Jordan Our Future Chef

Here is Jordan in his chef outfit for school. This is the 1st year uniform that they wear at vocational school. He says he really enjoys what he is learning; and on occasion has brought home some yummy samples.

Couple of Blogs

Make sure you scroll down, I blogged a couple of things that we did this weekend.
Also check my blog later in the week for pictures of Jordan in his Chef outfit.

Fall Decorating

I LOVE decorating for Fall/Autumn/Halloween.
I can never decide if I want to decorate cute, scary or pretty. I think as you can tell by the way my house is decorated in the pictures below; that I combine all 3. Jordan volunteers every year at our towns Indian Summer Festival, so today Todd and I took the motorcycle to the festival and stuffed a scarecrow. You can stuff the scarecrow for free as long as you bring everything you need. Once we finished making our scarecrow, we put him in Jordan's car for him to bring home for us. The funny thing is; we put the scarecrow with no head in the front seat of the car and seat belted him in. Jordan had 2 more hours to work at the festival before he came home so this headless scarecrow sat in the front seat for 2 hours in the parking lot and then Jordan had to drive home with him sitting next to him. It really was rather funny to see.

As you can see a man fell off our roof and landed on his head, unfortunately his head is stuck in the ground and we can't get him out. And the skeleton in the background hung himself off our gutters. It is so frustrating to have dead things in our front yard,


Mr & Mrs Scarecrow greeting you near our front door.

It is always nice to have Homer hanging out at our house. But again in the background we have death with a small cemetery at the corner of our yard.

I ordered a witch to also put out to decorate but she hasn't showed up at our house yet.

Birthday's

Yesterday we had my sisters and family over to celebrate Todd and Nikolas' birthday. Their birthdays are a day apart.
I took what I thought was a really cute picture of the 3 cousins together, but unfortunately when we downloaded the pictures, it was slightly blurry. So this week when Nikolas comes over; I will try again to get a more recent picture of them.
Here are some of the pictures from the celebration.

The Birthday Boys:


PRESENTS!!!!

Card 38 of 52

This is a fall card we made at stamp camp on Saturday
The Stamp Set is Throughly Thankful from Stampin' Up!

layout 36 of 52

This is a 2 page layout. It is the back side of the map from Dollywood with some random pictures taken at the park.

Happy Birthday Todd!!!!

Bye Bye Ethan's 1st Car

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Ethan's 1st car.



Victory Auto Wreckers will be here 1st thing in the morning to junk the car.
The car needs over $3000.00 worth of work done on it and we decided it was time to say good-bye. He got 2 years of driving out of a $900.00 car so I think we got our moneys worth. Now to start the search for a replacement used car that can get him to school and work.

Our 1st Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Road Trip

About a month ago I came up with an idea and asked Todd if he was interested in doing it. I asked him if on a weekend that he wasn't traveling if he would want to take the motorcycle up to Kenosha WI and go to a restaurant that we saw on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I knew what his answer would be, but I asked anyway. So looking at our calendar we picked his pre-birthday weekend.
We got up at our normal morning time which is 4:45am, showered and got ready to go. It was rather on the cool side so we dressed in layers and took a backpack.
Todd Googled the route the day before and planned the route to avoid highways. We left a little after 6:00am and were very happy we dressed in layers. Since it was early most of the roads were empty which was nice.
After a few stops to check the map, getting gas and asking for directions because we couldn't find Rt41 we hit Franks restaurant at about 9:00am.

Before I show you any more pictures of Franks let me give you a little history about Franks:
In 1926, there was some real excitement in downtown Kenosha when six horses pulled Franks Diner to the spot where it stands today. The structure was built by the Jerry O'Mahoney company in New Jersey and shipped to Kenosha on a railroad flat car.
Anthony Franks, who first learned of the unique restaurant opportunity through a magazine article, paid $7,500 plus $325 in shipping charges to launch his business. He added a dining room in 1935 and a larger kitchen in the mid 1940s. The Franks family operated Franks Diner until 2001.
It is now owned and operated by Lynn Groleau and Chris Schwartz.

When you walk into the restaurant you will most likely be standing until there is a place available. There motto is, if you are in a hurry; don't come. You are standing behind the people eating at the counter and are told to move all the way down to the end and they will let you know when something opens up. I kind of wanted to sit at the counter but we ended up at a table. This was OK because our waiter was a trip. They are slightly sarcastic but in a fun way.
One of the items featured on the show was the Garbage. Todd and I both ordered the 1/2 Garbage with one meat no onion. The waiter kept insisting that I didn't want jalapenos; but I insisted that I did; I got my way.



