish and one 10 inch thick crust. (it makes a lot!!) Also fun to make individual pizzas and let everyone make their own. Great party idea! The recipe can be halved.</span></em>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-23379716597288862462011-02-07T12:09:00.000-05:002011-02-07T12:09:15.161-05:00Some things never change....I rarely go back over old posts...a couple times a year...but happened this morning after publishing my last post to see what we were up to last year at this time. <br />
Hmmm.... some things never change....<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Saturday, February 06, 2010</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Shortest Post Ever </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>I absolutely hate this weather. I hate the snow, I hate the wind, I hate the cold. Period.</strong> </span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-76761967929962769752011-02-07T10:24:00.000-05:002011-02-07T10:24:23.322-05:00Slips, Snow, Squirrels and Spring?Basically an uneventful weekend on first thought. We watched the varsity boy's team get beat Friday night and then watched a bunch more snow fall on Saturday on top of the 4-5 inches of ice on our driveway. I literally have to get the engine going in the Saturn and you better hang on tight when we pull out of the garage....it's a huge bump getting out and going in! No use trying to get the ice up...the driveway is way too big and just not worth the time or my energy! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So, I have a birdfeeder on our patio, that to be honest, gets very little bird action. So, Friday, when our first squirrel (we don't have any big trees so this is kinda new and exciting to have a squirrel around) was digging through the snow looking for seed, I had to snap a few picures!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkycRy0rHVVBrj7PrFS-DYrugwxpfVw0nMqyubhpgYGFrML5IZ99VSjJcslmD9OUSHfIc0CXJf2Y07YuJwVW8rOBO38fqEPHEoXl_bC0pHoiRjza4Mbxyd6Ftk4gkRlyvk-UP61NZhYk/s1600/DSCN3252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkycRy0rHVVBrj7PrFS-DYrugwxpfVw0nMqyubhpgYGFrML5IZ99VSjJcslmD9OUSHfIc0CXJf2Y07YuJwVW8rOBO38fqEPHEoXl_bC0pHoiRjza4Mbxyd6Ftk4gkRlyvk-UP61NZhYk/s320/DSCN3252.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It started by looking on the ground, then on the table, then here it saw the feed in the bottom but didn't quite know how to get it. I happened to click the camera just as it was lurching towards the feeder.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKlrQJ26fwDnLj5SLkZb2wu3eH94414xtxX7PKivAG0Ru85Bl6BsDjSVb3icBYxZewH3v6cbO1CskTQkChW_PtEaKAKddZiOxenACbK0P3kmmVI6ZRZd14_cFYjeiqSe6XSnEKAbrMTQ/s1600/DSCN3253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKlrQJ26fwDnLj5SLkZb2wu3eH94414xtxX7PKivAG0Ru85Bl6BsDjSVb3icBYxZewH3v6cbO1CskTQkChW_PtEaKAKddZiOxenACbK0P3kmmVI6ZRZd14_cFYjeiqSe6XSnEKAbrMTQ/s320/DSCN3253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I don't think it was satisfied though...it left after a few minutes.<br />
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So, Saturday, when it came back and couldn't find any food, I decided to put some more feed in the feeder and some in a bowl for Mr. Squirrel. The snow was falling heavily and I went outside and before I could get to the bottom of the steps, I was flat out on the ground. The steps from the kitchen to the patio were one slick sheet of ice (duh!) and I fell hard. I did a 180 as I was falling and fell where my chest actually hit the bottom step and then my headwhiplashed and hit the top step. I was on my own 'cause Natalie was at practice and the boys were in Findlay watching Basketball and Dan was in his office (here) with headphones on. ugghh.. I slowly got up and instantly knew I didn't hurt as hard as I was going to!<br />
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Needless to say, we got the squirrel some food, and it promptly sat there until it was almost covered in snow and ate for over 90 minutes straight! I took 3 advil and hoped for the best. Of course, I was pretty sore yesterday and still feeling pretty tough today. <br />
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As you can imagine, I'm pretty much done with Winter. I don't ski or skate or like any other winter outdoor activites. I dream in sunglasses with sunshine, beaches and lemonade. This weather is for the birds...or squirrels, I guess!<br />
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I did manage to find a little sunshine for inside, though. Aldi's had theses primroses for 99 cents a week ago and Wow has it added some Spring to our kitchen! I had 10 minutes of fun playing the the dirt and transplanting these blooms into these quaint pots I bought years ago for $2 bucks and never used! No smell, but those pink, purple and yellow blooms have me thinking of seeds and gardens and planting and......yes, I realize I have 90 days to go. :(<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPJwdh6O3gaAF2wD-mH3FuGIsiWqUlDkco0UO1PiOt-a2Bzxhve3fhbPu2GEKB7L45ItTD_9NYcI8eVasUCJdbdqUtyeHOTPI4yf0TIx4ZUbc4W-QRb4OwYaLYXp57Qm6i1lrWYwZ_gU/s1600/DSCN3232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPJwdh6O3gaAF2wD-mH3FuGIsiWqUlDkco0UO1PiOt-a2Bzxhve3fhbPu2GEKB7L45ItTD_9NYcI8eVasUCJdbdqUtyeHOTPI4yf0TIx4ZUbc4W-QRb4OwYaLYXp57Qm6i1lrWYwZ_gU/s320/DSCN3232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, we'll just trudge along and hopefully the ice will melt soon, the snow will disappear and just a little sunshine will brighten our days until we can enjoy the real stuff soon!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-42280933364733156682011-02-02T22:05:00.000-05:002011-02-02T22:05:56.481-05:00It's cooking time!I had the chance to get to WalMart and Aldi's on Monday in anticipation of the storm and stocked up on all necessities! Food! I have been in cooking mode! I started with Chicken Noodle Soup, followed by a great meal last night for all of us (and 3 additional friends) of soft tacos, Spanish Rice, (from scratch, no boxed mix!) a tossed green salad complete with baby greens and an awesome homemade tuscan viniagrette. We finished with Blueberry/Blackberry Cobbler for dessert warmed with vanilla bean ice cream. Mmmmm...<br />
