Catching Up In The New Year - Part 5

The 4th Annual Christmas Cookie Creations Grandma K. came over this year to help cut out the cookies. Jake was at a friend's house, so it was just the girls. Thanks so much for your help mom. I would've been up all night.

While we, of course, have the traditional Christmas cookie cutters, it seems like each year we add some interesting ones to the mix as well. This year, one of the ones we added was a cow in honor of Dayton (see previous post). We also made some gingerbread cookies as well as sugar cookies. They were delish!

Mixing, mixing, and more mixing up colors.

Saturday afternoon was when the decorating began. Here is Uncle Matt working on his airplane...how fitting. Lid...keep those fingers out of your mouth!

Whew...look at all dem cookies. Good thing we had multiple people to pass them out to.

Lydia with one of her favs.

Jake with his patriotic airplane.

Aunt Sarah Beth's fat lipped lady was cause for some giggling.

I "won" some new cookie cutters for finding the pickle on my aunt's tree in TX. Was fun to make some snowflakes this year.

Jake's brick house turned out nicely.

But this Colts cookie was his most important one. He says he is saving it for the Superbowl when the Colts win. Way to be a fan!

Mr. and Mrs. Tuey helped decorate this year! Yes, that is a foot. I told you we have some interesting choices.

Ashleigh was quite happy we saved her a few to decorate for her family. Although, this one didn't make it on the plate.

Catching Up In The New Year - Part 4

Just a few pictures of the kids last day of school...and a special picture with Claire in it just for my friend, Becky!

Jake beside his desk mate...this girl is the one who he gets in trouble with in the area of talking.

Lydia, Maddie, and Holly

Claire and I with Mrs. Frederick (Lid's teacher).

Don't know how, but somehow, when Claire touched Mrs. Claus again, she shrunk...Whoopsies! Look who's carrying an ice scraper!

Playing Catch Up In The New Year - Part 3

Earlier in December, I got the honor of traveling to Texas to visit my maternal grandma. I love her dearly but don't get to see her very often, so each time I'm there I am so grateful and try and treasure my time with her. I also get a chance to visit with my Aunt Nancy (my mom's sister) and Uncle Bill since they take such good care of my grandma! My traveling buddies were my mom...and Sarah Beth and Matthew. This was taken on the plane before the excruciating pain began for my sis and me. On our descent, I had bad ear pain, which I know can be normal. But then I felt severe pain in my nasal passages and figured it was due to me being on the tail end of a cold. My description of it was that it felt like sharpened pencils being rammed up my nose into my eye sockets. Lovely, I know...but that was what it felt like. Unbeknownst to me, while I was crying and suffering, my sister was experiencing something very similar behind me. She was not sick, so I have no idea if it was due to my cold or not. All I know is that I probably majorly freaked out the lady next to me (I was in between her and my mom). We conversed back and forth during the beginning of our flight. But when the plane landed she said not a word to me and booked it out of there. She was heading to Vegas and had another plane to catch...we'll just say that was the reason.

Growing up, we had a pug named Suzie. Whenever my grandma would come into town though, our dog turned into my grandma's dog. Suzie would follow her around wherever she went. Suzie's favorite spot was curled up right beside my grandma, or better yet, on her lap. Well, a few years ago, my grandma got her own pug for a companion...and guess what she named her? Suzie! She made me chuckle many a time with her little tongue always sticking out.

Friday, we got an unexpected visit from my cousin, Tom, who lives in San Antonio! Was nice to catch up with him a little bit.

These are my uncles two horses. Ebony is the black one...my mind is blank for the other. They are so pretty. Saddens me that I can't really be around them though with my allergies.

I took my aunt and uncles Christmas picture with the horses. This was them just getting ready.

We got a really neat experience...one of their cows gave birth while we were there. While we didn't actually see it born, we got to see it minutes after. Poor calf dropped into a pile o'pooh, so this picture was of my uncle getting ready to wipe him down.

We were cheering him on as he started trying to use those wobbly legs.

Since we were there, Aunt Nancy let us name the calf. Only rule is that it cannot be a people name. I suggested Dayton since his birth fell on the weekend we were visiting. So, Dayton it was!

All cozy and warm now. As I took this picture, I was reminded of Jesus' birth in a similar setting.

As always, the weekend went by much too quickly and we had to say our good-byes. Can't wait to see you again, Grandma, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle Bill. Maybe next time, I can bring my hubby along! Love you all!

Playing Catch Up In The New Year - Part 2

This Thanksgiving, the kids and I made a trip sans Dan to Indy. We missed him and wished he could have joined us, but he wasn't feeling well and he did not have the following day off of work. We arrived at Uncle Rich, Aunt Araceli, and cousin Noelani's house in the early evening and enjoyed some yummy food with the family. We also had fun just hangin' out, as pictured below! I wish I would've taken more pictures. But if I am remembering right, the batteries died on my camera. The next day, we hung out some more and also made a quick trip over to Grandma and Grandpa Ernst's NEW house to check it out! While there, Jake was able to try out his Daddy's skateboard from when he was a kid. Pretty cool thing to witness and my mind imagined a young Danny doing some daring tricks on that thing. Looking forward to visiting with all those Indy Ernst's some more! Grandma & Claire


"Your never gonna get out!" A fun game invented by Uncle Rich which Claire thoroughly enjoyed.

Claire's retaliation!

Some cousin and Nena lovin'.

Playing Catch Up In The New Year - Part 1

In November, I finally got to go and visit my sweet, dearly missed friend, Becky. My mom and sis traveled with me and we made some fun memories! Once we arrived Friday evening, we all stayed up pretty late just chatting....something Becky and I are good at! Of course, it was nice to be able to sleep in, too (her hubby and kids made a trip to OH that weekend). On Saturday, Becky was kind enough to drive us to Campbellsville. My maternal grandparents used to live here when I was a young child and I have fond memories of that place! Stopping for lunch at Arby's on the way to Campbellsville.
This magnolia tree was planted by my grandpa for my grandma (her fav). Look how big she is now!

Funny how you remember things from your childhood. My grandpa added this shed to their property and used it for his workshop. Even though it is big for a shed, in my memory, it was much, much bigger.

So, we have these pictures of my sister and I with rakes in front of my grandparents house when we were little. Being the true nerds that we are, we decided to reenact those photos. If I had the originals, I would scan them...but they are at my mom's house. We did not bring rakes with us, but the next door neighbor just happened to be an old family friend. She also told us the owners were not home, but we had fun catching up with her and letting her fill us in on this quaint little town where everybody knows everybody!

Again, not what my memory conjures up. The shutters were green, not blue (and the front door was certainly not blue). Their used to be shrubs and a nice porch swing. And their was no RV parked next to the driveway... but I can't hold that against them.

One more stop before heading back to Elizabethtown. My mom had told my grandma she would check on the grave sites where my great-grandparents and great-aunt are buried.

For supper that night, we got to go to a hibachi grill. MMMM...let me tell you, that was some good eating!

Apparently, Henry wanted to go home with us. He hopped in as soon as the door was opened.

Thanks, Becky, for a relaxing, fun-filled weekend. We had fun playing games and getting to be the first guests in your new, gorgeous home! Can't wait to come back!