A HELLO KITTY HALLOWEEN SURPRISE...

About a week ago Lilley-Kate and I were scoping out all the pumpkins people had carved for Halloween... and happen to come across our FAVORITE KITTY ON A PUMPKIN!!! Lilley-Kate was so excited to show Michael the pumpkins...

Little did she know... her Daddy would give her a HALLOWEEN SURPRISE!!!

Her VERY OWN HELLO KITTY PUMPKIN...




Michael spent most of the evening last night in the garage listening to FOOTBALL on the radio... and carving the SURPRISE!!!!

ToT is tonight around here... Lilley-Kate is SO EXCITED!!! Hope EVERYONE gets LOTS of treats (and maybe even a few tricks!!!)

"Later" Ended Up Being TOO LATE!!!!

I decided the other afternoon to head out with Lilley-Kate after school... which meant we probably wouldn't be back before Michael got home from work...


Well... we weren't home yet... so Michael parked on the street (which allowed me to just pull into the driveway upon our return)...


I noticed when I turned the corner that Michael was parked DIRECTLY ACROSS from our neighbors (across the street) driveway (the driveways are "offset", so none are DIRECTLY across from each other) and thought to myself... "Oh... that could be problem"... so when we pulled in I beeped the horn... Michael came out to meet us in the driveway... I mentioned to him to pull the car into the driveway and he said "I'll do it LATER after dinner... it's almost ready"... Hmmmmmm... I mean WHAT could happen in the next 30 minutes right???....



Well... THIS is what happened...

Our neighbor's Father-in-Law had stopped by and pulled into THEIR driveway... while backing out... he hit Michael's car (which use to be MINE)... we were eating dinner and there was a knock at the back door... when Michael answered it and I heard our neighbor say "Well... we're 2 for 2" I knew IMMEDIATELY what had happened...

A couple years ago... our neighbor had parked across from OUR DRIVEWAY... Nick backed out and ended up hitting THEIR car!

Insurance information was gotten from neighbor's Father in Law... we got a few estimates...

We have had the car since 1993... and (I) have LOVED it (although now that it is the "MANWAGON" I just wanna CRY)... over 270,000 miles and counting... OH... and a big BOOBOO on the back passenger door...

All In The Family...

One of the things that Michael "passed on" to the kids is a LOVE of GOLF... which even after 20+ years of marriage I still don't "get"... anyway...


It has become an evening "ritual" this Summer that they have chipping and putting practice in the back yard... Michael sets up a little kiddie pool (it use to be ABBIE'S pool) out in the yard and they practice chipping the balls into the pool... Michael and our "shy child" hit it more times than not... Lilley-Kate has hit it 4 times this Summer (and done the "Tiger arm pump" each time)...


Soon the nightly ritual will end... as school and activities take up the evening hours... but it sure has been nice to be a spectator of growing relationships in the back yard...

Insecure...

In the 23+ years that Michael was in the military I never had the fear that he would someday come home and tell me that he nolonger had a job...

When he retired and quickly entered the "civilian" job force I learned to live with a "gnawing" ache in the pit of my stomach... knowing that "we" nolonger had the job security "we" had in the military...

Michael came home today not looking too good...

And my stomach started to hurt...

Daddy's Girl...

Marked OFF "THE LIST"...

Michael worked VERY VERY HARD this past weekend... and got a MAJOR project marked off our "Spring/Summer" To Do List... we now have a NEW PATIO!!! THe old patio was BLUE STONE... and had seen better days... THIS patio is 25x11 (a tad bigger than the old) and is tumbled brick set with fine sand...


So from Friday afternoon until 2:00 Sunday afternoon was spent leveling... setting... leveling again (THAT was the toughest part according to Michael)... and filling... OH... and the FUNNEST part (again according to Michael) was getting to use....

THIS... a TAMPER!!! He really enjoyed this... and MAY have "tampered" a bit too much in a couple of places (causing another leveling to occur... LOL)... What is it with MEN and rented toys???

We'll be picking up some patio furniture (I found some at LOWES that coordinates with my estate sale find) adding the FIRE PIT (an early Mother's Day present) and enjoying MANY Summer nights out back!!!

Thank you sweetie for doing such a GREAT JOB!!! :o)

Magazines and Mud...

I LOVE Decorating magazines... especially one's that practice "budget friendly" ideas... after visiting some VERY INSPIRATIONAL blogs I KNEW I'd have to pick up the latest issue of THIS magazine... and as PROMISED (by reviews of fellow bloggers) I was NOT disappointed!!! I think SEEING THIS project on WHAT'S NEW? has totally inspired me!


LOTS of fun Springy/Easter crafts in Blogland too!!! THESE are definitely on my TO DO LIST (for next year)... they'd be SUPER CUTE with ribbon hangers and hung along a mantel or on an all season tree!!! (Although I DID pick up the SUPER CUTE SHABBY cake stand in that post on my latest trip to TARGET!!!)

Two days of dry weather allowed Michael (with the "help" of Lilley-Kate) to square off and grade the ground for our new patio out back... My "Math Major" of a husband (yes... he DOES hold a Mathematics Major) "mismeasured" the area when ordering the bricks and had to call the place to order 60 more... so once the LimeStone is delivered things will start moving towards completeing THAT project... YIPEE!!!

We enjoyed a "nice" weather weekend... but seem to have "slipped back" into the old habit of CLOUDY, WINDY and COLD today... we're expecting SNOW overnight... WHERE is SPRING???

SHAM...

Lilley-Kate was INTENT on getting the SHAMWOW for Michael for Christmas... so we did... and yes... Lilley-Kate made ABSOLUTELY SURE that is was MADE IN GERMANY (taking heed to BEWARE OF IMITATORS)...

After having INTENTLY read the instructions (at Lilley-Kate's urging) before using... Michael and Lilley-Kate have come to the conclusion...

The SHAM is not so WOW...

A Handy Daddy...

We had made the decision earlier in the year that THIS YEAR would be Lilley-Kate's year to receive her (first) American Girl Doll(s)... I started "covertly" asking her every time a new catalog would arrive "Who are your favorite girls?"... and she would always answer the same way "I love Julie and Ruthie"... try as I might... I could NOT get her to love KIT (my personal crush)... decision made... order placed in plenty of time for Christmas...

Once the Girls arrived (and might I say in a VERY inconspicuous box... YIPEE) the anticipation for Christmas started to build... I consulted an American Girl "expert" (a FAB FRIEND of mine who's daughter has MULTIPLE girls)... how to "take care" of them... what would be some fun "accessories"... well... DADDY definitely knew what HIS contribution would be... the Girls were going to need a place to sleep right???

So the wood was purchased... and pattern found... He worked secretly in the garage after Lilley-Kate had gone to bed...



And built a bed for RUTHIE...

And Julie too...

I made the "bedclothes" (sheets, pillow cases and "quilts")...

I'm happy to report that both Ruthie and Julie have totally loved their comfy beds...

*Added at Michael's request is that the wood for this project cost approximately $12.00 for each bed...

Next project... Wardrobes based on Simplicity 3936...

Repurposed and Recycled...

Our next door neighbor had made some SUPER CUTE outdoor tables for their patio... I kept admiring them... EVERY TIME we were outside... the other day Michael shut himself up in the garage and the next thing I knew I had a cute table for OUR PATIO (which will be rebricked next Summer)... he used the leftover shelving/wood from THIS PROJECT... I love the little table... and am NOW admiring the other THREE on our neighbors patio...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Michael received his MASTER'S DEGREE this weekend... after LOTS of work... CONGRATULATIONS honey... I'm SO PROUD of you!!! :o)