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This morning I prepared breakfast for us and Natalie and her three friends who she conned me into letting spend the night! We had pancakes and ham and fresh fruit. I was at day 10 for my Amish friendship bread, so made a batch of that and then started on dinner. I made a double batch of homemade pizza dough and we had a large hand-tossed pepperoni pizza and a deep dish pepperoni, sausage & bacon pizza. Of course, I saved a little dough for my own deluxe pepperoni, mushroom, red pepper, onion and pesto pizza. Oh my, oh so good!<br />
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The problem is that we have now had two days of no BB practice and no physical activity! Umm, these kids, and myself have been eating and eating and eating. I think tomorrow I need to stick to cleaning....Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-42353283829514368102011-01-25T14:07:00.000-05:002011-01-25T14:07:13.001-05:00Where's the Sunshine?<span style="font-size: large;">Detailed Local Forecast for 45865:</span><br />
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Today: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Overcast</span></strong>. High 28F. Winds light and variable. <br />
Tonight: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Considerable cloudiness</span></strong>. Low 19F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. <br />
Tomorrow: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Cloudy skies</span></strong>. High 28F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. <br />
Tomorrow night: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Mostly cloudy</span></strong>. Low 18F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.<br />
Thursday: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Cloudy</span></strong> with flurries. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low 20s.<br />
Friday: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Mostly Cloudy</span></strong>. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s. <br />
Saturday: <strong><span style="color: orange;">Cloudy</span></strong> with flurries. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugkjt5ioqIapnIwS-8wE6CCgwtqJfo7311KMQM5QYa1Z7uF1izNUxzSw43_EKbzLeHo68o59_jo0WK9D2tLN1r1rp8_W9MPekuUn_QlS1KqGE0BNyj0Dl3xZsZUvYz_hwHcGDkghgBaM/s1600/sunshine-e1274611477258.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugkjt5ioqIapnIwS-8wE6CCgwtqJfo7311KMQM5QYa1Z7uF1izNUxzSw43_EKbzLeHo68o59_jo0WK9D2tLN1r1rp8_W9MPekuUn_QlS1KqGE0BNyj0Dl3xZsZUvYz_hwHcGDkghgBaM/s320/sunshine-e1274611477258.png" width="320" /></a><br />
I definitely see a pattern here and I'm not liking it! Where are you Mr. Sun?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-26122434238067112582011-01-19T19:03:00.002-05:002011-02-10T13:11:28.332-05:00Recipe Alert!This is probably my most favorite recipe. It gets used at least once, if not twice a week. I let my breadmaker do most of the work. The kids, Dan and everyone else oohs and aahhs when they come out of the oven.<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Julie's Sweet Yeast Rolls</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup warm milk</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup white sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast or 3 1/4 tsp.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup butter, softened</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1.Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough Cycle; press Start. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2.When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3.Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia;">Note: I sometimes substitute up to 1 1/2 cups of the regular flour for whole wheat..anymore than that and it compromises recipe. Also, you can let rise longer depending on your schedule!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-39969356215161550712011-01-18T14:19:00.000-05:002011-01-18T14:19:12.175-05:0062 days til Spring!!Oh, the dreary days of January. When did we see that sun last? I've been popping my "sun in a bottle" (Vitamin D3), as I call it. My kids laugh, but even Andrew mentioned Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) this morning when we were joking about my 13 vitamins and herbs that I take every day. Oh, I don't think I'm extreme or anything, just like all of you out there, ready for a little sunshine and warmer weather! But the seed catalogs have started to trickle in and do you believe there are bathing suits in Walmart already?<br />
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So, I travelled to Berlin, Ohio this last weekend with a friend to watch Natalie along with the rest of the girls' basketball team compete in the Classic in the Country. It is a 3 day event where the top girls basketball teams in Ohio are invited to play against other top teams! The JV and Varsity girls' teams both won. We stayed over night in this Amish community. There are downtown shops, horse and buggies, and wonderful Amish restaurants everywhere. It is a 3 1/2 hour drive there and a 3 1/2 hour drive back...the downfall!! But, I had the luxury of getting away for a day while Dan held down the fort along with the twins and the dog. The best part, (other than watching the girls play), was when we went into a local grocery store. Wow, so much fun! We bought the best ever cheese and cold cuts for less than half of what you can around here, and a big bag of whole frozen blackberries that was promptly made into Cobbler Sunday night already! Do you believe $1.79 for a whole pound of blackberries? We also bought homemade, hand ground spices, dip mixes and even Whole Wheat Flour for .35 cents a pound!! Too bad it's that far away...I could get used to that!<br />