The food is made on a griddle and the cook must work on 6 or more "Garbages" at one time. Both Todd and I thought it was rather neat to actually see someone that was featured on TV live doing what they did on TV. The 1/2 garbage was awesome I thought it was going to be on the greasy side but it wasn't. A 1/2 was enough that we didn't need lunch and possibly could have skipped dinner too.
This place is definitely a dive and I would go back again anytime.
We got done eating at 10:00am and headed to Uke's Harley Davidson shop in Kenosha

where Todd picked up a t-shirt for his collection.
On the way home we found 41 so it didn't take us as long to get home and as it did to get up to Kenosha. We ended up getting home just a little after 1:30pm.
I can't wait to plan another trip to a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that we saw on the show.

Card 37 of 52

The stamp set us Season of Joy by Stampin' Up! I made this for the weekend card challenge I participate in plus it will be part of my Christmas Card Camp and sold at the resturant.

Layout 35 of 52

This is a 2 page layout of the map from Dollywood

Car Trouble

I got a phone call this morning at about 6:50am from Ethan telling me his car stalled on his way to the train and he is stuck in the turn lane. After many back and forth phone calls to a tow truck driver (which is a story within itself) we got the car towed home. We knew his car was on it's last leg because the CV joint needs to be replaced which we were quoted for over $3000.00 to fix. We decided that once the car died we were done putting money in it.
Ethan handled his 1st car problem very well, he was afraid someone would hit him and the people honking at him was getting on his nerves but I told him, he has his flashers on, a tow truck is coming, what else can you do.
Thanks to my sister getting him to the train after the car was towed home, Ethan only missed one of his classes today. He took it upon himself to visit the teacher in his morning class when he got to school and let her know what happened and asked for his assignment. I was proud that he took that responsibility. Some students would have just blown the day off and catch up later.
Well anyway once Todd got home he took a look at the car and brought a belt in the house to show us. Apparently the alternator belt broke. Todd thinks that if he can replace it, the car should still be drivable for a little while longer. He went to the auto body shop and is in the process of replacing the belt, unfortunatly it got too dark out and he needs a different tool then what he has to get the new belt on. So hopefully tomorrow he will be able to find the tool he needs at the hardware store and maybe fix the car.
In the meantime, Ethan and Jordan will share Jordan's car until we figure out what will happen next.

Get Smart

Earlier this week Jordan asked me if the movie Get Smart has been at the cheaper theatre yet. I told him that I hadn't noticed that it had been there yet. Well Jordan must be psychic because it started at the cheaper theatre on Friday night. Since Jordan is not one to go see movies too often when he asks to go we usually go. So this afternoon Todd, Jordan and I went and saw the matinee of Get Smart. (Ethan had to work) I enjoy Steve Carell's comedy so I wanted to see this movie anyway plus being that this is a remake of a TV show I thought it would be a fun movie to see.
It was so funny. I am glad we took the time to go see it.

The Notebook

A lady I work with and I were discussing movies that we really like and even if they are being broadcast on tv and we have seen the movie multiple times, we have to stop and watch the movie. The movie like that for me is Sense and Sensibility; hers is The Notebook. She borrowed me her copy of The Notebook on dvd and we watched it last night. I decided that I liked the general story of the movie but there were some really sad parts to this love story.

Layout 34 of 52

This is a 2 page layout that I still have to journal
Dollywood had a small cemetary and wooden coffin at the themepark. The boys decided to lay in the coffin, it was Jordan's idea to pray over Ethan.

Card 36 of 52

This is the card I made for the weekend card challenge that I participate in.
Again another Christmas Card that we will make at my Christmas Card Stamp Camp in November.

34th Layout of 52

This was a clock that we saw at Dollywood that told time by using a waterwheel to drive the clock. As long as the water speed is controlled it could keep track of time.

Open House

My youngest son attends half his school day at a vocational school studying culinary.
Tonight was the school's open house that we attended. We found out that they run the culinary department as if the students were working at a resturant. They use a time card, are responsible keeping their uniform clean and maintained and will be treated as an employer/employee.
The school gives the student every opportunity to succeed, compete and earn culinary accomplishments as well as scholarships if the students have the drive to do so.
I am glad Jordan is taking this through high school before he makes the commitment to going to college for culinary.

FANTASTIC NEWS

My brother-in-law called our home last night to tell us that his tumor has gone down in size, it is now considered dead and he is in remission!!!!
He still has quite a few treatments to go through but we are thanking GOD for answering everyones prayers with Scotte's battle.

