Happy New Year!!!

Here is wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2011. May a smile be the 1st thing on your face when you wake up and the last thing on your face when you go to bed.

Merry day after Christmas

Well another Christmas has come and gone. We had a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
On Christmas Eve we went to my sister Raelynn and Gary's house. Below are a few pics of the 3 boys/cousins. It is a blessing that the 3 of them get along so well considering the age difference between the cousins.

The cousins; Jordan, Nikolas & Ethan Christmas Eve:


One of the gifts we got Nik. I think the camera focused on the gift. LOL


Jordan opening his gifts:


Ethan opening his gifts. He had a feeling the Eickhoff's would get him this:


Christmas Morning:
Ok why did I take this picture? Because Jordan kept saying that he didn't hear this version of this song all season. The minute we sat down to open presents look what came on:


Ethan opening up his presents Christmas morning:


Jordan opening up his presents Christmas morning. Jordan thought for sure Raelynn was going to get him this:


Even though he has not been a good boy lately, Dilly/Dillinger received a couple of gifts:


Todd was able to take a break from work to open gifts:


And here I am opening gifts too:


As like every year our Christmas' are dominated by DVD's here is the pile of ones that we received minus a couple:


And this was the big gift to the family this year. I think I was the only one excited about it, because I was the one who wanted it. LOL


So now we wait a few more day for New Years Eve. Looking forward to it because I have 1 vacation day left for the year and I am using it for a 4 day weekend.
Merry day after Christmas!!!

Holiday Movies

I have been trying to squeeze as many holiday movies as I can from Thanksgiving until Christmas.
Here are the ones I have watched so far:

Disney's A Christmas Carol. A lot of people are freaked out by the animation, for me no more than Polar Express (now that animation was freaky!) but I really liked this movie alot.


How the Grinch Stole Christmas. One of my favorites. Again another Jim Carrey, coincidence I promise.

I never get to watch all 3 of this so this year I made it a point to do it:

The Santa Clause really well written version that explains how Santa comes to be.


The Santa Clause 2 not my favorite, but The Santa Clause 3 wouldn't have been able to be made without this one. I notice that Peter Boyle play a duel role in this trilogy. He plays Scott Calvins boss in The Santa Clause and then he plays Father Time in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3 the Escape Clause.

The Santa Clause 3 The Escape Clause. My favorite of the 3 SANTA CLAUSE movies

There are 2 more I really want to see:

ELF this one just makes me laugh so much.
And our Christmas Eve tradition movie:

A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim. All the presents are under the tree, we turn all the lights off, light candles and watch this movie.

Others I would love to squeeze in but just never have the time to do so. Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life; which by the way I have never seen.
Nope, I have never see that movie. I know the jist of what the movie is about, but never have actually seen it.

Holiday Music

Enjoy the Holiday music that I added to my blog.

Slacking in posting

I have been slacking in posting here lately. Keeping busy as always with work and home. I had my 8th annual Christmas Card Stamp Camp in the beginnng of November which was a great success with my wonderful stamping friends. I cannot believe that this week will bring my son's 21st birthday and Thanksgiving. It is so hard to believe that my oldest will be turning 21. From what I gather Dad and his Uncle Gary will be taking him out for a Birthday Beer after dinner. Cheers.
I will post pics of this Birthday boy later in the week.

Halloween Bunco Party

Happy Halloween!!!
Last night we held a Halloween Bunco party that turned out to be quite fun and I think a success. Ethan and Jordan even asked me this morning if I would do it again next year. Kind of cool when your 18 and 20 year old had fun.
I don't know how but we didn't take any pictures of the party. Great planning huh?
We did though take some pictures before the party. Here are the decorations that we put up this year and our costumes.
Guy falling off our roof

Coming out of the dead flowers

Our Crime Scene

Our Scarecrow Family

Carved Pumpkins. Ethan did Pacman and Jordan was an animation character

Ethan and Jordan in their costumes. Jordan was a Magician and Ethan was Night Stalker

This is the costumes that Todd and I wore. Todd was a Tavern Man and I was a Bar Wench. I forgot to put on what I call a "dusting hat" for the picture.

This last picture was a pumpkin I decorated for our departments pumpkin decorating contest at work. Didn't win but it was fun!

Lion King Broadway Production

Yesterday 10 ladies from work went to see the Broadway Production of the Lion King at the Cadillac Theatre in Chicago. The event was to celebrate Kim's 40th birthday.

I was only able to take 2 pictures, this one above is outside of the theatre and then the other was taken inside the theatre. The picture was the 10 of us in our chairs when I was immediately scolded for taking pictures in the theatre. I wasn't planning to take any pictures of the actual play, I know the rules, but for crying out load they won't even let you take picture before the play starts? Asinine.
The play was incredible, the costumes were amazing and so were the singing voices.
After we went to The Cheesecake Factory where we waited 1 1/2 hours for a table. Yep, it was sweetest day...LOL I have never been there before, you get a lot of food that is really good.