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But, between being gone for that and then a day doing some returning/exchanging last week in Lima, and a day with the flu, I'm playing catch up here. I've been doing laundry now for two days straight and at this very moment, I'm entirely caught up. There is nothing in any basket right now. Even the ironing in done! That'll last until exactly 5:15 when Natalie dumps her clothes from school, clothes from practice and dirty towel down.<br />
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Heading out to the garage next. I have a plant to transplant. Not the best scenario in the middle of winter, but just something that can't wait until warmer weather. I also have an outdoor plant that comes in during the winter that has a bunch of roots that are showing. Dan is not going to be happy. No matter how careful I am, there will be dirt in the garage, and combine that with the slushy mess already out there means I better be cleaning up well! <br />
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Three of us had the flu last week. Yuck! Good news was that it truly was 24 hours and your back up, and you know, I can't complain that a couple of pounds came off too! Bad news, more laundry. I feel I have to to wash everything that might have been "contaminated", so that means sheets, blankets, the throws in the family room...you get the picture! Started with me, then Jonathan and now it's been two days since Andrew had it....are we safe?<br />
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Well, time for garden gloves and playing in a little dirt! Nothing like a little gardening in January to get me in the mood for Spring!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-5918907388932295542011-01-07T09:39:00.001-05:002011-01-07T09:40:28.016-05:00Hiatus<em>Hiatus - </em><span id="hotword"><em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">break</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">interruption</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">continuity</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">work,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">series,</span> </em><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;"><em>action</em>. </span></span><br />
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<span name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">Christmas came and went. New Years came and went. It is now January 7th and I guess I needed a break from blogging. But I've had three people in two days ask if everything is ok, so decided to jump back in.</span><br />
<span name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;"><br />
Yes. we are all good in the Fausey household. Lauren is still gracing us with her presence and it has been a joy to have her home for three weeks. She hangs around the house and helps me out with whatever I need. Jenna (and Matt!) were only home for four days. Jenna is now working at Victoria's Secret and of course had to be back after Christmas. I never worked retail, so it is interesting hearing some of her stories. As we all know, this is VS best time of the year; the Semi Annual sale. Well, I had no idea what that means for the employees. She worked Monday night from 6 p.m to 4 a.m. to set up!! This is after working many nights til 2 or 2:30 a.m. folding panties and bras or setting up other displays. Wow! She said on any given night there could be 10-15 workers in the store after closing. I think it gets long being on your feet for 8-10 hours, but she doesn't really complain and enjoys the work. Four months from tomorrow she graduates. I'm hoping she progesses to a real job, although I'm sure she is enjoying that 30% discount right now!<br />
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Basketball of course, is in full swing. We've had four games already this week, with one more tomorrow. We had tourneys over Xmas break, and won them all! We have many more to come, but enjoying each one! Last night Lauren and I went to the boys' game and Dan went to Natalie's in Bremen. That ended successfuly and easily, (maybe even boring) but Minster's high school gym was smokin' hot! The 8th graders played Bremen, and after last years embarrassment, were determined to have a different outcome. It got off to the same old start and we struggled big time. The only points we had at half were 3 free throws. Score 11-3. Ugghh! things started to look up in the 3rd quarter and before you know it we were within 8, then 6 then 4! It came down to the final minute and after a call that should have been a technical....(New Bremen had 6 players on the court)...we got the ball back and came within 1. 12 seconds left, we have the ball. Austin hit a 3 pointer with 1.3 seconds left! How very awesome! I don't think they were expecting that kind of game! Very, very exciting. Jonathan, please though, work on those free throws! (0 for six in last three games!)<br />
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Of course, the tree is down, the returns are done, the last of all the Xmas treats and candy gone, but I think Christmas joy kind of lingers at our house. I realized how much the kids enjoy our traditions. Christmas Eve meal with us nine. We set up the dining room with the good china complete with chargers and crystal and actually sit around the table talking and enjoying each other after the best prime rib ever! This gets talked about all year!! It is a tradition for everone to make a prediction for the next year. We even videotape that. Natalie and Lauren had to do their "John Wall" dance during this special time and it is forever recorded on you tube and Facebook! <br />