Rubbing Alcohol Really Works

When my sisters and I were children and were sick with a fever my parent used to rub us down with rubbing alcohol to break the fever, it seemed to work and to this day if any of us at my house has a fever we still do this.
Well yesterday Jordan came up to me and said mom is there anything that will take ink out? DING DING DING (that's the bell in my head) well I heard rubbing alcohol works so lets try.
Apparently there was a pen on the floor and when he moved his chair in his bedroom, it smashed the pen to pieces and ink got all over his wood floor. We tried the alcohol and it worked. I think also that it just had happen helped too because the ink didn't have time to set in the wood yet.

Hurrah for Rubbing Alcohol!

SLC Again

Yes, Todd is in SLC again. He actually left Saturday morning, I spoke with him quite often these last 2 days and he said this trip has been the smoothest so far. I told him that's because he has done it 4 times now and he should be able to do it in his sleep.
We both had to watch the Bears game by ourselves last night, but everytime the Bears had an awesome play I called him on the phone and said "WHOO HOO!"
Now that I think of it, everyone that is involved in our football pool probably ended up watching the game by themselves last night. It's kind of lonely when you don't have someone to share the WHOO HOO's with.

Lesson in making Oatmeal Cookies Part 2

Success! I wrote down everything that my aunt did to make oatmeal cookies.
I have listed the differences I found that she does that I don't.
1-She melts her butter/margarine to a liquid
2-She does not add cinnamon to her oatmeal cookies
3-She uses 7 packets of Equal and omits the white sugar.
4-Everytime she adds an ingredient she thoroughly mixes her batter
5-She adds raisins and then oats after the flour mixture is mixed into the liquid mixture/sugar, egg, butter mixture.
6-When she adds the raisins and oats she stirs with a spoon and not the hand mixer
7-She adds an extra cup of oats then what the recipe calls for if the recipe seems too wet.
8-She forms her cookie dough into large balls instead of using teaspoons to drop on cookie sheet.

See how her cookies have substance to them. They are sooo good!!

Lesson in making Oatmeal Cookies Part 1

My aunt is visiting from Las Vegas until the 24th of September, so I am heading over to her sons house to learn how she makes her Oatmeal Cookies.
Yes, I do know how to make Oatmeal Cookies but this ladies oatmeal cookies are awesome. I don't know what she does but when her cookies are done baking they are dense; my oatmeal cookies always turn out so flat. So in about 20 mins. I am headed out with pen and paper in hand to take notes. She makes AWESOME Greek Butter cookies too but I know you need one of those industrial mixers for that; which at this time I don't have.
I will post a picture of the cookies and how they look later. You will see what I am talking about then.

Todd & I

I decided to update my blog picture. This is the picture I took it from.
This is Tood and I, it was taken in July at a family reunion my cousin hosted.

Layout 33 of 52

I am alittle behind in posting a layout, not sure if I am going to make it to the 52 I promised, but I will try.
This is a 2 page layout, no pictures but it is the information about the cabin we stayed in in Tenn and the directions on how to get to the cabin, talk about confusing directions. We did find our cabin but it was up the winding roads of the smokey mountains.

35th Card of 52

I know it's a gorgeous day out and I am posting a snow card.
I am trying to come up with ideas for my Christmas Card camp in 2 month so this card is close to what we will be making. I also made it for the weekend card challenge I participate in.

A New Adventure Begins

Today my oldest started College. He will head downtown daily, some days he has a full load, other days he will be going downtown just for 1 class. That's how it is for Freshman 1st semester, they don't get the early registration like returning students; so their class choices are whatever is left. He will be able to register earlier next semester, so his choice of classes and times will be a little better.
What will be nice is on days he has a full load, he will meet Todd at the trainstation and come home together. That will be nice for me, I won't have to play taxi on those days.

When he got home today he seemed happy and said after reading the syllibus; that one of the classes will get tough later in the semester. I think he will be able to handle it, he's a pretty smart kid.

Tropic Thunder

I had the opportunity to watch Tropic Thunder over the holiday weekend.
OMG what a hilarious movie. No surprise though, Ben Stiller was one of the writers of the movie and screenplay, he also directed the movie. The language is kind of hard, a lot of f-bombs but if you can get past that, you will probably find yourself laughing out loud like I did. This will be one I will purchase on DVD.

Cousins

Saturday we had my sisters and families over to celebrate Ruby and Raelynn's birthdays
We took a few pictures of the cousins. Here are my 2 favorite from the bunch I took.

Happy Birthday Raelynn

Happy Birthday Raelynn