RIP Tony Curtis

Ride for Autism 2010

This past Sunday Todd and I participated our 1st/2nd Ride for Autism. The reason I say 1st/2nd is because we registered and paid all of our fees last year to participate and then found out Todd needed back surgery.
This year we were able to participate and it was such a great experience. The event had over 500 motorcycles that helped raise money for a cure. We hold this organization close to our hearts because both of our boys or should I say young men have been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome which is a mild form of Autism.
Below are some pictures from the event:
Todd's bike waiting to go:

Todd waiting to go:

Bikes were parked in front of the building, in the parking lot, on the street around the back of the building and on the street on the other side of the building:

We were in the 1st group to go out these are some of the bikes infront of us:

And some bikes behind us:

Self Portait of ME on the Bike. Too funny huh?

I came home so sore from sitting on a motorcycle for 110 miles; 85 of which was without a break, and the soreness continued for a couple of days. But you know what? I would do it again to help raise money for a cure for these kids who have to grow up with Autism.

Where were you today 9 yrs ago?

A Facebook friend posted this on her page, I thought I would do the same and also here.

Where were you today 9 yrs ago: I was driving to work when I heard it on the radio, when I got to work no one had heard about it yet, I called my husband who was home after back surgery and he said that he saw the 2nd plane hit the building on the news. We shall Never Forget ! ♥

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Happy Labor Day

I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy Labor Day today.

Week of August 30th

This is the 2nd week of my youngest being in college. He is taking 4 classes 2 general classes and 2 culinary courses. So far he seems to enjoy it and hasn't really complained about his new adventure. One of his classes is a pastry class. They jumped right in baking and started by making breads.
Here is what he brought home on Wednesday

This is the 3rd time he has brought home bread and oh my goodness it is good.
It makes me wonder what he will be making in the future and bringing home to share with us.

Tonight also is the end of preseason football. YEAH I can't wait for regular season to start so we can really see the players play full tilt. Only thing is the season flys by and before you know it the season is over.

A Week Worth Sharing

A week worth sharing
My youngest son Jordan started college. I now officially have 2 children in college. Where has the time gone.
Work is still busy, still putting in OT and toward the end of this week, they will launch the last phase of SAP. In doing this no one can log into their computers on Friday. So a lot of us have decided to take Friday off as a long weekend.
This for me means not setting an alarm and getting up at 4:00am
So, tomorrow will be my Friday (insert smile)

Today there was a nice suprise that Jordan brought home from school.
One of his classes in a Pastry class on his 2nd day of class, be baked and brought home 3 loaves of bread. MMMMM. When I had a slice, I couldn't help myself. I gave him a hug and said "I Love You!" He just laughed.

This Saturday is Stamp Camp with my dedicated stampers, which is always a good time.

Lastly, I received this e-mail from my neighbor which I think is worth sharing so I posted it below:
WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY?

This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true:

I dreamed that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed." How is it that there is no work going on here? ' I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments"

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings? " I asked..

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord. "

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. "

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness .. You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day. "

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world."

"If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair......."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it. "

Unplanned Weekend

Finally a weekend where I have no commitments, nothing on the calendar, a Free Weekend.
Well maybe not quite FREE. I have a few things I have to get done; getting Jordan shoes for school, grocery shopping, going to the bead store to see if I they have group bracelet making classes (don't ask LOL) and laundry.
So how else will I fill my weekend? Maybe some stamping, watching preseason football and maybe watching a movie or 2 that are on our DVR.
These weekends lately have been few and far between so I am looking forward to it.

24th Anniversary

Today Todd and I are celebrating 24 years of marriage. Where did the time go?
I look at Ethan and Jordan and think yeah I guess it has been that long.
Here we our 24 years ago:

and today:

Chicago Bears Family Night

Comcast and a few other corporations put together a Family Night where you can see the Chicago Bears practice at Soldier Field. It is usually done the weekend of the Hall of Fame preseason game. This is the 2nd opportunity that we were able to go.
Soldier Field

Jordan with Homer. He had his picture taken 2 years ago with Homer and wanted to do it again.

The only time we will ever see 2nd row at Soldier Field. LOL

Waiting for Practice to start

#4 Punter Brad Maynard

#6 QB Jay Cutler

#23 Devin Hester

#22 Matt Forte doing warm-ups

11 on 11 Scrimmage. #33 Charles "Peanut" Tillman, #54 Brian Urlacher, #6 Jay Cutler

After the Practice, Todd and I waiting for the fireworks to start

Cousins together on the 4th of July

We had my sister and family over for the 4th. We grilled a turkey, played some bags and Apples to Apples. Ethan had to work most of the day, so once he got home and showered, we took a current pic of the cousins.

This one below was taken earlier in the day. These 2 always lay in weird postions to watch TV. Someday though they will not be able to do this anymore.