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We gave Mom and Dad a family picture this year. Jenna and Lauren came home for one day during that storm the weekend before their finals and we got all 16 of us together in our garage for the best Xmas present ever. It turned out so beautiful, thanks to Michele!! But, what was so special, was how excited all of my kids were to see Grandma and Grandpa's faces and reactions when they opened that present! They couldn't wait! To be honest, I think that was the highlight of not only mine, but my kids' Christmas. Now, that says something.....<br />
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<span style="background-color: #b5d5ff;">Yes, my</span> kids all bicker and fight, and sometimes I wonder what I did wrong, but somehow the moments that get remembered are these....the ones that you hope for and want to come alive, but can't force. These are the ones that last and linger not only for the season but for a lifetime....<br />
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</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-25738491646705517182010-12-15T12:05:00.001-05:002010-12-15T16:39:34.967-05:00Free Stuff!Yes, it is that time of year. The holiday season is in full swing. I'm almost done shopping, but haven't starting baking and am dreading the sitting on the floor wrapping ordeal. Oh yes, and the bill-paying that comes next. ughhh....<br />
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Thought I would share a site for you all. Walmart.com has a free sample page and I check it frequently. The best thing is that the samples actually come! I send one to our own address, one to Dan at work and then also to Jenna and Lauren. It's always fun to get free stuff in the mail and they are fast! In the past month, we've received a large dog food sample, Vaseline Lotion, toothpaste, a new granola bar, Prilosec and detergent. Not only can you try out new things, sometimes they even include a coupon for the next time!<br />
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The Link is <a href="http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx">http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx</a><br />
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To remember to check it, I copy a shortcut on my desktop. Sometimes, samples are out there for days, and for others, they must have limited amount, and are gone in a few hours!<br />
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Just a fun, easy thing to do....it helps sometimes to get a nice sample along with the 3-4 daily bills that seem to creep in that mailbox!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174199262695175078.post-46854572274928662932010-11-29T10:50:00.000-05:002010-11-29T10:50:11.134-05:002 Weeks?Wow, where does time go? Is this a sign of the time of the year we are in? The last 2 weeks have been spent with Jonathan & Andrew's 14th Birthday, basketball scrimmages, Natalie's first BB game, 8 people home for Thanksgiving for 5 days (!), Christmas decorating, attic cleaning, lot's of cooking and baking, Christmas shopping and overall a sense that our time just isn't our own, or is it?<br />
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We have been recording our family home videos onto easily watchable DVD's and every night sneak in a few minutes from times gone by..... Wow! What seems, at the time, to be an incovenenience to do sure is enjoyable to watch now! Talk about getting your kids out of their bedrooms and into the family room! This will do it! <br />
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We recently watched Jonathan and Andrew's first day of Preschool (2001) complete with instructions on how to behave at school, Natalie's homework assignment that includes her in first grade videotaping how to make mac 'n cheese, and Jenna running her first CC race as a seventh grader. We've watched family weddings from a fun new angle and laughed about styles, hairdo's and how much older Mom and Dad look, but what I have enjoyed the most is when we videotaped the normal day. <br />
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We had the camera turned on to talk to the twins when they were 2, for 10 whole minutes. It's not just about when they have the birthday cake in front of them or when they are out on the soccer or baseball field that makes it so fun to watch now. It's about the bringing back of who they were. Watching their eyes, their mannerisms, and to listen to their voices and truly remember what it was like to have them young again.<br />
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Our entire family's favorite clip is still a 15 minute recording from 1998. The twins were not quite 2, Natalie 3, Lauren 7, and Jenna 8. We were sitting in the family room in Toledo and the kids were dancing. Complete with Brittney Spears music in the background, Jonathan with footie pajamas on and cowboy boots & hat and dancing with his stick pony. (Smack dab in the middle of Toy Story and Woody days!) To anyone else it is 5 kids dancing in a room, but to us it is <em><strong>who we were</strong></em> and and that is a tough thing to give up. <br />
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Our goal is to record these 50 or so DVDs from the last 21 years and make copies for each child. My parents did the same thing when I was a kid, and I have these videos from my childhood too.<br />
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So, as we enter another Holiday season, remember the little things. Tuck that Christmas Wish List from your 4 year old away, capture a picture of a moment unexpected, and enjoy all you have, for what they are today, and for what those memories will become.<br />
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese</em></span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850140291506231903noreply@blogger.com2